Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Someone Casing the Joint?

Grandma Qin was taken aback.

She immediately asked, "If I move back, what will you do?"

"I live on the mountain with the wolves, so it’s super convenient!" Shen Ningning said.

She was used to going up and down the mountain. Besides, the Black Wolf King would often pick her up by the scruff and toss her onto his back.

Her grandma was different, though; she wasn’t quite used to traveling by wolf.

So, for her grandmother’s safety, Shen Ningning suggested she temporarily move back to their house in the village.

Of course, Grandma Qin was willing.

She liked having people to chat with, and if she lived in the village, she would be surrounded by familiar faces.

But the one thing Grandma Qin couldn’t stop worrying about was Shen Ningning.

But after the little one’s repeated persuasions, Grandma Qin couldn’t help but hug the heads of Wolf Three and Wolf Four.

"If I live in the village, how will I get to spend time with these little ones?"

Wolf Four whimpered, making a sound like a puppy trying to be cute.

He was indicating that Grandma shouldn’t worry about him; he would run down the mountain to sneak some food on his own.

The Black Wolf King shot him a look.

Wolf Four immediately changed his tune. "Awoo~"

This time, he meant that he would come down the mountain to visit his grandma on his own.

Shen Ningning’s laughter was sweet and crisp. "Grandma, everyone agrees. You should move down for the time being."

"Later, I’ll ask Brother to bring some people to help me clear the ice and snow. Once it’s not so slippery, you can move back."

Only then did Grandma Qin agree.

Shen Ningning helped Grandma Qin pack her clothes and bags.

There was no need to bring any food. Since Jiang Zhi was living in the village house, Shen Ningning had already filled the kitchen with provisions.

They just took a few extra sets of thick quilts and padded jackets.

It wasn’t safe to send too much firewood down at once, so Shen Ningning planned to make a delivery trip every three days.

The firewood currently in the woodshed at the village house should be enough for her grandma and Jiang Zhi.

As Shen Ningning was leading the wolf pack and helping Grandma Qin down the mountain...

...the little one caught sight of a suspicious figure pacing back and forth at the village entrance out of the corner of her eye.

She called out, "Who are you looking for?"

The man was startled when he saw Shen Ningning and the pack of wolves behind her.

He stammered, "Is Yang San here?"

Shen Ningning frowned. "Yang San? You must have the wrong place. There’s no one by that name in Xiangyun Village."

The man waved his hand. "Then I must have come to the wrong place."

He turned and hurried away as if fleeing.

Grandma Qin was puzzled. "That was a very unfamiliar face."

The entrance to Xiangyun Village was relatively hidden. Furthermore, since it was adjacent to Wolf Mountain, everyone knew there were many wolves in the area, so strangers rarely dared to approach.

Even people visiting relatives in Xiangyun Village had to be escorted by their family members before they dared to enter.

Otherwise, accidentally running into a couple of wolves would be enough to scare them out of their wits.

Shen Ningning felt that something was off.

’Could that person have been casing the joint?’

During the drought, there had been cases of people robbing others for food just to survive.

And now, her reputation was growing, and Xiangyun Village had followed her lead in stockpiling a lot of supplies.

’We’re bound to be targeted by people with ill intentions.’

An idea formed in Shen Ningning’s clear, watery eyes.

Villagers came and went, seeing Jiang Zhi helping Grandma Qin move things into her home.

They couldn’t help but gather at the door of the village house.

"Ningning’s grandma, are you moving back in?"

Grandma Qin sat on a round stool to rest, with the wolves gathered around her, shielding her from the cold wind.

She smiled kindly. "Yes. The mountain is covered in ice and it’s terribly slippery. Ningning was worried about me, so she had me move back for a while."

Granny Chen was the most delighted. "That’s wonderful! You haven’t eaten dinner yet, have you? I just finished cooking. You and Ningning should come over to my place to eat."

Sister-in-law Liu quickly interjected, "Granny Chen, your place is too small! Come to my house instead, I just stewed some meat."

