Chapter 109: Departure, New Goal

As Mu Nan Zhao's words fell, the girl who had been earnestly questioning him just a breath ago suddenly collapsed onto him.

She lay limp and askew, the wine cup in her hand slipping free and rolling onto the snow.

Mu Nan Zhao wasn't surprised; he sighed and said, "I told you not to drink."

"With such a low tolerance, you still dare to drink hard liquor."

Though he complained, his actions were swift.

Mu Nan Zhao scooped Gu Xixi up in a horizontal carry and swiftly brought her back to the bedroom.

Perhaps the coolness of the woven silk made Gu Xixi's back, just touching the bed, cause her to snap her eyes open.

"I never imagined you were near death and yet still thinking of protecting me."

She said this, then let out a loud alcoholic belch against Mu Nan Zhao's face.

Mu Nan Zhao frowned at the stench, "Gu Xixi!"

Gu Xixi, however, giggled.

She grabbed his arm with one hand and slapped his shoulder with the other.

"You're generous! You're even more generous than I thought!"

"As a humble woman, I have nothing to repay you with, except..."

The drunkard burst with unexpected strength, yanking Mu Nan Zhao forward hard.

Mu Nan Zhao, already off-balance and unprepared, lurched forward.

In an instant their faces were opposite, less than a finger's breadth apart, breaths intertwining, each hearing the other.

Mu Nan Zhao's gaze was forced onto Gu Xixi's face.

From her full, fair forehead, to her misty, autumn-water eyes after drink, and then to her cherry-red, moist lips…

Thump-thump, thump-thump—Mu Nan Zhao actually heard the sound of his own heartbeat.

Gu Xixi looked at him with unfocused eyes, suddenly stopped laughing, and earnestly repeated, "As a humble woman, I have nothing to repay you with, except… except…"

Just as Mu Nan Zhao began to anticipate what she might say,

Gu Xixi suddenly bent over, "Urgh…"

The next morning, Gu Xixi left the bedroom; the snow had stopped, and a thick layer lay in the courtyard.

The wine cup and stove left in the courtyard the night before were gone.

Gu Xixi rubbed her temples, head aching.

When she woke, she lay nicely in the blankets, with a hot water bottle placed beside her.

Her memory ended with Mu Nan Zhao finishing a stuffed baked bun, her asking him something, and then nothing.

This time Gu Xixi had experience; she knew she must have blacked out from drink again.

She was about to go greet Mu Nan Zhao.

Then she saw Zhang Shen standing by the frozen outer garments in the courtyard, wondering aloud:

"You didn't hang the clothes to dry last night, so why did Little Chen get up in the middle of the night to wash them?"

Gu Xixi's steps halted, like a startled little flower, and she immediately turned and hurried back to her own room.

"Auntie, I'm busy today; I won't come out for meals—please bring my food to the room."

The holiday season passed, also announcing that the village's winter seclusion days were gradually ending.

The diligent had already gone to the fields; with little work left, they tidied the ridges.

On the first day of the village school's opening,

Gu Xixi early hitched the mule cart, making a series of preparations for a long journey.

Mu Nan Zhao stood at the doorway, his expression clearly disapproving.

Shitou held a writing board, also wearing a worried look.

Gu Xixi loaded a bundle of dry rations onto the cart, then, turning, interjected, "I say, can you two stop looking at me like that? It's as if you think I won't come back."

Shitou said, "Sister Xixi, I heard those Western Region people have yellow hair and big beards, and they eat people!"

Gu Xixi sighed, "Where did you hear that nonsense? I'm busy—don't spout rubbish."

Seven waterskins were filled with fresh water and all loaded onto the cart.

Zhang Shen felt uneasy even hiding the silver notes close to her body.

Last night she opened the lining of Gu Xixi's small cloth bundle and sewed the silver notes in stitch by stitch, aiming for surprise.

Inside the pack were also assorted odds and ends, various emergency bits of food and supplies.

Gu Xixi checked the cart once more, confirmed nothing was missing, and said with a smile, "By my reckoning, I'll be back as early as tomorrow evening; if delayed, at most I'll linger another day or two."

"You just go about your business; there's no need to worry about me."

Zhang Shen asked, "That Pingpo fruit you mentioned—must we find Western Region people to buy it?"

Gu Xixi nodded, confirming, "This trip I absolutely must go."

Zhang Shen still felt anxious, "In my opinion, you should let Little Chen accompany you."

Gu Xixi said, "On the first day after the New Year, the village school begins lessons; the teacher must lead the students to pay respects to the sage—a rule for hundreds of years—so Chen Fang must be present."

Mu Nan Zhao, observing this, finally spoke, "Under the Northwest Army's strict governance, recent years have seen repeated successful bandit suppressions; the route the master takes has always been peaceful, so there's no need to worry about safety."

Sometime ago, Mu Nan Zhao also began to call Gu Xixi 'the master.'

It was neither distant nor overly intimate.

Hearing Zhang Shen say this, Mu Nan Zhao's words were like a reassuring pill,

"All right, Xixi, be extremely careful on the road!"

Mu Nan Zhao took the reins a step ahead of Gu Xixi, "I'll see the master off."

Once outside the gate, Mu Nan Zhao said, "Shitou, you ought to go to school."

This time Shitou was very sensible, knowing they had something to say; he nodded and left first.

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "Thank you for speaking those words for me just now in front of Aunt."

Mu Nan Zhao let out a deep sigh from his chest, seeming helpless and resigned as he said, "Western Regions people are cunning and only profit-driven."

"If you can get your wish, you must have a way to counterbalance them in fulfilling the contract."

"If not, do not quarrel with them, keep your wealth concealed, and return quickly."

Gu Xixi locked eyes with him, her expression also becoming solemn, "I've remembered, don't worry."

Mu Nan Zhao suddenly took a big step forward.

Gu Xixi felt a small, smooth, hard object pressed into her palm.

Mu Nan Zhao's low whisper sounded in her ear, "If you encounter a difficulty you can't handle yourself, go to the Cloud Ridge County Office and find Chief Clerk Jiang."

Gu Xixi looked at him slightly startled, "You..."

She hurriedly glanced around, then continued, "I don't want it; I know your plans aren't easy, but at last you've made some progress in Xi Bei."

"Keep your people for your own use; I'll pretend I heard nothing today and know nothing."

Mu Nan Zhao, however, blocked her hand, saying, "Don't think too much, boss; I won't give you someone who puts themselves in a vital position."

"Besides, I only asked you to buy a sapling as a precaution; do you really have to turn Cloud Ridge County upside down?"

Gu Xixi looked at the object in her palm, a peace buckle.

It's not fine jade, just the cheapest Han white jade.

She hesitated a moment, then put away the token, "Mu Nan Zhao, thank you."

Mu Nan Zhao blinked in surprise; this was the first time she had formally called him by his given name in his presence.

He lowered his eyes slightly and said softly, "Go."

Leaving Huachi Du Cun and heading west along the official road, the largest city bordering the westernmost frontier is Cloud Ridge County City.

Cloud Ridge County is an important gateway connecting the Great Undertaking Dynasty and the Western Regions.

It is said that the local economy is quite prosperous, even with a chamber of commerce established by Western Regions people, under the jurisdiction of the local government office.