Chapter 596: Chapter 596: She Is the True God Entering the Home

On the way back, Shen Ningning learned from their conversation that the shopkeeper’s surname was Wen, and he had originally been a scholar.

When he was young, he had wanted to take the imperial examinations.

However, both his parents became paralyzed, so he had no choice but to give up on the examinations and take over his father’s inn.

Under his management, the inn’s business originally began to flourish.

Unfortunately, his wife died in childbirth, leaving him with a daughter. The girl had been frail since birth and required a lot of expensive medicine every month.

The silver the inn earned each year was just enough to cover the expenses for the four of them.

Fortunately, Manager Wen was a conscientious man who never complained. He remained optimistic, managing the inn while caring for his parents and daughter.

The family of four that Manager Wen had taken in also had a difficult life.

The husband had lamed his leg years ago while heroically saving a drowning boy. But instead of being thanked, the boy’s family falsely accused him, claiming he had been the one to push the child into the water.

His family had to pay a hefty compensation. Since his parents had died long ago, he only had his older brother and sister-in-law. After the incident, his domineering sister-in-law threw him and his wife out of the house.

His wife ended up giving birth to their twins in a dilapidated temple, nearly dying in the process. It was by a stroke of luck that they encountered Manager Wen, who was traveling to restock supplies but had been delayed by heavy rain.

Ever since, the man had lived at Manager Wen’s inn. Since he couldn’t afford to pay, he helped by stoking the fires in the back kitchen and waiting tables.

His wife took care of cleaning the inn, and their two sons, now three years old, were both very sensible and well-behaved.

Shen Ningning held one of the boys’ hands as she walked behind Manager Wen.

She thought of what Lord Ma had said earlier and couldn’t help but comfort him. "Manager Wen, you shouldn’t take the words of a man like that to heart. I can see you’re a kind person. Your good fortune is just around the corner."

The little boy whose hand Shen Ningning was holding suddenly looked up, his eyes shining brightly. "Miss, what you said is the same as what that blind old gentleman said."

"What blind old gentleman?" Shen Ningning smiled and gently pinched his little cheek.

The boy’s mother replied with a smile, "He was an old fortune-teller. It was pouring rain that day, and he was sitting outside the inn. Manager Wen is a kind man, so he gave him a bowl of hot noodles. The fortune-teller then said that Manager Wen was about to meet a great benefactor."

Manager Wen, walking at the front of the group, paid it no mind.

"It’s been a month since then. If I were going to meet a benefactor, it would have happened by now. Besides, he was just saying a few kind words to comfort me. It was a nice gesture, but nothing to be taken seriously. You have to live your life one day at a time. I never dream about meeting some benefactor and striking it rich."

Shen Ningning didn’t say anything. She just smiled and, as if by magic, pulled two loquat candies from her sleeve and handed them to the woman’s two young sons.

When they arrived at Manager Wen’s home, they found it to be a small, single-courtyard house.

The furnishings inside were simple, quaint, and spotlessly clean.

The moment Manager Wen stepped through the door, Shen Ningning heard a frail female voice. "Father, why are you back? Grandmother and Grandfather were just saying you were sure to be busy tonight. They just took their medicine and went to sleep."

Likely not wanting to worry his daughter, Manager Wen said simply, "Something came up at the inn, so we’re closing for the night."

Shen Ningning looked up and saw an incredibly delicate, willow-frail girl walking toward them from a long corridor.

She was about the same age as Shen Ningning but much thinner, with an unhealthy, paper-white complexion. A young maidservant followed by her side.

The girl looked at Shen Ningning with some curiosity.

Manager Wen quickly made the introduction. "This young lady is from out of town and on her way to visit relatives. She’ll be staying with our family for the night."

Then, he turned to Shen Ningning. "Miss, this is my daughter, Xiao Man."

Shen Ningning gave a slight nod. "Hello, Miss Wen. My surname is Shen."

"Miss Shen." Wen Xiaoman curtsied, her voice soft and exceptionally polite.

