Chapter 64: Arrival at Stone Tablet Village

The train rumbled steadily along.

Tang Banxia lay half-dead on the upper bunk, feeling as if her very soul was about to leave her body.

Before she boarded, she had prepared for every conceivable situation.

But never in her wildest imagination did she expect to get motion sickness in this body!

A little nausea was one thing, but when it hit, it felt like death itself.

Most importantly, she hadn't anticipated it at all, so she hadn’t brought anything for it.

The train rattled on.

“Ugh—”

Wen Mubai looked at her with deep concern. “Banxia, are you alright?”

Tang Banxia feebly waved her hand, her voice barely audible, “I’m fine—”

Wen Mubai grew even more worried.

“Do you want to eat something?”

She shook her head, “Forget it. If I eat, I’ll just throw up. Let’s leave it at that.”

Helpless, Wen Mubai could only feed her some warm water. “We’re almost there. Just hang in a little longer. Once we get off, you’ll feel better.”

Tears welled in Tang Banxia’s eyes as she nodded.

She couldn’t exactly jump off the train, so she could only endure.

Wen Mubai was beside himself with worry.

He’d even specially traded for an orange, but after eating it, Banxia only vomited more.

Tang Banxia was thoroughly exasperated. In the original host’s memories, there was nothing about motion sickness.

On the trip to the countryside, wasn’t she bouncing around energetically?

So why was it this unbearable now?

Could it be a side effect of time travel? But she’d never gotten motion sickness before!

Lost in these wild thoughts, she drifted into a hazy sleep.

“Banxia, wake up!”

She opened her eyes to Wen Mubai’s voice. “We’ve arrived.”

At last, they’d arrived.

Despite her frail frame, she summoned a surprising burst of strength—carrying a bag in her left hand, a suitcase in her right, and a basket on her back, she marched at the front, clearing the way.

Wen Mubai followed protectively, afraid she might stumble.

Following the crowd off the train, Tang Banxia took a deep breath of the cold northwestern air. The chill pierced her to the bone, instantly refreshing her.

It was still early. “Come on, let’s go eat,” she said, waving her fair hand and setting off.

Wen Mubai tugged her sleeve. “Darling, look over there—doesn’t that sign have your name on it?”

“Where?” Tang Banxia looked over and, sure enough, saw a sign with her name.

She thought for a moment. “Let’s go check it out.”

Holding the sign was a young woman, who noticed Tang Banxia approaching. “Are you Tang Banxia?”

Tang Banxia nodded.

The woman extended her hand. “Hello, I’m Lin Yue, a friend of Tang Qiyuan.”

“My big brother’s friend?” Tang Banxia blinked, repeating her question.

Lin Yue wasn’t annoyed in the least, and withdrew her hand naturally. “My husband was your brother’s classmate in college.”

“Oh, I see.”

Only then did Tang Banxia extend her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Lin Yue smiled, shook her hand, then put away the sign. “Come, I’ll take you to the guesthouse.”

On the way, she explained why she was the one picking them up. “Your brother had asked my husband to fetch you, but he had to leave on a work trip. Before he left, he entrusted the task to me.”

“Thank you, Sister Lin.” Tang Banxia knew when to show gratitude.

Lin Yue smiled and led them to the guesthouse.

With Wen Mubai’s introduction letter and marriage certificate, they booked a standard room and put away their luggage. Then Lin Yue took them to her home, showed them the way, and said, “If you run into any trouble here in Jiangcheng, don’t hesitate to come to me. I’ll help however I can.”

Tang Banxia heard the nuance in her words and thanked her politely.

It seemed her brother’s relationship with Lin Yue’s husband was only so-so; best not to bother them unnecessarily.

After leaving her home, they asked for directions and headed straight for the state-owned restaurant.

Jiangcheng’s state-run eateries mostly served local specialties.

Looking over the menu, Tang Banxia ordered a bowl of lamb noodles, Wen Mubai chose lamb stew with flatbread, and knowing his appetite, Tang Banxia added a bowl of beef noodles for him and bought a few baked buns.

The lamb noodles were springy and smooth, the lamb itself tender and falling off the bone. One bowl warmed Tang Banxia’s stomach and soothed her completely.

Satisfied, they packed the leftover buns, strolled through the streets, checked in at the educated youth office, and returned to the guesthouse.

As soon as they got back, they collapsed into bed. When they awoke again, it was already the next day.

Without delay, they checked out and boarded a coach bound for Fuxian County.

The journey was bumpy, and by the time they got off in Fuxian, it was almost noon.

They had lunch at another state-run restaurant—luckily, before leaving, they’d exchanged for some national food coupons with Stationmaster Xia, or else they’d have had to eat dry rations.

Since ancient times, restaurants have been the best places to gather information.

While eating, they asked around about Mingyun Commune.

Luck was on their side—a fellow from Mingyun happened to be there too. Hearing they were visiting relatives, he warmly invited them to travel back with him.

But when they saw his means of transport, Tang Banxia and Wen Mubai fell silent in unison.

Before them stood a truly magnificent horse—pure black except for a touch of white on its four hooves. At the sight of two strangers, it snorted and turned its head away.

“How about it? This is a fine horse!” the man said, face full of pride.

Tang Banxia nodded helplessly. It was indeed a fine horse, but neither of them knew how to ride.

In the end, the man could only point them to the bus station.

After quite some trouble, they finally boarded a coach heading to Mingyun Commune. The bus was almost empty, just a few elderly women with children.

They easily found seats.

At first, Tang Banxia wondered why there were so few people.

Soon, she understood.

Looking out the window at the riders galloping across the plains, she couldn’t help but feel a yearning.

Outside Jiangcheng stretched vast wilderness, where riders could be seen everywhere, racing across the land. The coach they rode felt like an unwelcome guest, completely out of place.

“Xiaobai, since we have a whole month here, once we see Mom and Dad, let’s learn to ride horses too, shall we?” Tang Banxia pressed her hands to the glass, watching the figures race by.

They’d spent four days on the train, and would need four more on the way back. That meant they could spend twenty days here.

Since they’d come all this way, it would be a pity not to experience the local culture.

Wen Mubai had no objections. “Sure, we’ll learn together when the time comes.”

“It’s a promise.”

Wen Mubai smiled indulgently.

The coach stopped at Mingyun Commune, and they got off.

Wen Mubai put down the luggage. “I’ll go ask about Shijie Village. You wait here a moment.”

Tang Banxia nodded.

In no time, Wen Mubai returned with an older man in tow.

Tang Banxia quickly stood up.

“Banxia, this uncle can take us to Shijie Village,” Wen Mubai explained.

Tang Banxia smiled gratefully. “Thank you, sir.”

The man’s tanned face broke into a sincere smile, and he pointed to a nearby ox cart.

Banxia understood instantly. Together with Wen Mubai, she placed their luggage on the cart and climbed aboard.

The man set off with them.

The ox cart moved slowly, which suited Banxia perfectly for taking in the scenery.

By now, dusk was falling. Under the setting sun, the yellow plains seemed to glow with a sacred light.

Her mood grew expansive and free.

Along the way, Wen Mubai asked the man about Shijie Village. The man, learning they were visiting family, told them as much as he could.

With a general idea of the village, Tang Banxia felt more at ease.

As night fell, they finally arrived at Shijie Village...