Chapter 554 A Dream of Youth 86
The closer they got to the Buddha hall, the fewer people there were. Most of the customers were regulars. Xie Qi looked at the sign that read "Honey-fried" and wondered, "Father, does this sell food? Is it a mistake? Shouldn't it be candied fruit?"
Before Xie Wangzhi could speak, Xie Ning was so provoked by these words that he choked on his own, coughing and coughing.
Startled, Chen Wanniang quickly patted Xie Ning's back. After Xie Ning spat out the candied fruit, she said with lingering fear, "Bao'er, you have to be careful when you eat."
"I was just...maybe I was thirsty..." Xie Ning made an excuse for himself. Xie Wangzhi, who was next to him, also coughed lightly and said that this was not a food shop before taking him to the back hall.
She didn't forget to quietly ask Xie Ning, "Does Bao'er know?"
Seeing Xie Ning nod, Xie Wangzhi's lips trembled, his expression constantly changing, a truly fascinating sight. In the end, he closed his eyes tightly, comforting himself that this was normal, after all, Xie Ning was studying medicine.
The backyard sold books, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, as well as local specialties, spices and medicinal herbs sold by retired officials from various places. Xie Wangzhi met many colleagues here, and even Xie Qi met many classmates.
The group was engrossed in shopping and finding treasures, and didn't pay much attention to the Buddhist gathering. They only ate a small bowl of Seven Treasures and Five Flavors Porridge before continuing their shopping spree.
Xie Wangzhi led the two children to the academy at the back. Xiangguo Temple had a rich collection of books. When he first came to the capital, he rented a place there for a while and often went to the academy to read.
"What a huge academy!" Xie Qi muttered to himself. Xie Ning's eyes lit up as he went inside, found a lot of books that interested him, and ran to a corner to read them.
Xie Wangzhi also took two books and sat quietly reading not far from Xie Ning.
It was a sunny day, and much of the snow outside had melted. Xie Ning turned another page in the light streaming in through the window, and then heard a rustling sound from beside her.
At first she didn't think much of it, but when the noise got louder and louder, she poked her head out of the window to see who was making noise.
"Waaah~"
The grayish wolf cub almost blended into the white snow beneath it, with only specks of blood and its eerie blue eyes standing out.
There were claw marks under the window; it seemed to be trying to climb up.
Xie Ning hesitated for a moment. She could tell that the wolf cub meant her no harm and even showed affection. So why?
"Waaah~"
Upon seeing Xie Ning, the wolf cub struggled to climb up, only to fall heavily to the ground. Xie Ning instinctively touched the area above her chest, where there was a birthmark resembling a green leaf, a gift from the Tree Mother of the previous world.
Aside from the knowledge she acquired and the blessing she didn't know what it was, Xie Ning couldn't take anything from that world.
"What's wrong?" Xie Wangzhi, who had heard the commotion nearby, also came over. The moment he saw the wolf cub, he tried to pick up Xie Ning and walk away.
Xie Ning stopped in her tracks. "Father, it wants to follow me."
She had a vague suspicion that it might be due to this unknown blessing.
"Bao'er, this is a wolf." Xie Wangzhi lowered his voice, his eyes filled with hostility as he looked at the wolf cub.
"Awooo—"
The wolf cub seemed to sense something, and it growled softly, hissed, and bared its teeth at Xie Wangzhi. When it turned to look at Xie Ning, it whimpered, its eyes wet, as if it were aggrieved.
The speed at which he changed his expression left Xie Wangzhi in awe.
This wolf cub is quite intelligent.
"Do you really want to raise it?" Although Xie Wangzhi didn't quite agree, he always respected the child's opinion. It was just a wolf cub; it would be fine to keep it locked up.
Xie Ning glanced down at the wolf cub, noticing the increasing amount of blood beneath it, and then nodded. "I want to raise it."
It must have been fate that we ended up here with her.
Having received a definite answer, Xie Wangzhi took Xie Ning to the stall owner and bought the wolf cub.
Xie Qi was puzzled and pointed to the wolf nestled lazily in Xie Ning's arms like a puppy. "Father, the wolf came here on its own, why do we still need to pay?"
They came here on their own, so aren't they theirs? This wolf is so expensive; it cost them a lot of money!
“Qi’er, it’s fate that the wolf came looking for the treasure. But before that, the wolf was indeed the hunter’s possession. He was there to sell it. We don’t need that much money, but what if the other party is relying on it to save their life?”
Hunting is not easy, especially in winter. Judging from the hunter's appearance, he was probably very poor and couldn't afford to wear thick clothes even in such cold weather.
"I know I was wrong." Xie Qi admitted his mistake quickly, but Xie Wangzhi knew at a glance that Xie Qi still didn't understand. But it didn't matter, he would teach him.
Xie Ning gave the wolf cub a simple bandage, then carried it to find the others. With Xie Wangzhi, the head of the family, giving his approval, the others stopped saying anything about Xie Ning raising a wolf.
At this moment, Chen Wanniang and Xie Yun were strolling along the corridors on both sides of the main hall. They bought a lot of jewelry. These were stalls set up by the nuns, which had everything from embroidery, collars, flowers, pearls, headdresses, hats, tassels and so on.
Therefore, there are no people outside the secular world.
As Xie Ning stood with the others at the entrance of the roast pig restaurant run by the monks in the temple, he was filled with emotion.
However, they did not sit down to eat there, but bought several portions to take home. After all, on Laba Festival, the family also had to send gifts. Although it was just exchanging some food with the neighbors, it was still a matter of etiquette.
The two little ones couldn't resist even while still in the carriage, mainly because the roasted pork smelled so good!
This roasted pork uses pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. It has a golden-brown color and is sprinkled with chili powder and Sichuan peppercorn powder. You can hear a crunch when you take a bite.
The outer skin is crispy and savory with a chewy texture, while the meat inside is fresh and tender, not dry at all.
Xie Ning could only eat a few pieces before she couldn't eat anymore. She could only watch others eat with longing eyes. Her pitiful look was the first thing Chen Wan Niang couldn't bear. "There are still some candied fruits here. Does Bao'er want some?"
"Eat." It'll satisfy your craving.
"Waaah~"
Xie Ning patted the little wolf's head, "This is already roasted, you definitely can't eat it."
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