Wen Xiaoman was very kind. She led Shen Ningning to a side room, helped her make the bed, and brought her a clean towel and a copper basin.

"My room is right next door. If you need anything, Miss Shen, please just call for me."

Shen Ningning thanked her profusely.

To her surprise, Wen Xiaoman didn’t seem ready to leave. She lingered at the door, looking somewhat hesitant, as if she had something to say.

Shen Ningning, who was spreading her quilt, straightened up. "Miss Wen, is there something you’d like to ask?"

Wen Xiaoman lifted her frail face. "Miss Shen, did my father run into some kind of trouble tonight? It’s the Welcoming God Festival. He’s always incredibly busy at this time of year, with the inn packed to the rafters. What could have happened for him to come home?"

Shen Ningning paused, unsure if she should tell her.

’Manager Wen is so considerate,’ she thought. ’And his daughter is just as perceptive and sensitive.’

Shen Ningning couldn’t bear the thought of lying to such a kind father and daughter.

After a moment’s thought, she told her about the trouble Lord Ma had caused.

Upon hearing the story, Wen Xiaoman murmured, "I knew it."

The rims of her eyes reddened, and tears began to fall. "Father is always like this. He suffers injustice outside but never says a word because he’s afraid to worry us. And it’s all my fault."

"What does this have to do with you?" Shen Ningning asked, quickly helping her to a seat, afraid she might cry until she fainted.

Wen Xiaoman choked back sobs. "Last year, Lord Ma’s eldest son was verbally harassing me. I was so ashamed and angry that I slapped him. Ever since then, his family has held a grudge against us and always comes to the inn to cause trouble."

Hearing this made Shen Ningning even angrier.

"So no one in Lord Ma’s family is any good! They’re the ones in the wrong, not you."

Wen Xiaoman sighed and lowered her head, her expression forlorn. "But what can we do? We have no power or influence. We can’t afford to fight them."

After Wen Xiaoman left, Shen Ningning lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

’This is a family of good people. Am I just going to stand by and watch them be wronged?’

Shen Ningning sat straight up. Under the cover of deep night, when everyone was likely asleep, she quietly slipped into the kitchen.

Sure enough, just like the inn’s kitchen, there was almost no food in Manager Wen’s home.

The rice jar was nearly empty, only a little oil remained, and as for the precious salt, they were rinsing the dregs of the jar with water just to get the last bit of flavor. There wasn’t a scrap of meat in sight.

Shen Ningning rolled up her sleeves and got to work.

The rice jar—she filled it to the brim!

On the shelf, she hung a whole string of cured meat!

In the meat crock, she neatly stacked prime cuts of chicken and mutton.

Shen Ningning dragged four bamboo baskets full of eggs out from her Immortal Realm.

She didn’t forget to fill the large water vat, either, placing ten plump fish inside to swim.

On a nearby shelf, Shen Ningning piled fresh, dewy vegetables.

When she was all done, she dusted off her hands and looked with satisfaction at the kitchen. A moment ago it had been bare; now, it was overflowing with food.

But this was far from enough.

Shen Ningning knocked on the door of the woodshed where the family of four was staying. They were just about to sleep when the woman, hearing the knock, hurried to open the door.

The sight before her left her stunned.

Miss Shen was standing at the door with a smile, and behind her were hundreds of stacks of chopped firewood.

"Lend me a hand. Let’s move all this firewood inside. We’ll just leave enough space for you to sleep."

The woman was bewildered. "Miss Shen, all this firewood... where did it come from?"

Shen Ningning cleared her throat. "I had someone deliver it. It’s to thank Manager Wen for his kindness in letting me stay."

Upon hearing this, the woman quickly woke her husband.

As they were carrying the wood, Shen Ningning suddenly heard a "SQUEAK SQUEAK."

She immediately turned to look at a corner, where a small mouse was peeking out from the kitchen doorway.

’Oh no!’

’The rice and flour I just brought in... I can’t let a mouse get to them.’

Shen Ningning hurried over, and the frightened little mouse immediately scurried back into its hole.

Suddenly, she had an idea.

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