The mysterious milk group, hands on hips, is being fought over by five dads who are going crazy over

"You idiot!"

Ah Ning's eyes lit up, and she ran forward to hug the egg tightly, wiping away the dirt on the egg's body little by little with her sleeve, feeling extremely sorry for it.

"You idiot, how did you get so dirty? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Ah Ning, quick, bring it over here so Grandma can see it." The old lady leaned on her cane, looking somewhat anxious.

Upon hearing this, Ah Ning came to her with the egg in her arms, her voice sweet and worried: "Grandma, why isn't Erhu glowing anymore? Did you break it?"

The old lady looked serious as she carefully observed the egg. Seeing that the phoenix totem on the egg was still there, and apart from no longer glowing and a crack in the shell, there was nothing else different, she breathed a sigh of relief.

This is a lucky charm for the Huo family! It can't afford any problems!

She thought for a moment and said, "Can't you talk to it, Ah Ning? Call it and see if you can hear it again."

Ah Ning was very obedient and poked the egg with her fingertips, which were red from the cold:

"Hey idiot, what happened? Did you hurt yourself?"

"A-Ning wants to know if you're hurt. Your shell is cracked, and A-Ning is worried about you."

There was no response for a long time. The little girl's lips trembled, and she choked out, "You idiot, don't sleep! Talk to Aning, okay?"

Huo Ting had already dismissed all the servants; apart from Rong Xiu, there were no other servants left.

Huo Ting had never seen this egg before, nor had he ever heard of any glowing egg in the manor.

Although he found it absurd, seeing how nervous the old lady was, he didn't say anything and just stayed with her and waited.

But after an incense stick's time had passed, Ah Ning was still talking non-stop, but the egg didn't react at all.

Huo Ting finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Mother, the ground is covered in snow, and the cold wind is blowing frequently. I'll take you back to your room to rest first. You're not in good health to begin with, so be careful not to catch a cold."

"I'm perfectly healthy!" The old lady brushed his hand away, determined to wait there.

"Ah!" Ah Ning exclaimed softly, staring blankly at the egg in her arms.

Huo Ting and the old lady heard the noise and looked over together, but they both stopped in their tracks after just one glance.

The egg began to emit a faint golden light, and then slowly rose into the air.

The eggshell shattered inch by inch along the crack that had been created, and then, with a loud bang!

The eggshell fell away, leaving only a palm-sized golden dumpling floating in the air. Behind it appeared a huge golden phoenix with outstretched wings, emitting a loud cry—

The people present were all stunned!

Only Ah Ning rushed forward excitedly, cupping her hands to her chest and blinking her bright eyes: "You idiot! Come down quickly, Ah Ning will catch you, you won't fall!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the golden phoenix pattern disappeared, and the golden light in the air slowly descended, where it was caught steadily by Aning!

The old lady hurried forward, leaning on her cane, only to see that what Ah Ning held in her hand was a chicken...

The golden chick has round, jet-black eyes that look exceptionally clever, and a tuft of fiery red feathers on its head; it looks like a chicken, yet it doesn't quite resemble one...

But if you were to say it's a phoenix... you can't tell at all.

The golden pattern in the sky just now, however, looked more like a real phoenix.

The old woman stared at the chicks, her expression complex.

Ah Ning chuckled and lifted the silly creature forward, exclaiming, "Grandma, look! The silly creature has hatched!"

"They're even prettier than the chicks at Grandma's house!"

"Good, good, good." The old lady beamed, her bad mood caused by Su Xiaoyin completely dissipating.

"I'm not a chick!"

The high-pitched voice rang out, even Huo Ting was startled.

A chicken that can speak human language?

Could it be...?

Ah Ning stared at the chick in her hand, blinked, and looked confused: "But this little idiot looks exactly like Grandma's chick, it's yellow, has two legs, and a pointed red beak. How come it's not a chick?"

The silly thing flapped its wings twice but couldn't fly, and became extremely agitated.

"Little Aning! My fur is golden! Golden!"

"I am a phoenix! Not a chicken!"

How could you insult me ​​like that!

Phoenix?

Ah Ning froze, her big eyes wide open, looking up at her grandmother in disbelief: "Grandma, isn't Erhu a chick?"

Before the eggshell cracked, the old lady couldn't hear it speak, but now that she can, she can't stop smiling: "It's a phoenix. But if anyone asks, Aning, you have to say it's a chick, otherwise, some bad people might try to steal it."

Upon hearing this, A-Ning immediately became serious: "A-Ning will remember this!"

The old lady nodded: "Alright, it's windy and cold outside. Rongxiu, take Miss back to her courtyard to rest."

"Wait, wait a minute." Ah Ning held the chick and looked at the old lady with expectant eyes.

