Let's just drift through life together in this quick transmigration story.

The next morning, because everyone stayed up late to welcome the New Year, both of them gave Xiong Bufan red envelopes. Xiong Bufan gave Qiao Yujie and 002 a copper coin each as their New Year's money.

There were still red paper scraps left from firecrackers in the yard. After receiving the red envelope, Xiong Bufan lay down on the bed and went to sleep. Winter was the time for sleeping. Back in the day, Xiong Bufan could sleep for a whole year at a time.

When Qiao Yujie got home, she saw a jade pendant on the bed. It was warm to the touch and a rare treasure. Qiao Yujie held the jade pendant in her palm and placed it against her chest.

002 vaguely remembers a family tradition: no cleaning on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, because you can't sweep away good fortune. Also, no chores are done on the first day, so you can enjoy a better year. However, these are just expressions of people's yearning for a better life. As human beings, we should clean our rooms and do chores.

Xiong Bufan didn't wake up until evening, but after having dinner, he fell into a deep sleep again. 002 had gotten used to Xiong Bufan's daily routine. She would do some chores while she slept, and without Xiong Bufan causing trouble, it was relatively easy to do the chores.

The New Year passed quickly, and the entire first month seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Xiong Bufan closed his eyes and sat in the rouge shop to watch for thieves. Qiao Yujie, on the other hand, began to plan to open more rouge shops in different locations. Most of the rouge shops in the capital were backed by powerful and wealthy people, so it would be better to open rouge shops elsewhere to make money faster.

In the capital, you can produce and sell rare items that are not available there, open up the market, gain a foothold in the capital, and with the support of powerful figures, you can then shift the focus of your rouge shop back to the capital.

Qiao Yujie: "Bufan, is there anything that doesn't exist in the capital?"

"food additives."

Qiao Yujie fell silent. She felt that coming here was a bit redundant, but this was her only fellow villager. There must be something that wasn't available in the capital but could be sold widely. Qiao Yujie asked, unwilling to give up, "Besides this?"

"Mobile phones, televisions, washing machines, and those shopping apps."

Qiao Yujie felt that asking Xiong Bufan was a mistake. She should have figured it out herself instead of asking him. But shopping apps? Qiao Yujie had a good idea. She could completely learn from their business and sales model, but she needed to go back and develop a complete plan.

Qiao Yujie left excitedly, leaving Xiong Bufan at home completely bewildered. What was wrong with her? She only said half of what she meant. Next time she did that, she should just shut her up. Xiong Bufan was so angry that he went back to bed.

There was no news from the Dali Temple after the New Year. Xiong Bufan went to rescue Su Beichen two or three times, extorting several dozen taels of silver from him each time before running away, and even giving him the assassins he was supposed to kill for free.

A major event occurred during the New Year: the fifth prince, Cui Haoyu, who had been missing for two years, returned. On New Year's Eve, he wished the emperor a happy new year and presented him with a painting of the vast land, which included a large part of the enemy country's territory. The emperor was very pleased, but instead of returning military power to him, he bestowed upon him the title of Wise Prince and ordered him to reside temporarily in the capital.

This is the first son of the Emperor to be granted the title of Prince, even skipping the eldest prince. Cui Haoyu is neither the eldest son nor the legitimate heir, and his maternal family is not prominent. The only difference between him and the other princes is his outstanding military achievements in his early years. Perhaps there is another candidate for the succession. People from all three sides and some ministers in the court are watching. Since New Year's Eve, people have been visiting the Prince Xian's mansion one after another.

Previously, Cui Haoyu's servants had all been dismissed, but some have been recalled. However, the steward still needs to purchase more supplies and receive rewards from the palace. This makes it easier for everyone to send people in. Having an extra hidden line of agents is never a bad thing; it might come in handy at a crucial moment.

Cui Haoyu welcomes any servants who come, as long as they meet the standards of a prince, it doesn't matter who sends them.

These things had nothing to do with Xiong Bufan. On her way to the neighboring city with Qiao Yujie, she was going to Lincheng to investigate. If all went well, they would open the first rouge shop. For half a month in January and a month before the New Year, Qiao Yujie was training servants, just waiting to start working after the opening.

The servants also brought four large carts full of prepared rouge, and in the front and back carriages sat Xiong Bufan and Qiao Yujie.

