After time travel, share a space with your modern family.

After buying jewelry with her older brother, Ruan Mumu took out her watch to check the time. It was already 2 PM. She looked at the calendar again and saw that it was August 5th. Remembering that she had agreed to meet her parents in the modern world on August 15th, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

"Brother, should we go eat first, or buy some steamed buns and then go straight to the horse brokerage that Manager Zhang mentioned?" Ruan Mumu asked.

"Little sister, are you really planning to buy a horse? A horse costs a lot of money!" Ruan Xiaojun wanted to persuade his sister again.

Ruan Mumu patted her elder brother's shoulder and asked, "Don't you want a horse-drawn carriage, brother? It would be so much more convenient to go anywhere. Just imagine how prestigious it would be if you could use a horse-drawn carriage to pick up Sister Jinhua when you get married! Then you wouldn't have to squeeze into an oxcart with everyone else when you take Sister Jinhua to town or the county town..."

“Besides, our family isn’t short of money right now. We made quite a bit of money today, so we should be able to buy a carriage for around a hundred taels. We can just take the carriage home later. Otherwise, we’d have to rent a carriage to go home, which would cost more than a tael of silver!” Ruan Mumu continued.

Ruan Xiaojun was deeply moved by her words. Just imagine, what man could resist the temptation of a BMW? For the villagers, owning an oxcart was already considered a luxury, let alone a horse-drawn carriage.

But Ruan Xiaojun still hesitated and said, "That's true, but we're just an ordinary family. Won't it arouse suspicion if we suddenly spend so much money to buy horses?"

Ruan Mumu smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry, big brother. Why care what others say? Even if we don't buy a carriage, what will people say when we build a big house? Besides, we're not stealing or robbing. We just want to buy a horse. We're not doing anything bad."

Ruan Xiaojun listened to his sister's words and thought they made sense, so he nodded and said, "Alright, let's listen to you, sister. Let's go take a look at the horses first, and if the price is right, we'll buy them. But these horses aren't cheap; even the cheapest, worst horse will cost several tens of taels of silver!"

"Don't worry, big brother, I know what I'm doing." Ruan Mumu smiled confidently.

The two arrived at a steamed bun shop, bought a few meat buns, and ate them as they walked towards the horse shop. The horse shop wasn't far from there; they arrived after walking for a short while.

They went directly to the brokerage firm recommended by Manager Zhang – Tang's Brokerage Firm.

"Waiter, is your manager here? I need to speak with him. Please pass this letter on to him; he'll know as soon as he sees it." Ruan Mumu politely asked the waiter who had come to greet them, and handed him a letter that the manager had given her.

The waiter took the letter with both hands and replied politely, "Yes, miss, please wait a moment. I'll go and fetch our manager right away."

Soon, a somewhat plump shopkeeper walked over with a smile and greeted her warmly, "Hello, young lady. My surname is Ye. Shopkeeper Zhang told me that you have come to buy a horse. Do you have any requirements for the horse?"

Ruan Mumu also responded: "Hello Manager Ye, we would like to buy a strong young horse. We usually use it to pull a horse-drawn carriage. We are a farming family, and we sometimes use it for travel. Other times, we use it to pull things."

“Alright, young ladies, please come with me to the backyard. I’ll introduce you to the place, and then you can make your own choice.” After saying this, Manager Ye led the two women to the backyard.

The three men arrived at the stables in the backyard and pointed to three horses, saying, "Miss, the white horse there is seven years old, the black one is ten years old, and the brown one is five years old—all are in their prime. Which one has caught your eye, Miss?"

Ruan Mumu didn't know much about horses, so she asked about horses and how to raise them.

"Manager Ye, I'd like to choose the white horse. How much silver would it cost?" After listening to Manager Ye's introduction, Ruan Mumu immediately chose the white horse.

Shopkeeper Ye chuckled and praised with a beaming smile, "Young lady, you have a good eye! This horse is the best one in our stable! Not only is it in its prime, but it's also very gentle, making it perfect for pulling your carriage. Since Shopkeeper Zhang introduced you, I'll sell it to you for eighty taels, and I'll also throw in a carriage for free. What do you think? Normally, we wouldn't sell a horse of this quality for less than one hundred taels."

When Ruan Mumu heard that the price was only eighty taels, she was overjoyed. This price was much cheaper than the one hundred and twenty taels she had originally expected, and it even came with a free carriage and a saddle set. It was such a great deal! She never imagined that a letter of introduction from Manager Zhang could save her so much money.

Without hesitation, Ruan Mumu said, "Manager Ye, we'll take this horse. However, we have a small request." As she spoke, she took out a hundred-tael silver note from her bosom and handed it to Manager Ye.

Manager Ye hurriedly accepted the silver note with both hands, and asked with a puzzled look, "What do you require, young lady? I will do my best to fulfill your request."

Ruan Mumu said softly, "Manager Ye, my brother and I don't know how to drive a carriage, so we would like to ask you to help us find someone to teach us. Of course, we will pay the corresponding fee."

Upon hearing Ruan Mumu's words, Manager Ye quickly waved his hand and said, "Miss, there's no need to pay extra. Our shop has always been honest and fair, dealing with everyone fairly. Since we've already agreed on a price, we won't charge you any extra. Besides, since you're so agreeable, I can't let you down. I'll arrange for someone to come and teach you both how to drive the carriage right away. Please wait here for a moment; they'll be here shortly. I'll go and issue you a purchase receipt now." With that, he went to the front of the shop.

Soon the waiter who had been serving them came over, pulled out the horses, harnessed them to the carriage, and then began teaching them how to drive the carriage in the spacious backyard.

