At this time, in the backyard of Prajna Hall, Guanyan was standing in front of the window, staring at the sunset in the sky in a daze. His heart was full of anticipation and uneasiness, wondering whether the old lady would agree to let him transport grain.

At this moment, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard, followed by Zhao Ma's voice: "Guan Yan, are you in the room?"

Guan Yan's heart tightened, and he hurried out to greet her: "Madam Zhao, I'm here."

Seeing his nervous look, Aunt Zhao couldn't help but laugh: "Don't be nervous, the old lady wants you to come over and ask you something."

Before he had time to think about it, he hurriedly followed Zhao Ma Ma and walked towards the main hall.

After Hong Yingrong came back, she lay down on the couch to rest. Time was indeed unforgiving. She was extremely tired after being away for the day.

Seeing Madam Zhao bringing Guanyan in, she raised her head slightly and smiled: "Guanyan, I heard you had something to tell me, what is it?"

Hanqiao was carefully massaging Hong Yingrong's legs. She winked at Guanyan, as if silently encouraging him.

Seeing this, Guan Yan took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to speak out his thoughts: "Old Madam, I want to transport grain to the border with Master Zhao Bai."

After hearing what he said, Hong Yingrong did not answer immediately, but looked at him quietly, as if thinking about something.

After a while, she slowly spoke: "Guan Yan, do you know how dangerous it is to transport grain to the border?"

Upon hearing this, Nanny Zhao immediately revealed a look of worry and anxiously advised, "Child, what's wrong with you staying in the Marquis' Mansion? The old lady is even planning to send you to a private school. This is an opportunity that many people dream of."

There was a determined light in Guan Yan's eyes, but there were also tears of reluctance welling up in his eyes.

He bowed solemnly to Madam Zhao and Hong Yingrong, his voice choked but firm.

"Madam, Aunt Zhao, I understand your concern and worries, but I hope to take this opportunity to go out and gain some experience."

Hong Yingrong never treated Guanyan as a servant, so she taught him calligraphy and reading, hoping that he would one day be able to be independent and strong, and no longer be controlled by others' fate.

Now that Guanyan has his own plans, Hong Yingrong not only does not intend to stop him, but instead wants to pave a longer-term path for him.

"Guan Yan, since you have made up your mind, I will fulfill your wish. There are some things that I originally planned to arrange for you in two years, but now, I think it is better to explain it to you clearly." She said in a gentle tone.

Guan Yan raised his head in confusion and looked at Hong Yingrong.

"According to the household registration laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a man must be at least fourteen years old to be considered an adult male and be eligible to establish his own household." Hong Yingrong explained.

"A few days ago, I instructed the steward to go to the Huimin Office to process a birth certificate for you."

As she spoke, she motioned for Hanqiao to fetch a small box from the desk in the inner room. When she opened it, there was a brand new document inside.

Hong Yingrong handed the document to Guanyan, who took it and read it word by word.

When he saw his name written on the paper, he was filled with excitement and whispered, "... a native of the capital of Great Zhou, eleven years old, from the Xingyuan Marquisate... and his date of birth was also written as the day he entered the mansion!"

Every word seemed to be engraved into his heart, heralding a new beginning.

"For now, your household registration will still be registered under the name of the Xingyuan Marquis's Mansion. When you turn fourteen, you will be freed from slavery and set up your own family!"

Guan Yan was already in tears. He had never dared to imagine that he would be treated as a real person rather than just an item that could be traded at will.

This respect and recognition made him unable to control himself. His knees softened and he knelt in front of Hong Yingrong, kowtowed three times.

"Hurry, help him up!" Hong Yingrong ordered hurriedly.

Nanny Zhao quickly stepped forward, steadily helped Guan Yan up, wiped the tears from his face with a handkerchief, and comforted him gently: "This is a happy occasion, you are not allowed to cry."

Zhao Ma's words immediately made everyone laugh, even Guan Yan herself burst into laughter and quickly wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves.

"You must keep this indenture document safe." Hong Yingrong's tone suddenly became serious, and what she was about to say next was obviously very important.

Both Madam Zhao and Hanqiao were smart people. They immediately noticed the change in atmosphere, looked at each other, and then quietly retreated.

Guan Yan also sensed the importance of the matter. He cupped his fists, looked at Hong Yingrong with a determined gaze, and solemnly promised, "Old Madam, I will remember every word you say next. I will not dare to miss a single word."

"After delivering the grain to the orphanage at the border, if you return to the capital with Zhao Bai, I will arrange for you to study in a private school. If you prefer to stay there, the stewards can also arrange a job for you at the orphanage and pay you your monthly stipend on time. However, I need you to help the Marquisate find someone."

Hong Yingrong described to Guanyan the information about Eunuch Chen Jin's lost younger brother. "That child should be about your age. He has a distinctive feature: he has six fingers on his left foot."

The Marquis' Mansion has already sent letters and sent people to look for him, but there has been no news so far. I don't know if it's because of the long journey that they've been delayed. Please help me find some clues when you go there."

After listening to Hong Yingrong's narration, Guanyan was filled with gratitude and respect. The old lady not only paved the way for his future, but also gave him important trust.

"Old Madam, don't worry, Guan Yan will definitely live up to your trust."

Hong Yingrong nodded with satisfaction, a kind smile on her face.

"The grain transport team will leave from the farm west of the city early the next morning. Have Madam Zhao prepare all your luggage for you tomorrow. Just let me know if you need anything."

Although Nanny Zhao was reluctant to let Guanyan go, she still prepared enough luggage for him the next day and even specially sewed a thick cotton coat for him in case of emergency.

The night before departure, Nanny Zhao packed ten silver ingots in a purse and asked Guanyan to keep them close to him in case of emergency. She also warned him to watch more, listen more and talk less when he was away from home, and not to force himself to take the lead when encountering problems.

Finally, it was early morning when the grain transport team set out. The sky was slightly bright and the air was filled with the freshness of morning dew.

Xue Zhongfu rode ahead on horseback, while Hong Yingrong took a carriage and went with Madam Zhao to the farm in the west of the city to see off the grain transport team.

The carriage slowly moved on the road in the early morning, and the rumbling of the wheels broke the surrounding tranquility.

Hong Yingrong watched the grain transport team go farther and farther away. From a distance, she saw Guan Yan at the front of the team, looking energetic. Until their figures disappeared from her sight, Hong Yingrong breathed a sigh of relief as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart.

This batch of grain was transported out safely, which was considered a satisfactory explanation from the Marquis' Mansion to the court and the orphanage.

She turned around and got on the carriage, but she was worried about another important matter. The Spring Examination was only ten days away.

In the previous life, the youngest son Xue Jiyan passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, while Jiang Lun even won the third place with his extraordinary literary talent.

Time flies. As long as there are no unexpected changes in this life, Hong Yingrong believes that the two of them will still be able to achieve success in this life and live up to what they have learned.