Chapter 82

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Chapter 82: Title

Gu Hengbo sat by the fire, lost in thought, still reflecting on Lianyang’s words.

"This farm was built by us together. No matter what changes happen when I return to the capital, I will write to you, so don’t worry."

"This was given to me by my Mother Empress; take care of it. She said it will keep the wearer safe."

"New Year is coming soon. If you really don’t want to leave, bring Madam Dou and Qingfeng over. Don’t forget about Lord Zou."

"Meisheng, take care of yourself."

"Meisheng, I… Will you wait for me?"

"I’m leaving; take care of yourself."

Gu Hengbo felt a bit uneasy. She scratched her head, put on a cotton robe, and walked outside. The wind was strong at night. As she took a few steps backward, she noticed a light flickering in the direction of the farm. She was about to head that way when a big man ran toward her, panting. "Boss Gu, there’s a letter for you. It just arrived."

Gu Hengbo took the letter, turned around, and went back into the big tent. By the light, she opened the letter and looked at the handwriting. The corners of her lips curled up slightly. "It’s been over a month, and now he finally writes. This kid…"

However, the contents of the letter quickly wiped the smile off Gu Hengbo’s face.

"Prince deposed, Empress has passed away."

"Empress, Lianyang’s mother, has died?" Gu Hengbo murmured.

She had never met the Empress but heard from Lianyang that she had been bedridden for years, a woman who avoided conflict. And just like that, she was gone.

Lianyang had not been favored in the palace before; now, with his great achievements, Lian Chen’s life or death was unknown, and the Fourth Prince was still young. The title of crown prince could only belong to him. This might be a turning point in his life; if so, he would become the heir, and perhaps their ties would fade away.

She admitted she had some lingering thoughts, but now it was different. Above the crown prince lay the highly esteemed throne, and she could not reach that height.

*

The time before the New Year was always busy. Gu Hengbo returned to the capital and went straight to Lord Zou’s residence. Knowing she was coming, Madam Dou prepared a full table of her favorite dishes.

Gu Hengbo, wrapped in her cotton coat, walked around the house. "Qingfeng, don’t tell me she’s almost eight months pregnant and still going to court!"

Qingfeng smiled while setting the table, "Of course not! She hasn’t been going for a while. I heard that the young lady was coming to take her back to the grassland for the New Year, so she happily went out to buy New Year goods, scared that there wouldn’t be anything good when she got to your place."

Gu Hengbo nodded, "That’s true; I hadn’t prepared any New Year goods."

Zou Yuan walked in with her large belly and saw someone sitting on her usual throne, nearly jumping up in anger. "Who let you sit in my seat? That’s for resting during pregnancy!"

Gu Hengbo remained seated, smugly looking at her. "If you’re so capable, come and hit me!"

Zou Yuan took two steps forward but was pulled by Madam Dou to sit at the table. "You are at a critical time; you can’t be moving around," she said, then turned to glare at her daughter. "And you, Xiao Yuan, this is a dangerous time; you should behave and come eat quickly."

Gu Hengbo, looking unwilling, sat next to Zou Yuan and picked up a chicken wing. "Mom, come with me to that place in a few days. The New Year is coming soon, and I can’t leave the farm. I’ll be lonely all by myself." A farm isn’t like a shop in the capital; you can’t leave it for a moment.

Madam Dou didn’t say much. She thought it didn’t matter where they celebrated as long as the kids were happy.

Zou Yuan glanced at Gu Hengbo. "Hey, I want to tell you something. You’re not a child anymore, you know? The other day, I mentioned you to a brother. There’s a young man from the Zhao family in the south of the city, one year older than you. Should I arrange a match for you?"

Gu Hengbo nearly choked on her food. She grabbed the water that Qingfeng handed her and gulped it down before saying, "Who let you make such random matches? Mom, I’m not ready for that!"

Madam Dou sighed. "You should think about these things yourself; I won’t force you."

Gu Hengbo looked at Zou Yuan. "Did you hear? Let’s put that aside for now! I had something else to tell you. A while ago, the Grandfather from the Kitchen came to the shop. Manager Lin sent Dongzi to tell me.”

Zou Yuan put away her joking expression. "The Kitchen? Do they want you to send milk to the palace?"

Gu Hengbo nodded. "I know it’s a bit dangerous for common folks like us to deal with palace people, but this is a good opportunity. All we have to do is guarantee the quality; we don’t need to worry about anything else."

Zou Yuan shook her head, looking serious. "It’s not that I think this is unworkable. It’s just that there might be things you don’t understand yet. You have to know that we don’t have a powerful backing. Even if you’re running an honest business, that won’t stop palace people from using your products to harm others. When trouble arises, it’ll come back to you, and then it will be too late to say anything."

Gu Hengbo frowned, having considered this before. That’s why she came back personally. "This is what I wanted to tell you. First, we need to ask for a written order from them."

"A written order?"

Gu Hengbo nodded. "We can supply them; they must understand the stakes involved. Besides, in the Northern Region, we’re the only ones with cows for milk. If they want to do business, it’ll be us. Milk from both cows and sheep is great stuff, and when they discuss it, they’ll naturally ask the higher-ups. At worst, I can go into the palace myself."

Zou Yuan nodded. "That works too. You should take on business now and wait for their message. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll go talk to them."

Gu Hengbo glanced at her belly. "You should rest. I can’t bear any accidents."

Madam Dou also nodded. "Meisheng is right. You’re close, so try to go out less."

With not much going on and the New Year approaching, Gu Hengbo returned early with several people. Zou Yuan, worried about possibly being mistreated, bought a lot of New Year goods, even fireworks. The carts couldn’t hold all her stuff, not counting the people with her. Just thinking about setting off fireworks on the grassland made Gu Hengbo’s heart flutter with excitement.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, Gu Hengbo welcomed her first New Year’s Eve in this world. That evening, everyone gathered outside the tent to light a bonfire, and Gu Hengbo silently rejoiced. Even the heavens seemed kinder during the New Year, with the fierce northern wind not blowing.

Not just the farm’s people, everyone nearby came together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Gu Hengbo was practically overjoyed, dancing around the bonfire with some big men, their moves completely out of sync, causing bursts of laughter. Though it was winter, her cheeks were rosy from all the jumping.

After a long time waiting for Madam Dou’s approval, Gu Hengbo eagerly went to set off fireworks like a child. The kids followed her, laughing joyfully, probably having never seen fireworks before. When the fireworks ignited and burst into the sky, everyone cheered together.

Gu Hengbo sighed with contentment, watching a group of kids chase and play.

"Just like before, you’re still so easily satisfied," a soft voice floated to her ears.

Gu Hengbo smiled. "Of course! Seeing others happy makes me happy too." After saying this, she suddenly realized something was off. When did this person appear beside her? And that voice…

Gu Hengbo quickly turned around, her face turning pale instantly.