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

Gu Xixi calmly looked up at everyone and said with a smile, "Anyone who wants to learn is welcome."

The old doctor said, "When you are successful, you should help others. It's good that Xixi has this idea."

Although Aunt Zhang also hoped that everyone in the village would live well, she didn't want certain annoying people to benefit from it.

She thought for a moment and said, "What about those two old men surnamed Gu?"

"How did they manage to trip you up over this? They even stirred up trouble and almost hurt you!"

"Anyone else is fine, but those two families are not!"

Seeing Aunt Zhang's stern and unhappy face, Gu Xixi teased her, "Besides Uncle Gu's and Second Uncle Gu's families, have you forgotten to mention my Third Uncle's family?"

Aunt Zhang was taken aback, frowned and hesitated for a moment, then relented and said, "Let's forget about Gu Laosan."

“My daughter married far away and has never come back to see them. My son has become like that. They’ve already suffered enough retribution.”

“We don’t need to be nice to them. If you teach them how to farm, and they’re willing to listen, then let them be.”

"Xixi, what do you think?"

Gu Xixi nodded with a smile, "I knew Auntie was the kindest person of all."

Aunt Zhang stuck to her principles. "I'm not kind to everyone, but I've noticed that the Gu couple is behaving themselves now. They didn't get involved when the two old men caused trouble last time, so we'll just continue to cut ties with them from now on."

“But Gu Da and Gu Er keep jumping around, all because of your secret recipe for growing grain.”

"If they succeed, is there any justice left in this world?!"

Gu Xixi was not the kind of person who would repay kindness with ingratitude, and she naturally had her own plans in mind.

She took a sip of porridge and said, "The land temple is a place shared by the whole village, and I have no right to stop anyone."

"Anyone who wants to hear it tomorrow is welcome, but..."

She paused, a sly smile playing on her lips. "I teach everyone how to grow millet. What I can talk about is nothing more than sowing, applying pesticides, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and so on."

"Timing, usage, and dosage—these are things that can be taught, but there are also things that cannot be taught."

Stone raised his hand, "I know!"

"Those kinds of medicines and fertilizers used on crops."

"Didn't that idiot Master Gu suffer a great loss because of this?"

Gu Xixi smiled and praised, "So smart, no wonder you're from a family of seedling growers."

Stone puffed out his chest proudly and said in a coquettish tone, "Sister Xixi, you promised me you'd use my family's fruit trees next year!"

Gu Xixi patted his head. "No problem."

Before spring, Shi Tou had solemnly mentioned this matter.

However, due to issues such as exceeding Gu Xixi's budget and time constraints, the trip could not be made.

Gu Xixi told Shi Tou, "I'll definitely do it next year."

The Shi family's nursery couldn't be left unattended, so Gu Xixi asked Madam Meng to act as a go-between and find an old man who used to take care of fruit trees for wealthy families.

They agreed on the fruit harvested in the garden this year, and that Gu Xixi would give them five strings of cash as payment.

Madam Meng was also a loyal servant; she not only ordered people to register the fruit trees in the nursery, but also had Shi Tou confirm them himself.

She would periodically send the manager of the Treasure Pavilion to conduct surprise inspections of the nursery.

Little Stone went to school peacefully and played happily in Huachidu Village, unaware of the efforts these adults had made behind the scenes to protect his meager family property.

Returning to the present, He Jinglan raised another concern, "But didn't Xixi say before that Second Master Gu didn't know the proper methods and that stealing some fertilizer would only backfire?"

"But now you're going to reveal the method, wouldn't that just be giving him what he wants?"

Gu Xixi glanced at Shi Tou and said, "Shi Tou, you tell us."

"Hehe..." Stone grinned mischievously, "What good is the little bit he stole?"

"Furthermore, just hearing the method won't achieve the same results. You have to follow my sister Xixi's method exactly, which involves several kinds of fertilizers, powders, and solutions, and the dosage is quite large."

"Growing something is very complicated; adding everything together, it's not that easy!"

He Jinglan frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly understood.

"You want them all to come to you to buy things?"

"And as long as they want to grow more grain than others, they'll have no choice but to keep buying things from you!"

Gu Xixi waved her hand, "Don't make me sound like a heartless, unscrupulous businessman."

"Apart from the simplest farmyard manure and wood ash, even if I tell them how to make the others, no one can do it."

He Jinglan pouted as if her teeth were aching, "Although I know what you said is the truth."

"But I always feel like you've shown off to me."

Gu Xixi smiled wryly. She wasn't a chemical engineering major and actually had no interest in this business.

So when Anqing was here before, she mentioned it briefly.

Two days ago, Anqing wrote to me saying that he had found a suitable place, bought all the necessary tools and materials according to the list given by Gu Xixi, and was looking for a reliable craftsman.

The location is not far from Huachidu Village.

Once Gu Xixi has some free time to go and provide guidance for a few days, the workshop will be up and running quickly.

He Jinglan was shocked to hear this, "You've given the profitable business to An Qinghe again! That's not fair!"

Gu Xixi said with a bit of a laugh, "What do you mean 'again'? This is only the first one."

He Jinglan disagreed, "This is not the first one. I know that when he returned to Yunling County last time, he immediately wrote to you, talking about the benefits of bagging the fruit."

"The people in the seedling shop all said that although it's not the final show yet, from what we can see now, there are far fewer pests and fruit diseases. Even when there was a small hailstorm in the summer, it didn't damage the fruit."

"You also mentioned that the orchard you chose in Sichuan is growing very well so far."

"Didn't you do all of this for Anqing? Aren't you satisfied with all the benefits you've received?"

Aunt Zhang couldn't help but chuckle and said, "They make it sound like they're really unhappy, but to me, it's all praise for Xixi, like they're showing off how capable Xixi is."

She said to the old doctor, "If Miss He hadn't told us today, neither of us would have known."

He Jinglan blushed when she was exposed. "I wasn't just praising her. I was just angry. She took An Qinghe to play, but not me!"

Gu Xixi chuckled and first said to the two elders, "Brother An's side has only just started and is still waiting for the results. The process is nothing special, which is why I didn't mention it."

She then tried to persuade He Jinglan, "This pesticide and fertilizer workshop is bound to be dirty. It's not a suitable place for Miss He, who is good at eating, drinking and having fun."

"In the future, when we make a fortune every day, we'll mainly depend on you."

He Jinglan straightened up, exchanged a smile with Gu Xixi, and said, "I think so too."

Because of the rain, Gu Xixi's guests arrived late today.

It was past noon when I heard someone knocking on the door amidst the sound of rain.

"Excuse me, is there a female boss here?"

Hearing that they weren't familiar with the villagers, Shitou and Xiaohua quickly darted to the inside of the kang (heated brick bed) and clung to the window screen with their hands (and paws) to look outside.

When Gu Xixi put on her shoes and got off the kang (a heated brick bed), He Jinglan already recognized the voice.

"Manager Liao from the grain shop?"