From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Too many people had their eyes on the courtyard where they were living. He didn’t even know how many groups had come asking about it these past few days. He hadn’t expected that now, even Deng Yuanhang couldn’t escape it.

Deng Yuanhang said, "Isn’t that the truth? I told them you’re loaded now and don’t need the Silver, but they insisted I come and ask anyway. Are you selling or not? Just give me a straight answer."

Gu Wenheng shook his head. "My wife is quite fond of that courtyard. We’ve agreed that we can come back for short stays when we have time, so we have no intention of selling it."

’Are you kidding me? That courtyard holds wonderful memories for me and Jin Qianqian. Besides, its location and layout are impeccable. Selling it is out of the question.’

"Alright, it’s good to have a definite answer. That’ll save me the trouble of these people pestering me every few days.

"By the way, when you head back, one carriage probably won’t be enough, right? If you need to rent more, you should do it quickly. Book them early, or else all the carriages will probably be busy in the coming days."

Gu Wenheng naturally trusted Deng Yuanhang’s advice. "I’ll send someone to the carriage shop to look into it when I get back. Will you be returning at the same time?"

Deng Yuanhang replied, "Yes, I am. I told my father before the new year. I have a few months left, so I need to go back and focus on my studies, to try and pass the exam to become a scholar for him. And it just so happens we can accompany each other on the journey."

Gu Wenheng, "..."

&

After Gu Wenheng became a Scholar, he gained the right to own horses. The couple certainly wasn’t going to deny themselves, so they immediately had someone select two tall, strong horses.

Jin Qianqian sketched out the materials needed for a simple shock absorber, drawing each part one by one and including detailed dimensions.

"You should design a new carriage body, too," Gu Wenheng said, looking at the familiar spring suspension. He wanted to make it even more perfect.

Jin Qianqian, however, refused this time. "Let’s not be so conspicuous for now. After all, your teacher and senior brothers will be traveling with us. If we make ours too extravagant, we’ll not only have to waste our breath explaining it, but we might also stir up resentment.

"Besides, we don’t even know how effective it is yet. Let’s test it on a regular carriage first."

Gu Wenheng said, "I’ll have Uncle Fu get a carriage frame, then. I just feel bad that the journey back will still be an ordeal for you."

Jin Qianqian replied, "We can just make the carriage body a bit bigger. We have a lot of things to take back with us on this trip."

Gu Wenheng understood. On the journey back, it wouldn’t just be him and Jin Qianqian, so some of their things would have to be out in the open.

With the help of the old artisans from the workshop, Gu Wenheng also went to the blacksmith shop to get a few key components made. He actually managed to bring everything back in less than a day.

Gu Wenheng didn’t leave the task to others. With a few servants, he hammered and banged away in the backyard, and a subtly modified carriage appeared before them.

Seeing the carriage they had built, Jin Qianqian couldn’t contain herself. She had Hong Da hitch the horses immediately and dragged Gu Wenheng straight out to the main road.

"It really works!" Jin Qianqian exclaimed, her face full of excitement. She lifted the curtain and ordered the driver, Hong Da, "Find a small path and let’s give it a try."

Gu Wenheng also leaned back comfortably against the cushions. "This will save us a lot of suffering on the journey back."

Ever since leaving home, he’d had to suffer every time the carriage rolled over a small pebble, but not anymore. In fact, because of the spring suspension installed on the bottom, the ride was smooth enough to make him feel drowsy.

Jin Qianqian nodded. ’Traveling won’t be a nightmare anymore,’ she thought. If they padded the carriage with a couple of quilts, she could probably sleep all the way back.

"Looks like we can have the workshop hurry and make a few more of these," Gu Wenheng said, rubbing his chin. ’The indentures for this group of people are still in my hands, so the secret is safe.’

He also secretly thought about discussing it with Bai Jinglie, wondering if he could bring these people with him to Dao City and set up a small branch there.

Jin Qianqian had carefully inspected the carriage before getting in; it looked no different from an ordinary vehicle on the outside. Unless you experienced it for yourself, no one would know the secret it held.

Jin Qianqian was speechless. "..."

"They’re for backup," Gu Wenheng said, seeing her doubt. "If something breaks down later, we can repair it immediately."

Jin Qianqian was speechless again. ’I almost believed you.’

"By the way, now that the return date is set, have you notified Gu Lejia?"

Gu Wenheng slapped his own forehead. "I knew I was forgetting something. I really haven’t told him."

Jin Qianqian asked, "...Are they still living in that courtyard over there?"

Gu Wenheng replied, "I don’t know. I’ve been so busy these past few days I haven’t had a moment’s rest. I’ll have Tianbao go over and check in a bit."

"And what about those people staying at the estate? Are we taking them back with us this time?" Jin Qianqian frowned; it would be difficult to accommodate them immediately upon their return.

Gu Wenheng replied, "No, let them stay here to train and learn for a while longer. I’ve already arranged it with Senior Brother Deng; they can travel with his escort agency when the time comes."

The Scholar, the accountant, and Master Wu here were all locals, and they wouldn’t necessarily be willing to accompany them on such a long trip.

It was better for them to finish their training here, so they could get straight to work when they arrived.

As they spoke, the carriage reached a rural road. Sitting inside, they could immediately feel it was much bumpier than the previous stretch of road, but it was still acceptable. After all, most of the journey ahead would be on official roads, so such bumpy sections were practically negligible.

&

"Seventh Uncle, I don’t want to go back," Gu Lejia said, blocking Gu Wenheng as he was about to head out.

"We already agreed to this."

"But I don’t want to go back now," Gu Lejia said, his eyes shifting nervously, though he still managed to summon his courage to speak. "Here, at least I have something to do and can earn a little. But if I go home, I’ll have no choice but to farm."

Gu Wenheng sized him up. The clothes he was wearing were the same ones Chen Dongjia had given him before. "Then how many Silver Taels have you earned so far? And how much do you have left?"

Gu Lejia bit his lower lip. "I don’t have much Silver left right now, but at least there’s some hope for the future here."

"The lease on the courtyard you’re staying in is about to expire. Are you planning to go out and rent a place to live after that? That’s another huge expense you’ll have to cover."

Gu Wenheng didn’t think Chen Dongjia would go out of his way to find another house for the couple to live in.

"Seventh Uncle, look, you’re about to go back, and this courtyard will just be empty. Xiuxiang and I can come and look after the house for you." The more Gu Lejia spoke, the smoother his words became. "If there’s no one living in the house, the servants underneath you certainly won’t put their hearts into it."

Gu Wenheng finally understood the young man’s purpose for this visit. "That really won’t be necessary. I hold the indentures of everyone here. Besides, my senior brother and friends have their own businesses in the area. With them looking out for the place, I couldn’t be more at ease."

Gu Lejia understood the implication. His uncle would rather trust outsiders than his own nephew.

"How can you trust outsiders more than your own kin?" Gu Lejia blurted out.

Gu Wenheng looked at him with a smirk. "I’m afraid it’s easier to invite a guest in than to ask them to leave. If these servants dare to feign compliance, I can sell them off in a heartbeat. I can always find people I can trust."