The escape pod was still en route, and it was doubtful it would reach the county seat until the early hours of the next morning. Meanwhile, I had been ordered by Magistrate An to return home and prepare for the banquet. Sun Dasheng and the scholar Lao Liu offered their congratulations; though neither was fond of Magistrate An, they were pleased to see me gain face.

Upon returning to Hu Shanyang’s shop, I learned they had actually rented a dwelling that afternoon. Since we didn't have much luggage, we planned to eat dinner and move straight in. Hu Shanyang’s wife specially cooked a few extra dishes as a farewell gift. Frankly, the five of us were consuming half a month’s worth of food for them in a single day, especially concerning the Great Strength Pills—six of us plus a child couldn't keep up with him—which was a genuine burden on Hu Shanyang. However, Wahani had already given the Hu family some iron coins, or Hu Shanyang wouldn't have hosted a farewell dinner tonight.

“Nephew Zhao, are you attending Magistrate An’s banquet tonight?” Hu Shanyang asked after hearing my account, beaming. “That’s excellent news! Getting connected with the County Magistrate bodes boundless future prospects, and it will greatly benefit our roof-repair business too.”

Linglong was equally delighted. “Zhao Qian is our Bird God; what’s so surprising about knowing a county magistrate? He might even meet the Emperor of our Twin Cities nation someday.”

Wahani and Raisky also offered their praise. Great Strength Pill, unable to articulate pleasantries, simply kept chuckling foolishly, which reminded me a bit of Zhang Ersha. It was a pity Magistrate An hadn't allowed family members; otherwise, I could have brought Great Strength Pill along tonight for a hearty meal.

Raisky said, “Since Brother Zhao Qian has important business tonight, I’ll take you to see the housing first. When you return, you can go straight there to sleep and won't need to come back to Uncle Hu’s place.”

I readily agreed. The two of us left Hu’s place, ducked into one alley, then another, winding and twisting through three turns and two narrow passages until we arrived before a low, thatched hut. Raisky remarked, “The house is a bit run-down, and it leaks when it rains, but the owner said we can renovate the roof as we see fit. The monthly rent is low, and it’s a private courtyard, perfect for the five of us. When we earn money later, we can move to a larger, better place.”

I replied, “What appeals to me most is its seclusion. By the way, Brother Raisky, I heard Constable Sun from the county today mention that he knows Chief Wahani. So, you and Wahani should try to keep your outings minimal. Don’t attract the attention of the wrong people. Chief Wahani is already furious. If he happens to find you in the county seat while he’s in this mood, it would be disastrous. That fellow’s a bit unhinged; he’s either stabbing or cutting flesh. If he catches you, you’re done for.”

Raisky looked extremely worried too. “Thank you, Brother Zhao Qian. But involving you might also put you in danger, as Chief Wahani might hold a grudge against you for destroying his divine blade. You must be careful too.”

I smiled, unconcerned. Even without my superpowers, that old man wielding a piece of dog-shit iron wouldn’t be able to do much to me.

This small courtyard was quite spacious, with four main rooms and four side rooms, all, of course, timber-framed structures with thatched roofs. Land in Feiyu County was cheap, as were timber and thatch. Building eight such rooms required little capital, only some effort.

My mind was preoccupied with Cheng Susu, so I quickly glanced at the house and headed toward the county yamen. Raisky returned to Hu Shanyang’s place for what would be their last meal together before we moved out and had to cook for ourselves. The soldiers guarding the yamen gate were familiar faces from meeting them outside today. Seeing me approach, they cupped their hands respectfully and invited me in. After all, if it weren't for me, they might still be standing in the suburbs, helpless against the escape pod.

Upon entering, I saw Constable Sun. I had a decent impression of this red-faced giant; at least he wasn't like the greedy, petty officials in some dynasties of the Great Dragon Kingdom who bullied and cursed county residents. Seeing me arrive, Constable Sun clapped my shoulder with a grin. “Brother Zhao is here! Come in, have a seat. A few more guests haven't arrived yet; have some tea first.”

