Gu Zhang grew excited. "That's wonderful, just wonderful. I was just worrying about how we'd get by with no silver left in the house."
Then his expression turned troubled. "But I'm your father, I'm supposed to provide for you. Doesn't this mean you're the one supporting the whole family now?"
Gu Fei waved her hand dismissively and took out another apple, handing it to Gu Zhang. "Dad, don't worry about pointless things like that. We're family. It doesn't matter who supports who."
"Besides, that's not what I wanted to talk about. We need to leave the north and head south, quickly."
Gu Zhang took the apple and tucked it into his robe. "Why? Don't we have food now? We don't have to flee the famine anymore."
Gu Fei shook her head. "Just a moment."
She closed her eyes, her consciousness sinking into her space, and began to rummage through her personal belongings.
She remembered the day her Space Ability had awakened. In her excitement, she had put everything from her rented apartment into it.
After searching for a while, Gu Fei finally found what she was looking for: her sophomore year history textbook!
Thankfully, she was so used to being poor that she couldn't bear to throw anything away.
Nothing would be more persuasive than this.
Gu Zhang stared blankly as his daughter closed her eyes, looking as if she had lost consciousness. He was just starting to panic when she suddenly opened them again, a book having appeared in her hand.
Gu Fei flipped to the section on the Da Ying Dynasty's great drought and had Gu Zhang read it for himself.
Gu Zhang frowned. The text in the book was arranged horizontally, which he wasn't used to, and the characters themselves seemed to be missing strokes. He had to guess at them one by one.
Gu Zhang haltingly finished the chapter Gu Fei had shown him. He more or less understood the meaning, and his expression became incredibly solemn. "Are you saying that what's written in this book... is what's going to happen next?"
Gu Fei nodded.
"A complete crop failure? Nine out of ten homes left empty? The land littered with the bodies of the starved, and plagues running rampant?"
Gu Fei nodded again.
Gu Zhang clutched the history textbook tightly. "If this is true, then we have no choice but to leave."
"Then... where will we go?"
At this, Gu Fei grew worried. The north was suffering from drought while the south was plagued by floods. The heavens distributed the rain unevenly; there was hardly a peaceful place left in the world.
Gu Fei thought for a moment. "Our best bet is to head for East Sea County."
"The flooding isn't too severe there, and it's close to the sea."
Gu Zhang sighed. "I've heard of East Sea County, but I've never been. We don't know the way."
Gu Fei nodded. "That's a problem. So, we need to get a map."
'The history book has modern maps, but they might not be accurate. After all, a thousand years have passed. The terrain is bound to have changed, and floods often cause rivers to change their course.'
Gu Zhang's expression changed. "Only the government has maps. Ordinary families aren't allowed to possess them privately."
Gu Fei raised a finger to her lips. "We'll just be quiet about it. It'll be fine as long as no one finds out."
Gu Zhang looked at Gu Fei with a complicated expression and sighed. "My little girl is all grown up."
Gu Fei gave a slightly smug shake of her head. "Of course. In my dreams, I spent years fighting monsters, you know."
As she said it, she began to wonder if her past life had been nothing more than a dream.
Was she Zhuang Zhou dreaming she was a butterfly, or the butterfly dreaming it was Zhuang Zhou? Who could ever say for sure?
Looking at his daughter, Gu Zhang felt a mix of heartache and pride.
He nodded. "Alright. Then we'll leave."
"It can't be just us. We have to bring your eldest uncle's family and your youngest uncle's family. And your aunt's family, it'd be best if they came too. Oh, right, and your maternal uncle."
Gu Fei's head was already starting to ache. "That many people... all traveling together?"