Faced with the Cloud Dweller's sincere goodwill, Ding Yun could only accept it wholeheartedly with immense gratitude, secretly remembering her kindness and vowing to repay it in the future.
After all, she was in no position to reciprocate at the moment.
She could only hope for future developments, or perhaps when her farm produced some rare crops.
Following this, they each busied themselves.
The Cloud Dweller went to help Ding Yun write letters of introduction to temples she had connections with, and also tidied up the hidden weapons in the storeroom.
Ding Yun, meanwhile, began packing her belongings.
While her items could be stored in her farm, it was still necessary to make some preparations for travel. Appearing with nothing and lacking nothing would obviously raise suspicion.
Therefore, she specifically prepared a large bundle.
This would also make it convenient to retrieve things on the road.
As they both worked, time quickly passed until evening. After finishing dinner, Ding Yun went to the Cloud Dweller's room early to wait for the concealed weapons for self-defense they had discussed, hoping to feel more secure.
Even though her farm space largely guaranteed her safety, such last-resort measures were best avoided if possible.
Even if the Cloud Dweller hadn't thought of it, Ding Yun would likely have found a way to buy a dagger or similar weapon for self-defense. But now that there was a better option, there was no need to buy a dagger.
At most, she might buy some lime powder or chili water.
Just in case of unforeseen circumstances.
The Cloud Dweller did not keep Ding Yun waiting for long. After the time it took an incense stick to burn, she entered the room carrying an ironwood chest, placing it on the table in front of them with some effort.
She then opened the chest and explained:
"When I was young, I once harbored dreams of becoming a chivalrous heroine. In other families, my parents would likely have scolded me, or even forced me to copy the 'Lessons for Women' ten times over. However, my parents did not scold me. They only cautioned me to be careful when I went out.
They told me to always be on guard.
And they shared countless stories of potential dangers.
And numerous tricks used by deceivers.
I knew they might have been trying to scare me back, but they ultimately did not directly forbid me or scold me. When I was determined to go out and be a heroine, they even had many small items specially made for me.
There were poisons, life-saving medicines, and antidotes.
As well as various hidden weapons and protective gear.
Later, I used some of them. The rest are here. However, after I got married, I never touched them again.
Most of the medicines are probably useless by now.
After all, almost forty years have passed.
But the other items should be fine. Please sit down, and I will introduce them to you one by one, and also check if they are still functional. I cannot give you any faulty items. These are your last means of survival.
There can be no mistakes!"
After speaking, the Cloud Dweller invited Ding Yun to sit down and began taking items out of the ironwood chest one by one, introducing them to Ding Yun. After each introduction, she would also inspect the item for its condition.
Once she confirmed there were no issues,
She would hand it over to Ding Yun.
This process lasted about half an hour.
In the end, she only managed to select less than a third of the hidden weapons that were not damaged and still usable. In addition to these, there were two heart guards with some rust on their surface.
"Possessing private armor is equivalent to treason.
Therefore, for personal protection during outings, one can generally only add one or two heart guards to protect vital areas.
Don't be put off by the rust on these two heart guards.
The materials are of excellent quality, made of finely forged steel. As long as you don't face a direct crossbow attack, they will definitely save your life. Please be sure to wear them.
Place one in front of your heart and one behind."
After introducing all the hidden weapons, the Cloud Dweller solemnly handed the two heart guards from the bottom of the chest to Ding Yun, and once again reminded her with concern.
"Thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you.
Gold and silver carry the stench of copper and cannot express my gratitude. How about this: I actually have a batch of grain with me. Tonight, I will try to recall the details and draw a map for you. I will give it to you tomorrow.
It will be the same grain as last time.
Please don't refuse.
And thank you for these. I'll be going now!"
Fearing refusal, as soon as Ding Yun finished speaking, she immediately grabbed the handful of hidden weapons and the two heart guards and hurried away without looking back.
What she said was not entirely convincing. Claiming gold and silver had the stench of copper was merely a fabrication. The reason she said this was because she truly had no gold or silver jewelry to offer as thanks, but she also felt embarrassed to accept so many favors for free, thus resorting to this method.
At least it would ease her conscience.
As for where the grain was?
She hadn't had a chance to put it away yet. Her words just now were spontaneous. Therefore, she still had a lot to do that evening, and would have to sneak out in the middle of the night to deliver the grain.
And also draw the map.
Although the Cloud Dweller found it strange that Ding Yun wanted to thank her with grain, she was too embarrassed to ask for clarification. She tried to refuse but couldn't catch up. Seeing that it was late, she didn't pursue it further, planning to deal with it the next morning.
That night, the Cloud Dweller slept as usual, while Ding Yun stayed up late to make amends for her words.
She delivered the grain to the designated location.
And she also drew the map.
Despite being tired, she was quite happy, as she had finally released another twenty million jin of grain reserves.
Her farm could finally resume planting.
Until the warehouse was filled with grain again.
The next day, due to staying up late the previous night, Ding Yun had to sleep in a little longer. After finishing breakfast, she found the Cloud Dweller again, insisted she take the map she had drawn overnight, and just like yesterday, turned around and ran.
Not back to her temporary dwelling.
But straight down the mountain.
She needed to go down the mountain to buy some things to prepare for her journey to other cities. She also needed to inquire with various escort agencies to see if any were heading in the same direction, so she could communicate in advance.
Meanwhile, the Cloud Dweller was also not idle.
After looking at the map Ding Yun had thrust upon her, she smiled helplessly and then went down the mountain to obtain a travel permit for her. Travel permits were sometimes like this: for those with capability and connections, they could be obtained effortlessly. For those without, it would take a long time to get various guarantees and proofs.
If a minor girl tried to obtain one alone,
She probably wouldn't even be allowed to enter the yamen's gate.
Subsequently, the Cloud Dweller successfully found Ding Yun, inquired about her chosen escort agency, and spoke to them on her behalf.
She then escorted Ding Yun as she left with the escort agency.
With a sense of reluctance and a hint of worry, she watched her depart.