I had intended to bring a gift, but I had nothing but a military knife and some medicine; even the clothes I wore were from Hu Shanyang. Arriving empty-handed for a banquet felt awkward, but I couldn't bring myself to ask Wahani for an iron coin. It seemed I wasn't the only one concerned with saving face; I was one of them.

Finding the Eight Maidens again would certainly require some effort, but it would also cost money. How to earn money? Civilization on this planet, Gemini, was backward; they couldn't even build a decent house. Perhaps starting a construction company could actually make a fortune.

However, the concept of wealth here was somewhat disheartening. I had seen their iron coins—each one rusted beyond recognition, some chipped or broken. Even if we managed roof renovations, what use was earning a pile of scrap iron? Did Gemini lack gold, silver, or copper ores?

Given their primitive smelting techniques, even if there were ores, they probably couldn't refine them. If I could acquire several tons of naturally occurring native gold, perhaps I could reform their monetary system here.

But reforming the currency required an edict from the highest authority, the Emperor, and a long period for implementation. Setting aside the availability of native gold, convincing the people of the Twin Cities nation to accept it would involve considerable friction. I currently had zero superpowers. If no one from home came to assist me, how could I expect the Twin Cities nation to change its current financial structure? It gave me a headache. In the end, maybe just getting some scrap iron would have to suffice.

Thinking of my women at home and wondering about the progress of their wormhole research, I grew concerned for the other seven. I didn't know where they had gone. This world seemed far from peaceful; I prayed nothing had happened to them.

While lost in thought, two young men sat down beside me. They chatted animatedly, seemingly paying no mind to anyone else. Listening closely to their conversation, I soon figured out their backgrounds. The taller, leaner one was named Zhang Wenbing; his actual name didn't contain 'Zhang,' but his posturing made me address him that way. The shorter, plumper one was Niu Pang; his name contained a 'Niu' sound, and since he was fat, I called him that.

Zhang Wenbing was Magistrate An’s nephew. His family seemed to be a prominent and powerful clan in the provincial capital. Niu Pang was from Feiyu County; his family was extremely wealthy, reportedly owning nearly half the farmland surrounding Feiyu County, and they possessed countless shops, making him one of the top two major landowners in the area.

I had asked Uncle Qingfeng, Linglong’s father, about the main crops here—a type of grain similar to Earth’s rice but slightly more fragrant, though its yield was much lower than Earth’s rice. Its advantage, however, was that it could grow in droughts or floods. If it could be crossbred with Earth rice, it would surely produce a superior strain.

Zhang Wenbing said to Niu Pang, “You rascal, don’t think you can take advantage of being close. I’m warning you, my mother told me that Fairy Sister Xian is secretly fond of me. You should give up.”

The words sounded quite confrontational. Niu Pang retorted, “Brother Wenbing, a celestial being like Fairy Sister Xian should belong to someone talented and capable. Though we are friends, we must maintain fair competition. How can you use backdoors in a manner so disgraceful to scholars?”

Zhang Wenbing scoffed, “Pah! You think I don’t know your true colors, Niu Fatty? You’re talented? Capable? You call yourself a scholar? Then the world is full of great scholars! You have no chance of competing with me for Fairy Xian—not a chance!”

Niu Pang was greatly angered and was about to flare up when he remembered Zhang Wenbing’s family influence and managed to restrain himself. He snorted and turned away, a stark contrast to their previous lively discussion. That Fairy Sister Xian must be extraordinary to incite such enmity between them.

Magistrate An emerged from the inner hall with a solicitous smile, accompanying a group of people. Judging by their luxurious attire, they were no ordinary folk. In particular, an elder in his fifties caught my attention—not for his extravagant clothing, but for the aura he carried. I had felt a similar aura from Chairman Li Zhenyu, a bearing cultivated only by those long accustomed to high office. Li Qi also possessed it, though she was now as meek as a cat when she met my gaze, not as pronounced as Li Zhenyu’s impression on me. This elder’s eyes shone with an unusual light; he was likely at the provincial governor or ministerial level. He had probably heard about the divine egg falling from the sky and had come to Feiyu County out of curiosity.

