Chapter 57

Liu Shi still solemnly said that Chen Fang was a fox spirit kept by Gu Xixi, and those rats were also demons, each one eating people.

Although Lao Qian considered that Gu Lao San's family had already been punished and had not harmed others, he decided not to pursue Gu Tiezhu's crime of bringing rats back to the village, nor did he make the whole incident public.

But the little story of "Gu Tiezhu catching rats harmed his own family" had quietly spread among the villagers.

The villagers hearing Liu Shi's nonsense knew she was protecting her calf, trying to exonerate her son by shifting blame onto others, and they grew even more disgusted with her and her family.

Starting that afternoon, cartloads of oleander were hauled into the village.

Lao Qian ran outside for a day and a night, and the next day he brought back three full carts of soybean oil dregs.

Plus some villagers voluntarily contributed, as well as honey freshly gathered from the mountains.

Once everything was ready, Lao Langzhong and Lao Qian led the men in taking turns, and all the village's large and small stone mills and grinders were hauled out for use.

The oleander branches and leaves were ground into powder, then water was added to extract the juice.

Bucket after bucket of purified and concentrated oleander liquid was carried away by the villagers and uniformly stored at the Tudimiao.

After Lao Qian personally registered the quantities, designated personnel took turns guarding it.

The village chief's wife, Qian Daxian, was responsible for organizing the village women and having them learn from Gu Xixi how to prepare the honey bait that specifically kills rats.

While making the honey bait, Gu Qingye actually came as well.

Given what had happened in her family, some thought she must be hiding at home crying, while others secretly harbored a gawking attitude, believing that with such a brother she would surely not dare to go out and meet people.

Yet Gu Qingye remained as lively and fond of laughing as ever.

She had work in her eyes, was not deceitful or slippery, and sweetly addressed everyone as "sister-in-law" and "auntie."

Gradually, even those who had intended to laugh at her began to soften.

"Ah, the last time Xixi and Chen Fang fell into the trap, I think she really took the blame for them."

"Isn't that right? Gu Tiezhu is so crazy he even brings disaster to his own family—what wouldn't he dare to do?"

"She's pretty, but unfortunately born into such a family; I think it would also be hard for her to marry into a good family."

Such talk naturally spread to Gu Xixi's side.

Qin Dasao bumped her arm against Xixi, leaned in and whispered softly, "That girl keeps telling people lately, 'She is she, her brother is her brother,' sounding as if she's trying to draw a clear line with her family."

Gu Xixi lowered her head and continued rolling the oil dregs into balls, smiling, "What do you think, sister-in-law?"

Qin Dasao pursed her lips and said, "I've always felt she's not that simple."

"Anyway, I can't put it into words, but I just feel her heart is full of twists and turns, and I don't like it."

Gu Xixi thought, Gu Qingye drawing a clear line with the family—this plot actually matches the original book.

In the original book, the parents are greedy and vulgar, favoring sons over daughters. The older brother is vicious, bullying and oppressing his younger sister.

Gu Qingye is the only one in their family who stays pure despite the mire.

Not long ago in the book, after Gu Qingye spent a night in the mountains with Mu Nan Zhao, in order to refuse the family's extortion of Mu Nan Zhao, Gu Qingye did not hesitate to break off relations with her family face to face.

Afterwards, Mu Nan Zhao learned that, in addition to feeling grateful for her life-saving kindness, he also developed sincere pity for her.

So…

What exactly does Mu Nan Zhao think?

At noon everyone went home to rest.

While eating, Gu Xixi looked at Mu Nan Zhao and casually brought up, "Everyone says my cousin born in that family is pitiful; she's different from her family, what do you think?"

"Oh." Mu Nan Zhao continued to shovel rice.

Gu Xixi still wouldn't give up, even trying to imitate modern health-product salespeople, making things up out of thin air.

At this point Zhang Shen and Lao Langzhong had finished eating first, got up and went to attend to their own affairs.

Mu Nan Zhao suddenly glanced at Gu Xixi, "Deception and lies almost put us both to death; considering the past, she is as good as dead today."

Gu Xixi strained to open her mouth, "But everyone believes she was coerced by Gu Tiezhu."

"You always talk about others, what about you?" Mu Nan Zhao retorted, "Do you believe it?"

His gaze held mockery, and Gu Xixi felt she was about to have nowhere to hide; she held up her empty bowl and stood up.

"I'm full!"

"Why?" Mu Nan Zhao said to Gu Xixi's back, his eyes deep and dark as ink.

"You are clearly not close to her, yet you always speak well of her in front of me."

"Gu Xixi, don't you find this strange?"

Gu Xixi couldn't evade this question; she took a deep breath, and as she turned, her polite smile hadn't settled properly yet.

Then she heard Mu Nan Zhao say, "If you're trying to clear things up with me and let me know the boundaries, there's really no need."

He put down his bowl and chopsticks, and as he passed by her side, he didn't turn his head to look at her.

"I am still a registered convict, possess nothing, and carry a sickly body that could die at any moment."

"I have self-awareness; I don't need the young lady to despise me everywhere and constantly remind me!"

"Ah… I…" Gu Xixi watched helplessly as Mu Nan Zhao strode away arrogantly.

She slumped down in dejection, muttering, "I didn't mean it that way."

And his gaze—why does it look so hurt?

It's as if she were the bully hurting him!

The courtyard rang with a series of wood-splitting sounds.

Zhang Shen shouted, "Xiao Chen, you've just eaten, take a rest first—splitting this much wood is enough."

Gu Xixi lifted the door curtain, and in just a short while, Mu Nan Zhao had already chopped a pile of firewood.

He put down the axe, said nothing, and went to the well to draw water.

Zhang Shen beamed, "This kid! Ever since he recovered from his illness, he's been this diligent every day!"

Gu Xixi watched Mu Nan Zhao bury his head in work, and for some reason her heart felt even more uneasy.

She obviously just wanted to set Mu Nan Zhao and Gu Qingye up.

How did the facts become 'Gu Xixi bullied Mu Nan Zhao', 'Mu Nan Zhao suffered endless grievances yet remained self-respecting and self-reliant', and 'seriously injured and not healed, he had no choice but to work desperately'?

One can imagine he has lived a life of luxury since childhood; let alone whether he has done such rough work, he probably hasn't even seen it.

Gu Xixi, feeling guilty, walked up to Mu Nan Zhao and said, 'Your wound isn't fully healed yet, don't work.'

Mu Nan Zhao picked up a full bucket of water, calmly lifted his gaze, and even smiled at her, 'It's fine; I eat and live here for free, so I ought to do something.'

Gu Xixi stared blankly as Mu Nan Zhao carried the water into the kitchen.

This time he didn't seem to be angry and ignoring her, yet why did she see… a sense of brokenness in him?

The rat infestation came earlier than expected.

In less than three days, someone in the village discovered three or five rats appearing in groups.

The villagers sprayed the rats and poured oleander water into their holes.

The fragrant oil-residue balls were filled with a sufficient amount of oleander juice inside, and the outer layer was rolled in sweet honey.

Such honey bait was placed throughout the village, especially the most at the village's sole external entrance.

During the day, the village adults were busy exterminating rats.

To prevent unsupervised children from running out and mistakenly eating the honey bait meant for rats.

Mu Nan Zhao was assigned a one-of-a-kind task.