The procession stopped, accompanied by distant shouts, Bai Suihe pursed her lips, "Doesn’t it sound like the voice of your uncle?"

Dong Mei and Chun Xiang both grew solemn, "It sounds like it. Did something happen with the Gu Family again?"

Bai Suihe, "It seems so. Let Zhuang Datou go and take a look."

Not too far apart, Bai Suihe couldn’t ignore it. She had previously discussed it with Gu Kaiyuan; such formalities still needed to be observed.

Zhuang Datou hurriedly ran ahead, sweating profusely when he reached the Gu Family.

Gu Kaiyuan couldn’t help but want to give a thumbs up at that moment, thinking his mother-in-law indeed had the keen eyes to pick such a talent.

"Uncle, Miss sent me to ask, why did we just stop?"

Gu Kaiyuan was somewhat sad, "Go back and tell your Miss, my mother has passed away."

"Passed away, the old lady’s illness has been cured." Zhuang Datou wiped the sweat from his forehead, not daring to say anything inauspicious.

"My grandmother has died," Gu Anwei dared not approach the carriage but still stayed beside Gu Kaiyuan.

Hearing Zhuang Datou say this, he couldn’t help but correct him.

Zhuang Datou, "...How could it be? Wasn’t she just fine when we brought things over?"

Zhuang Datou looked incredulous, "Could this be a mistake?"

Gu Kaiyuan, "Go back and tell your Miss, my sister-in-law fears disturbing my mother, so it’s better for a pregnant woman to stay away for now."

"Does this matter now?" Zhuang Datou was secretly pleased, but outwardly he showed worry, "After all, she’s the Miss’s mother-in-law, and it wouldn’t look right for the Miss not to show up."

"There’s nothing I can do; it’s my sister-in-law in charge," Gu Kaiyuan was very pleased with Zhuang Datou’s cooperation and decided to talk to Suihe about using him more in the future.

"I’ll go back and inform the Miss, but if there’s anything else we can help with, please feel free to ask. I’m not much, but I’m still strong."

Gu Kaiyuan gratefully nodded to him, "Thank you all. I may not be able to leave for now, so your Miss still depends on your care."

"This is only right. Mrs. Bai has done us a kindness, so naturally, we should return the favor." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

...

Receiving approving glances from the surrounding people, Zhuang Datou took his leave, mission accomplished.

"Third Uncle, is there anything we need help from these servants?"

"Anwei, Third Uncle needs to teach you something.

Though they respectfully call your third aunt Miss, their status is no longer that of servants.

Your third aunt had already freed them; Zhuang Datou is Dong Mei’s husband. Their status is even higher than ours now, so you mustn’t speak like this again.

They are commoners, while we are prisoners.

They’ve helped us a lot these past days, and we should be grateful."

Gu Anwei was somewhat disgruntled, "But even so, they used to be servants..."

"That was because we used to have status and position, but now what do we have? We are prisoners in shackles." Gu Kaiyuan didn’t expect, after so many days, Gu Anwei could still look down on those who supported them.

Gu Kaiyuan’s words stripped away all pretense, and even if Gu Anwei was unwilling to accept, he couldn’t refute. However, he felt deeply that this Third Uncle was too useless.

Allowing former servants to be above them, yet still having to speak politely to them.

Even if those people weren’t their Gu Family’s servants, weren’t they still Bai Family’s? How could his Third Uncle, as their master, need to curry favor in reverse?

The Chen Family members following behind finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

"That old woman in the Gu Family finally died," Chen Dafu had been covering his mouth and nose with a handkerchief these days. Following behind, the wind would bring over that unbearable stench.

"I told you before, keep your distance from them, or move ahead, but you wouldn’t listen." Mrs. Chen was full of complaints, "Now she’s dead, what’s the use of you saying this now?

However, you must restrain yourself and not reveal anything before the Gu Family."

"Do you need to teach me that?" Chen Dafu closed his mouth when he saw Zhuang Datou running over and didn’t speak again until he was far away, "What do you think the Bai Family’s intention is? Abandoning the Gu Family and only taking care of the Bai Family’s daughter?"

"Who knows, after all, it’s their affair," Mrs. Chen looked at her daughters-in-law. At that time, their family had a thin foundation and didn’t consider marrying into a merchant family for her sons.

Looking back, that decision was right; merchants value profit, and when disaster strikes, they surely first protect themselves.

But the daughters-in-law’s families weren’t of high status either, mostly daughters from scholar families; it’s good they don’t come around for handouts, let alone offer support.

For this exile, each family only gave a few taels at most, which couldn’t really help.

This stingy family didn’t even dare to ask for wheels, if it weren’t for her leading the daughters-in-law to farm, how could they have the strength to journey long distances?

"I actually think Mrs. Bai is quite clever," Mrs. Chen contemplated and continued, "If all they provided was money, with so many in the Gu Family, Ms. Bai would have no place in the carriage."

Thinking of all the Gu Family’s disturbance in recent days, Chen Dafu nodded, "You have a point. Who knows how deep Xu Huizhen’s wound was, why did she last only a few days before passing?

There wasn’t any news of the wound worsening before, why so suddenly?"

"I visited her before," Mrs. Chen mused, "At that time, though her spirits weren’t high, she could still chat with me.

Along this way, the speed wasn’t fast nor was it bumpy, truly puzzling.

Do you think it could be the case of neglect from long illness...?"

Chen Dafu glanced back at his children and grandchildren, signaling subtly to Mrs. Chen, such remarks shouldn’t be spoken carelessly.

"There I go again, but Master Gu was in the carriage at that time, he wouldn’t allow something like that to happen."

Chen Dafu smiled inscrutably, without responding to Mrs. Chen’s words.

Seeing him make that face again, Mrs. Chen pursed her lips, slowing down to fall back with her daughters-in-law, distancing herself from the odor.

That night again they camped in the wilderness, Liu Pingkang, familiar with this route, selected places they used to camp before.

After arranging for everyone, he went directly to find the Gu Family.

Coming before Gu Baijiang, he took out a register from within his robes, "Has the death of Gu Baijiang’s wife, Xu Huizhen, been confirmed? If affirmed, we need to have it checked."

The Gu Family members pulled open the curtain, revealing the pale and lifeless Xu Huizhen lying silently in the carriage.

"Head, she no longer has breath," after triple checking, the escort gave his conclusion.

Liu Pingkang glanced once and drew a circle in the register, annotating the cause and date of death.

"While it’s still light, hurry and handle it. If you lack tools, you’re welcome to borrow from our side."