The Countdown to the Journey (IV): A Day in Xixi's Life

There are three days left until the trip begins.

Guangzhou, 6:30 a. m.

The rising sun awakened the city in the morning, bathing the hazy streets and alleys in a golden glow.

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the streets and alleys, finally landing on a fair and delicate face.

"Hmm..." Jinhsi slowly opened her beautiful silver eyes, which shone with a hint of sky blue in the sunlight.

After getting out of bed, Jinhsi patted her face a couple of times to wake herself up before getting out of bed to wash up.

After washing up, Jinhsi went downstairs to the kitchen and started washing her hands to make breakfast for her roommate.

Taking advantage of this moment, Jinhsi's thoughts also became active, and she began to imagine what her companions were doing at the moment.

Master Changli hadn't gotten up yet, which was a good thing for Jinhsi. Being able to escape from her busy work and sleep in for a few more minutes was a blessing for both herself and Changli.

As for Zhezhi Girl... she's been staying up late a lot lately to work on her sketches, and she should be fast asleep right now. Judging from her dark circles, working on those sketches must be a very strenuous task.

As for Baizhi... her clinic should be opening by now, right? Chixia is helping out there too; many of the elderly and children there are unwell, so she always opens early. Although Chixia sometimes complains that she can't wake up, she's never careless in her work.

Chief Xiangli... He must be very busy right now, after all, he has been exchanging technical information with the researchers in this world. Chief Xiangli resolve their identity issues, and they should be very grateful for his help in settling down here.

After Jinhsi prepared breakfast methodically, Changli came downstairs yawning.

"Thank you for your hard work, Jinhsi." Changli said gently as she saw the table full of food and Jinhsi busy at work.

"No, Master, Xixi is also a member of this family, so naturally I should think of everyone." Jinhsi quickly laid out breakfast neatly on the table. "Eat it while it's hot, because it won't taste as good if it gets cold."

Changli smiled and nodded, then sat down opposite Jinhsi to begin her meal.

Seeing Jinhsi Changli sit down, Jin Xi followed suit and began to eat her breakfast slowly.

Seven o'clock in the morning, at the breakfast stall.

The morning sunlight was quite gentle; the sun must have been asleep yet, as even its usually harsh rays had become softer.

Jinhsi opened the side door of the breakfast stall and walked in. With a wave of her hand, the temporal power acting on the xiaolongbao and other breakfast items was instantly erased.

She had prepared all of this in advance last night, and before leaving, she used the power of time to freeze these prepared ingredients at their freshest moment.

Using a refrigerator to preserve food is certainly a good method, but Jinhsi feels that steamed buns that have been preserved at low temperatures always taste a bit worse, so time-limited storage is more convenient.

After putting the prepared xiaolongbao (steamed buns) and other breakfast items into the steamer to heat them up, Jinhsi also began to dress herself up a little.

She re-tied her silver twin tails into a single ponytail, then coiled the ponytail into a bun on top of her head, and finally put on a mask. A very simple disguise was complete.

Her reason for doing this was simple: the taller the tree, the more the wind will blow against it. Her group of girls were quite well-known in this world, especially her, so disguising herself was also to avoid unnecessary commotion.

The shop is no more than 100 meters from the nearest subway station. She would feel very guilty if she caused any disruption to public order because of her own actions.

The first batch of steamed buns was cooked through. Jinhsi lifted the lid, and the sweet aroma of red bean paste and lotus seed paste wafted out.

So she opened the roller shutter door at the front of the breakfast stall, arranged the steamed breakfast items and various drinks on the shelves one by one, and officially began her business for the day.

"Little Sister Lin, two mini steamed buns, please!"

"Little Lin, could you get me two xiaolongbao (steamed buns), a tea egg, and some soy milk?"

"Sister Lin Xi! Do you still have lotus seed paste flavored xiaolongbao? If so, please give me two... no, three!"

Lin Xi was the alias Jinhsi used when she was disguised, naturally to avoid suspicion.

Most people here probably don't know when this shop was established here. Maybe it was a year ago, maybe it was half a year ago. In any case, when people discovered this shop, a well-known steamed bun Xi Shi appeared on this street.

This "Xi Shi Bun Beauty" is not only beautiful, but her steamed buns are also incredibly delicious. Her signature mini steamed buns are especially popular among the locals for their high quality and affordable price.

Jinhsi watched the customers leave with their freshly made xiaolongbao (steamed buns) filled with satisfaction, a heartwarming smile appearing behind her mask.

Peace and prosperity for the nation, and happiness for the whole family—this was the scene she, the prime minister, dreamed of achieving.

The locals spoke with a friendly accent, and although she was in a foreign country, she always felt like she was back home.

Selling xiaolongbao (small steamed buns), after deducting costs and shop expenses, the actual profit is not that much, and sometimes it may even result in a loss. This is not surprising, after all, the price she sets is already affordable, and the volume is not that large, so it is common to have both profits and losses.

The shop owners around her felt sorry for the girl and kept urging her to raise the price by even a dollar or two, but she politely declined.

"I want everyone who comes to my place to have a hot breakfast, even those begging on the street, instead of making my buns seem expensive by inflating prices."

