Chapter 75: The Master

Gu Xixi shook her head, feeling that this drunkard was utterly bewildering.

Shitou's little face lit up, "Sister Xixi, this quail is delicious, the meatballs are delicious, and the rice is fragrant!"

Gu Xixi nodded, "Mm, delicious, everything is delicious."

After a while.

Shitou tilted his head in puzzlement, "Sister Xixi, why is your face so red?"

Gu Xixi waved her hand, "Nonsense! I'm not drunk!"

……

The rain pattered, and when Gu Xixi opened her eyes, her temples throbbed sharply; she winced and sucked in a breath of cold air.

"Ow ow ow!"

"Why does my head hurt so much?"

The three-colored cat heard its new master awaken, lightly leapt onto the bed, and rubbed against her hand.

Gu Xixi petted it a few times, then suddenly realized, "Xiao Hua?"

She clearly remembered eating at the restaurant, so why was she lying in her own bed?!

The door pushed open, and Zhang Shen entered holding a bowl, "Do you still know your head hurts?"

"When you came back yesterday, I asked you anything and you didn't know, you just kept singing."

Gu Xixi broke into a cold sweat, "What… song did I sing?"

Zhang Shen stirred the hangover soup in the bowl, tried to recall for a moment, "Hmm, something about 'the ends of the earth,' something about 'my love'? I've never heard this song, but it's really nice."

Gu Xixi: "……"

It's all because of the reflexive memory she trained in KTV!!

Zhang Shen kept chattering, "After all, you're an unmarried young lady; even with Xiao Chen around, you can't drink like that outside."

"Fortunately, Xiao Chen was quick-witted; on the way back to the village, he didn't let anyone see."

Gu Xixi lowered her gaze to the flower pattern on the quilt, feeling lifeless.

So she really got drunk?!

She furrowed her brows, thought for a moment, and figured out the crux.

She used to have a good tolerance, but she can't stand that the current Gu Xixi has a low tolerance.

Gu Xixi drew a deep, heavy breath, realizing she had been careless.

Zhang Shen handed the warmed hangover soup to Xixi.

"This is prepared by Old Ginger Head; drink it and lie down a while, and your head won't hurt."

Gu Xixi gulped down the whole bowl of hangover soup, put on her clothes, and headed out.

Zhang Shen called from behind, "You're not sleeping? What are you rushing off to do?"

"Find Chen Fang." Gu Xixi left those three words behind as she pushed the door and went out.

Zhang Shen smiled with relief, "The young couple's feelings are getting better and better; I expect we'll have a happy event in our family next year!"

Walking into the courtyard, she suddenly heard some animal's cry.

Gu Xixi turned her head to look, and was stunned again.

In the west wing, Mu Nan Zhao was writing something.

Seeing Gu Xixi barge in without knocking, full of force, he set down his pen and asked, "What's the matter?"

Gu Xixi sat down beside him, "I'm asking you, what exactly happened yesterday?"

"After eating at the restaurant, what happened?"

"Where did that mule under the eaves come from?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "Even drunk, your manners were still not bad."

Upon hearing that, Gu Xixi first relaxed.

Mu Nan Zhao continued, "You knew you had to pay with money, then you insisted on going to the horse-and-mule market; that mule was picked by you, you bargained with that brat, forcing the owner to tearfully sell the mule to you."

"Finally, you said you were tired, lay down on the cart bed, and said you wouldn't go to the nursery today."

"But you didn't forget your promise to Shitou. You told him you had a big plan related to him, and that in a few days you'd go find him to discuss hiring him for work."

After Mu Nan Zhao finished speaking, Gu Xixi had completely lost the strength to speak.

She finally understood why people say the worst thing isn't getting drunk and raving, but being sober and having someone recount every detail for you.

Mu Nan Zhao, however, was intrigued, "What is that big plan of yours?"

Gu Xixi stood up, weakly waved her hand, "My head hurts; I need to sleep a bit more."

"Also, before the village school is officially finished, you should rest more at home and not always rush to work."

At this moment, Mu Nan Zhao only found it amusing; seeing her like this, he felt it wasn't enough and, smiling, pressed on:

"What about your mule?"

After a moment, Gu Xixi's voice drifted from outside, "Wait till I've slept enough~wait till the rain stops~~build it a shed~child~~"

Gu Xixi slept through this nap until the afternoon.

Lao Langzhong's hangover medicine worked well; her head didn't hurt, and she felt energetic all over.

Now it's time to build a dwelling for the new mule; well, we also need to think of a name.

The rain temporarily stopped, but the sky remained heavily overcast.

The mule under the eaves had disappeared, and a small wooden shed had appeared by the wall east of the main gate.

The gate of the fence in front of the shed was locked, and the mule inside was happily munching grass.

Gu Xixi thought she hadn't sobered up yet, and rubbed her eyes.

Zhang Shen suddenly came over, pulled Xixi along, and said while walking, "You've finally woken up; let's hurry, we can still make it!"

Gu Xixi didn't understand, "What's the rush?"

Zhang Shen said, "Of course it's to officially open the village school, to officially invite the first teacher of Huachi Du Cun."

Just about to step over the gate, Gu Xixi hurriedly pointed to the small wooden shed, "This is..."

Zhang Shen said, "Xiao Chen was busy all morning, just finished building it, then Lao Qian came to invite people. The mule was the one I put in there, I gave it some grass."

He actually built it without a sound, Gu Xixi thought, and asked again, "Where's the master?"

Zhang Shen laughed, "He originally didn't want to show up, but Xiao Chen wanted him to go along, saying the family elders should be there as witnesses. Lao Qian and the others also went along."

"This Xiao Chen, I used to think he was arrogant and couldn't get along with anyone, but now I see I misjudged him—he's cold on the outside, warm inside."

…

Along the way, Zhang Shen chatted on, praising Mu Nan Zhao.

She also talked about the ceremony for inviting the teacher today in the village, "Lao Qian really values our Xiao Chen."

It turned out today was a rare auspicious day, and the period from noon to early afternoon was also an auspicious time.

Although it was hastily arranged, Lao Qian still brought several of the village's most respected elders, personally delivering four kinds of gifts and a new set of clothes at noon.

After Lao Qian and the others washed their hands with clean water and performed the three-bow salute, they solemnly and respectfully escorted Mu Nan Zhao to the Earth God's Temple.

Gu Xixi laughed, "Too bad, I didn't get to see his expression then."

Zhang Shen also laughed, "Just like usual, you can't tell if he's happy or not."

The two hurried to the Earth God's Temple.

The worship ceremony had ended; this was to inform the local deity that Huachi Du Cun now had its own teacher, asking the god to bless the village school, the teacher, and the children.

The school gate and several windows were surrounded by villagers in three layers inside and three outside.

Qin Dasao saw Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen, hurriedly waved, "Zhang Shen, Xixi, come over quick, I've saved you spots!"

"Everyone, make way, the family of Mr. Chen has arrived."

Everyone laughed and shifted positions to let Gu Xixi and Zhang Shen squeeze to the front.

Someone chimed in, "The children's chief instructor's wife has arrived—who dares not make way?"

Amid the laughter, Gu Xixi's ears grew hot, but her composure remained steady, "Nothing like that has happened yet."

As she looked into the schoolroom, she couldn't help but stare—this was what he looked like as a teacher...