CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 147: SWITCHING TO THE WATER ROUTE

After filling up with steamed buns, they began to worry about how to sleep.

Yu Xiaolian leaned close to Mrs. Sun and whispered, "Mother, I have a foldable simple tent in the supermarket, should I take it out?"

Mrs. Sun thought for a moment. They were going to Yu State for less than two months. If traveling by land, it would take at least two and a half months, and along the way, they would inevitably have to camp out again.

"Take it out! The earlier we utilize it, the less we’ll suffer for nothing."

Besides, she had already told her mother and Fengshou that her daughter was the daughter of an immortal, sent down for a trial. The immortal had given her daughter treasures, so they should be somewhat prepared.

This simple tent wasn’t something their supermarket sold; their store didn’t sell such items.

This tent was actually bought by Yu Xiaolian during her college days when the whole family went camping. It had been kept under the bed in the supermarket’s break room ever since.

Yu Xiaolian bought this simple tent on a certain online store. She chose the one-button pop-up style that required no setup, and it was an upgraded version, with thick materials and spacious enough for three or four people to sleep in.

Everyone heard a "boom," and suddenly there was a house in front of them, prompting them to click their tongues in wonder.

Though it was dark and they couldn’t see clearly, it didn’t stop them from gathering to look and touch it.

Yu Xiaolian also took out a moisture-proof mat, laid it inside the tent, and brought in a quilt from the car. "Mother, tonight you and Grandma can take Little Tiger and sleep in this tent!"

Mrs. Sun nodded, "What about you?"

"The three of us will manage for one night in the carriage."

In fact, Yu Xiaolian could totally set up another tent, but this thing was easy to set up and a bit troublesome to pack away, and Yu Xiaolian was too lazy to deal with it.

Yu Changhe said, "Not everyone can sleep, someone needs to keep watch."

"Fengshou, I’ll keep watch the first half of the night, and I’ll wake you for the second half!"

Sun Fengshou nodded in agreement. Indeed, not everyone could sleep; what if the horses ran off?

Mrs. Sun called, "Sanyan, you come to sleep in the tent too, there’s plenty of room in here."

All squeezed in one carriage, her daughter would definitely not sleep well.

Zhao Erya brought Sanyan to the tent and then returned to the carriage.

In the tent, Little Tiger was asking Grandma Sun how the big house appeared.

Grandma Sun, remembering her daughter’s advice, lied to her grandson, saying, "This thing is a tent your uncle bought in Yangcheng and kept tied behind our cart. Didn’t you notice, you little muddlehead?"

With so many miscellaneous things tied behind the cart, he hadn’t looked carefully, how could he know there was this thing!

Little Tiger happily rolled around inside the tent, and when he saw a black little figure come in, he grabbed her hand, "Come sleep with me!"

"No way!" Mrs. Sun pulled Sanyan to her side.

Turning her head, she told Little Tiger, "You sleep next to your grandma."

Then she pulled Zhao Sanyan to her side and said to still giggling Little Tiger, "Time to sleep, no more laughing."

Yu Changhe kept watch until the eastern skies showed faint signs of dawn before waking Sun Fengshou.

Sun Fengshou was about to say he’d come to take over late, but saw Yu Changhe gesture for silence.

Yu Changhe silently said, "Don’t wake them!"

Sun Fengshou nodded and went to sit on the stones by the roadside.

When the day was fully bright, Grandma Sun was the first to wake up.

She found a spot to relieve herself, then came back and whispered to her son, "Before we leave, you should feed and water the horses. Don’t wait for your brother-in-law to do it."

Sun Fengshou agreed and quietly picked up two wooden buckets to fetch water by the river.

By the time everyone gradually woke up, Sun Fengshou had already fed and watered the two horses.

When Yu Xiaolian was packing the tent, Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou had already hitched the carriage.

The family set off again, walking and resting, and finally arrived at Bohai City by midday on the sixth day.

Bohai City, situated by the sea and in a remote location, was bustling precisely because it was by the sea, serving as the only sea route for ocean-going cargo ships delivering goods northward. It was considered a hub for merchants from the Northern Land.

Seeing all sorts of hurried merchants on the street, Yu Xiaolian couldn’t help but think how much busier Bohai City was compared to Yangcheng.

After they all settled into the inn, Yu Changhe went to find the innkeeper to inquire about the departure times for passenger ships going to Lu State.

Yes, they decided to take a ship. They were fed up with the hardships of coach travel, taking a detour that was ten times longer. It was just not worth the hassle; the whole family unanimously decided on taking a boat.

The innkeeper asked Yu Changhe where they were bound, and Yu Changhe said Yu State, explaining they planned to traverse Lu State to get to Yu State.

The innkeeper informed Yu Changhe that a boat to Lu State had just left that morning and it would be another five days before the next one.

The innkeeper kindly reminded Yu Changhe, "There’s a boat leaving for Jizhou tomorrow. If you’re heading to Yu State, you could also disembark in Jizhou."

After thanking the innkeeper, Yu Changhe went back to discuss with the others, mainly his daughter because only she could read the map.

Yu Xiaolian, having just finished her bath, was called to a meeting.

"Let’s wait for the Lu State boat. The span across in Jizhou is too wide."

Besides, Yu Xiaolian had her own little plans. With so many merchants in Bohai City and ocean-going ships, she wanted to take the chance to sell some unique items and make a profit.

Mrs. Sun said, "Let’s listen to our daughter, consider it a five-day rest!"

Sun Fengshou asked, "If we’re switching to water travel, what about our horses?"

"We’ll have to sell them first and buy more once we reach Yu State."

Even though the space could hold living things, horses were too big, and there were two of them. The supermarket was packed with shelves, leaving no additional space for large creatures.

Thinking about selling the horses, both Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou felt reluctant, and everyone felt a bit unwilling.

But there was no choice; traveling by water would save a lot of time, not to mention sparing the effort of driving the carriage and worrying about feeding and watering the horses.

Mrs. Sun looked at Yu Xiaolian, "Selling them means we’ll still have to buy new ones in Lu State, right? Didn’t you say it’s still quite a distance from Lu State to Yu State?"

"What else can we do? Although it’s a bit of a hassle, the water route is indeed much closer."

Ten times closer!

Mrs. Sun reluctantly agreed, "Alright, just sell them!"

Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou moved the quilts and clothes from the carriage into the guest room, then went to sell the horses.

"Mother, you and Grandma should also take a bath. It’s been a long journey; we’re all dusty and we stink."

Yu Xiaolian had been the first to bathe. Upon arriving at the inn, she requested a bucket of hot water; she hadn’t bathed for over ten days and even felt repulsed by herself.

"I’ll go ask for hot water. I’ll help you and Grandma scrub."

Mrs. Sun blushed crimson, "No need, I can wash myself."

"You’re heavily pregnant. What if you slip? I can’t rest easy with you washing yourself!"

Unyielding, Yu Xiaolian asked the waiter to bring up another bath bucket.

She handed the waiter half a tael of silver, "Boil more water; my whole family needs to bathe, and we’ll need a lot of water."

In this room, Yu Xiaolian assisted her mother and grandmother with their baths, while in the next, Zhao Erya, after washing herself, washed Sanyan.

Finally, it was Little Tiger’s turn. No matter what, he refused to let the women bathe him; whether it was his aunt or grandmother, he wouldn’t allow it. He insisted on waiting for his father to return to wash him.

Yu Changhe and Sun Fengshou soon returned; they sold the two horses and the carriage for three hundred taels.

Instead of losing money, they actually made a profit, and both were quite pleased, marveling at how wealthy the people of Bohai City were.