Despite hurrying along, they still arrived at the campsite only after the entire land had become moist. Luckily, there were many large trees here, and since it was only a light drizzle, there was still a dry patch of ground.

While it could shield them from the rain, it could do little to block the wind. Everyone could only arrange their carts in a circle, which provided some shelter from the cold wind.

Gu Kaiyuan removed the cart frame from the ox. Huang Pingguo had already led the ox to graze, and Gu Kaiyuan and Zhuang Datou began collecting firewood and fetching water.

The advantage of reaching a set campsite was clear: the escorts knew where the water source was, allowing them to avoid wandering around aimlessly like headless flies.

Everyone was busy, and due to being in a circle with people in the middle, Gu Kaiyuan couldn’t avoid the Gu Family this time.

The Gu Family were hardy common folk who cooperated well. By the time Gu Kaiyuan and his group stacked their stove, others had already started cooking.

However, upon seeing them in their thin clothing, Gu Kaiyuan sighed silently, unable to do anything.

But thanks to being seasoned farmers and efficient workers, in a short time, they accumulated a large pile of firewood. As long as there was enough wood and there was no heavy rain that night, it wouldn’t be too unbearable.

There were plenty of dead branches beneath the grove. If necessary, one could climb the trees and break off the unbroken dead branches. As Gu Kaiyuan’s mind was unsettled that day, he didn’t want to venture far to gather wood and instead climbed the tree to break off dry branches.

Others found this enticing, but apart from the Gu Family members and the escorts, the others couldn’t manage it. These pampered individuals couldn’t even climb a tree, let alone stand on one to gather dry wood.

The pile of firewood on Gu Kaiyuan’s side grew steadily, as Gu Kaiping brought two children over.

Gu Kaiyuan ignored him, knowing that his presence never boded well.

"Kaiyuan, it’s too cold now, and we haven’t prepared thick enough clothing. Do you have any extra here?"

Gu Kaiyuan said, "Brother, I’ve borrowed all these clothes from Datou and the others; I can’t help you.

The sky is still early; you should hurry and gather more firewood..."

"You have so much firewood," Gu Kaiping seemed to be waiting for this reply, "Father is old and injured; he can’t be left to suffer the cold."

After speaking, he instructed Gu Anliang and Gu Anwei, "You two boys, hurry and move the firewood back, don’t let your grandfather freeze."

Bai Suihe looked at Gu Kaiping in disbelief. He seemed to have evolved daily, now able to speak on his own and make decisions for others.

Just as the two children were about to move, a sudden scream erupted from the Gu Family’s direction.

Upon hearing this familiar sound, Gu Anliang and Gu Kaiping simultaneously paused and looked anxiously towards their side.

But with several families in between, they couldn’t see clearly. They had no choice but to abandon the firewood and rush towards their home.

Left behind, Gu Anwei looked back and forth, gritted his teeth, and dragged the two largest dry branches laboriously back.

Bai Suihe thought to himself, this Gu Family seems to have no simple individuals, from the old to the young.

Instantly, he thought of the baby in his arms, who would also carry the Gu name in the future. He thought, perhaps being not simple isn’t so bad; it means they won’t suffer losses.

But hopefully, they won’t pick up all the bad habits of the Gu Family.

At that moment, his stomach moved. Bai Suihe initially thought the baby had woken, but it turned out to be just a turn, and soon quieted again.

While Bai Suihe was curious, he was also cautious not to rush over without reason. He remembered that today was a turning point in his fate; for his and his baby’s life, he intended to play it safe.

"Miss, let’s help you sit over there. The young master found a nice tree with a big hollow to protect you from the wind," Chunxiang said, having already cleared the tree hollow. Bai Suihe could hide inside it completely to hide from the wind.

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Bai Suihe’s eyes. Gu Kaiyuan was becoming more considerate; no wonder he was proactively searching for a resting place this time. He had planned this in advance.

However, she didn’t recall the book mentioning such a place. It seemed that only those who truly experience it know more, rather than relying on a lighthearted depiction.

"Why are you still here?" Bai Suihe was surprised to see Gu Kaiyuan following them, especially since the scream had been from Gu Antong.

Gu Kaiyuan said decisively, "I’m not going anywhere today."

Bai Suihe thought, perhaps it wouldn’t go as planned. The Gu Family doesn’t think of them when good things happen, but when there’s trouble, they are definitely involved.

Sure enough, they had barely sat down when Gu Anwei, who had just left with firewood, hurried back, "Third Uncle, Grandfather is calling you over."

Bai Suihe raised an eyebrow at Gu Kaiyuan. See, isn’t this work calling?

Gu Kaiyuan clutched his stomach, "No, Third Uncle has a stomachache. Tell your grandfather that I’ll go over once I’ve recovered."

Gu Anwei’s eyes darted around, and he sat down beside Gu Kaiyuan, "Third Uncle, it’s because Big Sister had a conflict with the Zhou Family. She burned Sister Zhou’s clothes and almost hurt someone."

Bai Suihe couldn’t help but look anew at this child who had always been invisible. It seemed all the brains in the second room resided here.

Feeling envious as he watched Dongmei and the others busying themselves, Gu Anwei lamented that life was better on Third Uncle’s side. Despite being exiled, they were served by servants as if on an outing.

If only his mother had endured a little longer and took care of his aunt, they could have lived like this too.

These days, he continuously sought opportunities to befriend Third Uncle’s side, and now he finally got his chance.

"Which Zhou Family?"

Although Gu Kaiyuan knew, he pretended to be unaware, considering several people bore the surname Zhou.

"It’s the family of Imperial Censor Zhou Gang," Gu Anwei thought Third Uncle’s side was truly good, with a fire blazing strong, warming their once icy bodies quickly.

He longed for a glance at their thick clothing. If he had one, he wouldn’t have to deal with a runny nose; it was just too unseemly.

But there was no help for it; this wasn’t before. He could only use his sleeve to discreetly dab and wipe now and then.

Despite his discreetness, Bai Suihe had noticed long ago, doing his best not to stare at the child.

"Big Sister, I don’t know what came over her. Sister Zhou was returning with firewood, and as she passed by, her skirt might have accidentally brushed against her. She then tore it apart and threw it into the fire in a fit of anger.

Because of this tug, Sister Zhou fell to the ground, almost tumbling into the fire."

Bai Suihe pouted. He couldn’t understand why Gu Antong acted like this; that Zhou girl hadn’t provoked her. Was it really just because their clothes brushed?

Sometimes conflicts arise from small incidents. Still, because of this conflict, the original character lost her life, and it was a double tragedy.

Gu Kaiyuan and the others remained silent, not minding. Gu Anwei continued on unfazed, "Madam Gu witnessed the incident and charged over, hitting Big Sister..."