Chapter 247: Busy, Busy, Busy

Zhang Shen stormed in, muttering curses, "Pah! You idle gossips, daring to spread rumors without rhyme or reason! If I find out who started it, I'll rip out their tongue!"

He Jinglan heard the commotion, dropped the bathhouse project at once, and asked with a smile, "Aunt Zhang, you're back?"

"Who is so hateful as to make Aunt Zhang take action herself?"

Zhang Shen paused, seeing He Jinglan and Gu Xixi in the courtyard, her expression a little unnatural.

"Xixi didn't go out?"

Today the hired workers have all returned to work.

After the wheat harvest, the fields have all been plowed.

We just need to take advantage of these two clear days to add base fertilizer, dry the seeds, mix in the medicine, and then we can sow the millet.

Gu Xixi said, "I went out early for a walk; there's nothing else to do, so just leave it to Uncle Chen and the others."

Zhang Shen grunted.

Seeing He Jinglan still waiting curiously, Zhang Shen knew she couldn't evade the question, so she avoided the carpenters at work and said, "Xixi, have you been to see Master Liu lately at night?"

Gu Xixi naturally replied, "Yes."

Zhang Shen slapped her thigh with a grimace, "Oh, I knew it!"

He Jinglan realized and asked, "Did someone see it and start gossiping?"

Zhang Shen flared up again, "What a damn thing—either blind or malicious, just because Xixi and Master Liu exchanged a few words where people could see them doesn't mean there's anything sneaky going on!"

"As it turns out, I heard today that Little Chen ran off, so Xixi must be anxiously looking for a new place."

"They also said Xixi took a fancy to Master Liu just to get back at Little Chen, since Master Liu is also a teacher."

He Jinglan frowned, "What does this have to do with that?"

"If Xixi wants to get revenge on Chen Fang, what does that have to do with Master Liu being a teacher?"

"Exactly," Zhang Shen agreed, "All nonsense, sick!"

Gu Xixi pondered a moment, then murmured, "Maybe they think I'm seeking another male teacher just to let Chen Fang know that even without him, there are other excellent scholars willing to have me."

Zhang Shen and He Jinglan: "…"

He Jinglan chuckled, "Xixi, with all this you're not angry? You still have the heart to joke about yourself?"

Gu Xixi said indifferently, "It's just a bit of gossip."

"Anyway, I was once almost called a man‑eating witch; what's this compared to that?"

"How can we just let it go?" Zhang Shen grew angrier the more she thought.

"This is slander! If it gets out and ruins your reputation, what then?"

Gu Xixi asked, "What did Master Liu say about it?"

Zhang Shen shook her head. "No, and frankly he's a strange fellow."

"Some speculate that although Master Liu has no wife, at his age he must either be a widower or have another wife back home."

"This rumor is just someone warning me to keep my eyes open and not be deceived. Only after I probed did I learn exactly what's going on."

Gu Xixi frowned, "Don't the villagers respect Master Liu very much?"

"Why are they badmouthing him behind his back?"

Zhang Shen said, "I also say Master Liu isn't that kind of person!"

"Though to say the villagers respect him, that's true."

"But he's ultimately an unmarried older man, and since nobody knows his background, people are naturally curious and speculate—it's inevitable."

Gu Xixi involuntarily raised a hand to her forehead, "These days, who does a single person inconvenience?"

In the end, no matter how Gu Xixi persuaded, Zhang Shen refused to let it go.

"We've done nothing wrong—why should we suffer this injustice?"

"These days you're busy with yours, I have plenty of free time—I'm bound to ferret out that scoundrel!"

"I'll confront him in front of everyone and ask what he saw, making him say you and Master Liu have an improper relationship! You damned thing!"

Zhang Shen went off to the kitchen, huffing and muttering angrily.

He Jinglan chased after her, saying, "Aunt Zhang, don't get worked up—I'm with you this time; let's figure out together how to expose him publicly!"

"But you really shouldn't get angry over this—it's bad for your health…"

Gu Xixi smiled helplessly and sighed.

She knew those two were looking out for her, so she let them have their way.

But she herself has been swamped lately with what she's doing and what she's waiting to do, really lacking the bandwidth to consider anything else.

The next morning, before starting work, Chen Dafu delivered all the finished sacks to the house.

The sacks were sorted by size, bundled in hundreds, and tied neatly with rope.

A small booklet was also attached, listing names with each name followed by the Chinese tally‑mark character (representing five) for counting.

Chen Dafu waited for Gu Xixi to verify the numbers.

Gu Xixi merely glanced at it, then smiled and said, "Are these all Uncle Chen's methods?"

"They're neat and clear; since you've already pre‑checked them, I don't need to count."

Chen Dafu blinked, then after a moment laughed relievedly, "Thanks for the trust, boss."

"With such a generous boss, he can't be stingy in his work either."

"He knows his own work is solid; why make the boss count it again?"

"From now on, just don't let the boss down on the tasks he assigns."

Gu Xixi produced the prepared three‑string of cash and handed it over together with the tally booklet to Chen Dafu.

"Uncle Chen went back to distribute the wages to everyone."

"The rest, you split evenly with the other hired workers."

Chen Dafu nervously declined, saying, "That will do."

"I only counted out the copper coins according to the tally; the rest, the landlord can keep for himself."

Gu Xixi's attitude was gentle, but she was firm: "This time, you nine people and the ladies of the household are the ones who have put in effort."

"The money isn't much; just treat it as buying cool snacks for the children—don't disdain it."

Chen Dafu then stopped refusing and accepted it.

He sincerely said, "I thank the landlord on behalf of everyone."

That evening, Gu Xixi's whole family pitched in to pack the medicine bags, working until late at night.

The next day, Gu Xixi summoned Qin Dasao, Zhou Dasao, Qian Damen and others to help; after a full day, they finally filled all the cloth bundles.

The number turned out to be a full two hundred more than expected.

Zhang Shen said, "The cloth that Gu Xixi's mother had saved while she was alive has finally been used up."

"We never bothered to sort it before, so we didn't realize there was this much. It was originally meant as a dowry for Gu Xixi—what a pity……"

Seeing Zhang Shen's worried expression again, Gu Xixi smiled and comforted her, "It's not all used up."

"The two pieces of fine brocade my mother left me, the bright red ones that can be used for quilt covers—aren't they still here?"

Qin Dasao also laughed, "Since Gu Xixi says these things are to be donated for charity, it's accumulating merit and blessings for Lord Gu and her mother."

Zhang Shen then turned her worry into joy, saying, "That makes sense—accumulating merit and blessings!"

Earlier, the loose medicine packets had already been prepared; adding these cloth bundles, that night Master Liu's people silently carried everything away.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan lay in bed, exhausted, yet unable to sleep.

He Jinglan opened her eyes to stare at the mosquito net canopy and asked, "You said there's still something big tomorrow?"

"Otherwise, let Master Liu teach tomorrow, and I'll stay home to keep you company."