CHAPTER 192: CHAPTER 192: INSEPARABLE LIKE MANDARIN DUCKS

"Sister, you look so beautiful."

Little Ning Ran, with her two braided pigtails, leaned over to Yi Chichi, staring at her face without blinking.

"Ranran is also very pretty."

Girls around six or seven years old are always adorable unless they are so naughty that people despise them.

Moreover, Little Ning Ran is truly adorable, with big eyes and a round face, dimples when she smiles, looking more like her mother than Ning Jiandong.

"Really?"

The little girl was so delighted that she cupped her face with her hands, telling Ning Jiandong, "Daddy, Sister said I’m pretty."

"Our Ranran has always been pretty."

Ning Jiandong looked doting, with a bit of a daughter-complex.

Ning Ran’s brother, Ning An, was eyeing Wen Shi, and asked with admiration, "Big brother, do you guys shoot every day?"

"Not every day."

There aren’t that many bullets for them to use up.

"Do you go out to sea on a boat?"

"Yes, by boat."

"Are there pirates?"

At this question, the faces of the Ning brothers changed, and Ning Jianping asked seriously, "Where did you hear about pirates?"

Ning An shrank his neck and said cautiously, "I heard it from Dongzi and the others."

Yi Chichi and the others didn’t know Dongzi, but the couple noticed the brothers’ expressions visibly change.

The old lady noticed this and waved to Yi Chichi, "Xiao Yi, come with me to my room for a chat."

Yi Chichi looked at Wen Shi, saw him nod, and smiled as she went up to support the old lady and accompany her back to her room.

Ning Ran wanted to follow but was stopped by the old lady, "Ranran, play by yourself. Grandma has something to discuss with Sister."

"...Okay."

But in her heart, she was puzzled, wondering what couldn’t be said in her presence.

It really couldn’t be.

Because the old lady wanted to discuss Buddhist scriptures with Yi Chichi. After they entered the room and Yi Chichi helped her sit down, just a few idle chats later, Yi Chichi felt that the lychee she had been eating suddenly lost its sweetness.

Instead, it tasted bitter.

"I don’t understand Buddhism.

Even if I did, I wouldn’t dare to say anything. Considering the current times, speaking candidly can literally be fatal.

"You don’t understand?"

The old lady was skeptical. She nodded, looking as innocent as ever, "I really don’t understand, I haven’t come across it before."

"That’s not right, you must understand."

Yi Chichi was bewildered by this statement and still emphasized, "You misunderstood, I truly don’t understand."

The old lady looked at the Guanyin Statue hanging on the wall and wondered, "If you don’t understand, then why does the Guanyin Statue you embroidered have a Buddha-nature?"

This almost scared Yi Chichi to death. She jumped up, waving her hands, "Old lady, please don’t say that. I don’t possess any Buddha-nature. If you say the Guanyin Statues have it, that doesn’t originate from me, it’s from the Guanyin Statue itself."

"At most, I’m just a copier."

Turning the Guanyin Statue into embroidery wasn’t difficult for her.

"But yours is more spiritual than the Guanyin Statue itself."

They couldn’t continue this conversation, so Yi Chichi tried to change the subject, "Do you worship every day?"

"No, I don’t."

The old lady laughed, "I’m not a fool, you know. If it weren’t for you today, I wouldn’t even bring the Guanyin Statue out."

Meaning that usually, it’s kept hidden away.

Yi Chichi felt relieved, knowing there was a line not to be crossed.

If something really happened, the Ning brothers would be implicated.

Looking at the old lady’s kind face, Yi Chichi felt more and more like she was someone she knew, so on impulse, she asked, "Do you have any relatives in Beijing?"

Perhaps the old lady didn’t expect such a question. She was startled and then leisurely replied, "No, do you know someone who looks like me?"

"No."

She shook her head, just about to explain when the old lady continued, "However, I had a brother who disappeared during the wartime years."

Oh no, a thought she hadn’t expressed yet, it seemed like their families might actually be related.

But thinking about how the Ning Haitao family was, Yi Chichi decided it might be better not to mention it.

While pondering what to do if the old lady asked, Yi Chichi saw her expression change, a look of disgust and hatred flashing in her eyes as she said, "But it’s better if there’s no news. Otherwise, I’m afraid I might lose control of my emotions and do something rash."

The words were filled with murderous intent and anger.

Yi Chichi’s eyes widened immediately—was there a vendetta?

As it turned out, the old lady’s words validated her suspicions.

Indeed, there was a deep grudge between the old lady and her brother. If not for her brother, she wouldn’t have been sold, eventually forced to find a way out by joining the guerrilla forces.

From a delicate and frail woman, unable to lift even a finger, she became a fierce warrior against enemies.

In summary, the old lady’s life was full of rich experiences.

As she put it, she had committed too many acts of killing, and in her later years, she sought peace, hence the Guanyin Statue.

Yi Chichi was at a loss for words; seeking peace wasn’t done that way.

If something really were to happen, it would be disastrous for the entire Ning Family.

She wanted to caution her but was wary of saying too much due to their shallow acquaintance.

After some thought, she decided to fulfill a duty for her own interest.

"Things might be unstable with Uncle Ning."

She subtly hinted, and the old lady nodded, "My eyes are still keen; after seeing you today, this Guanyin Statue won’t appear before me again anytime soon."

This assurance was enough for Yi Chichi.

Just as she was about to speak, there was a knock on the door, and Ning Ran’s voice followed, "Grandma, Sister, it’s time for dinner."

"Okay, Ranran, you go ahead. Grandma and Sister will be there soon."

The little girl responded and left, her footsteps echoing as she walked away.

The old lady held Yi Chichi’s hand, "Good child, did I scare you?"

Yi Chichi smiled, "To be honest, a little bit."

The old lady laughed, "Don’t worry, it was just this once. In the future..."

She paused and patted her hand, "Let’s go, let’s have dinner. Stay over at the house and rest tonight."

This request to stay over wasn’t agreed to by Yi Chichi or Wen Shi.

After having a fairly pleasant dinner with the Ning family, the couple politely declined their invitation to stay and left for the guest house.

That night, the two lay in bed whispering to each other.

"What do you think of the Ning family?"

"They’re worth befriending, but we must maintain the right balance."

Wen Shi stroked her hair gently as if petting a cat. Thinking of what Ning Jianping had said, he narrowed his eyes, "What did the old lady talk to you about?"

Yi Chichi shifted slightly, moving close to his ear and whispered, "The old lady wanted to discuss Buddhist scriptures with me."

Wen Shi was stunned, looking down at her incredulously, "You understand this?"

He hadn’t seen it coming.

Yi Chichi felt embarrassed, "I don’t."

"Then why would she discuss it with you?"

"She said the Guanyin Statue I embroidered has a Buddha-nature."

Seeing her look of disbelief, Wen Shi buried his face in her shoulder and trembled with laughter. The reason seemed absurd.

"Don’t laugh."

"Alright, I won’t."

Her voice had a hint of annoyance. Wen Shi glanced at her and obediently stifled his laughter, though he couldn’t help but tease, "Wife, do you know how to embroider mandarin ducks?"

"Yes, why?"

"Embroider a pair of mandarin ducks flying together for me, symbolizing our marriage, like mandarin ducks, never to be separated."