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

When He Jinglan first arrived in Huachidu Village, she was amazed by the villagers' enthusiasm.

She hid next to Gu Xixi, feeling like she didn't have enough eyes and ears to see everything. "Are they happy, or do they dislike seeing me, an outsider?"

"Hey, Xixi, isn't this your house? How come a kid came out here?"

"Heavens! Xi Xi, there are still blue-eyed people from the Western Regions in your village?"

Gu Xixi fell silent.

Fortunately, the two people who rushed out of the door stopped shouting and started talking.

The elderly woman cried and laughed at the same time, "You're finally back! Thank God you're alright! I heard there was fighting on the border, and I didn't hear from you for days. My heart was breaking!"

The little boy said seriously, "Sister, I'm not a child, my name is Shitou. You came back with Sister Xixi, so you must be Sister Xixi's friend, right?"

He Jinglan was taken aback. "Shitou? You call Xixi 'Sister'?"

She patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it! How could Xixi, at her age, have given birth to such a big son like you?"

Gu Xixi rolled her eyes, feeling suffocated. "He Jinglan, has your thinking always been so unpredictable?"

Ignoring Xixi's complaints, He Jinglan smiled at the stone and said, "You must be Aunt Zhang. I often hear Xixi mention you!"

Rarely do guests come to visit. Aunt Zhang wiped away her tears and smiled, "It's me. May I ask your surname, young lady?"

He Jinglan said, "My surname is He, and I am He. You can just call me Jinglan."

"I apologize for the trouble I caused you by visiting without prior notice."

She even bowed as she spoke.

Aunt Zhang noticed that the girl was dressed elegantly and rode in a carriage she had never seen before, yet she was surprisingly unpretentious, kind, and polite.

Aunt Zhang felt a bit more favorably disposed towards He Jinglan after her first impression of her, and said warmly, "It's no trouble at all. Things aren't peaceful outside these days, so I should thank Jinglan for bringing our Xixi back."

At this moment, the group of people in the distance finally ran over.

To be precise, the blue-eyed Hu man ran wildly, with several people chasing after him, panting heavily.

The Hu man opened his arms a few steps away.

His expression was a mixture of sorrow and joy, his eyes burning with fervor, "Joy!!!"

Just as he was about to rush in front of Gu Xixi, Aunt Zhang and Shi Tou quickly stepped forward and blocked his way.

The timing was perfect, separating the Hu man from Gu Xixi.

Aunt Zhang said sternly, "Xiao An, how many times have I told you? Men and women should not touch each other."

"Here, no matter how excited you are, you can't just hug any girl!"

Stone nodded vigorously, his eyes glaring and teeth bared with a menacing look.

Anqing's enthusiastic embrace was abruptly cut short; he lowered his arms, somewhat disheartened.

"I was just worried about Xixi. I'm so happy to see her back. The hug is a celebration, a blessing!"

However, no one listened to his reasons. At that very moment, several people who had been chasing An Qinghe suddenly swarmed forward and surrounded Gu Xixi.

"Xixi, it's so good to see you back safe and sound!"

"The village chief asked someone to inquire about you a couple of days ago, but the security around the military camp is too tight, and we don't know anything. We're so worried!"

"Xixi, did you see the war? Were you scared? You must be tired after traveling such a long way."

"Xixi, your aunt just steamed elm seed and wheat rice. The elm seeds are so sweet this year. I'll bring you a bowl later."

……

These are all growers of the Pinellia julibrissin tree.

Gu Xixi heard everyone calling her name, their words filled with genuine concern.

A warm feeling welled up inside her, and she smiled, saying, "It's so good to be home."

Gu Xixi then inquired about the progress of each orchard.

Everyone said that everything was fine.

Sister-in-law Qin smiled and said, "You've just gotten back, so rest well first. Once you've rested enough, feel free to visit any of our orchards. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Everyone laughed.

Gu Xixi could tell from their expressions that the intercropping in the orchard was not far from showing initial results.

After witnessing this series of exciting events, He Jinglan was completely stunned, letting Aunt Zhang pull her hand into the courtyard.

Once inside the main room, He Jinglan sat down on the kang (heated brick bed), and only then did she come to her senses as she watched wild fruits, snacks, candies, and tea being laid out on the kang table like a flowing stream.

"Xixi, were all those people who were planting fruit trees with you?"

Gu Xixi nodded and replied "Yes," then poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of He Jinglan.

"This is freshly brewed loose-leaf tea; it's refreshing to drink when the weather gets warmer."

He Jinglan had no appetite for tea. "I never expected them to care about you so much,"

"When you were surrounded by them talking just now, you really looked like General Huo walking in the army."

Gu Xixi chuckled, "How can a farmer like me compare to someone who commands thousands of troops?"

She grabbed a few more fruits for He Jinglan, saying, "I heard you say you were hungry on the way here, why don't you eat or drink something to tide you over?"

He Jinglan ate the fruit and said, "It's so sweet, even better than the mulberries I've ever had before."

Gu Xixi said, "These are wild mulberries that grow in the mountains. Some trees produce mulberries that taste especially good. Only Aunt Zhang knows where to find them."

He Jinglan's eyes widened. "Fruit trees growing in the same mountain can actually be different?"

As she became more familiar with her surroundings, she gradually relaxed, and even while eating, her curious mouth remained open.

"I've heard you mention that there's a mountain behind your place, and I'd like to go play there!"

"Are we sitting on a kang? This is the first time I've seen one. But aren't kangs supposed to be warm? Why is this cold?"

"What about your master? What kind of person is he? Is he easy to get along with?"

Gu Xixi had no choice but to answer all the curious child's questions.

You can go to the back mountain, but you must be led by someone from the village who knows the way. Never wander off on your own.

The heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) is used when it's cold. It has a stove on the outside, and you need to light a fire to heat it up.

"My master is blind, but he is a very good doctor."

While munching on a pine nut candy, He Jinglan said, "The doctor has to prepare medicine, weigh the ingredients, and write prescriptions. How can he do all that if he can't see?"

Gu Xixi had never considered such a problem before, as she had always seen that the old doctor was able to take care of himself.

She recalled for a moment and said, "My master could write without looking, and as for weighing medicine, he seemed to identify it by feeling the slightly raised and recessed markings on the scale."

“Even when we go out, as long as we show him the route a few times, he can do it on his own.”

The old doctor has been living like this for who knows how many years.

Seeing how skillfully he does these things makes it easy for those around him to overlook his visual impairment.

He Jinglan said seriously, "Your master is truly an amazing person. I must pay him a visit!"

Gu Xixi nodded. "Auntie said Master went on a house call. You'll see him at dinner."

She turned her gaze to the left, then to the right, a look of helplessness on her face. "I'm telling you two, is it really necessary for you to eavesdrop on a casual chat between women?"