Cheng Hao rummaged through his bag and found a gaudy peach-pink padded jacket for her.
It was originally made for the maids by the manor, but since all the maids had fled and they didn't have the key to the storeroom, these new clothes weren't looted.
The old butler had picked out two pieces for them.
The rest should be distributed to others.
Su Miaomiao didn't mind its ugliness and put it on right away, as long as it was warm.
This was not the time to be fussy.
Afterward.
Unbeknownst to whom, the heavens changed, and a strong wind raged, giving the feeling of an impending storm.
A convoy of carriages made its way with difficulty along the mountain road. Due to the weather, visibility was extremely low.
The speed could not be increased much.
Su Miaomiao had slept for the entire afternoon and her stomach was now rumbling.
Cheng Hao held her and asked if she was hungry.
Su Miaomiao nodded and whispered into his ear, "I want to see your space..." With that, she looked at Cheng Hao expectantly, waiting for him to show her.
She wasn't worried at all that he wouldn't show her. Unless it involved safety and life, Cheng Hao had never refused her anything since childhood.
Su Miaomiao used to be able to have anything she wanted from him, and if he didn't have it, he would find a way to get it for her. He was more capable than her grandparents, her paternal grandparents, her parents.
When she was young, he would chase her to feed her, which was why she was so attached to him.
Cheng Hao was also stunned. He didn't know how to show it to her.
He hadn't tried it before.
But being a boy who was naturally proud, he reached out to the back of Su Miaomiao's head, his slender fingers enveloping her soft black hair. Then, he pulled her towards him. Su Miaomiao, her face flushed, was abruptly pulled closer, their breaths mingling.
Foreheads touched.
Eyes met.
Su Miaomiao blinked, looking at his handsome phoenix eyes and his long eyelashes.
Cheng Hao's ears turned red, and he then said, "Close your eyes and concentrate."
Su Miaomiao suppressed a giggle and obediently closed her eyes, saying, "Okay."
Cheng Hao restrained his emotions, closed his eyes, and focused intently, trying to sense his space.
He could feel her presence.
When the familiar convenience store appeared in his consciousness, Su Miaomiao also saw the items inside. It was a hundred and twenty square meters wide, with a dazzling array of goods.
This was actually a store they frequented, but it was the first time they were seeing it from this perspective. It felt truly magical.
This store was not a chain, but it was quite large, stocking clothing, food, medicine, and daily necessities.
The shelves were fully stocked, and the convenience food section, which she loved, had sandwiches and various types of pre-packaged meals, as well as bread and cakes.
Su Miaomiao chuckled at the sight and whispered, asking if she could go in.
Cheng Hao's answer was no.
He had already tried while she was asleep. People couldn't enter, only items could be moved in and out.
It was likely that only inanimate objects could enter.
Su Miaomiao said with some regret, "It would be great if people could go in."
Cheng Hao reached out and gently stroked her hair, comforting her, "Just having this is already incredibly miraculous."
Su Miaomiao thought about it and felt it was true. Having something was better than nothing, at least they wouldn't go hungry.
Since the other food had a strong smell, Cheng Hao took out a bag of butter bread and a bottle of yogurt. He handed them to Su Miaomiao, who began to eat them. He also ate a couple of bites to fill his stomach, then informed her and went back to organizing things.
In the previous bridal chamber, according to custom, dowries had to be left to air in the bridal chamber for a night before being stored in the storeroom. Coincidentally, Cheng Hao packed them all up and sent them into the space.
The entire space was that convenience store. Retrieving items only required conscious effort. Since people couldn't enter, the aisles could also be utilized.
The various chests and boxes that were stored were neatly stacked in the aisles. There were twelve in total, containing twelve sets of clothes and shoes for all seasons, twenty-six bolts of fabric, including twenty bolts of cotton and six bolts of silk, one jewelry box, and all sorts of gold and silver treasures.
At the bottom of the chests were three hundred taels of silver.
Additionally, there were ten sets of bedding, a dressing table, and a large carved rosewood wardrobe.
Cheng Hao did not take the wardrobe; all other items were stored in the space.
The food he had scavenged from the kitchen was also placed in the aisle in front of the convenient food shelf, making it easy to retrieve later. Furthermore, from his experiments, time seemed to be frozen inside, as the oden at the checkout counter was still steaming.
Besides the dowry, what remained were the original owner's belongings. In his own wardrobe, there were at least twenty-odd sets of new and old clothes, and over a dozen pairs of shoes.
Additionally, he had two hundred taels of silver saved up. Since the Cheng family had not yet divided, this was saved from his usual monthly allowance. Besides this, there were also many gold, silver, jade items, and jewelry, all of which Cheng Hao had collected.
The clothes were piled into the clothing section of the convenience store. The clothes in the store were all basic styles. Cheng Hao also placed Su Miaomiao's dowry clothes on the shelves.
After organizing the items, it would be much more convenient for him to retrieve them next time.
Cheng Hao also had a bit of a compulsive tendency, feeling that rough categorization made him more comfortable.
The silver was placed in the checkout counter.
Other less frequently used items like fabric and quilts were also placed in their original sections in the convenience store.
After finishing everything, Cheng Hao patrolled around and felt satisfied with the neatly organized space.
Only then did he emerge from the space. As soon as he opened his eyes, he tightly grasped Su Miaomiao's hand. When she noticed his return, she snuggled up to him and said, "The wind outside is so strong, Laifu asked me to close the carriage door."
This carriage was originally used for long-distance travel. The carriage had not only cloth curtains but also a wooden door. If it was cold or raining, it would be closed.
In the summer heat, if it felt stuffy, it would not be closed, and only the cloth curtains would be lowered.
Now, with the fierce wind raging outside, the tree trunks were bent over. The carriage's progress was becoming increasingly difficult.
Su Miaomiao felt the carriage swaying a bit and couldn't help but lean closer to Cheng Hao anxiously.
Cheng Hao directly held her in his arms and asked the outside, "How much further is it to the resting place?"
Laifu heard him and shouted, "We should be close. If the bend ahead is the right one, then after we go around this bend, we should reach Tian Gong Temple!"
Cheng Hao replied, "I understand. The wind is strong outside! Be careful!"
Laifu responded loudly, and Uncle Ji also told Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao not to worry. Once the convoy rounded this bend, they would likely arrive.
He probably hadn't miscalculated.
Indeed.
Before Cheng Hao could reply, the strong wind outside brought the joy from ahead.
Everyone couldn't help but cheer, saying they saw a firelight there, which meant they had arrived. However, there were still people inside, and the situation was unknown.
This was when having a group of people was beneficial. Cheng Hao felt again that following the convoy was the right decision.
The Cheng family head sent two strong men to investigate the situation. If they encountered danger, they would run back.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao could hear them, so they waited tensely for their return.
The dead branches and leaves blown by the strong wind were also quite dangerous, constantly hitting the carriage.