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

He Jinglan paused, then suddenly understood. "You mean... to turn the tables?"

Gu Xixi smiled, "It could also be a long-term strategy to catch a big fish."

He Jinglan said unhappily, "So all our tension was for nothing?"

Gu Xixi said, "It's not like I worked for nothing."

She looked at Madam Meng and said, "At least I confirmed with Sister Meng that those people were not ordinary robbers who were after money."

"In that case, the rest is no longer our concern; someone else will take care of it."

Zhenyufang had been operating in the county town for two years, and its business was booming, making it quite wealthy.

Even if a great hermit lives in the city, his methods are still quite sophisticated.

But they were facing Huo Jiang and the Northwest Army.

Since the death of the former magistrate, the Northwest region has appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, it is an impregnable fortress.

Those who have their eyes on He Jinglan may have already been targeted by the Northwest Army.

In the end, who is the mantis and who is the oriole?

Gu Xixi had absolutely no desire to get involved in this kind of struggle.

She laughed and said, "So doing nothing is the best thing for us."

"So as not to disrupt other people's plans and cause more trouble."

He Jinglan nodded and said, "Do you think...we've been used?"

"Unknowingly, I became bait?"

Gu Xixi looked troubled, "This..."

There's no chance to verify it right now, so we'll just have to use this bait.

Instead of getting frustrated by guessing, it's better to save that energy for something useful.

Gu Xixi cleared her throat and changed the subject, "We need to go shopping later. It's your first time in Qingtian County. What do you want? What places do you want to visit?"

He Jinglan, who was naturally playful, began to think about it seriously.

"Let's go shopping first. I heard from Shi Tou that this main street in the county town is very lively."

"I want to buy more delicious food!"

"I haven't bought any new clothes in a long time. It's too late to have them custom-made now, so I'll just browse ready-made clothing stores!"

……

Madam Meng calmly sipped her tea, smiling as she looked at the two girls.

Madam Meng only half understood the conversation between Gu Xixi and He Jinglan, but she had no intention of getting to the bottom of it.

She only needed to confirm two things: first, the planned kidnapping did not pose a threat to Gu Xixi and He Jinglan.

Secondly, the person sitting at the top will take care of it.

She doesn't need to worry about anything else, nor is it her place as an ordinary merchant to worry about it.

Gu Xixi had many things to buy on this trip, and after returning to the village today, she and her family would not leave Huachidu Village for a while.

Because of her close relationship with Madam Meng, once they left the teahouse and stepped onto the street, Gu Xixi still solemnly reminded her:

"Sister Meng, please take stock of the shop in the next two days and bring back the valuable items to your home."

"It's best not to open a shop at all, and just stock up on enough food and drink for the whole family."

"If you hear any changes outside, be sure to keep your doors closed and no one in your household should go out."

Madam Meng said that she had never heard any special rumors about Zhenyufang.

If this place is a hidden stronghold, it means that it must have been lying in wait for a long time.

Their sudden action now indirectly proves that great chaos is imminent.

To Gu Xixi's surprise, when Madam Meng looked at her, she seemed completely unsurprised.

"To be honest, Chengping wrote to me earlier, telling me to close the Treasure Pavilion in ten days and take Qing'er back to the old house in the countryside for a while."

"Although I don't know why, Chengping said it specifically, so there must be a reason."

"So I've made all the arrangements at home and in the shop, and the servants and maids will all go home and leave tomorrow morning."

Gu Xixi and He Jinglan exchanged a glance.

Gu Xixi invited, "Since Madam Meng is already prepared, why don't you come home with me today and stay at my house for a few days?"

Madam Meng, who disliked causing trouble for others, politely declined, saying, "No need. There are people looking after the old house in the countryside. Everything will be ready for us when we go there."

He Jinglan also said, "Sister Meng, we are worried about you taking the child back to the countryside alone."

"It would be better if we all stayed at Xixi's house together, so we could look after each other if anything happened."

Thinking of her daughter's safety, Madam Meng was eventually persuaded.

"Alright then, Qing'er and I will take the liberty of disturbing you."

So Madam Meng went back to pack her things first, while Gu Xixi and He Jinglan went to do the shopping.

The two parties agreed that Gu Xixi would drive to the Meng residence to pick up the person later.

Gu Xixi skillfully drove the mule cart, while He Jinglan leaned against her back and said, "Now our house will be even more lively, and Qing'er can play with Shitou."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "They've known each other for a long time. The two little ones haven't seen each other in a long time, they must be very happy."

He Jinglan said with annoyance, "It's all Mu Nanzhao's fault for locking the door! Otherwise, the west room could have been used to give Sister Meng and her daughter room."

Recently, Gu Xixi couldn't help but grit her teeth whenever the word "lock" was mentioned.

She paused for a moment before saying, "It's alright, Aunt Zhang can take Shitou to sleep in my room tonight."

“Me, you, Sister Meng, and Qing’er, we’ll sleep on the kang in the main room.”

Haha, does that bastard think locking a door can stump her?

There's always a way to overcome difficulties!

He Jinglan thought for a moment and then said, "We can't rely entirely on others for Zhenyufang's affairs."

"I'll send a message to the Shadow Guards as soon as I get back, and have them enter the village to guard it."

Gu Xixi said, "Yes, I was just about to tell you about this."

"But let me first inform Master Liu tonight,"

"Otherwise, your men might not be able to enter the village, and you might end up fighting your own people first."

He Jinglan was taken aback. "Master Liu? One of our own?"

As fellow teachers in the village school, she met with Master Liu every day and often discussed teaching methods and education, making them very familiar old acquaintances.

After a moment, He Jinglan realized, "You mean Master Liu is a fan of..."

Gu Xixi said, "It's exactly what you think."

He Jinglan frowned. "This Master Liu is quite shrewd."

"I treated him like a half-master, what a disservice!"

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "He's doing things for others too, he has no choice but to do them, so please understand."

Now, Gu Xixi's family has grown from just her and Aunt Zhang to eight people.

The family has more than enough food reserves, and can also be self-sufficient in vegetables and fruits.

But we need to stock up on other things.

Non-staple foods, condiments, snacks, and daily necessities such as needles, thread, tooth powder, and face cream.

The mule cart traveled half a street, and was half full of goods.

With time to spare, Gu Xixi parked her car outside the clothing store.

As soon as He Jinglan entered the clothing store, her demeanor as a young lady of high society became apparent.

"This one, this one, and this one..."

“You’ll definitely look good in this ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), Xixi. The fabric is cool and comfortable, and the color suits you perfectly…”

"Aunt Zhang and the old doctor should also buy two new summer outfits."

"The stone is growing, does it have clothes for a child?"

The shopkeeper followed behind He Jinglan, beaming from ear to ear, and even called over all the shop assistants.

The men were all carrying bags full of clothes that He Jinglan had chosen.