Chapter 285: Mission Completed

That evening the situation calmed down, and Gu Xixi and He Jinglan settled in at the farmstead for a few days.

During that time, Gu Xixi met the Deputy Commander Zhang of the Northwest Army.

Deputy Commander Zhang said they had captured another dozen or so assassins, and two deeply buried hidden posts were also uprooted, all handed over to the Qing Tian County Office.

Deputy Commander Zhang laughed, 'This time we also owe a lot to Boss Gu and Miss He; earlier, when the General was around, he had already eliminated many of the imperial court's hidden posts from various factions.'

'When the army set out, we feared these people might take advantage to cause trouble, so we screened them thoroughly, both openly and secretly.'

'Only these two slipped through the net; they were probably never activated unless absolutely necessary, hidden extremely deep, but this time Boss Gu and Miss He drew them out, giving us a chance to clean them all up.'

Being able to wipe out all hidden posts and assassins in Northwest territory is a great achievement, and it also settles a worry of Deputy Commander Zhang and the other garrison commanders.

So Deputy Commander Zhang stayed busy for three straight days and nights without showing fatigue, chatting and laughing, appearing refreshed and energetic.

Gu Xixi also felt genuine joy, 'Our escape this time turned out to be a blessing in disguise.'

He Jinglan agreed, 'Exactly, risking ourselves this time wasn't in vain—we achieved three goals with one action, totally worth it!'

We kept ourselves safe, kept the village and family safe, and also helped the Northwest Army eliminate spies.

Deputy Commander Zhang promised, 'The garrisons everywhere have already set up defenses and strengthened precautions; this time we will thoroughly clean out the interior, and afterward no one will pose a threat to the two young ladies.'

At last they were free; Gu Xixi and He Jinglan looked at each other and smiled, unable to hide their excitement.

Deputy Commander Zhang still had to lead troops back to the frontier.

As they were parting outside the farmstead, Gu Xixi said, 'I've sent you that plan—first get the seeds, then follow it step by step; once I finish my side, I'll set out for you right away.'

Deputy Commander Zhang laughed, 'That's great.'

'General Liu looked at your list and felt both pleased and worried.'

'The pleasure is that we can also obtain a batch of stored grain, and winter vegetables are now available as well. The worry is that without your personal direction, we might not do a good job.'

'Now that you say you'll go yourself, hearing it makes my heart lighten and gives me confidence.'

Gu Xixi also laughed, 'The fertilizer and such will be delivered in a couple of days, but these are products made by Boss An's workshop.'

Deputy Commander Zhang understood, 'No problem—I'll go back and first report to General Liu.'

'When the goods arrive, we can settle the account directly.'

Seeing Deputy Commander Zhang off, Gu Xixi turned back to the farmstead and began working.

To set up a simple greenhouse, just find some long bamboo strips, lightly heat them over fire to soften, then bend them into semi‑arcs.

Then fix one of those semi‑arc bamboo strips at intervals in the field.

Since it's only a small test plot, the height is reserved at about waist‑high, so Gu Xixi can stoop to go in and out and finish the little farming chores inside herself.

He Jinglan summoned her household's secret guards to join Gu Xixi in the farm work.

The weather is still hot, so there's no need to cover the greenhouse with film yet.

Just insert the bamboo strips into the pre‑marked spots, and the basic setup is done.

He Jinglan, pleased at the prospect of going to the frontier again, asked Gu Xixi, 'What good crops are you having them plant? Can they provide both grain and vegetables?'

Gu Xixi smiled and began to list them.

The planting plan she wrote for the Northwest Army this season actually contains no regular grain crops.

Instead, it's three kinds: Chinese yam, pumpkin, and white cool potato.

These three crops suit the frontier climate and relatively poor soil, have a short growing season after sowing, and need little pesticide or fertilizer.

Moreover, their mature fruits store well, are high in starch, and can substitute for grain, among other advantages.

They also provide the vitamins and fiber of vegetables while being filling, making them absolutely suitable as rations for the Northwest Army, which lacks vegetables in winter.

He Jinglan marveled, 'You really think things through—not just how to grow them but also how to eat them. No wonder the troops are happy to see you.'

The oat noodles you recommended before have already become a staple dish in the army.

I heard the mess hall has developed even more variations and flavors, which the soldiers greatly appreciate.

Gu Xixi chuckled, 'Everyone has to eat to live, after all.'

Meanwhile, they had just taken Phoenix City.

Mu Nan Zhao received a secret letter, and after reading it his face darkened like the bottom of a pot.

Master Liu's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, 'Could something have happened over at the village?'

Mu Nan Zhao didn't answer, just tossed the paper to him.

Master Liu skimmed ten lines at a glance; as he read, cold sweat broke out, and only at the end did he let out a long sigh.

'Thank goodness, it was a scare with no real harm.'

But looking at Mu Nan Zhao again, he was blazing with anger.

'She knows full well that after we leave, staying in the village is the safest for her; as long as she doesn't go out, even if there are many more attacks, even if the village is destroyed or burned, someone can still protect her whole family.'

'You say, why does she insist on putting herself in danger?'

Master Liu, helpless, noted it was the first time he'd seen Mu Nan Zhao so angry, speaking all that in one breath.

Boss Gu really has created quite a few exceptions.

Poor Master Liu, he often gets scolded from both sides.

Master Liu could only steel himself and say, 'Boss Gu is doing her best to preserve herself, and at the same time she's done a good deed for the Northwest Army.'

'If she hadn't left the village for the farmstead, those spies wouldn't have been exposed so quickly……'

No wonder it's Mu Nan Zhao—his emotions have now calmed down.

'She's been working hard and doing well; she doesn't want to lose the village, she doesn't want innocent villagers to be implicated, and most of all she doesn't want her fields and crops burned.'

'But has she ever thought about herself?'

Master Liu laughed, 'Given my knowledge of Boss Gu, she's certainly not the type to seek death on purpose; otherwise she wouldn't have sent word to the Northwest Army in advance.'

'But what if?' Mu Nan Zhao said coldly, 'What if General Liu can't mobilize troops when something happens, or can't get there in time?'

Thinking about how Gu Xixi spent those three days trapped in the farmstead, he still feels a lingering fear even now.

Mu Nan Zhao looked toward the east, his gaze deep and secluded.

That was the direction of the capital.

He felt uneasy about Gu Xixi; the only solution was to rush straight to the capital and put an end to all this……

For several days, everyone in the manor was busy with farm work.

Cold melon, cucumber, and tomato seedlings were successfully raised and transplanted.

At the same time they continued digging the soil and applying base fertilizer, waiting for An Qinghe to dig up each tea tree at the foot of Flower Pool Ford Village intact and personally load them onto carts to bring over.

Then came separating seedlings, pruning, transplanting, shading and covering, while waiting for the tea trees to take root.

Gu Xixi's experimental tea garden was thus moved into the manor, and its scale after splitting seedlings doubled compared to before.

Only after finishing these did she consider her goal for this trip fully accomplished.

That afternoon, Gu Xixi returned home.

Zhang Shen knew nothing of the danger that had occurred; she simply thought Gu Xixi had come back from work, and while preparing something tasty, she said, "When you weren't here, Gu Daye came to our house."

Gu Xixi startled, frowned and said, "What's he doing here for no reason?"