"Alright." Ran didn't refuse his kindness. She happened to need some help too. She had something to take care of.
She sold two books today and earned a thousand taels of silver. With money in hand, she naturally wanted to improve her life. Winter was coming soon.
Her thatched hut let in wind from all sides. It wouldn't survive the winter's cold.
When she first arrived, she didn't know much about this place. Back then, she had no identity or household registration. She couldn't risk being checked by the authorities.
So she had always kept a low profile. But now, she hunted every day in the mountains and gathered herbs to sell in the city. The villagers all saw it with their own eyes.
If she repaired her house now, no one would say anything. At most, they'd think she found valuable herbs. Even if they were jealous, they wouldn't suspect her too much.
More importantly, she had registered in the village. She now had proper household records. She was no longer someone living in hiding.
After teaching the loose-mouthed Fred a lesson, Ran walked toward her home. The villagers looked at her with either disgust, sympathy, or pity.
As she left, the people behind her watched with excitement in their eyes. They pointed at her back and whispered among themselves. "I didn't expect Ran to be a disabled man," an old man sighed with pity.
"Yeah, such a pity. With her looks and hunting skills, I was even a little tempted," a middle-aged man said. "What, Uncle Gen? Feeling tempted? Want your daughter to marry him?" another man teased.
"My daughter saw him once. She thought his looks were alright but felt he was too thin and short. She never decided whether to take him in.
Now it turns out he has no luck at all. Good thing she didn't marry him."
"With his hunting skills, if he were a normal man, women would be willing to marry him. Such a shame…"
Some felt sorry for her. But others were happy to see her fall. "What's there to feel sorry for? He caught Lady Bao's eye."
"No luck at all. A noble lady finally came out shopping, and he scared her away."
"Sigh, who knows how long we'll have to wait to see ladies like that again?"
Ran didn't care about the gossip behind her. Not in this world, and not even in the civilized days before the apocalypse. There were always people like this.
Their chatter was nothing compared to the online trolls from back then. Back in her wind-leaking hut, Ran took out her brush, ink, paper, and inkstone from her bundle. She placed them on the only table in the room.
Only then did she notice that the "beginner book" Old Hua gave her was actually the Analects of Confucius. She didn't recognize many characters, but she could still guess a few. Looking at the book made her head throb.
She had no choice but to put the book down.
Thinking of what Caleb had said earlier about coming over for a drink tonight, Ran took out the braised pig offal she had cooked today, cut it into small pieces, and placed them into a large bowl. Just as she finished cutting, she heard Caleb's voice at the door. "Brother Ran, are you home?"
Ran quickly walked out from the kitchen and saw Caleb standing outside the fence with a silly smile. She waved him in. "Come in."
With her permission, Caleb walked in and set down two wine flasks on the table. He glanced at Ran and saw that her expression was calm. She didn't look hurt by what Fred had said earlier, and only then did he feel relieved.
He didn't know why, but he just didn't want her to be sad. He wanted to see her smiling every day. Noticing Caleb secretly watching her, Ran suddenly looked up and met his gaze.
He quickly lowered his head with a flustered look, making Ran chuckle. "I'm fine. I've heard that kind of talk too many times. It doesn't hurt me anymore."
She meant to comfort him, but to Caleb, her words stirred a deep frustration. He knew what Fred had said was hurtful. Even he had frowned when he heard it.
But for Ran to say she was used to it, what kind of life had she been living. Caleb was a simple man. Though he didn't say anything, Ran could see exactly what he was thinking.
She sighed helplessly but didn't explain further. She just opened the wine he had brought and poured a cup for each of them. "It's over. What's done is done. Don't think about it anymore."
She pushed the bowl of braised meat toward him. "This is how we eat pig offal in my hometown. Try it and see how it tastes."
Caleb had already smelled the mouthwatering aroma in the air. But he had been too worried about Ran to notice the big bowl of meat on the table. Under her expectant gaze, he picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
The next second, his eyes went wide. It was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. "This is amazing."
Caleb nodded repeatedly. "I've never tasted anything like this. I didn't expect something this good to even exist in this world."
