Chapter 126: Nobody's begging you to do this

In the Tudimiao, hissing sounds rose all around; Lao Qian couldn't stand it, glared and shouted, "What are you hissing for? Gu Xixi hasn't finished speaking yet—look at giving you all a piece of your mind!"

A bold youngster laughed, "Uncle Qian, you're praising Gu Xixi like this just to make big money by following her, right? Afraid that if you don't make the money, you'll lose your whole fortune!"

Amid the laughter, the village's old bachelor shouted, "What future is there in following a woman? A good-for-nothing! Whoever listens to her is an idiot!"

Mu Nan Zhao looked at the old bachelor, his eyes icy cold.

The old bachelor rarely got the whole village's attention, feeling pleased with himself, and completely missed that dangerous glance.

"Women are just women—stick to managing your own household; you can't handle such a big undertaking!"

Shitou, who was listening angrily, suddenly received a faint glance from Mu Nan Zhao.

Like a flash of lightning and stone, it was an enlightening revelation.

Shitou ran forward a few steps, pointing at the old bachelor and shouting, "Who are you calling a good-for-nothing? You are! At your age, your house leaks rain and you have no money to fix it; you can't even afford meat for the New Year, yet you dare look down on my sister Xixi!"

Gouwa stood together with Shitou, making faces at the old bachelor: "Exactly! What's wrong with women? Let everyone say—are you better at making money than my aunt Xixi, or better at farming? Otherwise, no woman would bother with you; even matchmakers avoid your house!"

Shitou crossed his arms and nodded, "This kind of person is just what the teacher said—can't do anything right, always looking down on this and that."

Gouwa added, "The teacher said this is aiming too high while lacking ability—utterly useless."

The old bachelor's face was already flushed red.

He trembled with anger, his bowlegs striking the ground hard as he charged at Gouwa and Shitou.

"Who taught you to speak to adults like that? Today I'll definitely teach you two little brats a lesson!"

Shitou and Gouwa wouldn't stand there stupidly taking the hit.

Before the old bachelor could reach them, the two took off running.

Shitou ran, laughing and shouting, "Besides being useless, you're ugly! I don't mean you're ugly in appearance—you're ugly at heart! You can't stand seeing others do well."

The old bachelor was practically fuming, panting with eyes blazing, chasing the two kids around the courtyard.

The adults present laughed nonstop, with nobody coming to the old bachelor's aid.

Though the two kids' back-and-forth was a bit harsh, everything they said was true. Having lived in the same village for years, who doesn't know who?

The reason the old bachelor became the village's only bachelor is that he has too many bad habits.

He refuses to do farm work properly; managing to work in the fields one day out of three is already good.

He won't tidy his home; since his mother passed, his yard is hardly better than a pigsty, attracting mosquitoes and flies when it warms up, bringing trouble to the neighbors.

He idles about all day, likes to flirt and take advantage, and his mouth seldom wins him friends.

Gu Xixi nudged Qin Dasao, "Should we not intervene?"

Qin Dasao had almost burst out laughing several times, whispering, "What's there to fear? Those two brats won't suffer; they're just warming things up for you."

At this moment everyone was watching the spectacle, and indeed nobody was booing.

There were also several children present, all good classmates from the village school.

How could everyone just watch the old bachelor keep chasing them?

The old bachelor stretched out his arms, about to grab Gouwa's back.

Just as he revealed a triumphant, vicious smile, someone from the crowd quietly stuck out a leg.

Only a scream was heard; the old bachelor lunged forward and fell flat on his face.

The villagers clapped and laughed again; today's entertainment was certainly worth it!

By the time the old bachelor struggled to his feet and cursed loudly, there was no sign of the children left.

After the spectacle ended temporarily, Gu Erye closed his mouth, which he couldn't keep shut, and turned his criticism toward Gu Xixi.

"The Village Chief said you're going to do good things for everyone."

"Then why can't you guarantee you'll do what you say? Isn't that just tricking people?"

"Fortunately nobody fell for it, otherwise we'd be dragged down by you, and all the Gu family in the village would lose face!"

Qin Dasao gave a heavy cold snort and said, "You yourself farm every year—can you guarantee no drought, no flood, no pest damage, and a bumper harvest every year? After living half a lifetime, why are you so unreasonably obstinate?"

Gu Erye's face looked unpleasant as he said, "Gouwa's mother, aren't you going too far?"

Qin Dasao, who always looked down on such people, said, "Where am I wrong? Please enlighten me!"

Gu Erye couldn't say anything.

Qin Dasao rolled her eyes and continued, "Xixi doesn't want money; she lends us saplings, teaches us hands‑on how to plant, and guarantees other yields before the trees bear fruit."

"All you want is the benefit, refusing to bear any risk—there's no such deal anywhere! Still want to make money? Go eat shit."

Gu Erye's face was blotched with blue and red, he clenched his jaw and stayed silent.

Lao Qian gave Qin Dasao a thumbs‑up and shouted loudly, "If you want to listen, stay quiet; if not, leave now!"

"Xixi, please continue."

Gu Xixi faced the crowd, her face bearing a faint smile, neither hurried nor agitated.

"I've made my point clear—those who want to work, do so; those who don't, just quit."

Lao Qian had strained his voice today, was drinking water, and upon hearing that sentence he spat it out all over the ground.

The villagers had thought Gu Xixi would offer a few words of advice, or list more benefits to persuade them.

Who would have expected it to be simply "those who want to work, work; those who don't, quit"!

Qin Dasao burst out laughing and said, "I'm stating my position here—my family has decided to follow Xixi and work."

Lao Qian barely stopped coughing, raised his hand to indicate, "And me too."

The people looked at each other, and a few more villagers wavered.

"You say her attitude is so firm—could it really be that planting fruit trees actually makes money?"

"Even someone as shrewd as Lao Qian is joining in—there must be real benefits."

Gu Xixi couldn't be bothered to listen to their deliberations; she finally said in a low voice, "Those who want to plant trees come to my house to sign the contract—no later than the day after tomorrow, no extensions."

"It's really that simple—why must we complicate it?"

Gu Xixi finished speaking, and without even a glance, she was about to leave.

Gu Erye's eyes shifted, he hurriedly stepped forward to block her, saying, "I've thought it through—our ancestors have farmed grain for generations, so I'll keep farming grain."

"Since Gu Xixi wants to do good for the village, why not share your secret method for growing millet with everyone?"

These words stirred the crowd again, people whispered to each other and nodded in agreement.

Gu Xixi stopped in her tracks, scanned the surroundings, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"On what basis?"

Silence.

Gu Xixi countered, "Or put another way, if I tell you how to increase millet yield, what can you give me?"

"I never said that wanting to do some good for the village means I have to lose out myself, did I?"

"Damn old man, saying that in front of all these people on purpose, trying to morally blackmail me? Dream on!"