Chapter 27: Eating and Drinking

For the first part of the journey, Wen Nuan Nuan walked with a spring in her step, brimming with delight at the flowers, plants, insects, and birds along the dirt path, her little face beaming with a smile.

Gradually, her pace slowed, and her smile wilted.

She looked like a frostbitten eggplant.

“Eldest Brother, how much farther? How far have we walked?” She could already feel the soles of her feet aching, a sharp, throbbing pain.

She was wearing cloth shoes, while the three little ones wore straw sandals that let the wind in—weren’t their feet hurting even more?

She reminded herself silently to buy more cloth and make several pairs of cotton shoes and cloth shoes for the three little ones.

Leng Tian glanced worriedly at his listless sister-in-law. He didn’t want to discourage her, but he had to answer truthfully: “We’ve been walking a bit slowly and have only covered a small part of the journey. We need to speed up, or else we won’t have much time to spend in the city.”

A small part of the journey?

It was a journey of over two hours to Tongcheng. By that calculation, hadn’t they been walking for nearly an hour now?

Good heavens, that meant they still had at least another hour or more to walk!

Wen Nuan Nuan’s face fell even further. She finally understood why people said, “If you want to prosper, first build roads.”

Not only did they need roads, but they also needed transportation.

Spending four or five hours on the road for a round trip left little time for anything else.

Even if you just wanted to sell or buy something in the city, the whole day would be gone.

“What do you mean by ‘not much time to spend in the city’?” Wen Nuan Nuan continued to ask.

They hadn’t planned to stay in the city for long anyway.

Leng Tian looked up at the sun and estimated the time. “It’s probably around Chenshi now. At our pace, we’ll reach the city at the earliest by Sishi. We’ll need to start heading back after noon.”

Wen Nuan Nuan was utterly confused. What were Chenshi and Sishi? How was she supposed to know what times they corresponded to?

She could only rely on her existing knowledge to convert them herself. After all, she’d have to use these terms from now on, so she needed to adapt and get used to them as quickly as possible.

They had set off around six o’clock or so. After walking for about an hour, it should be around seven or eight o’clock now. They still had another hour or so to go, so Sishi probably meant after nine o’clock.

In ancient times, time was divided into twelve shichen. So, Chenshi likely referred to seven to nine o’clock, and Sishi was nine to eleven o’clock.

“What comes after Sishi?”

“Wushi, of course.” Leng Yun looked at Wen Nuan Nuan with confusion, as if he didn’t understand why his sister-in-law was asking such a simple question.

Wen Nuan Nuan pretended not to notice.

She calculated in her mind: Wushi referred to eleven o’clock to one o’clock in the afternoon.

Eldest Brother said they’d head back after noon. Noon and Wushi were probably around the same time. “Are we heading back that early?”

From nine o’clock to around one o’clock in the afternoon—that wasn’t many hours to actually spend in the city. They’d made such an effort to come out, only to return after just a few hours?

She had been planning to explore properly.

To see the different customs and scenery, to experience the authentic ancient charm. After all, they’d walked for several hours—it wasn’t easy.

It seemed plans couldn’t keep up with changes.

Ideals were plump, but reality was bony.

“Yes, although the city gates are locked very late, and we could leave anytime before they’re locked, we’ll have more to carry on the way back. We’ll likely walk even slower than we did coming here, and walking on mountain paths after dark isn’t safe.”

Wen Nuan Nuan thought about it and agreed. If they were pulling a cart full of goods and encountered someone with ill intentions on a dark and windy night, the thought alone was terrifying.

Not to mention the various wild beasts, venomous snakes, and poisonous insects. Accidentally stepping on or bumping into something in the dark would also be risky.

It’s best to arrive home before sunset—organize and sort the purchased items, then cook, wash up, and finish everything before dark to save a lot of trouble.

Four hours should be more than enough to buy all the necessary daily supplies, right?

It’s pretty good to get everything in one go.

Wen Nuan Nuan thought optimistically.

Her mood lightened again.

“Alright, I understand. Eldest Brother, do you want to eat something or drink some water before we continue on our way?” Wen Nuan Nuan asked.

You need to eat your fill to have strength, after all.

How can you go on a trip without snacks?

This is the part kids love the most.

As soon as she finished speaking, not only did the lively Leng Yun cheer excitedly, but even the quiet and steady Leng Chen’s lips curled into a slight smile.

“Sister-in-law, there are so many candies! What’s this soft, fluffy one that feels like cotton?” Leng Yun happily looked from one to another, unsure which to choose first.

“It’s called cotton candy. Try it, it’s delicious.”

“Mmm, it’s so sweet and soft!” After finishing it, Leng Yun moved on to a yellow candy that looked like corn. “Sister-in-law, what about this one? It looks just like corn.”

“Corn soft candy.” Wen Nuan Nuan felt a bit embarrassed saying it, worried that Little Brother would think she was being dismissive.

It wasn’t that she was being dismissive—it really was just called that!

Ugh, it’s not her fault.

“What a fitting name, it really does look like it!” Leng Yun commented happily, then picked up a white, cylindrical candy and asked, “Sister-in-law, is this the one you gave us before? It’s so fragrant—what’s it called?”

When he earned lots of money in the future, he would definitely buy several big buckets of this candy. It was so creamy and delicious.

“White Rabbit Creamy Candy.”

“That’s strange, it doesn’t look like a rabbit at all. Why is it called that?” Leng Yun frowned, his young face full of confusion.

Wen Nuan Nuan could only smile awkwardly. There was no way she could tell Little Brother it was because the brand was called White Rabbit and there was a rabbit on the packaging.

While Leng Yun tried each candy one by one—though he showed great restraint by taking only one of each—Leng Tian picked only filling snacks like Peach Crisp biscuits.

Leng Chen held a Seaweed and Pork Floss Roll, unsure how to eat it. “Sister-in-law, what’s this black stuff? Is it edible?”

“Yes, it’s crispy. Try it, it’s quite tasty.” Wen Nuan Nuan also picked one up, using her other hand to catch any crumbs as she demonstrated for Second Brother.

Leng Chen took a small bite, and the soft, delicate texture made the young boy squint his eyes in satisfaction. He nodded repeatedly and praised, “So delicious!”

Hearing this, Leng Yun quickly leaned in, his dark eyes pitifully pleading as they filled with desire.

“Little Brother, just take one if you want to eat it.”

“But I’ve already eaten so many candies.” Leng Yun bit his lip and silently lowered his head.

“It’s fine. Sister-in-law brought a lot today—look, these several bowls are all filled with fruits, snacks, and candies for the road! Eat as much as you want.” Wen Nuan Nuan waved her hand generously.

When you’re out having fun, of course you should eat and drink your fill and be happy!

Hearing Wen Nuan Nuan say this and sensing her sincerity, Leng Yun smiled brightly and thanked her, “Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

After eating and drinking their fill and replenishing their energy, the four of them, now full of vigor, headed toward Tongcheng.

As they gradually moved farther from the mountains, the land before them grew increasingly flat and expansive. Wen Nuan Nuan estimated they were almost there!

Finally, in the distance, they could see the tall city walls!

Having grown accustomed to towering skyscrapers dozens of stories high, Wen Nuan Nuan considered herself well-traveled.

But times have changed, and the present is different from the past.

Along the way, most of what she saw were low thatched huts or adobe houses, with only the occasional brick-and-tile house. It was only through comparison that Nuan Nuan realized how remarkable it was for Leng Xiao to have built three brick-and-tile houses!

Now, suddenly faced with a city gate over ten meters high, Wen Nuan Nuan felt even more excited and awestruck than if she had seen towering skyscrapers!