Fu Xin Ci feared that Ning'er might disturb her, so she instructed Han Xue to tell Ning'er that she had a headache and was going to sleep early if Ning'er came over, and that Ning'er should sleep with her brother tonight.
After instructing Han Xue, she returned to her room, putting on a show of suffering from a splitting headache and needing to rest early.
She gave herself ninety-nine points for this performance, not daring to give herself a full score for fear of becoming arrogant.
Han Xue stood outside the door and listened for a while. Only when she heard shallow breathing sounds from inside the room did she put her mind at ease and return to her own tasks.
Hearing no sound outside the door, Fu Xin Ci finally felt relieved and slipped into the space.
Since the space was upgraded, the growth cycle of grains and crops inside had shortened to three days for maturity.
Looking at the heavy ears of rice, Fu Xin Ci's worries seemed to lessen. She immediately thought of the predicaments of her companions and sighed inwardly again.
What could she do to prevent her companions from suffering in the apocalypse?
If only her companions could also travel through time and space like her.
When she saw her companions' smiling faces on her screen, she knew without a doubt that the rain had stopped.
Indeed, the moment she saw Xin Ci, Xiao Ai chirped excitedly, "Xin Ci, the rain in Dragon City has finally stopped. If it didn't, I would be moldy."
"Hahaha, Xiao Ai is right. If this rain doesn't stop, we'll all grow fur."
The trading hall was filled with laughter, and Fu Xin Ci could feel the joy in everyone's voices even through the screen.
However, in their eyes, there was more or less some hidden sorrow that only they understood.
Only the captain was an exception; he was the truly joyful one. The first thing he said to Fu Xin Ci was, "Xin Ci, do you still have lamb chops? We want to roast them."
"Yes," Fu Xin Ci replied, then suddenly changed her mind, "Why don't I give you a whole sheep? You can have a whole roasted sheep then."
"Okay."
"Xin Ci, you're the best."
Pang Dun'er led the way, followed by Xu Jia Can and Xiao Ai, all shouting "Aow!" in unison.
The captain also joined in the cheering. With the people from Long Teng taking the lead, the sorrow in everyone's eyes gradually began to fade.
Fu Xin Ci did not disappoint them either. Everyone present that day bought grain, eggs, milk, and meat.
As night fell, the captain, fearing that Fu Xin Ci's small frame couldn't take it, urged her to go to rest quickly.
Fu Xin Ci did not argue. She knew herself that frequent late nights and exhaustion were not good for her still-developing body.
Before falling asleep, she was still contemplating. She would definitely take some time to thoroughly explore the space again, as she wanted to find a way to help her companions.
The next day, Fu Xin Ci again used a headache as an excuse to stay home.
Seeing her daughter lazily leaning against a large pillow, looking a bit dispirited, Fang Shi believed her completely. Frightened, she insisted on calling Military Doctor Han to examine her daughter.
Fu Xin Ci put in a great deal of effort to appease Fang Shi.
As a result of her strenuous efforts, she fell asleep before she could finish speaking.
Hearing her daughter's long, deep breaths, Fang Shi had to abandon the idea of calling Military Doctor Han. She then instructed Han Xue and Chun Yu to take good care of their young lady and to inform her when she woke up.
Fu Xin Ci slept until noon. When she woke up, she lay by the window, staring out blankly.
Fang Shi received the news and came over. Without entering, she hid in the yard and peeked. Seeing that her daughter just looked listless and didn't seem to have any serious illness, she felt a little more at ease.
Fu Xin Ci had something on her mind, and she was also genuinely tired from before. She didn't want to say or do anything, just wanted to be like this for a while without any particular purpose.
However, this period of idleness lasted quite long. She sat there from noon until dusk, only eating two mouthfuls of plain rice and one mouthful of salted fish in between.
Perhaps it was because her mind was preoccupied with something, she truly had no appetite and didn't feel hungry.
Grandpa Meng returned from outside and, hearing from Ning'er that his eldest granddaughter was ill, came to see her.
As Grandpa Meng approached the small building, he saw his eldest granddaughter sitting by the window upstairs, smiling and greeting him.
"Grandfather."
"Is Ci'er feeling any better?"
"Grandfather need not worry. Ci'er is fine; she just needs a few days of rest."
"It's good that you're fine, it's good that you're fine." Grandpa Meng saw that his granddaughter's complexion was good, but her spirit was somewhat weak. He still said with some concern, "Ci'er, how about we all take a walk outside the yard after dinner?"
Fu Xin Ci nodded quickly to avoid worrying her grandfather.
After dinner, the whole family slowly strolled out of the yard.
Standing outside their own yard, breathing in the fresh air and looking at the scattered lights of the town, Fu Xin Ci's mood was as gentle as the early summer wind.
Since she could come here, her companions could too, they just needed a catalyst.
She was certain she would find this catalyst.
Thinking that her companions could also come here to live, under the blue sky and white clouds like herself, Fu Xin Ci's little heart instantly swelled with joy.
If she wasn't afraid of startling her family, she would have jumped up and cheered with delight.
Qi He had been paying close attention to Fu Mei Mei's every expression. Under the bright red lanterns, Fu Mei Mei's face shone with increasing gentleness, like spring flowers on distant mountains, her eyes sparkling like the rippling surface of newly formed spring water.
He knew the hidden beauty of Fu Mei Mei, which only Grandpa Meng's family and himself could see. The feeling of happiness in his heart grew like weeds, quickly becoming a half-man-high grassland.
The two Meng men and Fang Shi were also watching their granddaughter's (daughter's) face. In the afterglow of the newly lit lamps, the girl's slightly immature face appeared even more gentle and reserved.
Grandpa Meng then recalled the hidden intentions in the Marquis of Jinxiang's letter of apology, and he smiled with profound meaning.
Regarding the restraints of the capital, he still preferred his granddaughter to live freely.
And compared to Liu Chen Feng, his heart still leaned towards Qi He, whom he had watched grow up.
As night fell, Fu Xin Ci did not rush to open the notice board. Instead, she teleported, searching every inch of land within the space, from the flat ground to the mountain ranges, not wanting to miss any part.
Searching in this way, the flat ground was manageable. As long as the crops were harvested, it would be clearly visible.
What was most bothersome were the undulating hills. A thorough search of this area would take several days.
Fu Xin Ci was not afraid of trouble. She wrote a note and sent it to her companions.
The companions stared wide-eyed at the captain. Seeing the hopeful light in their eyes, the captain did not disappoint them.
"I estimate this time it will be a bit difficult."
Seeing the companions' heads droop instantly, the captain added, "We need to upgrade Xin Ci's space faster."
Yang Xin Jie quickly added, "Do you remember? Every time Xin Ci's space upgrades, it brings us endless surprises."