New Home

It had been ages since Tuya had left the mountains.

When she first arrived on this continent, Tuya was a lowly maid, constantly dealing with soot and ash in the kitchen. Fortunately, she got along well with the cook, Auntie. Though she was always covered in dust and looked dirty, the cook secretly slipped her scraps. Had she not been dragged into bed while serving the young master, incurring the mistress's displeasure and ultimately facing exile through false accusations, Tuya wouldn't have ended up in such a predicament.

Everyone knew Tuya was wronged, yet no one could help her. At first, she was deeply distressed—a country girl sold to the estate, she had always behaved properly, never dreaming of climbing into her master's bed. After being forced by the young master, she hadn't even received a penny in reward.

Clearly, the fault lay with that reckless playboy who couldn't control himself, yet everyone blamed Tuya for being promiscuous, for allegedly seducing the estate's heir.

Tuya had lost all faith in humanity and society. Yet when she stepped off the boat and was abruptly intercepted—destined to be sent to a brothel as a courtesan—she fought back fiercely.

She could be framed, slandered, her dignity trampled, her feet already mired in the mud—yet she still yearned to live like a human being.

Tuya refused to become a puppet manipulated by others. Even if such a life offered temporary joy and wealth, it would soon be overtaken by dreadful disease. Falling victim to love sickness would lead to rotting flesh and death. Even if she lucked out and avoided illness, she would still perish from rapid aging and fading beauty.

Facing death either way, Tuya chose to slash her own face when her guard was down.

The scar that remained on her once youthful, beautiful face would follow her like a shadow from that day forward. Yet even when she later encountered wild beasts in the mountains, living in constant fear, and even when she walked the razor's edge between hunger and death countless times, Tuya never once regretted her choice.

What Tuya never imagined... was that she would live to see such a day.

"Be careful, Tuya." Qiao supported his wife. Tuya was too thin and frail, her body weak. The baby wasn't far along yet, so her pregnancy wasn't showing. Usually, she'd gasp for breath after just a few steps, but today, after getting up early and walking with frequent stops, she was still remarkably energetic.

For Tuya knew she was heading to their new home—a place inhabited by people. But Qiao hadn't told her how breathtakingly beautiful this land truly was.

The southern mountains weren't particularly tall, just low hills and vast stretches of flat land. Looking ahead from the ridge, beyond the dense forest where they stood, Tuya saw countless men and women heading to work on the highest hilltop as the morning sun rose.

The construction site was already bustling, and smoke curled from the dwellings clustered at the mountain's base.

"That's the place," Qiao nodded with a smile to Tuya, who was suppressing her excitement. Tuya gazed at the distant village and suddenly murmured, "I was born in a place just like this, almost exactly like this village..."

"Me too," Qiao nodded in agreement. Those like them, sold to become servants, were mostly from impoverished village families. Unable to make ends meet, working as servants on an estate was considered a decent option—at least they could eat their fill.

But only after experiencing what Tuya and Qiao had endured did they truly understand how precious freedom was compared to mere sustenance.

The two helped each other down the mountain. Old John received twenty shillings—a full five pounds. The thought of that money waiting for him made sleep impossible. In truth, his daughter was also beside herself with excitement. It wasn't vanity; what girl didn't dream of wearing a beautiful dress on her wedding day?

After discussing the ten pounds from the house sale, Old John and his daughters decided each of his two daughters would get a new dress made, and the rest would be saved for emergencies.

The eldest daughter had already left early that morning for the construction site. Though not particularly strong, she earned half a shilling daily. Lately, the girls had dutifully handed their earnings to their parents. This money would be used for the wedding, as custom dictated that the bride's family covered the wedding expenses.

Times were lean for everyone, and weddings didn't cost much. But Old John's eldest daughter was now the only healthy adult in the household. She'd hoped to earn as much as possible before her marriage to help support the two elderly parents and her younger sister at home... Though she was marrying within the same village, occasional visits were one thing, but regularly sending money back to her parents' home would inevitably upset her husband's parents.

Old John wanted his daughter to marry without worry for them. Following tradition, he also wished to give her "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

In the past, these "something new, something old, something borrowed, something blue" were casually assembled. Those who had escaped poverty might use leftover jewelry; the very poor might borrow their mother's hair ribbon. Blue was sometimes even substituted with a small blue flower...

But Old John wanted to give his daughter more. It was a father's stubbornness and his heartfelt blessing for her.

So early that morning, Joe and Tuya found Old John waiting with his ten-year-old daughter. The little girl was thrilled, for Old John had promised her that once the final payment for the house was made, he would take her, her sister, and their mother to the trading market near the castle. That area had been officially incorporated into the new city center, where they could trade under protection.

The youngest daughter was born on the new continent and had never been to a proper, regulated trading site in her life. In years past, trading was a dangerous business. Men would take their game to the seaside docks, where they'd often be fleeced of most their earnings by the powerful merchants. Those who managed to keep a portion were fortunate; mountain folk without connections fared worse, sometimes having everything stolen.

Now things were different. It was said that since the arrival of that noble lord, a market had sprung up outside the castle walls, catering to the spending of knights and high-ranking servants during their holidays.

In the past, the knights paid little attention to such matters. As long as you didn't provoke them or their entourages, they were preoccupied with building the castle and managing their own affairs. But now, with His Lordship the Black Duke's arrival, he has welcomed all decent folk as his subjects. This guarantees them a secure livelihood, which is why Old John dares to venture into the areas where the knights and their entourages often roam.

