As Tang Qing'er walked, she sorted through the original owner's memories in her mind.
She recalled that the original owner actually had an older brother.
A few years ago, to secure a spot for the son of her selfish uncle, the older brother was sent to serve in the military and had been missing ever since.
The original owner also had an older sister, the eldest in the family, eight years her senior.
While their parents were still alive, they had arranged a marriage for the sister.
However, when the sister got married, the original owner was only eight years old, and she heard that the brother-in-law's family lived far away. She had never visited her sister's home.
Moreover, for some unknown reason, when their parents passed away unexpectedly, the eldest sister didn't even return for the funeral.
There must be some hidden story behind this.
It seemed that once they settled down, she would have to find a way to inquire about the whereabouts of her older brother and sister.
Meanwhile, more than an hour after Tang Qing'er and her two children left,
the old Liu family finally managed to send off the five troublemakers from town with good food, drinks, and hospitality, along with apologies and compensation.
The three of them had forced smiles until their faces were stiff. Just as they closed the courtyard gate and were about to return to their rooms for a good rest,
Liu Jian suddenly remembered something and exclaimed, "Oh no!"
The outburst startled Liu Wangcai beside him, who slapped the back of Liu Jian's head:
"You brat, what are you yelling about? Trying to scare me to death?"
Liu Lishi quickly pulled her son over and complained, "Old man, our son has suffered enough. Why hit him?"
Liu Jian hurriedly spoke up: "Father, Mother, the deposit from the Wang family in town and the brothel was taken by that bitch. What should we do now?"
Hearing this, Liu Lishi panicked and grabbed her son, ready to rush out. Liu Wangcai roared, "Stop! Where do you think you're going?"
Liu Lishi: "To chase after that bitch and get the money back."
A sinister glint flashed in Liu Wangcai's eyes: "They've been gone for over an hour. There's no way to catch up now.
It's fine. Later, let Jian'er go to town and explain to them, saying we'll deliver the person in two days.
As for that woman and her two kids, no rush. They have nowhere to go except Tangjia Village.
Tomorrow, we'll send someone to keep an eye on the entrance of Tangjia Village. Once they're driven out, we'll capture them.
Not only will we get the money back, but we'll also pocket the remaining silver."
Liu Jian instantly went from panic to ecstasy: "Brilliant! It has to be you, Father. No wonder they say old ginger is spicier!"
Liu Wangcai basked in his son's flattery: "Of course. How could I let her off after offending me?"
With that, he puffed out his chest and strode back into the house, with Liu Lishi following obediently like a lackey.
Liu Jian glanced at the sky. After all, he had told the Wang family and the Cuixiang Tower that he would deliver the person within three days.
So there was no need to make a special trip to inform them. Thinking of something, he smirked lewdly and headed out.
The farce of severing ties and the divorce had dragged on for most of the day, and it was already past lunchtime.
Tang Qing'er and her two children hadn't had a drop of water or a grain of rice, their stomachs growling with hunger long ago.
The little girl, Da Ya, was very sensible, enduring her hunger in silence.
But Tang Tang in the stroller couldn't hold back any longer, crying "Wah wah wah," his little face flushed red.
That's right—ever since leaving Bailiu Village, Tang Qing'er had found a secluded, uninhabited spot and retrieved a stroller from her space.
She remembered it was "loot" from raiding a large shopping mall in her previous life.
That floor had been filled with mother-and-baby products. Thinking her space was large and she might need them someday, she had gathered quite a few items in one go.
Formula milk, baby clothes, supplementary foods, various styles of strollers and toys—almost everything a child would need from birth to growing up was covered.
At this moment, she was immensely grateful for her foresight back then—it had come in handy now!
Tang Qing'er skillfully changed her son's diaper and put clean clothes on him, then carefully placed him in the stroller and began pushing it.
She also took out a thermos flask she had filled in the morning from her space and prepared formula milk for her son.
Beside her, Liu Daya had been watching her mother conjure various novel items out of thin air as if performing magic tricks.
Her eyes had long widened with curiosity.
Tang Qing'er handed her daughter some hand-torn bread and milk, saying gently:
"Da Ya, eat quickly. Open the milk and drink it just like last night. Mother will feed your brother first."
After a pause, she looked at her daughter seriously and warned:
"You mustn't tell anyone about Mother being able to produce things out of nowhere, understand?"
"Otherwise, Mother will be taken away by bad people, and you and your brother will never see Mother again."
Upon hearing that her mother would be taken away if others found out, the little girl's face instantly turned pale with fright. She nodded vigorously and repeatedly promised:
"Don't worry, Mother! This is a secret between you and me. I won't tell anyone!"
Tang Qing'er didn't want to scare her child this way, but the matter of the space was too significant. If it were exposed, she would be guilty of possessing a treasure beyond her means.
With her current abilities, she simply couldn't protect herself and her children.
After the mother and her two children had solved their hunger and thirst, they continued on their way to the town.
The little girl was young and couldn't keep up with an adult's pace.
Moreover, the Imperial Highway in ancient times was an uneven dirt road, so Tang Qing'er naturally found pushing the stroller less smooth than on modern asphalt roads.
As a result, their progress was not fast.
Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves came from behind, growing closer and closer. Tang Qing'er instinctively pulled her daughter to the side of the road and stepped aside to make way.
Unexpectedly, when the exquisitely decorated carriage reached them, it slowly came to a stop.
The carriage curtain was gently lifted by a delicate hand, and a clever-looking, adorable little maid with twin buns in her hair emerged.
With a friendly smile on her face, she quickly stepped forward and asked:
"Madam, my mistress finds your little stroller quite fascinating and asked me to inquire—would you be willing to sell this stroller?"
Tang Qing'er was taken aback for a moment, then understood. Such strollers didn't exist in ancient times, so it was only natural for families with young children to desire one.
She still had plenty in her space, so selling one wouldn't be a problem. Although she had three taels of silver taken from that scoundrel,
having more would provide greater security. Feigning reluctance, she said:
"I only have this one. If I sell it to your mistress, I'll have to carry my child, which would be quite inconvenient."
The woman inside the carriage seemed to have overheard the conversation outside. She gently lifted the curtain and stepped down.
She was a lady in her forties, dressed in luxurious clothing made of fabric that was clearly expensive.
Her face was kind, her eyes gentle, giving off a very approachable feeling.
She walked up to Tang Qing'er and said with a smile, "Young lady, I must say your little stroller is indeed unique, and I've taken a liking to it."
"It so happens that my daughter-in-law is due to give birth soon. It would be wonderful to have such a convenient little stroller."
"I see that your family circumstances don't seem affluent. I'm willing to offer ten taels of silver to buy it."
"With this money, you can add some necessities for your home and improve your life a bit."
Although Tang Qing'er had no concept of the purchasing power of silver in ancient times, she had just heard that morning that the scoundrel had sold both her and her daughter for only seven taels of silver.
This lady offered ten taels right away, which must be a considerable amount.
After a brief hesitation, she still agreed, took the money, and while folding up the stroller, she placed two brand-new sets of children's clothes inside.
This was her first bucket of gold earned in ancient times, and feeling happy, she decided to give a little bonus.
The noble lady was even more delighted to see that the stroller could actually be folded, taking up no space at all when placed in the carriage.
After expressing her thanks, she boarded the carriage with her maid and left. Inside the carriage, the little maid grumbled:
"Madam, you're just too kind-hearted. It's just a small stroller—how could it possibly be worth ten taels of silver?"