However, this high-ranking official seemed down on his luck, or else why would Magistrate An fawn over the others while being so cool and distant toward him?

Magistrate An cleared his throat. “Friends, I have invited you all here today to drink and collectively admire the divine egg. A miraculous egg has fallen upon our Twin Cities nation, and I, Magistrate An, dare not hoard it. That divine egg is about to arrive at the county gates. Please take your seats and enjoy the wine. After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the egg will arrive at my residence, and you can all witness its splendor! Now, allow me to introduce some friends—these gentlemen are wealthy merchants and high officials from the provincial capital. I shall make the introductions…”

The group of men, all fat as pigs, were clearly corrupt officials. I didn't listen closely to Magistrate An’s introductions until he introduced the spirited elder. I paid attention then: he was a merchant from the Twin Cities capital, named Mamada—I didn't know what that meant in the Twin Cities language, so I called him Dada. Because Dada was relatively unknown and his gift to Magistrate An seemed too meager, the magistrate treated him coldly. Yet, I harbored doubts about Dada’s true identity. Had I misjudged him? Was he really just a merchant?

Seeing Magistrate An repeatedly bowing to those who brought him gifts, I retreated toward a corner. If I had known the county magistrate was such a snob, I wouldn't have come; now I felt quite awkward. However, Magistrate An didn't thank everyone individually. He bowed to the circle of people around him and then ordered the servants to serve the food.

The elder named Dada didn't mind the magistrate's coldness. He sat quietly in the corner, very near where I was sitting. I didn't mind sitting near him; the familiar aura he exuded made me, someone far from Earth, feel a sense of closeness.

Dada sipped his wine calmly, and I quietly stuffed my face without speaking, calculating in my mind when I could slip away under the pretense of using the latrine to scout around. If I could run into Cheng Susu, that would be best. I hoped she might recall something based on what I said yesterday. Even if she couldn't remember anything specific, just seeing her and getting her familiarized with my face would be good.

Everyone was drinking heartily, and Magistrate An had completely forgotten about the young man who suggested bringing the divine egg to the county seat. He kept urging the higher-ranking officials to drink more wine. I took the opportunity to wipe the grease from my mouth and slipped out of the banquet hall. As I left, Dada glanced at me; I smiled as a greeting, and he nodded slightly without speaking.

The front half of the county office served as the administrative area for Feiyu County, while the back half was the family residence, connected by a large gate. We were drinking in a side hall of the yamen. Stepping outside, I looked around. Under the bright light of the twin moons, no one seemed to notice me, and I swiftly slipped into the back courtyard.

The skills honed during my time in the military finally served a purpose. I navigated past guards making their rounds and finally stopped beneath a window emitting a faint fragrance, where I spotted Cheng Susu. There was no glass, only a layer of silk stretched over the latticework. I quietly took out my military knife and poked a hole in it.

In the flickering candlelight, faintly smoking, Cheng Susu was resting her chin on her hands, staring intently at the wavering flame. Her little maid, Chun Tian, was sighing nearby. “Miss, don’t think too much about it. If you can’t remember, then don’t force it. You eat well and dress well here, and Madam takes extra special care of you. What else is there to worry about?”

Although Cheng Susu arrived on Gemini several days before me, her Twin Cities language was clearly not as fluent as mine. I heard her say, “Chun Tian, you don’t understand how I feel. I clearly know I’ve lost something, something more important than my own life, but I can’t recall what it is. This feeling is agonizing; it makes me want to cut open my head and search carefully.”

Chun Tian grew anxious. “Miss, then you must stop thinking! If anything happens to you, how can I explain it to Madam?”

