Chapter 33: Unpleasant Journey

Pan Yun gripped the rope with a blank expression, trying to steady herself, but the cart hit a series of small potholes and jolted up and down.

After a loud thump landed in the bottom of a ditch, Pan Yun naturally released her grip, and her entire body was flung outward…

She landed firmly on the ground, stood up, saw silver stars flickering before her eyes, and after a long while shook off the dizziness; ahead, the mule cart had already rumbled far away.

Pan Yun: …

She saw the black cat bouncing up and down on the cart roof; when it spotted her landing, it shrieked repeatedly, several times trying to jump down to chase her, but found no foothold.

Pan Xiaohei: …

Who would believe it? It could walk as easily on rafters as on flat ground, climb roofs and leap into ditches, yet couldn't jump off a mere mule cart.

Tao Ji heard the cat's shrill cries, waved the reins while shouting: "Stop yelling! This stretch is just temporary—once we pass ahead, the road flattens out. You won't sit in my lap, fine, but I don't mind you scratching me…"

Tao Ji muttered on, and Master Xuanmiao suddenly stirred, leaning sharply backward to look—Pan Yun was gone from the side-rear seat.

Tao Ji jumped in fright, yanked the mule to a halt, leapt down and rushed to the back: "She's run off again!"

"Sister, didn't you say you'd convinced her? Why's she run off again?"

Master Xuanmiao: "Shut up. Turn around. Go back and find her!"

"Can we even find her now?" Though muttering, Tao Ji quickly turned the mule around and hurried back; the already bumpy cart grew bumpier still.

Fortunately, the black cat had already jumped down during the stop and sprinted ahead.

Pan Yun walked a few steps along the roadside, decided it wasn't worth enduring such hardship, and sat down on a patch of clean grass to wait for them to return.

Tao Ji hurried the cart back, saw Pan Yun sitting quietly by the roadside, and pulled the mule to a halt with a sharp "Whoa—"; the two faced each other across seven or eight small potholes.

Tao Ji exhaled in relief and asked gently: "Why did you get off?"

Pan Yun, expressionless: "You tell me."

Pan Xiaohei leapt into Pan Yun's arms and meowed at Tao Ji.

In the end, Pan Yun held the black cat and squeezed in beside them up front; Tao Ji sat in the middle, squashed into a lump, and said: "When we reach the next post station, I'll reorganize the cart and make room for you to sit."

Pan Yun snorted: "Does Mount Sanqing have nothing for sale? Why buy things from so far away?"

Tao Ji sighed: "You'll understand after living on the mountain for two years."

Pan Yun had a bad feeling and turned to Master Xuanmiao: "At the next stop, I want to send a letter and money to my father."

Master Xuanmiao considered briefly, then agreed.

They had traveled for many days and were now far from Jingcheng and Kaifeng Prefecture; no one should be watching them anymore.

Though she thought so, before Pan Yun exchanged money, Master Xuanmiao still performed a divination, confirmed it was auspicious, then accompanied her to the bank.

"How much silver note do you want to exchange?"

Pan Yun thought, uncertain if the money would reach them safely, and said: "First, exchange one hundred taels."

That's one pan.

Silver converted into silver notes, then entrusted to the bank for delivery—of course, with a handling fee.

This was Pan Yun's first time ever sending money; after confirming the five percent handling fee, she handed over all the silver notes and took the receipt.

That night, Pan Yun stayed at the inn, troubled over how to write the letter so it wouldn't arouse suspicion, yet still let her father know it was her.

Sigh, it was her own fault—she'd been too well-behaved these past eight years, never setting any secret code with her father.

Pan Yun could only write: Old Pan, long time no see; upon hearing news of you, I learned you've been exiled to Datong—I am heartbroken…

Under the name of an old friend, Pan Yun wrote that she now dwelled in seclusion in the deep mountains, cultivating the Dao, eating well, living well, and growing healthier day by day; he should rest easy, write often if nothing's wrong, and write even more if something is.

In the letter, she told him she had sent money via the Changde Bank; he could claim it with the receipt and the delivery phrase.

As for the delivery phrase, Pan Yun wrote: "The name of my poor, beloved, deceased niece."

When signing, Pan Yun paused, then wrote: "Pan Sanzhu."

As a child, she was always sick and obsessed with cultivation—unable to go out, unwilling to go out.

Her two older brothers wanted to take her out to play, yet dared not; in their torment, the three siblings often talked about how, once she recovered, they'd take her here and there.

This world imposed severe restrictions on women, especially official families' daughters; to truly enjoy freedom outside, dressing as a boy was best.

Her second brother not only prepared boy's clothes, hats, and shoes for her, but gave her many names—all bearing "three," since she was the third child, though all were awful.

Sigh, too many names were a nuisance, but since they were all written down, if her two brothers weren't fools, they'd understand.

Pan Yun placed the receipt inside the letter, sealed the envelope, and went with Master Xuanmiao and Tao Ji to the Minxin Bureau to mail it.

Tao Ji walked beside Pan Yun and warned her: "Did you write the address of Mount Sanqing in the letter? There's no Minxin Bureau beneath Mount Sanqing—only emergency relay posts."

The Minxin Bureau was a private postal service, thriving in the Jiangnan region, with branches nationwide—including one in Datong—and delivered letters swiftly and conveniently.

This was a Minxin Bureau in Guangxin Prefecture; they chose it over the official relay posts as a final test.

