Chapter 207: Turmoil Rises

Gu Xixi grew a little clearer, sat up, and glanced at He Jinglan, who was still sound asleep beside her.

"Fine, I'll go out and tell him."

"Let Jing Lan keep sleeping, don't wake her."

At the hottest moment of noon, the area under the eaves of the main hall was the coolest.

Especially when sitting facing the open door, an occasional cross-breeze blew in, making it rather comfortable.

Master Liu held a bowl of cooled tea and drank.

Shitou sat properly beside him, responding to Master Liu's occasional questions.

It was clear he had long wanted to follow his nature, but he had to keep Master Liu company in conversation.

Gu Xixi waved and called Qinger over, saying, "Shitou, take Qinger to play, don't wander far, we'll eat soon."

Shitou, as if pardoned, happily grabbed Qinger's little hand and ran off.

The stool was free, but Gu Xixi didn't sit, saying, "I was really sleepy this morning, so I could only have Shitou deliver the message; I don't know if everything got through clearly?"

Master Liu found it a bit straining to look up at people, so he stood up and said, "Three sentences, three matters, all clear."

"I've finished Mr. He's lessons."

"Those medicines, please trouble yourself to pile them under the west courtyard wall tonight; someone will pick them up before dawn."

Then he pulled out a stack of banknotes, "Each is worth a hundred taels, perhaps more convenient to use."

This money was earned labor, Gu Xixi accepted it without hesitation, saying, "I will turn it over to my master."

Master Liu laughed; Gu Xixi's attitude toward him was never very enthusiastic each time they met, and he had long grown used to it.

Who let his backer be Mu Nan Zhao?

Master Liu continued, "As for Miss He wanting He family members to come in for protection, the superiors have already agreed."

That person He Jinghui appears carefree, yet his work is meticulous, not inferior to Mu Nan Zhao.

The one he could place beside his only younger sister must have a clean background, with absolutely no possibility of betrayal.

Gu Xixi nodded, saying, "Besides what you want, there is a separate blue bundle containing several boxes of life-preserving fertility pills, with instructions; could you help me send it to Dependents Village for Lady Lin?"

Master Liu hesitated a moment, then straightened his posture and made a solemn bow to Gu Xixi.

"Boss Gu, your righteousness is high."

Gu Xixi uncomfortably averted her gaze, saying, "Don't waste talk; get the medicine delivered quickly—nothing works better than that."

Master Liu again clasped his hands, solemnly saying, "I'll now arrange the carriages, horses, and personnel, and must set out tonight."

After the medicine left, everything remained calm and tranquil for another two days.

Since the old bachelor was detained, there has been no further sign of surveillance or probing.

As for the old bachelor's fate,

It was all done by Lao Qian, and the next day it was handed over to the Qing Tian County Government Office.

Because it involved secrecy, the specific disposition afterward is unknown.

However, Gu Xixi didn't care either.

Merely, as the old bachelor disappeared, the village had new rumors about Gu Xixi from the northwest.

"Gu Xixi is indeed not to be trifled with."

"She sent another person to jail."

"Look, who dares to oppose Gu Xixi and still have a good ending?"

"Next to suffer misfortune will be Gu Daye and Gu Erye, I suppose."

……

"These are all gathered by the little informant Shitou."

Gu Xixi heard it and merely smiled it off.

Gu Daye and Gu Erye, as long as they stop causing trouble, she also has no leisure to beat a drowning dog.

In the morning, when the sun isn't fierce, the gentle breeze makes it best to go out.

Gu Xixi gazed at the yellowing wheat ears, feeling both reassured and uneasy.

He Jinglan joined her in gazing at the rolling golden wheat waves, saying, "The wheat harvest will be soon, right?"

Gu Xixi: "Mm, I hope it doesn't rain when the time comes."

He Jinglan: "An Qinghe went to those few orchards, watching people irrigate the fields. I see him like that, seems he doesn't plan to leave either, just like me."

Gu Xixi: "You want to keep living here with me, not leave?"

He Jinglan laughed, "No one is driving me away, nor urging me, so I certainly don't want to leave."

She acted coquettishly, leaning sideways to bump Gu Xixi, saying, "I'm clinging to you."

Gu Xixi lost her laughter, saying, "If we could stay like this all the time, that wouldn't be bad."

He Jinglan knew Gu Xixi's worries; she herself also had no lack of concern.

Elder brother, the He family, Mu Nan Zhao, Meng Chengping…… everyone is a concern.

But she still laughed, intentionally changing the subject: "You've talked with An Qinghe, right? What did he tell you, and why aren't you urging him to leave now?"

Recalling the scene that day in the tea tree orchard, Gu Xixi couldn't help but sigh.

She hesitated a moment, then still told He Jinglan the truth, and then said:

"Now whether he stays or leaves, I don't care."

For fear of stimulating An Qinghe into agitation and making him say something even more embarrassing.

He Jinglan exclaimed and gossiped with a laugh, "Those barbarians really are different from us."

"The more dangerous the moment, the less I can leave your side!" He Jinglan solemnly imitated An Qinghe.

Then she clutched her chest and smiled dreamily, "These words are so firm, so heartfelt; even as an outsider listening, I feel my chest heat up."

"Go!" Gu Xixi shoved her angrily, "If you keep talking about this, I'll push you down!"

He Jinglan giggled and dodged, "I'm strong, you can't push me!"

The two laughed and played, temporarily forgetting their worries.

At noon, the scorching sun hung high in the sky.

He Jinglan fanned herself with a fan, "I can't take it anymore, Xixi, can you drink that plum honey tea?"

Gu Xixi put down the medicine bottle, lifted her head, and met several pairs of eyes full of longing; the heat made her feel even hotter.

"It's been hanging in the well for half a day; it should be cold enough. Drink up."

"You go ahead first; I still need to finish this bit."

Several people cheered and rushed out.

An Qinghe: "I'll pull up the water bucket!"

Shitou: "I'll go get a bowl!"

He Jinglan: "I'll take the spoon!"

On the table lay the hairpin and mechanism ring that Meng Dangni zi had previously made for Gu Xixi.

Watching Gu Xixi carefully fill the medicine powder inside, close it, then wipe it clean.

Meng Dangni zi said, "You've prepared everything."

Gu Xixi smiled, her tone relaxed, "Better safe than sorry; I hope we won't need to use any of it in the end."

Besides these, her usual cloth bag was already stuffed with bewildering drugs, narcotics, and poisons.

Meng Dangni zi fell silent.

At that moment, He Jinglan and a few others brought over the plum honey tea, breaking the gloom.

Because it had just been taken from the deep well, the outer walls of the small bowls holding the soup were beaded with tiny droplets of water.

The liquid was dark red, sweet and sour with a tea fragrance; a sip of the icy drink refreshed the spirit.

Everyone in the family, from old to young, loved drinking it.

He Jinglan exclaimed delightedly.

An Qinghe said, "This definitely has to go into our sweet soup shop!"

He Jinglan agreed while sipping, "It's delicious—truly, no drink shop in the capital can compare. You should consider opening a store; you're sure to make money."

The base of the fruit tea was still the tea trees cultivated by Gu Xixi herself.

Summer tea is cheap, with big leaves and strong flavor; drinking it straight would be overly bitter and astringent.

It's suitable for making fruit tea, or after fermentation and aging, for making brick tea.

For example, the local famous fu tea.

As Gu Xixi was pondering, Lao Qian burst straight into the courtyard from outside.

"Gu Xixi, great-niece, something big has happened in Qing Tian County, over there in Qing Tian County!"