Tian Wuniang's phoenix eyes fixed on Lin Ning's face. She had never seen such a look from Lin Ning before, especially since the time he was six and started reading those stories of talented scholars and beautiful ladies—ever since then, the way he looked at her had only ever been contempt and disdain...
However, this was not the time to dwell on such things. Beside her, Aunt Chun was already too overwhelmed with emotion to control herself, so Tian Wuniang handed Lin Ning over to her.
Aunt Chun embraced Lin Ning and burst into loud sobs. Just now, when she saw Lin Ning bleeding from all seven orifices, seemingly dead, she had felt as though the sky were falling, on the verge of collapse.
Now, seeing Lin Ning come back to life and open his eyes, she could no longer hold herself together at all, and clutched him tightly to her chest, terrified of losing him again, of him being harmed by someone.
Seeing her like this, several of the leaders wore looks of helplessness on their faces...
"Brother-in-law! Waaah! Brother-in-law..."
Just then, the crowd parted, and two youths pushed their way in urgently, guarding Jiu Niang.
Seeing Aunt Chun holding the blood-soaked Lin Ning and wailing, Little Jiu Niang's little face went pale, and she ran over on her small legs, crying loudly.
Though she was only six, in these past two years, she had already experienced much of the mortal world's bitterness, life and death and separation.
Aunt Chun instilled in her, day after day, that Wuniang and Lin Ning were her only relatives left, so Little Jiu Niang cherished them all the more.
"Cough... cough, cough..."
Actually, Lin Ning had already recovered the moment Tian Wuniang picked him up. Seeing Aunt Chun and Jiu Niang crying like this, he finally couldn't keep up the pretense any longer. He coughed dryly twice and said slowly, "Aunt Chun, Jiu Niang, don't cry, I'm fine..."
The moment Jiu Niang saw he was still alive, her eyes went wide, her face full of surprise, and she rushed over through her tears to hug him, laughing. But before she could say anything, seeing the blood covering Lin Ning's face and body, her mouth crumpled and the tears started again.
It felt as though he wasn't dead yet, but not far from it.
"Xiao Ning, who in the end injured you like this?"
Second Boss Fang Lin, though gaunt-faced and pockmarked all over, had a steady demeanor. He furrowed his sparse brows and asked, looking at Lin Ning.
Before Lin Ning could answer, Aunt Chun exploded, "Who else but Cui'er? I saw it with my own eyes, it was her! I just don't know who exactly put her up to it..."
These words cut deep.
Countless eyes fell at once on Cui'er's face, wretched with fear, and some quietly glanced toward Tian Wuniang's expressionless face.
Though Cui'er was built tall and sturdy, broad-shouldered and strong, at this moment she looked as pitiful as a drenched sparrow, trembling like a sieve, shaking her head repeatedly. "It wasn't me, it really wasn't me..."
Even though in her heart she detested Lin Ning intensely, at this moment she still looked at him eagerly, hoping he would help clear her name.
Jiu Niang was the most hurt by this. Though Wuniang was her actual elder sister, usually Wuniang was busy with the stronghold's affairs and had no time to accompany her.
And though Cui'er was nominally a servant girl, Jiu Niang had always regarded her like a sister.
Cui'er was indeed devoted heart and soul to Jiu Niang—if Jiu Niang were ever in danger, no one would doubt that she would take her place even in death.
But precisely because of this, her suspicion now grew all the greater.
After all, there was the matter before, of Lin Ning secretly harming Jiu Niang...
Jiu Niang was stunned for a moment, staring blankly at her, and asked, "Sister Cui'er, is it... is it really you who hurt Brother-in-law? I already told you, Brother-in-law was just playing with me, he was annoyed at how noisy I was, he didn't really mean to hurt me..."
Cui'er cried, "Young Lady, it really wasn't me, it really wasn't me, when I came in I just heard a scream, and Lin Xiaoning was already..."
"Slap!"
Before Cui'er could finish speaking, Fourth Boss Deng Xueniang moved, and the next instant Cui'er collapsed to the ground, her right cheek swelling up high.
Everyone was startled. Then they heard Deng Xueniang say in a deep voice, "Even though we're close-knit here in the stronghold and don't stand much on ceremony, at a time like this, how dare you still act so presumptuous. Xiao Ning is the bloodline of Great Chieftain Lin and Madam, and you, a lowly servant, dare to show him contempt? Even Little Jiu Niang calls him Brother-in-law—is 'Lin Xiaoning' something you're allowed to call him?"
Though Deng Xueniang did not necessarily like Lin Ning, given the current situation, she needed to make clear where the stronghold's leaders stood.
Otherwise, with Aunt Chun causing such an uproar, the blame would fall squarely on their shoulders, and that was a headache none of them wanted...