No one knew whether the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Jingcheng suspected the Pan family; for these past two months, to avoid suspicion, she deliberately avoided contact with them.

If all went well, her second uncle should have returned to Changzhou by now; if not, he might still be stranded in Jingcheng.

Pan Yun looked at Master Xuanmiao. Master Xuanmiao met her gaze calmly.

Pan Yun grinned and flattered: "Master Xuanmiao, after we leave the Minxin Bureau, may I treat you to a meal? These past two months have been exhausting for you—running back and forth for my safety."

Master Xuanmiao quietly turned her gaze away and quickened her pace: "Let's go."

Beside them, Tao Ji widened his eyes, hurried ahead one step, and kept glancing back at her.

Pan Yun frowned at him, annoyed by his hesitant, tongue-tied manner, and stepped past him: "If you have something to say, say it. If not, shut your face."

"Hey," Tao Ji caught up from behind, "what do you mean, 'shut your face'?"

"The face is for seeing; the mouth is for speaking. Yet you're using your face to speak."

Tao Ji paused, gathered himself, and rushed forward again, indignant: "Why do you only invite Sister, not me? I've worked just as hard these past two months."

Pan Yun thought, then asked sincerely: "Can you find out how my second uncle's family is doing?"

Tao Ji blinked, then shook his head: "It's over a thousand li from Jingcheng—how can I find out?"

!. Read

Pan Yun: "Then forget it."

Tao Ji realized this, fell silent for a long while—he'd been wondering all this time, she was seeking help from her junior sister; no wonder she kept calling her "Xuanmiao Xianshi" and inviting her to meals.

But the junior sister really could help her find out about the Pan Tao family's situation.

The Minxin Bureau was bustling; one clerk was receiving packages at the counter, while the others were sorting mail in the back.

An old woman's envelope had illegible writing; the clerk was helping her rewrite it. Seeing Pan Yun and the others enter, he immediately greeted warmly, "Honored guests, please wait a moment."

After finishing the old woman's envelope and collecting it, he turned to the three: "What would you three like to send—letters or goods?"

Pan Yun's eyes brightened slightly. "You can send goods too?"

The clerk nodded with a smile. "We can send anything here."

Tao Ji immediately stopped her. "Don't send anything unusual—it's expensive. They have money; what can't they buy over there?"

Pan Yun glanced at him and asked, "What if you send a person?"

The clerk paused, then said, "That's not difficult either. Right next door is the escort agency. Where would your honored guest be going?"

Pan Yun now understood—when traveling, it was best to hire an escort agency. She pulled out her letter. "I'm sending a letter."

The clerk warmly attended to her.

Seeing she'd written the address in detail, he calculated the fee: "To Datong, the wine-power fee is fifty-five cash. Would you like to add insured value?"

The country bumpkin Pan Yun asked, "What's insured value?"

The clerk smiled sweetly. "It guarantees your letter or goods will reach the recipient safely and intact. If anything is lost or damaged, the Minxin Bureau will compensate."

He looked at her with hopeful eyes—would she send goods?

Pan Yun did not send goods, but she still paid for the insured value.

The insured value for one letter was small; after collecting it, the clerk stamped the envelope with a different-colored seal and placed it alone in another box.

Letters with insured value were separated from others and given special protection.

Pan Yun watched, thoroughly satisfied, and asked, "How many days until it reaches Datong?"

The clerk smiled. "At most seven days; if fast, five days."

Pan Yun relaxed. After leaving the Minxin Bureau, she began searching for a restaurant to treat Master Xuanmiao to a meal.

Master Xuanmiao was too lazy to bother. Knowing her intent, she said directly, "Give me the money you'd spend on my meal—it counts as having treated me."

Pan Yun looked troubled. "That doesn't seem right… treating someone is to build goodwill…"

"We still have a way to go before reaching Yushan County. The road is rough. I don't want to delay further. I'll go find out the information for you right away."

Pan Yun immediately pulled out money, her face lighting up like a blooming flower. "Thank you, Xuanmiao Xianshi."

She shoved a string of coins into Master Xuanmiao's hand. Seeing her accept it without disdain, Pan Yun's smile grew even brighter.

Tao Ji looked away, unable to bear watching. Pan Xiaohei also mewed and turned his head.

Master Xuanmiao didn't want to delay. She turned directly. "I'm going to find someone. You two go eat and shop. Meet me by the cart in one hour."

Pan Yun and Tao Ji exchanged glances. Neither wanted to treat the other, so they turned straight to a bun shop, bought a few buns, and ate their own purchases.

Pan Yun ate while wandering. Tao Ji fed Pan Xiaohei a bite, watching her constantly. "You're… a lady of the inner chambers?"

Pan Yun: "My family has no ladies of means. My father is just a Censor. We're poor. We rent our house. We have only one servant. Every month, my uncle, who's a schoolteacher, has to support us. Do I look like a child from a wealthy family?"

Tao Ji nodded. "Indeed, you don't look like it at all."

He looked around. "What exactly are we shopping for? I've bought everything I need. Let's just go back to the cart and wait."

Walking all this time had tired him.

Pan Yun said, "I need to buy cinnabar."

Today's and tomorrow's lucky numbers end in 1. Screenshot as proof. Join the group "Jian Zou Pian Feng Da Ming" and ask Mo Yan for your reward.

(End of Chapter)