Wolf-Raised Cub with a Space: Surviving the Disaster Years

Chen Shaobei raised his eyebrows in surprise.

He understood that Mo Lingwei and Shen Ningning were close, of course.

But for her to sit beside the Crown Prince, especially on such a special day... the implications were obvious.

Seeing his silence, Mo Lingwei tossed a pinch of fish food into the white porcelain tank.

"What? You think it’s improper?"

"I’m afraid the Emperor will find it improper." ’He doesn’t even let the Emperor sit next to him.’

"My birthday has nothing to do with him."

Chen Shaobei was left speechless and could only note down Mo Lingwei’s request.

The Crown Prince’s birthday banquet was to be held in the Menglin Garden within the palace. The invited princes, nobles, and high-ranking court officials would be seated according to their status.

However, families were usually seated together.

Mo Lingwei saw no problem with his decision. Shen Ningning didn’t know anyone else, so it was perfectly justifiable for her to sit beside him.

...

"Ningning, here. This is the thirty percent share I promised you."

The old village chief had called Shen Ningning over and handed her a silver bag.

The little one had come with Grandma Qin.

She opened it and was surprised to find a one hundred taels silver note.

She was a little astonished. "This much?"

It was far more than she had imagined.

The old village chief chuckled. "We didn’t expect them to sell so well either."

"This latest batch of candy wasn’t particularly sweet, but when we took it to the restaurants in the Capital City and they heard it was loquat candy from our Xiangyun Village, they bought it on the spot without even haggling."

Shen Ningning handed the silver to her grandma for safekeeping.

The little one’s smile was sweet and lovely. "That’s wonderful."

The old village chief said, "Everyone has a bit more money on hand now. Some of us are planning to re-do our roofs with sun-proof tiles."

"Does Ningning want to do it too?"

Those tiles keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer, but they’re a bit expensive.

Shen Ningning’s house in the village had just been built, so of course she wasn’t going to renovate it.

The old village chief looked at Grandma Qin. "Grandma Ningning, the village owes so much to Ningning."

"You have no idea! When I went into the city this time, everyone had heard that our Xiangyun Village has an amazing Little Wolf Girl who’s leading our whole village to prosperity!"

Grandma Qin grinned from ear to ear. "Ningning has been sensible and clever since she was little. We’re still grateful for the village chief’s care here in the village."

"Grandma Ningning, what are you saying? I dote on Ningning as if she were my own granddaughter. Having her here is a blessing for us all!"

As they were exchanging pleasantries, the old village chief’s son, Uncle Deng, suddenly pushed the door open, his face dark and gloomy.

When he saw they had company, his expression softened slightly. "Oh, Grandma Ningning is here?"

"Yes, yes." Grandma Qin nodded in response. "Jixiang, why the long face? What happened?"

Shen Ningning hadn’t yet told Grandma Qin the news that Uncle Deng and Aunt Deng were divorcing.

Judging by the time, the two of them must have gone to the Ministry of Revenue to sign the divorce papers today.

An embarrassed look crossed the old village chief’s face, and he sighed. "Ningning’s grandma, we’re all from the same village. Behind closed doors, we’re practically family."

"I’ll be straight with you. It’s my family’s misfortune to have married such a shrewish and domineering daughter-in-law. My son divorced her today."

Grandma Qin was startled. "With Fu Gui’s mother?"

The old village chief nodded grimly.

He looked behind Uncle Deng. "Where’s Fugui? Why didn’t you bring him back?"

At the mention of this, Uncle Deng became furious. "When we went to get the divorce today, she brought her cousin to humiliate me. She’s been flaunting the bit of money she has from her little textile business, and I don’t know what tricks she used to bribe the officials."

"Those officials said that since it was a mutual divorce and not me repudiating her, our son doesn’t go to me. He goes to her!"

"She even said that when she remarries, Fugui will have to take a new surname! She told me to act as if I never had a son. I didn’t even get to see Fugui’s face!"

The old village chief roared with anger, "Nonsense! How can Wang Qiao’er be so unreasonable? I’m going to her family to demand an explanation!"

Deng Fugui was of the Deng Family’s bloodline. His biological father wasn’t dead, so how could he possibly take a new surname after his mother remarried?

