Traveling Was So Easy

Shen Jingchuan didn't say anything more to Hu Tieniu, and turned around to walk back to the carriage beside the official road.

Lin Qingyao was standing beside the carriage, leading her horse. When she saw him coming, she subconsciously tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

Shen Jingchuan's gaze fell on her shoulder, and he said:

"Miss Lin, your shoulder injury hasn't fully healed yet. The official road is bumpy, so it would be safer to take a carriage."

Lin Qingyao's heart stirred slightly. She had seen this four-wheeled carriage when it was first made and brought to the escort agency. Its black iron body was sturdy and imposing. She had long wanted to try sitting inside it, but she had never had the chance.

But right now, she'd rather ride alongside Shen Jingchuan and talk to him.

She hesitated, about to decline, saying that her injuries were no longer serious and that riding a horse would be fine.

Lin Yue, who was standing nearby, took a few steps over, slapped his thigh, and laughed:

"Perfect timing! I just got into a fight and my body is practically falling apart. I was just thinking of hiding inside to rest for a bit. Sister, let's go, let's bask in Young Master Shen's glory and experience what it's like to ride in this luxurious carriage!"

As he spoke, he reached out and gently helped Lin Qingyao into the car.

He turned back and winked at Shen Jingchuan:

"Young Master Shen, don't stand out in the sun. This autumn heat is fierce. Come inside and have some tea to cool off. Your carriage is so exquisite; it can't just be left to look at, can it?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the metal car door gently opened from the inside, Yue'er leaned out, a smile on her face, and reached out to help Lin Qingyao.

"Miss, please get in quickly, it's very comfortable in the car, not bumpy at all."

Lin Qingyao was half-pushed and half-persuaded by Lin Yue, and with Yue'er helping her, she couldn't refuse any longer, so she stepped onto the car using the pedals.

The carriage ceiling was fitted with a single piece of clear glass, allowing sunlight to stream in evenly, making the interior bright and spacious, without any of the stuffiness of an ordinary horse-drawn carriage.

Facing the front of the vehicle was a row of wide, long, soft couches with backrests, covered with thick, plush cushions. Opposite the couches, near the vehicle door, were two single soft-cushioned chairs.

Yue'er helped Lin Qingyao sit down on the inner side of the couch, and Lin Yue pulled Shen Jingchuan in as well, plopping down next to his sister and leaning back comfortably with a long sigh.

"Oh, finally I can rest my legs."

Shen Jingchuan was the last to step into the car, and naturally walked to the single seat opposite him and sat down. Yue'er followed suit and sat down in another single seat, with the tea room across the aisle behind her.

Seeing that everyone had boarded the carriage, Liu Hu flicked his wrist, causing the reins to sway gently, and Little Black and Treading Snow, who were pulling the carriage, started moving in unison.

As the rubber tires rolled over the gravel on the road, the springs under the vehicle damped the shocks, causing only a very slight sway, and the vehicle steadily moved forward.

Lin Shan glanced back at the front of the group, smiled and shook his head. Seeing the car door close, he turned back and continued leading the group forward.

Big Black didn't need to be tied up; it strolled leisurely alongside the carriage.

The carriage was so smooth that you could hardly feel any bumps. Yue'er deftly took out some warmed tea from the tea cabinet, poured three cups, and handed them to the three people in turn.

When she handed it to Lin Qingyao, she leaned down slightly, whispered in her mistress's ear, and said softly, "Miss, there's a small washroom at the very back of the carriage. It'll be very convenient to use the restroom on the road, so you don't need to find a secluded place to make do."

Lin Qingyao had just taken the teacup when she heard this, her eyes widened suddenly, her mouth opened slightly, then she quickly closed it again, and replied in a low voice:

"A bathroom can be set up in a car? This... this is incredibly thoughtful."

In the past, when she traveled short distances with her father and brothers, her biggest worry was the inconvenience of women using the toilet along the way. They had to find a secluded place and have servants watch over them, which was extremely difficult.

She had previously thought the car was simply comfortable to sit in, but she was surprised and impressed that it had even considered such details.

Lin Yue, ignoring their whispers, took a large gulp of his tea, patted the cushion beside him, and chuckled:

"Young Master Shen, I didn't notice such a big difference when I test drove it in the city last time, but today, driving on this official road, the difference is too obvious compared to our ordinary two-wheeled carriages in Great Qian! Look how spacious and bright this carriage is, and it doesn't bump at all on the bumpy road. If it were our two-wheeled carriage, it would have shaken our bones to pieces."

With such comfortable carriages available, who would want to suffer the ordeal of riding a horse? If we build and sell them in the future, they're guaranteed to be a huge success!

As the group lit their lanterns, they entered the town ahead. This was the usual stop for the Zhenyuan Escort Agency's escort missions. The innkeeper was very familiar with Lin Shan and his group, and upon seeing the group approach, he immediately greeted them with a smile and led them directly to the back courtyard.

The courtyard was spacious enough that the side rooms could easily accommodate all the bodyguards and porters. The open space in the middle was just enough to park the four-wheeled carriage and the vehicles carrying goods. Liu Hu had also led Big Black and the other horses to the stables to feed them separately.

Dinner was laid out in the courtyard, with plenty of hot dishes and rice, which relieved most of the fatigue from the journey.

After the banquet, Lin Qingyao, accompanied by Yue'er, went to the east wing to rest, while the Lin Shan brothers also returned to their respective rooms.

Shen Jingchuan didn't go into the guest room, but turned back to the carriage. He wasn't used to the hard wooden beds in the inn, and he also found it too crowded and noisy, so he simply rested in the carriage—the long couch in the back could be laid flat to become a large, soft bed, covered with thick mattresses and soft cushions, which was much more comfortable than the guest room.

Once the car door is closed, the carriage becomes his own little world.

He sat cross-legged on the couch, closed his eyes, and focused his mind, breathing deeply and circulating his inner energy through his meridians for a full cycle. When he finished and opened his eyes, all was quiet except for the occasional snore in the courtyard. He guessed it was midnight and everyone was fast asleep.

With a thought, he was back in his modern-day residence in the next second.

I first took a nice hot shower, changed into clean loungewear, and then sat in front of the computer to learn about jade and herbs.

It seems inconvenient to keep track of time in this other world. Time is the same on Earth as in this other world, so I should be able to bring a mechanical clock with me.

He first selected an antique-style pocket watch online and placed an order. He also noticed that several other wristwatches and pocket watches used time units such as "midnight" and "noon".

I imagine this thing could be sold in this world; it would also make a good gift, right?

Without further ado, I bought over a hundred mechanical watches and pocket watches of all kinds, men's and women's, all with ancient timekeeping features, and they had to come with gift boxes.

As sleepiness overcame me in the latter half of the night, I changed my mind again and settled back onto the soft couch in the carriage, wrapped myself in a thin blanket, and fell soundly asleep.

The group set off as usual early the next morning. From that day on, Lin Shan, Lin Yue, and Shen Jingchuan took turns leading the group on horseback, while the other two rested and drank tea in the carriage.

In the past, when the Lin Household escorted goods, they would ride horses for days on end, and when they arrived at their destination, everyone would have a sore back and aching muscles, and their bones would feel like they were about to fall apart.

Now, with this four-wheeled carriage equipped with shock absorbers, we can take turns riding and resting, making the journey much more comfortable.

Traveling day and night, they set off from Yuxi Prefecture on the tenth day of the eighth month. In just four days, on the afternoon of the thirteenth day of the eighth month, they could already see the city walls of Chang'an, the provincial capital, in the distance.