Despite her small stature, her presence was anything but lacking. Her voice even startled Old Wu.
Tang Wanqing feared the horse might go wild again and hurt Nuonuo, but unexpectedly, the horse seemed to understand that Nuonuo was defending her. It obediently lowered its head and gently nuzzled against Nuonuo.
Nuonuo hugged the horse’s head and whispered softly, “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. I’ll heal you.”
After saying this, she turned to Old Wu and said, “Uncle, untie the horse.”
Old Wu glanced at Nuonuo, then looked at Tang Wanqing.
Tang Wanqing nodded. “Do as Nuonuo says.”
Old Wu untied the carriage harness but still found nothing wrong. Growing impatient, he thought to himself that the mistress was already weak, and this trip to pray for blessings was already risky. Any further delay, especially if she caught a chill, would be disastrous.
“Mistress, it’s getting late. Let me teach this horse a lesson, and we should hurry on our way.”
Tang Wanqing was not an unreasonable person, so she patiently said, “Nuonuo, Uncle has already checked. Be good now.”
Without another word, Nuonuo flipped over the saddle. Old Wu’s pupils suddenly constricted, and he exclaimed, “How malicious!”
It turned out that two extremely thin needles had been hidden under the saddle. Every step the horse took caused it pain, which explained why it had suddenly gone wild.
Old Wu was so frightened that he immediately knelt down. “Mistress, it was my negligence that allowed someone to take advantage!”
“We were fine when we came. These needles must have been tampered with outside the temple. It’s not your fault, but who would want to harm me?” Tang Wanqing tried to gather her strength, but immense weakness still clouded her thoughts.
“For now, the best course of action is to return to the estate as soon as possible. Yi’er is waiting for us.”
“Mistress, the horse is injured and can no longer pull the carriage. Let me go find another horse.” As soon as Old Wu finished speaking, Qiuyue said, “This place is in the middle of nowhere. Where can we find a horse at such short notice? Since someone wants to harm the mistress, wouldn’t she be in even greater danger if you left?”
“But we can’t just wait here idly. The mistress’s health can’t withstand the cold night wind.” Old Wu also looked anxious.
“It’s fine. I’ll wait in the carriage. I’m sure if we don’t return soon, Rumei will send someone to fetch us.” As Tang Wanqing spoke, she asked Qiuyue to help her into the carriage.
When she looked up, she saw the horse lying on the ground, allowing Nuonuo to fiddle with something on its back. Afterward, Nuonuo even gently blew on the horse’s back. “Horsey, horsey, blow on it and it won’t hurt anymore.”
“Little girl, those needles were deeply embedded. It needs to be seen by a doctor to heal properly. Don’t waste your effort.” The little girl had managed to calm the horse so obediently and even discovered such a hidden trap. Old Wu spoke to her with a bit more respect and showed some tolerance for her childish actions.
Nuonuo shot Old Wu a disdainful look and turned to Tang Wanqing. “The horse has been treated and is already healed.”
In her eyes, anyone who would bully a small animal was not a good person. She didn’t like Old Wu, at least not for now.
Ignored, Old Wu awkwardly twitched the corner of his mouth and said, “She really is just a child, prone to wild fantasies.”
“Auntie, look, the horse really is healed.” Nuonuo patted the horse’s back, and it remained completely still. Old Wu even noticed a hint of relaxation on its face.
Old Wu tentatively reached out to touch the injured spot on the horse. The horse remained completely still. He applied a bit more pressure with his hand, and the horse still showed no reaction.
Overjoyed, he exclaimed, “Madam, this child truly healed the horse.”
Though it seemed unbelievable, the horse was indeed cured. Tang Wanqing and Qiuyue both breathed a sigh of relief.
For this child to calm the horse so instantly in such a state, she must be no ordinary child. The urgent task now was to hurry back.
But just as the carriage was ready, the sky suddenly darkened with thick clouds, and fierce winds began to howl, as if a heavy storm was about to break. Qiuyue visibly grew anxious. “Madam, you must not get caught in the rain.”
“Auntie doesn’t like rain? When it rains, the big trees and flowers won’t be thirsty anymore,” Nuonuo asked innocently.
Qiuyue sighed. “Madam’s health is weak. Exposure to wind and rain would be too much for her.”
“Is that so?” Nuonuo looked at Tang Wanqing with a mix of understanding and confusion. This auntie was beautiful and kind, and Nuonuo had liked her from the first glance. Since Auntie didn’t like rain, then it shouldn’t rain.
Thinking this, Nuonuo leaned out of the carriage window and called out to the sky, “Wind and rain, come back tomorrow! Auntie can’t get wet.”
Her adorable manner warmed Tang Wanqing’s heart—such a lovely and sincere child. But how could wind and rain possibly listen? She couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Yet, surprisingly, as soon as Nuonuo finished her call, the dark, heavy clouds vanished without a trace as if obeying a command, and the wind ceased entirely, as though the earlier gloom and gusts had never existed.
Old Wu was so shocked his jaw dropped. He stammered, “M-Madam, it really stopped.”
After one unusual event after another, anyone would realize Nuonuo was no ordinary child. Such a young orphan with such extraordinary abilities was not necessarily a good thing. If the wrong people found out, the child would be in danger.
Fortunately, Old Wu and Qiuyue were both her trusted confidants. She quickly instructed, “It was just a coincidence. What happened today must not be spoken of to anyone.”
Old Wu and Qiuyue were clever and naturally understood her meaning, promptly agreeing.
As dusk gradually fell, Old Wu urged the carriage to move faster.
After a long, exhausting day, Tang Wanqing could no longer hold on. Her complexion grew increasingly pale, and she coughed incessantly. Qiuyue kept patting her back to soothe her breathing, but it provided no relief.
“Auntie, are you uncomfortable? Nuonuo will blow on you, and you’ll feel better.” As she spoke, Nuonuo blew a few gentle breaths toward Tang Wanqing. Tang Wanqing felt a warm current enter her body, flowing through her limbs and bones, making her feel comfortably warm all over.
Then, Nuonuo imitated Qiuyue, gently patting Tang Wanqing’s back. Tang Wanqing felt the tightness in her chest loosen. Her throat began to itch, and she couldn’t help but cough again. Sensing something was off, she quickly took a handkerchief from Qiuyue and coughed up a thick, dark green phlegm. Instantly, she felt light and relieved.
Nuonuo, not understanding, asked worriedly, “Auntie, are you still feeling bad? When Grandma felt bad, Nuonuo blowing on her made her better.”
Tang Wanqing pulled Nuonuo into her arms, grateful. “Thank you, Nuonuo. Auntie feels better now.”
Tang Wanqing didn’t mention this to Qiuyue, but she became even more convinced that this child was truly extraordinary.
Feeling more spirited, Tang Wanqing patiently inquired about Nuonuo’s background. “Nuonuo, do you know where your family lives or what their surname is? Once we reach the capital, Auntie will take you back to them.”
“Nuonuo was picked up by Granny at the Mass Grave Mound. Nuonuo has no surname. Granny said Nuonuo has two ‘rice’ characters, so she won’t go hungry in the future.”
The little girl spoke with an innocent expression, but Tang Wanqing’s heart ached as if gripped tightly. What kind of hardship had this child endured in the past?