I survived the famine by scavenging and supported my family.

The two exchanged names, and Ning's father asked him to wait at the teahouse while he hurried home with the teapot and teacups.

After rushing home, Ning's father asked Ningning for a complete set of tableware, which included more than a hundred bowls and plates. He carefully took it to the teahouse, where only a middle-aged man and a butler remained in the private room.

He took out the plates one by one from the brocade box: fish plate, flat plate, deep plate, shallow plate, soup bowl, noodle bowl, rice bowl, soup spoon, small spoon, bone plate, chopstick rest... He counted them carefully, and there were 108 of them.

Ning's father then laid out a complete tea set, and Bao Xingxian's breath caught in his throat: the teapot and two porcelain cups he had just seen in the teahouse were merely a glimpse of the whole picture.

The tea set has eighteen pieces, and both numbers contain the number "eight," so there couldn't be a more coincidental thing in the world.

In the private room of the teahouse, the table was full of tableware, and there was no room for tea sets. The butler had to move the guqin to the side so that Ning's father could have a place to put it.

Standing amidst this complete set of porcelain, Bao Xingxian's eyes widened in amazement.

No wonder Brother Bu, the Air Force Chief, said that this house in his family is an ancestral heirloom and he wants to keep it as a family treasure. No wonder he said he wanted a big house!

Even if you took this set of porcelain to the capital, you might not be able to buy it.

"Brother Bu." Bao Xingxian bowed to Ning's father with clasped hands. He felt somewhat ashamed that someone had brought out such an amazing family heirloom today.

"Hey, hey!" Ning's father helped the other person up, and the two sat down to the side. The butler stepped out of the room and stood guard at the door for his master.

After discussing it for the entire afternoon, Bao Xingxian ordered the steward to go back and get the silver notes, but Ning's father made an excuse to ask the steward to exchange them for gold.

The butler left to carry out his orders. In the private room, when only the two of them remained, Bao Xingxian was still marveling at his good fortune. He had only stopped at this teahouse to rest after a tiring shopping trip, and he never expected to encounter such rare porcelain.

Less than half an hour later, the steward, who had been ordered to return, brought the gold ingots. At the teahouse, Li Ning's father counted the gold and immediately put it in the brocade box that had been used to hold the teapot. Bao Xingxian then instructed the servants to carefully put away the tableware and tea set.

"Brother Bu, if you have the time, please do come to the Bao residence as a guest." Bao Xingxian's square face flushed slightly with excitement. "Grandmother is now enjoying her retirement in the capital. I will be taking this set of porcelain to the capital in a few days to celebrate her birthday. When I return, you must come to my residence as a guest!"

"Alright, we'll meet again if fate allows!"

"Not an Air Force" reached out and patted Bao Xingxian on the shoulder. The two got up and walked downstairs. When they parted ways outside the teahouse, Ning's father looked up at the sky. It was almost dusk.

Holding a box of gold, Ning's father lowered his head and walked dozens of steps in the opposite direction along the main road. Suddenly, he turned around and disappeared into a bustling street in the East Market of the prefectural city.

After running a few steps through the alley, Ning's father saw a window on the second floor of an inn, facing the alley, slightly open, with two bunches of dried green beans hanging out. Ning's father turned and went in through the back door of the inn.

He easily made his way to the room on the second floor of the inn. Ning's father called out to the door, and Zhao Ningning, who had been waiting inside, opened the door. He slipped inside.

Neither of them spoke. Ning's father handed the silver to Zhao Ningning, who put it into her spatial storage. From there, she deftly took out a fake beard that she had prepared beforehand. Ning's father took it and attached it to her. He then changed his clothes into tattered, patched garments and finally pulled out a few loose strands of hair from his hair bun.

Wearing a tattered rat-skin hat, Ning's father hunched over, instantly looking as if he had aged twenty years. Zhao Ningning handed him a cane, which he grasped with one hand and raised his arm with the other, letting Zhao Ningning support his elbow. The two of them calmly left through the main entrance of the inn.