Xiong Bufan took out some dried fruit and stuffed it into his mouth. While eating, he said, "I run very fast, why do I need to take a carriage? With the money and time I have to take a carriage, I could buy so much food and get so much more sleep."

"It's extraordinary. The scenery along the way is also scenery, just as beautiful. When you're young, you should travel more and see more."

Xiong Bufan focused on eating and didn't respond. He thought, "Let's just leave the carriage. Why do you have to say things that are incomprehensible to everyone?"

The carriage suddenly stopped, and a voice came from outside: "This road is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll."

A group of bandits, armed with knives, blocked the carriage's path. On the roads between the capital and neighboring cities, as long as merchants left money, they would not harm or kill them. The bandits were small in number, so the imperial court rarely sent people to suppress them. The leader was a burly man with a thick beard. He had figured out this pattern and led his brothers to block the road and extort money to make a fortune.

The coachman knocked on the carriage door frame. "Manager?"

Qiao Yujie said in a deep voice, "Give him the money." After saying that, she and Xiong Bufan put on the masks made by 002, making them look like two men.

The coachman jumped off the carriage and handed the silver to the leader, saying, "Brother, let us pass. We are merchants."

The bandit leader glanced at the carriage and the servants and goods being carried in the ordinary carts, put the silver in his sleeve, and held a knife to the driver's neck. "Is this all you're giving me, like a beggar? Let your manager talk to me personally."

The driver gently moved the knife away a little with his hand. "Brother, let's talk this out. Don't always resort to violence."

The man said, "Stop talking nonsense and call your manager out right now. Otherwise, I'll kill you as a sacrifice to the heavens."

"Alright, alright, brother, keep an eye on things. Swords have no eyes." The coachman moved the knife a little further away, but the man moved it even closer and cut off a hair of the coachman's. "Stop talking nonsense and hurry up."

The driver yelled at the top of his lungs, "Boss, help!"

Qiao Yujie led Xiong Bufan out of the carriage slowly, clasped her hands in a salute to the bandits, and said, "Heroes, my brother and I are passing through this place on our way to Lincheng to do business. I wonder if you could do us a favor?"

The man said, "If you want to come, fine, but give us a hundred taels of silver. I can't let my brothers work for free."

Xiong Bufan quietly ate his snacks while watching the commotion, and secretly took out the dried fruit that Xiaoying had prepared for him in the last world and put it in his mouth.

One hundred taels was Qiao Yujie's start-up capital for opening a shop in Lincheng. Renting a place, buying supplies, and eating all cost money, and she couldn't possibly give it to the robbers. Qiao Yujie gently nudged Xiong Bufan. With Xiong Bufan's high combat strength, he could definitely handle this matter.

Xiong Bufan stuffed all the nuts into his mouth and said to Qiao Yujie in a shameless manner, "That's all."

Is this about nuts? They've clearly been robbed. Qiao Yujie patiently said to Xiong Bufan, "If you handle this matter well, I'll give you ten taels of silver."

Xiong Bufan made a "two" gesture and was about to extend his third finger when Qiao Yujie nodded with some difficulty.

The bandits, having waited so long, had long lost their patience. They shouted, "Can you hurry up? If you wait any longer, I'll kill this coachman!"

The driver chimed in, "Boss, help me!"

Xiong Bufan said with a grin, "I'll be your hostage. You release the driver, and you can take me hostage. My brother will give you more money."

The bandits saw that Xiong Bufan was so thin and weak that he looked like he could be blown away by a gust of wind. It was indeed better to take Xiong Bufan hostage than to take the coachman hostage. But businessmen are smart. He must have come here with ulterior motives. The bandits brought the knife closer to the coachman's neck, and even cut a little red mark. "No, give me the silver, or no one will leave."

Xiong Bufan didn't hesitate and walked straight over. The bandits and the coachman were terrified, shouting, "Don't come any closer!"

Bandit: "If you come any closer, I really will kill him."

Coachman: "Manager Qiao, please tell Manager Xiong to stop, I'm scared."

Xiong Bufan seemed to have had enough fun. He picked up a stone from the ground and threw it, knocking the bandit's knife away. The innkeeper then ran out.

With the hostage gone, the other bandits surrounded and protected the leader. Xiong Bufan, not smelling any foul odor, rushed over and hung all the bandits from the trees.