In fact, Jinhsi really had no material concerns. She was usually simple and abstemious, and devoted all her energy to the protection and development of Jinzhou. Now, she was selling steamed buns here simply to have something to do.

After all, neither they nor Baizhi were used to having free time; they always felt something was missing.

At 9:30 a. m., Jinhsi's breakfast shop announced the end of its business day with a whoosh as the roller shutter door slammed shut.

Jinhsi took off her mask, let her bun down, and recombed it into her original pigtails. Then she walked out of the breakfast shop through the side door, locking the door behind her before leaving.

She was carrying two bags of still-warm xiaolongbao (steamed buns), one with red bean paste filling and the other with meat filling, which she had specially saved for Baizhi and the others.

She walked to the side of the street, and a taxi not far away slowly stopped beside her as if it had received an instruction. She opened the back door and quickly got in. The taxi that had picked up the passenger immediately stepped on the gas and sped away into the distance.

About half an hour later.

"Thank you." Jinhsi got out of the car and smiled at the taxi driver to express her gratitude.

The driver, a middle-aged man, nodded calmly and then drove away from the spot.

After watching the taxi drive away, Jinhsi turned and walked into the somewhat old-fashioned alley.

This alley is mostly inhabited by elderly people living alone, as well as some children left behind by their parents. The environment is quiet and peaceful, reminiscent of the Peach Blossom Spring described by Tao Yuanming.

However, Jinhsi herself felt that this world was like a paradise that belonged to her.

At first it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, but after walking several dozen steps, it suddenly opened up into a bright and spacious area.

Then, Jinhsi saw Baizhi's small clinic sitting in front of her.

After straightening her clothes, Jinhsi gracefully walked up the steps and entered the clinic.

"Waaah... I'm so hungry..." Chixia slumped onto the table like a deflated balloon, her stomach rumbling loudly.

"Didn't you just have breakfast?" Baizhi said gently.

"But I'm just hungry..."

With a whoosh, the clinic door was pulled open from the outside. Chixia looked over at the sound and immediately saw Jinhsi carrying a small dragon bag as she entered the clinic.

"Jinhsi! You're here!" Chixia smiled and took the two bags of mini buns from Jinhsi's hands. "My goodness, they're still warm!"

"Lord Magistrate, thank you for your hard work," Baizhi said with a smile.

"It's alright. I came here specifically to see you all and brought some food along." Jinhsi smiled gently. "Judging from Chixia's appearance, she must have been starving for a long time, right?"

"Actually, she just had breakfast..." Baizhi looked at Chixia, who was stuffing a steamed bun into her mouth and then choking on it, and poured her a glass of water with a helpless expression. "Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

"Cough cough... cough cough cough! Glug glug... Whew... I'm alive again..." Chixia's cheeks turned red from choking. Luckily, Baizhi poured her a glass of water, which pulled her back from the brink of death.

"Speaking of which, where is Mia?" Jinhsi asked after looking around the clinic twice.

"Her? She went out with Avidia early this morning to do good deeds for everyone in the alley," Baizhi said, glancing towards the door. "Oh, she's back now."

"I'm back."

The clinic door was opened again, and a girl with short blue hair walked in. She had healthy tan skin, and her arms and legs had faint muscle definition. She was wearing a sporty white T-shirt and light blue denim shorts, and a baseball cap to shield her from the sun.

"Hmm? What smells so good?" Mia smelled the sweet aroma in the air and her eyes immediately locked onto the small steamed bun in Chixia's hand. "Hey! Chixia, save some for me!"

She didn't care about her image and quickly ran over to fight with Chixia for the few remaining small steamed buns.

"You two..." Baizhi sighed softly, rubbing her forehead.

"Okay, okay, stop fighting, everyone has some." Jinhsi quietly took out another bag of xiaolongbao (small steamed buns) she was carrying.

"Wow! Thank you, Lord Lingyin!" As soon as Mia saw Jinhsi produce a bag of xiaolongbao (small steamed buns) as if by magic, she quickly snatched it and didn't forget to bow and thank Jinhsi.

Jinhsi nodded gently, her eyes filled with a tender smile.

Mia and Chixia's scramble for the xiaolongbao (small steamed buns) was essentially an affirmation of her cooking skills, which naturally made her overjoyed.

Noon.

"Hmm~ I'm not late, am I?" Changli walked into the clinic carrying a food box.

"The timing is perfect, Changli," Baizhi said with a smile. "We're both a little hungry."

"Now I'm just a commoner, you can simply call me Changli." Changli said with a smirk, "Also, those two young ladies don't look like they're hungry."

Baizhi followed Changli's gaze and saw that Mia and Chixia, those two gluttonous girls, were staring at the food box, their mouths practically watering.

"Jinhsi suggested.

"Good."

Changli put down the food box, then took out the dishes one by one: stir-fried pork with chili peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried seasonal vegetables...

Mia and Chixia were very greedy. As soon as all the dishes were served, they each filled a bowl with white rice and began to eat heartily. Occasionally, they would bicker with each other over who got the food.

Seeing the two girls making a ruckus, Baizhi couldn't help but flick each of them on the forehead, making them eat in an orderly fashion.