Cheng Susu’s expression darkened. “If thinking more could help me remember, if cutting open my head could reveal that thing, I wouldn't mind giving up my life. But if I cut open my head, I’ll be dead, and I’ll never know what I lost.”

Chun Tian suddenly recalled something and brightened. “Oh, right, Miss! Didn’t you say that man named Zhao Qian knows about your affairs? Didn’t he tell you yesterday?”

Cheng Susu’s face flushed slightly. “He told me, but I dare not believe him.”

Chun Tian asked, “What did he say? Why don’t you dare believe him? Did he perhaps say you were a celestial descending to the mortal world?”

Cheng Susu replied, “Of course, I’m not some celestial being; I’m just an ordinary person. The notion of deities is just humanity's fear of the unknown. I don’t believe him because he claimed to be my husband.”

Chun Tian gasped in shock. “Ah! He’s your husband! Miss, are you—are you joking? No, no, that despicable Zhao Qian must be joking! He’s practically taking advantage of you! Hmph, I hit him too lightly yesterday! If I see him again, I’ll hit him once more!”

Cheng Susu didn’t seem to mind that the man had been beaten. She said painfully, “Yes, I wish he were just joking and talking nonsense. I have no memory of him whatsoever in my mind; I don’t even know who I am, much less who he is. But Chun Tian, you know, I’m not… immortal, so perhaps in my past memories, I really did have a husband.”

Chun Tian still couldn’t believe it. “Even if you had a husband before, it couldn’t be him. Look at him—unremarkable and ordinary. What virtue or merit would he have to capture your heart? He’s inferior to Young Master Zhang by more than tenfold. Oh, right, Miss, you’ve never even met Young Master Zhang. He arrived this afternoon and is currently in the side hall drinking with the Master and the others. He’ll probably come to see you tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to see anyone!” Cheng Susu shook her head in anguish. “My mind is so confused… it seems, it seems I really did have a husband. He was tall and handsome, always wearing a confident smile. He was very brave and capable and saved my life several times. He was learned and knowledgeable, understanding everything from astronomy to geography. Could the thing lost in my heart be him?”

“Ah! Miss, you don't mean that man Zhao Qian when you say ‘he’? Apart from his height, none of the standards you mentioned seem to fit him!”

Cheng Susu thought for a moment. “Of course not. If he were the one in my heart, I believe I would feel something.”

Chun Tian grit her teeth. “That wicked thing dared to lie to you, Miss! Tomorrow, I’ll have Ah San and Ah Si find people to beat him up again.”

“Don’t!” Cheng Susu stopped her. “Aside from not believing he is my husband, I can’t find fault with the rest of what he said. It seems I really do have a memory of a planet called Earth, and what he said aligns with the fragments remaining in my memory. But he said I, along with seven other girls, traveled to Mars by spaceship, and an accident occurred on the way back, causing us to mistakenly fall into a wormhole. I have absolutely no recollection of any of these events.”

Chun Tian’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this. “Miss, regardless of whether you remember these things, you absolutely must not tell Madam and Master, nor let any other servants know. Master has strictly forbidden anyone from mentioning that you split out of that divine egg. Because if you are classified as an anomaly, your life might be in jeopardy. You must be extremely careful about this matter.”

Cheng Susu nodded. “I understand, Chun Tian. Thank you.”

Chun Tian smiled. “Why thank me? This is what I, your little maid, should do. Besides, you said we are friends.”

Cheng Susu managed a faint smile and asked, “Right, is it true the escape pod will be transported back tonight?”

Chun Tian replied, “Master dispatched a large number of men again around dusk. That pod should be close to the yamen entrance by now. Miss, perhaps you want to go see it? You came out of it—tell Chun Tian what it was like inside! Was it as beautiful as a royal palace?”

Cheng Susu thought for a moment then shook her head. “I forgot. Something is wrong with my brain; I suddenly remember one thing, but then I suddenly forget something I just remembered.”

