Chapter 254: Chapter 254: Happy New Year

’Brother and sister?’

Xu Jingxi and Shen Ningning exchanged a look.

’Do we look alike?’

"Thank you, Mister Shopkeeper," Shen Ningning said, standing up and wiping her chubby little face with the back of her hand. "We’re not scavenging, our clothes just got dirty. So we’d better not come in for tea."

The Shopkeeper turned back, and his heart softened even more as he looked at the little girl.

She was such a tiny thing—bright-eyed and utterly adorable.

Unfortunately, her fair little face, from the tip of her nose to her cheeks, was smudged with soot and grime.

Although she was wearing fairly nice clothes, she looked all drab and dusty.

The Shopkeeper sighed. "You poor things. Wait here, I’ll go get something for you."

He went back into his shop and came out a moment later, cradling two large deerskin cloaks in his hands.

"These originally belonged to my younger brother."

"But a little while ago, he got caught up in the craze and bought a bunch of new cold-weather gear. He upgraded to bearskin, so he doesn’t need these anymore. You two can have them."

Shen Ningning’s face lit up with joy, her big eyes blinking.

She was just about to reach out her little hands to take them.

But Xu Jingxi, acting like an older brother, pulled her behind him.

His voice was steady. "How much silver do you want for them?"

The Shopkeeper was taken aback for a moment, then let out a hearty laugh. "No charge. They’re a gift."

"Times are just starting to look up, but I don’t know if you two have a family or not."

"But these deerskins will be enough to get you through the winter. You’re the big brother, so you have to protect your little sister. She’s too little to be left out in the cold."

Shen Ningning peeked her little head out from behind Xu Jingxi.

She gave the Shopkeeper a sweet smile. "Thank you, Mister Shopkeeper."

"Oh, what a good girl. Here, take them." The Shopkeeper placed the two deerskins in their straw basket.

Only after confirming that no silver was needed did Xu Jingxi agree to accept them.

The two of them headed back, fully loaded. Unfortunately, Shen Ningning couldn’t carry her straw basket.

So, Xu Jingxi took the initiative, putting everything into his basket and carrying it all himself.

On the way back to the National Academy, he didn’t look very happy.

"Xu, why aren’t you smiling?"

"What’s there to smile about?"

"We got two deerskin cloaks for free. Isn’t that a good thing?"

He looked at Shen Ningning’s big, round, innocent eyes.

Xu Jingxi pressed his lips together before saying, "In my experience, nothing is ever free."

"Even if something seems free now, there could be a huge price to pay later. That’s why I’m worried it’s a trap."

Shen Ningning was taken aback.

"Two deerskin cloaks... surely there’s no trap, right? That Mister Shopkeeper seemed so nice."

Xu Jingxi said nothing.

The little girl looked at his sharply defined profile, puzzled.

Of course, Xu Jingxi knew she wouldn’t understand.

He had encountered supposed kindness that was merely a facade before.

Once that facade was stripped away and they revealed their true intentions, he would discover that malice had been hanging over his head all along, like a gleaming knife.

That was why he was so wary.

Xu Jingxi didn’t believe there was any such thing as a free lunch.

Seeing his unhappy expression, Shen Ningning decided to change the subject.

"Umm, by the way, everyone said my warning was just a rumor. Why did you believe me and come out to gather clothes?"

"Because I need them," Xu Jingxi admitted frankly.

His voice was frosty. "Even without a blizzard, my family’s house collapses every year as soon as it snows."

The place he lived was just that dilapidated.

"My grandparents are old. With these padded clothes and quilts, even if the heavy snow flattens our house, at least they won’t freeze right away."

"And I’ll repair the roof as fast as I can."

Hearing this, Shen Ningning’s big eyes went wide.

’I thought my life used to be hard enough,’ the little girl thought. ’I never imagined Xu Jingxi had it even tougher than me.’

Shen Ningning thought for a moment, then looked up with her dark, sparkling eyes.

