Xi Qingyue was lounging comfortably inside the carriage, while Xi Weilan sat beside her, holding a straw in her left hand to sip milk tea and playing with building blocks in her right hand.
"Big Sister, can we drive this carriage to travel?" Xi Weilan suddenly tilted her head and asked her a question.
Hearing this, Xi Qingyue shook her head helplessly. "Lan'er, this carriage is too big and takes up too much space. There are too many people on the road, and even a mule cart can't get through. Riding Tacheng is the fastest way for us."
Xi Weilan wasn't disappointed by this answer; she merely muttered softly, "It's just that sitting on Tacheng for too long makes my butt hurt."
Xi Qingyue couldn't help but chuckle at that. She, too, found riding Tacheng for extended periods uncomfortable, let alone for a three-year-old child.
She thought carefully. They were both too young, and riding just a mule would seem odd, drawing stares. Driving a mule cart would also attract attention. It seemed no matter what they did, they couldn't go unnoticed.
If they dressed up as beggars and mingled with the other refugees, they might blend in, but they would be seen as easy prey by others. That would lead to trouble and only bring unnecessary suffering.
After weighing the options, she figured the outcome would be the same anyway, so she might as well choose a more comfortable mode of transportation. It wasn't like they were truly destitute refugees fleeing disaster—they were simply looking for a nice place to settle down.
With that thought, she smiled at Xi Weilan and said, "Lan'er, come on. Let's go pick a carriage with Big Sister. We'll set off at sunset and stop wherever we end up at night. From now on, we'll ride the electric bike in the early mornings and evenings when there are fewer people, and rest or ride Tacheng the rest of the time."
In the next moment, she and Xi Weilan arrived at a small vehicle area in a warehouse within the space. Rows upon rows of bicycles and electric scooters were neatly arranged, dazzling the eyes.
She pointed to the electric tricycles, slightly larger than toy cars, and smiled at Xi Weilan. "Go on, pick one in your favorite color."
"Okay, Big Sister!" Xi Weilan happily ran toward those vehicles.
The ones Xi Qingyue pointed at were semi-enclosed tricycles with canopies, double-seated and the smallest available. The widest of these was about one meter, even narrower than a mule cart. The key was that these vehicles suited her height—she only needed to steer.
As long as the roads weren't jam-packed with people, they could move freely. While others might cover just a few dozen miles in a day, they could travel the same distance in an hour or less.
As for possibly attracting trouble, Xi Qingyue decided not to dwell on it. One or two problems wouldn't make much difference, and chances were, they'd leave any trouble in the dust before it could catch up.
"Big Sister, I like this color!" Xi Weilan pointed happily to a small purple vehicle.
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded. "Alright, purple it is."
Then, she pulled out ten small purple electric carts, all different in design but similar in size, and arranged them near a row of generators to charge.
She figured it was a waste to let all these items just sit idle in the space. Since she wasn't afraid anymore, given her strength, if she didn't dare to use even an electric cart, she'd be completely useless.
Besides, they'd only ride it on the road, not flaunt it in the middle of a city.
The two stayed inside the village until sunset, when most people were stopping to cook and rest. After a good meal, they hopped onto the small purple electric tricycle and set off.
It was faster than a mule cart and not as bumpy as riding a mule. Xi Weilan sat in the back, thoroughly delighted.
She stood up, leaning on the back of Xi Qingyue's seat, and looked curiously at the handlebars ahead. "Big Sister, can I ride this?"
"No, you're too short. You can't even see the road ahead. When you're older, you can."
"Okay." Xi Weilan sat back down properly. On her left was a bag filled with her favorite snacks and drinks, and on her right lay a submachine gun.
She opened a bag of potato chips, took a few pieces, and leaned forward to stuff them into Xi Qingyue's mouth. "Big Sister, have some."
The purple cart sped along an empty path and soon reached the main road.
On the main road, scattered refugees had stopped to rest on both sides. Few people were still traveling at this hour, as most were exhausted from a day's walk.
When Xi Qingyue's cart entered the main road, it immediately caught the attention of nearby refugees.
Before they could get a good look, Xi Qingyue zipped past with a whoosh, leaving behind only a puff of dust and a fading purple silhouette.
"What was that just now? Are my eyes playing tricks on me?" A man rubbed his eyes and stared down the main road, but the cart had already become a small speck vanishing into the distance.
"No idea. It was too fast. Even a horse couldn't go that quickly. I didn't see it clearly."
"I caught a glimpse, but not clearly. It looked like a cart, but it was unlike anything I've ever seen."
The crowd buzzed with chatter, staring at the spot where the cart had disappeared, none of them having seen its occupants or even the vehicle's full form.
And so, Xi Qingyue sped along in her small tricycle, taking advantage of the fading light and her speed. Hardly any refugees got a proper look at the purple cart.
Those walking ahead didn't notice it until it whizzed past, leaving them coughing in the dust.
Xi Qingyue felt a rush of exhilaration. Traveling at this hour was truly amazing.
With only a few people left on the road, there was nothing to obstruct her. A simple turn of the handlebars and she could easily dodge them.
Covering dozens of miles in half an hour was no small comfort.
At this rate, they would reach Yao City by tomorrow morning, saving themselves two days of travel.
From behind, Xi Weilan kept feeding her snacks and even inserted a straw into a drink for her, fully attentive and well-behaved.
As darkness fully set in, Xi Qingyue turned on a headlight and slowed down.
After another half hour, she turned off the light and came to a complete stop.
She stepped off the cart, looked up at the star-filled sky, and beamed. "This is so much more comfortable. Driving a cart all day, struggling and suffering, and you only get a little ways. In just one hour, we've come this far. If nothing unexpected happens when we reach Yao City, we'll spend a few days sightseeing."
Xi Weilan nodded eagerly. She had hardly ever had the chance to properly enjoy a city.
Under the cover of night, Xi Qingyue put away the cart and took Xi Weilan back into the space, completely unaware that the refugees behind her were abuzz like a boiling pot of oil, all guessing what her cart was.
Even members of a merchant caravan who had been traveling the night before were discussing it with envy. "Our horse-drawn carts aren't even that fast. We'll be lucky to reach Yao City by tomorrow evening."
One of them excitedly suggested, "Manager Fang, how about we travel at night too? The main road is empty, and everyone rests off to the sides. Surely our carts can pick up speed then."
Upon hearing this, Steward Fang shook his head. “Alas, how do you know we won’t run into bandits if we travel at night? Let’s stick with the crowd. It may be slower, but at least there’s safety in numbers.”
He didn’t dare to be reckless. With so many refugees on the road, there were bound to be plenty of robbers, too, lurking in who knows what corners. It was better to play it safe.
The next day, Xi Qingyue rose at the hour of the rabbit, taking care not to wake Xi Weilan.
After washing up, she ate a few steamed buns, downed a glass of soy milk, and stepped out of her storage space. Seeing the empty official road ahead, she pulled out her small electric cart and sped along at a quick pace.
When she was still about two li from the city gate, Xi Qingyue found a spot to stow the cart back into her space.
Then, donning a wide-brimmed hat and riding her wind-stepping mount, she ambled leisurely forward.
It wasn’t until she reached the city gate, staring at the tightly shut doors and the crowd of people lying scattered and weary outside, that Xi Qingyue froze in dismay. The gates should have opened long ago. Why were they still closed?
