Chapter 288 The first step: no worries about food and drink
Gu Xixi was choked and kept coughing.
Aunt Zhang skillfully reached out to pat Gu Xixi's back to calm her down, and asked in confusion, "It seems that the regent's surname is something... Mu? I heard that his appearance is also unique."
"Just tell me, even if a man is good-looking, how good-looking can he be? Like Xiao Chen?"
Gu Xixi lay on the table and coughed even more violently.
Since she had mentioned her future son-in-law, Aunt Zhang turned to Gu Xixi, "Hey, I remember Xiao Chen said last time that his surname is also Mu. Is that the same Mu as the Regent?"
Aunt Zhang is not very literate, so she only remembers the words that have the same pronunciation.
Gu Xixi was speechless.
She stopped coughing, raised her head and forced a smile, "What's your name, Regent? We ordinary people should not ask."
Aunt Zhang nodded, picked up the sole of the shoe again, frowned and muttered, "What's Xiao Mu's name? Mu what, three characters? That name is too hard to remember. I can't remember it. It's better to call her Chen Fang."
"Hey, tell me, why hasn't he come back yet? Even if he hasn't finished his work at home, he can't come back and doesn't even write you a letter!"
"It's really worrying!"
"Will he be able to come back in time before the New Year? I made two new quilts last month, and now I'm starting to make shoes. The shoes that the groom wears at the wedding are best made by the bride's family."
"I've measured the soles of his shoes before, and wanted him to choose a pair of shoes himself, but I waited and waited and no one showed up!"
…
Gu Xixi quietly buried her head in eating noodles.
Ever since Mu Nanzhao came back last time, he proposed to Gu Xixi in front of the whole family, revealed his real name, and promised to come back in the future.
Aunt Zhang felt as if she had taken a reassurance pill.
She has always been satisfied with this future son-in-law. Since he did not run away, she no longer worried about Xixi's marriage and instead started to prepare things for the wedding.
Gu Xixi told me several times not to worry.
Aunt Zhang just smiled and said that preparing for a wedding was very complicated, and it was impossible to get all the big and small items together at once, so she had originally planned to do it slowly.
This is to prevent Xixi from suddenly wanting to get married one day and the family having nothing prepared.
Gu Xixi had no choice but to let her go.
Now, hearing Aunt Zhang talking about preparing shoes for Mu Nanzhao, Gu Xixi felt mixed emotions.
How to say it?
Tell Aunt Zhang that Chen Fang, later known as Xiao Mu, will not be coming back.
Or should I just say that Mu Nanzhao is the high and mighty regent. The two families are not a good match. There is such a huge difference between them. From now on, we should just pretend that we have never met this person?
Aunt Zhang was still sewing the soles of shoes with her head down. These were for her son-in-law to wear on his wedding day. She was very careful and meticulous in sewing, and a smile was on her face because of the beautiful expectations in her heart.
Seeing Aunt Zhang like this, Gu Xixi felt that some words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't say them.
At this time, the door curtain was lifted and Shi Tou came in, supporting the old doctor.
The two of them had just shaken off the snow under the eaves, and they were still feeling a little cold when they walked in.
Shi Tou saw Gu Xixi and said in surprise, "Sister Xixi, you're back!!"
Gu Xixi perked up and said with a smile, "Well, I bought tangerines and your favorite slag cakes. Hurry up and wash your hands and come and eat."
As she spoke, she got off the kang and took off the medicine box from the old doctor's shoulders.
"Master, did your visit go smoothly?"
The old doctor smiled and nodded, "Mrs. Zhou has been suffering from insomnia and nightmares recently. She hasn't slept well for a long time, which is why she suddenly has palpitations and heartaches."
"The cause is spleen and kidney deficiency. If you take medicine early, it's not a serious illness."
After sitting down on the kang and eating beside a stone, she told Gu Xixi what had happened in the village during the days when she was away.
"Old man Gu and his eldest son went on a long trip. Everyone said they were going to visit their youngest son."
Gu Xixi took a sip of tea and asked, "Seeing Gu Youqing?"
She was a little surprised. "Will family members be allowed to visit us in the exile camp?"
The old doctor said, "I have heard of such things. The court laws do not prohibit family visits."
"But most people are exiled far away from home, and their families can't reach them even if they want to."
Gu Xixi nodded, "We are quite close here."
Gu Youqing poisoned Gu Xixi's family and was sentenced to exile in the northwest.
After winter comes, farmers have more free time, so it is normal to take this opportunity to visit.
Gu Xixi thought for a moment and then asked the old doctor, "What would happen if the family of an exiled prisoner paid the person in charge?"
The old doctor covered the teacup with both hands and said, "It may be useful elsewhere."
"But this is the northwest. Everyone knows that the general's rule is strict. Especially at this moment, the army has just returned with rewards from the emperor. Anyone who dares to pay money to bribe officials may be arrested instead."
Gu Xixi smiled with satisfaction.
Shitou smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sister Xixi. I heard that all the prisoners exiled to the northwest were sent to the border mines. They were locked up and dug and hauled ore every day. They were all doing hard labor."
"That bad guy is in there, he's definitely not having an easy time!"
Gu Xixi smiled, broke off a piece of orange and stuffed it into Shitou's mouth, "Okay, eat more and talk less."
"It seems like there's nothing you don't know all the time. I'm just afraid that when you go to school, you'll use all your intelligence to gossip about other people!"
Shitou chewed an orange and said vaguely, "That's impossible. I'm very good. Every time Mr. Liu tests us, Brother Gouwa always comes first and I come second!"
He grabbed the remaining half of the orange, stuffed it into his mouth, closed his eyes and shuddered.
"The oranges are so cold! So good!"
Gu Xixi said, "Since you said so, I haven't tested you on your homework for a long time. Let's do it tonight."
Shitou was not afraid at all, he held his head high and said, "No problem! I can test you at will!"
Anyway, it was still early in the evening, so Shitou continued to gossip, "Just now, I went to Zhou's house with Grandpa Langzhong, and his family members were all praising you."
"He kept saying that the whole family would have no worries about food and drink this winter, and he even wanted to keep us for dinner."
Aunt Zhang looked up and smiled, "This is not something strange."
"Since the autumn when every family harvested corn, everyone would smile and praise Xixi when they talked about her."
Aunt Zhang is not without pride when talking about this.
Looking back to the two years after Gu Papi's death, the villagers ridiculed and looked down on Gu Xixi openly and covertly.
Now it's completely reversed.
During the autumn harvest, it was proved that the yield of 500 kilograms that Gu Xixi had promised everyone was too conservative.
Everyone achieved a yield of 600 kilograms per mu, and a few were close to 700 kilograms.
Originally, every family had stored wheat from the summer harvest, plus a bumper harvest of corn in the previous season.
In this way, all the debts were collected before He Jinglan returned to Beijing.
He Jinglan checked with the people who bought on credit face to face, burned the deeds and settled the accounts, and every transaction was within the time limit.
When it was time to sow winter wheat, Gu Xixi only had to teach everyone how to do it, and everyone would go to An Qinghe to buy fertilizers and pesticides on their own. Everyone could come up with a few dollars, and there was no need to sign a contract or buy on credit.
As for new planting methods, they become more and more familiar the second time.
With a little guidance from Gu Xixi, everyone knew what to do.
In the capital city, at the Prince Regent's Palace, snow was falling. He Jinglan reached out and picked a red plum blossom.
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