Chapter 368: Daddy Will Uphold Justice, Brother Blasted Me
Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Daddy Will Uphold Justice, Brother Blasted Me
Xie Yuanjiu came to her side and whispered, "She is indeed young, but as I’ve told you, Shen Ningning has lived a miserable life since childhood. That’s why she’s more cunning than others and likes to compete for everything."
As she spoke, Xie Yuanjiu patted Li Yuyi’s hand.
"Don’t be angry anymore. How about I apologize to you on her behalf?"
Li Yuyi looked at Xie Yuanjiu.
"Why should you be the one to apologize? It’s not your fault. I feel so wronged on your behalf. To think the Xie family sent you back to your ancestral home all for a wild brat like that."
Xie Yuanjiu lowered her gaze, staring blankly at a random spot, a profound sorrow in her eyes.
She said nothing, yet Li Yuyi could feel the immense injustice she had suffered.
Li Yuyi squeezed her hand. "Don’t worry. When I return to the Capital City next year, I’ll take you with me."
Xie Yuanjiu shook her head. "My uncle drove me out. Without his permission, how could I dare go back so casually?"
"What’s so difficult about that?" Li Yuyi narrowed her phoenix eyes. "You’re setting up congee stations and providing relief to the victims. Are those not merits? If you want to return to the Capital City, why should you have to depend on his mood?"
As she spoke, she lowered her voice. "By the way, that spoiled grain we donated... it won’t be discovered, will it?"
Xie Yuanjiu snapped out of her reverie and shook her head at Li Yuyi.
"I had someone investigate. A certain young lady, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated a great deal of grain and firewood to Nanzhou. We’re just using her reputation to donate some moldy rice and waterlogged wood. Who could possibly find out?"
"Besides, Mr. Zhang Liu and everyone else who noticed something was wrong were all burned to death. You can relax."
Li Yuyi smiled, satisfied, a smug look appearing in her phoenix eyes.
"Excellent. See? Getting credit for good deeds is as easy as can be!"
Li Yuyi and Xie Yuanjiu left the room. While crossing the courtyard, they saw a small snowman someone had made.
She snorted coldly.
She kicked it, and the snowman shattered and toppled over.
"I bet my half-brother made that snowman again. He’s restless all day long, does nothing but play. Absolutely useless." Li Yuyi’s brow furrowed in disgust.
Xie Yuanjiu watched Li Yuyi’s actions, her own expression unreadable.
She praised her softly, "Yuyi, you have more spirit than any of the young ladies from the noble families I met in the Capital City. You’re destined for great things."
Li Yuyi lifted her delicate, imperious face. "Of course. When I get back to the Capital City, the first thing I’ll do is deal with that Shen Ningning and get revenge for you."
Xie Yuanjiu feigned alarm. "How could I dare accept? You don’t know how much my uncle dotes on her, and the Crown Prince is even more partial to her. If I got you into trouble, it would be all my fault."
These words only made Li Yuyi’s loathing for Shen Ningning deepen.
"Don’t be afraid. I have plenty of ways to torment her and leave her unable to say a word about her suffering!"
...
「It was New Year’s Eve once again.」
The little one gave Wuer and the others their holiday bonuses and wrote New Year’s couplets for them.
Then she took a large bundle of reishi ginseng to visit Grandpa Fu, the County Magistrate.
After leaving the Fu Family’s home, she had Chen Ye drive the carriage to Xu Jingxi’s house.
She had intended to bring him some food, but to her surprise, both Xu Jingxi and Grandpa Xu had been invited by Mr. Han to celebrate the New Year with him.
Shen Ningning was relieved.
Jiang Zhi was spending the New Year at the Fire Soldier Camp, so she wouldn’t be returning to Xiangyun Village.
Shen Ningning had just returned to Wolf Mountain when Xie Suzhi arrived with Second Master Xie and Xie Ming’an.
This year, they would once again spend the New Year with Grandma Qin and Shen Ningning.
"Matriarch, your godson kowtows to you!" Xie Suzhi and Second Master Xie knelt on the prayer cushions as Grandma Qin laughed heartily and waved her hands.
"Get up, get up!" she said, handing them red envelopes.
The room was brightly lit, and red paper-cuttings adorned the windows.
Outside, Shen Ningning and Xie Ming’an set off several strings of firecrackers.
Amid the CRACKLING and POPPING, the red lanterns hanging from the eaves enhanced the festive atmosphere of reunion.
Dressed in a festive red brocade tunic with a fish-and-dragon-dance pattern, Shen Ningning suddenly burst through the door from outside.
She covered her little face and started bawling. "Daddy! Second Uncle! Stinky Second Brother tried to blow me up with a firecracker!"
Xie Suzhi and Second Master Xie’s expressions changed, and Grandma Qin’s smile instantly froze.
"That little brat. Ningning, don’t cry. Daddy will teach him a lesson." Xie Suzhi picked up a nearby fire poker, weighing it in his hand.
