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

Wu Niangzi's two daughters, Xiulan and Xiuhe.

The older sister is six years old and the younger sister is four years old. They are both lively and talkative, which shows that their mother has raised them very well.

Gu Xixi bent down and caught the two hopping little birds, laughing, "Slow down, be careful not to fall!"

The little girls each held Xixi on either side, chattering away.

"Aunt Xixi asked Lan'er to write all the words, and Lan'er has finished writing them all!"

"Aunt Xixi, look at He'er's new hair ornaments! Mother made a few for you too!"

"Aunt Xixi, our cow is back! It's huge!"

"Aunt Xixi, can cows understand us?"

……

Gu Xixi smiled and responded to each question, keeping her busy—it was a sweet burden indeed.

It wasn't until Madam Wu came to the rescue that she said, "Alright, alright, you two little devils, step aside. The master hasn't even seen the ox yet; he's been watching you two the whole time."

Gu Xixi smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. Seeing the two of them so carefree makes me happy too."

She took two paper packets out of her bag and handed them to the two sisters.

I just bought these from the city. They include maltose, shortbread, and fruit rock candy, one serving for each person, just right.

"You two go eat some candy first. I'll go around and check on your homework later."

The two little ones thanked them, took the candy, and ran off with joy.

"Oh!" Madam Wu reached out but couldn't stop her daughter, feeling somewhat helpless. "These two children! I've really spoiled them rotten."

She turned to Gu Xixi and said, "They are well-fed and clothed on the farm, and the owner personally teaches them to read. This is a good life that we never dared to dream of in the past."

"Don't spend any more money on snacks for the two of them in the future."

As Gu Xixi walked forward, she smiled and said, "It's alright. Since Lan'er and He'er call me 'Auntie,' I'm just buying some snacks on the way. It's nothing, so don't be so polite with me."

Wu Niangzi lowered her head, her face showing emotion. She secretly vowed in her heart that she would do her best to work hard so as not to let down such a good employer.

Gu Xixi hired Wu Niangzi mainly to take care of the greenhouse, watering the crops and replacing the charcoal stove for heating on a regular basis.

Since the fruits were harvested in early winter, and the last batch was harvested a couple of days ago, Chen Dafu and his wife came to the farm to prepare for spring planting.

Logically speaking, Madam Wu's work should be considered finished, and the estate is not short of manpower at the moment.

Gu Xixi allowed the mother and her two children to stay there, showing no intention of kicking them out.

So, Wu Niangzi mustered her courage and told Gu Xixi that she was strong and could do farm work. She also wanted to work on a contracted plot of land on the farm, just like Chen Dafu.

When Wu Niangzi said she wanted to claim three mu of land, Gu Xixi was quite surprised.

Because each of her hired workers in Huachidu Village only had three to four mu of land, which was work for strong, able-bodied men.

Madam Wu laughed and said, "It's just a physically demanding job. Don't worry, boss. Although I'm a woman, my strength is definitely no less than a man's!"

Wu Niangzi's confident smile infected Gu Xixi, and also made her admire this woman more.

Abandoned by her in-laws, she raised two young daughters alone, yet she managed to be self-reliant and survive on her own strength.

Gu Xixi wanted to do something for this kind of woman.

So he came up with the idea of ​​a win-win solution: buying oxen for plowing.

When Madam Wu heard this, she was very happy and increased the amount of land she had claimed from three mu to four mu.

For her, this was the first time she had a means of support without relying on a man, and all she wanted to do was work harder and earn more.

He was planning for his own future and that of his two daughters.

When Chen Dafu saw Gu Xixi coming over, he smiled and pried open the cow's mouth to show her. "Look at these teeth, boss. They're in their prime. As long as you take good care of them and use them normally, they can last at least ten years!"

Although Gu Xixi didn't know much about animal husbandry, she still went over to take a closer look.

"Really? In that case, it was a good deal for me to buy it for four strings of cash."

"What? Four strings of cash?" Chen Dafu exclaimed.

Tao and Wu Niangzi stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

During the Daye Dynasty, one thousand copper coins constituted one string.

Oxen were the most valuable tools in ancient agrarian society. The imperial court did not allow the slaughter of oxen without cause, and the buying and selling of oxen could be done through a contract signed at the government office, with payments made in installments.

At the beginning, Mu Nanzhao killed a mad cow in the village to protect Gu Xixi, and then he had to report it to the county government.

At present, oxen used for plowing in the Northwest are worth between six and seven strings of cash.

So Gu Xixi spent four thousand coins, which was not a small amount, but it was still surprising that the price was so low.

Gu Xixi then explained, "I was lucky this time; a lady named Zhao helped introduce me to the seller."

"This cow was originally a cowboy born in the seller's hometown two years ago."

"It was transported from the south by waterway to the northwest along with the same group of mules and horses. It was the only one, and we didn't expect to make a lot of money from it."

"I offered a good price and was able to pay in full without installments, so they sold it to me."

Madam Wu exclaimed in admiration, "No wonder the master is so capable; his luck, vision, and courage are all remarkable."

"Whether buying this cow is worthwhile or not, even if you don't need it yourself, you can resell it immediately and make a considerable profit from the transaction."

Tao asked with a smile, "The Zhao lady that the master mentioned, could it be that matchmaker Zhao?"

"It is her." Gu Xixi turned her head to look. "Your aunt knows her too?"

Tao and Chen Dafu looked at each other and smiled. Tao said, "We not only know each other, but she also arranged my eldest daughter's marriage."

Gu Xixi smiled with interest, "Oh? What a coincidence."

Tao said, "She started matchmaking when she was young."

"Over the years, most of the marriages I've facilitated have been well-received, which has led to the formation of many close relationships."

"In our area, if we're talking about a lady surnamed Zhao who's well-liked and has a wide circle of friends, it's her."

Chen Dafu cherished this ox very much. He talked to it as he led it to its new cattle pen.

As Tao watched her husband's retreating figure, she smiled and sighed, "He loved these big animals when he was young, but unfortunately he couldn't afford to buy them."

"The landlord bought him a cow to look after, which fulfilled his wish."

Gu Xixi chuckled, "I can tell Uncle Chen is very happy."

With spring planting approaching, Wu Niangzi and Tao Shi still had to sift wheat seeds, so Gu Xixi walked alone towards the hut.

In her spare time, she would teach Xiulan and Xiuhe to read.

I had considered sending the two girls to the village school in Huachidu Village, but there was nowhere for them to stay, and it was obviously impossible for them to commute such a long distance.

Madam Wu never had the idea of ​​sending her daughters to school.

But you can't blame her for that. First of all, few girls in the countryside are literate, and going to school is a pipe dream.

Secondly, she was already exhausted from just trying to survive, and simply didn't have the energy to think about anything else.

So Gu Xixi didn't mention schooling to Wu Niangzi, but instead did her best to teach the children to recognize and write characters whenever she had free time.