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

Aunt Zhang squinted at him for a moment, "You are... Tie Zhu?"

Gu Tiezhu blinked his triangular eyes and nodded vigorously, "It's me, not an outsider!"

"Auntie, please open the door and let me in."

Aunt Zhang leaned against the door, asking suspiciously, "It's so late, did your parents call you here?"

Gu Tiezhu hurriedly waved his hand, "No! I asked to come here myself."

He picked up a basket and showed it to Aunt Zhang. "These are wild mulberries I picked in the mountains this afternoon. They're so sweet. That's why I thought of Xixi first and specially saved the best ones to send to her."

The bamboo basket did indeed contain mulberries, though so few that the bottom of the basket was visible.

Aunt Zhang said coldly, "Wait a minute," then closed the door and walked to Xixi's side, whispering a few words.

This cousin had never cared about Xixi before, and recently the two families have completely fallen out.

His sudden act of being overly attentive at this moment must mean he's up to no good!

Upon hearing this, Gu Xixi stood up and said, "My cousin has come to deliver a gift; let's hurry and go greet him."

Aunt Zhang was surprised, "Isn't that inappropriate?"

“He, a grown man, came into our house at night, and Xiao Chen happened to be out…”

Gu Xixi gave Aunt Zhang a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Auntie."

She reached out and opened the door. "I'm having dinner. Sorry to keep my cousin waiting."

When Gu Tiezhu saw Xixi, he immediately put on a smile and said, "I thought you were angry and wouldn't see me."

He then handed the bamboo basket over.

Xixi took the bamboo basket and said, "They're all family, what's there to be angry about?"

"My cousin remembered that I love fruit, so he specially brought it over so late."

When Gu Tiezhu saw Xixi at his home that morning, he realized that he hadn't noticed her for a long time. The girl had grown up and, upon closer inspection, had become quite pretty with a shapely figure.

The night was hazy, and her tone was as gentle and warm as a spring breeze. She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, as if she were shy.

Gu Tiezhu felt a tingling sensation on one side of his body and blurted out, "Good sister, you know I've been thinking about you, why don't you let me in so we can have a proper talk?"

Aunt Zhang was horrified and stood in front of Xixi like a mother hen protecting her chicks. "Can't you say what you want to say during the day?"

Xixi glanced at Gu Tiezhu and smiled, then gracefully turned and went back.

Gu Tiezhu was completely stunned.

In his eyes, his cousin's gaze just now was clearly one of wanting to say something but holding back, of wanting to refuse but also wanting to accept!

Aunt Zhang quickly bolted the gate and rushed back, saying, "My dear girl, didn't you see his lecherous look? Although it's not advisable for cousins ​​with the same surname to marry, it's hard to say he doesn't have good intentions!"

Gu Xixi held her bowl and drank her porridge. "I know he has no good intentions, and I know what he's after."

"Precisely because he is my cousin, even if he does something disgraceful, he doesn't have to marry me. He can just push the blame onto me, and plenty of people will believe it."

Aunt Zhang asked, puzzled, "Then why are you giving him the nice look?"

Gu Xixi lowered her eyelids and said calmly, "He dared to have such damned thoughts, so he should pay the price."

Aunt Zhang was increasingly confused.

Cost? What cost?

Aunt Zhang, of course, did not know that in the original story, Gu Tiezhu tricked Gu Xixi into going to the grove under some pretext in order to seize her land.

He touched Gu Xixi inappropriately, deliberately messing up her clothes and hair.

Then he threatened her that if she didn't give him the land, he would make a scene and let the whole village know that the two of them were having an affair.

At the time, Gu Xixi was wholeheartedly in love with Nan Zhao, and she did not want him to misunderstand, so she endured the humiliation without speaking out.

Afterwards, she was repeatedly threatened by Gu Tiezhu and gradually "sold" her three acres of fertile land to him.

But for some reason, the matter eventually became known to the whole village.

With the crop certificate for the three mu of land that Gu Xixi gave away for free, plus Gu Tiezhu's own embellishments, everyone was convinced that Xixi was shameless and seduced her cousin after marriage.

Mu Nanzhao was ridiculed by the villagers as a "cuckold" and a "sickly son raised by his wife, who deserves to not dare to utter a word."

Even idle bachelors from nearby villages dared to practice their breathing techniques in front of Mu Nanzhao.

A wife he never loved, who only brought him shame.

No wonder Mu Nanzhao ultimately hated Gu Xixi so much.

Thinking of this, a cold glint flashed in Xixi's lowered eyes.

She doesn't harm people, but if someone comes to her door to harm her, then don't blame her for being ruthless.

Early in the morning, Aunt Zhang came out carrying a chamber pot. Before she could finish yawning, she was startled by a figure in front of her.

"Hey! Little Chen?!"

"You...you didn't run away?"

Mu Nanzhao stood with his hands behind his back under the west courtyard wall. He turned around, his smile indifferent.

"I just went out for a walk and came back a little late at night. Why did Aunt Zhang think I ran away?"

Aunt Zhang glanced at the intact door latch and said, "How did you get in with the door closed? I didn't hear any noise all night..."

Gu Xixi heard this conversation as soon as she got up. She didn't even bother to comb her hair before rushing to open the window.

"Auntie, I'm hungry. I still need to take people to harvest wheat later. Can we eat earlier?"

Aunt Zhang had been taking care of Xixi's daily life, and as soon as she heard that the child was hungry, she immediately put everything else aside.

"Okay, I'll wash my hands and start a fire to make you a fried egg to help you recover!"

Xixi nodded obediently.

If Aunt Zhang were allowed to keep digging deeper, it wouldn't be impossible for Mu Nanzhao to become suspicious and even develop murderous intent.

Mu Nanzhao looked at Gu Xixi with a hint of mockery, "Aunt Zhang is worried that I'll run away."

"And you, don't you have any questions?"

Xi Xi said sincerely, "We are not husband and wife. It is your freedom to go wherever you want. You do not need to report to me before or after."

Mu Nanzhao snorted, "No wonder you're so generous, you only spent one coin."

Xi Xi watched his retreating figure and decisively closed the window.

At breakfast, Mu Nanzhao sat down at the table without Aunt Zhang having to invite him.

As Gu Xixi sat down, she casually remarked, "If you don't want to eat at the same table with us, Aunt Zhang can deliver the food to your door from now on."

"No need." Mu Nanzhao took a bite of the sorghum bun, seemingly unaffected.

"Since we've become family, it's only right that we eat and drink together."

A family? Gu Xixi almost choked, thinking she had misheard.

Before the shock had subsided, Mu Nanzhao continued, "I'll go with you to harvest the wheat."

Before Gu Xixi could speak, Aunt Zhang clapped her hands in approval.

"Alright! Since you're her fiancé, you should protect Xixi."

"That Gu Laosan couple are no pushovers. Even if they call in reinforcements and a fight breaks out, we don't need to be afraid!"

Mu Nanzhao looked at Xixi, "Don't you like me coming along?"

Xi Xi choked: "..."

After last night's events, this person's attitude suddenly became very attentive; there must be something fishy going on.

With the aim of provoking as much hatred as possible, Xixi nodded with difficulty, "Then I'll trouble you to come along."

As Gu Xixi walked along the path, she noticed that more people were greeting her.

She soon realized that the villagers' enthusiasm was actually for Mu Nanzhao.

"Xiao Chen is going out too?"

"You're not hurt? We were just about to go home to visit you!"