Chapter 101: My

Two days later, Gu Xixi and Mu Nan Zhao returned to the village at the same time, and another piece of news also flew to the capital.

Over the years, some deserters of the Northwest Army have been sheltered by the former Qing Tian County Magistrate, banded together as bandits, with officials and bandits colluding long-term.

Recently, a few bandits have been causing trouble around Qing Tian County; the County Magistrate couldn't stop them and was instead killed by the bandits.

The Northwest Army's commanding general resolved to exterminate all deserters completely, launching a large-scale search within the Northwest.

Any deserter caught is immediately executed on the spot according to military law.

Gu Xixi asked Mu Nan Zhao, "Among those killed by the Northwest Army, besides the few posing as constables and their accomplices who are genuine deserters, could the rest possibly be assassins sent from the capital?"

Mu Nan Zhao answered, "Yes."

Gu Xixi suddenly realized, "No wonder that day I asked General Meng whether to change into plain clothes; he said it wasn't needed, to go openly."

Capturing deserters—there could be no more fitting reason.

The assassins sent from the capital are all secretly dispatched; such people usually have unclear identities and are naturally not seen in the light.

The Northwest Army, under the pretext of capturing deserters, kills a few people of unknown origin, claiming they are deserters, so they can only be considered deserters.

Even the ones who sent them this time can only suffer a dumb loss.

After He Jinghui returned to the capital, he only needed to follow the previously planned report.

Anyway, the relevant witnesses and assassins are all dead; the County Magistrate's report of someone resembling Mu Nan Zhao is merely a useless scholar exiled to the Northwest.

After returning home, everything was as usual.

This year life is comfortable; as the festival approaches, Aunt Zhang has prepared many delicacies.

Meat balls, meat strips, eight-treasure glutinous rice sweet rice, cured sausage and cured meat, steamed pork ribs with flour……

Lately the weather is freezing; these foods left outside will not spoil even if eaten until after the festival.

Yesterday, on the twenty-eighth, we kneaded wheat dough and let it rise; today, on the twenty-ninth, we steam buns, mantou, and wo tou.

This is a local custom observed before the festival.

It symbolizes that the days of the coming year will rise steadily.

Normally on this day one must steam enough buns and mantou for the family's consumption and for guests throughout the festival, which requires at least half a day's work.

Aunt Zhang started working at dawn.

The whole morning, the kitchen was filled with rising steam.

She prepared three fillings: sweet red bean paste buns, dried gourd egg buns, and radish lamb buns.

The whole family pitched in, each taking on their own tasks.

Today there's no need to cook a separate meal; whoever is hungry can just grab a freshly steamed bun and eat it.

Gu Xixi, Shitou, and Aunt Zhang are in charge of filling the buns, and Aunt Zhang also oversees putting them in the pot and taking them out.

Lao Langzhong spends the day preparing medicinal herbs; even though he cannot see, adjusting the fire while boiling is trivial for him.

All that remained was rolling the bun skins, which was given to Mu Nan Zhao.

There's no helping it—who made his buns so ugly and his hand so slow?

Originally Aunt Zhang didn't even trust him to roll the skins.

But he merely observed Aunt Zhang's technique for a moment, took the rolling pin, and with one hand rotating the dough and the other pushing the pin, the dough quickly unfolded under his hands.

Aunt Zhang incredulously picked up a bun skin and held it up to the light.

"It's so thin and even, and this round—how could it be better than my decades of skill?"

"Xiao Chen, you really have never made buns before?"

"No." Mu Nan Zhao replied while continuing to work, one bun skin after another flying off the rolling pin, landing neatly stacked to the side.

Moreover, viewed from the side, each skin is a perfect circle of the same size.

Shitou stared dumbfounded and exclaimed, "Brother Chen, you just said you couldn't—are you deceiving us?"

Mu Nan Zhao didn't even lift his eyelids, "Do I need to lie to you? Get back to work."

