Chapter 7: The Tent

Yu Jinzhen tied up all the sacks and helped her younger brothers return to the stone cave. With ease, she then leapt up and effortlessly hoisted all the sacks inside.

Mu Guhuai, who was just about to offer a hand, stood frozen. He couldn't help but wonder: was he really less capable than his own adopted daughter?

Madam Liu, who was busy preparing a meal, noticed the commotion and asked, "Zhenzhen, what are these sacks..."

"Things we can put to good use right now," Yu Jinzhen replied.

With that, she opened the first sack and pulled out a tent. Indeed, today’s blind box delivery had yielded a tent. Yu Jinzhen glanced at the instruction manual and said, "Clear some space, everyone. I need to set this up."

Mu Guhuai and Madam Liu stared in astonishment at the gray structure, something they had never seen before.

"Is this a tent?"

"It looks incredibly expensive, Zhenzhen. Where did you get this?"

"I’ll explain it to you later," Yu Jinzhen said, keeping her composure.

The couple, sensing her reluctance, stopped questioning her. They ushered the children aside and cleared the area, ready to assist. Following the manual, Yu Jinzhen placed the tent in the center of the cave and located the activation switch. After she pressed it a few times, the high-tech, four-bedroom-one-living-room tent began to unfold automatically at a visible speed.

The manual stated that this tent came from the mid-twenty-first century. Her "express blind box" space was not only capable of receiving items from the era where she lived in her past life but, as she had heard, even items from the twenty-second century.

Once set up, the tent would not collapse unless the internal switch was triggered. Magically, if all the windows were closed, not a single sound from the outside could be heard, yet air continued to circulate. Although it looked as thin and light as an ordinary tent, it was fireproof, rainproof, corrosion-resistant, and impervious to bullets and blades. Unless it was tossed into the space’s recycling pool, no person or method could destroy it. Each room had windows; once closed, those outside could not see in, yet those inside could see out. Furthermore, the tent’s color acted like a chameleon, matching its surroundings; it now looked as if it had merged perfectly with the stone wall.

Yu Jinzhen gave the tent a firm kick, but it didn't budge. It was unclear what mechanism was at work, but despite not being anchored to the ground, it remained immovable. With a height of two point four meters, it didn't feel cramped even after spending a long time inside.

It was quite impressive.

The Mu family was stunned. They circled the tent twice and, after removing their shoes, went inside to investigate. To their surprise, it already contained beds. It was Yu Jinzhen’s first time seeing such a tent as well. She lay on one of the beds to test it and felt quite satisfied. "Although the beds are a bit low, only a finger’s width from the ground, they aren't hard at all. Each room has a bed and a small wardrobe, plus there's a living room. This will do just fine."

Mu Guhuai touched the tent cautiously, feeling uneasy. "Zhenzhen, this must be very precious, right? I've never seen such a thing in my life."

Madam Liu nodded in agreement. "It looks like a single layer of cloth on the outside, yet it's harder than stone."

Yu Jinzhen opened another sack and pulled out quilts and bedding sets. "The price is fine. It’s my first time seeing it too; someone gave it to me."

The quilts had been vacuum-sealed and looked thin, but as soon as Yu Jinzhen tore a hole in the plastic packaging, they began to expand rapidly. Everyone watched in awe.

Mu Yiyue exclaimed in wonder, "My goodness, what is this? It grew in size all by itself!"

Unable to explain the technicalities, Yu Jinzhen replied simply, "It’s just a quilt, but it was shrunk using a special method." She then placed a quilt and a bedding set on every bed. These were likely items from her previous life, merely vacuum-packed. It was early March, and in this unpolluted ancient world, the nights were still quite cold. It was a pity she hadn't received any silk quilts yet; those were even more comfortable.

Madam Liu felt embarrassed. "Zhenzhen, you should keep the quilts for yourself. We have our own bedding; we can make do."

Songshan Village was impoverished; ordinary people could never afford cotton quilts. Even if they could, they would only give them to the children. Their own quilts were usually stuffed with reeds, thatch, willow catkins, or straw.

Yu Jinzhen spoke firmly, "Godmother, please don't be so formal with me. Your old quilts aren't warm enough for the night; just use them as padding underneath. Look, there are four quilts here. If that’s not enough, my family can send more."

Madam Liu glanced at her three children, who were looking at her with hopeful eyes, and said gratefully, "Alright, we will listen to you."

Yu Jinzhen opened the bedding sets and demonstrated how to use them. In her previous life, she had a habit of washing new bedding before use. But given the special circumstances—and knowing these had come from her space and lacked any unpleasant odor—she decided to forgo the formality. Madam Liu watched the demonstration and found it simple enough, immediately starting to make the beds. She marveled at how convenient bedding had become for the wealthy.

However, upon touching the quilts, Madam Liu remarked in surprise, "These feel different from the ones I saw at the General’s Mansion. The color is whiter, and the texture is much more comfortable."

Mu Guhuai could no longer contain his curiosity and asked, "Zhenzhen, where do these really come from?"

Seeing everyone looking at her, Yu Jinzhen knew that if she didn't provide a source, they wouldn't be able to use these items with peace of mind. She had to come up with a reason.

"The people who escorted me back then have returned. It’s not convenient for them to show their faces, so they occasionally send things to make my life easier. So, if I bring out anything you haven't seen before, there’s no need to be surprised."

Everyone’s heart tightened. Madam Liu, who truly regarded Yu Jinzhen as her own daughter, asked with concern, "Zhenzhen, does... does this mean you are going to leave?"

Mu Guhuai’s eyes reddened. "If you must leave, I... I won't stop you. I only ask that if you ever have time in the future, you come back to see us."

The three children also looked reluctant to see her go. Little Mu Sanyue’s eyes welled up with tears, looking as if he were about to cry. The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.

Yu Jinzhen said helplessly, "Godfather, Godmother, I am not leaving for now. You are overthinking it. In fact, I might even stay here for the rest of my life."

Mu Guhuai asked doubtfully, "What about your family back then?"

Yu Jinzhen’s gaze grew distant. "Can those who tried to kill me truly be called family?" It was unlikely she would ever see her family from her past life again.

This was the first time Mu Guhuai had heard about her life before coming to Songshan Village. He hadn't expected that her own family had pursued her to end her life. He scrambled to apologize, "Zhenzhen, I spoke out of turn. Don't be sad. From now on, our family is your family."