Jinhsi smiled as she watched the heartwarming interaction, her eyes brimming with joy.

"This kind of life isn't bad, is it?"

Jinhsi was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and found Changli looking at her with a smile.

"Yes, that's how it is." She nodded with a smile.

So, really, why not try my stir-fried pork with chili peppers?

"Uh... no need, Master, I'm afraid I can't handle it." Xixi gave an awkward but polite smile, then silently popped another bite of scrambled eggs with tomatoes into her mouth.

After lunch, Jinhsi left the clinic with the packed food and headed to her next destination.

The alley was quieter than Jinzhou at midday. The elderly lay on chairs basking in the sun, and the children had probably all gone to take their afternoon naps. Occasionally, a few children would be playing games like hopscotch in the courtyard.

Of course, Jinhsi's destination is not here.

She continued walking forward until she reached the end of the alley, finally stopping in front of a brick house.

Cluck cluck!

Jinhsi stepped into the fenced yard and found several hens leisurely strolling around. From time to time, the sound of clashing swords could be heard from the backyard.

She placed the food on the stone table in the front yard, and then walked alone to the backyard.

Upon arriving in the backyard, Jinhsi immediately saw Avidia and the Mingting swordsman sparring.

(Dawei: Me, I beat the King of Air? Really?)

Avidia's technique is a classic Septimont gladiator style, emphasizing power; each shot is powerful and heavy, and ordinary people simply cannot withstand it.

But he was facing that important person.

When Qiuyuan faced Avidia's attacks, he was incredibly relaxed, using softness to overcome hardness. Even when he held back, Avidia couldn't last more than three rounds.

"Ha..." After having her weapon knocked from her hand once again, Avidia felt relieved.

"Brother Qiuyuan's swordsmanship is superb; I admire it!" he said, cupping his hands in a fist salute.

"You're not bad either," Qiu Yuan said Qiuyuan, taking a sip of Tsingtao beer. "And, it's been a long time, Magistrate Jin."

"It's been over a month since we last met," Jinhsi said with a smile. "Before we get down to business, let's have lunch first."

"Thank you!" Avidia and Qiuyuan said in unison.

"So... there's still no news of the Rover...?"

Although she had expected it, Jinhsi still felt a sliver of anticipation.

"I have searched every corner of this city to the best of my ability, but all my efforts have been in vain." Qiuyuan shook his head. "It is my incompetence that has led to this."

"No, how could that be!" Jinhsi immediately retorted, "Jinhsi am already very grateful that Brother Qiuyuan as to help me with my personal request."

"Since I have accepted the food from Lord Lingyin, I should repay him," Qiuyuan replied. "Such a trivial matter is not worth mentioning."

"I've searched every possible place in this city where he might be, but I haven't been able to find him, not even a Laureate witness." Avidia's voice sounded somewhat frustrated. "I'm so sorry, Miss Jinhsi, I couldn't be of any help."

"It's alright, I'm already very grateful that you had this thought," Jinhsi said with a forced smile.

In fact, Jinhsi had been searching for traces of Rover since the first day she arrived here. Whether it was opening a breakfast shop or asking Qiuyuan for help, it was all for this purpose.

She also wondered if one day in the future she would bump into him at the breakfast shop, and he would recognize her because of the xiaolongbao she had made by hand.

Unfortunately, several months passed and there was still no news of the Rover. It would be a lie to say she wasn't sad.

"I think there's no need for the Lord to be so sad," Qiuyuan Yuan suddenly said, trying to comfort him. "I can feel from this breeze that the day we reunite with him is drawing near."

"Oh, really...?"

Jinhsi quickly snapped out of her sadness and flashed a bright smile, "Thank you for your kind words."

"In the end, we still couldn't get any news from the Rover. Well, it was within expectations." Changli wasn't surprised by this.

"Yes, but I believe that as long as we persevere long enough, we will definitely be able to wait until the day we reunite with him." Jinhsi's eyes were quite firm, but it was unknown what she would think when she saw Xiao Ling with two women on either side of him.

Dania: We also need to pay the copyright fees.

Just then, a bird with golden feathers swooped down towards them.

"Eh? Dumpling?" Jinhsi Xi raised her hand and gently caught the bird named Dumpling.

"This must be Miss Suisui's beloved bird. It's surprising that it would appear at this time," Changli said thoughtfully.

"There seems to be something on its leg; let me take it off to check."

Jinhsi removed the note tied to the Dumpling's leg and then released it back into the sky.

She opened the note and read it with Changli. The content was very simple, just one short sentence.

"The Rover will arrive in Guangzhou in three days."

The handwriting is neat and tidy; you can tell at a glance that it's Yangyang's work.

"Three days later?" Jinhsi she held the note.

"It seems our wait wasn't in vain." Changli felt greatly gratified.

Jinhsi never showed her joy and excitement in words, but her trembling fingertips and the dragon scales gradually appearing on her arms said it all.

"Now you can think carefully about what you want to say to him in three days," Changli said with a smile.

Jinhsi took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, then revealed a stunning smile, which was perfectly illuminated by the setting sun.

"Yes, that's correct."