She opened her eyes again. It was already seven in the morning. Nora, now full of energy unlike the night before, quickly washed up.
She picked up the leftover self-heating rice from last night, held onto Miles, and stepped out of the space. Though it was safe inside, it was completely empty. Nora didn't hesitate as she wanted to enjoy the early morning view.
The moment she came out, she was stunned by the sight before her. Perhaps due to the colder weather, a thin layer of frost covered the plants. Under the sunlight, it looked incredibly enchanting.
With such beautiful scenery around, Nora finished her breakfast quickly. She felt fully refreshed.
"Ding! Today's sign-in is still not complete. Does the host want to sign in now?"
"Sign in!"
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You've received a box of milk, a box of bread, and one thousand seedlings each of strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, and watermelons. Thirty saplings each of cherry and prune trees."
"Wow!" Nora couldn't help but exclaim when she saw the reward. "System Vee.9, you're so generous today! You actually gave me so much all at once!"
Although the cherries and prunes would take time before they could be eaten, strawberries, tomatoes, and cucumbers might be ready today. She even saw that the strawberry seedlings had little fruits already.
Nora immediately went into the space. She used her mind to control the land, divided it into the right sections, and planted the seedlings according to her plan.
Just as she was wondering how to water them, a light drizzle began to fall over the seedlings. Half an hour later, the rain stopped. Looking at the lively seedlings, Nora felt deeply satisfied.
She left the space feeling cheerful and continued on her journey riding the horse. After another two hours, she finally reached the city gate.
Looking up at the tall walls ahead, Nora felt unsure how to describe her emotions.
Back when she was browsing the internet, many believed that ancient people were ignorant. But was that really the truth?
In reality, they were far more intelligent than people thought. On top of the high walls stood a line of soldiers holding long spears. The wide city gate had one large main door and two smaller side doors.
Above the main entrance hung a large plaque with three characters: Anyang County. Each city gate had four soldiers checking travelers and carts.
The middle gate was mostly used by merchant caravans and noble families. The two smaller side gates were for ordinary people. Everything was orderly and structured.
Nora pulled herself back from her thoughts and led her horse to one of the gates.
"Stop! What are you doing here? Show your travel permit."
Just as she reached the gate, a tall and stern soldier blocked her path. He looked her over carefully and held out his hand.
In that moment, Nora felt grateful once again for System Vee.9. She swiftly took out the travel permit and handed it to the soldier.
The soldier examined it thoroughly before handing it back. His face relaxed a little, and he gave her a slight nod. "You may enter."
"Thank you, sir!" Nora replied, mimicking the polite tone of characters from dramas.
"Steamed buns! Big, juicy pork buns, two wen each!"
"Top-quality rouge, come take a look!"
"Candied hawthorn skewers, sweet and delicious candied hawthorn skewers!"
...
As soon as she entered the city, the thick scent of food and smoke in the air made Nora feel that everything around her was real. She had truly traveled back to ancient times. And it was a time that had never appeared in history.
Nora looked around with wide eyes, everything felt new and fresh. Her eyes couldn't take in everything fast enough, and the weariness from the journey eased a little. But for now, the most important thing was to find an inn, settle down, and get a good night's rest.
"Boss, two steamed buns, please!" After entering the city, Nora had System Vee.9 help her exchange one tael of silver into copper coins.
"Alright! Two buns, here you go!" The boss quickly wrapped the buns in oiled paper and handed them to Nora with one hand, while accepting the copper coins with the other. Nora took the buns but didn't eat them right away.
She smiled and asked the boss, "Boss, I just arrived from another place. Do you know any good inns nearby?" "Oh, you're asking the right person! I'm Bun Zhang, born and raised in Anyang County.
If you're looking for a place to stay, go to Guest Like Clouds Inn. The prices are fair and the place is clean. Most trading caravans rest there, just follow this street straight for fifteen minutes."
"Great, thank you!" After thanking the boss, Nora followed the direction he gave and walked toward the inn. After a while, she really saw the inn just as the boss had described.
She stood at the entrance, looked up at the signboard to make sure she found the right place, then stepped inside. Before she could fully enter, a smiling young man in rough clothes came over to greet her.
He took the reins from her hand and asked, "Guest, are you here for a meal or to stay the night?" "I'm staying. Please help me find a good room, and take care of my horse too."
"Alright! Please come inside!" As he led Nora in, he handed the reins to another stable boy and said, "Erzi, take the guest's horse to the back and take good care of it!"
"Got it! Don't worry, guest!" "One upper room for the guest!" the servant called out loudly. With the servant leading the way, Nora walked to the front desk.
She paid 100 copper coins per day for two days to stay in an upper room. After paying, she followed the servant upstairs. She pushed open the door and entered.
The room was filled with old-fashioned decor, though some of it looked worn. Still, it was clean. Nora nodded in satisfaction and turned to the servant.
"I'm tired and don't want to go downstairs to eat. Please bring me two of your house specialties." As she spoke, she handed him a piece of broken silver. The servant weighed the silver in his hand.
His smile grew wider and he nodded quickly. "Alright, please wait a moment. I'll bring them right up." Then he turned and left.
Nora placed her bundle on the bed and looked around the room carefully. The space wasn't big, about ten square meters. Besides a bed, a table, and four chairs, there was only a wardrobe and a dressing table against the wall.
Nothing else could be seen in the room. Even though it looked nice, Nora didn't feel like resting here. First, she didn't feel secure.
Second, she was worried about hygiene. She wasn't a clean freak, but when she glanced at the bed, she could tell the sheets and bedding hadn't been changed. She didn't know who had used them last, and she couldn't bring herself to lie down.
Even though her personal space didn't have a bed or bedding, it gave her peace of mind.