Qiao Qingqing walked out of the alley.
After only a few steps, she noticed a woman in the distance quietly watching her. The woman looked somewhat familiar, but she was too far away. By the time Qiao Qingqing tried to get a better look, the woman had already left quickly.
She became wary but didn’t give chase. Instead, she took a detour to a secluded spot, changed into inconspicuous clothes and a hat in her space, then retrieved her bicycle and headed toward the train station.
Actually, she had a truck in her space, along with gasoline, which would have made traveling to Wucheng easier than taking the train. But since she didn’t know the roads at all, she ultimately chose the train.
At this time, buying a train ticket required an introduction letter; without one, being caught on the way would classify her as a “vagrant,” subject to detention.
This was why Chen Liping had been so hesitant, unwilling to let her go to Wucheng.
Of course, Qiao Qingqing decisively avoided buying a ticket. She bypassed the walls and used her first “walk-through” ability to reach the platform.
Ticket evasion was common in this era, and trains were complex environments. Luckily, hers was a short trip, and she didn’t need to show a ticket. She simply stood in the connection area of the carriage, hiding whenever a conductor came into view.
The journey passed uneventfully, and after four hours, she arrived safely in Wucheng.
It was already past 5 PM. Wucheng was bustling, with workers coming and going. Qiao Qingqing wandered for a bit, then pulled out a bamboo basket from her space and entered the counter of a coal factory.
She still had some coupons, but most were only usable in Ningcheng. There was only a small amount of coal coupons valid nationwide, so she could only buy coal here.
While buying a load of coal, she asked the clerk for directions.
Qiao Qingqing’s pharmacy had been in Wucheng in her previous life, so she spoke the local dialect fluently. She addressed the clerk as “sister,” making the older woman very happy.
After successfully getting directions and cross-referencing Chen Liping’s map, she had a general idea of the route.
Carrying the coal, she first headed to a secluded area, then switched to her truck and drove toward the mountains.
The journey was easier than she expected. The map was detailed, and the terrain hadn’t changed much over decades. Following it, she reached her destination smoothly.
The mountains weren’t very high, but vegetation was dense. There were probably no wild animals, though mosquitoes were abundant. Qiao Qingqing put on her anti-mosquito gear, covering herself from head to toe, including goggles and ear protection.
Mosquitoes flew around, attracted to the flashlight beam, as she passed through a pine forest and arrived at an abandoned mine tunnel.
Inside the tunnel, the ground was sticky and muddy, but it wasn’t foul-smelling. Ventilation seemed good, so no toxic gas was expected even if she went deeper. She relaxed slightly.
To be honest, walking in the deep mountains at night with only a flashlight was scary. She had to keep encouraging herself: if she encountered wild animals, she could hide in her space. Her rubber boots would protect her from venomous snakes.
Being fully covered, poisonous insects couldn’t touch her skin.
As for ghosts, she had already died and been reborn once—what was there to fear?
Thus, Qiao Qingqing slowly navigated the tunnel with her flashlight, gradually adapting to the environment and dispelling her fear.
After more than two hours, she finally spotted several distinctive symbols on the tunnel walls. Her spirits lifted.
She pulled out the map to confirm—it was indeed the place.
Next, she took out her pickaxe and began digging.
Finding the location was easy with the map; the hard part was digging.
The tunnel contained both mud and rocks. Digging was exhausting. Qiao Qingqing alternated between the pickaxe and a Luoyang spade, and after tremendous effort, she barely dug one meter deep. She sat down, panting.
Luckily, after being struck by lightning in the past, her body had been significantly enhanced. Her stamina recovered quickly, and she didn’t want to rest, fearing losing momentum.
Before the enhancement, she would have been exhausted after half a meter.
Fortunately, though the storage pit was over five meters underground, she didn’t need to dig that deep. At just over a meter, she hit a steel plate.
The plate was thick. Qiao Qingqing cleared all the surrounding mud and stone to expose the edges. She tested if she could place the steel plate into her space.
