Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

“You were always worried that I wouldn’t want you, but I was actually more afraid that you would abandon me,” Gu Ruoxiao said earnestly.

Yun Chu realized that what she hadn't said before had taken root in Gu Ruoxiao's heart.

She quickly hugged him and comforted him, "I won't go, I won't go. It's a four-month round trip, and I can't bear to be apart from you for four months."

"Really?" The person above asked in a softer tone.

She looked up at him, nodded heavily, and said, "I wasn't going this time to begin with. Liu Da and Liu Qing volunteered, and I'm wondering if there are any other people who can go with them. This time, I want to transport an extra truckload of goods to the people of Langya Road; those old and weak people are truly pitiful."

Yun Chu released her grip on Gu Ruoxiao and looked down at the materials she had just recorded.

Gu Ruoxiao fell into deep thought. He only learned later that Yun Chu had encountered bandits when she returned. If it weren't for her intelligence, Mo Han's decisiveness, and the fact that the bandits weren't completely wicked, he might not have been able to see her again. A wave of fear washed over him.

"Do you think there might be other bandits on Langya Road? Although Yan Zhi gave me a token to protect the caravan, I'm still a little worried," Yun Chu said, her head lowered. After a moment, noticing that Gu Ruoxiao didn't answer, she looked up and called out, "Ruoxiao?"

Gu Ruoxiao snapped out of her reverie. "When are we expected to depart?"

"It will be about a month later, and I still need to prepare things."

"You finalize the personnel list, and I'll have Sui Bo arrange for special training for them. At least a month is all it takes to ensure they come back alive."

Yun Chu smiled and looked at him, "I knew you had thought of everything."

Life went on uneventfully until the new emperor issued new policies, and commerce quickly developed.

Luo Yan was also promoted to Minister of Revenue, becoming the youngest minister.

Since returning the jade bracelet, Luo Yan has rarely visited Qingfeng Courtyard, perhaps out of fear of encountering Gu Ruoxiao, or perhaps for other reasons. However, every month, he would send a servant to deliver various rare medicinal herbs and seeds. Thanks to him, the medicinal herbs in a corner of the courtyard are now lush and vibrant.

When Gu Ruoxiao saw it, she looked disgusted and said, "My uncle has these medicinal herbs in his yard too. If you want them, go dig them up there."

After the new emperor ascended the throne, the Ye family, led by Vice Minister Ye, was the most unfortunate.

Perhaps remembering how the Ye family had taken advantage of Yun Chu's imprisonment, Gu Chenglin found a pretext to demote Ye Shilang several ranks, leaving the Ye family in a state of gloom. Furthermore, the Ye family's expenses were already high; both the matriarch and the young ladies spent money like water, and they quickly found themselves in dire financial straits.

When Gu Ruoxiao arrived that day, she brought something with her.

"What is this?" Yun Chu asked, looking at the key he handed her.

"The key to the Ye family's villa in Sifang Town," Gu Ruoxiao said, pouring herself a cup of tea.

"what?"

"It's yours now. The land deed is being stamped by the government; I'll give it to you in a couple of days."

Yun Chu still looked at him with confusion.

"In short, the Ye family ran out of money, dismissed their servants, and sold the courtyard. And I bought it." Gu Ruoxiao looked at her with a proud expression.

Hearing this, Yun Chu felt calm. She didn't feel the pleasure she had expected. It was as if the Ye family's affairs could no longer stir up any waves in her heart. Perhaps it was because she had someone she cared about more.

Looking at her expression, Gu Ruoxiao asked, "Are you happy or unhappy?"

Yun Chu smiled, "The Ye family has nothing to do with me anymore. But thank you for this house. I had been thinking that once I saved enough money, I would find someone to buy the house from the Ye family. After all, this is where my mother and I used to live."

Gu Ruoxiao lowered his head and smiled, feeling that he had done something right again.

Yun Chu thought for a moment, then dragged a chair to sit next to him. She asked mysteriously, "Do you know that there's a secret about that house?"

Seeing her mysterious expression, Gu Ruoxiao couldn't help but ask curiously, "What is it?"

"This story begins with my mother and I encountering a remarkable person while traveling in the martial arts world."

"When my mother and I were traveling, we encountered many extraordinary people. Some made poisons, some mixed medicines, some played with saltpeter, and some came from families of skilled craftsmen. That person was from a family of skilled craftsmen."

When we met him, he was in dire straits. He was probably in his forties and spent all his time clutching a jar of wine. My mother kindly rescued him, and he followed us around begging for wine.

One day, he sat in the corner watching me solve the nine-linked rings puzzle. Suddenly, he became interested and insisted on solving it himself. I handed it to him, but he couldn't solve it all day. I laughed at him for being stupid and solved it for him in no time. But then he burst into tears and wailed like a child. I was terrified.

Later, his mother came out to comfort him and bought him some wine, and then he started talking incessantly.

I learned that he was originally from a family of craftsmen, skilled in designing various mechanical buildings. However, his generation lost his talent. His family had only one son per generation for three generations, so you can imagine the pressure he was under. Therefore, he refused to believe that all his research would end in vain. He squandered his family fortune due to extreme measures and ended up on the streets.

When he left that day, he took a booklet out of his pocket. You can imagine that although his clothes were tattered, the cloth wrapped around the booklet was very clean.

He handed me the booklet and said that it was fate that we met while he was still alive.

I opened the booklet and looked at it; it contained some architectural drawings. At the time, I didn't understand why he protected it like a treasure.

Later, he walked away humming a song, carrying his wine. The next day, we found him dead, drunk, on the street. After burying him, we erected an anonymous tombstone for him.

"Where is he from?"

Yun Chu shook her head. "Later, I took the booklet home. One day, when I was bored and looking for the booklet, I held it upside down. I was surprised to find something special about its architectural layout. Then I found the design drawings for the Ye family's villa inside. The main hall of the villa is a huge mechanism."

"Built by the Ye family?"

Yun Chu shook her head. "It shouldn't be. I've inquired about that villa. It's said that it has been owned by several different families. Originally, there was only the main courtyard, and later there were east and west courtyards. The mechanism in the main hall is that once you press the switch, the main hall becomes a huge birdcage. If you're trapped inside, not even a fly can fly out. Just imagine if it catches fire, it'll be a huge fire cage."

Gu Ruoxiao nodded, "Unless they can fly to the heavens or disappear into the earth, they probably won't be able to escape."

"How did you know?" Yun Chu asked in surprise, clinging to Gu Ruoxiao's arm. He was so smart! Yun Chu's eyes were filled with delight.

"Going underground is quite troublesome and can't be done in a short time. Going to heaven is much simpler. Actually, there's a huge escape hatch in the roof of the main hall. As long as we can get there, we can escape to heaven."