Even women who travel through time can become prime ministers and nobles.

As the warm sunlight streamed into the cave, Shi Wanxia got up to prepare breakfast, planning her day's itinerary. Shen Yanchu also packed her clothes into her backpack; it was a really nice backpack.

The girl said it was waterproof and had several compartments. Yesterday, I put the dried meat, some dried bamboo shoots, and the iron pot the girl brought into the backpack. There were some things inside that I hadn't seen before, but I didn't rummage through them. After all, it was a woman's bag, and as a man, how could I rummage through it? Shi Wanxia then handed him the wild vegetable and fish soup and the roasted rabbit meat from yesterday.

"Brother Shen, I plan to bring everything except the water vat, which is too heavy. I don't know how long it will take to walk from here to the edge of the forest. Brother Shen, how long did it take you to walk in?"

Shen Yanchu paused slightly as he drank the soup. At that time, he was only focused on avoiding the pursuers, which probably lasted for two or three months!

"I don't remember the exact date. I was poisoned at the time, and my head was dizzy. I don't know when it happened. I remember walking in this dense forest when I was clear-headed for about two or three months."

Shi Wanxia was stunned after hearing this. It had been so long. He must have used his lightness skill to escape the pursuit. If his lightness skill was so powerful, then it must have taken us at least four or five months to get out of there!

I looked around; I'd been living here for almost two months. I felt a little reluctant to leave, but I knew I wouldn't stay here forever. With no martial arts skills, I'd just be feeding poisonous snakes or wild beasts.

“Brother Shen, it’s fortunate that I met you back then. Otherwise, in this deep mountain forest, I, a weak woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, would have been eaten by poisonous snakes and wild beasts long ago.”

Shen Yanchu glanced at him silently. If it weren't for her, the medicine she provided, and her meticulous care, Shen Yanchu would have perished in the flash flood and mudslide long ago.

Their arrival in this vast jungle, and their coming together, could only be described as a wondrous fate. Shen Yanchu's mind was in turmoil, but his face remained calm and composed.

He clasped his hands together and bowed to her again to express his gratitude: "Miss Shi, thank you for saving my life. If it weren't for your rescue and care, I wouldn't be alive today. Now that we're out of the forest, I would like to ask you to continue our journey. I will protect you and repay you in the future."

Shi Wanxia helped him up somewhat helplessly, nodded at his suggestion, but had other plans in mind. She decided to leave first and then talk about other things!

"Brother Shen, don't be like this. Meeting you is fate, isn't it? After spending these days together, I've already come to regard you as my brother. Don't worry, we'll definitely get out of here. Okay, hurry up and pack!"

Shi Wanxia washed the remaining bowls and chopsticks and put them in a basket. She only took one basket, which was just the right size to fit the earthen basin she used for washing. She also washed the pot and put it in her backpack. She only brought one straw mat. Although she had a picnic mat, it was cold at night, so it was good to have an extra layer.

The straw mat wasn't heavy; it could be rolled up and placed on a backpack. It wouldn't fall off if tied with vines, making it quite convenient to carry. He filled the cooled water cup and handed it to Shen Yanchu, saying that he was almost done packing.

Shen Yanchu stood silently outside the cave, his right hand holding a staff and his left hand a sword. Afraid he would tire himself, Shi Wanxia didn't give him the basket, carrying it herself. She struggled to lift the backpack from the ground, nearly falling over as it swayed backward. Shi Wanxia staggered a couple of steps before regaining her balance; the bag was incredibly heavy, weighing thirty or forty pounds. She almost strained her back.

Shen Yanchu looked extremely reluctant and sad. He was a grown man, unable to carry anything, yet a delicate girl had to bear so much.

He was filled with mixed emotions, but also with worry about the journey ahead. After all, winter was just a month or two away, and what would they do if they couldn't get out of this forest? Their group consisted of weak and wounded individuals; how could he not worry?

"Brother Shen, what are you thinking about? I'm all packed, let's set off!" Shi Wanxia waved her hand, carrying a heavy backpack and a basket, and strode out of the cave. Shen Yanchu followed her, leaning on a wooden stick.

The sun was shining brightly, but fortunately the towering trees in the dense forest blocked most of the sunlight. Luckily, it wasn't raining, otherwise the road would have been difficult to walk on. We walked for more than 20 miles along the river.

They walked and stopped frequently, mainly because Shen Yanchu hadn't recovered. They had to force him to rest after walking for a short while. The river flowed gently, and the two of them couldn't walk very fast. Shen Yanchu leaned on a wooden stick, his steps slightly tired. The sound of the rushing river and the occasional birdsong blended into his ears, like a beautiful melody.

"What kind of bird is this? I wonder if it tastes good." Shi Wanxia's spoilsport voice suddenly broke the mood, and Shen Yanchu's lips twitched slightly.

"Brother Shen, look! What a big fish! It's a pity we can't catch it." Shen Yanchu shook his head helplessly. This girl had been nagging all the way here.

At midday when the sun was at its strongest, the two stopped to rest. Shi Wanxia spread out a straw mat, helped Shen Yanchu sit down, and then found some stones by the river to build a stove. She also gathered some dry grass and firewood nearby and started a fire. She took the earthen pot from her backpack to the river, filled it with water, and placed it on the stone stove.

Because of the hot weather, even though she was hungry, she didn't have much of an appetite. Shi Wanxia threw the dried bamboo shoots and dried meat into the pot and let it cook slowly. She noticed that Shen Yanchu's legs were trembling unnaturally and thought that he must have been walking for too long.

She squatted down beside him and volunteered to massage his legs. Shen Yanchu was startled by her actions and quickly dodged away. This girl was so bold; it was a major taboo between men and women.

Does this girl really have absolutely no sense of the proper separation between men and women? Has no one taught her? Wait a minute! Hasn't this girl been to school for over ten years?

Shen Yanchu looked at the girl helplessly and stopped her with both hands: "Miss Shi, legs and feet are very private. Except for married couples, no one else is allowed to touch them. You have studied for so many years, have you not learned etiquette, rules for women, and precepts for women?"

Shi Wanxia rolled her eyes at him. She had forgotten that feet were a very private matter for people in ancient times, regardless of gender.

“Brother Shen, first of all, we don’t have these customs where we live. In the hot summer, it’s common for men and women to expose their feet, and no one will criticize them. The books I read are different from yours, and we don’t need to learn anything about ‘Rules for Women’ or ‘Instructions for Women.’ Those are forbidden books; anyone who reads them will be scolded.”

Moreover, it's not that I lack awareness of the need for mutual respect between men and women; it's just that he's currently injured, and my taking care of him is simply a matter of mutual help between friends.

Shen Yanchu was shocked to hear this. Were things so immoral in their area? Both men and women were exposing their feet—what kind of behavior was this? Did this girl mean that girls in their area didn't just go to school to read and write, but also didn't need to learn about female virtues or precepts? What kind of strange place was this?

Left with no other choice, Shen Yanchu had to agree. Under her gentle massage, Shen Yanchu gradually relaxed and even began to enjoy this unprecedented intimate contact.

After the leg massage, my legs felt much better. This girl is really thoughtful! But by doing this... I've already damaged her reputation.