Success!
Her space could only take independent items—sticks lying freely could be taken, but those embedded in the ground or tied to other objects couldn’t.
This large, thick steel plate would be impossible to move by hand or penetrate without heavy machinery.
Once past this obstacle, the rest was simple. Beneath the plate were countless small stones, which she could easily take into her space. A few cubic meters of rubble disappeared quickly.
Soon, Qiao Qingqing found the entrance to the storage room.
She unlocked it with the password from the map, revealing a half-meter-wide passage with stairs leading down.
But she hesitated.
Her sense of danger was high. She worried the long-sealed storage might lack oxygen or harbor harmful mold due to dampness.
Thinking it over, she retrieved a battery and two fans from her space, set the fans near the entrance on full power as exhaust, and rested in her space for a while.
While resting, she remembered she had bought a gas mask among her earlier random purchases—but the boxes were piled up, and she hadn’t unpacked it yet.
After over half an hour of rest, seeing that the storage was now ventilated, Qiao Qingqing entered.
The storage was small, containing more than twenty large boxes.
Opening one with her flashlight, she found paintings and calligraphy, all carefully preserved in glass cases. It was clear that Old Master Chen treasured these items.
Some were even later sold to the British Museum, which amazed Qiao Qingqing. She didn’t know how they had been smuggled away. In her timeline, this loss had caused great regret for many Chinese.
Now, in her hands, that day would never come.
After opening several boxes, she found the box containing the keys. She also found a small file containing Chen’s various honors, awards, and donation certificates.
By the early 1950s, he had introduced technology to increase cotton production, alleviating shortages, and received official recognition.
Old Master Chen had truly paved the way for future generations. These certificates and awards would allow several uncles to live quietly, and after reforms, everything would become clear.
But his descendants had failed him, leaving disgracefully. Even Chen Liping was affected, resulting in family ruin.
In her previous life, Qiao Qingqing never saw the Chen family again.
The artwork was to be submitted as promised, and the overseas funds from the keys wouldn’t be needed for at least ten years. She had only come to resolve a matter for her mother; the certificates were a bonus.
She stored everything in her space, keeping items separate, and refilled the rubble. She left the steel plate in place, only returning the sand.
By the time she finished, it was past 3 AM. Exhausted, she washed herself in her space, changed clothes, and planned to sleep until morning.
Inside her space, she felt a strong sense of security, quickly relaxing even in the remote wilderness.
The beds and furniture she had collected were still there. She decided to discard the master bed but would keep the guest bed. Her young body quickly fell asleep, and she had a dreamless night.
When she woke, the sun was overhead—it was almost noon.
Feeling refreshed, she descended the mountain.
She changed vehicles several times—truck, train, bicycle—and her skills in passing through walls and evading tickets had become smoother. Despite hurrying, everything went smoothly. She returned on the second day’s evening.
The sky was streaked with red as she arrived at the Lin family alley.
Having been away for two days, she wondered if Lin Chaohai and Li Xiulian had already been investigated, as registered mail within the same city usually took two days, at most three.
She knew the special task leader now was a seemingly honest man but actually very greedy. Two years later, he would be exposed for serious embezzlement.
She had written on the letter about 30 large yellow croakers and other wealth—a bait he wouldn’t ignore.
The alley, however, was quiet. Elderly neighbors chatted normally.
As she walked, she once again sensed someone watching her.
She acted casual, slipped into a deserted corner, then quickly entered her space and peeked outside.
Scenes from the Western Zhou era appeared on the black screen surrounding her space. She moved backward and saw a woman standing at a corner, looking puzzled.
It was Xu Peiling.
In her previous life, Qiao Qingqing hadn’t seen Xu Peiling in person, only in various distorted art photos at the villa. The discrepancy in age and the inherent distortion made it hard to recognize her immediately.
Encountering her in Wucheng and now again meant Xu Peiling had been staking out the Xu family home.
Qiao Qingqing decided to stay in her space and not go out.
Xu Peiling linger