Carving had been Yunyi’s favorite pastime during her previous lifetimes.
She had previously transplanted a Huanghua Elm—known as the northern pear tree—into her space, as well as a Fraxinus Mandshurica. She had been thinking of asking someone to procure a set of carving tools for her, so she was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon them today.
She had just been wondering how to ask the owner to part with them when the matter practically settled itself. "Alright," Yunyi said, "name your price. If I can accept it, I’ll take them."
The man looked conflicted, but he finally gritted his teeth and stated a price: "Thirty yuan."
Perhaps fearing she would find the price too high, he quickly added, "I’m really not overcharging you. An elder in my family once said that Mystic Iron was added when this set of carving tools was made, making it very precious."
It was unclear whether the man feared Yunyi wouldn’t want them or was simply reluctant to part with a family heirloom, but by the time he finished speaking, his forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs noveⅼfire.net
Yunyi didn’t haggle. "Alright, I’ll take this set."
Hearing Yunyi’s words, the man closed the wooden box and clutched it to his chest, his reluctance evident.
Yunyi took out thirty yuan and handed it over. "Here, take this money."
The man carefully took the money and put it away. He caressed the wooden box once more before handing it over, his face etched with reluctance. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately, no words came out.
Yunyi accepted the box. "Don’t worry," she assured him, "I’ll cherish these tools."
Hearing Yunyi’s assurance, the man looked immensely grateful, a wave of relief washing over his face. He gave the wooden box one last look and said, "Thank you."
With that, he turned and trotted away.
Having acquired what she wanted, Yunyi no longer felt like lingering at the salvage station. She walked on for a short distance, found a deserted alley, and stored the box in her space.
She then retrieved her bicycle from her space and prepared to head back to the village.
She planned to go up the mountain again to find more trees suitable for carving and store them in her space as well.
Besides, after my trip to Tang City, the white mist in my space has receded quite a bit. There’s so much more room now; storing a few trees shouldn’t be a problem.
To her surprise, not long after leaving the county town, she saw someone on a bicycle ahead of her, wobbling precariously before veering off the roadside and tumbling into a ditch.
She quickly pedaled closer, propped up her bicycle, and peered into the ditch, calling out to the fallen person, "Comrade, are you alright?"
The bicycle lay overturned in the ditch, pinning the rider underneath. Its rear wheel was still spinning—a clear indication of how fast the person must have been going.
After a moment, the person finally groaned, "Ouch, that fall nearly killed me!"
By now, Yunyi could see that it was an older woman pinned under the bicycle. Glancing around and seeing no one else to help, she had no choice but to jump into the ditch herself.
First, she carefully moved the woman’s leg, which was caught on the bicycle. Then, she lifted the bicycle aside. "Big Sister," she asked, "try to move a little. See if you’re injured anywhere."
The woman seemed to have recovered a little. "Oh my goodness," she exclaimed, "I nearly met my maker!"
She then looked up at Yunyi and tried to move her limbs. "Thankfully, I can still move. Thank you, young lady."
Seeing that the woman seemed unharmed, Yunyi finally relaxed. "Let me help you up then."
Judging by this woman’s build, she must come from a well-off family. She helped the woman to her feet. "I’ll help you out of the ditch first, then I’ll get your bicycle."
The woman glanced at the depth of the ditch, then at Yunyi’s slender figure. "Let’s do it together. I’m afraid it’ll be too much for you on your own."
Working together, they managed to pull the bicycle out. Seeing the woman’s disheveled state, Yunyi couldn’t help but chuckle. "Big Sister, how on earth did you manage to ride into the ditch?"
The woman looked thoroughly embarrassed. "Ah, I was preoccupied with something and got distracted. It’s also my fault for riding too fast. The front wheel hit a stone, and I panicked, losing control."
Seeing that she was truly unharmed, Yunyi said, "You really must be more careful not to get distracted when cycling in the future. Look how dangerous that was! If you’d been seriously injured, imagine how much you would have suffered."
The woman seemed good-natured. She patted the dust off her clothes and said, "That fall nearly knocked me senseless! I won’t dare let it happen again."
As Yunyi spoke, she walked over to her own bicycle. "Alright then, Big Sister. Ride slowly later. I should get going."
Hearing Yunyi was about to leave, the woman quickly called out to stop her, "Hey, young lady, please wait a moment!"