Jiu Niang stared blankly at Cui'er, who had been slapped down and now lay sprawled on the ground, blood trickling from her mouth. Then she turned to look at Lin Ning, who looked even worse off than Cui'er by ten times, and asked, her mouth crumpling, "Brother-in-law, was it really Cui'er who hurt you?"
Lin Ning shook his head. "I didn't see clearly, I just felt a sharp pain in my head and then passed out..." Seeing Jiu Niang's tears welling up, her expression edging toward despair, Lin Ning added gently, "But, I had a dream. In the dream, I saw my father and mother."
Hearing this, everyone was in an uproar, and Aunt Chun burst into loud sobs again.
Cui'er's heart turned completely to ice. At a time like this, for Lin Ning to bring up the Old Village Chief and Madam meant he had cut off her only way out.
Tian Wuniang, too, turned her gaze slightly, her eyes calm as she looked at Lin Ning.
But Lin Ning smiled at Jiu Niang. "My mother gave me a proper scolding, said it was wrong of me to tease and bully you like that before. My father even hung me up and gave me a good beating—maybe it was my father who hit me. Xiao Jiu, do you believe that silly girl Cui'er would hurt me?"
Jiu Niang turned to glance at Cui'er, who had lifted her head to look this way, then turned back to look at Lin Ning. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded. "I don't believe it. Sister Cui'er wouldn't do such a thing."
Lin Ning said gently, "Then I believe it too—she wouldn't do such a thing."
Aunt Chun, off to the side, was so angry she gritted her teeth. "Xiao Jiu, don't you know Cui'er has always hated your brother-in-law?"
Jiu Niang looked quite troubled and said, "Aunt Chun, though Sister Cui'er doesn't like Brother-in-law, she would absolutely never lay a hand on him to hurt him."
Aunt Chun said angrily, "This stronghold is only so big. I had barely left for a moment, and when I came back I found Ning'er's life hanging in the balance, with Cui'er standing right there beside him—if not her, then who?"
Off to the side, Fifth Boss Zhou Cheng, who was much younger, looked at Lin Ning, then at Cui'er, and said with furrowed brows, "To pull something off in such a short time without anyone seeing, one would need an extremely high level of skill in lightness kung fu. Among those in the stronghold capable of that, nearly all of them are in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness."
"All right..."
Lin Ning squeezed Aunt Chun's hand and said gently, "Aunt Chun, it only looks frightening—it's really just superficial wounds, nothing serious. Cui'er doesn't have the skill for that, controlling the force so precisely as to let me suffer without any real danger. And whoever it was, I doubt they meant any great harm, certainly not to take my life... let's leave this matter here. Making a bigger fuss over it will only stir up fear and unease in the stronghold, and that would be worse."
The moment these words came out, a dead silence fell over Tingyu Pavilion, as if everyone had seen a ghost.
Was this really the same Lin Xiaoning who always argued his way through even when he was in the wrong, and who never let anyone off easy even when he was in the right, with the most venomous tongue?
Aunt Chun felt both pleased that Lin Ning was being so sensible, and yet also somewhat unsatisfied. Seeing this, Lin Ning smiled. "Aunt Chun, these days I find myself preferring peace and quiet more and more, I can't stand all this fuss and noise, so let's just leave it."
Hearing Lin Ning so insistent, Aunt Chun could only sigh and let the matter go.
Hearing Lin Ning say this, Little Jiu Niang felt like he was calling her noisy, and wrinkled her little nose in mild displeasure. Then she pulled out a handkerchief, wanting to wipe Lin Ning's face clean.
At this point Lin Ning seemed full of energy, and though he looked frightful, no one would think of him as someone at death's door anymore...
Third Boss Hu Dashan, however, frowned at Lin Ning and said in a deep voice, "More and more fond of peace and quiet? Xiao Ning, could it be you want to become a monk?"
These words suddenly opened everyone's eyes, helping them understand the change that had come over Lin Ning.
Wasn't this exactly the kind of epiphany spoken of in the Buddhist Sect?
Others let it be, but Aunt Chun was startled again, and cupped Lin Ning's face to examine it closely. Lin Ning said, torn between laughing and crying, "Aunt Chun, what monk has you making him braised pork belly every day?"
Aunt Chun immediately came to her senses upon hearing this, and beside her, Jiu Niang giggled.
Lin Ning glanced at her sidelong. "And I'd still have to fight Little Jiu for it!"
"I would never fight Brother-in-law for it!"
Jiu Niang's face flushed, and she leaned against Lin Ning, wriggling in displeasure.
Aunt Chun scolded, "You're getting your clothes all dirty!"
But Jiu Niang just giggled and didn't move away.
Though this scene was warm and touching, due to someone's long-standing bad reputation, few were actually moved by it—most looked on indifferently, and quite a few even suspected Lin Ning of harboring ill intentions...
