Su Hua spoke more with the old lady, learning about this world's currency. However, the currency systems of her world and this one differed significantly. While the humans in her world used gold as currency, in this world, coins and banknotes or notes were the norm.
Su Hua discovered a 40 note among her belongings, a "kind" gesture from the Su family that, despite their neglect of her, at least they ensured she had enough money for her travel.
"Is this even enough?" Su Hua muttered under her breath.
8 hours remained until she reached C city to get to Xinxi Village. The following stop would be B city, the country's capital. It seemed sensible to halt at B city initially, earn some money, and purchase decent clothes and essentials.
As Su Hua counted her money and examined her sparse clothes and belongings, she sighed. Despite having money in her space, it might not be suitable for this world. The old lady isn't knowledgeable about gold or other previous items either aside from paper money.
Entering her space in spiritual form, Su Hua walked to a door which house a vast expanse filled with mountains of gold and jewelry. It had taken her countless years and traversing numerous secret realms to gather such wealth. Her master had once scolded her that despite being born and raised in royalty, never missing in both material and emotional needs, she was an extreme hoarder. But now, this hoarding had proven to be immensely useful!
See Master! Even this mental disorder finally came to fruition and of use!
Su Hua stood before the mountain of treasures and sifted through the gold, stones, crystals, and jewels.
After taking what seems to be enough, she searched for a suitable box and placed the randomly picked jewelries inside. As she arranged them, a pouch slipped from her hands and fell to her feet, spilling pearls that rolled across the floor, their pristine white sheen and perfect shape shimmering like pure starlight. Su Hua bent down to pick it up but paused when she noticed a single pearl inside as red as blood. Her gaze lingered on the crimson pearl, her thoughts momentarily drifting before she resumed gathering the spilled pearls and carefully placed them back with the rest of the mountain.
After gathering what she needed, Su Hua left the space and carefully stowed the rectangular box that appeared put of nowhere in her luggage before sliding it under her bed.
Settling back down, Su Hua rested. As a mortal, she felt fatigue and exhaustion, a sensation both familiar and unfamiliar. Once she arrived at her destination, she must find a place to rejuvenate her body and attempt to regain her previous strength.
And a bath was a top priority.
When the train halted at B city, Su Hua rose and gathered her luggage.
"Is this your stop?" The old lady inquired. Having used the ointment Su Hua gave, her leg felt much better. Observing Su Hua preparing to depart, the old lady couldn't help but form a favorable impression of the young girl.
"Yes."
"Take care of yourself now, make sure to look after your belongings. People in B city can be a bit mischievous."
Su Hua took her advice. "Thank you. You too, I wish you a safe trip."
As she bid farewell and left the train, Su Hua found herself alone once more. The old lady had earned a bit of a special place in her heart as the first person she had spoken to after coming into this world.
After leaving the station, Su Hua was greeted by a dense crowd, the honking of cars and the exhaust fumes wafting from them. Vendors and taxi drivers clamored loudly, attempting to lure passengers. Some approached Su Hua, offering directions and quoting prices for popular spots in the area. If she weren't a cultivator but simply an ordinary girl, the overwhelming chaos might have caused her to faint on the spot.
Su Hua avoided the persistent drivers and moved away from the station's entrance. As she distanced herself from the crowd, she took a moment to breathe and surveyed her surroundings, clutching her luggage tightly.
Roaming the city streets, she finally had the chance to observe and appreciate the people of this world—their fashion, language, and technology.
Everything felt foreign.
Su Hua strolled around, relishing the sights, observing the locals, and meticulously studying the architecture of each building she saw.
After wandering for three hours, Su Hua eventually stumbled upon a relatively good-looking hotel. At the entrance, there was a small board that displayed their prices.
There were three types of rooms, the room with a shared bathroom, a private room, and a luxury one. Su Hua didn't even hesitate to ignore the one with a shared bathroom and looked at the pricing for the private room. One stay was 20 note, not including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With her current money, she could afford a two-day stay at most.
Walking inside, the guard at the entrance glanced at her face then her attire, hesitating whether he should stop her or not. But Fortunately, Su Hua was fast and arrived at the front desk.
"Hello, I'd like a private room, Mid-tier, for two days, please."
The lady at the front desk, stared at her eyes almost blatantly before snapping out of revelery and stuttering, "t-that'll be 40 note, would it be only you or are you waiting for someone else?"
Su Hua, used to being stared at, didn't feel bothered. "No, just me," she replied as she takes out her money. Looking at her worn out wallet, there was only a few meager cents left inside. Perhaps she can still buy a meal or a bread at least.
Once the lady wrote her name and gave her the key, Su Hua then took the stairs and found her room. Upon seeing the bed and immediately collapsing on it, she couldn't help but feel the weight of fatigue settling in; a stark difference to her days as a cultivator when she could walk continuously for months without a break.
"My body... So heavy." She murmured before rising and stepping into the compact bathroom, which only had a sink and a shower. Well, it was better than having nothing at all.
Su Hua then retrieved two bottles that's meant for hair cleaning from her space, and a soap for her sticky body. Once inside the bathroom, Su Hua quickly undressed and washed away the sweat and odor.
