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

Gu Xixi watched in shock as the green ox shuffled in place before finally collapsing to the ground with a thud.

He's dead?!

Just that one moment?

If Mu Nanzhao uses the same methods against her...

Gu Xixi suddenly felt a dull pain in her neck.

Until Mu Nanzhao glanced over with a cool look and said, "Let go."

Gu Xixi realized that her hand had somehow become tightly gripping Mu Nanzhao's belt. She quickly let go and retreated several steps away in the blink of an eye.

"I'm so sorry!" she tried to remain calm. "Thank you so much for saving my life!"

"No need," Mu Nanzhao said indifferently.

“If the situation weren’t so urgent, and you were willing to die, I should have granted your wish.”

"..." Gu Xixi had no words to express her suffering.

Instead of advancing the romantic relationship between the male and female leads, it changed the object of Mu Nanzhao's heroic rescue from Gu Qingye to Gu Xixi herself.

However, there is still a problem to face.

Gu Xixi squatted down next to the big blue ox, examined it for a while, and sighed helplessly, "Alas, it's hopeless."

According to the laws of this dynasty, killing a draft ox without cause is punishable by imprisonment for six months to one year, depending on the severity of the circumstances.

Although reasons such as cattle plague or madness leading to collisions are not grounds for conviction.

However, the person who slaughtered the ox should compensate the owner of the ox for 30% of the loss.

Clearly, Gu Xixi cannot afford to pay these losses right now.

Mu Nanzhao said, "Don't worry, I will take responsibility for what I did."

Gu Xixi stood up. "That's not what I meant, I..."

Mu Nanzhao turned to leave, and as he brushed past Xixi, his eyes were mocking, and his voice was as ethereal as the wind:

"The person you'd risk your life to save, she wants you dead, what are you going to do?"

Gu Xixi was stunned.

Beyond Mu Nanzhao's back, she saw Gu Qingye hiding under the wall.

Seeing Xixi looking at her, Gu Qingye smiled guiltily and said, "Sister Xixi, it's so good that you're all alright."

There were only three people present on this road.

Xixi knew perfectly well who had pushed her from behind.

She calmly walked step by step toward Gu Qingye, "Yes, thankfully I didn't die."

Gu Qingye gave an awkward smile, but she still didn't take Gu Xixi seriously.

This silly girl is always so easy to coax, and this time is no exception. As long as she explains a few words and acts cute, it'll all be over.

"Sister Xixi... I didn't mean to. I was just too scared and accidentally dropped it. You won't hold it against me, right?"

Gu Xixi walked up to Gu Qingye and stopped.

"Slap!" A crisp, loud slap startled the sparrow that had landed on the wall.

Gu Qingye looked up in surprise and met Gu Xixi's gentle smile.

"If we each take one hit, then we sisters will be even."

"Kids just play around and fight, your little sister won't take it to heart, right?"

Gu Qingye covered her burning cheeks, feeling for the first time that the person in front of her was an absolute stranger.

"You! How dare you hit me!"

Gu Xixi said calmly, "I have something to do, so I'll head back first."

She didn't ask Gu Qingye why.

She's done something wrong, and she doesn't care what the other person's reasons are.

As they turned the corner, Gu Xixi finally caught up with Mu Nanzhao. "I should be the one to compensate for that cow."

Mu Nanzhao's eyes shifted slightly. "Didn't you say you were broke?"

Gu Xixi said seriously, "We can't compensate right now, but we can write a written agreement first."

She was confident in herself and believed that she could wait at most three months until the autumn harvest, after which she wouldn't be so strapped for cash.

But Mu Nanzhao…

Gu Xixi glanced at him and wondered if he could walk so fast after killing a cow. Could it be that he was faking his dizziness and vomiting blood earlier?

As if sensing Gu Xixi's inner thoughts, Mu Nanzhao suddenly raised his hand to his forehead.

"gosh."

The voice was so low it was almost inaudible. Gu Xixi thought she had misheard and turned her head to look. "Huh?"

Mu Nanzhao coughed a few times with his eyes lowered, his lips turning slightly pale.

Out of gratitude for saving her life, she could only ask with concern, "Where do you feel unwell?"

"I can easily protect myself on my own." Mu Nanzhao curled his lips in self-deprecation. "Things are indeed different now."

Gu Xixi froze. Fine, so it's all because they became like this to save her.

Seeing that Mu Nanzhao was swaying precariously, he still stubbornly kept walking forward.

Gu Xixi sighed inwardly, "I'll help you."

"No need." Mu Nanzhao paused. "I can just borrow your cane."

The courtyard of Gu Xixi's house was bustling with people.

Aunt Zhang brought out all the stools in the house, but there still weren't enough seats.

But the remaining people preferred to stand and wait rather than leave.

Aunt Zhang had to run to the gate again and again until she finally saw Gu Xixi and Mu Nanzhao return.

She hurried over to greet them, "What's going on with you two?"

Mu Nanzhao placed one hand on Xixi's shoulder, exuding a composed and dignified air.

Gu Xixi, as a "crutch," was not so comfortable.

She gasped for breath before saying, "Uncle Liu's cow got spooked, and we couldn't get away, so he beat it to death."

"What?!" Aunt Zhang was so shocked her eyes almost popped out. She rushed forward and grabbed Xixi to check her.

"Let me see, are you hurt anywhere?"

Gu Xixi comforted him, "I'm fine, Chen Fang, he..."

The real reason cannot be revealed.

"He may have suffered a minor injury."

Aunt Zhang then noticed whether Mu Nanzhao was alive or dead, "Xiao Chen, are you injured?"

"Ouch, you've been gored by a cow! Quick, go inside and lie down!"

Upon entering the courtyard, the eagerly awaiting crowd immediately swarmed around, each vying to recommend themselves.

"Our two families are related within five degrees of kinship! I will definitely do my best!"

"Pick me! I'm hardworking and never slack off!"

……

Mu Nanzhao thought to himself, no wonder this girl was so confident when facing Gu Laosan's family.

It turns out she had already decided what kind of helper she wanted.

Mu Nanzhao released Xixi's hand from her shoulder, his tone still listless.

"I'll go back first."

Gu Xixi called out to Aunt Zhang, who was about to go with her to take care of the children, "Auntie, did you tell them my request?"

Aunt Zhang nodded, "I told them, but I didn't expect so many people to come!"

Gu Xixi was not surprised; as the saying goes, a great reward will surely bring forth brave men.

Although the conditions she proposed were tricky and demanding, the benefits that the farmhand could obtain were unparalleled.

Dozens of people arrived and lined up in a long queue under Aunt Zhang's direction.

Gu Xixi would casually chat for a couple of minutes about everyday things before moving on to the next person.

In less than half an hour, she had selected fifteen people from them.

"I only need eight people. We'll have a one-hour trial run tomorrow."

"If I'm not satisfied with someone, they have to leave immediately without complaint. Everyone knows that, right?"

Everyone agreed in unison.

Gu Xixi smiled kindly, "The trial work tomorrow will be simple."

"Everyone will do their work the same way they normally do at home."

The courtyard has finally returned to tranquility.

In the evening, a piece of gossip that would make you want to eat started to circulate in Huachidu Village.

"The man Gu Xixi bought killed a cow with his bare hands?!"

Isn't he a sickly person who could be blown away by the wind?

That appearance, that physique, and now, with a strong and muscular physique.

Gu Xixi only spent one coin!