Carrying a Lucky Charm, I Thrive with My Husband on the Road to Exile

None of the Gu Family wanted to move, and in the end, they really didn’t move. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

But when they saw others carrying back bundles and bundles, they became envious.

So many wild onions and wild vegetables, even if you just throw them in a pot and boil them, it’s better than eating that spoiled bread.

At this point, the sky was already darkening, and Xu Huizhen spoke up, "Since there are wild vegetables to dig here and they can be eaten, you should hurry and dig them out."

"Mother, it’s almost dark, we can’t see clearly on the ground. Why don’t we have the eldest brother go and see what third brother has hunted? Maybe we can have a hearty meal."

"It’s been so long and he hasn’t come back; he definitely hasn’t caught anything. Relying on him, it’s better for you to dig some wild vegetables. Do you expect me, an old lady, to go personally?" Xu Huizhen didn’t think Gu Kaiyuan had the capability to bring back game from the mountain.

Although Liu Yun and the others were reluctant to move, they knew Xu Huizhen had a point, so they stood up and walked toward the mountain.

When they arrived, they were dumbfounded.

The once verdant land had been dug into pits and hollows, leaving them wondering where to start.

Xu Yulan grew up in the countryside and knew which wild vegetables were edible.

She just hadn’t done it in years and was too lazy to move.

Now, with an empty stomach and seeing all this food, she was naturally motivated, directing the family to go further and handing each one a sample, "These are wild onions, everyone hurry up, if it gets any darker, we won’t see anything."

Working by torchlight was even more exhausting.

Back at the ox cart, Xu Huizhen and Gu Baijiang glared at each other with mutual dislike.

Especially Gu Baijiang’s face, burned and scarred, looked eerie in the firelight.

"How much silver do you have hidden on you?" Xu Huizhen was most concerned about this.

"Not much, just two hundred taels in silver notes," Gu Baijiang knew Xu Huizhen’s nature, and if he didn’t explain, there was bound to be trouble.

Besides not wanting to be laughed at, he didn’t want to deal with the argument again.

"Only two hundred taels?"

"You have quite the nerve; if you were hiding it, would you even have a single tael?"

"..."

"Then hand over the silver notes for me to manage. The food and drink along the way should be handled by me, the head housewife.

What do you know about these daily trivial matters?"

"Am I really inferior to you, an ignorant woman?" Gu Baijiang refused to hand over the silver, not noticing that ever since he took out the silver notes, his son’s and daughter-in-law’s attitudes improved significantly.

"If you look down on me, why didn’t you divorce me and marry your Madam Li?

I know I’m old and not what I used to be. It’s normal for you to look down on me, but you should still maintain some decency for me.

You wouldn’t want your son to hold a grudge against you, would you?

Besides, when I hold the money, it’s used for our children and grandchildren.

But with you, who knows, when we reach our destination, you might decide to keep a mistress again?"

But Gu Baijiang wouldn’t relent, "Use up the silver you have first, and when needed, I’ll give it to you.

Also, now that our son isn’t here, I need to tell you, can you stop bringing this up in the future?"

"Why? Feeling guilty?

It’s okay for you to do it, but not for me to talk about it?"

"Don’t glare at me; this isn’t Gu Mansion, and you’re not the Vice Minister there. Our family’s situation is all thanks to you.

Even if you are a corrupt official, you haven’t used the money on our family, so why should I give you any face?"

At this moment, Gu Baijiang wanted to strangle the woman in front of him. Even if he had been corrupt, could she constantly bring it up?

Without his salary for support, could Mrs. Xu maintain a household?

"I’ve said this matter has nothing to do with Mrs. Li, the affairs at court change rapidly, had I known the outcome, I’d have taken precautions.

You keep holding onto that matter, probably just to provide a laugh for others."

"I might not understand, but it doesn’t mean I’m stupid. Why did those men in black specifically target you? It couldn’t be without reason or mistaken identity, right?" Xu Huizhen was even speculating how much Gu Baijiang might have embezzled to have people hunting him down like this.

How much silver could that be? If she had it, she’d be willing to live well for a few years even if it meant accepting her fate.

But she got no benefit from it and suffered instead. How could she swallow that anger?

"Did you hide the embezzled silver?" Xu Huizhen glanced around, ensuring no one was eavesdropping, and asked confidently.

Gu Baijiang’s pupils shrank. If even Xu Huizhen could guess, could others be thinking the same?

"We’re husband and wife; don’t you trust me?"

Gu Baijiang turned his head away; it was because he didn’t trust her that he dared not bring more silver home over the years, or it’d end up contributing to the Xu Family.

"You always said I supported my natal family," Xu Huizhen saw through his thoughts, "But now the Xu Family is far from me, can I still run back to give them silver?

Besides, since they didn’t come to see me off this time, I feel a bit cold towards them, and in the future, any silver we have will surely be saved for our children."

Talking about children reminded her she’d been too busy with the mistress to check if Mrs. Li had given birth.

"How many children did the mistress bear for you? Did you leave the silver for them?"

Xu Huizhen’s face darkened with each thought of it, pointing at Gu Baijiang, "You’re simply inhumane..."

Hearing Xu Huizhen rant like a shrew, Gu Baijiang closed his eyes; the good reputation he painstakingly maintained was now ruined.

Even if he could fix his face in the future and re-enter the court, his colleagues would still talk behind his back about his hypocrisy.

Where did this damned woman find out about this?

Could it be that the eldest let it slip? Simply idiotic.

"Stop scolding," Gu Baijiang couldn’t stand it, "I have no other offspring besides our three sons, does that satisfy you?"

He had wanted Mrs. Li to bear a few children, but for some reason, it never happened.

But he already had three legitimate sons, so he wasn’t that insistent on having more children.

"That’s good," Xu Huizhen had been staring at Gu Baijiang, and seeing he didn’t seem to be lying, she was relieved.

If Gu Baijiang really left the money to children outside, she’d be so angry she might die.

Though she didn’t get the money, getting this clear answer, Xu Huizhen felt she could forgive the old man for today.

Meanwhile, Gu Kaiyuan was descending the mountain, carrying a small wild boar on his shoulder and holding a wild pheasant and a wild rabbit in his hands, in high spirits.

If he knew the mistress he deliberately exposed earlier became a thorn between the pair, occasionally pricking them, he’d probably laugh out loud.