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

Sister-in-law Zhou put one hand on her hip, looked at Gu Xixi with a proud expression, as if seeking praise and approval.

Gu Xixi glanced at He Jinglan, and He Jinglan's words echoed in her mind:

"Xixi, you can try to join in occasionally. If it's always awkward, others will lose face too."

Gu Xixi took a deep breath, gave Sister-in-law Zhou a smile, and nodded approvingly, "Yes, outstanding!"

Old Zhou, however, was a man of principle. Seeing that his wife was going off on a tangent, he quickly pulled her away to say goodbye.

"Mr. Gu, Ms. He, let's go back and think about the recipe that Xixi gave us."

"If there's anything I don't understand later, I'll come to you again for guidance."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "Okay, take care."

After the Zhou couple left, He Jinglan finally let out a breath.

“Xixi, the fact that you didn’t directly tell them that my man ran away is already a big improvement.”

Gu Xixi turned her head, "Can't I tell you?"

He Jinglan said, "At least until we see the situation clearly, it's better to avoid trouble."

Although Gu Xixi really wanted to announce that the man had run away and would never come back, she knew what was important and what was urgent.

He nodded and said, "I have already agreed with Aunt Zhang on the same story. If anyone asks, we will say that the yamen has already released Chen Fang from his status as a convict slave and that he will go back to his hometown to visit his family before we officially get married."

He Jinglan also thought this explanation was good, "Anyway, as things are now, no one in the village can go to the county government to verify it."

"Even if someone does start to have doubts later, it's too late," Gu Xixi said, taking a step forward.

Seven more days passed, and the village elder, Old Qian, was no longer able to gather information from the outside world.

However, the village's rotation system for sentry duty has already been established and has passed the adjustment period, becoming smoother.

Gu Xixi, on the other hand, was sharp-witted and perceptive.

I learned a lot of information from the two lines of He Jiayingwei and Master Liu.

What I know about the Northwest is as follows:

The majority of the Northwest Army set off six days ago, leaving behind the original garrison in Qingtian County.

Qingtian County reopened yesterday, but only the west gate was open, allowing merchants and ordinary people to come and go.

The latest news at noon today is that the Northwest Army has clashed with the Imperial Army, but no battle has yet taken place.

Many things also happened in the capital:

The emperor's brother-in-law died suddenly after falling from his horse, and the emperor's father-in-law fell ill with grief and never recovered.

The Empress Dowager wanted to leave the palace to visit them, but was dissuaded by the Imperial Guards.

Led by Ho King-fai, the Ho family, along with several other prominent families, suddenly launched a collective attack during the court assembly, listing numerous crimes committed by the Empress Dowager's faction and presenting evidence.

He Jinglan burned the last secret letter over an oil lamp.

"Although we know very little about the inside story,"

"But judging from the known situation, the situation is in our favor."

"We are behind the Northwest Army, so we are absolutely safe at the moment."

Gu Xixi agreed with He Jinglan's speculation.

It seems that the palace guards have been taken into control by He Jinghui and his associates.

The real power behind the Empress Dowager and the young emperor has been undermined and separated.

Then it remains to be seen how long the confrontation between the imperial court and the Northwest Army can last.

The Empress Dowager realized that the situation was hopeless, and the Northwest Army subdued the enemy without a fight.

It was the local vassal kings and generals who were willing to obey the Empress Dowager's orders and send troops to the northwest, bringing the great war to the brink of war.

The tug-of-war has reached its most intense point.

Until the very last moment, no one knows what the outcome will be.

Gu Xixi rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I'm really only suited for farming. I shouldn't even think about things like political intrigue."

He Jinglan teased with a smile, "Who told you to be so disobedient? It just keeps turning and insists on thinking, and it can even figure things out."

"Compared to me, who has been exposed to this kind of thing since childhood, Xixi, you might be the real genius."

"Stop..." Gu Xixi covered her ears with both hands, "Don't say anymore."

She suddenly stood up. "I need to go out and clear my head."

She took two quick steps, then turned back and said fiercely, "What world affairs, what power struggles and scheming? Let those cunning people worry about that. I'm just a farmer!"

He Jinglan watched Gu Xixi walk away, shaking her head and sighing with amusement.

They're clearly very capable, but they insist they don't understand, don't comprehend, and don't want to.

It's strange, though. Xixi grew up in this village and never went to school; she only studied at home with her father for a few years. Logically, she shouldn't have had the opportunity to learn these things.

But she was incredibly perceptive, as if she had read books for two lifetimes.

He Jinglan was amused by her own thoughts.

How could that be? Xixi is a genius!

As Gu Xixi walked out onto the road, she realized that the sky, which had been clear in the morning, had turned gloomy at some point.

The sky was overcast with thick clouds, and many flying insects hovered low, almost forming clusters.

Gu Xixi raised her hand and fanned herself a few times in front of her, when she heard someone calling her from ahead:

"My dear niece, it's about to rain, why are you running outside?"

Gu Xixi saw Old Qian carrying a pile of straw hats and striding over. "Uncle Qian, I came out for some fresh air."

Old Qian laughed and said, "It was hot and humid before the downpour, and you actually need some fresh air. You should go back quickly."

Gu Xixi nodded, "I'll walk around one more time and then go back."

"I'll be patrolling with Sister-in-law Qin tonight, so you don't need to worry."

There are no able-bodied men in Gu Xixi's family recently, and Lao Qian originally intended to exempt her family from patrols, but Gu Xixi refused.

When injustice is tolerated, people will speak out. At this critical moment, the villagers have finally united. We cannot break the rules by giving her family special treatment.

Old Qian sighed, "You're such a strong-willed kid."

“A young woman who is always busy and has to help out with the orchards of several families, your aunt always feels sorry for her when she talks about it.”

“Now I feel bad about making you take turns patrolling like everyone else.”

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "You'll get used to it."

"These past two days I've only been waiting to harvest the wheat, so I'm temporarily free. I'll just go back and catch up on my sleep tomorrow morning."

With a downpour imminent, Lao Qian still had to rush to distribute straw hats to the patrolmen in various locations.

Gu Xixi then accompanied Lao Qian.

Old Qian laughed and said, "I have to say it's all thanks to you for telling me that Zhou Haode was available."

"He's been a huge help these past few days. The patrol and shift changes went so smoothly, all thanks to him."

Zhou Haode? Gu Xixi took a moment to realize who it was, "Oh, you mean Sister-in-law Zhou's husband, Old Zhou."

Old Qian grinned broadly, "Yes! That's him."

"I've known him for so many years, and I only ever thought of him as a quiet and honest guy. I never realized he was so meticulous and truly capable."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I was just thinking that Uncle Qian is carrying the burden of the village all by himself, which is really hard. It would be good to have someone to help him out and discuss things with him."

"Uncle Qian, please don't blame me for being nosy."

"How could I blame you? I'm so grateful to you!" Old Qian beamed, looking at Gu Xixi with increasing fondness, wishing she were his own daughter.

After walking for a while, the two encountered another person rushing out from a side road.

Old Qian was surprised, "Mrs. Zhou? I was just talking about how capable your husband is, and then I run into you around the corner."

Sister-in-law Zhou looked up and saw Gu Xixi there as well, and couldn't help but smile broadly.

"Xixi, I was just about to go home to find you, that's great news!"

Old Qian asked curiously, "So mysterious, did you find a treasure?"