Seeing that Gu Lejia was fairly well-built, and with a new shipment of goods needing another hand, Chen Dagui had nodded in agreement.

Unfortunately, they had been heading north and later traveled by water, so Gu Lejia ended up completely separated from his family.

"Haven’t you heard about the refugee resettlement plans?"

Gu Lejia hesitated. "I’ve heard about it, but what good would going back do? I hear the drought over there still isn’t over. Returning would just be a dead end."

This was also why, upon hearing that refugees would be sent back to their hometowns, Gu Lejia simply gritted his teeth and followed Boss Chen south. Even though he lacked a household registration, life under Boss Chen’s protection was incomparably better than before.

Even now, knowing his family had found a nearby village to settle in, he didn’t regret his decision.

’He never knew the world outside was so vast until he left.’

Jin Qianqian, unaware of his thoughts, asked, "So, what are your plans? As it happens, the escort agency has an escort team returning to Dao City in a few days. If you want to go back, we can help you with the arrangements."

Gu Lejia pondered for a moment before making up his mind. "Seventh Aunt, I don’t want to go back just yet. See, I have a job here and I earn wages. If I went back, I’d just be facing those same few acres of land. I want to take a chance and try to make something of myself here."

"In that case, you should still come to our home for a visit. Your Seventh Uncle will be back tonight, and you can explain everything to him properly." Jin Qianqian glanced out at the shop. "Do you need to ask for leave first?"

Only then did Gu Lejia think of a question. "Seventh Aunt, how did you all end up here?"

’And judging by their clothes and bearing, anyone who could afford to shop in a jewelry store must have some wealth.’

Jin Qianqian explained that Ancient Wenheng had passed the examination to become a Scholar and had come here for his studies. "Your Seventh Uncle has already enrolled in an academy."

Gu Lejia’s face lit up with joy. "Really? That’s wonderful news for the family! I never thought Seventh Uncle had it in him. I must go and congratulate him personally."

Jin Qianqian asked a few more simple questions. Realizing these matters couldn’t be rushed, she said her goodbyes to Chen Shaodong and the others. No longer in the mood to pick out jewelry, she headed for home with Liu Xiaohua.

The sky had already grown dark. Jin Qianqian stood anxiously at the doorway, peering down the street. Her expression only relaxed when a familiar figure appeared at the corner.

"What took you so long?"

How could Ancient Wenheng miss the worry in her eyes? "I got held up for a bit. From now on, just wait inside. It’s not that cold here, but it gets a little chilly in the mornings and evenings. Don’t catch a cold."

’Thinking of his fellow students, who had to support each other on the way back, Ancient Wenheng wondered if they’d even be able to get up so early tomorrow morning.’

They had only been delayed because they had stopped to wait for the others. Otherwise, with his and Deng Yuanhang’s stamina, they would have been home much earlier.

Jin Qianqian said, "I thought you said the academy wasn’t far? If you’re going to be this late getting home every day, maybe we should go pick out a donkey cart tomorrow."

Seeing she had misunderstood, Ancient Wenheng explained Yingshan Academy’s location. "There is a road that donkey carts can take all the way to the academy, but my senior brothers already asked around. That road is only for a few of the older teachers. No other carts or sedan chairs are allowed."

"Don’t worry! Senior Brother Deng and I were just walking at their pace."

’We’re only going at their pace for the first day. In the future, our schedules will be different, so we can’t keep waiting like this.’

Jin Qianqian looked at Ancient Wenheng with sympathy. "It seems Mr. Wang anticipated this. On the way here, he answered questions about our essays but kept his mouth shut about the academy. So this was the reason."

"I bet you had an eventful day. But now’s not the time to talk about it. Go wash up, you must be starving, right?"

Ancient Wenheng clutched his stomach, putting on a pitiful expression. "My wife is still the most thoughtful. It’s been years since I’ve had to eat mess hall food, and this was so bland and watery... That flavor was just..."

’Back in school, even though it was also mess hall food, there were all sorts of varieties and plenty of options.’

’The mess hall food at this academy was literally just stewed in a giant pot until it was cooked. You couldn’t taste anything besides salt.’

Even though he wasn’t a picky eater, he lost his appetite the moment he saw a meal like that.

Besides, a meal with no oil or substance wasn’t filling at all. Combined with that much physical exertion, his stomach had been protesting for a while.

"Then hurry up. Mrs. Huang bought duck and abalone at the market today. I stewed them together into a soup, which should be perfect for restoring your energy."

The moment Jin Qianqian mentioned the soup, Ancient Wenheng felt the aroma in the air make his mouth water even more, and he hurried his steps.

He had just put down his bowl and chopsticks when Gu Lejia arrived at the door with Chen Dongjia.

Seeing Ancient Wenheng’s surprised expression, Jin Qianqian quickly explained what she hadn’t had a chance to tell him yet.

As soon as Gu Lejia stepped inside, his eyes darted everywhere, trying to take it all in. ’Looks like Seventh Uncle is doing pretty well for himself,’ he thought. ’He even has servants.’

"Seventh Uncle, I’ve finally found my family!" Gu Lejia rushed forward to hug Ancient Wenheng, tears streaming down his face.

Jin Qianqian was speechless. ’So, what was I? Not family?’

Ancient Wenheng patted his back. "It’s good that we’ve found you. Your parents miss you. They’ll be able to rest easier knowing you’re safe."

Ancient Wenheng nodded at Chen Dongjia, who was standing behind Gu Lejia. "There’s a guest with you. Aren’t you going to make an introduction?"

Gu Lejia wiped away his tears. "I just got a little emotional. Seventh Uncle, this is the man who saved my life, and he’s also my current employer."

Chen Dongjia smiled and clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute toward Ancient Wenheng. "I wouldn’t go so far as to say I saved his life. I just happened upon him on the road and gave him a drink of water. My surname is Chen. Scholar Gu can just call me Chen Dagui."

"Not at all, not at all, Boss Chen. Please, come in. My nephew has been in your care for so long; by rights, I should have been the one to pay you a visit." Ancient Wenheng led him into the reception hall. The moment they sat down, Mrs. Huang and Liu Xiaohua served tea.

"I was very sympathetic when I heard Gu Lejia’s story.

But I was in a rush to deliver goods and restock, so I couldn’t help him look for his family. I also happened to be short on hands at the time, which is why I took him along.

But please, rest assured. Even though he doesn’t have his household registration, he is still a free man."

Chen Dagui had made this trip to explain the situation clearly. While a single Scholar wasn’t enough to frighten him, men like this often had connections to people he couldn’t afford to offend.

Ancient Wenheng stood up and gave Chen Dagui a deep bow. "On behalf of my elder brother, I thank you, Boss Chen, for your great kindness. However, the boy’s household registration is still in our old hometown. He can’t just keep wandering out here. I hope you can understand."