Chun Tian said reassuringly, “Miss, don’t worry too much. If you recover slowly, I believe you will remember everything. Why don’t you ask Madam’s permission for us to go to the front courtyard later to see that divine egg? Firstly, Chun Tian also wants to see the egg that fell from the sky, and secondly, perhaps seeing it in person will trigger some memories for Miss.”

Cheng Susu stood up. “You are right. Let’s go find Madam.”

I slumped down into a flowerbed, yanked off a bloom, and chewed it haphazardly, not caring if it was poisonous. At this moment, I would have swallowed poison if it were right in front of me. Why was this happening? Even if Cheng Susu had amnesia, she shouldn't strike me down like this! She clearly remembered having a husband, yet she deliberately excluded me and felt no connection to me whatsoever.

Heavens! I traversed endless hardships through a wormhole to find them, only to face this outcome. With all my scars, how could I look handsome? With no strength to even truss a chicken, how could I be called capable? A confident smile? I didn't even have the money to buy a piece of fruit as a gift right now—how could I be confident? Worse still, that Chun Tian dared to compare me with that Young Master Zhang. He must be Zhang Wenbing in the side hall. I detested him and Niu Pang the moment I saw them, wishing I could slap them into outer space.

Long after Cheng Susu and her maid Chun Tian left the room, I climbed out of the flowerbed. I wiped the flower juice from my mouth and sneaked back into the side hall banquet. The guests had drunk quite a bit, but the escape pod hadn’t arrived yet. They were loudly debating national affairs. The speakers were the officials from the provincial capital. From their conversation, it seemed they were just passing through and hadn't specifically come to Feiyu County to witness the divine egg; they were actually on patrol because bandits from the Wanma Kingdom had been rampaging recently.

Magistrate An said, “The bandits nearly breached our city gates twice. Fortunately, the entire city’s soldiers and civilians resisted with all their might. The bandits only managed to plunder the grain and women in the outer city. However, the city gates require urgent repairs after being hit twice, and our defensive weaponry has been completely lost and urgently needs replenishment. I beg your excellency to report to Prefect Wu and request that funds for weapon replenishment and gate repair be allocated soon. I implore you on behalf of all the city's common folk.”

Several local gentry of Feiyu County attending the banquet naturally knew what fate awaited them if the city fell, so they joined in pleading with the official in charge of the patrol. The official stroked his neatly trimmed mustache and said, “I was already aware of the situation with Prefect Wu before I arrived. It’s not that they are deliberately withholding the allocation of weapons and currency. It’s because the Twin Cities nation and the Jin Kingdom completely closed their five mutual trade ports this year. Their ironware and coins cannot enter, and our grain cannot exit. The entire Twin Cities nation is experiencing an extreme shortage of ironware. Prefect Wu has no choice. Alas, you must find ways to solve your own difficulties. His Majesty advocates for self-reliance and arduous enterprise in all prefectures and counties. I hope Feiyu County will not drag its feet.”

County Magistrate An’s face darkened. He offered a helpless bow of his hands. “Even if there is only a sliver of hope, Your Excellency, I implore you to petition Prefect Wu and the Emperor. Though Feiyu County is small, its strategic location—bordering the Ten Thousand Horse Nation to the east and backed by the Jin Kingdom—is critically important. Should it fall, the losses to the Dual City Kingdom would be immense. Yet, our entire garrison numbers less than fifty men, possessing only ten sabers and ten axes; the rest of our armaments are bamboo arrows. If the bandits mass their forces for another assault, we will be unable to hold them off.”

This County Magistrate An, it seemed, was not entirely useless. I had somewhat misjudged him earlier. The Inspecting Officer merely stated, “No matter the difficulty, Feiyu County must be held! This is the Emperor’s decree; whoever loses Feiyu County will be beheaded! Whether there are difficulties or not, it must be defended. The Dual City Kingdom is currently striving to master iron smelting technology. Once we can refine raw iron ourselves, we can forge our own weaponry and currency, and then we will no longer fear the coercion of the Jin Kingdom or the ravages of the horse bandits. You border officials must buy the Emperor the most time possible. Anyone who messes up will bear the consequences themselves!”