"It’s okay. My family has lots of houses. If things get too hard, you can come find me in Xiangyun Village."

Xu Jingxi didn’t answer.

He relied on himself for everything and never dreamed of depending on others.

So, naturally, he didn’t take Shen Ningning’s words to heart.

Just then, Mr. Han’s shout echoed from the distance—

"Hey!" Mr. Han came running over, holding his hood down. "Is there anything left? I’ll take a couple of pieces too."

Shen Ningning giggled as she looked at the panting Mr. Han.

"Teacher, you’re here to get some too?!"

"No sense letting free things go to waste—you said it yourself! No one else believes you, so your teacher has to be on your side. I’ve got to take a couple of things back, if only to show support."

As he spoke, Mr. Han began rummaging through the straw basket on Xu Jingxi’s back.

"Alright, I’ll take this one," he said, pulling out a padded jacket.

Looking at Shen Ningning and Xu Jingxi’s grimy faces, he couldn’t help but roar with laughter.

"Come on, I’ll treat you two to some hot wonton soup."

Xu Jingxi said coolly, "I’ll pass. I have to..."

Before he could finish, Shen Ningning and Mr. Han grabbed his sleeves, one on each side.

"Come on! We have time for one bowl," the little girl said in her sweet voice.

Mr. Han chimed in, "That’s right! No need to be so formal with me."

A short while later, the teacher and his two students were sitting at a small roadside table, each with a bowl of fragrant wonton soup in front of them.

Shen Ningning was tucking in with relish.

Xu Jingxi, however, hesitated to touch his spoon.

’It always felt wrong to take things from others for free.’

Mr. Han seemed to read his mind and said, "Jingxi, on New Year’s Eve morning, come to my house and help me with something."

Without a second thought, Xu Jingxi agreed. "Alright."

Only then did he finally pick up his spoon.

The story of Shen Ningning and Xu Jingxi going out "scavenging" was quickly spread around the National Academy by Ye Shangyi, who turned it into a laughingstock.

No one dared to mock Shen Ningning to her face, but they couldn’t resist cornering Xu Jingxi to ridicule him.

Mr. Han had to step in and rescue Xu Jingxi several times, but he discovered the boy was incredibly composed.

Even when others provoked him to his face, he wouldn’t so much as twitch an eyebrow.

It seemed nothing could make him angry.

However, this situation didn’t last for long.

Soon, Crown Prince Mo Lingwei heard about the matter from the palace and issued a decree.

He ordered everyone to sell their unsold padded clothing, quilts, and all other cold-weather supplies to him.

Zichen Palace would buy everything, and at the normal market price.

Mo Lingwei even made a public declaration: "I don’t care what the State Preceptor says. I only believe what Shen Ningning says."

Everyone immediately understood. The Crown Prince was willing to spend a fortune just to back Princess Funing.

As for the supplies he bought, Mo Lingwei gifted them all to Shen Ningning.

Not only that, but the Xie family quietly secured two spacious granaries.

They were to be used for stockpiling purchased firewood.

Xie Suzhi had taken to heart everything Shen Ningning wanted.

「New Year’s Eve morning.」

Shen Ningning, dressed in a festive red brocade jacket and carrying a bag of New Year’s candy, went into the village with the Black Wolf King.

Several rounds of firecrackers had already been set off. With the New Year just around the corner, every villager’s face was beaming with joy.

"Happy New Year, everyone!" The little girl greeted many familiar faces along the way.

She would generously scoop out a handful of New Year’s candy and offer it to them.

Just then, Chen Ye returned and greeted her. "Miss, I just went to check. Uncle Zhong and Aunt Yun are already getting everyone together to celebrate the New Year, so they said you don’t need to worry."

"They also said they’ll wait until after the second day of the New Year to come to the village and give you their New Year’s greetings."

Shen Ningning nodded in agreement. Just then, the sound of a carriage came from the village entrance.

The villagers turned to look, smiling as they called out, "Ningning, look who’s back!"

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