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

As Gu Xixi whispered to He Jinglan, several women pulling their children watched anxiously, worried that this hard-won job would fall through again.

Gu Xixi nodded to He Jinglan, then looked at the women and children, before she could speak.

A young woman holding a child stepped forward first. "Boss Gu, we brought our children here not to take up manpower or earn wages, but mainly because our children are too young and there is really no one to take care of them at home."

The women with children nodded in agreement, looking at Gu Xixi pleadingly.

The women who didn't bring their children chimed in, "They're all young wives, and the babies in their arms are their first. Unlike us, whose older brothers and sisters are already grown up, we can help take care of the younger ones."

"Yes, we usually take the kids to gather firewood and dig for wild vegetables. That's how we all get by. We never let it interfere with our work."

Gu Xixi was moved when she looked into those earnest eyes.

Hardworking, helpful, and devoted to each other, they truly deserve to be called women of the dependents' village.

She smiled at everyone and said kindly, "Don't panic, ladies and aunts."

“Now I need your help, and I am extremely grateful that you have come here.”

"You all work so hard and are so loyal. How could I possibly think that you're taking care of the children just to get more pay?"

The women looked at each other, their tense emotions instantly relaxing, and they all showed genuine smiles.

"Mr. Gu, Ms. He, just tell us what kind of grass you want us to dig, and how much. Leave the rest to us!"

Everyone looked at Gu Xixi, whose face was full of confidence, a stark contrast to her earlier anxiety.

In their areas of expertise, there's nothing they can't accomplish!

Gu Xixi's emotions also ignited, "Okay! Let's get started!"

A group of women walked towards the edge of the village.

As Gu Xixi walked, she said, "I'll dig up a few first and give them to you as samples."

"We are paid by half a day, so at the beginning we don't need to rush. We must be accurate and not mix in other weeds."

"As for how much to dig, the more the better right now. We'll call a halt once I've determined that we've dug enough."

One of the women said, "Don't worry, Mr. Gu. We'll be familiar with the digging in about half an hour, and then increasing the speed won't be a problem."

Someone chimed in, "After all, Boss Gu wants a lot, so we need to be quick."

Some people joked, "Boss Gu and Miss He have given us the opportunity to make money, so we can't deliberately work slowly and drag things out just for the sake of wages!"

Everyone burst into laughter, "None of us thought that way, did you secretly think that way yourself?"

Gu Xixi stayed in the family village several times, but she was always busy leaving early and returning late, so she didn't have much interaction with the villagers.

At that moment, she saw the strong bond between the women, and her heart felt warm and filled with strength.

The cooks found the herb outside the military camp.

Gu Xixi, however, did not intend to take everyone there.

Firstly, the Northwest Army had strict military discipline.

Secondly, if enemy spies were to infiltrate, their actions would easily attract attention.

Based on the idea that once a new species takes root, it will spread to the surrounding area, Gu Xixi chose a patch of weeds that faced the wind direction of the military camp for a long time.

She bent down and searched for a while, and sure enough, she found something.

Each of the women picked up a blade of grass, examined it carefully, and then, without saying much, scattered and began to dig.

Gu Xixi let out a long sigh of relief.

He Jinglan turned her head to look at her, "What's wrong with you? You look relieved."

Gu Xixi said in a low voice, "I'm not worried because they asked me what this grass is used for and whether it's edible."

"How should I answer this situation?"

He Jinglan understood. "I didn't expect them not to ask anything?"

Gu Xixi nodded. "Did you say something beforehand?"

"Why do I need to say it?" He Jinglan said meaningfully, "Have you forgotten that they are all military dependents?"

Gu Xixi was stunned for a moment, then decisively admitted her mistake, "I shouldn't have underestimated them."

Huo Jiang was strict in disciplining his troops, and the entire Northwest was under his control.

Not to mention the dependents' villages located near the military camp?

Gu Xixi rolled up her sleeves with great enthusiasm, "Let's dig faster, we can't hold back."

While digging for grass, He Jinglan kept talking, telling Gu Xixi a lot about what she had seen and heard in the village.

These military dependents could have their husbands come home to reunite with them every now and then.

Although it involves confidential matters that cannot be discussed, women often overhear these conversations in bed.

For example, don't ask what you shouldn't ask, and don't listen to what you shouldn't listen to.

Especially when encountering strangers, you can't say anything when they ask you anything, and you have to report it as soon as possible afterwards.

Gu Xixi sighed, "I was so confused, I treated them like ordinary married women."

"Now that I think about it, those older women in the village must have seen more battles than I have ever been to the Northwest."

"I was worried about them, but in the end I realized that I was the one who didn't know what was important."

He Jinglan chuckled, "It's not that bad, it's not that bad. I even heard them praise you before."

"Oh?" Gu Xi was curious.

He Jinglan said, "Actually, everyone envies you. They envy that you can come and go as you please, and that you can make your own way like those men."

"Even something as mundane as growing grain, you have the ability to earn the General's high regard."

Gu Xixi was silent for a moment, then said in a muffled voice, "It's not easy for anyone to be born a woman in this world. There are times when we have no choice in what we do, and there's no such thing as truly being able to come and go as we please."

He Jinglan noticed her unusual expression and asked with concern, "What...is wrong with you?"

Gu Xixi sighed silently, and when she looked up again, her face was relaxed. "No."

"I'm just feeling a bit sentimental."

What could she say? That she was a transmigrator from a book and might die a horrible death because of Mu Nanzhao?

She said that everything she has done so far is simply an effort to grasp her destiny.

But whether it will succeed or not, who decides? When will it be over?

do not know.

Even if you don't know, you still have to keep doing it; there's no other choice.

If we're talking about being caught in the middle, Gu Xixi, the transmigrator, is no less fortunate than anyone else in the book.

As expected, everyone was telling the truth; by the end of the morning, the herb *Epilepsyca fuciformis* had already piled up into small haystacks.

Gu Xixi randomly grabbed a handful of grass from several directions to examine it.

They were all pure epilepsy cases; not a single other herb had mixed in.

Gu Xixi suggested that everyone go back and rest for a while at noon, and continue in an hour.

The women said they wouldn't go back, and took out the dry food and water bags they had prepared beforehand.

There are also those who unhook their arms to breastfeed their babies.

Now that the weather is getting warmer, sitting on the ground in the sun is quite pleasant.

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan looked at each other in bewilderment.

They hadn't thought to prepare any food!

An older woman noticed their predicament and greeted them with a smile, "I've made some pancakes, come and eat with me."