They say the dining table is the best place to build relationships.
After the meal, Yunxi felt that the bond between her god-sister Xueli and Lu Zihan had deepened. She could leave now with peace of mind.
Yunxi took out two small porcelain bottles filled with spirit spring water, giving one to Lu Zihan and the other to Xueli.
“Remember, this can save your life in critical moments. Always carry it with you. If you’re in mortal danger, drink a sip, or use it to wash wounds if poisoned, understand?”
Xueli took the bottle with both hands and thanked her. “Thank you, little sister. This is just a small token of my appreciation. You should accept it.”
Yunxi saw the stack of silver notes Xueli gave her—probably over a thousand taels—and wondered if her sister had emptied her savings. She quickly waved her hand.
“Xueli, you work so hard for your money. A woman should always keep some silver for her own safety. I have enough, don’t worry about me.”
“Xi’er, this is the profit from the recent clothes you designed. Keep it. Future profits will be deposited in the Huitong Bank. Take this wooden token—each month, you can come and withdraw your share with it.”
Yunxi looked at the token. Counting this one, she now had three: one from her father, one from Nangong An, and now one from her god-sister.
Haha, in this world, she was a little rich lady.
After taking the token, Yunxi turned to Lu Zihan, who was standing next to Nangong An.
“Governor, I’m entrusting my sister to you. Take good care of her, okay?”
Entrusting?
Lu Zihan looked at Yunxi, who never followed normal logic. She spoke as if they were already married. Sigh. Looking at Xueli’s blank expression, he realized he had a long way to go in pursuing her.
The next day, before dawn, Yunxi and the group set off.
She wanted to avoid the emotional farewell, so they left early in secret.
“Nangong An, if we push our horses, how long will it take to reach the northern frontier? I don’t want to spend every day in the carriage.”
Nangong An glanced at the dark sky. “We’ll travel by day and rest at night. It will take about one and a half months. We’ll reach the northern frontier just in time for the cold winter.”
“Would riding horses be faster? We can put the carriage in the space and ride instead!” Yunxi missed her old little cart. With it, she might have reached the north in just a few days.
“Xi’er, riding is tiring. You won’t manage,” Nangong An said, not wanting her to suffer.
“Don’t worry, I can do it. Trust me.” Yunxi wasn’t an expert, but she could ride. She preferred it over sitting in a carriage, which made her dizzy after a while.
Seeing she was determined, Nangong An reluctantly agreed. At worst, he could carry her on horseback to reduce her fatigue.
“Master, what about the carriage?” Thunder asked, watching the two ride together.
Yunxi looked at the three serious guards. “No carriage for now. Riding is faster. Hurry, get on, or the sun will rise!”
Finally, Nangong An and Yunxi rode together, followed by the three guards.
Outside Nanling City, there were few people on the road, so they urged their horses to travel quickly, hoping to reach the next town before dark to avoid camping outdoors.
The cold wind hit their faces, mixed with dust that made Yunxi’s eyes water. She lowered her head and wondered if entering the space would let her stay on horseback when she came out.
She tried it, and after a few tests, she confirmed it worked—she could enter the space while on horseback and exit in the same position.
“South Gong An, if I enter the space, can you ride faster?”
“Yes.” His horse was a heavenly-blooded steed, as fast as lightning.
“Then I’ll enter the space. Call me when you want to rest, and I’ll come out immediately.” Yunxi entered the space.
Ke’er had already organized the treasures into categories in the rooms of Yunxi’s courtyard.
Before, the courtyard had been empty. Now Yunxi planted watermelons, grapes, pomelos, and passion fruit.
She also added flowers—orchids, peonies, chrysanthemums from the Qiao family, and zinnias, climbing roses, and regular roses from her supermarket.
The courtyard was now full of plants and flowers, much livelier than before.
She opened the first room eagerly. Once empty, it was now neatly arranged with various medicinal herbs: ginseng, lingzhi, musk, Tianshan snow lotus, deer antler, and rare hemostatic herbs she had collected on the mountains.
The second room held gold, silver, silk, and brocade—items taken from the Qiao family. Yunxi didn’t fully understand their value yet, but she stored them here temporarily.
Outside, in the vegetable garden, she could now control plants with her mind thanks to the upgraded space. Pointing and thinking “harvest,” the vegetables were instantly collected.
Even matsutake mushrooms from the mountains were harvested several times. With the spirit spring water, they grew robustly.
Ginseng also produced many small plants. Her previously planted rice had ripened, golden and ready to harvest. She collected it all and planted a new crop in newly cleared fields.
After finishing, Yunxi lay on the grass for a nap.
Suddenly, her hand itched. Opening her eyes, she saw the little tiger had snuck over, lying beside her.
When she first brought it home, it weighed only about a pound; now it had grown to nearly twenty pounds, as big as a large wolfdog.
Its behavior was gentle, more like a tame cat than a tiger.
Yunxi stroked its head. “Little Wang, someday I’ll take you outside to hunt. You’re grown now—you need to learn to catch prey. A king of the forest can’t be a coward!”
The little tiger mewled as if it understood.
At that moment, Feng Ying’s voice came from outside:
“Master, we’ll rest a bit at the foot of the mountain and eat something.”
“Okay, let’s stop here for a break,” Nangong An replied.
Just as he was about to call Yunxi, her cloak moved slightly.
“Xi’er, dismount the carriage. It’s time to prepare dinner!”