CHAPTER 391: CHAPTER 391: THE PROTECTIVE MOTHER HEN

"Over my dead body! Even if I die today, I won’t let you get your way!" Hu Yirun suddenly dropped to his knees, clutching onto the pile of semi-finished products like a protective mother hen guarding her chicks.

Qin Feng let out a loud wail: "Sang Ning, are you going to rein in your people or not? Is there no Heavenly Principle left? Bullied by two helpless guys who can’t even truss a chicken!"

Wei Lejun’s behavior was truly abnormal. Although she normally had a bit of a bad temper, she wasn’t usually this unreasonable.

Huang Chengzi cast an unconsciously perplexed glance at Wei Lejun and helped intercede, "Lejun, are you feeling upset today? Maybe take a break on the side for a bit and stop fussing with these two laborers."

Hearing Qin Feng’s outburst, Sang Ning, though fully aware of Wei Lejun’s intentions, still strolled over leisurely, feigning ignorance as she asked, "What’s going on?"

"It’s nothing, just joking around with them," Wei Lejun immediately reined in her imposing manner, replying nonchalantly.

Sang Ning’s sharp gaze carried an air of scrutiny. Afraid that Sang Ning might notice something, Wei Lejun decisively abandoned her argument with Qin Feng and Hu Yirun.

After Wei Lejun left, Qin Feng and Hu Yirun finally breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at Sang Ning with eyes glistening with gratitude.

But soon, realizing it was Sang Ning who had dragged them into this labor-intensive mess in the first place, they exchanged glances and simultaneously tilted their heads and spat: "Pah!"

Almost Stockholm Syndrome.

Sang Ning glanced at the two as they spat in sync. They immediately turned their heads toward her, the gratitude from a moment ago replaced by resentment.

People always say women can change their attitude faster than flipping a page, but Sang Ning figured Qin Feng and Hu Yirun were no different.

"Enough, that’s good enough for the semi-finished products. Come with me to work on the finished ones," Sang Ning shot them a sidelong glance. As she turned to leave, the two reluctantly followed along.

Sang Ning directed Qin Feng and Hu Yirun to move the semi-finished products by the riverbank all to one spot. Sitting on a large rock jutting out by the riverbank, she began using the vine ropes that Huang Chengzi and Sun Bangyu had woven to piece together the semi-finished components two by two.

Huang Chengzi and Sun Bangyu then neatly arranged Sang Ning’s assembled planks on the ground, forming the shape of a raft and preparing to secure them.

Everyone was busy with something, except for Wei Lejun, who wandered around the semi-finished products on the ground, pacing in circles. Her gaze occasionally shifted toward the trees behind her, her mind clearly somewhere else.

Suddenly, Sang Ning paused her work and looked up, catching Wei Lejun’s gaze quite unexpectedly.

There was a flicker of panic in Wei Lejun’s eyes as she immediately bent down to pick up two pieces of semi-finished products and handed them to Sang Ning, pretending to be calm. "Here, looks like you’re almost done with yours. No thanks necessary."

After wrapping another round of vine rope and tying a dead knot, Sang Ning first glanced at the materials in Wei Lejun’s hands. Then, her eyes slowly traveled upward, and she replied in a calm tone: "No need. What you’re holding are defective products. Why don’t you deal with them for me? They’re quite an eyesore lying here."

Wei Lejun froze, unable to decide whether to pass the materials forward or retract them.

What a coincidence. Just as she had been eyeing those semi-finished products, Sang Ning made her deal with the defects instead. Wei Lejun couldn’t shake the feeling that Sang Ning had seen through her intentions.

After placing the tied semi-finished products on the ground, Sang Ning pointed to her right, speaking slowly to Wei Lejun: "See that? That whole pile over there is also defective. If you’re not afraid of the hassle, help me clear it out too."

Sang Ning wasn’t deliberately making things easier for Wei Lejun; she was simply stating the facts.

That pile had been made when Huang Chengzi and Sun Bangyu had been inexperienced. Could it be used if necessary? Sure, but it was definitively classified as defective.

Since Wei Lejun wanted them, Sang Ning figured it might as well be an easy favor to let her take them.

After all the exhausting fussing, Sang Ning had lost interest in striving for first place.

If Wei Lejun took those defective items to Lian Qi and they managed to build a boat to cross the river, credit due where it’s earned.

"Really?" Wei Lejun’s tone rose slightly in disbelief.

With so many people watching, she couldn’t possibly steal openly, and she had been racking her brains on how to take the materials. Yet Sang Ning offered them up herself?

At that moment, Wei Lejun was immensely grateful to Sang Ning. Seems Sang Ning wasn’t always set on going against her.

"If you find it tiring, you don’t have to bother. After all, it’s all from nature—it won’t pollute the environment lying here by the riverbank, though it might look a bit unsightly," Sang Ning waved nonchalantly.

"What are you saying? I’m not some pampered princess. What’s there to feel tired about?" Wei Lejun raised her chin slightly.

She walked up to Sang Ning, picked up a thick vine rope from the ground and said, "Borrowing this for a bit."

Taking the rope, Wei Lejun quickly made her way to the pile of semi-finished products Sang Ning had mentioned. She stacked the planks piece by piece, bound them with the vine rope, and hoisted them up.

"Don’t worry, I’ll deal with these defective items as soon as possible. They won’t be an eyesore for you anymore," Wei Lejun said with restrained happiness in her tone. She couldn’t believe her luck; it was as if the heavens were looking out for her.

"Go ahead!" Sang Ning waved her hand lazily toward Wei Lejun.

Before leaving, Wei Lejun glanced back at Sang Ning and shivered.

Sang Ning’s gaze was strangely... paternal. It had the vibe of a disappointed father sending off his troublemaking daughter, and Wei Lejun was the troublemaking daughter in question.

Wei Lejun shook her head, chalking it up to guilt about her scheming.

"I’m really leaving now." Wei Lejun nodded slightly to Sang Ning, grabbed the semi-finished products, and turned around to leave.

Sang Ning withdrew her gaze from Wei Lejun. As she glanced to the side, she noticed Qin Feng and Hu Yirun chasing after Wei Lejun.

"Stop, thief! Put down our babies!" Qin Feng shouted with all the anguish he could muster.

They had just stepped away for a few moments, and Wei Lejun had sneakily stolen their work. Worse yet, Sang Ning hadn’t stopped her.

Hearing their angry yells from behind, Wei Lejun didn’t turn back; instead, she quickened her pace.

Two lunatics!

"Wait!" Sang Ning called out to Qin Feng and Hu Yirun just as they intended to run after her. She casually gestured to the side, saying, "You don’t even remember where your own kids are. What kind of parents are you?"

Following Sang Ning’s gaze, Qin Feng and Hu Yirun finally calmed down.

Their traumatic reflex had kicked in. Just seeing Wei Lejun walking off with a bunch of semi-finished goods made them instinctively assume they were hers.

As long as their ’babies’ weren’t disturbed, they could accept anything.

Qin Feng and Hu Yirun restrained their emotions, walking back slowly.

Qin Feng couldn’t help but mutter, "Wei Lejun’s acting so weird today. Rushing off like that... is she meeting a lover or something?"