Chapter 6: The Space Appears

When Xu Nian fainted, she felt herself returning to that mysterious space again, but something was different this time.

The large military tent was still there, and so were the corn and fruit trees she had planted. However, the vast expanse of black soil that had previously been empty was now shrouded in mist.

She attempted to step into it, but it was as if an invisible wall blocked her path—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pass through.

With no other choice, Xu Nian withdrew her foot and hurried to check whether the supplies in the tent were still there.

After carefully inspecting everything, she let out a sigh of relief—everything was intact.

She couldn’t afford to think too much about it. She immediately pulled out a loaf of bread to satisfy her hunger and took a bite of a spiced chicken leg.

“This is amazing! I used to hold back from eating just to maintain my figure. Thinking about it now, I must have been crazy. Doesn’t meat taste great? Mmm… so good!“

After filling her stomach, Xu Nian finally started to think about her current situation. She recalled that she had probably fainted from sheer frustration.

She had no idea why the space had reappeared, or why it seemed smaller than before, but having it was still better than nothing.

Back when she first experimented with planting crops in this space, she hadn’t used much land. She had planted just over a dozen fruit trees—mainly cherry and jujube, her favorites. The only other tree was a sea buckthorn, which had been a complimentary gift from the seller.

Looking at the trees now covered in blossoms, Xu Nian couldn’t help but feel regretful. If she had known she would end up in this situation, she would have planted apple or pear trees—at least those could fill her stomach better than cherry trees.

She walked past the fruit trees and reached the cornfield. Since it was just an experiment, the field was only about two mu in size.

Letting out a sigh, she then went to check on the small stream. Luckily, it was still there, and the fish and shrimp inside were swimming around carefree, unaware of any danger.

“I don’t know how much longer you guys can survive. If I can’t return to the modern world, you’ll all end up as my meals.”

Xu Nian dipped her feet into the stream, lazily swaying them back and forth. The cool water instantly soothed her body, making her feel much better.

But before she could enjoy it for long, an unknown force suddenly pushed her out.

As she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by family members and villagers. She stared blankly for a moment before suddenly realizing something.

Somehow, she now possessed the original owner’s memories. The moment she saw the familiar faces around her, their names and identities naturally surfaced in her mind.

Strangely, this realization didn’t bring her any joy. Did this mean she would never be able to return to the modern world? Had she truly become Xu Nian?

Seeing her daughter tear up, Tian Shi’s heart ached. “Nian’er, tell Mother if you’re feeling unwell.”

“Yes, big girl, Physician Liu said you fainted because of emotional distress. What happened?”

Zheng Shi also asked worriedly.

Not wanting them to worry, Xu Nian quickly reassured them, saying she was fine.

And indeed, she felt perfectly fine. The exhaustion from the long journey had completely vanished—only her stomach still felt empty.

It seemed that when her consciousness entered the space, the food she ate there didn’t actually nourish her physical body.

“Mother, I feel a little hungry.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll get you something to eat right away.”

Tian Shi brought over a bowl of food and said, “Your grandmother specially made this porridge for you. Let me feed you.”

Xu Nian, feeling perfectly healthy, was embarrassed to be fed and quickly took the bowl herself. Tian Shi, seeing her insistence, didn’t push further.

Taking small sips of the porridge, Xu Nian asked, “Mother, have we been resting for long?”

“Almost an hour. Your father and grandfather were called by the village chief to discuss something. We don’t know what they’ve decided yet.”

Zheng Shi and Little Wang Shi both looked worried. Not only were they concerned about their own safety, but they also worried about their families back home.

In the rush of their escape, they had only managed to send word to their families but had no idea if their loved ones had also fled north like them.

Just as Xu Nian finished her porridge, Wang Shi walked over.

“Big girl, how are you feeling?”

“Grandmother, I’m fine now. I just ate the porridge you made—it was delicious.”

“As long as you can eat, that’s good. Take advantage of the break while the group is resting and get some proper rest.

Second and Third daughters-in-law, go and watch over the children while they rest. The road ahead will likely be even more difficult.”

Xu Nian stood up and stretched, taking the opportunity to observe her surroundings.

They were currently resting at the foot of a mountain. The two groups of refugees they had encountered earlier were nowhere to be seen, but it was clear that the atmosphere had changed significantly from the previous days.

Most of the village men were sitting on the outer perimeter, resting but also staying alert in case of danger.

As Xu Nian was scanning the area, Xu Laoye and Xu Yaozu finished their discussion and walked back.

Seeing that his daughter was unharmed, Xu Yaozu was visibly relieved, while Xu Laoye repeatedly said, “Good, very good.”

Gathering the family together, Xu Laoye shared the village chief’s decision.

“After discussing with the village chief, we’ve decided to continue heading north. However, this time, our destination is Beijiang.”

“Beijiang? Isn’t that really far?” Wang Shi’s heart sank.

Xu Laoye didn’t answer directly. If he told them they needed to travel over 3,000 kilometers, everyone would lose their determination before even setting off.

“The village chief said Beijiang is the fief of the Northern Frontier King. He has guarded the northern border for decades without a single war breaking out, proving the strength of the Northern Frontier Army.

Moreover, we have no other choice. The imperial court has no resources to take care of refugees like us. We must find a place that can offer protection.”

Hearing his words, the Xu family fell into silence. They knew he was right, but leaving their homeland wasn’t something they could easily accept.

Breaking the silence, Xu Yaozu added, “Because of the drought, we can’t keep traveling on open roads like this. Tomorrow, we’ll be entering the mountains as a group.”

“Why are we heading into the mountains again? What about our carts?” Wang Shi was already anxious, and this news only made her more nervous.

“We can’t take the carts into the mountains. We’ll load what we can onto the handcarts, and the donkeys can carry some supplies as well.”

“But the cart cost over 600 wen!” Wang Shi’s heart ached at the thought of abandoning it.

Seeing his wife still worried about money at a time like this, Xu Laoye grew frustrated. “Is money more important than our lives?”

Xu Nian felt conflicted. She didn’t know whether she should reveal the existence of her space.

Though the Xu family had always treated her well, she had never dared to underestimate human nature. Wouldn’t such a heaven-defying ability inevitably spark greed?

If she didn’t say anything, she wouldn’t be able to avoid using the resources in her space during their journey. How would she explain it then?

Suddenly, an idea came to her. No matter what, she had to give it a try. If it worked, great. If not, then she would just hide in her space and survive however she could.

At worst, she would be alone again. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t lived that way before. Xu Nian gloomily comforted herself.

That night, Tian Shi, who was sleeping beside Xu Nian, was startled awake by murmuring.

Feeling nervous, she sat up and looked over, only to realize that it was her daughter talking in her sleep.

Amused, she reached out to wake her up, but no matter how much she called, Xu Nian wouldn’t wake.

Growing anxious, Tian Shi had no choice but to wake up her mother-in-law, Wang Shi.

“Mother, Nian’er seems to be having a nightmare. I can’t wake her up no matter what I do.”

Wang Shi walked over and listened carefully. She heard her eldest granddaughter mumbling something about a ‘goddess’ in her sleep.