Chapter 261: with title translation of chapter title

Master Liu, Gu Xixi certainly recognized him.

But the man beside him was actually a stranger.

Who entrusted him? What did he bring?

Gu Xixi looked at Master Liu.

Although Master Liu remained his usual gentle and refined self, smiling affably.

But his eyes kept darting about, as if avoiding eye contact with Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi was full of suspicion, couldn't help furrowing her brows, and stared again at the strange man.

His skin was sallow, the corners of his eyes drooped, his lips dark and thick, wearing a plain dark-blue hemp shirt—an appearance that would be utterly unremarkable if thrown into a crowd.

His build was actually not bad, but he walked with hunched shoulders, giving an ungainly bearing.

Just…

When the two drew near, the man glanced up, and at the moment their eyes met, Gu Xixi couldn't help but start.

That gaze was so familiar!

In a flash of lightning in her mind, Gu Xixi involuntarily widened her eyes.

To be precise, she had never seen such eyes on anyone else!

And he obviously had no intention of hiding it from her; a hint of amused smile flickered in his eyes.

"You!" Gu Xixi almost blurted out.

Master Liu hurriedly spoke up, "Boss Gu, this is my cousin, Chen Yuan."

Gu Xixi felt like vomiting a mouthful of old blood—Chen Yuan, Chen Fang, one "square" one "round"—is this a made-up alias on the spur of the moment?!

Do they have to be so brazen!

Master Liu forced a smile, "He was entrusted with something and brought it along for you, haha, the details you can discuss yourselves."

He gave a dry laugh and stepped back two paces, lest he unfortunately get dragged into an innocent disaster.

At this moment the surroundings were full of people, pairs of ears and eyes all waiting to see what good stuff this stranger could produce.

Gu Xixi struggled, "Chen… sir, right? Let's go outside to talk."

Chen Yuan put on an honest face, "Men and women should keep apart; it's better to speak here, and furthermore…"

He lifted the large bundle in his hands, "I've brought the things; I still have matters with my elder brother later, so I can only hand them over to you here in person."

He Jinglan came up beside Gu Xixi, sizing up Chen Yuan, also wearing a look of puzzlement.

But she hadn't yet been able to confirm the truth.

Gu Xixi's molars were almost grinding to pieces, yet she had to keep a composed smile, "Oh? What thing is so urgent that it must be given to me now?"

She looked at "Chen Yuan" with eyes hinting at threat, thinking, You'd better not pull out anything strange!

Chen Yuan's movements in unpacking the bundle were slow, so slow that Gu Xixi's heart rose, convinced he was doing it on purpose.

Finally, the bundle opened, revealing what was inside.

Three wooden boxes neatly arranged.

Gu Xixi hadn't yet had time to think about what was inside.

Then she heard "Chen Yuan" speak loudly, "I was entrusted by Mr. Chen Fang to bring these gifts first. On this trip back to his hometown, he constantly thought of what Boss Gu likes, so he specially sought them out."

He also asked me to tell you that he constantly thinks of everything about Huachi Du Cun, and will return after finishing his affairs at home.

With a boom, besides the crowd, Gu Xixi's mind exploded.

She had thought this guy wouldn't dare come out, but she never expected that Mu Nan Zhao actually had the means of disguise!

He transformed into Master Liu's cousin!!

The other people present were all intrigued.

Oh ho, wasn't Chen Fang supposed to have run away?

Now it seems he not only will come back, but is deeply and steadfastly in love with Gu Xixi!

Otherwise, being so handsome, suave, and well-read, even though he's already returned to his hometown, he wouldn't hesitate to travel far and wide to come back and continue as a live-in son-in-law.

What is he plotting!

It must be the word "love"!

The women looked at Gu Xixi, either envious or excited, their hearts blossoming.

They came for practical matters like farming, but who knew they would witness two hearts pledged to each other, like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl sending messages across the Milky Way—romantic and wonderful.

Gu Xixi was still petrified; she no longer wanted to say anything—let love be as it may.

The villagers all craned their necks to look at the three wooden boxes, whispering, "What is this?"

"I guess it's jewelry!"

"It could also be money, silver ingots!"

"Could it be fashionable beautiful clothes from outside?"

"It wouldn't be something outsiders like us aren't supposed to see, would it?"

The expressions of those already married instantly turned subtle.

He Jinglan gasped, saying, "Xixi, we've received the things; let's hurry home with them."

She was certain the box definitely contained something extraordinary!

The fake Chen Fang, that is, Mu Nan Zhao, was actually at home last night; if he had something to bring, why didn't he bring it himself, instead of going around having someone else deliver it?

But Master Liu is indeed Mu Nan Zhao's man; anyone he introduces shouldn't be a swindler.

He Jinglan felt her mind wasn't up to the task.

Gu Xixi looked at "Chen Yuan": "No problem, since everyone's curious, let's open it here and have a look."

"I believe Chen Fang, being educated and reasonable, would never put anything nasty in there to deliberately scare people."

"Chen Yuan" gazed at Gu Xixi, and when he curled his lips into a smile, one could faintly see the semblance of Mu Nan Zhao's both righteous and wicked appearance.

But nobody else noticed; everyone's attention was focused on his hand opening the box.

Wait until they could clearly see what was inside the box.

Everyone was stunned, and couldn't help but show a look of disappointment.

Even if the farmers didn't know what kind of seeds these were, they could still tell at a glance.

Inside, the boxes were packed tight with seeds, and nothing else.

He Jinglan, however, felt it wouldn't be that simple.

When she turned her head to look at Gu Xixi, she discovered that Gu Xixi was not only not disappointed, but instead stared fixedly at the three boxes, her eyes blazing like fire.

"Chen Yuan" unhurriedly pointed at the wooden box and introduced them in order: "These are tomato seeds, these are cucumber, and this box is watermelon."

Gu Xixi's heart surged; at this moment, in her eyes, there was nothing but the three boxes of seeds.

Tomato, which in later generations is known as the red tomato.

Cucumber, i. e., the green cucumber.

Watermelon, i. e., watermelon.

These three absolutely deserve to be called the summer fruit and vegetable trio!

Gu Xixi, while drinking sugar water at noon, was still thinking, how great it would be to eat a chilled watermelon!!!

Hey, the watermelon seeds have been delivered right before our eyes!

Moreover, it's not the tiny box of grape seeds that Shopkeeper Liao gave; it's a truly full large box!

It's enough for her to prepare several test fields, selectively cultivate, and someday she'll be able to grow a big, sandy-sweet, crisp watermelon!!

He Jinglan saw Gu Xixi's foolish smile, not knowing what she was thinking, so she secretly tugged her to break her obsession.

"Xixi! Everyone's looking at you, say a few words."

Gu Xixi suddenly came to her senses, adjusted her expression, and explained, "As everyone knows, I just like planting these unusual crops."

"Cucumber, tomato, and watermelon are all things from the Western Regions; I had only heard of them before, never imagined……"

She glanced at "Chen Yuan", and under temptation gritted her teeth and admitted:

"Chen Fang really does understand me quite well."