The villagers of Gourd Village, having stayed secluded for so long, naturally had no idea how chaotic the outside world had become. Their poor access to information meant I knew very little about the Dual City Kingdom myself. Only after hearing their discussions did I finally grasp the general situation. As those few men were about to continue debating, Head Constable Sun rushed in to report to County Magistrate An.

“My Lord, the Divine Egg has been transported to the county yamen courtyard. Please accompany our guests out to view it.”

Upon hearing the Divine Egg had arrived, the whole group erupted, immediately setting aside grand discussions of state affairs to squeeze out of the side hall and into the yamen courtyard to see the marvel.

Zhang Wenbing immediately pressed forward and patted the shell of the escape pod. “Ah, Divine Egg, you are so smooth and lustrous, like a pearl fallen from the Ninth Heaven Phoenix…”

At first, I had no idea what Zhang Wenbing was trying to do with that exclamation. Only when he recited a few nonsensical lines did I realize he was composing poetry! However, I couldn't understand the poetry and songs of this place; merely translating the literal meaning made me feel like laughing.

Niu Pang would not be outdone. He stepped forward and recited, “Ah, Divine Egg, why are you so very large? Did the phoenix that birthed you possess divine powers? Ah, Divine Egg, why are you so very large? Do you hold a heaven-shaking secret in your belly?…”

I could bear no more. Fearing a burst of inappropriate laughter would incite their anger, I slipped away to the side. Yet, Niu Pang’s clumsy verse stirred the curiosity of the crowd, and someone immediately shouted from below, “County Magistrate An, rumor has it you took in the fairy girl that cracked from the Divine Egg! Now that the Divine Egg is here, quickly bring out the fairy girl so we can all see her!”

County Magistrate An frantically waved his hands. “Do not heed the slanderous rumors of the common folk! How could this egg possibly crack? If it cannot crack, how could a fairy girl emerge from it? I took in an adopted daughter; some people saw she possessed a certain grace and connected her to this strange egg in the county outskirts—it is utterly absurd!”

The Inspecting Officer circled the escape pod eight times but failed to discern anything unusual about it. However, when the topic turned to Magistrate An’s adopted daughter, he became animated. “Deshan, since you have an adopted daughter, you ought to present her to pay respects to us elders. Surely, we uncles and grand-uncles won’t eat her, will we?”

Magistrate An was helpless, especially since his wife had just sent word that she wanted to bring their goddaughter out to see the Divine Egg. Thus, he called over a maidservant to return to the rear courtyard to fetch the person.

It didn’t take long for Cheng Susu, accompanied by the County Madam, to drift in elegantly from the back. She wore a long, pristine white dress—a style of attire I had never seen before on the Twin Stars. It might even be Cheng Susu’s own handiwork. To highlight her S-curve silhouette, the dress was loose where it should be loose and tight where it should be tight, revealing her slender waist, ** ample curves, and pert rear without restraint.

Every man present was stunned speechless. Though I heard no sound of saliva dripping, the exaggerated swallowing noises rose and fell in succession. This included me, hiding to the side. Cheng Susu must have changed clothes while I was sitting by the flowerbed gnawing on blossoms earlier. Wasn’t this attire meant to be provocative? What if these high officials saw her?

While my heart churned with unease and chaotic thoughts, Cheng Susu had already spoken: “Father, does anyone recognize what purpose this Divine Egg serves?”

County Magistrate An had never actually witnessed his goddaughter emerge from this egg himself; it was merely the rumor among the county populace. Now that his goddaughter was asking about it, it seemed unlikely she had any connection to the egg’s apparent origin. He replied, “Today, your father invited all the talented scholars and literati of Feiyu County precisely to unravel this mystery. Now, I invite everyone to share their respective insights.”