The inn was bustling with people, and the outside faced the lively East Market. The two of them followed the evening crowd and slowly walked towards their lodgings.

Back in the rented courtyard, Ning's father locked the door and took Zhao Ningning back to the house.

After confirming several times that it was safe, Zhao Ningning excitedly took the box out of her spatial storage.

When she opened it, the dazzling gold almost blinded Zhao Ningning; the entire box was filled with gold!

Ning's dad made a "V" sign, and then held up two fists.

Zhao Ningning found out that there were two hundred taels of gold inside.

If converted into silver, it would amount to approximately two thousand taels of silver.

We've struck it rich! We've made a fortune! This set of porcelain cost less than 10,000 yuan when we bought it, but we resold it in ancient times and it's worth a thousand times more!

"We'll buy things tomorrow and the day after, and then we'll leave the day after that," said Ning's father. "We'll buy some in-demand items in Fucheng, and we can buy the rest along the way if we have the chance."

With such a large sum of money, he was spotted by someone the moment he left the teahouse. Fortunately, he and Ningning were prepared in advance and managed to shake off their pursuers.

We cannot linger in the prefectural city.

The next day, Ning's father changed into a long robe and put on a mink hat. The fluffy brim of the hat covered his forehead, and he also wore a fur collar around his neck. Now, apart from his figure, people who didn't know him would have to look right up to his face to recognize him.

Putting on this outfit, Ning's father was almost sweating. Thinking about the tight schedule and heavy workload these past two days, he wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Let's go!"

Following her father's example, Zhao Ningning wrapped herself up as well. The father and daughter went out to the street one after the other. Zhao Ningning calmed down and went to ask about the things they had discussed buying the night before.

Lingbei Prefecture is colder than Fengning County. With the sudden arrival of winter, the shops selling winter supplies on the streets are even busier than usual.

The most fashionable fur coats in the prefectural city were bought by Zhao Ningning in sets of eight for each person. Remembering how the two elders of the Zhou family had taken good care of Ning's father, who was recovering from a leg injury, back in Fengning County, Zhao Ningning also bought two sets for them as well.

I'll take it back and give it to them as a holiday gift.

Besides overcoats, Zhao Ningning also provided ten pairs of fur coats, fur capes, hats, scarves, and animal skin boots.

Seeing that there were also fur-lined quilts and covers, Zhao Ningning waved her hand and told the waiter to wrap them up.

Each family member bought two sets.

The furs are expensive; these alone cost five hundred taels of silver.

After buying the most sought-after leather jacket in Fengning County, Zhao Ningning and her father went to the clinic and spent fifty taels of silver to buy a lot of "pre-made Chinese medicine". They had the doctor wrap the medicine according to the prescriptions for common illnesses and write their names on it.

Besides the medicine kit, Ning's father spent one hundred taels of silver to buy wound medicine. The wound medicine was all packaged in small porcelain bottles with red paper attached, indicating its uses and dosage.

Thinking about the rat infestation in the south, Zhao Ningning asked her father to buy ten packets of insect repellent and rat-repelling powder.

Fearing that it might get mixed up with other medicines, Zhao Ningning made a point of clearing out a shoe cabinet in the elevator lobby after returning home and stuffed the pile of medicine powder into the shoe cabinet for separate storage.

Before leaving the clinic, Ning's father spent one hundred taels of silver to buy an old ginseng root, which he asked Ning to put back into her spatial storage and store in the refrigerator later.

They bought warm clothes and medicine to prevent colds, and the shopping was faster than Zhao Ningning had expected. They had rice and flour at home, but not much oil. When Zhao Ningning and her father passed by an oil shop in the prefecture, they saw that they still sold rendered lard, so they ordered two large jars. The shop also had rapeseed oil and soybean oil, so they ordered two jars of each for frying New Year's goods.

Zhao Ningning's kitchen also has modern vegetable oil; if she doesn't have enough, she can take some out to make up the difference.

Ancient salt contained many impurities, so Ning's father hesitated for a moment before buying a bag to keep. The snowstorm on the way here was already this heavy, and in a while, the heavy snow might block the roads, making it impossible to even go to town. In case the salt in the space wasn't enough, the family couldn't run out of salt.

