Chapter 8: Not well-intentioned? I'm going anyway

Such a great advantage was snatched up by Gu Xixi.

Not only the women who bought men in the same batch as her, but even other women in the village were envious.

Looking at her own less-than-satisfying husband, a sour feeling welled up in her heart.

Gu Lao San's eldest son, Gu Tiezhu, sipping his millet soup, said disdainfully, "What's so special about that!"

"It's just killing a mad cow—do we really need to brag about it like it's some evil omen?"

Gu Qingye said, "I'm not bragging; I saw it with my own eyes—Chen Da Ge only hit it once, and the cow fell."

"Isn't that impressive?"

Out of concern for face, she did not mention upon returning home that Gu Xixi had slapped her.

Besides her resentment and anger toward Gu Xixi, the face that appeared most often in her mind was actually Mu Nan Zhao's.

His handsome, heroic bearing, his cold expression, even his disdainful glance toward her...

These were things Gu Qingye had never seen in other young men.

Gu Tiezhu scoffed, "Silly sister, that was just a sick cow—he was a blind cat that happened upon a dead rat!"

"You women, you're all bewitched by his looks, utterly confused."

"Your brother is right!" Liu Shi echoed, glaring at her daughter, "Don't keep calling him Chen Da Ge,"

"How many times have I told you? When picking a man, you need wealth and ability!"

"What good is looks? If you dare to learn from Gu Xixi, I'll break your legs!"

Gu Qingye felt a bit indignant, stirred her chopsticks in the bowl a few times, then muttered softly:

"How is it useless? Everyone now envies Sister Xixi."

"What did you say?!" Liu Shi raised her voice suddenly.

"Could it be that you, too, have fallen under the spell of that male fox spirit?"

Gu Qingye knew she couldn't win, so she buried her head in her rice and stayed silent.

Liu Shi refused to let up, wanting to keep striking with a few more remarks.

Gu Lao San slammed his chopsticks down, "Is that enough already?!"

"Even if Chen Fang had three heads and six arms, right now nothing is more important than our family's few mu of wheat!"

After a moment, Liu Shi carefully asked, "Father, have you really figured out how to deal with that dead girl?"

Gu Lao San said with a stern face, "Tomorrow morning I'll summon both the eldest and second uncle's households to discuss this."

The Gu clan is also considered a major household in Huachi Du Cun.

Gu Daye and Gu Erye are the paternal brothers of Gu Xixi's grandfather.

Liu Shi instantly grasped her husband's idea, beaming, "Exactly, a married daughter is water poured out."

"Rich water doesn't flow to outsiders' fields—I don't believe they'd give up those fields and later all change their surname to Chen!"

The morning of Huachi Du Cun is always tranquil.

But this morning, not long after the cooking smoke for breakfast rose, the road became noisy.

"Come on, come on, the miserly Gu family's daughter has recruited over a dozen men to compete in farming!"

"Compete in farming? How? This is just nonsense!"

Despite that, the spectators rushed to get there fast—if you're late, you won't snag the best spot!

Gu Xixi squatted on the ridge, taking big bites of a steamed bun.

The coarse sorghum flour made her choke; Zhang Shen, seeing this, promptly handed over a water bowl.

"Eat slowly—there's no need to rush so frantically, you can't even wait for a mouthful of hot food."

Gu Xixi gulped down half a bowl of clear water in one go, exhaling as if she'd met sweet rain.

"At most eight days—plowing and sowing time—we can't afford to waste a single minute, so we really need to hurry."

Zhang Shen nodded silently.

She ached for Xixi, who had never done any work before, and now suddenly faced such hard labor.

But then she thought, the girl has grown up and become sensible—this is something to be happy about—so she said with a smile:

"Once Chen Fang's health improves, with him helping you manage these people, you'll be able to relax a bit."

Gu Xixi raised her eyes in surprise, "My own land—why would I need others to help me?"

"Others?" Zhang Shen blinked, unable to help suspecting that Xixi might still be clueless, not understanding the ways of men and women in marriage.

She was about to speak to test her, when Gu Xixi looked up at the sun's position and immediately stood up.

"The time has come, Aunt—please have everyone draw lots."

Before them lay several mu of connected dry fields, the shape square and regular.

This morning Gu Xixi came at dawn, using the faint light to draw white grid lines in the fields with a piece of slate.

Each hired worker's assessment plot was exactly one-quarter mu, marked with tally strokes from one to fifteen.

All fifteen laborers showed up—none were late.

They each drew a wooden strip from Zhang Shen's hand, the strip still bearing tally marks.

Even those who couldn't read could easily find the plot they had drawn.

The one-hour trial work officially began.

Gu Xixi glanced at the ever-growing crowd of onlooking villagers and unexpectedly spotted Gu Qingye.

"Sister Xixi!" Gu Qingye waved from afar, still as charming and lively as ever, inevitably drawing countless enamored gazes.

Gu Xixi returned the smile, wondering to herself.

Yesterday she first caused a scene at Gu Lao San's house, then slapped Gu Qingye.

And yet Gu Qingye actually came to look for her?

Surely nothing good.

Gu Xixi leisurely waited for Gu Qingye to approach.

Gu Qingye seemed to have completely forgotten the previous unpleasantness, acting coquettishly as she said, "I've come to invite Sister Xixi to my home."

Gu Xixi countered, "Have Uncle and Aunt prepared the rent?"

Gu Qingye's expression stiffened a bit, then she smiled like a flower, "Maybe."

"My father doesn't allow me to meddle in adult affairs; Sister Xixi will find out once she goes."

Suspecting foul play, Gu Xixi thought, staying calm as she said, "Alright, let's go now."

Anyway, there's no need to keep watching here; she had planned to head back first, then return in about an hour to see the outcome.

"Wait!" Zhang Shen grabbed Xixi, pulled her aside, and whispered.

"This doesn't feel right—how could Old Three Gu and that Liu fellow fork over money so readily?"

Gu Xixi also whispered, "I know they have no good intentions."

Zhang Shen gasped, "Then you..."

Gu Xixi patted her reassuringly, "If we don't go see, how can we know what nasty scheme they're cooking up?"

Having said that, she summoned Gu Qingye and left.

Zhang Shen stood there a moment, still uneasy, then stamped her foot and ran home.

"Chen Fang! Xiao Chen!"

Hearing Zhang Shen's shout, Mu Nan Zhao gritted his teeth, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and with one hand propped on the bed slowly rose.

Yesterday's move, after all, was a bit overconfident.

With such a frail body, it's unclear how long he can linger; the things that must be done need to be hurried.

Zhang Shen ran to the west room and was about to knock when the door opened.

Mu Nan Zhao stepped out steadily.

Sunlight fell on his face, revealing a pallor that seemed translucent.

Zhang Shen couldn't help worrying, "Why does your complexion look so awful? Are you feeling unwell?"

Mu Nan Zhao said, "I just didn't sleep well last night; do you need something?"

Zhang Shen then urged anxiously, "Xixi went alone to her uncle's house—go with her and make sure she doesn't get taken advantage of!"

Just like that, Zhang Shen pushed and pulled Mu Nan Zhao out the gate.

"I'll keep watch in the field; I'm entrusting Xixi to you." Zhang Shen hurried off.

Mu Nan Zhao gazed at the locked gate.

Well, since we can't go back, let's go see.