CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 51: MEDICINE FOR PROTECTING PREGNANCY

As the road widened, their wagon could be reloaded, allowing everyone to rest for a while.

Ruan Mian was also exhausted from walking, and as soon as the wagon was reloaded, she eagerly climbed in to warm up a bit.

Seeing the snow outside getting heavier, she realized she might need to pull out some supplies.

Just the fur blankets alone were clearly not enough to keep the cold at bay, especially for someone like Mrs. Chen, who was a frail pregnant woman, as well as the younger and older members of the group.

With this in mind, she pretended to be asleep, touched the Jade Bracelet, and entered the space.

After reaching the back of the warehouse, having only been moving things before, she hadn’t noticed that the cotton and vegetables she had planted had matured!

Seeing the vast cotton field, Ruan Mian felt a surge of joy, basking in the real sensation of the harvest.

She wasted no time in harvesting the cotton, then went to the Spiritual Spring to wash it and left it to dry nearby.

The large tiger saw her and eagerly ran over, seeking a pat.

Ruan Mian thought of Mrs. Chen and took the opportunity to find some medicines in the warehouse to brew for her to help with reassurance.

Unexpectedly, she found a pleasant surprise in the corner where the medicinal herbs were stored.

Some of the herbs had sprouted new shoots!

Could it be the influence of this Spiritual Spring space?

Ruan Mian simply picked out the sprouting herbs and planted them in the soil behind the warehouse.

If nothing went wrong, they’d certainly grow new medicinal plants, which would provide an endless supply readily available.

In the meantime, the cotton had already dried.

She just needed to seize the right moment to bring it out.

She opened her eyes, realizing that Cui Zhu and Shaoxi had left the wagon without her noticing, leaving her alone inside.

Taking advantage of this moment, she brought out a box of cotton, along with some freshly picked fruits and herbs, placing them into the box.

Once everything was ready, she called for Cui Zhu and the others: "Zhu’er, go to our cart and fetch some fabric and sewing supplies."

Cui Zhu, although puzzled by the girl’s request, efficiently gathered the items.

When she saw the pile of white cotton, she was shocked!

"Miss! Where did all this cotton come from?!!"

In the original book’s era, cotton was not cultivated.

Cotton was only grown in the distant Qianglan Country in the northwest, and not in large quantities, reaching this era through trade.

But the journey was long, and the quantity was scarce, so only the rich and powerful could afford it.

They rarely saw cotton in everyday life, so seeing so much at once was bound to amaze Cui Zhu.

However, Ruan Mian was prepared.

"I picked these up from those camps and quietly loaded them onto our cart. This matter shouldn’t be publicized. Let’s hurry and sew these into vests; the more, the better. Once we’re dressed in thick clothes, we won’t fear the cold."

Cui Zhu didn’t delve further and cheerfully started on the sewing work.

Later, Shaoxi joined in. Surprisingly, she was a master at needlework, drawing continuous praise from Ruan Mian for her skill.

With work to do, time passed more quickly.

Before they knew it, a day and a night of start-stop travel had passed, and they had unknowingly entered the borders of Jixian County.

Once they crossed that big river, they would be in Taoqiu Town, officially entering Jixian County.

But as they reached the bridgehead, they noticed a notice board standing alongside the bridge.

It turned out that the consecutive cold winters had damaged the bridge, and no one could cross now.

The government officer’s face darkened, unable to hold back his curses: "Damn it, I’m down on my luck for eight generations to be on this escort duty. Once this job’s over, I never want to do it again in this life!"

Ruan Mian walked to the riverbank, her intuition telling her the slowly moving river didn’t bode well.

If it got colder, the river might freeze over, and waiting for it to form a thick layer of ice that could be walked on might take several more days.

There was no shelter from the wind and snow here, and the people in their group wouldn’t last that long.

So, while they could still cross by boat, they had to act quickly.

Just as she was about to discuss things with the government officer, a man wearing a bamboo hat suddenly yelled at her.

"Cross the river, cross the river, it’s the last trip, why don’t you get on if you don’t want to be left behind!"

Upon hearing this, the government officer quickly stopped him.

Ruan Mian took a look at his boat, which wasn’t small. It could indeed take them all across in one go.

So she turned to the boatman and asked, "Boatman, how much silver to get us across?"

The boatman smiled, holding up four fingers, and the government officer grumbled and grudgingly pulled out four hundred coins, only to have the boatman raise the price abruptly.

"Forty taels."

"Forty taels?! Are you trying to swindle me? Believe me, I’ll slit your throat!"

"Hey hey hey, Lord, we’re all honest business folks here. I’ve got my brothers on board too, and if you dare lay a finger on me, you’ll all freeze to death here!"

"Besides, times are tough for everyone right now. Charging you forty taels is already cheap," he said, with a sly smile at Ruan Mian, reaching his hand towards her: "If anything, let this little lady keep me company for a night."

Ruan Mian chuckled, agreeing smoothly, "Never mind forty taels; I’d pay you four hundred. Let everyone board the boat."

Seeing her so generous, the government officer, knowing she had money, didn’t hesitate to call the people in the group to board the boat, even getting the wagon onto it.

While boarding, the boatman leered at Ruan Mian with beady eyes.

Seeing the calm look on her face, he felt somewhat uneasy inside.

However, blinded by greed, once the boat reached the middle of the river, the boatman had wicked thoughts seeing Ruan Mian standing alone on the deck.

However, Ruan Mian found him first.

Grinning, the boatman said, "Little lady, is there something..."

But before he could finish, he felt a dagger pressed against his waist! The blade was shimmering under just a layer of clothing, and if Ruan Mian thrust forward, he would be done for.

The man immediately cowered, his legs turning to jelly, "Heroine, spare me, I, I, I..."

Seeing him stammer, Ruan Mian was speechless. She expected a sly fox but found a mere underling.

Before she could speak, the man was already pleading, "I won’t take your money! I don’t want it, okay!"

Ruan Mian raised a smile and calmly spoke, "I despise those who go back on their word the most."

Just as the words left her mouth, the man suddenly noticed something, instinctively leaning forward, "Oh no! The river is freezing over, miss, I need to call someone to break the ice, or we’ll freeze to death here!"

At this point, Ruan Mian too noticed that the river surface was gradually freezing before their eyes, a natural consequence given how the boat had taken half a day only to get halfway across the river.

Seeing this, Ruan Mian touched the Jade Bracelet, retrieving a variety of weapons and sharp tools from the space. The man watched in stunned disbelief as these tools fell out of nowhere, landing on the deck.