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

After a three-hour meeting, Ruan Mumu finally emerged from the space at 3 PM. Qiao Tinghao, on the other hand, waited anxiously in Ruan Mumu's courtyard for a full three hours.

"Girl, I've finally waited for you to come out! I was so sleepy I was almost dozing off," Qiao Tinghao said, yawning.

"Brother, how can you be so stupid! There are beds here, don't you know I won't be out until a certain time? You could have just taken a nap first!" Ruan Mumu couldn't help but roll her eyes, feeling helpless towards her somewhat silly brother.

"So how did your meeting go?" Qiao Tinghao asked with a curious look.

"I'm so happy! I actually saw my grandma! And her health wasn't very good before, but when we met, I gave her some spiritual spring water, and now her health is basically fine. This way, my family won't have to worry about her health anymore!" Ruan Mumu exclaimed joyfully. Seeing her grandma this time was undoubtedly her greatest gain. After all, her grandma had always been the person who loved her the most since she was a child, and she cherished this familial bond deeply.

"It's so good that you can see your relatives on your side. I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to see my relatives on my side again in this life." Qiao Tinghao's mood immediately began to sink.

"Alright! Don't be like this. Let's work hard to earn money and upgrade the space. We should still have a chance to see them in the future." Ruan Mumu felt bad seeing his low spirits. She knew that Qiao Tinghao cared a lot about his family, so she quickly comforted him.

Hearing her words, Qiao Tinghao took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He knew Ruan Mumu was right; as long as they worked hard, the future would definitely be better. He glanced at Ruan Mumu, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.

Then he gathered his thoughts and finally smiled.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Ruan Mumu breathed a sigh of relief. She then took a men's watch out of her pocket, handed it to him, and said, "This is a gift from my older brother."

Qiao Tinghao's eyes lit up when he saw the watch in front of him. The watch had a simple yet elegant design, an exquisite dial, and a high-quality strap—clearly a high-end product. He asked with surprise, "Girl, you just gave me such an expensive watch like that?"

Qiao Tinghao took the watch in disbelief and examined it carefully for a while, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement.

His earlier gloom had vanished, replaced by pure joy. This watch was a Cartier that Qiao Tinghao had longed for for a long time!

“My older brother said it’s rare to meet someone from the same place here, so he gave you a meaningful gift to express his gratitude, because he hopes you can take care of me here,” Ruan Mumu relayed Ruan Haohao’s words.

"Of course! Even without a gift, I'll definitely take good care of you. Oh, no, with your amazing abilities, I'll have to rely on you to take care of me!" Qiao Tinghao looked at his watch with delight.

"Stop talking nonsense! Since you like it so much, why don't you try it on?" Ruan Mumu patted his shoulder without ceremony and urged him.

Qiao Tinghao was overjoyed and couldn't wait to put the watch on his wrist. Then he carefully adjusted the length of the watchband, as if he were holding a precious gem in his hands.

"By the way, I've already given your letter to my family. They said they'll call your family first and invite them to Liangcheng to meet and discuss things in detail about you. If both sides agree, they can visit each other frequently like relatives." Ruan Mumu told Qiao Tinghao about meeting with her family and handing over the letter today, hoping to put his mind at ease.

Upon hearing this news, a look of surprise and emotion flashed in Qiao Tinghao's eyes. He held Ruan Mumu's hand tightly and said sincerely, "Mumu, thank you so much! You not only saved my life, but you've also helped me so much. In the future, if you need anything, I will do my best, even at the cost of my life."

Looking at Qiao Tinghao's serious expression, Ruan Mumu felt a warm current well up in her heart. However, she gently pulled her hand away from Qiao Tinghao's grasp and teased, "Hmph, who wants your life? I didn't save you back then for anything in return. If I really wanted something in return, I'd have to repay you with my body, haha!" After saying that, she winked mischievously, her face beaming with a bright smile.

"Naughty," Qiao Tinghao said affectionately, patting Ruan Mumu's head.

