Chapter 236: The Sorrowful Woman Abandoned by a Faithless Man

Gu Xixi was originally driving the cart, chatting occasionally with the two people behind her, and she was in a pretty good mood.

Hearing Zhou's elder sister-in-law suddenly say something like, "Who do you want to scold?"

She couldn't help but furrow her features, tilt her head in confusion, and say, "Eh? What does that mean?"

He Jinglan was also quite puzzled.

She sat opposite Zhou's elder sister-in-law and could see clearly that when Zhou's elder sister-in-law looked at Gu Xixi, her expression was worried, and even her eyes showed a deep... sympathy?

At that moment, there were three people in the cart, and two of them were full of question marks.

Gu Xixi could only smile and say, "Sister-in-law, why do you say I'm sad inside? I'm actually feeling quite good right now."

Zhou's elder sister-in-law, however, looked even more upset.

Her eyes reddened as she said, "Xixi, we all know you're strong, kind-hearted, and a truly fine girl."

"But you shouldn't always bear it alone; that makes your heart too bitter, and your body won't be able to endure it."

"Ah?" Gu Xixi frowned, bewildered, "What does this have to do with anything?"

She could understand each sentence Zhou's elder sister-in-law said, but put together they made no sense at all.

"Sister-in-law, I really am fine."

He Jinglan spoke quickly, "How does Zhou's sister-in-law know who Xixi wants to scold? And why let her vent?"

Zhou's elder sister-in-law first sighed, then, ignited by some unknown anger, she exclaimed angrily, "That person who left Xixi is blind and clueless! He doesn't have the fortune to enjoy this blessing in this lifetime!"

Upon hearing that, Gu Xixi and He Jinglan both showed expressions of sudden realization.

So it turns out Zhou's elder sister-in-law was scolding Mu Nan Zhao.

In the busyness of these past two days, I had forgotten that the news "Gu Xixi's man Chen Fang has run away" had already been spread throughout the village.

It's only natural that this would cause a bit of gossip.

The more Zhou's elder sister-in-law spoke, the angrier she became, and the more she felt indignant on Gu Xixi's behalf.

"I've been wondering why I haven't seen him lately—turns out he ran away ages ago! It's just that your family is kind-hearted and covered for him."

"He's a criminal; it took eight generations of his ancestors' graves smoking green smoke for him to meet Xixi. He doesn't thank heaven and earth and live an honest life—he actually dared to flee the marriage and run away!"

"Is he just a bit better-looking and educated?"

"Our Xixi is also fair and refined, her family owns abundant property, she's capable, can farm and earn money. What does that Chen surname have? Besides, he's sickly off and on."

"In my view, he's not worthy of Xixi! It's good he left—consider it the boy having some self-awareness!"

……

Zhou's elder sister-in-law chattered on nonstop before finally stopping to catch her breath.

He Jinglan shifted her gaze, deliberately speaking toward the front, "Zhou's sister-in-law is right."

"This matter has been going on for a while; we only told everyone now because at first Xixi wasn't feeling well either."

"We didn't want to mention him again, for fear that hearing it would repeatedly upset Xixi."

Gu Xixi's hand slipped while she was up front, and she almost dropped the reins.

But after thinking, everyone knows Chen Fang ran away; if she acted as if nothing were wrong, it wouldn't quite make sense.

She needed to show some emotion to be believable.

So Gu Xixi chose to acquiesce.

Zhou's elder sister-in-law sighed, "I understand completely—when a bought husband runs away, spreading the word is inevitably embarrassing."

"Besides, those gossipy long-tongued people, pointing and jabbering, just listening to them is aggravating!"

She then added consolingly, "But now it's all over."

"The fact that Xixi can talk about this shows she's let it go."

Gu Xixi quickly agreed, "Yes, I've let it go."

"Anyway, we weren't even engaged, and we didn't have deep feelings—just a bit of anger at first."

"Later, thinking it over, since neither of us had any intention, an early split is actually good for everyone."

Zhou's elder sister-in-law nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry—I know you don't like listening to those people gossip, and I've got your back!"

Gu Xixi gave an awkward smile, "Thanks, sister-in-law."

Returning to Huachi Du Cun, they happened upon a sky ablaze with fiery clouds.

At this time, villagers either go in and out washing vegetables and cooking, or they have just finished farm work, returning with hoes on their shoulders.

As Gu Xixi's mule cart entered the village, she encountered many people greeting her along the way.

"Xixi, you're back?"

"If there's heavy work at home needing hands, just call me!"

"Xixi, my family has gathered plenty of honeysuckle; I'll send you a packet later—it's good for clearing the mind and reducing internal heat."

"My mother-in-law just sent over the steamed vegetable cakes to your place—eat more when you get home, ah."

……

Gu Xixi responded with a smile to each, but secretly broke out in a cold sweat.

After Zhou's elder sister-in-law got off the cart and they were alone, He Jinglan somewhat amusedly said, "Did you notice how everyone was looking at you?"

Gu Xixi replied wistfully, "It's nothing more than people looking at a deserted, suffering woman."

"They mean well too—just let them look."

"We can't just go around explaining things to everyone like we did with Zhou's elder sister-in-law earlier."

"After a few days, when something else new comes up, everyone will naturally forget about it."

Returning home, as expected, she saw a table full of delicious food.

Gu Xixi first bent down to touch the little flower, then, while turning to wash her hands, she noticed Shitou staring at her intently, his expression somewhat odd—confused mixed with a trace of the helplessness only adults have.

Gu Xixi said, "Don't put on that mature‑for‑your‑age expression; just say what you have to say!"

Shitou had swallowed a bellyful of words, he'd been holding them in anxiously, was about to speak, when Zhang Shen lifted the curtain and entered.

"Xixi ah," Zhang Shen said with a beaming smile, "I've brought the booklet back, but no rush; after we eat, we'll look at it slowly, and Jing Lan can also help you pick."

"This time we must pick the very best, the most suitable!"

Gu Xixi frowned, first looking at Shitou.

Shitou nodded desperately; that was also what he wanted to remind her of, but unfortunately Aunt Zhang intercepted.

He Jinglan had already taken the scroll from Zhang Shen's hands and read the words on the cover:

"Zhao Meipo……Marriageable Men's Registry……First Class……Upper Upper?"

Gu Xixi turned pale, "What?"

He Jinglan remained relatively composed, flipping through the contents as she said, "This should be the one for your matchmaking."

As for Zhao Meipo, Gu Xixi had also heard of her.

She is the most famous matchmaker of this generation; the marriages she has brokered number at least seventy or eighty.

Zhang Shen smiled broadly, looking in high spirits.

"As soon as Zhao Meipo heard it was our Xixi, she immediately gave us the highest‑grade registry. She also said ordinary lads aren't good enough for Xixi; this one will surely satisfy us!"

Gu Xixi felt even more tired, she sat on the edge of the kang and raised her hand to cover her forehead.

"Aunt, I said I still don't want to get married this early."

Zhang Shen stared, then after a moment silently sat down as well.

"Do you think Aunt wants to go against your wishes? But you are already eighteen, and in half a year you'll be nineteen."

"Girls aged nineteen or twenty are hard to match with someone of compatible age who is also marrying for the first time."

"What if one day I close my eyes and leave you all alone; how would I face the lord and lady in the underworld…"

As Zhang Shen spoke, she herself began to feel sorrowful, lowering her head to wipe away tears.

Seeing this, Gu Xixi felt a pang in her heart.

She had come to regard Zhang Shen as kin, so she could not bear to see her so distressed.

But she also had her own insistence…