mesbooks Chapter 294 Partnering
Chapter 294 Partnering
"I don't have a name," the child said weakly.
Xie Wanning approached the child, about to speak, when she saw his face marked with sword scars. The sight of him covered in wounds startled her, and she jumped up, exclaiming, "Ah! A ghost!"
A nameless child at night—what else could it be but a ghost!
Xie Wanning suddenly collapsed to the ground and burst into tears.
The child quickly waved his hand and apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm not a ghost, I'm a person."
Xie Wanning then came to her senses and took a good look at the person in front of her.
She carefully reached out and placed her hand under the man's nose, feeling his breath, before relaxing.
"Oh, so it really is a person. But what are you doing in this desolate place so late at night, and why did you jump into the pit?" Xie Wanning asked curiously.
The child kept bowing and apologizing: "I'm sorry, I couldn't see, so I didn't know there was a pit in front of me."
"Oh, I see." Xie Wanning nodded, then suddenly widened her eyes: "You can't see?"
Xie Wanning waved her small hand in front of the child, and after confirming that he really couldn't see, a feeling of sympathy welled up in her heart.
"Cuckoo!"
The sound of a rumbling stomach came from Xie Wanning, who then noticed that the person in front of her was unsteady and about to fall.
She took a shriveled flatbread from her bosom, handed it to the man, and said, "Eat it, you won't be hungry anymore."
The child nodded hastily and accepted the flatbread. Before he could even finish saying "thank you," he eagerly stuffed the flatbread into his mouth.
Xie Wanning sat on the ground, curiously examining the person in front of her. Although she had many questions in her mind, she decided to wait until he had finished eating.
The child finally finished the biscuit and said gratefully, "Thank you, Wan Ning."
Xie Wanning stood up, gestured to indicate her height, and said, "I'm taller than you, you should call me 'older sister.' By the way, how old are you?"
"Ten years old."
Xie Wanning was startled and spread her fingers to count.
She is seven years old this year, but the person in front of her is three years older than her and shorter than her.
However, when she saw the person in front of her wearing tattered robes, she had a general idea in her mind.
They're all little beggars, so who's better than whom?
"You really don't have a name?" Xie Wanning asked.
The child nodded.
As far back as he could remember, he was a homeless child on the streets. At first, someone took him along. Unfortunately, his scarlet eyes attracted too much trouble, and he was abandoned.
If we're talking about names, they're just some unpleasant nicknames, so let's not even mention them.
The child remained silent, looking somewhat forlorn.
Xie Wanning patted the child on the shoulder and said, "Since you're all alone, why don't you come with me? As for a name, let me help you choose one."
Xie Wanning frowned in thought, recalling a line of poetry she had heard from a storyteller a while ago.
Ink stains the dome, stars scatter in disarray; the dark light hides where the night breeze is cool.
"You shall be called Mo Xuan," Xie Wanning said with satisfaction.
"Mm." Mo Xuan nodded, his hand trembling slightly.
He has a name now.
Before he could speak, his arms were stuffed full. He could smell a faint bamboo scent.
“Here you go, these are the bamboo shoots I just dug up. We’ll go to Qianyang City later, and we can get to the market by daybreak and sell the bamboo shoots.” Xie Wanning said, pulling on Mo Xuan’s sleeve as they walked down the mountain.
"Be careful, I'll help you."
Mo Xuan hugged the bamboo shoots in his arms tightly and nodded.
Thousand Sun City.
Xie Wanning pulled Mo Xuan to the market and found a corner to sit down.
She laid out the bamboo shoots in front of her, cleared her throat, and said, "Fresh bamboo shoots! They're just dug up from the mountain, so tender and crisp! They're delicious in soups and stir-fries. Come and buy some!"
Mo Xuan sat on the ground and heard footsteps approaching, as well as the sounds of other people bargaining with Wan Ning.
He sat quietly, listening curiously to Xie Wanning's conversation with the others.
"Uncle, these bamboo shoots of mine were just dug up from the ground this morning. They're very fresh. You get what you pay for."
"Young lady, can you make these bamboo shoots a little cheaper?"
“Uncle, five copper coins won’t do, I’ll lose money. Look at this bamboo shoot, it’s big and fresh, it just grew this morning, it’ll definitely taste good.” Xie Wanning looked troubled, but held up the bamboo shoot and said sincerely.
"But the other stalls sell them for five copper coins a bundle."
Xie Wanning lowered her eyes. She naturally knew the prices at the other stalls, all ten copper coins a bundle. However, this uncle was just taking advantage of her being a child, thinking she was easy to fool. She hated being deceived the most.
However, she had her own way.
Xie Wanning's voice trembled slightly: "Uncle, please have mercy, my family relies on these bamboo shoots to make a living, please..." As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and she looked at the other person pitifully.
"Ok."
Xie Wanning caught the copper coin and carefully put it into her pocket.
Over the next few hours, Xie Wanning sold all the bamboo shoots in front of her.
She stood up, pulled Mo Xuan to his feet, and said, "Mo Xuan, aren't you tired from sitting for so long? Come on, let's go get something good to eat."
Mo Xuan followed behind Xie Wan Ning. Xie Wan Ning bought several hot meat buns and stuffed them into Mo Xuan's hands: "Eat them."
Mo Xuan handed the meat bun back, bowing his head and saying, "I'm sorry, Wan Ning, I've never been able to help much. Now that I can't see, I'll only be a burden to you. I think you can live a better life on your own."
Mo Xuan could sense that Xie Wanning was more experienced and had more opinions than him. He couldn't see anything right now, and only felt useless.
"Clap!"
Xie Wanning flicked Mo Xuan's forehead hard and said with displeasure, "Don't talk about yourself like that. You helped me move a lot of bamboo shoots, otherwise I couldn't have done it all by myself. Mo Xuan, don't underestimate yourself so easily!"
Mo Xuan lowered his head, wondering how many people would accept him with his scarlet eyes.
"Wan Ning, how old are you? I can't see you, are you already quite old?" Mo Xuan asked cautiously.
Xie Wanning put her hands on her hips and said, "Seven years old. What's wrong?"
Mo Xuan looked surprised, and after a long while, he said, "But you seem to know a lot."
"Really?" Xie Wanning shrugged and said nonchalantly.
In fact, before Xie Wanning took human form, she wandered the human world in the form of a phoenix fire. Even without consciousness, she still learned some survival skills through what she saw and heard.
"Never mind that. I'm going to the secret realm to pick some spirit-gathering herbs so I can sell them to those cultivators. You wait for me here!" Xie Wanning said casually.
Mo Xuan grabbed her hand and shook his head worriedly: "No, there are spirit beasts in the secret realm, it's very dangerous."
"Don't worry, I know how to avoid those spirit beasts," Xie Wanning said with a smile. "Besides, those cultivators are generous, and these spirit herbs can make me a fortune."
Xie Wanning recalled that she had never encountered a spirit beast during her previous visits to the secret realm.
However, she always smelled a burnt smell in the secret realm. Was it just her imagination?
Xie Wan Ning was naturally unaware that the spirit beasts had been burned to ashes by the phoenix fire before they could even get close to her; this was the phoenix fire protecting her.
"wait me back."
Day two.
When Xie Wanning returned to the agreed place with the spiritual herb, she found the place deserted.
There was only blood on the ground.