A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

"She won't be abandoned by everyone."

The curtain was lifted, and the man's voice swept in with the cold wind, like sharp icicles.

"Who, who is it?" Master Gu turned to look and saw Mu Nanzhao walking in quickly.

He was wearing that black cloak, with unmelted snowflakes still clinging to his shoulders.

Gu Xixi's cold expression vanished instantly, replaced by a smile. "Why are you here?"

He had to go out for some urgent business today, I didn't expect him to come back so early.

Mu Nanzhao ignored Master Gu completely, not even giving him a glance. "If I hadn't come, I was afraid you would have suffered."

Gu Xixi couldn't help but chuckle, her mood improving considerably. "It must be cold outside, come over and warm up."

Mu Nanzhao took off his cloak and hung it on the shelf next to the kang (heated brick bed). He leaned over and sat down next to Gu Xixi, handing her a silver hairpin shaped like a broken plum blossom branch.

“You asked me to go into town to buy some household items, and I thought this hairpin would suit you, so I bought it as well.”

Gu Xixi took the hairpin and examined it closely. She noticed the small brand of the Treasure Pavilion below the plum blossom on the hairpin and immediately knew where he had been that day.

"I like it, please put it on for me."

Mu Nanzhao actually picked up the hairpin.

First, he gestured to the position on Gu Xixi's head, and after finally managing to put it on, he examined it carefully. "Don't move, let me see."

The two of them acted as if no one else was around, leaving Master Gu feeling deeply insulted.

He angrily retorted, "You outsider, don't try to sow discord!"

"With just the two of us, grandfather and granddaughter, talking here, how could Xixi possibly suffer any loss?"

Gu Xixi, who had been smiling, turned cold upon hearing this and said to Second Master Gu:

"He's an outsider, so what about those who come uninvited?"

Master Gu was furious. "I...you!"

But with the examples of Uncle Gu and Third Master Gu before them, Second Master Gu was at least not a reckless fool.

He thought about how he was willing to lower himself to visit a grandchild.

If we were to break off relations now, we would not only fail to gain the benefits we wanted, but also...

The fate of those who opposed Gu Xixi is obvious.

So we still need to coax this girl and try our best to get along well with her.

Master Gu forced himself to suppress his anger and patiently persuaded, "Xi Xi, I'm doing this for your own good."

“Your father only has one daughter, and when you get married, you can’t be without any family members at all.”

"A woman cannot live without the support of her family."

“I’m different from your great-grandfather and the others. From now on, I’ll always stand by your side.”

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "But I don't like to trouble others."

She deliberately emphasized the word "others".

Mu Nanzhao's posture was languid, but his gaze towards Master Gu was unmistakably sharp.

"Didn't I tell you? She'll never have to worry about being abandoned by everyone."

"This is her own home, and all her family members are here. What does it have to do with anyone else?"

Mu Nanzhao directly told them to leave, "Please go back."

Just as Master Gu stepped across the threshold, Aunt Zhang slammed the door shut behind him.

Grandpa Gu turned around and looked at the tightly closed door.

He spat indignantly, but dared not make a sound.

More than resentment, he felt a deep sense of unwillingness.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, Master Gu was certain that Gu Xixi would come to pay him a New Year's visit.

However, Gu Xixi did not come to his door even after he waited at home for several days.

Master Gu then understood that Gu Xixi had grouped him with Master Gu and was completely unwilling to move around with him.

He also heard that many people in the village went to pay New Year's visits to Gu Xixi's family.

The once-despised girl has become a hot commodity, which shows that everyone is thinking about the same good thing. How could Master Gu not be anxious?

There was nothing he could do; Gu Xixi wouldn't hand him a ladder, so he had to find one himself.

He had hoped that today's meeting would give him a chance to back down and reconcile with Gu Xixi.

Unfortunately, it failed!

but……

Master Gu secretly made up his mind. Since everyone in the village had the same idea, he would have to shamelessly follow everyone else and try to get in!

The benefits are just too great, too tempting! It's worth it, even if it means risking everything!

This time, Mu Nanzhao did indeed visit the Meng family after leaving the village.

The hollow plum blossom hairpin was custom-made by Gu Xixi herself. After hearing Gu Xixi describe the design, Madam Meng rushed to make it.

However, Mu Nanzhao also brought back a letter this time.

A letter sent from the capital.

The letter was written by He Jinglan.

To maintain secrecy, the letter was first hidden among official documents and then sent to the Northwest Army camp after several transfers.

Then Meng Chengping received it and took some time to send it back to the Meng family residence in Qingtian County.

Aunt Zhang brought over a pot of better tea.

Gu Xixi sipped her tea while reading the letter, occasionally smiling to herself.

He Jinglan said she knew Gu Xi liked to listen, but unfortunately she left in a hurry last time and didn't have time to tell more about the wonderful things that happened during the Lantern Festival in the capital.

So this time she wrote a full six sheets of paper.

The first two pictures are about what delicious food and fun things to do on the streets during the Lantern Festival, and what styles of lanterns were popular last year.

Gu Xixi has always loved these local customs and people.

Since transmigrating into the book, she hasn't traveled far. He Jinglan's writing is excellent, making the reader feel as if they are actually there.

As Gu Xixi read the letter, Mu Nanzhao leaned against her side.

He would occasionally sip his tea, and occasionally glance up at her.

As Gu Xixi turned to the third sheet of paper, her eyes suddenly widened in surprise.

She quickly read on, then glanced at Mu Nanzhao with a complex expression that seemed to be suppressing a laugh.

Mu Nanzhao asked astutely, "What is she saying about me in her mind?"

As he spoke, he reached out to snatch the letter.

Gu Xixi dodged aside, her expression now very serious. "No."

Mu Nanzhao didn't believe it.

Gu Xixi generously handed over the letter, "A young lady like me is just sharing some of her feelings in this letter. Are you sure you want to read it?"

This put Mu Nanzhao in an awkward position.

He had no choice but to turn his back and pretend to sleep.

Gu Xixi continued reading the letter, initially struggling to suppress her laughter.

But when she saw the last two pictures, the smile vanished from her face...

The light snow paused briefly in the evening, but then began to fall heavily again late at night.

As Gu Xixi watched the fluttering snowflakes before going to bed, she suddenly became interested.

She slipped into the kitchen and brought out the jar of sorghum liquor that Chen Dafu had given her.

Then I lit a small stove and heated a whole pot of wine.

Place a broken wheat flour bun next to the small stove. While drinking, wait for it to slowly bake until it turns golden brown, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It can be a passable snack to accompany drinks.

After arranging these things, Gu Xixi went to knock on the door of the west room.

"Hey! Are you asleep?"

Afraid of waking the rest of the family, Gu Xixi could only lower her voice and say, "The snow is falling heavily, let's get up and drink and enjoy the snow!"

"Oh, you can't drink. I'll drink while you enjoy the snow, and we'll have delicious late-night snacks too."

Finally, there was a slight movement inside the house.

Mu Nanzhao opened the door, his eyes sharp, and he seemed to be awake as well.

"With your alcohol tolerance, you still want to drink?"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I just want a little to warm myself up, how about you do me the honor?"

Mu Nanzhao followed Gu Xixi out.

Seeing the baked buns on the stove, he paused for a moment, "Is this what you call a delicious late-night snack?"

Gu Xixi smiled without any guilt, "That's right."

"Young Master Mu, who is too beautiful to go out on the Lantern Festival... please have a seat."