Chapter 107 Ten days until we arrive in Danzhou

Chapter 107 Ten days until we arrive in Danzhou

The waves on the water gradually subsided, resembling a divine bronze mirror.

She bears an 80% resemblance to her real self in terms of her features, but what's different is that youthful, classical charm, and the unique sense that comes with age.

Thinking about it, the original owner was only sixteen years old. In modern times, she would still be sitting in a high school classroom, buried in her studies. But in ancient times, she was already of marriageable age. If it weren't for her incompatibility with Cheng Lanzhou, she would probably already have children in an ordinary family.

On the water's surface, her face was pure and fair, with a small mole under her right eye that stood out prominently—a quintessential classical beauty. Even with her disheveled hair and dusty clothes, her delicate features were undeniable.

As Jiang Yutang watched, a sense of regret suddenly arose within her.

A perfectly good daughter of a high-ranking official, who should have lived a life of luxury and carefree happiness, ended up being exiled because of her unrequited love.

"Why."

She sighed softly, scooped up a handful of water, poured it over her hair, lathered up the soap, and applied it to her hair. The fragrance gradually spread across the water, mingling with the warmth of the sunset.

A smile played on Jiang Yutang's lips, pleased with the pleasant moment and also with the "beauty washing her hair" image she had conjured up in her mind.

As she was combing her softened hair with a wooden comb, several refugees greeted her with smiles.

"Miss Jiang, are you washing your hair? Don't catch a cold."

She responded to each one with a smile, her fingertips tracing through her soft hair, when she suddenly realized: without realizing it, she had gained some prestige among the refugees.

Most of the refugees met her during the cholera outbreak, and she saved many lives. This kindness was remembered by everyone, and they felt heartfelt respect and gratitude towards her.

It feels like a highly respected senior professor in a modern university, who is greeted warmly wherever he goes.

She never expected to receive this honor here, and a wistful smile appeared on her lips.

But the joy didn't last long before troubles arrived.

The original owner's hair was long and thick, and when it got wet, it was so heavy that it weighed down her neck. In ancient times, without hair dryers, drying it was a real challenge.

She casually wrapped a coarse towel around her face twice, revealing only half of her small, delicate face, making her look like an Arab.

Back at the camp, I heard my family members chuckling.

"Oh my, did you steal a bird's nest?" Jiang Huaiyu laughed, pointing to her head, which was wrapped up in a puffy bun.

Jiang Yutang glared at him, then feigned a coquettish huff, patting the rough towel on her head: "Are you also infatuated with me?"

Jiang Huaiyu instantly got goosebumps: "I think you're itching for a fight."

Cheng Lanzhou was squatting by the fire gathering firewood when he caught a glimpse of her side. Her coarse cloth clothes around her neck were splashed with water, leaving a small dark patch. A few strands of hair clung lazily to her fair neck, like a meticulously painted piece of porcelain.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he quickly looked away, his movements as he gathered firewood becoming even more nimble.

"Stop laughing!" Jiang Yutang reached out and patted the towel on her head, saying helplessly, "This hair is so heavy it's about to break my neck."

Zhu laughed and joked, "Don't take your good fortune for granted. We envy your hair, it's so black and smooth."

The praise had a remarkable effect, and Jiang Yutang couldn't help but feel a little smug: "That's true."

Since dealing with the spies hiding in the group, the troubles on the road have indeed subsided considerably.

As the refugees traveled north, the closer they got to the desolate mountains and wilderness, the sparser the human settlements became. In the past, they could still encounter a few villages, but now they couldn't even find a single bandit stronghold.

Except for a stop to replenish supplies in a city along the way, the journey of the past two weeks has been exceptionally smooth.

Jiang Yutang sat on the bamboo mat that had been laid out, quietly flipping through the book she was carrying in her arms, thinking that it was about time to go back to the modern world.

Jiang Sumin returned from the escort with light steps, a relaxed expression on his face.

"I have some good news for everyone. I just chatted with the escort officer and he said we'll reach the next city tomorrow. This is probably the last resupply we'll have on our exile journey. After that city, it'll be another ten days to reach Danzhou."

"Really?" Yun looked up in surprise, her eyes full of anticipation.

Everyone was visibly excited upon hearing this, and they began to discuss it amongst themselves. From their initial destitution and constant anxiety during their exile, to their current longing for a new life.

Jiang Shengan pressed his hand down and encouraged them in a calm tone, "Everyone, hang in there for a while longer. Once we reach our destination and settle down, everything will be alright."

Jiang Yutang's eyes lit up when she heard that they would be passing through a city the next day.

Tomorrow is the last time we'll pass through this city, making it an excellent opportunity.

She made up her mind to go back to the modern world tonight, bringing back plenty of portable supplies and modern gadgets. When she got to the city tomorrow, she could exchange some novelties for some antiques.

As night fell, the rhythmic snores in the campsite made the surroundings exceptionally quiet.

Jiang Yutang quietly opened her eyes and carefully looked around in the dim firelight.

Her gaze unconsciously drifted towards where Cheng Lanzhou was resting. He was turned to the side with his back to the fire, so she couldn't see his face or whether he was asleep.

Jiang Yutang rolled her eyes, deliberately made a few mumbled sounds, pretended to be sleepy, and slowly got up, muttering, "I need to go to the toilet."

Then, as he rubbed his eyes, his gaze kept glancing at Cheng Lanzhou.

As she walked into the bushes, she would quickly turn back every few steps, as if guarding against Cheng Lanzhou as if she were a thief.

She walked to a patch of particularly dense grass, quickly squatted down, looked around to make sure no one was there, and then took out the book from her pocket.

The next moment, her figure vanished from the spot, leaving only the bent grass blades swaying gently in the night breeze.

Jiang Yutang returned to the familiar shop. Outside the window, the city's neon lights shone softly at night. This time, she had just returned at night.

She let out a long sigh, rushed into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and let the warm water wash away the fatigue in her nerves. After washing, she wrapped herself in a towel, lay down on the bed, and kicked her legs out.

Having slept on hard bamboo mats and mud floors so often, the wooden bed casually set up in the shop suddenly felt unreal, soft and comfortable.

She took out her phone and set her alarm for 7 a.m. The moment her eyelids closed, she fell into a deep sleep, undisturbed by any snoring or lurking danger.

The next day, as soon as the alarm rang, Jiang Yutang got up, went to the breakfast shop to buy her grandfather's favorite breakfast, and rushed to the hospital.

In the ward, Grandpa was leaning against the headboard watching TV. When he saw her push the door open and come in, his eyes instantly crinkled with laughter. He put down his newspaper and waved to her, "Little Fish, you're here? Were you very busy yesterday? You didn't even answer the phone."

"Uh... I was indeed busy with something until very late."

She made up a random excuse and sweetly coaxed, "But I rushed here to see you early this morning. Please try these xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), from the same place you always eat at."

While peeling fried dough sticks for her grandfather, she chatted about lighthearted everyday things, never mentioning the time travel incident, only saying that she had been busy with work lately and that everything in her life was fine.

I chatted with my grandfather for nearly an hour. Seeing that he was getting tired, I covered him with a blanket, gave the caregiver a few more instructions, and then turned to leave the hospital.

Instead of returning to her rented room, she went straight to the Yiwu Small Commodities Market.