Chapter 286

When Gu Daye was mentioned, Zhang Shen's face fell, "What good could come of him showing up at the door?"

"He produced a torn piece of paper from who-knows-how-many years ago, claiming your grandfather owed him a debt!"

Gu Xixi startled, and in the original host's memory, it seemed she had never heard Gu the miser mention this.

"Did he say what the debt was for, and how much?"

Zhang Shen shook her head. "He didn't say. He knows you're not home, and insists on waiting until you return to tell you."

Gu Xixi, washing her hands, said, "Then let him wait."

"Tomorrow I still have to go to the frontier."

Nowadays the whole village follows Gu Xixi in planting millet, except for Gu Daye's household.

He never pressed for the debt early or late, but now he's dug up this old Chen-year debt, clearly to vent his anger.

Zhang Shen felt sorry for her and said, "How come you just got back and already have to leave? You don't even get a breather!"

Gu Xixi glanced back with a smile. "As long as I get through this busy period, there will be plenty of leisure to rest at home."

As she walked toward her own room, she said, "I'll go change my clothes; if Uncle Chen comes later, please have him sit and wait a moment."

He Jinglan smiled at Zhang Shen and followed Gu Xixi inside.

Zhang Shen shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Calling Old Chen to the house means there's something else going on—truly nonstop busyness."

Inside, while they were changing clothes, He Jinglan sighed, "I was just happy—I can finally go to the frontier again."

"When I came back, Master Liu still had no trace."

"Thinking that I've been away these few days and the village school has been closed, if I go out again, wouldn't I become just as irresponsible a teacher as Master Liu?"

Gu Xixi chuckled slightly, "Don't complain; every time you went out before, it was Master Liu who covered for you."

He Jinglan pouted resentfully, "Master Liu surely thinks the same! He knows I'm in charge of the village school, so he keeps dragging his feet, refusing to come back."

She said this while lunging at Gu Xixi, feigning a cute cry, "I can't go this time."

"You must be careful!"

"Give my regards to Aunt Lin and the others!"

"Watch the sunrise for me—I love the frontier sunrise the most!"

"Oh, I dropped that wolf-hair brush, handmade by Meng Chengping; I didn't really want it, but if you find it, please bring it back for me."

"And the babies we helped deliver—please take a look at them and give them a hug!"

……

Every time He Jinglan made a request, Gu Xixi would smile and agree—she was practically indulging her.

At sunset, Chen Dafu came to Gu Xixi's house.

Zhang Shen brought out a small stool for him to sit in the courtyard, then brought a large bowl of cool thin porridge.

"You must be thirsty from work—have a drink to catch your breath; I'll go call Xixi over."

Chen Dafu took the bowl, thanked her, and after drinking, his mouth filled with fluid.

The thin porridge was cooked by Zhang Shen in the afternoon, with deliberately little millet and beans, meant mainly for drinking the broth.

It had been cooked ahead and left to cool; the broth was fine and smooth, clean, sweet, and refreshing—originally prepared to accompany pancake rolls with vegetables at dinner.

Seeing Gu Xixi come out, Chen Dafu rose immediately, "Master."

Gu Xixi laughed, "I've said you don't need to be so formal, Uncle Chen, please sit."

Chen Dafu sat down openly and said, "Master, you mentioned this afternoon while passing the fields that you wanted to hire someone, but I'm not sure what kind of work you need."

Gu Xixi spoke about the manor: "I've newly transplanted tea trees, and there's half a mu of vegetables and fruits. In the initial stage, everything still requires my personal attention. But for daily upkeep, basic farm work still needs a hired hand."

"This hired worker differs from you—no harvest share, but the work isn't heavy, and I'll pay five hundred cash per month."

"There's a storage room in the manor that can be cleared out for temporary lodging. There's also a place to cook; the worker can bring their own food or bring grain to cook."

Chen Dafu listened, nodding slightly in earnest.

After Gu Xixi finished stating her requirements, Chen Dafu said, "Finding someone is easy enough."

"You've only planted this much; daily it's just watering, fertilizing, weeding, pest control, plus keeping an eye on the manor—five hundred cash is more than enough."

"But since it's your own property, you certainly need to find someone honest, reliable, and clean."

Gu Xixi smiled. "Exactly so."

She also didn't want to one day go to the manor and find it full of filth.

Chen Dafu furrowed his brows, thought a moment, then brightened, "Right, I have someone in mind."

"It's a widow surnamed Wu from our village; although she's a woman, she's born with great strength, able to handle the work of a strong laborer, and she loves cleanliness—being a woman, she's generally more meticulous than the average man."

Gu Xixi wondered, "If she's so capable, doesn't she need to tend her own fields?"

Chen Dafu sighed, "Her husband died earlier this year; her natal family disliked that she only bore two girls, claiming they wanted to split the household, but in fact they gave her and her daughters neither house nor land—effectively driving them out."

Gu Xixi frowned, "That's too much."

Chen Dafu said, "Who would deny it? This woman is truly pitiful; I hear her natal family also has hardly anyone left."

"The village saw they had nowhere to go, so only the Village Chief could negotiate with her husband's family, and he managed to secure for them two dilapidated earthen rooms from the husband's old house—at last they had a place to stay."

Gu Xixi asked, "How have they been making a living during this time?"

Chen Dafu replied, "I heard it from my wife as well— that woman is tough; every few days she goes to the laundry shop by the official road to help people wash and starch clothes, earning a few coins."

"I've been to that kind of place; the lodgers are all downtrodden passersby, and the bedding on the big bunks is black and shiny."

"Washing there is genuinely hard work; in winter, my wife saw her hands frozen like radishes, covered in chilblains."

By this point, hearing all that, Gu Xixi had already made her judgment.

She said solemnly, "Then it's her."

Chen Dafu, being honest and kind-hearted, sincerely happy for the Wu widow, said, "All right, I'll go back and tell my wife, and have her speak to the Wu widow."

After all, a widow's gate attracts gossip, so Old Chen still needs to avoid suspicion!

Gu Xixi nodded, "I still need to go out these two days, so please trouble Aunt to tell her—if she's willing, she can first go to the field manor to try work for a few days."

"When I return and verify that she's suitable, I can advance her first month's wages; after that she can also bring her daughter to live at the field manor."

Chen Dafu was somewhat moved, "Master, you've saved her and her two daughters! She will surely be willing!"

Gu Xixi smiled slightly, "I also occasionally stay at the field manor; as a woman, it's also more convenient."

The matter of hiring workers has been settled.

Gu Xixi saw Chen Dafu out, saying, "Although there are fifteen mu of land over at the field manor, most of it lies empty."

"Besides, there are another six mu of land nearby; I've confirmed they'll all be planted with winter wheat, so we'll definitely need to hire workers then."

"So I'd like to ask Uncle Chen to go there, to do the same work as now, except Uncle Chen will also take on a steward's role; later, when there's more land, I won't be able to oversee everything, so I'll still need a trustworthy person to help me manage it."

"Of course," Gu Xixi smiled, "there will be a steward's wage."