Meng Ping’an had no idea what functions this space possessed. She would slowly figure it out later. For now, she only wanted to get some proper sleep.
There was a large rock beside the spiritual spring, so Meng Ping’an leaned against it, wrapped her arms around herself, and quietly fell asleep.
It felt so good. She no longer had to constantly worry about someone trying to hurt her. Here, she could finally sleep soundly without a care in the world.
When she woke up, she was back in the earthen pit from the previous night.
It was already broad daylight. Hearing the chirping of birds in the forest, Meng Ping’an stretched lazily.
That had been such a comfortable sleep. How many years had it been since she had slept so peacefully?
Breathing in the fresh air and feeling the morning atmosphere of the forest, she couldn’t help but sigh.
It was wonderful to have another chance at life!
This time, she would live her life to the fullest~
Meng Ping’an felt that after drinking the spiritual spring water, her body had become much lighter and more comfortable. The pain all over her body was gone as well.
Even the swelling around her ankle had gone down considerably.
It seemed the spiritual spring water really worked.
She took the peace pendant from her chest and silently thought, “Space!”
When she opened her eyes again, she had indeed returned to the empty space from the night before.
Meng Ping’an hurried to the spiritual spring and drank some more water. She also scooped up some spring water with her hands and splashed it onto her ankle before waiting quietly.
After a while, she felt a slight warmth spreading through her ankle.
Only then did she stand up and use her mind to leave the space.
For safety’s sake, Meng Ping’an also placed the peace pendant inside the space. That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about someone discovering it and stealing it.
She picked up the wooden stick beside her and limped in the direction she had come from the previous day.
Walking and resting along the way, she passed by the village from yesterday. Meng Ping’an didn’t dare stop and continued south along a small path.
Occasionally, she encountered one or two men. Meng Ping’an simply lowered her head and quietly passed by them without saying much.
It wasn’t until she saw a lively street in the distance that she stopped.
At the end of the street seemed to be a small town.
Meng Ping’an hurried forward. As she approached the street, she stopped to one side, found an inconspicuous spot, and squatted down quietly to observe her surroundings.
She saw quite a few men, both young and old, coming from the distance carrying shoulder poles, baskets, and woven back baskets.
They found suitable spots, took their goods out of their baskets, and arranged them on the empty ground in front of them.
So it was a small market!
Meng Ping’an looked at the vegetables and fruits they were selling, as well as the baskets, straw sandals, and other woven goods they had made themselves.
Aside from agricultural produce, there were also eggs, chicks, ducklings, rabbits, pheasants, and other things.
After observing for quite a while, Meng Ping’an finally found her target.
An old man who looked to be in his sixties.
He had a kind and gentle appearance and didn’t look like a bad person.
She slowly made her way over and squatted down not far from him.
“Grandpa, may I ask what time the market closes?”
The old man was startled by her sudden voice. He looked her over a few times before smiling kindly.
“There won’t be many people left after noon. Everyone has to hurry home for lunch.”
“Oh, Grandpa, when will the market be held again?”
Meng Ping’an had learned a little about markets like this before. They were usually held regularly rather than every day.
“The next one? Five days from now! Our market is held on the third, fourth, and seventh days of the month. Today is the seventh, so the next market will be on the thirteenth.”
As he spoke, the old man took things out of his basket and arranged them on the ground in front of him.
They were all made from sorghum stalks, including pot lids and baskets. Some were woven from thatch.
They were incredibly intricate.
“Grandpa, you made these yourself? They’re really beautiful.”
Meng Ping’an picked up one of the baskets and examined it repeatedly, clearly delighted by it.
“Yes. It’s the only skill I have. I rely entirely on it to support my family~!”
The two sat by the roadside chatting casually.
After talking for quite a while, Meng Ping’an finally gained a basic understanding of the era she was living in.
The place she was currently in belonged to a dynasty called Lin’an. It was more than a thousand li away from the capital of Lin’an.
The large mountain behind them was called Shijun Mountain and was located within Luozhou.
The small town where she was now was called Qingcheng, and this market was located inside Qingcheng Town.
Qingcheng had two city gates.
The South Gate was ten li away in the southern part of the town. Anyone entering or leaving through it needed household registration documents, and the entrance fee was one copper coin.
The East Gate was located in the northeastern part of Qingcheng, in the direction Meng Ping’an had come from that morning. It was another five or six li farther east and wasn’t far from the abandoned village where she had spent the previous night.
It was a gate mainly used by ordinary villagers and small vendors. No household registration documents were required, but the entrance fee was two copper coins.
The old man had also mentioned the dilapidated village earlier.
It had once been a military camp.
After Qingcheng was conquered, the soldiers continued their campaign southward, and the place was eventually abandoned. It became a settlement for displaced people and beggars from the town.
Because it was close to the city gate and not far from the town, it was quite convenient for them.
They would beg in town during the day and return to the village at night.
They didn’t need to enter and leave through the city gate every day, which saved them quite a bit in entrance fees.
The guards knew about the place as well. Since the people there generally didn’t cause trouble, the guards simply turned a blind eye.
Qingcheng wasn’t large. There were only a little over a hundred households within the town itself.
Including the shops and businesses, there were fewer than two hundred households in total.
A hundred li south of the town was a larger county called Qingshan County.
There were many small villages between Qingshan County and Qingcheng. Those located closer to Qingcheng would come to the town to buy and sell goods.
Those closer to Qingshan County would go to the county instead.
The area was currently far from the war zones. The weather had been favorable, and the people were living relatively peaceful and prosperous lives.
After getting up and bidding farewell to the old man, Meng Ping’an limped into the market, looking at the small stalls lining both sides of the street as she walked.
Many of the things were items she had never seen in her previous life, and she couldn’t even name them.
The market was bustling with activity. There were stalls selling snacks, as well as many offering various forms of entertainment.
There were even candied hawthorns and sugar figurines…
She had no idea what era this was. There was no dynasty like this in her memories.
It seemed that this world was not the same timeline as her previous life.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, she arrived at the town’s main street.
Meng Ping’an picked up a broken pottery bowl from the roadside. A large piece was missing from it.
It looked exactly like the begging bowl used by a beggar, so she decided to use it to make a living.
After wandering around for quite some time, she was both tired and hungry. She found a spot not far from the entrance of a large restaurant.
She plopped herself down by the roadside, placed the broken bowl in front of her, and closed her eyes to rest for a while.
After about the time it took to burn an incense stick, lunchtime was approaching, and more and more people began entering the restaurant.
Occasionally, someone passing by would casually toss a copper coin into her bowl.
In just that short while, she had already collected nearly seven copper coins.
It seemed she had really found a lucky spot!
Meng Ping’an put the copper coins into her space, leaving only one or two coins in the broken bowl.
She remained there until the afternoon.
As fewer and fewer people remained inside the restaurant, Meng Ping’an stood up and brushed the dirt off her clothes, preparing to pick up her bowl and leave.
Suddenly, the waiter inside the restaurant called out to her.
“Little beggar, don’t leave! Come here.”
The waiter waved her over.
Meng Ping’an looked confused.
Could it be because she had been blocking their entrance and they wanted to cause trouble for her?
Somewhat nervous, she limped toward the waiter.