End of the World Crisis, My Husband is from Ancient Times

At dawn, a simple carriage pulled up at the entrance to the bustling market. Fan Mengmeng, accompanied by Xiaofu, disembarked, while Teng Junze observed from the shadows. The market was bustling with people, the cries of vendors echoing, and the dazzling array of rare treasures dazzled Fan Mengmeng. But she soon realized that the gazes she received were filled with curiosity and inquiry, even a subtle hint of hostility. She unconsciously gathered her sleeves, a slight sense of nervousness building within her.

A vendor selling porcelain looked Fan Mengmeng up and down, his tone questioning, "Girl, are you from another place? Why are you wearing such...strange clothes?"

Fan Mengmeng took a deep breath and a friendly smile spread across her face. "Uncle, you have a really good eye! I came from far away just to experience your local customs and culture. Your porcelain, in particular, is truly exquisite. The glaze and craftsmanship are obvious to be the work of a famous artist!"

The stall owner was praised by her, and his originally wary eyes softened a little, and a proud smile appeared on his face: "Girl, you really know what you are talking about! This porcelain of mine is..." He introduced it in a torrent of words, completely forgetting his previous doubts.

Fan Mengmeng's words also changed the attitude of the people around her. They began to point and comment on the bag in her hand and the strange clothes, but their tones were less hostile and more curious. Teng Junze watched this scene from the dark, his lips curled up slightly.

Fan Mengmeng took the opportunity to ask the stall owner about medicinal herbs, especially the origin and trading information of "Snow Lotus". Although the stall owner knew little about Snow Lotus, he also provided some clues about other medicinal herbs, which ignited a glimmer of hope in Fan Mengmeng's heart.

However, just as she was chatting happily with the stall owner, several villagers recognized her as not from the area and began to whisper. One of the older villagers pointed at Fan Mengmeng and said in a stern tone, "She's not from our village. She looks sneaky and definitely not a good person!"

Seeing this, Xiaofu quickly stepped forward to explain: "Dear folks, this girl is..."

"Shut up!" another villager interrupted him rudely. "You're just a servant from another place, what right do you have to speak?"

The crowd began to stir, and the atmosphere grew tense. Fan Mengmeng felt an inexplicable pressure, as if she were enveloped by an invisible net, making it hard for her to breathe. She subconsciously looked in the direction of Teng Junze's hiding place, but only saw a fleeting figure.

The crowd surged like boiling water, hostility surging toward Fan Mengmeng like a tide. Xiaofu anxiously tried to explain, but a burly man roughly shoved him aside. "Get out of here! How dare you butt in!" Xiaofu stumbled a few steps, barely able to steady himself by holding onto a roadside stall. He looked worriedly at Fan Mengmeng, who was surrounded.

A villager with broad shoulders, a round waist and a face full of flesh stood up, pointed at Fan Mengmeng's nose and shouted: "You outsider, you are sneaking around, and you have bad intentions. Get out of our market now!" Several villagers behind him also followed suit, shouting for Fan Mengmeng to leave.

Although Fan Mengmeng was terrified, she forced herself to remain calm. She took a deep breath, straightened her back, looked the burly man straight in the eye, and said firmly, "Brother, the market is a place for trade. It should be open and inclusive, a place where merchants from all over the world can exchange what they have. Your xenophobia is hindering the development of the market, and ultimately harming your own interests."

The sturdy man choked at her words, obviously not expecting this seemingly weak woman to be so sharp-tongued. He was furious and reached out to grab Fan Mengmeng's collar, "Stop preaching these big words to me! I don't understand! Anyway, you have to leave here today!"

Fan Mengmeng dodged nimbly, a flicker of panic in her eyes, but she remained calm and composed, "You're just making up your mind! I haven't done anything against the market rules. Why should I leave?"

The surrounding villagers began to whisper. Some expressed dissatisfaction with the strong man's behavior, but they only murmured quietly and did not dare to openly oppose it. The majority of people were just watching the fun, pointing and talking at Fan Mengmeng with expressions of gloating on their faces.

Teng Junze, hiding in the shadows, watched the scene, his brows furrowed slightly. He had wanted to see how Fan Mengmeng would handle it, but now it seemed the situation was getting a little out of control. He was about to emerge when he heard Fan Mengmeng's clear voice again: "I came to the market today to buy some medicinal herbs, especially snow lotus. If anyone knows where I can buy them, please let me know. I will reward you handsomely!"

The burly man sneered, "Snow lotus? That's a rare commodity! Just you? You want to buy snow lotus?"

Fan Mengmeng smiled slightly, "Everything depends on human effort. Big brother, how about we make a bet..."

Fan Mengmeng smiled slightly and pointed at the bustling crowd around them. "Fellow villagers, think about this: if everyone were as xenophobic as this elder brother, only locals would be trading at the market, the variety of goods would be limited, and the prices would be high. If we allow merchants from outside to come in and bring all kinds of novel goods, everyone would be able to buy more things at lower prices. Wouldn't that be better?"

She paused and continued, "Also, when foreign merchants come, they'll buy some local specialties, so the locals can make more money. Only by sharing what we have can we achieve common prosperity!"

The villagers were stunned by what they heard. They had never thought about these things before, but when they thought about it carefully, it seemed to make sense. The strong man's face was also a little embarrassed. He stammered, "This...this..."

Hiding in the shadows, Teng Junze's lips curled up slightly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. This woman's insight was truly extraordinary.

At this time, an old man with a cane slowly approached. He stroked his graying beard and said, "This girl is right. The market should be open and inclusive in order to prosper and develop."

The old man's appearance convinced the villagers. They all nodded in agreement and stopped chasing Fan Mengmeng away. The strong man also retreated to the side in dismay, not daring to say another word.

Fan Mengmeng took the opportunity to ask the old man about the whereabouts of the snow lotus. The old man pondered for a moment and said, "Snow lotus grows in extremely cold places, and it is difficult for ordinary people to find it. However, I heard that..." The old man lowered his voice, leaned close to Fan Mengmeng's ear, and said a place name.

Fan Mengmeng was delighted and quickly thanked him. The old man waved his hand, turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

Fan Mengmeng returned to Teng Junze and told him the clues provided by the old man. After hearing this, Teng Junze frowned and a trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

As night fell, Fan Mengmeng, Teng Junze, and Xiaofu rode their horses, heading in the direction the old man had indicated. Silence reigned, with only the sound of horse hooves echoing across the empty plains. A strange, unsettling smell hung in the air. Fan Mengmeng clutched the reins tightly, wondering silently: What awaits me ahead? Teng Junze suddenly reined in his horse, turned to look at Fan Mengmeng, and said slowly, "This journey is dangerous..."