Tian Wuniang's phoenix eyes were cool and aloof as she watched from the side. Seeing that although Lin Ning looked wretched, his voice and energy were strong and full, she set her mind at ease and said to Aunt Chun, "I'll leave Xiao Ning in your care, Aunt Chun. Whatever is needed, just go find Uncle Sun for it."
After speaking, she glanced sideways once more at Lin Ning, who was still trying to persuade Little Jiu Niang to move away, then turned and left.
The rest—Third Boss, Fourth Boss, Fifth Boss—followed close behind her, and the other stronghold members dispersed one after another as well.
Second Boss Fang Lin, however, did not leave for the moment. He looked at Lin Ning, pondered for a short while, and asked, "Xiao Ning, do you truly not know who injured you?"
Lin Ning looked at Fang Lin and said, "Third Uncle, whoever hurt me, their intent surely wasn't to take my life—otherwise, I'd probably not even be able to open my mouth right now. Since that's the case, I don't think it's worth digging any deeper."
Although Fang Lin now held the position of Second Boss, and the younger generation in the stronghold mostly called him Uncle Fang the Second, going by rank counted from Lin Ning's father, Tian Hu was the second, and Fang Lin was the third.
So Lin Ning called him Third Uncle.
Hearing this, Fang Lin looked deeply at Lin Ning and said softly, "If you had been this reasonable earlier, things wouldn't have come to this today..."
There were some things that even he found difficult to speak of in depth.
But if Lin Ning hadn't been so unreasonable and difficult these past years, then after Tian Hu's death, the position of Great Chieftain should rightfully have gone to him.
Hearing this, Lin Ning smiled lightly, feeling the powerful strength within his body, and looking up at the deep blue sky, said softly, "Third Uncle, things are quite fine as they are now. By nature I don't like a lot of bustle, and I can't endure hardship, so I'll never master martial arts. Nor do I have the patience to go raiding roads far and wide to secure a way of life for the stronghold... let's just leave it as it is."
Hearing this, Fang Lin's goatee twitched, and a smile broke across his gaunt face. He nodded and said, "You really have grown up..." Then he added, "What happened before, we won't speak of it again. Live well from now on. If Eldest Brother and his wife could see how sensible you've become, they'd be happy too."
Fang Lin was different from the others in the stronghold—he was one of the very few men of great learning there, and understood how to judge people by the "Four Observations."
Observing a person when facing wealth, observing a person when facing hardship, observing a person when off guard, observing a person after drinking.
Among these, observing a person facing hardship reveals character the most.
Today, the way Lin Ning had conducted himself in the face of hardship—just from the quality of his speech and manner—did not seem like something that could be faked.
That was why Fang Lin spoke as he did...
He did not doubt why Lin Ning had changed so greatly. To use a saying from Lin Ning's previous life: men are all childish, but growing up and maturing usually only takes one night...
"Third Uncle, of everyone in the stronghold, you're the best with a bow and arrow. Do you have any tips or secret techniques you could share with your nephew? I'd like to eat some meat—in a few days I'm thinking of going up into the mountains to hunt some wild boar and rabbits..."
Seeing Fang Lin about to leave, Lin Ning called out to stop him and ask.
Fang Lin said, none too pleased, "If you want to eat some meat, do you really need to go hunting yourself? If something happens to you again, your Aunt Chun will tear these old bones of ours apart."
Off to the side, Aunt Chun gave a small snort, and without a word, gently wiped the blood from Lin Ning's face with her handkerchief. But as she wiped away one patch of blood, she found the skin underneath completely unbroken, smooth and glowing—she couldn't help twitching the corner of her mouth...
Lin Ning said with a serious expression, "I know Third Uncle means well, but I, Ning, can't be a useless burden my whole life. Even if I can't make some great contribution to the stronghold, I should at least be able to support myself—and take care of Aunt Chun... and Little Jiu, shouldn't I?"
Jiu Niang, her big eyes wide and round, was finally satisfied to hear Lin Ning mention her at the end—though she still added, "And Elder Sister too!"
Fang Lin smiled at this and said, "Tips or secret techniques, that's putting it too grandly. But some years back I got hold of an Incomplete Volume of the Arrow Scripture—I'll have someone send it over later... but Ning Ge'er, if you truly want to learn archery, why not stay by my side, and I'll teach you personally, sparing no effort..."
Lin Ning laughed heartily and waved his hand. "Forgive me, Third Uncle, I only want to practice enough to hunt down some wild game, that's all—I couldn't endure the hardship it would take to cultivate a skill like yours, hitting a target from a hundred paces away."
Hearing this, Fang Lin gave Lin Ning a light poke in the air and sighed with regret, "You..."
With that, he shook his head and walked away.
……
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