When Qiao Tinghao touched her like that, Ruan Mumu felt a surge of emotion. She had always harbored some expectations of this man, and now, even though she was still young, she couldn't control her feelings, especially after learning that Qiao Tinghao wasn't her brother. She couldn't help but sigh inwardly: How could this man be so gentle!

Just then, Ruan Mumu suddenly remembered something important. She quickly put aside the inappropriate thoughts in her mind and asked, "Brother, after the list of guards is released tomorrow, shouldn't we hurry up and arrange training? I think we should go and check out the venue as soon as possible so that we can better plan the training program."

Qiao Tinghao nodded in agreement after hearing Ruan Mumu's words.

"Mumu, are you inside? The village chief is looking for you!" A knock suddenly sounded on the door, and Old Man Chen's voice came through.

“Grandpa’s here. Go and invite the village chief in! It’s probably about the guard team.” Ruan Mumu was too lazy to move and directed Qiao Tinghao to open the door.

When Qiao Tinghao opened the door, he saw Old Man Chen and the village chief standing at the gate. They were a little surprised to see that it was him who opened the door, but he quickly put on a smile.

"Grandpa Village Chief is here! Come in and chat. Mu Mu and I were just saying we'd come to see you later! Grandpa, would you like to come in and sit for a while?" Qiao Tinghao said, stepping aside to let the two old men in.

"If it's convenient, I'll go in and listen too. I don't have anything else to do anyway," Old Chen said with a hearty laugh.

The two then followed Qiao Tingjie to the small hall of Ruan Mumu's main room, where Ruan Mumu had just laid out fruit and various snacks.

"Grandpa Village Chief, Grandpa, please sit down and eat whatever you like," Ruan Mumu greeted them warmly.

"Mumu, the main reason I came to see you and your third brother today is about the guard team. I can't rest easy until it's all set up!" After sitting down, the village chief peeled a peanut and put it in his mouth before explaining why he had come to see them.

"Grandpa Village Chief, my third brother and I have discussed it. As soon as the list is released, we'll start arranging training. We need to go and inspect the training location later, and also prepare some training equipment, etc. We can start as early as the day after tomorrow. Grandpa Village Chief, can we finalize this tomorrow?" Ruan Mumu asked the village chief.

"I've already drafted this list. You and Tinghao can take a look at it." The village chief said, taking out a list from his pocket. This time, it was written using the pen and notebook that Ruan Mumu had left him last time. The list was recorded in the notebook so it wouldn't be easily lost.

Ruan Mumu and Qiao Tinghao took the list and carefully read the gender and age markings.

"Grandpa Village Chief, you truly deserve to be called the village chief. Not only have you registered the names, but you've also clearly written down the genders and ages. This will make it easier to distinguish them and will make it easier to arrange the duty roster later," Ruan Mumu said approvingly.

"It's also for your convenience!" the village chief said simply.

"Grandpa Village Chief, do you think we should do joint training with Jinhe Village next door?" Qiao Tinghao asked. His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

Ruan Mumu chimed in, "Yes, Grandpa Village Chief, we're so close neighbors. If an enemy country really attacks, our village's strength alone won't be enough. If we join forces with the neighboring village, our strength will be greater, and we might be able to hold them off for a while. What do you think? Besides, we need to start training as soon as possible, just in case the enemy suddenly comes." Her beautiful face was filled with worry and unease.

The village chief pondered for a moment, silently considering their suggestion. He understood that Ruan Mumu and Qiao Tinghao were indeed very reasonable. The two villages were adjacent, and the villagers had close ties, with many even intermarrying. They were all related, and should help each other and jointly defend against external enemies. However, the thought of funding gave him a headache. After all, training required a large amount of resources and funds, and the village's economic situation was not wealthy.

"Mumu, if we train together, what about the funding?" the village chief asked cautiously, his eyes fixed on Ruan Mumu, hoping she could provide a solution.

