Chapter 128: Who Dares to Bully Sister Xixi?

At night, the deadline set by Gu Xixi arrived.

Including Lao Qian and Qin Dasao, there were only six households in total.

But Gu Xixi's home had not a trace of gloom.

"Make way, make way!" Zhang Shen placed a big pot of stew on the kang table.

The stew just out of the pot was steaming hot, containing bok choy, red and white radish, dried string beans, dried wild mushrooms, braised pork slices, and fried meatballs, all stewed together.

Such a big-pot dish, though lacking refinement, did not lack flavor.

Especially when eaten in cold weather, with soup, vegetables, and meat, a full big pot is not easy to cool down.

Zhang Shen rubbed her hands and laughed, "Gu Xixi said the big-pot dish eaten in the army camp is especially fragrant; I'm trying it for the first time. How does it taste?"

Since Zhang Shen heard Gu Xixi say that with confidence, she completely let go of her tension.

Anyway, those villagers can do whatever they like; she just needs to help Gu Xixi manage the logistics well.

The staple is millet rice; eating it with side dishes or soaking it in soup is absolutely delicious.

Gu Xixi praised, "Auntie, your cooking is much better than what the army cooks make."

She looked at Mu Nan Zhao and said, "You say it's right, huh?"

Mu Nan Zhao nodded, "It's really delicious, not like it's the first time making it."

Shitou, scalded by the meatballs, slurped, "Mmm, good! Especially fragrant!"

Zhang Shen's face broke into a smile from the praise, she asked Old Doctor Jiang, "Old Ginger, would you like a drink of liquor?"

Old Doctor Jiang set down his chopsticks, his expression wavering for a moment.

"... Then I won't drink."

"I'll eat more vegetables and rice, so I won't waste your cooking."

Good dishes and meat were placed on the table; according to Old Doctor Jiang's usual preference, he should have a couple small drinks.

But recently, progress on configuring the antidote has been unsmooth; he doesn't want to let his spirits slacken from drinking.

Those people waiting to see a joke probably never imagined that tonight this family would still have the heart to feast heartily, chatting and laughing.

After that, for three consecutive days, Gu Xixi stayed indoors and did not go out.

Yet various information from the village kept continuously being delivered to her ears.

Shitou sat cross-legged on the kang, with a solemn expression, cleared his throat, and said, "They all say it like this."

"Gu Xixi has ordered many pingpo fruit tree saplings; when the time comes, everyone will not listen to her, won't plant trees, and see what she does!"

"Hmm, when Gu Xixi has no way out then, won't she have to beg us?"

"Make her hand over the secret to growing millet!"

When Shitou said these words, he constantly changed his expression and tone, vividly lifelike.

After finishing the relay, he spread his hands and said, "There are still some unpleasant and useless words; I won't say them, lest I dirty Gu Xixi's ears."

"Hmm," Gu Xixi smiled, "They want to fix me, but they can only wait for me to be unlucky myself."

She sighed, "I really like how they look at me disapprovingly yet can't do anything about me."

Mu Nan Zhao was studying nearby; hearing this, he gave a light cough and looked up at Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi gave him a natural look and said, "What's up? I'm just telling the truth."

Mu Nan Zhao continued to lower his head and flip pages, "Nothing."

"I just regret not having heard this saying a few years earlier."

Gu Xixi curiously asked, "Why?"

Mu Nan Zhao lightly said, "You could make several old fogies faint from anger."

Gu Xixi puffed a laugh.

She knew Mu Nan Zhao had been a notorious trouble-maker in the court, who, with calm ease, would win verbal sparring and often leave others half-dead from anger.

The highest record was during one morning court, when three officials were carried out by medical officers.

Shitou didn't know these; he only felt confused, thinking, "Teacher taught us to respect the elderly and honor the worthy."

"Isn't what you're doing not very good?"

Mu Nan Zhao raised his eyes, "Then let me teach you one more thing today: respecting the elderly also requires that the elderly person be worthy of respect."

Shitou asked, "What if they are not worthy of respect?"

Mu Nan Zhao flipped another page, "Then don't indulge them."

Shitou thought of something and laughed out loud excitedly.

"Gu Xixi sister, I also found out that the ones leading the opposition against us this time are Gu Daye and Gu Erye!"

Gu Xixi was not surprised, "Hmm, I know."

Shitou had already slipped off the kang, said "I'm going out to play," and ran off.

Gu Xixi looked at the door, amusedly shook her head, and said, "Just thinking up one thing after another."

She took out the ledger and began calculating, not noticing Mu Nan Zhao's meaningful gaze.

After that, for several days, Gu Daye and Gu Erye frequently encountered strange incidents.

When Gu Erye was drinking tea, he drank a worm that had been steeped in the cup.

Gu Daye was defecating in his own vegetable garden when a stone was thrown at him, splattering his feces all over him.

A village family's free-range male goat suddenly went berserk, chasing Gu Erye for two li.

Gu Daye was at the village entrance gossiping about Gu Xixi when he touched something unknown; returning home, his hand felt as if stung by a bee, swollen, painful, itchy…

When Zhang Shen spoke of these as jokes, Gu Xixi immediately looked at Shitou.

Shitou's gaze wandered, looking at the sky and the ground, just not daring to meet Gu Xixi's eyes.

He knew in his heart that Gu Xixi sister did not want him to do these.

But he also wanted to vent anger for Sister Xixi!

Give those two old fellows some trouble, keep them from being idle, and stir up the villagers to isolate Sister Xixi.

Gu Xixi looked at Shitou, still silent, when a horse's neigh came from outside the door.

Mu Nan Zhao took the chance to help Shitou, saying, "Those who arrived on horseback, are they the host's guests?"

Gu Xixi had no choice but to open the door to see.

Outside stood a tall, sturdy chestnut horse, looking mighty and imposing.

A young man sat upright on the horse's back.

He had a high nose, deep-set eyes, eyebrows like a knife's edge, sharply defined cheekbones, and was as handsome as a sculpture.

Gu Xixi studied his looks and his Western Region-style attire, then asked doubtfully, "Are you... from the Cloud Ridge Sapling Trading Company?"

"But today is still not the agreed delivery date."

Zhang Shen and Shitou also came out to watch the excitement.

They had never seen anyone with such looks before, and they stared curiously, unable to get enough.

The man dismounted, every movement graceful.

He walked up to Gu Xixi, suddenly breaking into a big smile, "Beautiful rose, we finally meet again!"

Gu Xixi frowned, "Wait, this voice, this tone!"

She studied him closely, and finally recognized a familiar feeling from his special blue eyes.

"An Qinghe!!!"

An Qinghe grinned and nodded vigorously, "It's me, it's me!"

"It's only been a short while since we last saw each other, I thought you'd forgotten me."

He clutched his chest with one hand, exaggeratedly showing heartache.

Gu Xixi laughed, "Sorry, you shaved off your beard—I didn't recognize you at once."

"There's a place to tie horses in the courtyard—please go inside."

An Qinghe led the horse into the courtyard, saying, "When I first joined the merchant guild, I feared that without a beard I would look too young and be looked down upon."

"It's you who showed me that ambition isn't a matter of age!"

Gu Xixi chuckled, "This guy's misusing idioms again—indeed, those who can accomplish things are not distinguished by age or gender."

An Qinghe nodded, "Not only that—I've also heard that the Daye people's aesthetic prefers young men without long beards, finding them handsome, and maidens favor them."