"It's beautiful," Tuya murmured as Old John pushed open the door. The wooden house wasn't large, but it felt dry and comfortable inside. The timber used was solid, thick trunks, and the triangular roof was built slightly higher than some neighboring homes. A small window flanked one side, and behind the main hall were two bedrooms. Though the layout was modest, for Tuya and Joe now, it was truly quite decent.

Besides, there weren't really better options in the village. These displaced villagers weren't particularly well-traveled, but Joe and Tuya had at least served gentlemen before. They sensed this place might not stay like this forever. That nobleman and his entourage moved with decisive efficiency, each person brimming with energy. They'd only been here a short while, yet they'd already begun to bring a palpable sense of prosperity and vitality to the area.

"John, thank you again." Qiao hugged Old John and handed him the remaining half of the payment.

"No need for thanks. We're neighbors now. Call on me anytime." John was a straightforward man. Once he had the money, he patted Joe on the shoulder. "I've got work to do soon. You two go inside and rest. I won't keep you. I've got things to attend to too."

With that, Old John left with his excited little daughter. Tuya, meanwhile, circled the house, looking around with unbridled joy.

"Joe, this place is huge! When we have money, we could even expand it! Does all this land outside the fence belong to us? Then I could plant lettuce and beans..." Tuya chattered excitedly before rushing into the house.

Inside, the walls were bare. Furniture was a rare and expensive luxury for the new settlers of the continent. The floor was covered with straw, and beyond that, there was nothing.

But there was a thick door with a sturdy bolt. Outside, women were waking up and greeting each other with laughter. Not far from the house was a water source for fetching drinking water, and a stream for washing clothes lay just beyond the village.

"I have to go to work. Rest at home today. I'll see what I can buy tonight..." Qiao hugged the delighted Tuya, feeling an energy surge through him.

Tuya nodded eagerly. She circled the room, rolled up her sleeves, and said, "Go ahead! I'll tidy up the house!"

But there was nothing here to tidy up.

Still, Qiao was delighted to see Tuya so cheerful and relaxed. He kissed her goodbye and stepped out the door for the first time with such peace of mind.

Along the way, people greeted him. Everyone already knew about Qiao, the new neighbor. Familiar young men winked and joked loudly, "Qiao, how about grabbing a drink tonight?"

"No..." Qiao felt lighthearted and laughed along, "The place is still empty. I need to save up—at least buy a pot!"

Everyone burst into good-natured laughter, saying, "You probably won't have time for that anytime soon!"

A pot was a precious thing, especially an iron one.

They were rare goods brought back by sea merchants, beyond the reach of ordinary folk. Some indigenous people might occasionally trade for them using rare items or even gold, but these men had no such luck.

Qiao remained unmoved by the teasing. His life had already improved significantly compared to before. Let him dream for now!

What Qiao hadn't anticipated was that his life would transform step by step—perhaps not as slowly or as expensively as he imagined.

From the moment they set foot on this land, prospectors searching for gold were ordered to seek other vital minerals. Those living in later generations all know that this continent holds mineral resources as abundant and maddening as its food supply. Now known as the Sinful Continent, it has become a haven for exiles and criminals.

Yet perhaps the rotten temple no longer echoed with true sacred hymns.

All that was yet to come. For now, two days passed for Old John. Before his eldest daughter's wedding, the entire family set aside their tasks. At dawn, they set out along the mountain paths trodden by knights on patrol...

They were going to see that castle still under construction—the one rumored to require several more years before its true completion!

Of course, they dared not approach it. Most importantly, they were heading to the market!

And what was Tang Feiliu doing?

He stood on the construction site, covered in dust, waving his hands and saying, "Look at the blueprints! This part should be done like this!"

Meanwhile, his older brother sat sipping water inside a newly finished wooden hut. Having endured the southern summer sun, Alexander found himself deeply enamored with this place.

His fair skin had tanned to a rich wheat color, and when he smiled, a full set of white teeth flashed. He shouted, "Give me a break, Lance! Please, stop yelling! Come drink some water. We'll continue later, okay?!"

"No way! Every cabin in the market district must follow fire safety regulations! If a fire breaks out here, it won't be a minor incident!" Tang Feiliu glared at his brother, who had grown increasingly lax since arriving in the south, and shouted, "And you! Hurry up and supervise the hospital construction! Wait till your teacher arrives—I'll see how you explain this!"

Dr. Charlemagne had recently led another large group of students into the mountains. He had deeply discovered the abundance of this continent and the medicinal herbs scattered everywhere. Dr. Charlemagne could hardly wait to hand everything over to one of his students, Alexander, instructing him to hold down the fort. Under the baptism of sunshine and sandy beaches, Alexander felt that everything that had happened in Nat was like a dream, a bubble, a shadow.

This place, untouched by empire, offered dazzling sunshine and mountains covered in lush forests. It was warm and comfortable, almost forcing the chill from the very bones of one's being.

"Fine, fine!" Alexander shrugged, adopting a resigned, surrender-like posture. "I'll get to work immediately!"

Tang Feiliu waved dismissively, then turned and bellowed again, "No, no! Stop! You need to go this way..."

It seemed Tang Feiliu was thoroughly enjoying this bustling, hectic life.

Author's Note:

Thanks to Tangyuan Nuonuo for the landmine.

There should only be one or two more chapters left. Writing any more would just be repetition. Who would've thought that someone like me—who started writing straight from a rough outline and then went off on tangents midway—would actually finish this!

Writing these little fluffy stories has been a lot of fun.