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

He Jinglan gave Master Liu a meaningful look, then pulled Madam Meng and Qing'er inside.

"Come on, let's go inside and get to know Aunt Zhang and the others. We can have some water and rest for a bit before we slowly move our things."

Anqing practiced calligraphy with Shitou in the main room.

This was a "task" that Gu Xixi had temporarily assigned him today, forbidding him from coming along.

Upon hearing the mule's braying, An Qinghe immediately stood up and ran outside with a broad smile.

"Xi Xi! Xi Xi, you're finally back!"

When he went out, he only saw He Jinglan, and two unfamiliar women, one older and one younger, beside her.

"Miss He? Why are you the only one who came back?"

"And who are these two?"

He Jinglan introduced, "This is Madam Meng, the owner of Zhenbaoge in Qingtian County."

"This is Qing'er, Sister Meng's daughter."

"They were invited by Xixi to stay at her home for a while."

"Sister Meng, this is An Qinghe, from the Yunling County Seedling Chamber of Commerce."

An Qinghe, who had been involved in the business world since childhood, immediately straightened his posture and bowed to Madam Meng upon hearing this:

"So it was the owner of the Treasure Pavilion."

“I’ve been going to the county town a lot lately, and I’ve passed by the Treasure Pavilion several times, which left a deep impression on me. It’s just a pity that I’ve been in such a hurry that I haven’t had a chance to go in and ask for your advice yet.”

Madam Meng had long heard of An Qing and this man, so she returned the greeting and said with a smile, "I really don't deserve your guidance."

"We're just temporarily closed for the time being. We'll definitely extend a formal invitation when we reopen in a while."

An Qing was taken aback. "Closed down? Logically speaking, jewelry should sell better in the summer when people wear lighter clothes. Why would they close down at this time?"

Madam Meng knew that the matter was of great importance, but she couldn't say it outright, especially since An Qinghe was a foreigner from the Central Plains.

"This……"

He Jinglan quickly smoothed things over, "Boss An, Madam Meng has her own arrangements for the Treasure Pavilion. Why are you asking so many questions?"

An Qinghe realized his mistake and quickly apologized, "I'm sorry, I overstepped my bounds."

"When I met such an outstanding business colleague as Mr. Meng, I kept thinking about whether there would be an opportunity to cooperate. I got a little carried away for a moment, please forgive me."

While the adults were talking, Shi Tou ran out and met Qing'er.

The two little ones held hands and went inside to play.

Madam Meng smiled at An Qing and said, "It's alright."

"I've always been very interested in the gold and silver styles, gemstones, and jade materials from the Western Regions,"

"If Boss An really has any ideas or opportunities, we might as well discuss them in detail."

An Qinghe was delighted, "That's wonderful!"

He Jinglan first ushered Madam Meng into the main room, then glanced at An Qinghe and whispered, "When does Boss An plan to return to Yunling?"

An Qinghe said cheerfully, "No rush, no rush. We've made some new friends. We can leave in a couple of days."

"I'll go find Xixi first; she definitely needs help unloading the car!"

He Jinglan couldn't let him run out like that, so she quickly stopped him, "Hey, there's no rush with Xixi."

She came up with a way to stall for time: "Auntie isn't here right now, is she? I have to keep the guests company, so I'll have to trouble you to go to the kitchen and get a pot of tea."

An Qinghe suddenly realized, "That's right, Boss Meng and the others have just arrived, we can't neglect them."

He Jinglan watched An Qinghe walk away, breathed a sigh of relief, and lifted the curtain to enter the room.

Now, Mu Nanzhao has disappeared without a trace, and Anqing, the man who helped with the vinegar-making process, is no longer of any use.

But He Jinglan still had a kind heart.

Who knows how chaotic the world will become in the future? Whether it will be large or small, near or far?

These women can stay in the village and not go out, but what about Anqinghe?

He also has quite a few businesses on his hands.

What if you want to leave but can't? That would be terrible.

He Jinglan secretly decided that she would discuss this matter with Gu Xixi tonight.

Outside the gate, Master Liu cupped his hands to Gu Xixi and said, "It was my fault that Mr. Gu and Miss He were frightened today."

Gu Xixi said, "It has nothing to do with you. It was my own decision not to let you accompany and protect me in everything."

Master Liu lowered his head slightly, his expression showing some guilt and... embarrassment?

Gu Xixi frowned slightly, scrutinizing her. "Are you really playing the long game? Is Jinglan the bait?"

Master Liu coughed, finding it difficult to speak.

Gu Xixi's expression turned cold, and she laughed, "Then our actions today—capturing the old bachelor and making a scene in the county town—were truly unnecessary."

"Won't this cause you any trouble?"

Master Liu quickly shook his head, "No, no, it's not that bad."

He looked up at Gu Xixi, forced a smile, and said, "So I've come here to apologize."

Gu Xixi sneered inwardly. If the old bachelor hadn't been arrested, would you still be coming here to say these things?

She did not respond to Master Liu's apology, but calmly asked, "Is Jinglan's safety guaranteed?"

Seeing that Gu Xixi was neither angry nor resentful, but instead broke out in a cold sweat, Master Liu said, "Yes, our people have been keeping an eye on things, both in the county town and the villages."

"No matter what, ensuring the safety of Mr. Gu and Ms. He must be our top priority."

Gu Xixi still didn't express her opinion, and continued, "Jinglan wants to bring in the He family's secret guards."

"I would appreciate it if you could adjust it, and if so, how."

Master Liu nodded in agreement, "No problem, I'll make the arrangements. I'll get back to you by tomorrow night at the latest."

Gu Xixi gave a faint thank you, then left Master Liu behind and turned to remove Laifu's rope.

Seeing this, Master Liu wisely took his leave.

Gu Xixi heard the footsteps and turned around to look.

People do different things and stand on different positions.

She can understand some of their actions, but that doesn't mean she has to accept them with a smile.

As dusk fell, when Aunt Zhang returned, Gu Xixi had already led Laifu into the shed and put out hay and water.

Shi Tou and Qing Er squatted there in a row, watching Fu eat and drink.

Gu Xixi told Aunt Zhang about the guests who had come to her house.

Kind-hearted Aunt Zhang didn't delve into the reason, only smiling and saying, "It's good to have more people, it's lively."

She beckoned to the children with affection, "Grandma picked some fresh cherries, come with me to wash and eat them!"

Later, Aunt Zhang, the old doctor, and Madam Meng all met.

Madam Meng had already changed into her everyday narrow-sleeved clothes. As soon as she heard that dinner was to be prepared, she immediately rolled up her sleeves and followed Aunt Zhang to the kitchen.

Aunt Zhang was a little embarrassed, "How can this be? You're a guest."

Madam Meng smiled gently, "If you don't consider me an outsider, then let me lend a hand."

Chopping vegetables, stir-frying vegetables, cooking porridge...

Aunt Zhang watched in astonishment. "Xixi said you manage such a large family business and have many servants around you. I never expected you to be so skilled in cooking!"

Madam Meng smiled and said, "I didn't know how to cook before I got married. Later, after I became a mother, Qing'er was a picky eater, so I wanted to cook for her myself. Gradually, I learned how, and I actually came to like it."

Aunt Zhang sighed, "Everyone says that being a mother is like being reborn; you've had it tough too."

Outside, Qing'er and Shi Tou were throwing balls to Xiao Hua, their laughter filling the courtyard.

Gu Xixi, An Qinghe, and He Jinglan each had a small stool and sat under the eaves, working hard.

The old doctor said, "Be careful, these are very useful!"