Chapter 14: Don't follow me, you'll regret it

One month passed, and the midsummer wheat turned yellow.

Other women in the village who had bought husbands, even without a grand wedding, gradually began living as de facto couples.

Only Gu Xixi and Mu Nan Zhao had neither consummated in private nor planned a public wedding feast.

Mu Nan Zhao remained frequently absent, disappearing every few days.

At first Zhang Shen muttered a few remarks, but seeing Gu Xixi's resigned attitude, she gradually stopped urging.

Only Gu Xixi insisted, "Family shame should not be aired," and told Zhang Shen not to mention anything about Mu Nan Zhao when she went out.

Zhang Shen agreed wholeheartedly and carried it out strictly.

Recently, the village women kept pestering her with idle questions.

They asked things like "How old is Chen Fang this year?", "Can he kill an ox? He must be strong at work", "He looks thin—does he have sinewy muscle?" and similar questions.

Zhang Shen always answered with a chuckle: "Hmm," "Oh," or "I don't know," switching randomly among the three.

Don't think she doesn't know what those people are after!

Also blame Xiao Chen's handsome face for attracting attention; if people found out he was always out fooling around, who knows how many bees and butterflies he'd draw!

Even if bought for a single cash coin, it shouldn't be given away for free to others.

Zhang Shen felt the burden on her shoulders was heavy.

Gu Xixi was busy every day, paying no attention to these matters, so she had to keep an eye on her.

Whether Chen Fang ultimately left or stayed was not the most important matter.

We must not let Gu Xixi wear a green hat for nothing, becoming the village's laughingstock.

At the same time, Gu Xixi's heart was not at ease.

Although she neither listened to nor inquired about what Mu Nan Zhao did in private.

But as someone who had read the original book, she needed no guesswork to know that Mu Nan Zhao was surely laying the groundwork for his "great undertaking".

And this person, Chen Fang, had become inseparably linked to Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi had no choice but to do her best to keep Chen Fang's identity concealed.

If someone were to piece together the clues and deduce that Chen Fang was Mu Nan Zhao, his enemies could follow the trail to Flower Pool Ford Village...

Recently, Gu Xixi's nightmares all depicted her accompanying Mu Nan Zhao as his entire household was executed.

Thus, master and servant each harbored their own worries, yet oddly maintained this stability.

These two days, the village was harvesting wheat, every household busy beyond measure.

Only Gu Xixi's household became relatively idle in comparison.

The millet's sprouting rate met her expectations, and the yams planted on the ridges sent out long, tender shoots.

The eight hired workers labored diligently, having weeded just the day before.

Furthermore, as Gu Xixi instructed, they sprayed the non-toxic pesticide she had brewed, then added organic fertilizer.

With nothing pressing for the moment, Gu Xixi gave the workers a three-day wheat-harvest break to go home.

Zhang Shen followed suit, cooling down; early in the morning she boiled a pot of mung bean soup, with less rock sugar per Gu Xixi's taste, hung it in the well to chill, and drank it as water during the day.

Passing the west room, she glanced through the open door and saw—no one about even though it was already mid-morning; truly, he was getting more outrageous!

Gu Xixi had just gotten up when she heard Zhang Shen's complaint.

She laughed and said, "You needn't worry about him; at his age, he won't get lost."

Zhang Shen, accustomed to Gu Xixi's attitude, asked, "You haven't had breakfast; what would you like for lunch?"

Gu Xixi thought and said, "How about cold noodles?"

"Ah! In this heat, that's exactly what one should eat." Zhang Shen cheerfully agreed, turned, and went out to prepare it.

Since reclaiming Gu Lao San's land rent, their grain supply has become considerably more ample.

As a result, Zhang Shen no longer had to worry about running out of food between meals, and her enthusiasm for cooking greatly increased.

Gu Xixi watched Zhang Shen's retreating back, and the smile faded from her lips.

Mu Nan Zhao acted cautiously; lately he often failed to return home at night, but usually managed to be back before dawn.

Surely he hasn't really run into trouble, has he?

The chewy hand-pulled noodles were rinsed and cooled, then tossed with tender pumpkin strips and water celery sections, doused with a red vinegar simmered with Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, and other spices, a pinch of salt for base flavor, and wild garlic for a spicy kick.

After mixing, she lifted a large mouthful with her chopsticks, slurped it down—refreshing, appetizing, and instantly dispelling the summer heat.

After the meal, she cleared the bowls and chopsticks, then shouldered her usual sack and headed into the mountains.

Speaking of the unnamed mountain behind Flower Pool Ford Village, it truly is a treasure trove.

The villagers obtain various mountain products from it according to the season.

Gu Xixi, however, has discovered many plants there that she had never seen before.

She enjoys it, coming whenever she has free time to dig up research material.

There is a main path trodden into the mountain; to avoid getting lost in the dense forest, people usually walk the main route to mid-slope, then gather in familiar nearby areas.

Gu Xixi glanced back, then suddenly turned off midway.

She waded through a patch of tangled grass, weaving seven turns and eight turns through the woods.

This forest sees little human traffic; the ground is blanketed with years of accumulated fallen leaves, and any passing creature makes a faint rustling.

Thus Gu Xixi can hear not only her own footsteps.

But there is also someone behind her.

Gu Tiezhu hid behind a tree, watching Gu Xixi stop merely to pluck a bundle of grass without turning back.

He grinned and continued to tiptoe after her.

He had been worrying about finding a chance to intercept this girl, but today he happened to run into her as she went alone into the mountains.

Gu Xixi seemed utterly unaware, walking ever deeper into seclusion.

Gu Tiezhu saw the surrounding light grow dim, even the bird calls grew scarce, and his heart felt creepy.

But he watched Gu Xixi's slender waist sway in the distance.

Lust suddenly rose.

Gu Tiezhu originally planned just to meet his cousin in secret, scare her a bit, then use the ruin of her reputation as leverage to demand her land thereafter.

But now…

He looked left and right.

This place doesn't even have a ghost; even if he shouted till his throat was raw, no one would come.

If he really went through with sleeping with his cousin, a woman for the sake of face would never dare to shout it out.

And what he wanted could just as easily be obtained!

Gu Tiezhu felt his plan was thorough, smirked, rubbed his hands, and quickened his steps to catch up.

I heard Gu Xixi hasn't yet consummated her marriage with that pretty boy.

An unmarried young woman—just right for him, this dear cousin of his, to take advantage!

Ahead, Gu Xixi didn't notice the danger.

She suddenly bent over, and just then her whole body was blocked by a large tree.

Gu Tiezhu feared the meat at his lips would fly off, so he rushed over, only to find no one behind the tree.

"Where is the person?!"

In his anxious vexation, he suddenly heard a rustling from behind the bushes to his right.

Gu Tiezhu turned and saw a corner of goose-yellow cotton cloth protruding from the grass half a person high.

He couldn't help but feel delighted.

Isn't this the very outfit Gu Xixi is wearing today?

Gu Tiezhu assumed the pose of an eagle catching a chick, and walked over step by step.

"Dear sister, your lover brother has come to pamper you!"

Saying that, he flung open his arms and lunged full force into the bushes.

"Ah!!!!"

The scream seemed to plummet at breakneck speed, and in the end it actually carried an echo.

"Ah ah ah!! It kills me! My leg!"

A goose-yellow figure slipped out from the side of the grass.

The woman's gaze was calm; she patted the dust from her clothes and turned to leave, as if she hadn't heard that shrill cry for help at all.