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

Gu Xixi couldn't escape the fate of buying the male lead, and was devastated, becoming absent-minded.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Mu Nanzhao raised an eyebrow slightly.

Gu Xixi saw the glint in his eyes and suddenly became alert.

She couldn't forget what kind of person Mu Nanzhao was!

The direct descendants of the prominent Mu clan of Jiangbei were essentially born with an official seal in their hands.

He was not only good-looking, but also extremely intelligent.

He could compose poems at three, write essays at five, and discuss military strategies at seven.

Because he disdained entering officialdom through family connections, he became the top scholar in the imperial examination at the age of thirteen.

At the age of twenty, he had already risen to the rank of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, a second-rank official. He was the most trusted person of the late emperor and was granted the privilege of entering the palace to meet the emperor at any time.

If it weren't for the sudden palace coup a month ago...

At that time, he was still a powerful minister in the capital, capable of turning the world upside down with a flick of his wrist.

Gu Xixi thought to herself that, given Mu Nanzhao's calm, cunning, and ruthless nature, the best course of action would be to maintain a peaceful coexistence with him.

Besides, Mu Nanzhao harbored a deep hatred for those who betrayed him throughout his life.

When Erhen was down on his luck, he was entangled by Gu Xixi, a vulgar village girl, and lost his virginity to become her live-in son-in-law.

Therefore, if Gu Xixi wants to live peacefully, she must let Mu Nanzhao know that she has no lustful thoughts towards him.

“Actually…” Gu Xixi raised her eyes solemnly, “My father once arranged a marriage for me when I was a child.”

According to Aunt Zhang, when Xixi was just a month old, Gu Bapi went on a long trip to buy livestock. On the way, he got drunk and made a betrothal to someone. When he returned home, he only brought back a silver lock as a token.

He couldn't remember the other person's name or where they lived, which led to Xixi's mother complaining about him for a long time.

Mu Nanzhao and Gu Xixi exchanged glances. "So?"

Gu Xixi took a breath and added her own fabricated part to the real event, "When my father was dying, I promised him that I would wait for that person to come and propose marriage."

"So our relationship is purely a matter of chance. Don't worry, I'll find an opportunity to clarify things with the authorities..."

Before he could finish speaking, Mu Nanzhao suddenly coughed.

He clutched his chest, swaying precariously, coughing repeatedly, and just in time to cut off Gu Xixi's words.

He looked at her with delight.

Mu Nanzhao's phoenix eyes were slightly hazy, his face was pale, his thin lips were pressed into a line, and only his cheeks were flushed red.

She remembered that in the book, Mu Nanzhao was poisoned and had to use the identity of the prisoner Chen Fang to blend into the exile group in order to escape the pursuit of his political enemies.

Judging from his current appearance, he doesn't seem to be faking it.

Since things had come to this point, despite her great reluctance, Xixi had no choice but to speak up, "Why don't we go back to my house first and then discuss this further?"

"You already have a plan in mind." Mu Nanzhao gasped for breath, then raised his head with difficulty, a cold smile playing on his lips.

"Why pretend to be kind?"

The moment Gu Xixi met his gaze, she felt as if his innermost thoughts had been laid bare.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must not show weakness.

"I have things to do. If you don't want to die and become a spectacle for others to watch, then come with me."

Most of the others left.

Gu Xixi walked on her own, but out of the corner of her eye she caught Mu Nanzhao following her at a distance.

He kept his head half-lowered, with strands of hair falling behind his ears, casting faint shadows on his angular profile.

It was impossible to tell whether he was simply lacking energy or in a bad mood.

Finally, Xixi stepped safely into the Gu family's courtyard and breathed a sigh of relief when she suddenly heard a thud.

She turned around in surprise and saw Mu Nanzhao lying on the ground with his eyes closed and a trace of crimson blood spilling from the corner of his lips...

After a cup of tea.

Gu Xixi looked at the man sleeping soundly on the small wooden bed and sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

This is probably a real problem.

