Chapter 5: The White Fox

As Xia Qingfeng continued talking and pulling Xiaoxiao along, she suddenly felt the basket on her back shift. A chill ran down her spine—was it a snake? She immediately crouched down, gently setting the basket on the ground. When she peeked inside, her eyes widened in surprise.

Inside the basket, nestled comfortably, was a tiny, furry white ball—only slightly larger than the size of a palm.

Xia Qingfeng and Xiaoxiao both crouched down in astonishment. The little creature, with its big, moist eyes, stared up at them without blinking.

“This… this is a fox!” Xia Qingfeng exclaimed in disbelief.

Xiaoxiao leaned in, wide-eyed. “It really is a white fox!” she confirmed. “In ancient times, you never know what surprises await. We went up the mountain to gather herbs, and a white fox just hops into our basket.”

Xia Qingfeng slowly extended her hand to pet the fox’s head. It didn’t pull away, instead closing its eyes and seemingly enjoying the attention. Who could resist a soft, furry little creature? Both mother and daughter were instantly charmed by the fox’s cuteness.

But then, Xia Qingfeng noticed something—a faint smell of blood in the air.

She quickly checked the fox’s condition and saw that its hind leg was injured. “This poor little thing…” she murmured.

She gently lifted the fox, cradling it in her arms. “You’re a clever one, huh? You probably saw us picking herbs and decided we could help. Smart little guy,” Xia Qingfeng said with a soft smile, tapping the fox’s nose affectionately. “Well, you picked the right people to help you. Let’s get you patched up.”

The fox didn’t resist at all, remaining calm as it lay in Xia Qingfeng’s arms, perfectly still.

As they descended the mountain, Xia Qingfeng picked a few herbs along the way—mainly ones she knew could stop bleeding. They were easy to find and not particularly potent, but they would be enough to help the little fox.

When they neared the foot of the mountain, Xia Qingfeng placed the fox gently in the basket again, covering it with a cloth to keep it hidden. After all, this was ancient times, and she didn’t want to attract attention by walking around with a fox in her arms. The little creature was surprisingly obedient, staying quiet in the basket and not making a sound.

By the time they reached the village, the smoke from cooking fires had started rising into the sky. The village was poor, and the villagers only ate two meals a day, usually skipping dinner. They would lie down early to sleep, hoping that would make the hunger more bearable.

Now, with the spring planting season upon them, many families were working hard in the fields. The effort was exhausting, and most villagers had to eat three meals a day to keep up their strength. In the evening, after a day of hard work, they would hurriedly finish their meals before it got dark—many families couldn’t afford to burn oil lamps and preferred to finish everything before nightfall.

It was already evening by the time Xia Qingfeng and Xiaoxiao rushed home. They decided to have some porridge for dinner. Xia Qingfeng quickly rinsed the rice and started boiling it in the pot, her thoughts focused on the small fox she still needed to tend to.

Xia Qingfeng carefully set to work on the white fox’s injured leg. The poor creature’s bone was clearly broken—likely from a trap. Gently, she realigned the bone and applied some hemostatic herbs, all the while speaking softly to the fox. “Little white fox, this era is so backward. There’s nothing here. If only I had the sutures and tools from my hospital in my previous life, your leg would be healed in no time.”

She was in the middle of her lament when she suddenly felt the fox stir. It raised its little head and stared at her with its large, black, bead-like eyes. There seemed to be a glint of something unusual in its gaze, something almost… intelligent.

Xia Qingfeng blinked a few times, momentarily distracted by the fox’s stare. But then, something odd happened.

The room around her began to blur and shift. She blinked again, and before she knew it, she was standing in her old office—*her* old office. Her heart skipped a beat. Was this… was this the hospital? Had she returned to her previous life? 

“No, no, no. *Xiaoxiao* is still over there!” she panicked, realizing her daughter was still in their humble home. “We can’t be separated!” 

She hurriedly pushed open the door to the hallway. To her confusion, it was eerily silent. The usual hustle and bustle of a busy hospital was missing—there was no one around. *This was impossible*.

