Chapter 9 The First Step of New Life

  The old man was heartbroken over this matter, and from then on he wandered alone, only to feel a little lonely in the past two years. Whenever he saw children, he couldn't help but like them and want to tease them. Unfortunately, after they came, those boys would come a few times at first, but ten or so days later, not one of them could be seen again.

  The old man had been drifting in the rivers and lakes for most of his life, how could he not know the coldness and warmth of human relationships? If it weren't for Ning Shilan discovering him, his sister would have insisted on him coming back to recognize his ancestors and return to his roots. He really didn't want to die an old man in this grand mansion. Just thinking about how to get through these few months first, and then go out again to continue drifting and practicing medicine, he didn't expect a little girl to show up at the door.

  "In response to Third Master's words, this is Sixth Young Lady of the Third Branch." Liao Yini curtsied slightly on the side, but was met with a cold glance from Ning Xianbi, who whispered, "I'll speak with Third Master myself, no need for you to help me."

  Liao's wife couldn't help but laugh and cry, while Ning De Rong, also known as the Third Elder, burst out laughing. This was the name he had changed to after acknowledging his ancestors. Meanwhile, Ning Fenbi looked at the medicinal herbs with curiosity and asked, "Third Grandfather, what are these things? Father said you were a doctor outside, so are these all medicines?"

  "Ha, good clever little girl." Ning De Rong's eyes lit up, stroking his beard and chuckling: "Yes, these are all the medicinal herbs that Third Grandfather picked in the garden and some abandoned places. How about it? Uh... oh..."

  "Grandpa San just calls me Peony."

  Ning's slender and clever words made Ning De Rong slap his thigh and laugh: "Good smart, Pinyin is really clever. Hmm, the name Pinyin is great, it's beautiful when it blooms, and it can also be used as medicine, it can be said that everything about it is precious. San Ye Ye saw it, you have a lot of peonies in this garden too."

  Ning Xianbi smiled and said: "Yes, by next spring when the peonies are in bloom, I'll help Third Master pick some and dry them into medicinal herbs, how's that?"

  The child's words made Ning De Rong burst out laughing, shaking his head and saying: "Although peonies can be used as medicine, it's not the flowers that are used as medicine, but their roots..."

  While speaking, Ning Fengbi had already walked to the medicinal materials that were drying in the sun with her short legs and said softly: "Oh, since the roots can be used as medicine, I'll go dig up all the peony roots and send them to Third Grandfather as medicinal materials."

  "Oh no, don't dare to do that, if you do, Old Clock will definitely chase and kill you all the way to Third Grandfather's house."

  Ning De hurriedly waved his hands, seemingly afraid that Ning Xianbi would rush into the garden and dig up all the peony roots. It was a place with many famous varieties of peonies, and if this little girl were to cut off people's roots just to get medicine for herself, Old Master Zhong would likely be furious.

  Lao Zhongtou was the most senior florist in the Earl's mansion, and since Ning De Rong had nothing to do these days, he wandered around the garden looking for medicinal materials. As a result, the two old men became familiar with each other, and they would often sit together drinking tea and chatting, occasionally playing a few games of chess. At first, Lao Zhongtou still had some reverence for the three elderly gentlemen, but after a few rounds of chess, both old men became impatient, neither willing to let the other win, and that respectful distance was quietly broken.

  At this time, Lao Tai Tai and Hai Tang were staring at Liu Gu Niang in shock. For a month now, she hadn't spoken much or smiled, but in front of the Third Elder Master, she broke into a radiant smile, holding up one medicinal herb after another, asking him what each was and what they were used for. The old man and young girl were shocked, their faces covered in cold sweat, thinking to themselves: "My little mistress, you...what's gotten into you? In the past, when you saw people familiar with the estate, it was as if you owed them money, but now you're smiling so happily at this old man. This...this makes your servant's face lose all dignity. It seems we've been serving you for four years in vain."

  They were screaming in their hearts, and Ning Fengbi was also rolling her eyes hard in her heart, thinking that she finally understood Conan's feelings back then. This pretending to be a kid is really unbearable! When did I not know what that was? I used to go to the wild to dig it up many years ago; And that dandelion, isn't it just "Bao Po Ding"? Third Grandfather, do you need to tell me so much detail? Even saying that it blooms yellow flowers, don't I know that it blooms yellow flowers? This thing is the most anxious one. As soon as spring comes, before peach blossoms and apricot blossoms have bloomed, the wild is full of yellow flowers everywhere. Is there anyone else who dares to bloom with just two leaves?

  When Ning Dehong raised a stalk of bitter melon to explain, Ning Qingbi had already collapsed and her mouth was twitching. But for her new life, for that prosperous and promising future, she still had to endure.

  Finally, the sun slowly moved westward and soon shifted to the edge of the mountain. Ning Dehong was after all a newcomer to this place and had only been active in some abandoned corners of the garden and backyard, so he found very few medicinal materials. Even so, Ning Fengbi felt that she had already become a ninja turtle.

  Next to them, Ning and Haitang saw that all the medicinal materials had been explained, and they also let out a sigh of relief in their hearts. They thought that this old man was really extraordinary. In our earl's mansion, we can find so many medicinal materials in such a small place. To say that he is not pretending to be something he's not? It seems like the kind of wild vegetables that Grandma Ding has, which we use to feed pigs and chickens, how did they become medicinal materials here?

  But the two of them were slaves, and naturally wouldn't dare to make the old master lose face, so they could only go forward with a smile and say: "Miss, the sun has already set behind the mountain, we should head back now, otherwise Madam will definitely worry, and Master is almost back too."

  Ning Feng stood up, looking a bit reluctant to leave the medicinal herbs behind. She looked up at Third Master and asked, "Third Grandfather, can I come back tomorrow? I like listening to you talk about these things."

  "Alright, alright, come whenever you want." Ning De Rong never thought he'd meet a child interested in medical knowledge here, even if it was just a little girl. Given his current situation, having someone to talk to was good enough, and he didn't care whether it was a boy or a girl.

  Lao Lao felt that old heart of hers "thud" once, but in front of her master, she ultimately didn't dare say anything.

  As soon as they left Xinglin Garden, she said to Ning Fengbi: "Sixth sister, tomorrow we must not come again. You are a girl, and girls should be dignified. Embroidery and needlework are what we should do. When you grow up, learn to read and write, play the piano, chess, books, and paintings, these are all good things. But these medicinal materials, what's the use of learning them? Are you going to go around practicing medicine and selling medicine?"

  Woooo! Thanks for everyone's support, already shot up to second place on the new book chart! Continue to ask for clicks, recommendations and collections, dear fans!!!!! Hehehe, thanks to Chen sister who has been generously rewarding me with gifts these past two days, I'm really... truly too ashamed, I... I don't even have any more chapters to update, covering my face