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

Shi Tou looked blankly at Mu Nanzhao, then at Gu Xixi.

Gu Xixi said with a smile, "Actually, we live in Huachidu Village, which is under the jurisdiction of Qingtian County and is not far from the county seat."

Stone's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?!"

"That was at Madam Meng's house before..."

The little one suddenly covered his mouth with both hands and mumbled indistinctly, "Don't worry, Sister Xixi! My mouth is very tight!!"

Gu Xixi found it somewhat amusing, "Madam Meng already knows, so you don't need to keep it a secret."

The Meng family now knows that Gu Xixi and Mu Nanzhao's identities as business people are fake.

Although only Meng Chengping knew Mu Nanzhao's true identity, his identity as Chen Fang was no longer a secret.

The day before yesterday, Gu Xixi also made a special trip to visit Madam Meng to apologize for her previous deception.

Madam Meng was a clever woman. Although her younger brother Meng Chengping did not say it outright, she had already guessed that there must be an unavoidable reason behind it.

Madam Meng said she didn't mind, and added that she still considered Gu Xixi a close friend.

Shi Tou breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good."

In his mind, Madam Meng was also a good person, and he didn't want to deceive her.

Reassured, Shi Tou went back inside to pack his things.

If other adults say they're taking him home, he'll never be stupid enough to follow them. What if they're human traffickers?

But Sister Xi is different. Shi Tou believes in Sister Xi and admires her!

Anyway, he's determined to stick with her.

Gu Xixi lowered her head and drank the tea. The Fu brick tea had a rich flavor, sweet and slightly bitter, which surprisingly went well with the unique sweetness of honey.

It's warm and comforting to eat, very moisturizing.

She blew on the tea leaves, took several sips, and then smiled at Mu Nanzhao, saying, "This is the first time I've known you could brew such delicious tea. It's a pity I can't drink it every day."

In the Northwest, tea is not an everyday food that everyone can drink.

Even though Gu Xixi has escaped poverty and has no worries about food, clothing, housing, or transportation, she still can't afford to drink this kind of high-quality Fu brick tea cake every day.

Mu Nanzhao said, "If you suddenly make a fortune, don't forget to buy some more good tea."

Gu Xixi took it as a joke and laughed, "Rather than making a fortune, it's more realistic to hope that I can grow good tea trees myself."

That afternoon, after finishing with the nursery, Gu Xixi took the stones back to the village.

The nursery gate was heavily locked, so if it snowed, we wouldn't need to water the plants all winter.

If there is little rain or snow this year, it will be enough to come back once or twice to take care of it.

The next morning, Shi Tou stood in the land temple of Huachidu Village with his schoolbag on his back, and it took him a while to come to his senses.

He realized that he might have been deceived.

"Sister Xixi, when you say 'study hard,' do you mean going to school?!"

Gu Xixi said with a smile, "That's right, you're only six years old. What else can you do if you don't go to school?"

Stone argued forcefully, "But I'm almost seven years old!"

Gu Xixi still smiled and said, "Even at seven years old, you have to go to school."

Stone:"……"

No wonder Sister Xixi told him yesterday to bring all the things he used to use when he went to school.

Stone still tried to struggle, "I've long since given up on studying, I want to learn how to plant trees from you."

Gu Xixi: "It's not too late to learn something else after you finish school."

She continued to offer enticing bait, "My family has thirty-two acres of land; you can learn to grow whatever you want."

Shi Tou was surprised: "Thirty-two mu?"

How many trees could be planted with that!

The stone fell silent.

Just then, Gouwa ran out of the school and, as if they were old friends, grabbed Shitou and said, "Hey, you're Shitou? Your real name is Zhang Minglei, right?"

Stone had never been so close to children his own age before, and he shifted his shoulders uncomfortably.

"Who are you? How do you know me?"

Gouwa grinned, "I'm Qin Ruilin, a year older than you. You can just call me Brother Ruilin."

"Come on, I'll take you to find a seat."

Gouwa hugged the stone and walked away, then turned back and winked at Gu Xixi. "Aunt Xixi, don't worry about this kid. I'll take him out to play after school!"

Gu Xixi smiled, "Okay, I know you're sensible."

However, what shocked Stone even more was yet to come.

The guy he always seemed to dislike, Brother Chen, turned out to be his schoolteacher.

So, on his first day of school, Shi Tou was called up to recite twice, tested on his comprehension once, randomly tested on his character recognition three times, and given a demonstration of writing characters once.

The gentleman's reasoning was quite sound: "You've had an extra year of schooling compared to others, so you should set an example."

Finally, school ended, and Shi Tou thought, "It's probably too late to go back now, isn't it?"

Now that the farming season is over and it hasn't snowed yet, Huachidu Village has already entered a period of hibernation.

That afternoon, the sound of horses' hooves broke the tranquility of the village.

Shi Tou was playing with some children, throwing stones, when he saw soldiers on horseback heading towards his home in the distance.

Startled, he stood up, said, "I'm done playing," and ran back home as fast as he could.

The soldiers stopped outside Gu Xixi's house, and the young general in the lead dismounted.

Is Gu Xixi home?

The sound was as loud as thunder, startling the hoopoes that were hibernating in the trees.

After a while, the door opened, and Gu Xixi poked her head out with a puzzled look on her face.

Upon seeing the young general's face clearly, she paused, "General Meng?"

Meng Chengping still had that same smiling baby face, only he looked a bit thinner than the last time I saw him.

"Greetings, sister-in-law!"

Gu Xixi felt embarrassed and whispered, "Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"

She turned and glanced into the yard. "You need to see him?"

Personally, Gu Xixi didn't want Mu Nanzhao to bring those "important matters" into the family.

But Meng Chengping had already come to her door, and considering the previous life-saving grace, she couldn't very well turn away the guest.

"General Meng, please come in and have a seat."

Meng Chengping stepped over the threshold with a smile, "I do have something to discuss, but I'm looking for you, my sister-in-law."

Gu Xixi was taken aback. "Looking for me?"

Before Meng Chengping could reply, a small figure rushed over, bumped into him, and shoved him hard.

Finding that he couldn't push her, he turned around and stood in front of Gu Xixi, spreading his arms and glaring angrily.

"If you want to arrest someone, arrest me! What kind of man bullies Sister Xixi!"

The soldiers behind Meng Chengping were dumbfounded.

This kid actually dared to fight General Meng?!

Meng Chengping was also stunned for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed loudly, "Good lad! You have guts and are quite strong too!"

Gu Xixi tugged at the little guy, "Shitou, didn't you go play with Gouwa? Why are you back so soon?"

Stone didn't answer, but instead grinned at Meng Chengping, "What are you laughing at?"

Gu Xixi explained helplessly, "General Meng is a guest, not here to arrest someone."

Shi Tou then stepped aside, and Meng Chengping entered, glancing at Shi Tou with a smile, "It seems that my sister-in-law has gained another protector."

Gu Xixi chuckled, "General Meng is quite the joker, but don't let his age fool you, he's very resourceful."

Meng Chengping looked at the stone a few more times, admiring it greatly.

Upon seeing Mu Nanzhao emerge, Meng Chengping immediately stopped smiling and said solemnly, "I have come here on orders."

"The General has a few words and some things for me to deliver to Miss Gu."