Chapter 32: Avoiding Her?

　　　　　　

When Jiang Ning woke up early in the morning, she reached out with her arm and felt a lingering warmth, but there was nothing beside her.

Shen Mo had just left.

Jiang Ning shot up, thinking that Shen Mo’s return last night had been a dream.

She threw off the covers and got out of bed, hearing sounds from the kitchen. Thinking Shen Mo was there, she crossed the main room and walked over, pushing open the kitchen door, “Shen Mo, did you sleep well last night…?”

Seeing the small figure in the kitchen, Jiang Ning swallowed the rest of her words.

She had been teasing Shen Mo a lot lately and enjoyed seeing him blush.

But she kept this playful behavior to moments when they were alone. Huo Zhiqi was at an impressionable age and shouldn’t be influenced by such behavior.

Looking out from the kitchen, she didn’t see Shen Mo.

She furrowed her brow slightly.

Where was he?

Jiang Ning turned to ask Huo Zhiqi, “Where’s Uncle Shen?”

Zhiqi still couldn’t bring himself to call her ‘Mom,’ and he probably wouldn’t call Shen Mo ‘Dad’ either. The titles weren’t important to Jiang Ning, and she didn’t mind.

Huo Zhiqi pointed to the stove, “He left after cooking porridge and eggs.”

Left?

Jiang Ning looked at her watch and saw that it was only six in the morning.

Shen Mo usually left at seven.

He had come back so late last night and left so early today…

Could he be avoiding her?

Almost certain of this guess, Jiang Ning smiled. It was just a bit of teasing, but his skin was so thin.

She wouldn’t eat him, after all.

Jiang Ning went over and opened the pot lid, and the fragrant smell of rice porridge wafted out. There were also three eggs in a bowl nearby.

Those were the last three eggs in the house. Seeing them, Jiang Ning knew they needed to restock their supplies.

She turned to look at Huo Zhiqi, who was crouching by the fire pit, poking at something inside. Curious, she asked, “What are you doing?”

Huo Zhiqi, still adjusting to his new role, fidgeted and said, “I was afraid you wouldn’t have enough to eat, so I roasted two sweet potatoes.”

Jiang Ning looked at the large pot of porridge and the three eggs in the bowl. Did she look like a pig who could eat all that?

Huo Zhiqi pulled the roasted sweet potatoes out of the fire, and the aroma filled the air.

Jiang Ning had always found roasting sweet potatoes to be a hassle and messy.

But she couldn’t resist how delicious they were—sweet and fragrant.

For breakfast, she ate an egg, a sweet potato, and a bowl of porridge. She gave the other two eggs to Zhiqi.

“Is the school far from here?” Jiang Ning asked.

Huo Zhiqi shook his head, “Not far at all.”

“Remember to come home for lunch and don’t sneak off somewhere to do your homework alone,” Jiang Ning instructed him, only letting him go after he nodded.

Usually, there were elementary schools in the military compounds, and since the family compound wasn’t far from the military base, the school must be nearby too.

After seeing the little one off, Jiang Ning went back to her room to tidy up.

After her skincare routine, she grabbed a hair tie and pulled her thick hair into a high ponytail, which swung with a bit of a dashing flair.

Dressed in a simple shirt and jeans, she walked out of the courtyard.

Just as she stepped out, she ran into Sister Li, who was carrying a basket of vegetables. Seeing Jiang Ning, Sister Li greeted her warmly, “Where are you off to, Little Jiang?”

“We’re out of vegetables at home, so I need to head to the supply and marketing cooperative.”

Sister Li said, “What a coincidence, I’m heading there too. My husband said he’s craving my braised pork knuckle soup, so I’m going to buy a pork knuckle and then take the soup to the military base for him.”

“Then let’s go together.”

Sister Li was a talkative and generous person. Jiang Ning had become quite familiar with her, and the two chatted as they walked along.

Laughing and chatting, they eventually brought up the incident where Grandma Wang had picked a fight with Jiang Ning.

Sister Li asked, “Did Little Shen mention this to you when he got home?”

Jiang Ning nodded, “Shen Mo told me about it as soon as he got home that day.”

As for what Grandma Wang had said to Shen Mo, she had no idea.

“Did Little Shen tell you what that old lady said to him?” Mentioning that day, Sister Li couldn’t stop smiling.

This made Jiang Ning even more curious about what Grandma Wang had said to Shen Mo.

“What did they say?”

“I happened to pass by that day and overheard the whole conversation,” Sister Li said after laughing enough. “That old lady, everyone in the courtyard knows what she’s like—sharp-tongued and bitter. Little Jiang, don’t be angry about what I’m about to tell you.”

Jiang Ning said she wouldn’t be.

“A couple of days ago, when Little Shen was coming home from training, that old lady stopped him and said you were a vixen, that you were restless, and that Little Shen should keep an eye on you.”

“That old lady probably felt humiliated by you and wanted to get back at you, so she went after Little Shen to make him control you.”

Then Sister Li vividly acted out Grandma Wang’s fierce expression that day, which made Jiang Ning laugh.

But when Sister Li told her what Shen Mo had said, Jiang Ning felt a warmth in her heart.

She knew that Grandma Wang wouldn’t have anything nice to say about her. Calling her a vixen was mild compared to the worst things she could have said, like accusing her of seducing other men.

In this era of strict moral standards, even the slightest hint of scandal could lead to serious consequences. Some words, though spoken without malice, could be taken to heart. If Shen Mo had truly believed those words, she would have been in trouble.

But Shen Mo had said something like, “If she chose someone else, it’s because I wasn’t good enough.” This kind of forward-thinking was rare in this era.

Sister Li laughed until her stomach hurt, “You should have seen the old lady’s face when Little Shen said that. It was greener than a lime.”

The two of them laughed all the way to the supply and marketing cooperative. Jiang Ning still had snacks at home but needed to buy some vegetables.

As Jiang Ning was looking at the vegetable leaves, Sister Li stopped her, “Why are you buying vegetables? I grow them at home. Just come over and pick some from my garden.”

“That wouldn’t be right,” Jiang Ning said, feeling a bit embarrassed. “The land at home was just cleared and hasn’t been planted with vegetables yet. I can’t keep coming to your house to pick them.”

Jiang Ning’s voice was sweet and charming, making Sister Li feel a bit uncomfortable. She said, “What’s not right about it? I have two plots of land planted with vegetables, and we have more than we can eat. I’ll bring some over to your house every day.”

“But there are some vegetables we don’t grow, so you might need to buy those,” Sister Li added.

Sister Li then pointed out the vegetables she didn’t grow, and despite her efforts to stop her, Jiang Ning didn’t buy any vegetables. Instead, she bought some eggs and spices like star anise and bay leaves, planning to make braised pork with potatoes for lunch.

She also bought a medium-sized jar.

After purchasing everything, Jiang Ning and Sister Li continued their chat and laughter on the way home.

On the way back, they heard a little girl crying.

Ahead, a group of people had gathered, and the sound of the child’s cries came from within the crowd.

Hearing the cries, Sister Li, who had been cheerful moments before, immediately changed her expression and ran towards the crowd.

Jiang Ning hurriedly followed her.

“Yuanyuan!” Sister Li pushed through the crowd and saw a woman holding her daughter, who seemed to be injured, her lips turning white.