Hearing his praise, Ran's eyes curved with a smile. She picked up a few more pieces of pork intestine and stomach and put them in his bowl. "If you like it, eat more."
After a few rounds of food and drink, Ran hesitated for a moment before asking, "Caleb, do you know if there are any house builders nearby?" "Building a house?" Caleb put down his chopsticks. "Brother Ran, are you planning to build one?"
"Yes." Ran nodded with a smile. "You've seen this house. Wind leaks in from every corner. And if it rains, it's heavy outside and light inside."
"It was okay before, but winter is coming, and it's getting colder. A house like this won't get me through the season." That's true. Caleb looked around and nodded in agreement at the drafty house.
"If you want to build a house, you'll need to buy a residential plot from the village chief. Then have him go with you to the yamen to process the paperwork before you can start building." Caleb explained carefully.
"I already bought the land when I first arrived. No worries about that. Now I just need to find a good master builder and get the materials."
Back then, since she looked like a refugee, the village chief pitied her. She traded a gold bracelet and bought the land. Looking at Caleb, she said, "I'm not very familiar with the area."
"I know you often work in the city, so I figured you might know some skilled builders. I was hoping you could help me find someone suitable. I want to get the house built before the cold really sets in."
"Once the ground freezes, it'll be too late."
"Leave it to me. I'll go to town tomorrow and find someone!" Caleb patted his chest and promised. "But winter is just over half a month away. If you want to finish building the house before then, you'll need a lot of help."
"Do you have enough silver on hand?" Caleb asked worriedly. "It's just a simple house to block wind and rain. It shouldn't cost much."
Ran thought for a moment and said, "I've saved up a bit from hunting and digging herbs recently. It should be enough. Once the craftsman gives me a quote, I'll check how much more I need."
"If it's not enough, I'll go into the mountains again and try my luck." Caleb hesitated, then said, "The weather is getting colder now. The animals in the mountains are getting more aggressive."
"There are even tigers and wolves deep inside. It's really dangerous to go in there. If you don't have enough money, I still have some."
"I can give it to you for emergencies!" "That's your dowry. I can't use it!" As soon as Caleb finished speaking, Ran quickly waved her hand to refuse.
No way. Even if she were really short on money, she wouldn't touch his dowry. "But…"
Before Caleb could finish, Ran cut him off. "Don't worry. I have enough silver for now."
"If I really need more, I'll find another way." Seeing her insist, Caleb didn't say anything more. But deep down, he made up his mind.
If she really didn't have enough money, he would give her his dowry. He couldn't let her take risks going into the mountains. After that, the two discussed a few more things they needed to prepare.
Then Caleb took the braised meat and left with Ran. It was already getting late. Ran tidied up a bit.
She lay on the small bed made of wooden boards. She took out a thick quilt from her space and laid it out. Then she lay down comfortably.
When she opened her eyes again, the sky was already bright. Ran stretched lazily and got up. With a wave of her hand, she put the quilt back into her space.
It was still early. After washing up quickly, she sat under a peach tree in the yard. She meditated to activate her ability.
In this world, there were no zombies. Naturally, there were no crystal cores to boost her power. She once thought her ability would never improve again.
But by chance, she found out that calm meditation could also strengthen it, though very slowly. Luckily, she didn't need to use her ability much here. No need to kill zombies.
No need to guard against other people every day. This little ability was enough for her to protect herself here. Half an hour later, the sun slowly rose higher.
Ran opened her eyes. A sharp glint flashed through her eyes. She took a deep breath.
She looked at the orange-red clouds on the horizon. Feeling pleased, she stood up. She took out a big meat bun and a bag of soy milk from her space.
Then she went into the kitchen for a bowl. She poured the soy milk into it and enjoyed her delicious breakfast. Since the apocalypse, Ran had learned to treasure food.
She chewed slowly every time she ate. She always made sure to eat every last bit. After breakfast, she tidied up the room again.
Then she heard a knock at the door. Ran glanced at the time. She didn't know the exact hour, but she could roughly guess it.