Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

The drinking session between Grand Tutor Li and Eunuch Li, which had been separated for many years, continued until late at night.

The next day, Grand Tutor Li sent letters to the Zhang family and Shen Luo respectively, instructing them to depart for the capital two days later at dawn. He told them to stay home for the next two days and prepare everything they needed to take.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Liu was extremely busy. The weaving workshop was also put on hold, and all the women helped the group make clothes for them to wear when going out. Not only were clothes made for Changyun and Xiayu, but also for Shijiu, Daniu, and the pageboy Gou Dan.

Knowing that Xia Yu and Chang Yun were going on a long trip, Aunt Liu, who was embroidering her dowry in the house, came out. She put down the red veil she was embroidering to help Xia Yu make clothes.

Since her wedding was still a long way off, Liu thought it wouldn't matter if it was delayed by two days, so she let her go.

The two maids were overjoyed to hear they could go so far with their young mistress. Nineteen was alright; her round face held a more reserved smile, but the eldest girl laughed without restraint, grinning broadly every day, revealing her bright red gums. She packed up all her favorite clothes.

"Sister Da Niu, I heard that the place we're going to is very cold. Those summer dresses won't last long. You should bring more warm clothes." Nineteen couldn't help but advise her when she saw that her packed bundle was full of thin summer clothes.

"Huh? You can't wear it?" Da Niu felt a little frustrated after hearing what Shi Jiu said.

"Well, we probably won't be able to wear them many more times. After we arrive in the capital, we won't stay for more than a few days before we set off again, heading north. The further north we go, the colder the weather gets."

"Okay then, but the coats I wore last winter are too small now, I can't wear them anymore."

"Take whatever you can wear with you; the madam has made some new ones for us. Bring plenty of money with you so we can buy things at the shops later."

"Wow, Nineteen, you know so much!" Da Niu said, looking at her with some envy.

Hearing Da Niu's praise, Shi Jiu paused in her packing. It wasn't that she knew a lot, but rather that her hometown was there. Although she had left when she was very young, she still remembered the ice lanterns her mother made for her when she was little.

Nineteen packed up all the thick clothes she could wear, and also put away the jewelry she had gotten from the Red Pavilion. She planned to pawn it and exchange it for silver when she went to another place.

Xia Yu's luggage was packed with the help of Liu Shi, her two maids, and Aunt Liu. She used these last two days to move the wheat ears from her space and cellar to the drying yard, so the workers could thresh them along with the newly harvested wheat. She wanted to get this done before she left. She had originally planned to plant another season of corn using this method, but now it seemed impossible.

The night before leaving, Xia Yu led Zhang Youtie and Liu Shi into the cellar, opened the empty room, and stacked the bags of wheat that she had prepared in the space inside in front of them.

"Father, Mother, this is the grain I grew in my space. It's already been threshed and is all here. My brother and I won't be home, so please take good care of yourselves. We should be able to come back before the New Year." As she finished speaking, two bright red fruits suddenly appeared out of thin air in her hand. These were two fruits that had just ripened in her space that morning.

"Father, Mother, these are freshly ripened fruits from the space. I don't know what their effects are, but I imagine they should be somewhat beneficial. I don't know how long they can be preserved outside, so please keep them safe. If you really need to use them, test their effects with a chicken first."

After saying that, he handed the fruit in his hand to Liu.

Liu took the fruit and carefully held it in her hands, examining the two fruits closely by the light of the oil lamp.

These fruits are different from those I usually see; they look like red jade, with a crystalline sheen. If you didn't feel them in your hand and only looked at them, you would think they were ornaments carved from red gemstones.

"Alright, Mother will keep these two fruits safe. Be careful while you're away. You've never left Mother's side all these years, and this is your first time going so far away. Mother is really worried." Madam Liu stroked her daughter's face, her eyes full of worry.

"Mother, don't worry too much. I've practiced my martial arts quite well these past few years, so I'll be fine. Besides, you said before that after this ordeal, I'll have a peaceful and prosperous life. So, just relax and wait for me to come back and bring you some nice things." Xia Yu's exaggerated tone made Liu Shi laugh.

"I don't ask that you bring anything back with you, I just want you and your brother to be alright."

After finishing discussing the important matters, the group emerged from the cellar.

Actually, Xia Yu wasn't worried about her trip, but being away from her parents made her anxious that they might encounter some insurmountable difficulties.

The next day, before dawn, the Zhang family was bustling with activity. Madam Liu arranged for the servants to move everyone's luggage onto the carriage, and gave Shijiu, Daniu, and Gou Dan another round of instructions.

Sister-in-law Zhou got up very early to prepare breakfast for them, as well as dry food and supplies for the journey.

Water. But it's hot now, and food spoils easily, so the only thing I can bring is some flatbread.

After the meal, Zhang Youtie, Liu Shi, Uncle Ma, Aunt Ma, Uncle Zhao and others drove two horse-drawn carriages to Li Taifu's house.

When they arrived, the entourage sent to fetch the Grand Tutor had already come from the post station and were waiting outside the courtyard. The guards, mounted on tall horses, looked quite imposing. Upon seeing Zhang Youtie and his group, some approached from a distance to question them.

"Where are you from?"

“Sir, we are from Zhangjia Village. We are following…” Zhang Youtie’s words were interrupted by the guard.

"What's the name of the person going?" he asked, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket and glancing at it.

"Zhang Changyun, Zhang Xiayu"

"Anything else?" The man looked at the words on the paper, and after hearing him mention two names and then fall silent, he asked.

"Oh, oh, and there's also Da Niu, Shi Jiu, and Gou Dan." Zhang Youtie reacted instantly and immediately recited everyone's names.

"Okay, that's right."

"That carriage is for your luggage. Put your things in it," the guard said, pointing to a carriage not far away. He had a cold expression but was actually quite kind.

"Okay, okay, thank you, sir." Zhang Youtie thanked him repeatedly, and then led Uncle Ma and Uncle Zhao to move the luggage from the cart to the carriage.

After they had all their luggage moved, the guard from before said to them again...

"The five of them can go in and wait, but the others can't go in. If you don't want to go in, you can all wait here together."

"Thank you for reminding us, sir. We'll wait here for a while then," Zhang Youtie said, wanting to spend more time with his children after hearing that his group couldn't go in.

The guard nodded without saying anything more and went back to his previous spot.

Holding Changyun and Xiayu's hands, Liu repeatedly reminded them of things to be careful about while traveling. But how could Liu, who had never been out of the house before, know what to be careful about? She just kept telling them to eat on time and dress warmly.

Xia Yu let Liu Shi hold her hand and listen to her repeat the same few words without feeling annoyed at all. A mother worries about her son even when he is far away, and she could understand her mother's feelings.