"Grandma told Aning to hatch the silly thing, and Aning did it!"

"As a reward, could Grandmother please not send Aning to the altar? Aning wants to stay with Mother forever and doesn't want to make Mother sad."

The old lady's eyes were filled with relief as she patted her head and said, "Alright, Grandma promises you. Go back quickly and tell your mother this good news."

"Okay! Thank you, Grandmother!" Ah Ning jumped up and down excitedly, supporting Erhu in one hand and being led by Rong Xiu in the other, as they headed towards Biyou Courtyard.

After the person had gone far away, the old lady leaned on her cane and glanced at her son sideways.

"So, do you believe me now? Ah Ning isn't some kind of ominous jinx at all."

"Both are flesh and blood. Since the Imperial Advisor has chosen Qiaoqiao as the sacrifice, let's just go with the flow. Why insist on sending Aning to be a scapegoat?"

Huo Ting lowered his eyes, concealing the complex emotions within them.

He was silent for a moment, then said, "Mother, didn't you used to hate Aning the most? You even threw the child into a mass grave right after she was born, so why are you like this now...?"

The old lady looked at the string of small footprints in the snow and felt a surge of emotion.

"Do you remember when I told you about how I was seriously wounded on the battlefield and almost lost my life, but was saved by a woman with horns on her head?"

"She was inhumanly beautiful. She didn't even give me any medicine. I only vaguely remember a flash of light, and then she disappeared. As for me, all the bleeding in my body stopped... No! Not just stopped, I was completely restored to my healthy body!"

"I stood up again, picked up my knife, regained all my strength, and charged into the enemy camp in one fell swoop, taking the head of the enemy general!"

"Since then, I have been a devout Buddhist."

The old lady sighed, "Four years ago, I must have been senile. When I saw the phoenix land on the ancestral hall, I actually believed that a newborn baby would bring disaster to my Huo family."

"No matter what, what can a baby do? I almost harmed Aning back then, and I certainly won't let that happen again!"

Huo Ting knew the old lady's personality; once she made up her mind, she wouldn't easily change it.

But in just three short days, Ah Ning had managed to change the old lady's opinion of her so drastically...

On her way back, Ah Ning encountered a crying child and stopped in her tracks.

Rong Xiu: "Miss, that's the Third Miss Qiaoqiao."

Ah Ning blinked, stuffed the chick into Rong Xiu's hands, and smiled sweetly: "Help me look after this silly thing."

Then, he went over and patted Qiaoqiao on the shoulder, "Why are you crying? Did someone bully you?"

Qiaoqiao looked up, her eyes blurry with tears, snot bubbles hanging from the tip of her nose, and sobbed, "You, who are you?"

Ah Ning obediently extended her hand in greeting: "My name is Ah Ning."

Qiaoqiao hastily wiped away her tears, grasped her hand, and said, "I...I'm Qiaoqiao..."

Perhaps because they were of similar age, the two girls ended up sitting in the pavilion and chatting.

After a long while, A-Ning opened her eyes wide in surprise: "A-Ning doesn't have to go up to the altar anymore, so you'll have to go instead?"

Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu was stunned for a moment, wanting to tell A Ning that she had misunderstood. The person chosen as the sacrifice was Miss Qiao Qiao from beginning to end; it was just that A Ning was no longer going in Qiao Qiao's place.

The two little ones were so engrossed in their conversation that she didn't get a chance to interject at all...

"Then Ah Ning will go with you!"

Upon hearing this, Rong Xiu's brows twitched violently. "Young Miss! This is absolutely unacceptable..."

But in the next instant, Ah Ning disappeared.

Inside the pavilion, only Qiaoqiao, equally bewildered, remained, staring at her blankly...

"Young Miss? Miss Aning?" Rong Xiu was terrified, fearing something had happened to her, and frantically searched and called out around the pavilion.

Having served the old lady for so many years, there have been few things that have caused her to lose her composure like this...

But the next moment, Ah Ning reappeared...

Her little face was flushed, and her grape-like eyes blinked as she proudly showed the talisman in her hand to Qiaoqiao.

"With it, Qiaoqiao can become invisible just like Aning! No one will see us, and if there's any danger, Aning will take you away!"

Qiaoqiao stared blankly at the girl in front of her, who was about the same age as her. Her eyes were bright and sparkling, as if she were looking at a beam of light, and tears gradually welled up in her eyes...

Even her mother said she couldn't save her; she was about to die...

Seeing that she didn't speak, Aning put her hands on her hips and waved her little hands in front of her eyes.

"Why are you standing there like that!"

"Don't you like this idea?"

Ah Ning pouted, looking thoughtful, "Then Ah Ning will think about it some more!"