I've decided not to buy Mu Nanzhao's medicine, and I've decided not to spend all my money on his medical treatment until I'm bankrupt.

However, nothing went as planned.

What to do now?

We can't just watch him die like that.

Thinking of this, Gu Xixi walked towards the square corner cabinet placed against the wall.

This east room was where Gu Bapi used to live. Ever since Xixi's mother passed away, he had Xixi live in the main room, with Aunt Zhang helping to take care of her, while he himself moved here.

The drawers on top of the corner cabinet were crammed with herbs.

Because there are no local doctors in Huachidu Village, the villagers all go into the mountains to collect herbs themselves, dry them, and store them for future use.

Whenever there's a minor ailment, the first thing to do is to brew some herbal medicine for myself.

If someone encounters a serious illness that they can't handle, those with some money are sent to a clinic in the city, while those without money are left to fate.

Gu Xixi is currently broke, and given the unusual nature of Mu Nanzhao's injuries, his identity might be exposed, potentially attracting enemies.

We have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless.

Although Gu Xixi did not understand medicine and pharmacology, she did understand plants.

So he took three handfuls of herbs from Gu Bapi's collection that had detoxifying properties and were not poisonous themselves.

Even if it can't cure the illness, it won't kill anyone.

Aunt Zhang hasn't returned yet, I don't know where she went.

Xixi had to bring out the small stove and medicine pot herself, and spent half an hour making a fire to boil the medicine.

She returned with a bowl of thick, dark medicine, and without hesitation, used a spoon to pry open Mu Nanzhao's lips, slowly dripping the medicine into his mouth little by little.

The process of feeding the medicine was too slow; Gu Xixi's arms were aching, and only a little over half of the medicine had been taken down.

Just as she was about to stop and rest, Mu Nanzhao suddenly opened his eyes.

He grabbed Gu Xixi's wrist, which was holding the spoon, and held it tightly, his eyes like those of a trapped beast about to pounce.

"What did you feed me?!"

Gu Xixi winced in pain. "It's just ordinary medicinal tea! Let go! I'll drink it to prove you wrong!"

Mu Nanzhao slightly loosened his grip, but did not let go, only staring coldly at Gu Xixi.

In a fit of pique, Gu Xixi brought the medicine bowl to her lips, took a sip, and swallowed it right in front of him.

"See it? Are you satisfied now?!"

Mu Nanzhao's hand slipped down, and he continued to gaze indifferently at the rooftop.

Gu Xixi glared at him, stood up, and turned to leave.

She has a lot of things to do and no energy to get angry.

Before his death, Gu Bapi sold off a lot of grain, leaving his family with very little grain left. Furthermore, his 32 mu of land had been lying fallow, meaning he had been living off his savings for almost a year.

It's already May, and the opportunity for spring planting has long been missed.

If we don't think of another way, the whole family will starve to death next year when food is scarce!

There is a shady and well-ventilated area on the west side of the courtyard, covered with a lot of river sand.

Xixi tested the humidity with her finger and then used a spray bottle to evenly spray water onto the surface.

She was busy when someone pushed the door open and walked in; it was none other than her third aunt, Liu.

Liu is Gu Qingye's mother, and her husband is Gu Bapi's cousin.

Xixi greeted her indifferently and asked, "What brings Third Aunt here at this hour?"

From the moment she entered the room, Liu's eyes darted around, looking everywhere as if she wanted to scrape gold out of the cracks in the wall.

"Oh, so you're getting married?" She smiled, her face crinkling like a blooming chrysanthemum.

"Your third uncle and I discussed that we should handle important matters concerning our property as soon as possible."

"It's perfect that you're too lazy to farm. From now on, your third uncle and aunt will help you farm your family's land."

Gu Xixi thought she had misheard. "Property? You want to farm my land?"

Liu assumed that Gu Xixi was still as clueless as before, and confidently said:

“Those outsiders can’t be trusted. We’re family. Give us the land, and your aunt will take care of all your food for the rest of your life!”