After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

“This child is precocious. He knows that his maternal grandmother doesn’t like him, so he’s been clinging to me ever since I brought him home.” Gu An patted Zhang Huanxi’s head. “He’s afraid that I’ll throw him away again, but this is how we raise children in this place.”

"Send him to the capital."

While eating noodles, Zhang Huanxi suddenly looked up at Gu An, who looked at Lu Zhiyuan with surprise and delight: "You're willing to take him in, Miss?"

Zhang Huanxi quickly grabbed Gu An's sleeve, pleading, "Xi Bao is very good, Xi Bao doesn't make a fuss, Xi Bao won't be greedy anymore, please, don't send Xi Bao away."

“It’s not sending her away, it’s going to the capital, a very, very big place.” Gu An picked up Xi Bao and put her on his lap. “That’s my hometown, there are many people, it’s very lively. You can study and go to school there, and you can make many good friends your age. Ganzhou City, you’ve been to Ganzhou City, right? The capital is even more prosperous than Ganzhou City.”

Zhang Huanxi shook her head and hugged Gu An's leg: "happy Bao doesn't like hustle and bustle, happy Bao doesn't want to study or go to school, doesn't want to make friends, Xi Bao just wants to be with you guys."

"Xi Bao wants to be their little shadow?" Lu Zhiyuan squatted down and patted Zhang Huanxi's head: "Xi Bao knows that they, especially Uncle Gu, have their own things to do, and they can't take Xi Bao with them."

“Xi Bao can stay,” Zhang Huanxi said earnestly. “Xi Bao can stay in the tomb. Xi Bao can cook for herself and won’t cause them any trouble.”

Lu Zhiyuan said earnestly, "This is not their home. They will never come back once they leave."

Zhang Huanxi looked helpless, overwhelmed by the fear of being abandoned.

Lu Zhiyuan pinched his cheek: "Xibao treats them as family, but they have their own real families. They have parents, wives and children, confidants, and friends. They gathered here for some very special reasons. Once they have done what they should do, they will return to their respective homes and live a good life with their families. Xibao also hopes that they can reunite with their families, right?"

Zhang Huanxi nodded, then looked at Gu An with a wronged expression: "Xi Bao has no family! Her mother is dead, her father is dead, her maternal grandfather is sick and can't raise her. Her maternal grandmother doesn't like Xi Bao and is always thinking of selling her. Xi Bao has never been to the capital, and she's scared."

“The capital is not only your Uncle Gu’s home, but also your sister’s home.” Lu Zhiyuan patted his head. “Your sister has a very, very big house, and there are many children like Xibao in the house. They study together, play together, and do many fun things together.”

Zhang Huanxi was smart. He understood his current situation and knew he couldn't stay with Gu An and the others forever. He didn't know where the capital was, only that it was far away from here and from Ganzhou, so far that even his maternal grandmother couldn't find him.

"Will I be able to see them if I go to the capital?"

"I can't guarantee anything for others, but I can guarantee that Gu An will definitely return to the capital."

Zhang Huanxi's eyes lit up when he heard that Gu An would be returning to the capital.

"Will there be good food in the capital?"

“My sister hired a chef who’s really good at cooking.” Lu Zhiyuan pinched his ear: “It’s getting late, go to sleep.”

Zhang Huan left happily.

Watching his retreating figure, Gu An solemnly expressed his gratitude.

He was unmarried and childless, and in a way, he raised Zhang Huanxi as his own child. Not only him, but many people here were like that.

In Ganzhou City, someone arranged to meet with the Crown Prince.

"I'd like to do a business deal with you, young master."

"What deal?"

"Young Master is investigating what happened back then, right? The matter of the grain supplies?"

The crown prince narrowed his eyes: "You know the inside story?"

"know."

"tell me the story."

"Do I look like such a fool? If I reveal my hand, would you still want to do business with me?"

What do you want?

“Imperial Merchant! I’m not greedy. I just want to be the Imperial Merchant of Ganzhou City.” The man poured a cup of tea. “I know about your relationship with the Xie family. As long as the Xie family is willing to give up 80% of the business in Ganzhou City, I will tell you whatever you want to know.”

"If you don't speak, how will I know if the information you reveal is worth 80% of the business in Ganzhou City?"

The man nodded, "I am sincere. I will first help you solve the urgent problem in Ganzhou City."

The prince glared at him: "You have charcoal?"

"Have."

"What I want is not just a load or two, or a cart or two."

"Is 100,000 dan enough?"

The prince suddenly stood up, staring wide-eyed at the man. "You say you have 100,000 dan of charcoal?"

The man nodded. "To be honest, young master, I knew that Ganzhou City would face changes this winter, so I started stockpiling charcoal two years in advance. I've used all the money I've accumulated over the years to buy charcoal."

The crown prince noticed the key point in his words: "You knew all along?"

“Yes, I knew all along.” The man stood up and poured the prince a cup of tea. “The point isn’t that I knew all along, but that I have 100,000 dan of charcoal. If I hadn’t told you, who would have known that I had so much charcoal stored up? I just needed to wait for the heavy snow to seal off the city and sell my charcoal at a high price. I’m telling you in advance that I’m willing to take out all my charcoal and sell it to you at the official price. That should be enough to show my sincerity.”

Zuo Yi gave a cold laugh.

"This isn't sincerity on your part; you've just heard the news and want to salvage the situation. Now that Miss Xie is here, with her intelligence, she'll figure out the intricacies of this charcoal business in less than a night. The Xie family has plenty of connections and money; they can definitely gather enough charcoal for the entire city, and even the whole prefecture, before the heavy snow seals off the city. Even if we can't sell it this year, we won't be short of money for storing it. We can continue selling it next year, saving on transportation costs."

Zuo Yi, holding his sword, analyzed: "You are different. You used all your savings to buy this batch of charcoal. If you can't sell it this winter, your fate will be the same as that Manager Liu."

“Who said that? I’m not like him.” The man’s hand trembled. “I can give you my charcoal…”

"Giving it away for free? Are you really willing to do that?" Zuo Yi sneered. "If your master finds out you've been hoarding 100,000 dan of charcoal behind his back, your fate will be even worse than Manager Liu's."

"You've come to us for three reasons: first, to dispose of this batch of charcoal; second, to exchange favors with us; and third, to find a powerful patron so you won't be completely wiped out."

The man's expression grew increasingly grim.

The Crown Prince spoke up at the opportune moment: "The charcoal can be purchased at the official price, and I can also protect your life and the lives of your family. You are not worthy of the title of Imperial Merchant, and you do not want the Xie family's business in Ganzhou. You are a merchant, and you should know that the Xie family is losing money in Ganzhou. Why are they losing money? Because the Xie family is helping the court. To harm the court will result in the execution of the entire family."

His thoughts were exposed, and the man became restless, breaking out in a cold sweat.

The crown prince stood up, making a gesture as if he was about to leave: "We still need to stay in Ganzhou for a while. You can think about it carefully. There's no rush."