From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him-Chapter 60 - 61: Guo Yurong

Seeing that all the plates were empty, Guo Yurong finally, and somewhat reluctantly, set down his bowl and chopsticks.

"This food is so delicious. A little wine would have made it absolutely perfect."

Gu Wenheng carefully shifted the beer bottle from behind his back to behind Jin Qianqian. He had initially considered offering their guest a drink, but after seeing him wolf down his food, he changed his mind.

However, the man had been so focused on eating that he never brought it up, so it seemed he wasn’t too concerned with drink anyway.

"So, you two just rest in the mountain forest like this at night?" His appetite sated, Guo Yurong now had the leisure to observe his surroundings more closely.

"By the way, I’ve enjoyed your hospitality, yet I haven’t asked for your name."

Gu Wenheng simply introduced himself and Jin Qianqian, neatly sidestepping the man’s previous question.

The man didn’t seem to mind. He simply looked up, staring at the lamp hanging overhead. "Was this also bought from that foreign merchant?"

Jin Qianqian nodded. "You think it’s practical, too, don’t you? It’s a shame the merchant only had one, and its use is limited. Once whatever is inside runs out, it won’t light up anymore."

"Such a strange and wonderful thing exists?" Guo Yurong gently reached out to touch it, then quickly pulled his hand back. "It’s not hot?"

Jin Qianqian stifled a laugh, while Gu Wenheng pinched his own palm. "We have no idea what makes it light up. It’s not hot, no. It took a great deal of effort to convince the merchant to part with it."

"You two are quite lucky," Guo Yurong said, unable to resist placing his hand on it for a moment. The smooth texture made him feel the object was even more rare and precious.

He wasn’t a fool; he understood the meaning between their lines. As much as he liked the object, he couldn’t possibly force them to give it up. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"I’ve imposed on you today. It must be fate that we met, and you two young friends have treated me to such a wonderful meal. This is just a small token of my appreciation, please don’t refuse it." With that, he took out two brocade bags and placed them on the table.

Seeing their puzzled expressions, Guo Yurong recalled their reaction when he’d first said his name. ’It seems they truly aren’t people of the martial world and don’t recognize me.’

"These are beast-repellent pouches I prepared myself. Just carry them with you, and the wild animals on this mountain will give you a wide berth."

Jin Qianqian asked, "Are you a physician?"

Guo Yurong shook his head. "My ancestors were involved in preparing medicines. These are just some inherited formulas, and their effectiveness has been proven over many generations."

Gu Wenheng said, "Thank you so much. This is exactly what we need right now. Unfortunately, we have no worldly possessions to offer you in return. Please forgive us."

Guo Yurong walked over and, mimicking Gu Wenheng’s earlier action, pulled the zipper. He exclaimed in admiration again, "This mechanism is designed so cleverly. A door curtain like this is truly a work of genius."

Jin Qianqian pinched Gu Wenheng, desperately trying to suppress a disrespectful laugh. She didn’t realize that the man in front of her was using that very sliver of pain to force the smile from his own lips.

Once outside the tent, Guo Yurong expressed his admiration a few more times before finally bidding them farewell.

Aside from sharing a hotpot meal, neither party knew the other’s origins or destination, and neither intended to press the matter.

They had thought this was merely a chance encounter, a brief intersection of their paths, but they never expected their fates would be so intertwined.

Once Gu Wenheng was certain the man was no longer nearby, he went back into the tent and zipped it closed.

"We have to be more careful from now on. If we had tried to pop into the space just now, our shadows under the light would have definitely made him suspicious." Gu Wenheng felt they needed to be even more cautious in the future.

Guo Yurong might not have believed his excuses, but at least he wasn’t the type to dig for the truth. If it had been someone with ulterior motives, Gu Wenheng might have even considered killing them to silence them.

"I was so nervous. I assumed we were all alone in these deep mountains. If anything were to appear, I would have thought it’d be ghosts or monsters." Jin Qianqian felt her heart wouldn’t be able to take it if things like this kept happening.

"Now that our story about the ’foreign merchant’ is out there, we’ll just have to stick to it. It actually gives us a good excuse for pulling things out."

Jin Qianqian was curious about Guo Yurong’s background. "He was carrying a sword... do you think he’s from the martial world?"

"You know about the martial world?" Gu Wenheng laughed. "I wonder if the legendary kung fu actually exists. I’m getting the itch to find a master and become an apprentice."

Jin Qianqian placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed down. "Your bones have already set. You probably wouldn’t get very far in your training. You’d better find another path!"

"So, the great swordswoman was hiding her skills! You saw right through me." Gu Wenheng was happy to play along. The two began a playful back-and-forth, like a game of Tai Chi, getting so absorbed they almost forgot where they were.

"What do you want to do in the future?" Jin Qianqian asked, suddenly staring at him seriously. "You’re not planning on going back to Kao Mountain Village to farm that little plot of land, are you?"

Before, they had been focused solely on escaping with their lives. Now that they finally had a moment of peace, it was time to start planning for the future.

"Scholar, farmer, artisan, merchant," Gu Wenheng muttered. "Based on our economics background, being merchants would be the best choice."

Jin Qianqian asked, "So you want to go into business?"

Gu Wenheng shook his head. "No. I want to be a scholar *and* a merchant. This world doesn’t care about democracy or fairness. If all you have is money, it’s not enough to protect you from being fleeced layer by layer.

A scholar? Without connections, you can’t climb to a high position. That’s why I want to be a man above others, one with both money and status. That’s the only way to ensure you’ll never be wronged."

"And what about me?" Jin Qianqian asked, pointing to herself. "What can I do?"

"Everything I have will be yours," Gu Wenheng said, patting her head reassuringly. "You’ll be the lady of the house. Everything we own will be registered in your name."

Jin Qianqian gave him a skeptical look. "You’re the one who said it. I’m going to take you at your word."

Gu Wenheng said, "Don’t forget, I’m a refugee with nothing to my name. Our family is being built on your dowry. No matter how much wealth we accumulate in the future, it will all be yours."

Staring into his serious eyes, Jin Qianqian knew that her "senior" was making her a promise.

"Sigh, it’s too early to be talking about all this," Jin Qianqian said, breaking the serious mood. "Right now, we should be thinking about how to survive and where to find a place to settle down. That’s what’s most realistic."

Gu Wenheng was speechless. "..." ’What a little expert at ruining the mood. She manages to do it every time.’

&

Gu Wenheng pulled the quilt tighter around himself, not forgetting to instruct his eldest son, "Tell the men on the night watch to be on high alert. If anything seems wrong, they are to notify everyone immediately."

He was haunted by a lingering fear now, always feeling that something in the dark, gloomy mountains was watching them.

His son tucked another garment over his legs and said, "Rest easy. I will go and give the order again."