Ancient Wen Heng didn’t bother getting out of the carriage to check. After waiting for about five minutes, he ignored the situation with the rest of the caravan and simply ordered Hong Da, "Let’s go."

Hong Da cracked his whip and flicked the reins, urging the horses to move.

Hong Tianbao, who had been on the roadside preparing to report, chose a nearby carriage and hopped on, sitting next to the driver.

Their carriage was already at the very front. Its movement signaled the master’s intent, so the carriages behind didn’t dare to delay, following one after another.

Song Xiuyang, who had been anxiously looking for someone, couldn’t be bothered with formalities anymore. She scrambled onto one of the carriages and forced her way inside.

Seeing a carriage full of unfamiliar old women, Song Xiuyang asked nervously, "This is the Gu family’s caravan, right?"

"Of course it is. But little lady, we’ve never seen you before. Are you sure you’re on the right carriage?" one of the women asked, her tone probing as she scrutinized her from her messy hair to her meager bundle.

"Then I’m in the right place. My husband is a cousin of the young master of this family. I just don’t know which carriage he’s in. My apologies for the intrusion, ladies."

"A cousin of the young master?" Nanny Li, being a steward at the soap workshop, was more vigilant than the others. "How come we’ve never heard of him?"

A flash of embarrassment crossed Song Xiuyang’s face. "My husband rarely follows Seventh Uncle, so I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting you all."

"Then why are you only just arriving now? What if you hadn’t caught up? You would have been separated from your husband, wouldn’t you?" Nanny Li patted the spot beside her. "For now, just make do and sit here. When the carriage starts jostling, you don’t want to get bumped around."

Recalling how the caravan had just stopped, Nanny Li decided to wait and see. ’If she really is a relative of the master’s family, it wouldn’t be good to offend her.’

Jin Qianqian had thought they had set out relatively early, but by the time they reached the main road out of Sea City, carriages were already parked in small groups along the side.

Many people poked their heads out curiously as they arrived.

Before Jin Qianqian and her party could even see which acquaintances had arrived, Song Xiuyang, who had been following behind, impatiently jumped from her carriage, repeatedly shouting for her husband and for the "Le Family."

A surge of anger rose in Jin Qianqian. ’What is she trying to do?’

Ancient Wen Heng patted her hand. "Don’t get angry because of her."

Ancient Wen Heng pulled a letter of divorce from his sleeve and handed it directly to Housekeeper Fu, who was waiting outside. "If she causes any more trouble, give this to her and send her back.

If she knows what’s good for her, Qing Mei, take her to your carriage. You can come over here and attend to the missus."

In a moment, the commotion over there stopped. Liu Qingmei also brought her things over and sat obediently in a corner.

This time, Deng Yuanhang was not only returning home himself but was also acting as the steward for this entire escort trip.

He hastily arranged a spot for them, too busy to even exchange greetings before rushing off to the next client.

As luck would have it, Ancient Wen Heng’s carriage ended up right behind Zhou Ping’s.

One in front of the other, the difference between the two carriages was obvious.

"Wenheng, are all these... yours?" Zhou Ping asked, a complicated expression on his face as he looked at the housekeeper and servants surrounding Ancient Wen Heng. ’Just a few months ago, we all arrived in this city alone. How did he build up such a large household in the blink of an eye?’

Ancient Wen Heng nodded magnanimously. "Brother Zhou, let me introduce you. This is my family’s housekeeper, Jiang Zhongfu. I’m not sure where Mr. Wang’s carriage is. Should we go over and pay our respects?"

Zhou Ping said, "We certainly should. It’s just that fellow Deng Yuanhang ran off so quickly, I didn’t even have a chance to ask before he vanished."

Ancient Wen Heng turned to Hong Tianbao and said, "You’re a fast runner. Take some men and ask around to see where Mr. Wang is."

Hong Tianbao nodded, picked two servants, and they headed off in different directions to search.

"You really know how to live, Wenheng. By the way, where’s your wife? Isn’t she returning with you on this trip?"

Ancient Wen Heng raised an eyebrow. "She hasn’t been sleeping well these past few days in preparation for today’s journey, so I’m letting her rest in the carriage. What did you have in mind, Brother Zhou?"

"Ah, it’s just my wife. She’s been here for so long and hasn’t found a single friend to talk to. Since our carriages are so close, I thought they could keep each other company." Zhou Ping glanced at Ancient Wen Heng’s carriage. "And while they’re chatting, we could discuss literature."

Ancient Wen Heng smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Unfortunately, my wife gets a bit dizzy in the carriage. I’m afraid she might be discourteous in front of your wife.

Once we’re back, I will certainly find an opportunity to discuss literature with you, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Ping looked disappointed. "That’s a real shame. There’s a doctor traveling with us. Should we ask if there’s anything to alleviate it?"

On the way over, their carriages had been some distance apart, so Zhou Ping couldn’t tell if Ancient Wen Heng was telling the truth.

’It’s just that, whenever the carriages stopped before, his little wife seemed perfectly lively. Could he be making excuses to put me off?’

But since the other party had been so direct, Zhou Ping didn’t let any of his objections show on his face, no matter what he thought.

"We brought some sour plums, maybe they can help suppress it. And I haven’t congratulated you yet, Brother Zhou, on becoming a father." It was hard for Ancient Wen Heng not to notice—Mrs. Zhou Liu had already walked back and forth in front of him twice, cradling her belly.

Zhou Ping grinned smugly. "You’ll have to work harder too, Wenheng. Then our children can be companions in the future."

Ancient Wen Heng smiled and nodded, his gaze scanning the caravan. "Tianbao is back."

"Did you find him?" Zhou Ping asked before anyone else could.

Hong Tianbao glanced at Ancient Wen Heng and only answered Zhou Ping after receiving a slight nod. "Yes, he’s three or four carriages ahead. But I just heard from the escort agency that the caravan is about to depart."

Ancient Wen Heng sounded regretful. "It looks like we’ll have to wait until we stop for a rest to go and greet Mr. Wang.

Brother Zhou, it’s still a bit chilly this early in the morning. You should take your wife back to the carriage to rest so she doesn’t catch a cold."

Zhou Ping rubbed his arms. It was indeed a bit cool. After exchanging a few more words, he turned and helped Mrs. Zhou Liu back to their carriage.

"Well? Is that woman with the surname Jin pregnant too? Why haven’t we seen her at all?"

The object of her speculation, Jin Qianqian, was currently lying soundly on a thick quilt, dreaming sweetly.

Zhou Ping lifted the curtain and glanced outside. "What are you babbling about? You should call her ’sister-in-law.’ I just asked Wenheng. He said she didn’t sleep well the past few days and is resting in the carriage. Before we set off, hurry up and take out all the quilts to put underneath you. You don’t want the baby to be shaken."

Then he lowered his voice. "You need to be more careful about what you say. With our carriages so close, if you keep saying inappropriate things, it will make it very difficult for me to face Wenheng in the future."