While Gu Xixi was filling buns, she laughed and said, "Sure enough, as soon as it's something you're good at, no one can surpass you."

"Isn't that being good at it?"

"Even a limp, boneless soft sword can bloom into sword flowers in his hands, killing in an instant."

"What's the big deal about using a mere rolling pin?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Just a trivial skill—thanks for the praise."

In the afternoon, while the last pot of buns had just finished steaming, everyone returned to the main hall's heated brick bed to rest and eat buns.

Gu Xixi poured boiling water over a basin of sweet rice wine egg drop soup.

As she brought the basin in, there was an empty spot beside Mu Nan Zhao.

Gu Xixi merely glanced, then insisted on taking off her shoes, crawling to the side by the wall, and squeezing in to sit beside Aunt Zhang.

Gu Xixi ladled the soup into bowls; when she handed it to Mu Nan Zhao, he raised his eyes but did not meet her gaze, merely saying thanks.

Aunt Zhang couldn't help but glance dubiously at the two of them.

When the time was about right to uncover the pot, Aunt Zhang got up and pulled Lao Langzhong away.

The pot lid was lifted; amid the hazy steam, Aunt Zhang glanced toward the window and whispered, "Have you noticed that Xixi and Xiao Chen have become much more harmonious this time they returned?"

Lao Langzhong chuckled, "Isn't that a good thing?"

Aunt Zhang anxiously replied, "What's good about it? Besides being harmonious, they're also unusually polite."

"Before, Xixi never acted so politely toward Xiao Chen, and Xiao Chen was the same."

Lao Langzhong nodded, "Indeed, they used to be impolite."

"One could even say they used to dislike each other."

Aunt Zhang sighed, "That's why I said, although getting along like this is good, it hardly seems like a newlywed couple."

"Especially Xixi—she's gotten much better toward Xiao Chen than before, but I get the feeling she's been avoiding him lately."

Lao Langzhong doubted, "No way, they talk a lot, they're not ignoring each other."

"Ah, you don't understand." Zhang Shen went off, still worried.

Mu Nan Zhao finished the last sip of soup, got up and said, "I'm going back to my room first."

Gu Xixi quickly put down her chopsticks, "All right, the kitchen has boiled tea; if you're thirsty, go drink anytime."

"Mm." Mu Nan Zhao gave a slight nod.

Gu Xixi watched him leave, and without realizing it, a hint of wistfulness appeared in her expression.

Shitou tilted his head, looked, and said, "Sister Xixi, are you unhappy?"

Gu Xixi came to, "Huh? Where am I not happy? I'm happy."

She told He Jinglan that there was nothing between her and Mu Nan Zhao.

He Jinglan also frankly said she would keep waiting for Mu Nan Zhao.

As a friend, Gu Xixi felt she should keep a proper distance from Mu Nan Zhao, i. e., avoid suspicion.

But these past few days she also noticed that Mu Nan Zhao had become much more courteous toward her.

Even when she spoke with him, he didn't even look at her eyes.

Thinking of this, Gu Xixi felt a bit heavy in her chest.

After thinking it over, she probably hadn't offended him anywhere, right?

At that moment, Shitou swallowed a bite of meat bun and said, "Sister Xixi, are you going to plant vegetables next year?"

Gu Xixi temporarily set aside her worries, "Why suddenly ask that?"

Shitou said, "Several of the partners have asked me."

"I know it's their elders asking them to probe, wanting to get something out of me."

Gu Xixi laughed, "Young in age, old in scheming."

Shitou grinned foolishly, "But I think planting vegetables isn't that great; better to plant something else."

Gu Xixi lowered her head to sip the soup and casually asked, "Hmm, what do you think is good to plant?"

"Fruit trees." Shitou said.

Gu Xixi glanced at him with a smile, "You happen to think the same as I do."

"But for now, this plan is known only to you and me."

"What I mean is," Shitou looked at Gu Xixi and earnestly reiterated, "Use my family's fruit trees."

Gu Xixi didn't even think, flatly refused, "No."