On the official road, two carriages sped southward, continuing until sunset when they finally saw a bustling town.

After traveling for more than three hours, both people and horses were utterly exhausted.

This was Qiao Xin’s first time riding in a carriage, and she didn’t feel particularly uncomfortable.

However, the children were a different story.

The constant jolting felt like riding a bumpy cart, and as soon as they got out, they were sore all over, barely able to stand.

The whole group, young and old, looked utterly drained.

The weaker ones, like Da Niangzi and San Niang, even vomited from the ride.

Qiao Yunqing and his eldest brother were sent to gather information.

When they returned, they reported, “We’ve only covered a little over 200 miles. This place is called Qingshui Town, which is twice the size of Jing’an Town but still within the Xitong Pass area. The next stop is several hundred miles away. There are a few inns here where we can stay. It looks like we’ll have to spend the night.”

“Then find a clean inn so everyone can get some proper rest. The children can’t endure much more. Don’t worry about the cost—if someone gets sick on the road, the money we save won’t even be enough for medical expenses.”

Qiao Yunxin originally intended for them to make do with a shared dormitory, but after hearing Qiao Xin’s reasoning, he hesitated and asked, “But, Mother, we’d need at least two rooms. Food and lodging together would cost about one and a half taels of silver. That’s not cheap.”

Qiao Xin thought otherwise.

Shared dormitories were too unsanitary—even their pigsty at home was cleaner.

Given the poor hygiene of this era, catching an infectious disease could easily be fatal. If it were just her alone, she could sleep in a tree. But the children?

No way.

“One and a half taels it is. If we run out of silver, we’ll earn more.”

Qiao Yunqing had already scouted the town and found a well-reviewed inn.

He secured two upper-class rooms, and the inn’s waiter was quite attentive, soon serving them hot water and warm food.

The whole family took the opportunity to wash up thoroughly.

The discarded bathwater alone could have fertilized three acres of land.

Of course, fetching all those buckets of hot water was no easy task for the waiter.

Feeling bad, Qiao Xin secretly tipped him five copper coins for his trouble, which made him more than willing to continue helping.

More importantly, Qiao Xin discovered that the whole family had head lice!

No wonder her scalp had been itching these past few days—she had assumed it was just from not washing her hair.

They had been so focused on getting enough to eat that they’d overlooked other issues.

Daughters-in-law Xu and Zhang, experienced in such matters, each grabbed a child and started combing through their hair, pinching and crushing the lice between their fingernails with sharp “popping” sounds.

The sight alone made Qiao Xin’s scalp tingle with discomfort.

She wasn’t afraid of much, but she had a deep aversion to these tiny creatures.

They bred fast, were hard to get rid of, and spread easily.

If even one person had them, within three days, the entire family—young and old—would be infested.

The hardships of this life left her speechless! She forced herself to ignore the “motherly bonding” scene happening beside her.

Tomorrow, no matter what, she had to buy some lice-killing medicine!

She couldn’t stand this another day!

Other ancestors in reincarnation stories had everything handed to them, enjoying a life of luxury. But as an ancestor herself, she had to earn everything!

Even though she had three potential assets in her sons, they needed time and training before they could become truly useful.

Qiao Xin lay awake until midnight, her mind plagued with the image of tiny bloodsuckers crawling everywhere.

This bedding was unbearable!

Even after washing, she still felt itchy all over. Frustrated, she grabbed her hair and forced herself not to think about it. In the end, she got up and went to the courtyard for some fresh air.

Unexpectedly, someone else arrived at the inn in the dead of night.

It was quite the entourage—more than a dozen people, including government officials.

Qiao Xin had been casually watching from the balcony, but to her surprise, one of them had sharp instincts.

He immediately locked eyes with her, his gaze full of scrutiny and wariness, like a wild beast.

Not wanting to stir up trouble, Qiao Xin calmly looked away and shut the door without hesitation.

..

At dawn, the inn was already lively. After a sleepless night, Qiao Xin got up early and went over her to-do list.

It seemed they still needed more supplies. “Tung oil, hemp rope, an iron pot, candles, an ox cart…” she listed, while Qiao Yunqing diligently wrote everything down. The family then discussed what was essential and what could wait.

“We should also buy some greens. Eating only coarse grains isn’t good—we need vegetables too.”

Her morning visit to the latrine was something she’d rather forget.

No toilet paper, and it took a lot of effort just to relieve herself.

When she finally came out, her legs were trembling.

The more Qiao Xin thought about it, the more she realized that traveling required wealth.

No matter how much they prepared, it never felt like enough.

Qiao Yunxin hesitated before asking, “Should we get another ox cart?”

“No way!” Qiao Yunqing immediately shook his head. “Ox carts are too slow and will delay our journey. The weather is getting colder, and we don’t know what emergencies might arise on the road! Aside from buying food, let’s wait until we reach our destination before purchasing anything else. Here’s the plan—Third Brother, you’ll go with Mother. The rest of us will eat and pack up. We leave at noon!”

Qiao Xin first went to the pharmacy for lice-killing medicine.

The shopkeeper insisted that she was overestimating the amount needed and only sold her two taels worth.

“This is more than enough to wipe out eighteen generations of those little pests,” the old doctor scoffed. “If it doesn’t work, come back for a refund!”

Qiao Xin reluctantly accepted the limited amount.

After leaving the pharmacy, she and her son bought some coarse grains.

While passing by a deli, they found a commotion—a heated argument had drawn a crowd.

“You old man, this is outrageous! Our Liu’s Deli has been here for over thirty years, and everyone knows our good reputation. Why would we steal your chicken?”

“If you didn’t take it, then where is it? I saw your worker grab it! Now you want to deny it? Where’s the justice in that?”

Onlookers advised the elderly farmer to back down, reminding him that Liu’s Deli was influential, with ties to the town mayor.

“It’s just a chicken—let it go. You don’t want to offend the Liu family.”

“But these chickens belong to my fellow villagers! I can’t afford to compensate them if one goes missing!”

Despite the deli’s reputation, the old man was adamant that their worker had taken his chicken.

The argument intensified as both sides refused to back down.

Standing beside Qiao Xin, a richly dressed young man with a gold coronet and a luxurious silk robe scoffed.

His robe was embroidered with emerald bamboo and golden clouds. With striking features and a single red mole between his brows, he had a regal air.

Unfortunately, despite his good looks, he had a foul mouth.

“Hah, the poor always try to extort the rich. As if a grand establishment like Liu’s Deli would care about a single chicken.”

Qiao Xin rolled her eyes. “Tsk. In this world, the poor help the poor, the rich help the rich, and the authorities side with the wealthy. To some people, being poor is a crime, and justice doesn’t even matter.”

“You woman, what nonsense are you spouting?” The young man snapped.

“Oh? Then why did you assume the old man was lying? Did you see it happen yourself?”

“I—” He was momentarily speechless, flustered by her sharp retort.

Annoyed, he challenged, “Fine! If you can prove who the chicken belongs to, I’ll give you one tael of silver!”

Qiao Xin smirked. “If you buy all those chickens for me, I’ll show you.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

“I’ll pay you back tenfold.”

“Deal!” He snapped his fan shut, his competitive spirit ignited.

The older man beside him frowned but ultimately allowed his younger brother to proceed.

Qiao Xin grinned. Time to make some money!