"Big brother," Bai Suihe stood up to greet him, "Kai Yuan went to collect firewood. What brings you here?"

Gu Kaiping frowned, "Why is Kai Yuan still going to collect firewood? Don’t you have four people serving you?"

"Big brother, what are you saying? With our current status, who would dare to serve us?

It’s all because Dongmei and Chunxiang took pity on us, giving us a place to stay and helping us with meals. These kindnesses, Kai Yuan and I will keep in mind, and of course, we should do what we can."

After Bai Suihe finished speaking, she raised the vegetable leaves in her hand, "Look, I’m also learning to do chores.

After all, we are capable people and can’t rely entirely on others.

When we reach the place of exile, if I don’t know how to do anything, I won’t be able to survive in Lingnan."

Gu Kaiping didn’t expect that with just one question, he’d get a lecture in return, and now he didn’t know how to respond.

He wanted to criticize Bai Suihe, but it’s not something an older brother-in-law could do.

He slightly regretted it, knowing Gu Kaiyuan wasn’t here, he should have let Liu Yun come.

"Are you really planning to stay with them in the future? Aren’t you thinking about our parents?" He wanted to leave but couldn’t help asking one more question.

Bai Suihe blinked, "Walking with the family, is there a place for me?

Besides, how are we not considering our parents?

We can save food for the family here and make space for you, where have we not done well?"

Gu Kaiping, "But a family should help each other. I see you have a carriage here; can you bring our parents over to avoid the cold wind?

The night is chilly, and if the two elders get sick from cold, what will we do?"

Bai Suihe felt a bit embarrassed, she looked at Dongmei, "I don’t know you all..."

"Miss," Chunxiang said righteously, "we are already free people, and it’s out of the care you showed us before that we accompany you and the young master.

We’re willing to serve you, but not others; we don’t want to.

Besides, if you don’t care for your own body, we still have to think of the lady; she only has you as a daughter. If we don’t take good care of you, how will we ever face the old acquaintances at the Bai Mansion?

If others can’t catch a cold, why should you?"

Finishing her words, Chunxiang turned to Gu Kaiping, "Mr. Gu, we are no longer the Gu Family’s servants, and this ox cart is our private property, unrelated people shouldn’t think about it." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

These words made Gu Kaiping’s face turn red. He cared about face, and to be reproached by a former maid like this was utterly insubordinate.

But he couldn’t do anything about it, which made him even more frustrated.

Seeing Gu Kaiping turn away, Bai Suihe thought that the Gu Family’s constant entanglement was not a solution. They needed a long-term plan, or every time they stopped for a meal, these people would come up to cause trouble, greatly affecting their mood.

There were six of them here, including three able-bodied men. They cooked a big pot full of noodle dumplings, still worrying if it would be enough. If not, they’d have to use pastries to fill in.

Every household was busy, and many didn’t even go to claim the usual ration of two steamed buns each time.

This situation was something the escorts had gotten used to.

They allowed these people to prepare things themselves to economize on daily rations; although not much, every bit counts, as a small mosquito is still meat, and everyone has a family to support.

Taking care of their bodies like this wouldn’t cause trouble on the road. Otherwise, they’d be too slow if half-dead.

With over a thousand kilometers to go, without eating enough, how would they have the energy to get through it?

No matter how easy it seemed now with a cart, the farther they went, the harder the road would get.

Sometimes running into continuous uphill stretches, they’d even have to push the cart up.

In this little hollow of a valley, there were dozens of fires, with aromas wafting everywhere.

It seems that the ancient housewives learned quite a range of things. Although a bit clumsy at first, they managed to prepare the food.

Gu Family

Xu Huizhen provided a bowl of rice for Liu Yun to make a big pot of porridge, with the main food being the black buns distributed by the escorts.

"Is this all we’re eating today?" Finally getting to eat something hot, they hoped for at least some noodles, only to find it’s just porridge, and such a thin one at that.

"Mother, didn’t we buy half a bag of flour, why make porridge?" Gu Kaiping was also puzzled, already exhausted and starving after leading the ox cart all day.

"Having porridge is already quite good with the little silver you’ve provided, who knows how long it will last.

Everyone’s sitting on the ox cart without doing any heavy work, as long as we don’t starve to death, it’ll be fine."

Gu Kaiping felt a bit wronged, "Mother, did you forget I have been walking all day today?"

As the eldest, he didn’t dare complain, but it didn’t mean he didn’t take care of himself.

If this continued, his body would collapse in a few days.

He still hoped to help his father regain his position someday and make great strides again.

"I kept two buns for you from the ones I bought this morning. The rest, just don’t eat them." Xu Huizhen appreciated Gu Kaiping’s contributions. Indeed, he was the most reliable in the family.

"Mother, what about me?" Gu Kaichen squeezed in, having pressed his legs all afternoon, feeling he at least deserved some food too.

"Tomorrow, switch with your big brother and I’ll give you two big buns too." Xu Huizhen covered the bag, times weren’t like before, and she couldn’t let this kid swindle her again.

"By the way, Kai Ping, did you find that unfilial son? What did he say?"

"I didn’t see the third brother. He went to collect firewood; I’ll look for him later."

"That unfilial son, deliberately parking the cart so far away, he’s guarding against us." Xu Huizhen cared to know what Ms. Bai’s group ate today.

"What was that Ms. Bai doing when you went over?"

"Picking vegetables," Gu Kaiping saw Gu Anliang returning with a pile of firewood, quickly going to help and approvingly said to him, "Well done, our family must work together."

"But father, I don’t want to collect firewood. Those places are dirty, with bugs." If it were before, Gu Anliang would be thrilled to hear praise, but now he didn’t need it.

He needed clean clothes, delicious food, and dedicated servants to attend to him.

"There’s no choice, you’re a little man now," Gu Kaichen sat up straight, "you’re the eldest grandson, you need to set an example for your younger brother."

Gu Anliang pointed at Gu Anwei, sitting idly by, "I’m only two years older than my brother, and he’s about the same height as me, why shouldn’t he work?"