Not until they had walked far away did Aunt Guixiang finally say, "Seems like your Xinhe has a pretty good relationship with this Mu Chu, huh? He’s so concerned about her. When are they planning to get married?"
Ji Dong looked confused, scratching his head: "Huh?"
Aunt Guixiang chuckled: "Still trying to play dumb with me? Xinhe admitted everything herself. I’m waiting to attend the wedding feast. Remember to let me know in advance when it’s time."
Hong Qin laughed along: "Indeed, she denied it when I asked her before, but now she’s admitted it. The whole village knows about it. I wonder what this man’s family background is, but he sure looks handsome!"
Ji Dong was even more confused. Xinhe admitted it?!
The whole village knows?
The two of them?
Why didn’t he know?
Looking shocked, Ji Dong turned to Xiao Bei, seemingly wanting to ask what was going on.
Xiao Bei was happily eating a freshly baked sweet potato, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded: "It seems that something like this did happen."
As Aunt Guixiang busily dealt with her work, she chuckled: "I see that Mu Chu takes good care of Xinhe. When she walks into a room, his eyes mostly follow her. If Xinhe marries him, she definitely won’t feel wronged."
"Isn’t that right? Xinhe, such a good girl, deserves a good man like him." Hong Qin laughed.
Ji Dong decided to stay silent until Xinhe returned to ask for clear explanation. Otherwise, any hasty decision might harm her reputation.
——
Since the heavy snow started last night, it has not stopped. This morning, the ground was only covered with a thin layer of silvery snow, but by now, in the middle of the afternoon, it had accumulated quite a bit.
The small mountain village, originally somewhat bleak, obtains a different kind of beauty under the white snow cover. It’s an infinite expanse of white everywhere you look. In her previous life, she lived under a lot of pressure and never had the spare moment to enjoy the snowfall, let alone the time.
As a simple commoner now, walking in the tranquil countryside, she finally had a rare moment to truly appreciate the beauty, it was truly calm and peaceful.
As she walked, Ji Xinhe took a deep breath. This fresh air, only existed in this green countryside.
Suddenly, something was put on her head, causing her to bow slightly. Ji Xinhe exclaimed, reaching out to hold the thing on her head, only to feel a large bamboo hat.
When Ji Xinhe looked up, she saw Mu Houchu, who had somehow walked next to her, his face slightly serious: "It’s still snowing, and you came out without even a hat. What will you do if you catch a cold?"
For some reason, Ji Xinhe didn’t have the energy to object, so she obediently replied: "Oh."
She had been in such a hurry when she left the house that she had not thought about this.
Seeing her rarely obedient appearance, a hint of a smile appeared on Mu Houchu’s lips.
"Aren’t you going to wear one?" Ji Xinhe asked when she saw that he didn’t have one. She then realized her stupidity. There was only one bamboo hat at home.
The hat was meant to be worn when they worked; carrying an umbrella while picking cabbages would be cumbersome.
"Do you really think my physique is like yours?" Mu Houchu said with a light voice.
Ji Xinhe snorted lightly and turned away: "Then you don’t need to wear it!"
But a warm feeling rose in her heart.
The two of them walked side by side in the snow without a word, yet it wasn’t awkward at all. It seemed like they had an extremely familiar and ordinary relationship.
Ji Xinhe was also taken aback by this feeling. What kind of relationship could they possibly have?
Just as she was thinking about this, she heard Mu Houchu suddenly say, "We’re here."
Only then did Ji Xinhe come to her senses. Looking up, she saw they had indeed arrived at the doorstep of Wang Po’s house. The courtyard door was not closed. The people in the countryside were simple and honest, and their doors were often left open, which also facilitated neighborly visits.
As she walked in, Ji Xinhe immediately shouted, "Wang Po, Wang Po!"
"Ah, I’m here," Wang Po poked her head out and smiled, "Is that Xinhe who’s come? Oh my, she even brought her fiance. Could it be you’re here to give out wedding invites?"
Ji Xinhe was speechless: "I ..."
"Come inside quick and warm up, it’s cold outside," Wang Po quickly interrupted.
An amused smile tugged at Mu Houchu’s lips as he stepped inside.
Ji Xinhe glared at Mu Houchu’s retreating figure resentfully, before following him inside.
Inside the room, there was a heated mattress pad that was much warmer than the outside. Wang Po brought out some hot water, smiling: "What brings you here on this cold day? Is it that you don’t have enough tofu?"
Wang Po also made tofu, and the villagers normally came to her when they needed to buy it.
Sitting on the heated mattress pad, Ji Xinhe hugged the bowl filled with hot water and took a little, warm sip. The chill in her body subsided: "No, I came to see Wang Po today to ask if anyone bought the two plots of Chinese cabbage from your house. Otherwise, I’ll buy it myself."
Wang Po was confused: "What do you need so much cabbage for?"
"I’ve added a new variety to my pickle business, which requires Chinese cabbages." Ji Xinhe said cheerfully.
Wang Po slapped her thigh: "Oh, I’ve been worried about finding a buyer for these two plots of cabbage. You can take as much as you want."
Ji Xinhe thought for a moment. She was going into mass production after all and needed plenty, so she agreed: "I’ll take all of it. The price will be the same as the one you sell in town, is that okay?"
Wang Po was thrilled, "Great, of course that’s okay! Chinese cabbage isn’t expensive at all, it’s only two cents per kilo, okay?"
"Done." Ji Xinhe smiled, "I’ll pay a deposit first. When my brother brings the bullock cart next time, we’ll collect all the cabbages from your field, weigh them, and then pay the bill. However, I urgently need some now, so I’ll have to pick a basket from your field first."
Ji Dong had said that there was no cabbage left in the house, and that they needed to fulfil orders tomorrow.
Wang Po laughed heartily: "Why would you need a down payment? We are all villagers, I trust you. Go ahead and pick what you need from my field, and we can settle the bill later."
Ji Xinhe couldn’t refuse any more, so she simply agreed with a smile.
"I’m old and not in the best shape, so I can’t help you pick it in this weather. My sons went to work in town today, they couldn’t help either. You’ll have to pick it yourself in my field, and when Dongzi brings the cart, I’ll ask my sons to help load it up."
"Okay!" After replying, Ji Xinhe stood up and left the house.
Mu Houchu replaced the bamboo hat on her head, and they both walked outside, Mu Houchu following her.
Watching their interactions, Wang Po couldn’t help chuckling: "Young people these days."
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