But after just a few steps, the old village chief was overcome with a headache from his anger and felt a wave of dizziness.

"Father!" Uncle Deng rushed to support him.

Seeing this, Grandma Qin took Shen Ningning’s little hand.

"Village Chief, we’ll be heading back now."

"Alright... Jixiang, see Ningning and her grandma out for me," the old village chief said weakly, lying on the daybed.

Grandma Qin quickly waved her hand. "No need to trouble yourself. There’s no need for such formalities between us."

Still, Uncle Deng walked them to the door. His eyes were red, and the joy from the money he’d earned selling loquat candy had vanished, leaving him looking haggard.

"Ningning’s grandma, I’m sorry for the poor hospitality today. Please forgive us."

"Jixiang, don’t take it too hard. Try to communicate properly with Fu Gui’s mother. Don’t let this turn you into enemies."

Uncle Deng gave a nod that spoke volumes.

Grandma Qin led Shen Ningning away.

However, the little one had no intention of going home.

"Grandma, I need to go into the city."

"It’s too hot today. Go tomorrow."

"I can’t, Grandma. Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday. I have to go buy him a present."

Hearing this, Grandma Qin chuckled. "Alright, alright. Then go and come back soon. Don’t be too late."

Shen Ningning called for Chen Ye and asked him to drive the carriage to the Capital City.

This time, she had also placed a large number of steamed buns in the carriage.

The crowd of refugees outside the city walls had only grown. As soon as they heard the carriage, they lunged forward frantically as usual.

With practiced ease, Shen Ningning lifted the curtain and tossed out the meat buns.

While others might throw them out one by one, she was tipping them out by the bucketful.

It stunned the ravenous refugees.

In the end, everyone managed to grab two or three meat buns and wolfed them down.

Chen Ye watched and commented, "You have a kind heart, Young Miss."

"It’s just a matter of making things convenient for them and for myself," Shen Ningning said with a smile, her dimples showing faintly.

After entering the city, the little one gave Chen Ye two taels of silver and told him to find a teahouse to rest in and to tie up the carriage.

Chen Ye refused the money at first, only accepting it after the little one insisted several times.

Then, she headed straight for a shop that sold jade.

Previously, her Immortal Realm had consumed Mo Lingwei’s jade, and Shen Ningning had been wanting to buy him a new one as a replacement ever since.

She had brought nine hundred taels with her today, planning to buy a good one!

However, before she even entered the shop, a woman’s cloyingly sweet, coquettish voice sounded from behind her—

"Brother, do you like this Unity Lock?"

"I love it! I absolutely love it!"

Shen Ningning turned around, curious.

She saw a young woman arm-in-arm with a man, the two of them laughing and talking as they walked out of the silver building across the street.

The man was holding a silver Unity Lock, his face beaming with joy. He clearly loved it.

The woman chuckled. "Then you’ll have to be even nicer to me from now on."

The man nodded emphatically. "Of course."

Watching them walk away, a look of sudden realization dawned on Shen Ningning’s round, chubby face.

’They must be brother and sister!’

The little one had heard the woman call him "Brother."

Mo Lingwei was a very good brother, too.

Since that man liked the Unity Lock so much, she would go buy one too!

Shen Ningning’s little feet went pitter-patter as she ran into the silver building.

She magnanimously paid 300 taels of silver and said directly, "I want a Unity Lock."

The Shopkeeper had never seen a child spend so lavishly and didn’t dare to be neglectful.

In the end, the Shopkeeper wrapped the Unity Lock up nicely for her, and Shen Ningning left the silver building with her little head held high, feeling delighted.

Soon, the day of the Crown Prince’s birthday arrived.

Mo Lingwei had wanted to personally go and bring Shen Ningning to the palace, but as the guest of honor at the banquet, the Emperor wouldn’t allow him to leave.

So, he arranged for Chen Shaobei to send someone to pick her up.

The guests began to arrive one after another.

Today, even the Prime Minister, who had not been seen in public for a long time, claiming illness, appeared at the banquet.

Mo Lingwei sat upright in the main seat, his handsome, dark eyes glancing towards the garden entrance from time to time.

’She should be here by now, shouldn’t she?’

Down below at the banquet, people did notice that there was an empty seat right next to the Crown Prince.

’Who could that be for?’