As Gu Xingzhao ate the dumplings, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Lin Ting was tidying up her refrigerator and kitchen. His tall, lean figure made him look like a grown man now. She couldn’t help but feel a bit nostalgic. Kids really do grow up fast—she remembered that at the beginning of the year, Lin Ting’s height only reached her shoulder. Now, he was about the same height as her.

“Your fridge is full of frozen foods,” Lin Ting said, his tone slightly scolding. “You should eat more fresh food; it’s better for your health.”

Gu Xingzhao chuckled. For someone so young, he was quite thoughtful. “Alright, I’ll listen to our little Lin Ting and eat more fresh food from now on.”

Lin Ting didn’t respond, continuing to tidy up the kitchen in silence.When Gu Xingzhao checked the time, she realized how late it was. She had been so busy all day that she hadn’t checked on Lu Qing and the others. She quickly turned on the TV.

On the screen, the exiled group had already left the village and had been traveling all day. They were now resting in a forest. The bitterly cold wind cut through the air, and though they had a campfire, it still felt freezing. People huddled together for warmth.

The guards, as well as those prisoners’ families who still had valuable possessions, had exchanged them for winter clothing from the villagers. They could withstand the cold a bit better, but the other prisoners weren’t so fortunate. Many of them shivered uncontrollably, sneezed, and even caught colds.

The Lu family huddled around a fire that had long since died out, cupping their hands to their mouths to blow warm air. Lu Xingyuan, who had recovered significantly after drinking the marrow-washing liquid, now felt the cold seeping into his bones again. He sneezed repeatedly, his face turning pale.

Seeing this, Lu Qing wanted to give his coat to his youngest son, but the younger family members stopped him. He could only worry silently.

It was then that Gu Xingzhao realized the hasty manner in which she had left behind the two packages of heat patches—Lu Qing and the others probably had no idea how to use them.

She hurriedly finished eating her dumplings, planning to deliver more clothes and teach them how to use the heat patches. If she didn’t, they might all fall ill from the cold by morning.

When Lin Ting finished cleaning the kitchen and came out, he was surprised to see the scene on the TV. “Sister, you’re still watching this show?”

He remembered that two years ago, when Gu Xingzhao first returned to town, she had already been watching this drama. How could it still be airing?

On the screen, men and women dressed in prison garb huddled together for warmth.

He recalled that Gu Xingzhao’s favorite character was the elderly man with the dignified beard. She had praised him for his wisdom in distinguishing between loyalty and treachery, as well as his refined and elegant demeanor.

Gu Xingzhao explained, “I’ve been busy, so I’ve been watching it slowly.”

Lin Ting stared at the TV for a long time, noticing that the old man’s beard had become sparse and his hair had turned completely white, though he still hadn’t shaved.

He was about to sit down on the couch when Gu Xingzhao, having finished her dumplings, handed him two bottles of Wahaha and said with a smile, “Thanks for the dumplings, but I’ve been busy for the past few days and want to get some sleep tonight. Why don’t you come back tomorrow morning?”

Realizing he was being politely dismissed, Lin Ting had no choice but to leave. He nodded and said, “Okay, sister. Have a good rest.”

As he walked downstairs, he kept glancing back, hoping to catch a glimpse of Gu Xingzhao seeing him off. When he didn’t, his heart felt a bit empty. But when he looked at the bottles of Wahaha in his hands, a smile crept onto his face. Even after all these years, she still remembered his favorite drink from childhood.…

After Lin Ting left, Gu Xingzhao wasted no time. She bundled herself up in a down jacket, grabbed a bunch of supplies, and teleported to the ancient world.

The Lu family, out of habit, had again chosen to camp away from the rest of the group.

Gu Xingzhao brought several sets of warm clothing and intended to quietly slip them into the basket. But she noticed that Lu Xingyao was sitting there, hugging the basket, occasionally yawning but stubbornly trying to stay awake. She guessed he was waiting for her to deliver more supplies and couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hearing her laugh, Lu Qing suddenly opened his eyes. “Ancestor, is that you?”

Gu Xingzhao responded, “Yes, it’s a cold night, so I brought you some clothes and other items. I’ll put them in the basket. You should change into them quietly so no one notices.”

She placed the items in the basket, causing it to shake slightly. Lu Xingyao immediately noticed, let go of the basket, and saw that it was now filled with more clothes. His eyes lit up with excitement, and his ears turned red.

He eagerly signaled to his grandfather, pointing to the basket: “The ancestor is here!”

Lu Qing gave him a look, signaling him to stay calm. He sighed inwardly—his grandson was excellent in every way, but he got overly excited whenever the ancestor delivered something, showing none of the composure that he himself had.

Gu Xingzhao almost burst out laughing—this old man had such a misguided view of himself.

If she had to say, Lu Xingyao’s personality was probably the most like his grandfather’s when he was younger.

Seeing that the Lu family members were gradually changing into the warm clothing, she then pulled out several emergency blankets. “I also brought some blankets. You can wrap yourselves in them at night to stay warm and shield yourselves from the wind. During the day, you can roll them up and hang them on your bodies—they won’t take up much space.”

She had specifically chosen army green ones, essential for wilderness survival, making them perfect for this situation.

Lu Qing was surprised. “Ancestor, you’ve even prepared blankets?”

Lu Xingyao had just returned from changing his clothes, grinning like a fool, with his eyes curved into two crescent moons. He kept touching the thermal underwear he had put on under his prison clothes, marveling at how miraculous it was.

The ancestor’s gifts were truly extraordinary! Once he put it on, it banished the cold entirely, making him feel like himself again!

Meanwhile, Lu Qing, curious and eager to see what the ancestor had prepared, got up and opened the blanket. It was thin and made of a material he had never seen before.

He couldn’t help but question whether it could really keep him warm.

Seeing Lu Qing’s skeptical expression as he wrapped the blanket around himself, Gu Xingzhao smiled. “I noticed this morning that you didn’t distribute the heat patches to everyone. Why not?”

Lu Qing was momentarily puzzled. “Heat patches?”

He quickly rummaged through the basket and pulled out two packs of something, wondering what they were.

Gu Xingzhao sighed. It was clear that the old man had been so focused on the thermal clothing that he had completely forgotten about the heat patches.

She sighed lightly and said, “Open the package first. Each one has twenty-four patches inside. I’ll show you how to use them.”

Lu Qing obediently tore open the transparent outer packaging, handling it cautiously, unsure of what it was and afraid of damaging it.

Gu Xingzhao’s voice guided him, “Take one patch out, then tear it open from the edge. Yes, just like that. Now, remove the paper backing from the patch and stick it inside your clothing…”

Seeing Lu Qing about to stick it directly onto his arm, she quickly stopped him. “Wait! Don’t stick it directly on your skin; it’ll burn you. Just stick it inside your clothes, making sure there’s a layer of clothing between it and your skin.”

Lu Qing felt a bit embarrassed. He had never seen such a thing before and had made a fool of himself in front of the ancestor. He obediently stuck the patch inside his prison clothes, with the thermal underwear as a barrier.

However, he didn’t immediately feel the warmth the ancestor had mentioned, causing him to frown. Had it malfunctioned?Meanwhile, Lu Xingyao had returned, looking as happy as a child, his face beaming with joy as he marveled at the warm, soft clothing. “The ancestor’s gifts are truly extraordinary!” he thought.

“Wearing this, I feel warm all over and like myself again!”