While Grandma Qin was laughing and chatting with the villagers, Shen Ningning was inside the small house, speaking with Jiang Zhi.

"Sister Jiang, aren’t you due to report to General Chen soon?"

After Jiang Zhi’s victory, General Chen had told her to fully recover from her injuries before reporting to the camp.

Jiang Zhi nodded. "Soon. I have about half a month more to rest, then I have to go."

Shen Ningning calculated the time. It was perfect.

For the next half-month, her grandma would be living in the village house with Jiang Zhi by her side, so nothing unexpected should happen.

During that time, she would ask Brother to find people to clear all the ice and snow.

"Sister Jiang, while Grandma is living in the village, I’ll have to rely on you."

"Don’t you worry. I’ll definitely look after her as if she were my own grandmother."

After making her plans, Shen Ningning saw that Grandma Qin had already been pulled away by Granny Chen to go eat.

They called for the little one to join them.

However, Shen Ningning said, "Don’t be in such a hurry to eat. Everyone, please come with me to the village chief’s house. I have something important to discuss."

The villagers all gathered at the old village chief’s home.

The wolf pack stood guard in the courtyard, waiting.

"Ningning, what did you want to say that you’ve gathered everyone here this time?" the old village chief asked.

Shen Ningning said, "Village Chief, uncles, and aunties, I need everyone to get ready."

"Take out one or two cotton-padded clothes or pieces of cloth, along with a little food, and go sell them in town."

Everyone was shocked to hear this.

"Why, Ningning?"

"That’s right! You told us to buy everything before. We all put in so much effort to stockpile so much, why are we selling some of it now?"

"Even though we have a surplus right now, we’re afraid it won’t be enough."

The expression on Shen Ningning’s little face was completely serious.

Her dark eyes were lucid as she said, "We have to do this. Otherwise, desperate people with nowhere else to go will come to our village to rob us."

"When people are pushed to the brink by harsh conditions, they’ll risk their lives. It’s not worth it over a few supplies."

The moment the little one said this, everyone instantly understood.

The old village chief quickly addressed the crowd, "Everyone, hurry back home and check. Take out one or two items. And don’t flaunt your wealth when you go out."

"If anyone asks, just say you don’t have enough at home either and that you’re tightening your belts to get by."

"If anyone brings trouble to the village, don’t blame me for being harsh!"

After the old village chief finished speaking, the villagers all hurried home and began rummaging through their chests and cupboards.

They had stockpiled quite a bit. Each family found a few articles of clothing and some rice and flour to take out and sell for silver.

Whenever anyone asked, they followed Shen Ningning and the old village chief’s instructions and complained about their hardships.

They’d say they didn’t have much at home, had hardly any silver left, and needed to exchange some goods for money or they wouldn’t be able to afford anything.

As a result, a rumor began to spread in the nearby towns.

Xiangyun Village wasn’t as well-stocked as everyone had imagined.

However, to the villagers’ surprise, the mink pelts they had bought for thirty taels before the cold disaster could now be sold for 300 taels apiece!

There were countless buyers, almost fighting tooth and nail for them!

This time, every household converted some of their supplies into silver, and holding the money in their hands made them feel much more secure.

「That evening.」

Uncle Deng quietly went into town to the small courtyard where he stored firewood to visit Wang Qiao’er and her son.

"Here," Uncle Deng said, handing a bag of silver to Wang Qiao’er. "This is a bag of silver, about fifty taels. Use it to buy Fugui something to eat."

"So much silver?" Wang Qiao’er’s eyes widened. "Where did you get this? Did you strike it rich?"

Uncle Deng said, "I sold some clothes and grain a while back to get it. I’m helping you behind my father’s back, so please don’t tell anyone. Alright, I’m leaving."

He patted Deng Fugui’s head, not daring to stay long, and slipped away under the cover of the descending night.

But Wang Qiao’er stared at the bag of silver, lost in thought. ’So they can actually be sold for that much money?’

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