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

Gu Xixi was in a good mood, chatting occasionally with the two people behind her while driving.

Hearing Sister-in-law Zhou suddenly say something like, "Who do you want to curse?"

She frowned, tilting her head in confusion. "Huh? What does this mean?"

He Jinglan was also very puzzled.

She sat opposite Sister-in-law Zhou and saw it clearly. When Sister-in-law Zhou looked at Gu Xixi, her expression was worried, and her eyes even revealed a deep... sympathy.

There were three people in the car at that moment, two of whom were full of question marks.

Gu Xixi could only smile and say, "Why do you say I'm sad, sister-in-law? I'm in a pretty good mood right now."

Sister-in-law Zhou looked even more upset.

Her eyes reddened, and she said, "Xixi, we all know you are strong-willed, kind-hearted, and a wonderful girl."

"But you shouldn't always bear it all by yourself. It's too painful for you, and your body won't be able to take it either."

Huh? Gu Xixi frowned, what was going on?

She could understand each sentence Zhou Dasao said, but when put together, she couldn't understand it at all.

"Sister-in-law, I'm really fine."

He Jinglan spoke quickly, "How did Sister-in-law Zhou know who Xixi wanted to curse? And she let her vent?"

Sister-in-law Zhou sighed first, then, suddenly filled with anger, she said indignantly, "That man left Xixi because he was blind! He's just not destined to enjoy happiness in this life!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Xixi and He Jinglan both showed expressions of sudden realization.

So it turns out that Sister-in-law Zhou was going to scold Mu Nanzhao.

I've been so busy these past two days that I forgot about it, but the news that "Gu Xixi's man, Chen Fang, has run away" has already been spread throughout the village.

It's normal for this to generate some gossip.

As Sister-in-law Zhou spoke, she grew angrier and angrier, and she felt increasingly indignant on behalf of Gu Xixi.

"I was wondering why I hadn't seen him lately. Turns out he ran away a long time ago! It's only because your family is kind-hearted that you're covering for him."

"He's a criminal, and it must have been incredibly lucky for him to meet Xixi. Instead of being grateful and living a peaceful life, he dared to run away from their marriage!"

"Isn't he just good-looking and educated?"

“Our Xixi is fair-skinned and pretty, her family has such a rich business, and she’s capable, she can farm and make money. What does that Chen guy have? He’s sickly all the time.”

"In my opinion, he's not good enough for Xixi! It's good that he left; at least he knows his place!"

……

Sister-in-law Zhou rattled off a whole string of words before finally pausing to catch her breath.

He Jinglan rolled her eyes and deliberately said to the front, "Sister-in-law Zhou is right."

"We're only telling everyone about this now that some time has passed because Xixi wasn't in a good mood at first."

“We don’t want to mention this person anymore, because we’re afraid that Xixi will feel upset every time she hears about it.”

Gu Xixi's hand slipped in front, and she almost dropped the reins.

But then she thought about it again. Everyone knew Chen Fang had run away, so it didn't seem logical for her to act like nothing had happened.

It needs to have some emotion to be realistic.

So Gu Xixi chose to remain silent.

Sister-in-law Zhou sighed, "I understand. It's embarrassing if the man you bought runs away."

"Not to mention those gossipy people who can't stand to see others do well, pointing fingers and whispering amongst themselves—it's just so annoying to listen to!"

She added with relief, "But it's all in the past now."

"The fact that Xixi was able to talk about this shows that she has come to terms with it."

Gu Xixi quickly agreed, "Yes, I've come to terms with it."

"Anyway, we weren't even engaged, and we didn't have a deep relationship. I was just a little angry at first."

"Looking back, since neither of us had any intention of breaking up, it would actually be better for everyone if we parted ways sooner rather than later."

Sister-in-law Zhou nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, I know you don't like listening to those people gossip, but I'm here for you!"

Gu Xixi gave an awkward laugh, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Upon returning to Huachidu Village, we were greeted by a sky ablaze with fiery clouds.

At this time, villagers were either washing vegetables and cooking, going in and out, or returning home with hoes after finishing their farm work.

Gu Xixi encountered many people greeting her along the way as her mule cart entered the village.

"Xixi is back?"

If you need help with any heavy work at home, just let me know!

"Xixi, my family has harvested a lot of honeysuckle. I'll bring you a bag later; it's good for calming the mind and reducing internal heat."

"My mother-in-law just delivered the steamed vegetable pancakes to your house. Please eat more when you get back, okay?"

……

Gu Xixi answered each question with a smile, but inwardly she was sweating profusely.

After Sister-in-law Zhou got out of the car and went to a secluded spot, He Jinglan said with amusement, "Did you see the way everyone was looking at you?"

Gu Xixi said quietly, "It's nothing more than watching a heartbroken woman abandoned by a faithless man."

"They meant well, so let them watch."

We can't just go and explain to each person individually, like we did with Sister-in-law Zhou earlier.

After a few days, when something else comes up, everyone will naturally forget about it.

When I got home, I was unsurprisingly greeted by a table full of delicious food.

Gu Xixi first bent down to touch Xiaohua, and when she turned around to wash her hands, she found that Shitou was staring straight at her with a strange expression, a mix of confusion and a hint of helplessness that only adults have.

Gu Xixi said, "Don't put on that mature-for-his-years expression. Just say what you have to say!"

Shi Tou had a lot to say and was about to speak when Aunt Zhang lifted the curtain and came in.

“Xixi,” Aunt Zhang said with a smile, “I’ve brought the booklet back, but there’s no rush. We can look at it slowly after we’ve eaten, and Jinglan can help Xixi choose one.”

"This time, we must choose the best and most suitable one!"

Gu Xixi was puzzled and looked at the stone first.

Shi Tou nodded vigorously; that was exactly what he wanted to remind everyone of, but Grandma Zhang intercepted his message.

He Jinglan had already taken the booklet from Aunt Zhang's hand and read aloud the words on the cover:

"Matchmaker Zhao...list of eligible men...Grade A...top-tier?"

Gu Xixi was shocked. "What?"

He Jinglan remained relatively calm, flipping through the contents as she said, "This should be for your blind date, right?"

Gu Xixi had heard of Zhao the Matchmaker.

She was the most famous matchmaker of her generation, and she had facilitated at least seventy or eighty marriages.

Aunt Zhang smiled broadly, looking very excited.

"As soon as Matchmaker Zhao heard it was our Xixi, she immediately gave us the best list of names. She even said that ordinary young men were not good enough for Xixi, and this list would satisfy us!"

Gu Xixi felt even more tired, so she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and raised her hand to cover her forehead.

"Auntie, I've told you I don't want to get married so soon."

Aunt Zhang was taken aback, and after a moment, she silently sat down as well.

"Do you think your aunt wants to go against your wishes? But you're already eighteen this year, and you'll be nineteen in six months."

“It’s not easy for girls in their late teens and early twenties to find a young man who is the right age and is getting married for the first time.”

"What if I close my eyes one day and leave you all alone? How will I face my husband and wife in the afterlife..."

As Aunt Zhang spoke, she herself became sad and lowered her head to wipe away tears.

Seeing this, Gu Xixi felt a pang of sadness.

She considered Aunt Zhang as her closest relative, and naturally couldn't bear to see her so sad.

However, she also has her own principles...