We have all the grains, oil, and salt, but we're missing the most important thing in the house—charcoal.

Ning's father had inquired about it; the prefectural city had coal! Coal is what we now call coal; it can be used right out of the mine, burns for a long time, and is easy to store.

The people here buy coal as expensive charcoal. A basket of ordinary charcoal sells for 500 coins, while a basket of coal sells for 3 taels of silver. A pound of coal costs 60 coins!

Therefore, not many people have access to coal.

Having bought a lot of things today, Zhao Ningning still needed to go back and tidy up the space. On the way back from the street, Ning's father saw a wine vendor and couldn't resist taking Zhao Ningning to buy two jars of wine.

If you're cold, drinking some alcohol can warm you up.

When the two returned home, it was not yet afternoon. Zhao Ningning went back to the kitchen in her space and cooked wontons. The two of them quickly ate a bite in the yard. Just after 1 p.m., a deliveryman came to deliver goods. Ningning's father greeted the deliverymen at the door, saw them off, and stood guard at the crossroads. Zhao Ningning took the opportunity to move things into her space.

Their house faced the back door of a wealthy family, and since they were dressed differently from ordinary people, who wore cotton-padded clothes, passersby naturally mistook them for the family's steward and maid.

Anyway, once the items were delivered and the receipt was taken, no one bothered to find out where they went. Zhao Ningning packed the winter clothes, but didn't have time to unpack them. She went back to the courtyard to rummage through her room before going outside to collect the rest.

As evening approached and all the purchased items were delivered, Ning's father locked the front door and took Ningning back to her room.

First, Zhao Ningning put the heaviest bottles of oil in the kitchen. Then, she came out and put the medicine packs that her father had bought in the kitchen as well. In particular, she specially found a small compartment for the wild ginseng, afraid of breaking its roots. After putting it in, she carefully wrapped it up and put it in the refrigerator.

Outside, clothes and blankets were piled up like a small mountain.

Leather jackets are expensive, and shopkeepers are afraid of getting them dirty, so they wrap them in silk cloth. This saves Zhao Ningning trouble. She just takes the leather jacket and stuffs it into the entryway. Anyway, she doesn't have the space permission, so she's not worried that the clothes will fall over if they are piled up too high.

With everything stuffed into the space, Zhao Ningning's original sleeping spot was taken up, so she had to move her blanket to the kitchen, which was thankfully spacious.

The space is still too small!

Zhao Ningning sighed, wondering when she would be able to level up.

With this tidying up, the elevator lobby is now empty, so I can buy more coal tomorrow.

For dinner, Zhao Ningning's father didn't let her do anything. They ate boiled dumplings and wontons for two days in a row. He took Zhao Ningning out to eat on the street that night.

the next day.

The empty space was filled with coal that Ning's father had bought with silver.

"Alright, let's go back tomorrow." Ning's father touched the brim of his hat; his forehead inside was damp with sweat, and the wind made it feel chilly.

"Shall we buy some local specialties from Lingbei Prefecture to take back?" Zhao Ningning said, "Since we're already here..."

No one can refuse the phrase "since we're already here," not even Ning's father. After calculating the money, he realized they could make another hundred taels, so Ning's father let Zhao Ningning do as she pleased.

The variety of pastries in the prefectural city was far greater than that in Fengning County. Zhao Ningning was overwhelmed with choices, so her father simply told her not to waste her little brain and to buy everything.

She picked out the pastries that could be stored and bought twenty packs of each. As for the ones that couldn't be stored, she bought fewer and froze them in the freezer.

After buying the pastries, there were still snacks and a wide variety of candied fruits. Zhao Ningning simply bought the whole stall, since they wouldn't spoil easily and she could indulge as much as she wanted while staying home during the winter.

Zhao Ningning finally stopped after buying some melon seeds.

The purchase of these items did not cost more than thirty taels of silver. Ning's father took Ningning to buy a set of jewelry for Ning's mother and a set of carpentry tools and knives for Zhao Qi at the blacksmith's shop.