It must be said that men learn to drive a horse-drawn carriage faster than women, much like how people learn to drive cars today. Women usually need more time and practice to master the skills. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to pick it up and adapt to the feeling of driving much faster. So, when Ruan Xiaojun sat in the driver's seat, he quickly figured out how to control the reins and drive the carriage.

Half an hour later, Ruan Xiaojun had learned how to drive a horse-drawn carriage. Although he was still a bit rusty, it was enough for him to handle most road conditions.

After they stopped the carriage, Manager Ye came over with a tray. "Miss, this is your change of twenty taels of silver, and this is the receipt for the horse. Please keep it safe!" he said, handing the tray to Ruan Mumu.

Ruan Mumu accepted the tray, nodded in thanks, and looked at the silver and receipt in her hand, feeling satisfied. The transaction had been completed smoothly; she had not only acquired a fine horse but also learned how to drive a carriage. Everything had gone very well.

Ruan Mumu reached out and took the silver, then handed it to Ruan Xiaojun. She carefully folded the voucher and put it in her pocket. Afterwards, she smiled politely at Manager Ye and said, "Thank you for your care, Manager Ye. We still have a long way to go, so we won't bother you any longer."

After saying that, she took out twenty coins from her pocket, walked to the waiter next to her, handed them to him, and said softly, "Thank you for your patient teaching, sir. If it weren't for your help, we wouldn't have learned how to drive a carriage so quickly. Consider this a small amount of money as a treat for you to have some tea."

The waiter was flattered and quickly waved his hand to decline, saying, "Miss, you mustn't, you mustn't."

Seeing this, Manager Ye smiled and said, "Since the young lady has given it to you, please accept it!"

Upon hearing this, the waiter had no choice but to carefully accept the copper coin and then thank Ruan Mumu and her brother and sister repeatedly.

Ruan Mumu smiled, turned around again, clasped her hands in a fist salute to Manager Ye, and said, "Manager Ye, then we shall take our leave."

Shopkeeper Ye smiled and nodded, replying, "Alright, I wish you both a safe journey."

After saying that, he personally escorted Ruan Mumu and Ruan Xiaojun out of the horse stable.

"Please be careful, young ladies, and have a safe journey. If you need anything in the future, you can come directly to me, Manager Ye," Manager Ye said gently. Then, he stood there, watching with kind eyes as the two siblings slowly drove away in their carriage from the backyard.

As Ruan Xiaojun drove his carriage home, he still felt somewhat incredulous. He excitedly said to Ruan Mumu, who was sitting beside him, "Little sister, I never imagined I'd have the chance to drive a carriage myself!"

Looking at her older brother, Ruan Mumu said with a firm and serious gaze, "Big brother, I will definitely work hard to make you do more of the things you never dared to dream of in your life."

Ruan Xiaojun was deeply moved by his sister's words, but also felt a little nervous.

Just then, Ruan Mumu patted his shoulder hard, causing him to suddenly tighten the reins, and the horse, startled, immediately galloped away.

The carriage began to jolt violently. Ruan Xiaojun panicked and gripped the carriage shaft tightly with both hands. Ruan Mumu, however, quickly adjusted her posture, steadied herself, and shouted, "Brother, don't panic! Steady yourself, don't fall off!"

Her voice carried a strange strength that calmed Ruan Xiaojun down slightly. Then, Ruan Mumu reminded him again, "Brother, don't panic. Just hold the reins tight and control the direction!"

Following Ruan Mumu's instructions, Ruan Xiaojun diligently controlled the reins. He kept his eyes fixed ahead, gripping the reins tightly with both hands, not daring to relax for a moment. As time passed, he gradually mastered some techniques, and the horse's gait became more stable, no longer as jolted as before. The brother and sister finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ruan Xiaojun turned to look at Ruan Mumu and asked, "Sister, how do you plan to explain the purchase of the carriage to Mother when you get back?" He was a little worried, after all, it was no small sum of money.

Ruan Mumu, however, looked relaxed and said nonchalantly, "Just say that we sold a treasure and spent all the money on a carriage." She didn't seem to care whether her mother would ask for details.

Ruan Xiaojun frowned and asked again, "If Mother asks what you sold, how will you answer?" He felt that such an answer might not convince his mother.

Ruan Mumu smiled, revealing a confident expression. "Big brother, the King of Hell gave me a lot of treasures. I've come back with a mission to help you all live a good life! So don't think too much. Let's just live our lives well and not care what others say. If they're good to our family, we'll help them out. If they're not good to us, don't even think about it..." Her eyes were firm and determined.

After hearing this, Ruan Xiaojun nodded slightly, understanding his sister's meaning.

"Thank you, little sister!" Ruan Xiaojun said again.

"Brother, let's not stand on ceremony since we're family. How about you take Jin Hua out to buy some pretty clothes these next few days? Once our house is finished, you two should get married as soon as possible. And have a grandson or granddaughter for Mom to take care of, hahaha..." Ruan Mumu said with a grin.

Ruan Mumu's words made Ruan Xiaojun blush. He had secretly thought about how to marry Jinhua many times, and he didn't know how many times he had secretly washed his pants behind his family's back. The worst part was that his younger brother had found out about it a few times.

"Oh dear! Big brother, are you shy? Men should marry when they come of age, and women should marry when they come of age. What's there to be shy about?" Ruan Mumu teased again.

"Little sister, please stop making fun of your older brother!" Ruan Xiaojun thought of Jinhua while driving the carriage, and then secretly chuckled to himself.

Along the way, Ruan Mumu would tease Ruan Xiaojun from time to time, and Ruan Xiaojun gradually got used to his sister's jokes and could handle them with ease, and would occasionally tease his sister back.

As the two laughed and joked all the way, it got dark, and the brother and sister drove the carriage into the village. By this time, almost everyone had already gone home, so no one in the village noticed that they were driving the carriage back.