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

Mentioning Grandpa Gu, Aunt Zhang's face was full of displeasure. "What good thing could he possibly bring when he comes to visit?"

"He took out a tattered piece of paper from who-knows-how-many years ago, saying it was a debt your grandfather owed him!"

Gu Xixi was taken aback. In the original owner's memory, she didn't seem to have heard Gu Bapi mention this matter.

Did he mention what he owed, or how much he owed?

Aunt Zhang shook her head. "He didn't say. He knew you weren't home, and he insisted on waiting for you to come back before telling you."

Gu Xixi washed her hands and said, "Then let him wait."

"I'm going to the border again tomorrow."

Now everyone in the village follows Gu Xixi in planting millet, except for Grandpa Gu's family.

He chose this particular time to bring up old debts, rather than earlier or later, clearly indicating an element of venting his anger.

Aunt Zhang said with concern, "Why are you leaving again so soon after you get back? You don't even get a chance to rest!"

Gu Xixi turned around and smiled, "Once this busy period is over, there will be plenty of free time to rest at home."

As she walked toward her room, she said, "I'm going to change my clothes. If Uncle Chen comes later, please ask him to sit and wait for me."

He Jinglan smiled at Aunt Zhang and followed Gu Xixi into the house.

Aunt Zhang shook her head and clicked her tongue, "Calling Old Chen over means he must have something else to do. He's always so busy."

Inside the house, as the two changed their clothes, He Jinglan sighed, "I was so happy, finally I can go to the border again."

When we returned, Master Liu was still nowhere to be found.

"Since I've been away these past few days, the village school has been closed. If I go out again, wouldn't I be like an irresponsible teacher like Master Liu?"

Gu Xixi said with a smile, "Stop complaining. When you went out before, wasn't it Teacher Liu who covered for you?"

He Jinglan pouted, feeling wronged. "Master Liu must think the same thing! He knows I'm at the village school, which is why he keeps delaying his return!"

As she spoke, she rushed towards Gu Xixi, feigning tears and acting coquettishly, "I can't go this time."

You must be careful!

Please give my regards to Aunt Lin and the others!

"Watch the sunrise for me! I love sunrises at the border the most!"

"Oh, I left behind that wolf-hair brush, made by Meng Chengping himself. I didn't want it anymore, so please find it and bring it back for me."

"And the baby we helped deliver, please take a look at him and hold him!"

……

Every time He Jinglan made a request, Gu Xixi would agree with a smile, which could be described as spoiling her.

At sunset, Chen Dafu came to Gu Xixi's house.

Aunt Zhang moved a small stool for him to sit on in the yard and first brought him a large bowl of cold porridge.

"You must be thirsty from working. Have a drink and take a break. I'll go call Xixi over."

Chen Dafu took the bowl, thanked him, and drank it, which indeed made his mouth feel refreshed.

Aunt Zhang cooked the porridge in the afternoon, deliberately using less millet and red beans, mainly to drink the soup.

It was cooked in advance and cooled down. The soup was smooth, sweet and refreshing. It was originally intended to be served with pancakes and vegetables for dinner.

Upon seeing Gu Xixi come out, Chen Dafu immediately stood up and said, "Boss."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "I told you there's no need to be so polite, Uncle Chen, please have a seat."

Chen Dafu sat down calmly and said, "My boss passed by the fields this afternoon and mentioned that he was looking for someone, but I don't know what kind of person he was looking for."

Gu Xixi talked about the farm. "I've just transplanted some tea trees and have half an acre of vegetables and fruits. In the initial stage, I still need to take care of everything myself. For daily care and basic farm work, I'll need to hire someone."

“These hired workers are different from you. They don’t get a share of the profits, but the work they do isn’t heavy, and they get five hundred coins a month.”

“There’s a storage room in the estate that can be tidied up and used as a temporary residence. There’s also a cooking area where hired workers can bring their own meals or bring their own food to cook.”

As Chen Dafu listened, he nodded slightly and listened attentively.

After Gu Xixi finished stating her requirements, Chen Dafu said, "Finding someone is easy."

"The landlord has only planted this little bit of stuff. His daily routine involves watering, fertilizing, weeding, and pest control, and he also looks after the farm. Five hundred coins is more than enough."

"However, since it is the owner's own property, we must find an honest, reliable, and clean person."

Gu Xixi smiled, "That's exactly right."

She didn't want to one day go to the farm and find it covered in excrement and filth.

Chen Dafu frowned and thought for a while, then suddenly realized, "That's right, I have someone in mind."

“She is a widow surnamed Wu in our village. Although she is a woman, she is naturally strong and can do farm work as well as a strong laborer. She is also very clean and, as a woman, she is more careful than the average man.”

Gu Xixi asked curiously, "She's so capable, doesn't she need to cultivate her own fields?"

Chen Dafu sighed, "Sigh, her husband died of illness the year before last. Her husband's family disliked that she only gave birth to two daughters. They said they wanted to divide the family property, but in reality, they didn't give the house or land to the three of them. It was as if they kicked them out."

Gu Xixi frowned. "This is too much."

Chen Dafu said, "Who can argue with that? This woman is truly pitiful. I heard she has no one left in her family."

"The village saw that they had nowhere to go, so the village chief had to negotiate with her husband's family and they managed to get two dilapidated mud houses from her husband's old house, so that they finally had a place to stay."

Gu Xixi asked, "So how have they been making a living all this time?"

Chen Dafu said, "I heard it from my wife. That woman is very strong-willed. She goes to the foot shop by the official road every now and then to do laundry and earn some money."

"I've been to those places. They're for poor people who are just passing through. The bedding on the communal beds is shiny black."

“It’s really hard work to clean them. In winter, my wife saw that her hands were like radishes, covered with chilblains.”

Hearing this, Gu Xixi had already made her judgment.

She said seriously, "It's her."

Chen Dafu was honest and kind, and he was genuinely happy for Widow Wu. "Alright, I'll go back and tell my wife, and have her tell Widow Wu."

After all, there's always gossip around a widow's house, and Old Chen has to avoid suspicion!

Gu Xixi nodded. "I will be going out for the next couple of days, so I'll trouble my aunt to tell her that if she's willing, she can go to the farm to try working for a few days."

“Once I come back and verify that she is suitable, I can give her the first month’s wages in advance, and then she can bring her daughter to live on the farm.”

Chen Dafu was quite excited, "Boss, you've saved those three women! She'll definitely be happy!"

Gu Xixi smiled slightly and said, "I also stay at the estate occasionally. It's more convenient for us as women."

The hiring deal has been finalized.

Gu Xixi saw Chen Dafu outside and said, "Although there are fifteen acres of land over there, most of it is empty."

“There are six acres of land nearby, and I’ve decided to plant winter wheat on them. I’ll definitely need to hire people then.”

"So I intend to invite Uncle Chen over there, and do the same thing as now. However, Uncle Chen will also have to take on a managerial role. In the future, when there are more fields, I will need a trustworthy person to help me take care of the areas that I cannot manage."

“Of course,” Gu Xixi smiled, “there will be a manager’s salary.”