She ran to the window, only to be met with a thick, gray fog outside. She couldn’t see a thing. “What’s going on?” Xia Qingfeng thought, her heart racing. She quickly made her way to the elevator, hoping to get to the ground floor. The elevator moved as it should, and she quickly descended.

But when she reached the lobby and tried to push open the door, it wouldn’t budge. The outside world was covered by a dense fog, as if an invisible barrier was preventing her from leaving. 

“Let me out! I need to find Xiaoxiao!” she cried desperately. But before she could understand what was happening, she suddenly felt a jolt, and the next moment, everything returned to normal.

She was back in the small, humble room, the very place where she had been tending to the little white fox. Xiaoxiao was there, her face full of worry as she shook the fox, asking it in frustration, “Where did my mom go?”

The little white fox just looked at her, its expression completely resigned.

“Xiaoxiao!” Xia Qingfeng called, relief flooding through her as she saw her daughter. Xiaoxiao quickly turned and rushed over to her.

“Mom! What just happened? Where did you go?” Xiaoxiao asked, looking both confused and concerned.

Xia Qingfeng, equally bewildered, told her about the strange experience she had just gone through.

Xiaoxiao thought for a moment before speaking. “Mom, I think you just went to the space. It seems like some kind of lucky coincidence gave you a space, and that’s where your hospital was.”

“Space? My hospital…” Xia Qingfeng muttered to herself, piecing it together. “You’re right. The hospital couldn’t possibly be empty. It must have been a space.”

“Exactly,” Xiaoxiao nodded. “Try using your mind to grab something, and let’s see what happens.”

“Use my mind? What do you mean?” Xia Qingfeng asked, her brow furrowed. 

Xiaoxiao patiently explained, “It’s like imagining the hospital in your mind and then thinking of what you need. Focus on it and see what happens.”

Before Xia Qingfeng could process her daughter’s words, she suddenly found herself holding a chair in her hands. 

Xiaoxiao stared at her in stunned silence.

Xia Qingfeng, eyes wide with excitement, asked, “What happens next? What do I do now?”

Xiaoxiao recovered from her shock and said, “Now, try using your mind again to return the chair to the space.”

A moment later, the chair disappeared from Xia Qingfeng’s hands.

Xia Qingfeng couldn’t contain her excitement. “This is amazing! With this space, we’ll never have to worry again!”

But Xiaoxiao, still thinking, added, “Mom, when you disappeared earlier, your body was likely transported into the space too. Now, try commanding yourself to return to the space again.”

Xia Qingfeng gave it a try. She focused her mind, and in an instant, she was back in her old office at the hospital, standing where she had been just moments ago. 

She quickly commanded herself to return to the small house again, and in a blink, she was back in the familiar room.

“Mom, this is incredible! Now try taking me with you!” Xiaoxiao urged, her eyes full of excitement. “Let’s see if you can bring me to your space too.”

Xia Qingfeng smiled, nodding at her daughter. She grabbed Xiaoxiao’s hand and concentrated hard, speaking firmly, “Go!”

To their surprise, both mother and daughter were transported into the space together.

But just as they arrived, the little white fox, who had been watching them from the side, let out a surprised cry. “Yao yao…”

The sudden sound made both Xia Qingfeng and Xiaoxiao jump. They quickly left the space, back into their room, as the fox seemed thoroughly displeased by their strange experiment.

Xiaoxiao laughed. “Mom, we’ve confirmed it now. You really do have a space! Now, let’s try taking the little white fox with us.”

Xia Qingfeng nodded eagerly. “Yes, yes! The little fox is injured, and if I can bring it into the space, I can treat it there without any distractions. It’ll be much easier!”

Without hesitation, she carefully lifted the little white fox and, hand-in-hand with Xiaoxiao, stepped back into the space.

The adventure was only beginning, and with this newfound ability, Xia Qingfeng felt like her luck had truly turned around. This space was a blessing. Not only would it help them survive in this tough, ancient world, but it would also allow her to use her medical skills more effectively.

As mother and daughter ventured further into this strange new ability, they couldn’t help but wonder what other surprises lay ahead. But one thing was certain: together, with this mysterious power, they would face whatever challenges came their way.