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

Someone has already gone to call the clan elders.

The crowd ushered the three guests inside, exchanging warm greetings as they went:

"Is that Village Chief Qian and his wife? We were all ignorant before, which caused such a big mess."

"Thanks to Village Chief Qian's efforts to stop it, a major disaster was averted."

Old Qian and Aunt Qian quickly waved their hands, laughing and saying, "No, no, it was all a misunderstanding, it's all cleared up now."

Everyone then turned to Gu Xixi, "Of course, it's also thanks to our boss Gu for not holding grudges!"

"Since you're family, Mr. Gu, we won't go out of our way to treat you. Just make yourself at home, do whatever you want, and say whatever you want!"

Gu Xixi said, "You're all too kind."

"Since we're all family, you can just call me by my name from now on. There's no need to be so formal."

Everyone agreed.

There is still one hour before the banquet begins.

The two people in charge led the old couple to rest and have some cold soup noodles and fish.

Gu Xixi, however, had other plans.

She knew the clan elders and several key figures.

The clan elders personally led her to meet several highly respected elders of the Gu family.

Some of these people looked older than Grandpa Gu, while others were middle-aged, about the same age as Old Qian.

Gu Xixi greeted them one by one.

The elders responded with smiles, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

It's clear that they have no objection to Gu Xixi, the newly appointed person in charge.

The clan elder pointed to the offering table set up in front of the venue and said, "This year, the heavens and the earth gods have blessed us with a bountiful harvest again. We will need to offer incense and wine to express our gratitude later."

"Just stand behind me."

Gu Xixi nodded in agreement, "Yes."

A young woman from one of the families brought Gu Xixi a bowl of cold soup noodles with fish.

"Hey girl, have a bowl, it'll cool you down and quench your thirst."

Pour the wheat flour water into a large iron pot in advance and stir it clockwise continuously until it becomes a paste.

The cooked wheat flour paste is poured into a strainer and dripped into cold water to set, forming shapes like small fish or tadpoles.

Also, prepare a refreshing and savory cold soup in advance.

Place the dough fish in a bowl, pour in the soup, and it's ready to eat.

You must eat it as soon as possible, otherwise it will lose its flavor.

The noodles are tender and melt in your mouth. When eaten with the refreshing soup, they require almost no chewing. Therefore, the way to eat noodles is not called "eating" but "drinking".

It was nearly noon, and the sun was blazing overhead.

Gu Xixi took a sip from the rim of the bowl and indeed found it refreshing and cooling.

Just then, someone else pulled the scholar over.

The clan elder introduced with a smile, "Xixi, this is Mingyuan. His surname is Jiang. His mother is a daughter of our Gu family who married out. His father is a clerk in the office of the prefect. We also come from a scholarly family."

Gu Xixi had no choice but to stand up and greet him, holding her bowl, "Young Master Jiang, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Jiang Mingyuan bowed with his hands clasped, "I have long admired Boss Gu's reputation and her remarkable character. It's an honor to meet you."

The elder laughed and said, "You two are about the same age, both young people, why do you have to be so formal and polite?"

He said to Jiang Mingyuan, "Although your two families are not related, your mother's surname is Gu after all."

"You'd better take good care of your little sister Xixi today."

Sister? Gu Xixi was taken aback, amusement creeping into her mind. Ever since she had killed her perverted cousin Gu Tiezhu, she hadn't heard that title in a long time.

Jiang Mingyuan looked up at Gu Xixi, seemingly a little shy, and lowered his head slightly.

"Yes."

The clan elder then said to Gu Xixi, "Mingyuan was raised at his maternal grandparents' house for several years after he was born. I watched him grow up. He is a well-behaved and obedient child."

"I was overjoyed to hear that he came in first place in the provincial examination this year."

"Even if our Gu family doesn't have that luck for now, Mingyuan still has the blood of the Gu family flowing in his veins. He passed the imperial examination at the age of eighteen and became a Juren. Even the prefect said that his future is limitless!"

Gu Xixi looked at Jiang Mingyuan, somewhat surprised.

In ancient times, those who passed the provincial examination became known as "Juren" (举人).

The status of a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) represents the first step in a class leap from being a commoner.

After passing the provincial examination, one can go to the capital to participate in the higher-level metropolitan examination.

Jiang Mingyuan was only eighteen years old when he achieved the top score in the provincial examination, which is equivalent to the top scorer in the provincial college entrance examination in modern times.

Therefore, the elders' statement that his future was limitless was not an exaggeration.

Gu Xixi smiled at Jiang Mingyuan and said, "Although it's a bit late, I still congratulate Brother Jiang on passing the imperial examination."

Her smile was bright and her demeanor was graceful, completely different from the young ladies Jiang Mingyuan had ever seen before.

The young scholar was momentarily stunned by what he saw, and after a moment, he said, "It's never too late for good advice. Thank you, Sister Xixi."

The elder's gaze swept back and forth between the two men, and he nodded in satisfaction.

“You two kids definitely won’t like what we old folks are saying.”

“Mingyuan, this is Xixi’s first time at the clan gathering. Why don’t you show her around and let her get to know everyone?”

Gu Xixi followed Jiang Mingyuan away, first handing the empty bowl she had finished drinking to the person in charge of collecting the bowls.

Jiang Mingyuan started the conversation by saying, "My maternal grandfather's family also grew millet."

“I’ve heard a lot about you since I got back.”

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "You haven't heard, have you? I used to be so insistent on keeping the secret recipe, but recently I finally agreed to tell you. However, I'm now selling things to everyone. I'm cunning and sly, and I never lose out. That's me."

Jiang Mingyuan's handsome face froze, and he first opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Realizing that Gu Xixi was joking, he chuckled softly, "You really are extraordinary."

"However, what I heard was not what you said; on the contrary, it was all praise."

Jiang Mingyuan began to explain with a smile.

You can tell from his words that he is a learned man.

It is full of humor and fun.

Perhaps as they gradually became more familiar with each other, Jiang Mingyuan lost the tension he had shown when they first met and became more talkative.

Every now and then, he would introduce passersby to Gu Xixi.

They also talked about the traditions of the local Gu family association, interesting stories from over the years, and so on.

He was refined in his manners, yet showed no sign of showing off his knowledge or engaging in boastful talk.

Even on topics that Gu Xixi was most interested in, such as farming, Jiang Mingyuan had his own insights and opinions.

Gu Xixi had thought the trip would be a bit boring, but she never expected to meet someone as interesting as Jiang Mingyuan.

Do you think that grain production in the Northwest is still insufficient?

Jiang Mingyuan hummed in agreement, "It's far from enough."

"In the past three years, the grain circulating in the market and the official grain stored in various places have only been enough to maintain market price stability for the time being."

"After this battle, regardless of the outcome, the grain supply in the Northwest will be completely depleted."

He looked worried and sighed, "If only someone could cultivate more land and grow more food."

Gu Xixi lowered her head, and the corners of her lips curled upwards.

This man, a mere scholar, actually thought the same thing as her.

Unfortunately, he was unaware that large tracts of land had already been cleared on the northwestern border.

Jiang Mingyuan looked at Gu Xixi and said solemnly, "That's why I admire what you've done."

"As the saying goes, food is the most important thing for the people. If we can make the same land produce more grain, the Northwest will have no more worries about food security!"