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

Shi Wanxia lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and she explained somewhat embarrassedly, "I borrowed someone else's poems..." Her voice trailed off, like a child who had done something wrong and dared not look others in the eye. She knew that her victory was not honorable, and her heart was filled with guilt and unease.

"Although the victory was dishonorable, I will not repeat the mistake." Shi Wanxia raised her head, her eyes fixed firmly ahead, her tone revealing a hint of determination.

“However, the poems I borrowed are also a form of cultural heritage. We often quote some of the poems we’ve learned when we publish articles.” Shi Wanxia’s voice carried a hint of pride. She believes that these poems are cultural treasures that deserve to be passed down and carried forward.

Shen Yanchu had already guessed what kind of books this girl usually read, but he could buy her some books for women when they got to Licheng. Her constant shouting and yelling was quite unbecoming.

"Alright, you should go back now! In broad daylight, it's best for an unmarried young lady like you to stay with us men."

Shi Wanxia sat in the carriage, feeling extremely annoyed. She secretly glanced at Shen Yanchu opposite her, only to see him sitting upright, his eyes fixed straight ahead, looking stiff and formal.

"What a bookworm!" Shi Wanxia cursed inwardly. She tried to find something to talk about to break the awkward silence, but Shen Yanchu only responded politely, showing no sign of relaxing.

Shi Wanxia sighed helplessly, rolling her eyes countless times in her mind. She felt like she was about to suffocate from this oppressive atmosphere, so she decided to just go back.

She stood up, turned around, and stepped out of the carriage. Just as she got off, the driver came running towards her, his brow beaded with sweat.

"Miss, what are you doing here? Where are Young Master Shen and the others?" the coachman asked, panting and puzzled.

"Are they inside? What happened? Has the situation changed up ahead?..." Shi Wanxia was interrupted before she could finish speaking.

"Miss Shi, go back first. We'll take care of everything and protect your safety." Shen Yanchu's unquestionable tone made everyone uncomfortable. Fine, fine, I'll go back. If I don't want to be disliked, I'll just take them and slip away when we get to Cangling Kingdom. Who wants to follow you guys?

She turned and went back into the carriage. Qinglan noticed that her sister looked rather unwell, guessing that those two young masters had probably offended her again.

She gently picked up the sky-blue dress she had just made for her sister, her eyes full of concern. She walked towards her sister and softly comforted her, "Sister, don't be angry, anger is bad for your health. This is a dress I just made for you, please try it on and see if it fits."

Shi Wanxia looked up at the dress in Qinglan's hands, and her anger gradually subsided. She took the dress, feeling Qinglan's thoughtfulness, and a touch of emotion appeared in her eyes.

Since there were no outsiders around, Shi Wanxia prepared to change. She began to take off her clothes. Her movements were slow because she felt very embarrassed. She frantically examined her clothes, wondering how she was supposed to wear them! Which one was the undergarment and which one was the outer garment?

Qinglan and Shuying also noticed that Sister Shi was confused.

Qinglan stepped forward, gently took the clothes, and helped her sister put them on. Her movements were soft and meticulous. However, when her gaze fell on her sister's hair, a hint of doubt welled up in her heart.

Sister Shi's hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall, but it wasn't styled into the usual updo for young ladies. Qinglan looked at Sister Shi, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. She couldn't help but ask, "Sister, why don't you wear your hair in a bun?"

The older sister smiled slightly, her eyes revealing a hint of tenderness and freedom. She gently stroked her hair and said, "I like this feeling, free and unrestrained." Qinglan nodded, seemingly understanding.

The older sister continued, "While a bun is beautiful, it also represents a kind of rule and constraint. I don't want to be bound by these; I want to be my most authentic self. Besides, I don't know how to do it; it's too complicated and troublesome. I'll just stick to a simple side braid."

Qinglan listened quietly to her sister's words, feeling rather helpless. She picked up a comb, intending to style her hair into a flowing cloud bun: "Sister Shi, you don't need to worry about this. My mother taught me how to style some hair buns. I'll style your hair for you in the future, okay?"

Shi Wanxia thought that if she went out for an important occasion, she could ask her to do her hair in a formal updo so that it wouldn't be impolite.

"Alright, then you can comb it! Qingqing, thank you for your hard work." She sat down at the table, and Li Shuying took the bronze mirror for Sister Shi to look in. Qinglan picked up the wooden comb and gently combed her hair. With a few skillful turns, she finished combing it.

Li Qinglan gathered some of her long, black hair and simply coiled it into a bun on top of her head. She braided several small braids on either side and placed them behind her ears, leaving the rest of her hair loose down her back. Li Qinglan felt the hairstyle was too plain, so she used her own hair ornaments and hairpins to secure it.

Shi Wanxia sat in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself. Although she couldn't quite see how her hair was styled, the effect was quite good. The woman in the mirror smiled with her head down, her long eyelashes trembling slightly beneath her arched eyebrows, like butterfly wings. She wore a light blue dress, the hem of which fluttered in the wind, making her look like a fairy descending to earth.

Shi Wanxia gently stroked her hair, her heart filled with joy. This skill is amazing! Is this really me?

Happy, she got up and hugged Li Qinglan tightly, startling her so much that she dared not move.

"Qingqing, you're so skillful! Look how beautifully you've dressed me up, I can hardly believe it's me!"

Qinglan shook her head shyly and stepped out of Sister Shi's embrace. "Sister Shi, you are beautiful to begin with, how could it be my doing?"

"Set off"

The coachman's voice came from outside, and the carriage slowly started moving. Shi Wanxia and the others immediately sat down.

She took out the silver from her purse and counted it. After buying some food and supplies in Qingyun Town and hiring a carriage to buy medicine, she had less than eighty taels of silver left.

"You've suffered following me, don't worry! When we get to Licheng, Qinglan and Shuying, you two will accompany me to sell some of the Ganoderma lucidum I picked in the cave. We should be able to get a few hundred taels of silver. I'm sorry to trouble you these days."

Li Qinglan and the others were stunned by the amount of money Sister Shi had. She casually spent tens or even hundreds of taels of silver—something they had never seen before. Following Sister Shi had already given them the best life they had in years! How could they possibly look down on her?

"Sister Shi, if you hadn't saved us and comforted us to live well, and told us that what happened wasn't our fault, the three of us sisters would have been left to rot in the wilderness long ago."

"Yes, Sister Shi!"

The two sat close to her, and Shi Wanxia chuckled as she offered them a few taels of silver and copper coins, which neither of them dared to accept. They had never received more than two coins before, so they awkwardly declined.

"Sister Shi, you should keep the money. We have no use for it. You'll need it for a long time." Qinglan refused strongly and didn't dare to accept it.

"Take these flowers, you two young ladies. Don't think it's too little. Once we get to Licheng, we'll sell those precious medicinal herbs and have more money. Then we'll send Young Master Shen and the others to Cangling, and we'll buy a bigger courtyard so we can live on our own."