“Grandpa Village Chief, I can cover my share of the money, 300 coins, but whether their village will contribute the remaining 100 coins is not up to us, right? Why don’t you send someone to Jinhe to invite their village chief over so we can discuss it?” Ruan Mumu replied.

“Alright, I’ll have someone inform Village Chief Yang later. We can discuss it together in our village tomorrow. Their people can start training a little later, right? Our villagers can start first.” Hearing Ruan Mumu’s words, the village chief beamed, secretly pleased. This time he should be able to show off in front of Village Chief Yang, right? He always used to be the one who overshadowed him.

“Yes, we’ll train in groups, with monthly assessments, and then regroup into teams,” Qiao Tinghao suggested. He felt this would improve efficiency and also stimulate everyone’s competitive spirit and teamwork.

Everyone agreed, thinking it was a good idea. Therefore, they decided to proceed with the plan and hoped that the negotiations with Jinhe Village would go smoothly the following day.

"That's right, my third brother will be the head instructor then, and we'll have to listen to him in everything, including me!" Ruan Mumu said this for the sake of future training management. She was currently too busy to attend to so many other things.

"Alright, Tinghao, we'll follow your arrangements. We don't know anything about this area, so we'll have to rely on you." The village chief said, looking at the boy with some trepidation. He had a feeling this kid was extraordinary, but he knew nothing about Qiao Tinghao's background or abilities. However, since he had decided to trust him, he would let him try.

“Grandpa Village Chief, could you perhaps help my grandfather learn to handle some tasks?” Ruan Mumu suddenly suggested. Her grandfather spent all day at home doing nothing, and his days were incredibly boring. “He’s bored at home all day, so you could arrange some things for him to do,” she added.

After thinking for a moment, the village chief nodded in agreement: "Okay, no problem."

Then, Ruan Mumu continued, "We need to arrange people to guard the village entrance. All strangers entering the village must be thoroughly checked. If a stranger enters the village without being led by someone they know, they must not be allowed in. If they are led by someone they know, their identity must also be checked to see if there are any problems." These measures can ensure the safety of the village and prevent criminals from infiltrating it.

Ruan Mumu believes that this approach ensures the safety of the villagers while also giving her grandfather something to do—a win-win situation. After all, her grandfather is still quite old, and spending all his time idle at home could easily lead to overthinking and even psychological problems. Now, by participating in village management, he can not only pass the time but also feel a sense of purpose.

Ruan Mumu's suggestion was accepted by everyone, and they began to prepare for the relevant matters. This small village was about to undergo an important change, and Ruan Mumu's maternal grandfather would be one of those involved.

After discussing these matters, the village chief went back, and Old Man Chen happily went to tell Old Woman Chen the good news.

Qiao Tinghao decided to go with Ruan Mumu to check out the training venue; they needed to develop a detailed training plan first.

On the way to the training ground, Qiao Tinghao and Ruan Mumu discussed some training-related issues. They believed that training should not only focus on skill development but also strengthen teamwork and communication among team members. Furthermore, they considered the impact of factors such as weather and terrain on training in order to better adapt to various situations.

The training location they chose this time was Jiushi Mountain next to Lianshan Mountain, where there is a flat area that is just right for their needs for a large training ground.

After some discussion, Qiao Tinghao and Ruan Mumu decided to divide the training ground into several areas for physical training, tactical drills, weapons use, and other purposes. They also planned to set up obstacles around the area to increase the difficulty and challenge of the training.

Back home, Qiao Tinghao and Ruan Mumu began to develop a specific training plan. Based on the venue conditions and the team members' actual abilities, they designed a series of scientifically sound training courses, including physical conditioning, combat skills, and teamwork. Furthermore, they placed special emphasis on cultivating teamwork and emergency response capabilities, enabling the team members to make quick and correct decisions and take effective actions when encountering danger.

Looking at the detailed training plan before them, Qiao Tinghao and Ruan Mumu were very satisfied. They believed that as long as the plan was strictly followed, the guard team would definitely become a powerful force, protecting the village from external enemies.