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

No sooner had Mu Nanzhao finished speaking than the girl, who had been earnestly asking questions just moments before, suddenly collapsed onto him.

She slumped to the side, the wine glass slipping from her hand and rolling onto the snow.

Mu Nanzhao was not surprised by this. He sighed and said, "I told you not to drink it."

"He has a low alcohol tolerance but still dares to drink strong liquor."

Despite his complaints, he didn't slow down at all.

Mu Nanzhao scooped Gu Xixi up in his arms and carried her back to her bedroom with light steps.

Perhaps the brocade quilt was a bit cool, because Gu Xixi suddenly opened her eyes as soon as her back touched the bed.

"I never expected that even when you were about to die, you would still be thinking of protecting me."

As she spoke, she let out a loud burp right in Mu Nanzhao's face.

Mu Nanzhao frowned, bothered by the smell, "Gu Xixi!"

Gu Xixi chuckled.

She grabbed Mu Nanzhao's arm with one hand and slapped his shoulder with the other.

"That's great! You're much more generous than I expected!"

"I have nothing to repay you with, except..."

The drunk man unleashed a strength he never usually possessed, grabbing Mu Nanzhao and pulling him forward violently.

Mu Nanzhao was not standing properly and was caught off guard, so his body suddenly leaned forward.

The two were face to face in an instant, less than a finger's width apart, their breaths mingling and their senses mingling.

Mu Nanzhao's gaze was forced to fall on Gu Xixi's face.

From her full, fair forehead, to her hazy, dreamy eyes after a few drinks, and then to her cherry-red, moist lips...

Thump, thump, Mu Nanzhao could actually hear his own heartbeat.

Gu Xixi squinted at him, then suddenly stopped smiling and earnestly reiterated, "This humble woman has nothing to repay you with, except... except..."

Just as Mu Nanzhao was starting to look forward to what she wanted to say...

Gu Xixi suddenly bent over, "Ugh..."

The next morning, Gu Xixi walked out of her bedroom. The snow had stopped, and a thick layer of snow had accumulated in the yard.

The wine glasses and stove left in the yard last night are gone.

Gu Xixi tapped her temples, feeling a headache coming on.

When she woke up, she was lying comfortably in bed, with a hot water bottle beside her.

Her memory stopped when Mu Nanzhao finished eating a baked bun with vegetables, she asked him a question, and then that was it.

This time, Gu Xixi had learned from experience and knew that she must have blacked out again.

She was just about to go and greet Mu Nanzhao.

Then they saw Aunt Zhang looking at the frozen outer robe in the yard, and asking in confusion:

"You didn't hang the clothes out to dry last night. Why did Xiao Chen get up in the middle of the night to do laundry?"

Gu Xixi stopped in her tracks, as if Xiao Hua had been frightened, and immediately turned around and hurried back to her room.

"Auntie, I'm busy today, so I won't be coming out for dinner. Please bring it inside for me."

With the passing of the Lunar New Year, the days of hibernation in the village are gradually coming to an end.

The diligent people have already gone to the fields. There isn't much work to do for the time being, so they're tidying up the furrows.

On the first day of school at the village school,

Gu Xixi hitched up the mule cart early and made a series of preparations for her long journey.

Mu Nanzhao stood at the door, his expression clearly disapproving.

Stone, holding the wooden board for writing, also looked worried.

Gu Xixi loaded a bag of dry food into the car, and as she turned around, she took a moment to say, "Can you two stop looking at me like that? It's like I'm not coming back."

Shi Tou said, "Sister Xi Xi, I heard that those people from the Western Regions have blond hair and big beards, and they eat people!"

Gu Xixi sighed helplessly, "Where did you hear all this from? I'm busy, don't talk nonsense."

Seven water bladders were filled with clean water and placed on the vehicle.

Aunt Zhang didn't feel safe keeping the banknotes hidden close to her body.

Last night, she unpacked the lining of Gu Xixi's small cloth bag and sewed the banknotes inside stitch by stitch, aiming to catch her off guard.

The bag also contained miscellaneous items, including food, household items, and various emergency supplies.

Gu Xixi checked the car again to make sure nothing was missing, and said with a smile, "Based on my walking pace, I'll be back by tomorrow evening at the earliest. If I'm delayed, I'll only stay for another day or two at most."

"You all go about your business and don't worry about me."

Aunt Zhang asked, "Do you mean that Bodhi fruit you mentioned can only be bought from people in the Western Regions?"

Gu Xixi nodded in confirmation, "I absolutely have to go this time."

Aunt Zhang was still feeling uneasy. "In my opinion, Xiao Chen should accompany you."

Gu Xixi said, "On the first day after the New Year, the village school opens, and the teacher must lead all the students to worship the saint. This has been the rule for hundreds of years, and Chen Fang must be present."

Having observed this for a while, Mu Nanzhao finally spoke up, "The Northwest Army is well-governed and has been quite successful in suppressing bandits in recent years. The road our master is on has always been peaceful, so there is no need to worry about safety."

It's unclear when exactly, but Mu Nanzhao started referring to Gu Xixi as "Master".

It's neither too distant nor too intimate.

Hearing Mu Nanzhao say this, Aunt Zhang felt reassured.

"Alright, Xixi, be careful on your journey!"

Mu Nanzhao took the reins before Gu Xixi could, saying, "I'll see the master out."

After they stepped out the gate, Mu Nanzhao said, "Shitou, you should go to school now."

This time, Stone was quite shrewd. Knowing they had something to say, he nodded and left first.

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "Thank you for saying those things for me in front of my aunt earlier."

Mu Nanzhao let out a sigh from the depths of his chest, saying with a sense of helplessness and resignation, "The people of the Western Regions are cunning and only care about profit."

"If you can get what you want, you need a way to keep them in check on their contractual obligations."

"If you cannot, do not quarrel with them, do not flaunt your wealth, and return home quickly."

Gu Xixi met his gaze, her expression becoming serious. "I've got it. Don't worry."

Mu Nanzhao suddenly took a big step forward.

Gu Xixi felt a small, round, hard object being stuffed into her palm.

Mu Nanzhao's whisper rang in his ears, "If you encounter difficulties that you can't handle on your own, you can go to the Yunling County Government Office and find Registrar Jiang."

Gu Xixi looked at him with slight surprise, "You..."

She quickly looked around before continuing, "I don't want it. I know it wasn't easy for you to plan this, and now you're finally making some progress in the Northwest."

"Keep your people for yourself. I'll pretend I didn't hear or know anything today."

Mu Nanzhao stopped her hand and said, "Don't overthink it, boss. I won't let you use the people I hold in the most vulnerable position."

"Besides, it's just to be on the safe side. You're only buying a sapling. Do you expect me to turn Yunling County upside down?"

Gu Xixi looked at the object in her palm: a safety buckle.

It's not high-quality jade; it's just the cheapest white marble.

She hesitated for a moment, then put the token away. "Mu Nanzhao, thank you."

Mu Nanzhao was slightly taken aback; this was the first time she had formally called him by his real name in front of him.

He lowered his eyes slightly and said calmly, "Go."

Leaving Huachidu Village and heading west along the official road, the largest city adjacent to the westernmost border is Yunling County.

Yunling County was an important gateway connecting the Daye Dynasty with the Western Regions.

It is said that the local economy was very prosperous, and there was even a chamber of commerce established by people from the Western Regions, which was under the jurisdiction of the local government.