When rinsing her hair, she noticed the water turning murky and dark, almost causing Su Hua to have a heart attack. "Oh my heaven's my girl, have you never showered?" Digging into the original owner's body, she did not. Although she does from time to time, but because she was often tired from the chores and selling in the market, she would often just rub or wash her body and quickly go to sleep.
Speechless, Su Hua continued rubbing scrubbing her hair. When she lathered her body with soap this time, she observed that a thin layer of dirt washing away, causing yet another heart attack.
"..." Su Hua suddenly wanted to cry.
This couldn't persist! She needed a day's soak in her spiritual spring!
Post-shower, she entered to her spiritual space and promptly submerged herself in the spring. It was only then that she felt truly refreshed and 'clean' despite having just taken a shower.
When night fell, Su Hua emerged from the bathroom, feeling refreshed. Her current appearance closely mirroring her original self. It almost felt like she was gradually replacing the original owner.
Her emerald green eyes radiated with a beautiful and vibrant luster; her skin appeared like freshly fallen snow; her wet hair, as dark as the night, clung to her body. Su Hua felt like she had just shed an old skin like a snake.
rummaging through the original owner's belongings, she discovered the only clean clothes she has; a white shirt and a pair of pants that seemed relatively decent and not too worn out. She decided that the next day, after exchanging some items from her space, she would purchase a few more clothes to present herself well before reaching Xinxi village.
As she laid the only decent clothes she had on the single sofa in the corner before collapsing into bed with a damp hair but completely exhausted, Su Hua felt her eyelids getting heavier and heavier.
"Ughhh.... Human bodies are really fragile."
Su Hua woke up early the next morning. After freshening up and dressing herself, she brushed her hair and secured it into a bun with a hairpin adorned with a green flower design that emitted soft crinkling noises with her movements.
She also took a body strengthening pill and health rejuvenating pill from her space. Because she was a cultivator and her soul was not ordinary, she can directly take these pills and fell the effects instantaneously, but if it was just a normal human, it would explode or even strain both body and soul.
With a smile, Su Hua thought how convenient it was for her as if heaven favored her—oh wait, they did.
Su Hua waited for a while, engaging in a few sets of exercises until she sensed her returning strength, a familiar sensation she hadn't felt in a while. It seemed as though she could resume walking for months without halting again.
After that simple routine, she appeared more presentable and human-like compared to yesterday. Even so, the original owner was way too thin—the kind of thinness that causes concern. Poor girl, not only did she have to work and give all the money she earned to her family, she was also denied good food.
After collecting her belongings and stowing the box of riches alongside her small amount of money in a sack bag that once belonged to the original owner, Su Hua stepped outside the hotel. Immediately, she caught the attention of numerous passersby. Her striking appearance, her rare eye color, drew curious and even incredulous glances. It wasn't every day one encountered someone with such a distinct appearance.
However, Su Hua was accustomed to this kind of attention, even during her time as a cultivator. Her presence had always turned heads. Yet she still remained single. Sigh.
Amidst the curious gazes, a vendor's voice broke through the bustling street: "Steamed pork buns! Steamed pork buns! Only for 10 cents! Steamed pork buns! Still hot and fresh!"
Su Hua turned towards a vendor who was vocally advertising his goods. Realizing she hadn't eaten since yesterday, she takes out her wallet and counted her money before approaching the vendor.
"Give me one," she requested, passing him the money.
The vendor, momentarily surprised by the young girl's appearance nodded in acknowledgment. He swiftly wrapped a steaming pork bun with rice paper. "Here you are miss! Careful, they're still hot."
Su Hua accepted the bun and taking a bite as the taste of the warm meat melted in her mouth, eliciting a smile. Her reaction softened the vendor's heart.
"How is it? Good, right?" he inquired.
Su Hua nodded and took another slow bite, relishing each flavor. "Mister, could you tell me if there's a shop around here that buys and sells jewelry?"
The vendor initially seemed surprised, but still said, "go straight from here and turn right at the first intersection. There should be a government-managed shop there; they're legitimate and trustworthy."
Su Hua thanked the vendor and purchased another meat bun before continuing on her way, now her money was all gone. As she departed, the vendor's fellow vendors approached him, curious about the interaction.
"Who was that? A foreigner?"
"Did you see her eyes? They were green, I've never seen such an eye color before in-person."
"I've spotted foreigners from afar, but they're usually elderly and intimidating. The one just now looked like a doll."
"She was good-looking, wasn't she?"
"Old man Gu, how was it? What did you think? Where do you think she lives?"
Old man Gu, the pork bun vendor, raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I'm asking about that foreigner."
Thinking back on their short interaction, Old man Gu replied succinctly, "she was a polite young lady."
Their conversation gained momentum until the increasing crowd of customers diverted their attention.
Meanwhile, Su Hua stood in front of a prominent jewelry shop. Well-dressed women and men entered and exited the establishment.
B city, being the capital, attracted more individuals of high social status and influence. Despite the time-period, it was already full of successful families.
After finishing the last bun, Su Hua clutched her bag tightly before entering the shop.