Believe it or not, it wasn't until they got to the blacksmith's shop that Ning's father realized he had forgotten to buy ironware.

Buy three iron pots of each size (large, medium, and small) and keep them at home for gradual use.

Not only are there ironwares here, but also bronzewares. Seeing the exquisite openwork lid on the bronze brazier and the base underneath, Ning's father waved his hand: Buy it!

After preparing three ancient-style hot water bottles and hand and foot warmers for each family member, Ning's father finally stopped the car.

Finally, the two also bought three machetes and three kitchen knives.

Ning's father hadn't expected that ironware was subject to purchase restrictions in ancient times. He made an excuse that since he had many brothers and they all wanted to buy some, he could only buy three for each of them.

With so many things to buy, Ning's father still had someone deliver them to the rented courtyard in the afternoon, and took Ningning to buy things for her.

I can't just come out and bring gifts for my family and not buy anything for Ningning.

After much deliberation, Zhao Ningning finally chose an incense burner and bought a bunch of incense sticks.

Ning's father bought the fishing rod himself.

Unlike modern fishing rods that can be folded flexibly, he could only ask Ningning to help him put them away. As Zhao Ningning stuffed them into the corner of the space, she complained: "It's winter now. There was a drought for three years before winter. Now there's only snow in the river. Where can he go to fish?"

Ning's father didn't care; the fisherman would buy any fishing rod he saw that he loved.

Having achieved their goal, the two strolled into the courtyard, playfully bickering. In the afternoon, just like yesterday, after unloading the truck, Ning's father stood guard at the intersection while Zhao Ningning packed the items into her spatial storage in the alley.

On the morning of the third day, Ning's father locked the courtyard, threw the key through the wall, and took Ning, who was dressed in disguise, and headed out of the city.

On the night they left Lingbei Prefecture, under the cover of darkness, three furtive men prepared to climb over the wall into the courtyard. Seeing the lock on the gate, the leader of the thieves was startled and angrily climbed over the wall and searched the courtyard, but found nothing.

Ningning and her companion, who escaped danger by walking quickly, have already begun their journey home.

On their return journey, the two of them rented a horse-drawn carriage. Zhao Ningning laid a playmat under the carriage, covered it with a quilt, and stuffed a hand warmer inside the quilt. They returned to Fengning County warmly and peacefully.

Wangli Village.

Braving the wind and snow, Ning's mother stood at the gate of the courtyard, constantly looking out.

Zhao Qi was worried that she would get cold, so he went back into the house and got a cloak for her to put on.

"Xiao Qi is so thoughtful." Ning's mother took the cloak and put it on, instantly feeling much warmer. She still looked outside, thinking, "They should be back soon..."

"With such heavy snow today, they might stay in the county town," Zhao Qi advised. "Why don't you go back first, and we can take turns keeping an eye on them?"

"No need. It's just for a little while. If they don't come back by now, they probably won't be returning to the village today."

As the sky grew darker and darker, turning from grayish-yellow to dark red, Ning's mother thought that perhaps the heavy snow on the road had delayed their journey and they would have to wait another two days to return.

Pulling at her cloak, Ning's mother was about to close the door and go back inside when two small black dots appeared in the white expanse of the village path.

"Mother...mother!"

Braving the wind and snow, Zhao Ningning could barely speak properly as a mouthful of cold wind mixed with snowflakes poured into her mouth every time she opened her mouth.

"Ningning!?" Ning's mother opened the closed courtyard gate and hurried over. The father and daughter were wearing leather hats and wrapped up tightly, with only their faces reddened by the wind.

After running a few steps back to the yard, Zhao Ningning and her father finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The brazier in the main room was burning brightly, so Ning's mother sent everyone directly to the main room. Zhao Qi went back to the kitchen to fetch hot water. The two of them took off their snow-covered hats, scarves, and coats, shook them off, washed their faces, drank the hot water, and calmed down for a while before Ning's mother finally felt relieved.