The night.
Everyone packed up the pickled vegetables they had snatched and put them away.
They continued to fill their stomachs with their portion of tasteless dough soup.
After eating their fill, they found a place to sleep.
Cheng Hao was no different. He directly used a teacup in the carriage to hold the pickled vegetables. He then returned the small bowl to Xiao Wu Zi, who needed to clean it and put it away.
Nowadays, all shared items had to be accounted for, not a single one could be missing. Items already allocated to each carriage were for personal use, while other shared supplies had to be centrally stored in the supply vehicles.
Cheng Hao casually placed the pickled vegetables in his own carriage. The horses and mules were in another compartment, attended by servants who fed them. They also needed to rest well, as did the people.
Many people in the convoy who were not on duty had gradually gone to sleep.
Su Miao Miao, that fellow, disappeared the moment he wasn't looking, startling him to death. Cheng Hao quickened his pace to find her.
After asking several people, he finally found her in the woods by the temple, fiddling with traps and getting herself covered in dirt.
When Su Miao Miao saw him approaching with a lantern, her eyes brightened a bit. "Cheng Hao, quickly! Come and help me test if this hemp rope is strong enough!"
Cheng Hao strode over, then crouched in front of her. Under Su Miao Miao's expectant gaze, he placed the lantern down, then grabbed her soft cheek and gnashed his teeth in anger. "Su Miao Miao, didn't I tell you not to leave my sight? In the dark, in the mountains, you still dare to run around by yourself? Are you really tired of living?"
Su Miao Miao, with her cheek being pulled, couldn't speak clearly. She grumbled a few muffled sounds and even reached out to push his hand away. Then, with her face flushing pink, she said, "I wasn't running around aimlessly! You're only a few steps away! There are so many people, even a large beast smelling so many people might not dare to come over, and we even have a bonfire lit. I was just trying to set a few traps to catch rabbits..."
As she mumbled, her topic veered off course. Cheng Hao sighed, relieved that she was unharmed. However, he still warned her repeatedly not to be reckless.
This was no longer the relatively safe world of the past, nor was it something he could control.
Su Miao Miao then realized how worried he was and admitted she was wrong. Her attitude of admitting fault was as consistent as ever, but she could also forget it as soon as she turned her head.
Cheng Hao was too lazy to argue with her and decided he would just keep a closer eye on her in the future. He watched her still digging at the soil, leaves, and grass, her fair and tender hands becoming utterly ruined.
Her fingernails were filled with mud, yet she didn't seem to mind the discomfort. He asked, "Are you done yet?"
Su Miao Miao disguised the trap again, then clapped her hands and stood up. "Done, done! I've placed the trap on a rabbit's usual path. Judging by the tracks, this rabbit definitely travels here frequently! So, tomorrow we'll have at least one wild rabbit! We can go back now!"
Seeing this, Cheng Hao also stood up and picked up the lantern. Then, holding her hand, he led her back. They didn't go directly back, but instead took her to the kitchen first. He asked Xi Shi for a basin of hot water to clean the dirt off her.
Su Miao Miao obediently followed Cheng Hao. She saw Xi Shi and Cai Shi smiling and greeting them, and she returned their warm smiles.
When they heard Cheng Hao say he was going to get water for her to wash her face and hands, the two women were greatly surprised. Seeing how affectionate the young couple was, they were very envious.
The young couple came and went quickly. Cheng Hao carried the basin of hot water, and Su Miao Miao held the lantern. They went to a small side room.
"This little bit of water isn't enough for washing! I haven't bathed in days."
Su Miao Miao whined softly inside the small side room. She really wanted to take a bath. She had no memories and didn't know how often ancient people bathed.
But she knew that she must have bathed before getting married, feeling refreshed all over.
Counting today, she hadn't bathed in two days. She had only used wet wipes to clean herself when going to the toilet, but it was clearly not enough.
Cheng Hao stood guard at the door of the small side room, without any impatience. He patiently said, "Just bear with it for now. If the village is okay tomorrow, we can all address hygiene issues. Fortunately, it's winter. Otherwise, with so many people in the convoy, we could all get sick. Just bear with it for one more night."
Although there was a well in the temple, it was indeed limited. After cooking for so many people and boiling some hot water, the well was almost empty.
It needed time to refill, so getting one basin of hot water was already good. She could wash her face and hands first, and leave the rest for later.
She could find a chance to bathe tomorrow.
This was the feudal era.
Even just the act of washing, women were not supposed to do in front of outsiders.
It was improper.
In the main hall, Cheng Hao's mother and the others used cloth curtains to cover themselves, which could still manage.
Cheng Hao could only lead Su Miao Miao out. Here, she could be a little more at ease.
After listening, Su Miao Miao became anxious inside. Suddenly, an idea flashed in her mind, and she whispered, "Don't we have a restroom? Why did you forget?"
She and Cheng Hao often went to this convenience store, and it did have a restroom.
Cheng Hao leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed and said, "I've checked, it's unusable..."
As soon as he finished speaking.
The space inside his mind displayed an image. The restroom door, which had been closed, suddenly opened with a "pop!" as he had the thought to open it, revealing its white walls and floral tiled floor.
Cheng Hao couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy shit!" and stood up straight. He said, "Su Miao Miao, you're amazing. Your lucky koi physique works anywhere, doesn't it?"
"Huh?"
Inside, Su Miao Miao had just wet a towel and rubbed it vigorously on her face. With her messy hair and flushed cheeks from rubbing, she looked utterly confused. Less than two or three minutes later, she was using the water Cheng Hao had fetched from the restroom. He had used the water dispenser in the store to boil two kettles of hot water for her, so she could finally wash herself a bit and feel comfortable.
Only then did she realize that the usable area of the convenience store in his space had expanded. It was originally only the storefront, but now the restroom and the warehouse had been unlocked. This meant they had access to the boxes of supplies in the warehouse.
Su Miao Miao was stunned.
It took her a long time to process this news. When Cheng Hao started washing up inside, she suddenly flung the door open and excitedly whispered, "If we keep going, there's a fried chicken place next door, a pizza place, a pharmacy, and upstairs there's a hot pot restaurant, a Sichuan restaurant, a fresh food supermarket..."
As she finished speaking, her eyes went wide. She stared at the young man with his chest bare, not blinking.
Cheng Hao's face instantly turned red. It wasn't that they hadn't seen each other naked before, but returning to their younger years, he inexplicably felt a sense of shame.
Then, to be seen by Su Miao Miao who suddenly opened the door, he felt as if he was being teased. It startled him, and the blush spread from his handsome face to the back of his ears, and even his entire fair chest showed a faint redness, or perhaps it was the lantern light.
Su Miao Miao, however, was not shy. She even playfully whistled a lecherous tune, her eyes darting around, looking him up and down, inside and out.
Cheng Hao had only taken off his shirt, but he felt as if he had been completely seen. He couldn't help but grit his teeth, narrowed his eyes, and said, "Su Miao Miao, are you lewd?"