Chapter 52: with translation of chapter title

Gu Tiezhu, Gu Xixi, Qin Dasao

Qin Dasao, Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi, Gu Tiezhu

Earlier someone had pushed a rock down the mountain, intending to crush her; coincidentally, Mu Nan Zhao, while going up the mountain the day before yesterday, unintentionally spotted a clue in a remote spot.

Possibly the traces left in the mud when it rained had hardened after two days of scorching sun, and they actually became fully visible.

The man's footprints were uneven in depth, obviously a limp, plus there were small holes poked nearby by a crutch.

Gu Tiezhu

At least it shows that he went up the mountain alone when no one knew, and it was during the last rain.

However, this is still insufficient as evidence, and Gu Qingye was present at the time.

So after Mu Nan Zhao escaped his predicament yesterday, he went up the mountain alone again in the afternoon.

He somehow managed to take a full rubbing of the footprints onto a wooden board, then went to search the cliff where the rocks had fallen that day.

This place is rarely visited, yet he indeed found the same footprints and crutch marks beside the cliff.

Mu Nan Zhao

Afterward, he only needed to find an opportunity to compare Gu Tiezhu's shoeprints, and then he would have ironclad proof.

However, Gu Xixi did not intend to trouble Lao Qian this time, so she temporarily also did not inform Qin Dasao of the actual situation.

Gu Xixi

Qin Dasao worriedly admonished, "He previously harbored ill intentions toward you; now that he says such things, he likely won't let it go easily. Be careful when you go out these days, and absolutely avoid going to deserted places alone."

Gu Xixi, Qin Dasao

Gu Xixi, Qin Dasao

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao

Gu Xixi, Gu Lao San

Gu Lao San, Liu Shi, Gu Qingye

Even if he loses face before others, he still has to eat and farm the land.

Gu Tiezhu

After that incident, he spent even more time shut up in his room.

The courtyard was quiet, and a figure landed lightly.

Rural families don't have much spare money; at most they can have two pairs of cloth shoes to alternate.

Thus, the few pairs of shoes washed after the rain two days ago were still damp, so they were placed on the outer windowsill of the main hall.

Mu Nan Zhao walked openly across the courtyard and picked a pair from the two men's shoes.

Mu Nan Zhao

Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Xixi

Mu Nan Zhao put the shoes back where they were, then left by moving away from the west side courtyard wall.

Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao

Mu Nan Zhao, Lao Qian, Zhang Shen

Mu Nan Zhao

Gu Xixi, Gu Tiezhu

Gu Xixi, Gu Tiezhu

Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi, Gu Tiezhu

Gu Xixi, Gu Tiezhu

Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao

Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Xixi

Gu Xixi built the fence by merely inserting the wooden slats into the ground, without using iron nails or the like to secure them.

Because she did this not to make the fence particularly sturdy, but only to symbolically demarcate the boundary, telling others not to enter and trample here.

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao

Gu Xixi said, "Tomorrow when we go to town, I want to buy a few pieces of oilcloth at the market, and as you are the schoolteacher, you should prepare early—go to the bookshop and pick out a few useful books."

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao

Mu Nan Zhao

Gu Xixi, Meng family, Zhang Family Nursery, Shitou

Mu Nan Zhao thought it over and agreed, "Fine, anyway you've already accompanied me in opening this connection with the Meng family; not going is also okay, tomorrow I'll find some pretext to explain to Meng Dangni zi."

He could see that Gu Xixi had no interest in those power schemes and calculations; what she truly liked was the land, and those flowers, grasses, and trees.

Zhang family, Little Stone

Mu Nan Zhao

Gu Xixi, Lao Qian

Lao Qian, Gu Xixi

Lao Langzhong

It was still early before the noon banquet, Mu Nan Zhao directly took a carriage to East Main Street to buy things.

First bought the oilcloth Xixi needed, the soybean oil for the family's meals, and the colored cotton thread Aunt Zhang specifically requested.

The final stop was the bookshop.

Mu Nan Zhao was a scholar; visiting bookshops came naturally to him, so he quickly picked out three books.

When settling the bill at the counter, Xixi heard the shopkeeper quote the price, and her heart lurched.

She only thought that ancient books would be expensive.

But she hadn't expected them to be this costly!

Xixi squeezed out a smile at the shopkeeper, pulled Mu Nan Zhao aside, and whispered:

"Do we have to buy all three books?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "I only picked the most basic essential primers for early education; this is already the minimum."

Xixi naturally knew the importance of books for education.

She grimaced and felt the sling bag on her body.

Earlier, she had collected grain from Gu Lao San's household, sold off most of it, and thus exchanged it for some money.

But after spending so far, she had less than a hundred cash left.

If she bought the books today, the household funds would be left with only half.

Xixi glanced at Mu Nan Zhao, gave an apologetic smile, and said, "Do you have any money on you? Buying the books is my responsibility; I'll treat it as borrowing from you, and I'll definitely pay you back later."

As long as she could hold out until the autumn harvest, she would soon have a substantial income and wouldn't need to worry about money like this anymore.

Mu Nan Zhao glanced sideways at her, "None."

He said it lightly, as if it were completely justified.

Xixi almost fainted, "None? But you didn't just get a bunch of pearls earlier?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Getting those pearls doesn't mean I have money."

Xixi was speechless: "……"

Mu Nan Zhao added another jab, "Let you pick a pearl to offset the debt—who asked you to refuse for the sake of face?"

Things having come to this, even if Xixi regretted not acting earlier, she could only pay for the books.

Leaving the bookshop, the money Xixi had brought amounted to only one cash coin.

Mu Nan Zhao saw her woeful expression, felt like teasing, and said, "How convenient—you can go mooch a meal at the Zhang Family Nursery, no cost."