Chapter 58: Arriving In The Capital City Overnight
Seeing the sky gradually darkening bit by bit, Lin Xin nestled in the kitchen preparing food for the next two days. It was now October, the weather was quite cool, and food left out for two days definitely wouldn’t spoil. However, what she prepared was still steamed buns and flatbreads, the kind that were convenient to eat.
“Miss Lin, it’s already dark. When are we setting off?” Meng Yichen had been pacing back and forth in the courtyard since early on. Ever since Lin Xin used her supernatural ability to nourish his body, he had been as energetic as if injected with chicken blood, never idle.
“We can go now,” Lin Xin came out of the room in a set of light and convenient top and pants, followed by a majestic Big Tiger. She had shaken off Lin Nan, but she hadn’t been able to shake it off.
“Miss Lin, is it… is it coming with us too?” Meng Yichen looked at the Big Tiger following closely beside Lin Xin and asked stutteringly.
“Yeah, it’s good to let it follow. Maybe it can even come in handy!” Lin Xin showed no awareness whatsoever of commanding a nationally protected animal, speaking boldly and casually.
“But… but the horse pulling the carriage seems pretty scared of it.” Meng Yichen tried to put it tactfully. What he didn’t say was that he was a bit scared too.
“We’re not using the horse carriage tonight. You go into the kitchen first and take out the food I’ve prepared. I’ll go hide the horse carriage. It’s too big to fit into my home.” Lin Xin pushed Meng Yichen through the courtyard gate, casually closing the gate behind them. Sensing no one around and hearing Meng Yichen’s footsteps enter the kitchen, she waved her small hand, and both the horse and carriage went into her space together.
When Meng Yichen came out of the courtyard gate carrying a bundle packed with steamed buns and flatbreads, he was surprised to find that the horse carriage outside the gate was gone. Lin Xin and that Big Tiger were standing next to a pitch-black and shiny big iron lump.
“What is this?” He walked over curiously and touched the iron lump. It felt ice-cold to the touch.
“No more chit-chat, get in quickly. We need to hit the road.” Lin Xin opened the passenger door, shoved Meng Yichen in, then opened the back door. Without needing her to say anything, the Big Tiger leaped lightly inside.
Lin Xin sat in the passenger seat herself and started up this off-road vehicle that had been modified for noise reduction and speed increase, one that could be considered top-tier even in the apocalypse.
Tonight’s moon was very large, the bright moonlight shining on the ground. Lin Xin’s vision, enhanced by her supernatural ability, allowed her to see everything clearly even without the headlights. She floored the accelerator, and the vehicle silently drove out of Willow Forest Village.
The strong push against his back made Meng Yichen extremely tense. He subconsciously grabbed the handrail on the car frame. If not for his firm willpower, he probably would have shouted out loud already.
“Th-this… what’s this… thing?” After the car left the village and the ride became steady, Meng Yichen finally asked while panting heavily.
“Your task is to watch the road and give directions.” Lin Xin skillfully maneuvered her old friend, speeding swiftly along the road, and amusingly reminded him while looking at Meng Yichen’s inexperienced expression.
Ancient people seeing a car for the first time—how could they not be inexperienced!
“Oh!” Lin Xin’s calm demeanor somewhat influenced Meng Yichen. After the car left the prefecture’s range, he was already able to curiously touch this and that inside the car.
When the sky was about to brighten, they had already arrived at the outskirts of the Capital City. Looking at the familiar scenery before him, Meng Yichen viciously pinched his own thigh. Lin Xin had brought him to the Capital City in just one night’s kung fu!
“Where is that Grand Tutor’s home?” Lin Xin slapped the back of the dazed Meng Yichen with a palm, bringing him back to clarity.
“No, we can’t go to the Grand Tutor’s Mansion now. We need to enter the city first to inquire about Zi Yuan’s situation. I hope he hasn’t made his move yet.” Meng Yichen thought for a moment and said.
“You can’t go. Too many people here know you. I’ll hide you first, then go by myself.” Lin Xin said decisively.
“You…” Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yichen’s vision blurred, he felt a pain in the back of his neck, and lost consciousness.
Lin Xin caught his falling body and placed it in the passenger seat, then took both him and the car into the space together. She changed into her usual cotton cloth dress, thickened her eyebrows, made her lips fuller, and drew a not-too-big or small black mole at the corner of her mouth.
After finishing, she checked herself in the mirror and found she looked very different from her original self. Satisfied, she shouldered the back basket and left the space, walking along the official road toward the city gate.
After paying six copper coins for the entry fee, Lin Xin smoothly entered the inner city of the Capital City.
The Capital City truly lived up to its name, far more prosperous than the town she was from by at least ten times. But right now, she wasn’t in the mood to shop. She made her way while inquiring until she reached the street market where commoners gathered, found a wonton stall run by an elderly couple, ordered a bowl of wontons, and sat down at a table with few people.
They say “Living in the Capital City is no easy feat.” Lin Xin now had the most direct understanding of this saying. Here, even the cheapest bowl of wontons cost ten copper coins.
“Hey, did you hear? Last evening, there was another commotion at the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion.” A man waiting for his wontons gossiped with his companion beside him.
“Yesterday my old mother was unwell, so I was home all day. Tell me quickly, what happened at the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion?”
“What else? Yesterday, the Second Young Master of the Dingguo Duke fought with the Young Master of the Minister of Justice’s family over the top courtesan at a flower house. The Second Young Master lost, went back to bring guards from home, and returned to settle the score. He happened to run into the Heir who had just returned to the capital on the street, got a beating, and was dragged back home. Once back, there was a huge uproar, and of course the Duke’s Wife wasn’t willing.
“Tsk tsk, if you ask me, this Dingguo Duke is getting senile. Even we can see that the things the Duke’s Wife did to the Heir aren’t presentable, but he acts like he can’t see it, blindly protecting the Duke’s Wife and the Second Young Master. In my view, it won’t be long before the Heir of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion changes.
“Who says otherwise! Such a pity for the Heir.
“With filial piety greater than all, what can the Heir do!
“Sigh!
Their wontons were served, and after sighing a few times, the two began devouring them voraciously.
Lin Xin’s gaze darkened. It was another case of the novel intruding into reality. She touched her chest and surprisingly felt a bit heartbroken for that straight and slender youth like green bamboo.
After slowly finishing her wontons, Lin Xin bought some pastries and preserves along the street, casually chatting with the shopkeepers and unobtrusively extracting the specific addresses of the Dingguo Duke’s Mansion and the Grand Tutor’s Mansion.
She wandered the streets for another half hour, carefully listening to the chatter of the vendors and laborers, confirming that Mo Ziyuan indeed hadn’t made his move yet. The heart she had been holding finally relaxed by more than half.
She made her way to the vicinity of the Grand Tutor’s Mansion, flashed into the space, washed off the makeup on her face, changed back into top and pants, thought for a moment and put on a black mask, then left the space. Seeing no one around, she flipped onto the courtyard wall of the Grand Tutor’s home and then climbed onto the rooftop.
Thanks to Mmy Dang, caroletu, Mrs&LU, xy Xiaoyue, and Wuxing Qianqian 768 for the votes, thanks to caroletu for the reward. Thank you all for your support, thank you!
