Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapter 172. Gift Giving
"I can't accept something for nothing," Gu Li had said before that he would consider helping Gu Kaiyuan, but he took the benefits before the matter was resolved. What if he messed things up later? Where would he put his face?

"This is a gift from your junior to you," Gu Kaiyuan said, not expecting that even at this point, his great-grandfather was still sticking to principles.

If he were to give this to the Gu family, they would probably complain that it's not enough.

"Why don't you go take a look at the items first, and then we can talk about it," Gu Kaiyuan said with a smile, looking at the clansmen who were already somewhat interested.

“Grandfather, why don’t we go and take a look?” His words quickly piqued the interest of the younger generation. Kaiwen, who was in his teens, also wanted to know what his cousin had given his grandfather.

"Then let's go take a look. It's too valuable, we can't accept it." It's hard to repay a favor. Regardless of the value of the gift, Gu Kaiyuan took the initiative to give it to them during their most difficult time, and they already owe him a debt of gratitude.

He, an old man, doesn't care much, but he can't help but think about his children and grandchildren.

If the gift isn't valuable, he can repay the favor later.

Putting aside his own situation, as long as he hasn't severed ties with Gu Baijiang, he's still an elder and can temporarily protect Gu Kaiyuan.

The group arrived at the backyard, and as the smell grew stronger, they became even more puzzled. If they remembered correctly, this should be a place where livestock were kept.

Gu Kaiyuan led them to an oxcart and reached out to touch the ox's head. "The weather is getting colder and colder, and everyone will have more and more stuff. It will be difficult to rely on manpower alone. This oxcart also has a back carriage, which I prepared for you."

“This is too valuable,” Gu Li shook his head immediately, “There are many of us, and everyone can take care of each other…”

“Grandpa, the hardships on the road ahead are unimaginable, and the escorts will not slow down for anyone. With this oxcart, many problems can be solved.”

Gu Li was well aware of this; they had inquired about the price of oxcarts, and even the worst ones were beyond their reach.

Looking at the robust ox and the sturdy carriage, how could he not be tempted?

But what Gu Kaiyuan said was exactly what he feared. With so many people, it was impossible for the journey to be smooth sailing. The existence of this oxcart could give everyone a chance to catch their breath and provide a transitional place.

“I’ve already paid the money, and there’s no way to get it back. Each household can only have one vehicle, so we can’t just leave it here to waste.” Gu Kaiyuan placed the slip he had just received from the escort in his hand. “It just means that in the future, Grandpa might have to pay a care fee at each post station.”

Seeing the clansmen's eyes light up, Gu Li finally sighed and said, "Grandpa owes you a huge favor."

“Just consider this a gift from me as a junior to you,” Gu Kaiyuan added, “This is also Bai’s intention.”

He said this in the hopes that the clansmen would protect Bai Suihe to some extent in the future, but he didn't expect that Gu Li and the others would misunderstand. Gu Kaiyuan was just coaxing the Bai clan to help them.

Gu Baihe patted his shoulder, "If you need anything in the future, come to your uncle. I can't promise you anything else, but your uncle is very strong."

"My second uncle can also help..."

"And I……"

This unprecedented enthusiasm left Gu Kaiyuan at a loss for words. Just then, Gu Kaiwen exclaimed, "There are still many things in this car!"

It turned out that, taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he had already climbed onto the train carriage, and of course discovered that it was filled with goods. "This?"

"These are all things that everyone can use, especially these boots and these raincoats, at least they will keep everyone from getting cold while traveling."

No one expected Gu Kaiyuan to be so thorough in his considerations.

They saw all these things today, but unfortunately they were short of money, so they could only buy what they needed most.

"This is already quite good," they said. They also bought some raincoats and rain gear today, but it was impossible for everyone to have them. They only prepared them for the elderly, weak, and sick, while the strong men could only grit their teeth and endure it.

Gu Kaiyuan was immediately overwhelmed by shouts of gratitude, which startled him so much that he quickly said a few words and ran away.

“You must remember this kindness,” Gu Li said, feeling that this kindness was too great for him to repay alone. So he gathered everyone together and said, “We have all heard about this child.”

"Why is he helping us so much today? I'm afraid Gu Baijiang will make things difficult for him. You guys keep a close eye on things these next few days, and if anything happens, we'll stand up for him."

Everyone quickly agreed, and their previously anxious hearts were now at ease.

With Gu Kaiyuan's help, they no longer have to carry heavy loads and can also withstand the cold; this is truly a timely help.

It was impossible to keep the news from being separated by a room. Gu Baijiang already knew about it not long after Gu Licai finished speaking.

“We should have guessed this long ago,” Xu Yulan began to shout before Gu Baijiang and the others could say anything, “Father, aren’t you going to do anything about it?”

"If you manage things like this, make Bai Shi hand over the money." Gu Baijiang was angry, but as a father-in-law, it wouldn't be good to make things difficult for his daughter-in-law.

Moreover, he was confident that he could return to the capital, so of course he had to maintain his reputation.

Now he regrets it a little; if Xu Huizhen were still alive, she could have stepped forward.

Xu Yulan looked at Liu Yun, who remained silent, while Gu Antong beside her pursed her lips.

With a quick glance, she immediately said, "Bai Suihe is such an aunt, she's really outrageous. When An Tong asked her to borrow clothes, she made all sorts of excuses. We're all family, and the Gu family only has one young lady like her. She doesn't even know how to help each other out. She's really not acting like an elder."

Gu Antong knew, of course, that her second aunt had ill intentions, and though she was angry, she didn't respond.

However, Xu Yulan did not want to let Bai Suihe off the hook. She felt that the family should unite and demand an explanation from them. "Sister-in-law, Mother is gone. It is said that the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother. You should ask them on behalf of Mother. Why didn't they help us when we had so much money?"
Now, a relative they've never met is rushing to their aid with such heartfelt devotion. How can they face their parents for raising them?
If you ask me, if she hadn't hidden it like that back then, my parents wouldn't have had to live in such a shabby house, and maybe our mother would still be alive..."

Gu Baijiang clenched his fists, not because he thought Xu Yulan's words made sense, but because something he didn't want to mention was being brought up again and again.

With Xu Yulan's foul mouth, won't she one day spread rumors about family matters to outsiders?

"Alright, second sister-in-law, this is the Bai family's money. As their sister-in-law, I can't interfere with our relatives' affairs." Liu Yun wasn't without anger or envy, but since Gu Kaiping had told her about some of the family's secrets, she certainly didn't want to bring Bai Suihe and the others back at this moment.