As if that weren’t enough, Second Master Xie voluntarily offered his cane.
"Big Brother, use this. It’s made of yellow pearwood—it’s hard!" Second Master Xie said with a straight face.
Just then, Xie Ming’an walked in, his face dark.
Everyone stared at his fine, orchid-blue brocade robe, which had been blasted open, spilling cotton padding.
His handsome, fair face was smudged with black ash, leaving it a mess of black and white patches.
Shen Ningning wiped away her fake tears, let out a stifled giggle, and quietly hid behind the nearby Black Wolf King.
Xie Suzhi looked at Xie Ming’an and frowned in confusion. "Why did you use a firecracker to bully your sister?"
With an indignant look in his sharp eyes, Xie Ming’an pointed at himself. "Dad, look at me. Who exactly is bullying whom?"
"She actually invented some kind of mortar tube! It doesn’t hurt you, but it sure scares the hell out of you!"
"My back was turned while I was lighting a firecracker, and she suddenly fired a blast right at my feet. It was so loud!"
Xie Ming’an was too embarrassed to say what happened next.
He had been so startled that he’d fallen right on his rear—and landed directly on the string of firecrackers he had just lit, which blew his brand new holiday clothes to shreds.
Second Master Xie froze for a second before being the first to erupt into laughter.
Xie Suzhi, however, was rather surprised. ’Our Ningning is that brilliant?’
’Making a mortar tube, even in the Fire Soldier Camp, requires three master artisans working together.’
’And my daughter actually managed to make one all by herself!’
Shen Ningning peeked her little head out from behind the Black Wolf King.
She blinked her large, sparkling eyes.
"After I figured out half of the texts Mother left behind, I suddenly started understanding a lot more things."
For example, in her Immortal Realm, there was a sheet of paper in the place where the gunpowder was kept.
The little one now recognized it as something called an "instruction manual."
By following the steps on it and experimenting bit by bit, she now not only knew how to make a mortar tube, but also how to control the amount of gunpowder.
Whether it was to injure someone, kill them, or even blow up a city, she knew how to do it!
Second Master Xie leaned on the table, laughing uncontrollably, while Xie Suzhi showered his daughter with praise for her brilliance.
Only Xie Ming’an, face still grim, reached out a sooty hand to grab Shen Ningning.
"You little rascal, get over here!"
Shen Ningning let out a shriek in her high, childish voice, turned, and took off, her little feet going PITTER-PATTER.
She ran in circles around Grandma Qin.
Xie Ming’an held back, afraid to act recklessly. He wanted to catch her but feared he might hurt Grandma Qin.
Besides, Shen Ningning’s tiny body was incredibly nimble. One moment she would duck under the table, the next she would pop up behind Xie Ming’an.
Several times, just as Xie Ming’an was about to catch Shen Ningning, the Black Wolf King would discreetly stick out a paw and trip him.
It made Xie Ming’an so mad he was practically hopping on his feet.
Watching them made Grandma Qin dizzy. She laughed with fond exasperation, "Alright, alright, Ningning is making Grandma’s head spin."
Only then did Shen Ningning stop her mischievous scampering.
"Got you!" Xie Ming’an seized the opportunity, coming up from behind and wrapping an arm around her little waist, holding her tightly against him.
Shen Ningning let out a soft cry, struggling and flailing as she kicked her little feet.
"You cheated! Grandma called a stop, so why didn’t you stop?" she protested, puffing out her rosy cheeks indignantly.
Xie Ming’an raised his dark eyebrows, a wide, triumphant grin spreading across his face.
"It’s time for New Year’s Eve dinner. I’m taking you to wash your little hands and face." As he spoke, he pinched her small cheek and gave it a gentle tug.
’It felt as soft as spun cotton.’
Not one to admit defeat, Shen Ningning’s eyes went wide as her little hand grabbed Xie Ming’an’s ear.
Xie Suzhi called out, "Xie Ming’an! Don’t you make your sister cry, or I’ll still give you a beating, New Year’s Eve or not."
"I know!" Xie Ming’an called back dismissively.
He carried Shen Ningning out of the room, closing the door behind him with his foot.
Feeling uneasy, the Black Wolf King got up and followed them out.
In the cold night air, Shen Ningning’s breath plumed in white clouds.
She was tucked under Xie Ming’an’s arm. He then freed one hand and began to scrub her small face and hands.
"SPUTTER SPUTTER." Shen Ningning shook her little head, refusing to cooperate.
She splashed water all over Xie Ming’an.
Seeing the mischievous glint in her sparkling dark eyes, a smile graced Xie Ming’an’s handsome face.
"Aren’t you having a lot of fun with your second brother?"
"I’m not happy! I can’t stand you!" Shen Ningning huffed.
Xie Ming’an narrowed his eyes. "Nonsense. You’re clearly having a great time."
"In front of everyone else, you’re the most well-behaved girl in the world. It’s only around me that you let yourself run wild."