"You haven't left yet?" Hong Xiaoduo blurted out, thinking they had already set off and left long ago.
Peng Xian glanced at Qi Feng, and the young man immediately spoke up: "We are from the Da Wu Guan military camp, and we're traveling the same way as you. We were just wondering if you'd like to come along, young lady?"
"Oh, I see," Hong Xiaoduo understood. It was probably because the other party saw that she was traveling with seven children and took pity on her, which is why they invited her to come along.
Although the world is not peaceful, there are still many good people.
"It would be wonderful to travel with you all, but as you can see, we are all children. I am afraid of the hardship of traveling and I don't want to make them suffer with me. So we have been traveling very casually. We rest whenever we want, and if we come across a place with good food or fun activities, we want to stay for a few more days."
"So, thank you all for your kind offer." Hong Xiaoduo declined honestly.
She's not someone she knows or is close to, so why should she expect them to accommodate her? She simply can't do that.
Peng Xian and the others were quite surprised to see that she had refused, but they also felt a greater admiration for her.
“In that case, we will set off first. I wish you a safe journey to Dawuguan. Once you arrive, if you need any help, you can come to the Dawuguan military camp to find me. Although I am just a minor deputy general, I have some connections in the area,” Peng Xian said to her, clasping his hands in greeting.
Hong Xiaoduo followed his example and clasped her hands in response: "Okay, I'll remember that. I also wish you all a safe journey and a safe arrival soon."
After watching everyone leave, Hong Xiaoduo and the others calmly checked to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything before getting into the car and slowly driving out of town.
Although it rained heavily for two days, it's not so muddy now.
Several children were reciting poems and multiplication tables in the carriage, keeping each other accountable. Seeing how studious they were, Hong Xiaoduo thought that if they were in modern times, they would all be top students.
Unfortunately, they were born at the wrong time, in the wrong dynasty, and into the wrong family. If they had been born into a wealthy family, they would have been able to enter academies and schools.
Hong Xiaoduo suddenly thought that if she could teach them as much as possible now, and if she came across a proper academy that also accepted girls, she might try to send them there for full-time study, paying all the tuition fees upfront.
Once they have completed their studies, even if they cannot participate in the imperial examinations and become the top scholar or runner-up, at least they will have more opportunities to make a living in the future.
Of course, she knew that thinking this way might be a bit unrealistic.
But what if such an opportunity really comes along?
In just a few days, the children have already learned to write their own names, but they have some difficulty writing their surnames, as the surname "Hong" has too many strokes.
She even joked with them, saying that since this surname is so difficult to write, why not choose one with fewer strokes, something simpler and easier to write? Like Ding, Bu, Yu, or something like that.
But the children immediately refused, saying that it wasn't that the character "鸿" was difficult to write, but that they were just too stupid, and they all promised that with more practice they would be able to write it well soon.
She was just joking, but all seven children took it seriously. They practiced the character "鸿" (Hong) so diligently and earnestly, as if they were afraid that if they didn't write it well, Hong Xiaoduo would take back their surname and stop them from using her surname.
They've been on the road for five days now, and everything has gone smoothly. There have been no robberies or troublemakers, which is making Hong Xiaoduo a little unaccustomed to it.
When I'm resting, I can't help but wonder if I'm developing paranoia. Isn't a peaceful and uneventful life normal?
After dinner on the sixth day, Hong Xiaoduo washed up and lay on her bunk. Suddenly, she realized that since the last time she had connected with the old man at the science museum, apart from the bracelet incident, he hadn't made a single move. What was going on?
Hong Xiaoduo told the children that she was going to sleep first, then turned her face to the inner wall, closed her eyes, and entered the space. As soon as she entered, she noticed that the space was different; it had become larger, and there were more things inside.
What's the purpose of this large cabinet-style display screen? Hong Xiaoduo went up but couldn't find the instruction manual, so she figured it out herself and clicked the power button. Surprisingly, she guessed correctly; the screen flashed blue light and the interface appeared.
Then, as if someone were typing on a keyboard, the interface displayed word by word: Hong Xiaoduo, this machine can meet all the needs you mentioned last time, as well as the things you haven't thought of yet but might need in the future.
Are you eager to use it? Then please complete the following ten tasks one by one, and you will be able to use this machine.
The passage concludes with a signature—Curator: Luo Chengshi
"Luo Chengshi, so that's your name," Hong Xiaoduo said through gritted teeth.
He's so old and doesn't learn anything good, but instead he learns from his unreliable father, causing all this trouble and making people laugh!
So, he came to her to find psychological balance after suffering mistreatment from his own father? This girl won't do as you wish. As for those things you mentioned before, give them to me if you want, or don't. If you don't want them, fine.
Hong Xiaoduo immediately left the space, not even bothering to find the button to turn off the machine. So what if it's broken? She wasn't going to feel bad about it.
Originally, because she was going to sleep, the seven children were afraid of disturbing her and stopped reciting, but instead quietly practiced calligraphy. Now, seeing her suddenly sit up with an angry look on her face, they had no idea what had happened.
Seeing the children looking at her anxiously, Hong Xiaoduo realized she had lost her composure: "I just fell asleep and had a nightmare. I dreamt that someone stole their horse and donkey." She was about to say that she dreamt someone stole their horse and donkey, but when she saw Tian Shu staring at her, she suddenly remembered that the horse and donkey were Tian Shu's precious treasures. If she said that, the child would have to sleep in the stable from now on.
"I just dreamt that the meat buns I just bought were snatched away before I could even eat them," Hong Xiaoduo corrected herself.
After she said this, the six older children didn't seem to believe her, only Yao Guang looked at her with sympathy.
"Really, those meat buns were just out of the steamer, they looked so delicious," Hong Xiaoduo added weakly.
Yao Guang put down her pen, walked over, climbed onto the bunk, and patted her hand to comfort her: "Mom, don't be angry. Let's sleep together now. Mom, you go buy some more buns to eat. If anyone tries to take them, I'll chase them away. I may not be strong, but my teeth are very sharp. I'll bite them."
The other children chuckled at Yao Guang's words. Hong Xiaoduo also wanted to laugh, but seeing Yao Guang's serious expression, she couldn't bear to.
He gently wiped the ink off Yao Guang's face, pulled her into his bed, and lay down again: "Okay, Yao Guang, sleep with me. I'll go buy more big meat buns, and we'll eat them together."
Yao Guang nodded obediently and nestled close to her. The other children continued practicing calligraphy, but Tian Shu had lost all interest in it...
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