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

Chapter 432 A Feeling of Fear Upon Returning Home

Having been away from the border for a long time, I arrived in the height of summer, under the scorching sun.

Mu Nanzhao gave his carriage to Gu Xixi and Lü Jing.

He followed on horseback.

Gu Xixi felt sorry for Mu Nanzhao's face, worried that it would get sunburned, so before leaving, she took out her own sunscreen, Mitsubishi 28, and insisted that he wear it.

At this moment, they are crossing a desolate, rocky beach from the official road.

Gu Xixi opened the car window a crack and watched Mu Nanzhao's silhouette as he rode away on horseback.

The man wore a frost-colored robe, had a wasp waist and a broad back, and stood upright. He wore a veil and a black gauze draped over his head.

When the gauze curtains fluttered in the wind, they revealed a sharply defined profile, resembling a handsome swordsman from a later martial arts drama.

Gu Xixi was completely absorbed in watching.

I've seen many scenes that I found dull and boring become beautiful because of someone's presence.

Lu Jing, standing to the side, seemed somewhat uneasy.

She looked around at the luxurious interior of the car. The cushions on the seats were made of some kind of rattan or grass, and they were soft, cool, smooth to the touch, and did not stick to her skin.

In addition, there are exquisite items such as cushions filled with silk and jade, ebony carved tea tables, table tea sets, lampstands, and the Four Treasures of the Study.

There were many things that Lü Jing didn't know the names of, and she didn't dare to touch them. She just watched them with curiosity.

Gu Xixi felt a bit hot, so she rolled down the car window and picked up the ivory fan on the table to fan herself gently.

Noticing Lü Jing's tension, Gu Xixi chuckled softly, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

"Relax, don't make a car ride more tiring than walking."

Lu Jing also whispered, "This is the Regent's carriage, it's only natural that you sit in it."

"Even though I benefited from your help, it's unfair to let the Regent be exposed to the sun like this."

"It also prevents the two of you from spending time alone together."

"I'm afraid he'll hold a grudge against me."

Gu Xixi was both amused and annoyed. "Why are you getting more and more inappropriate?"

Lu Jing said seriously, "I'm speaking from the heart, the absolute truth, I'm not joking."

Gu Xixi shook her head and sighed, saying helplessly, "I promise he won't hold a grudge against you, is that alright?"

Lu Jing nodded with a smile, "Okay, with you as my guarantor, I feel much more at ease."

After resting for one night, the carriage passed near the village of dependents at noon the next day.

Gu Xixi lifted the curtain and said, "If you have important things to do, you don't need to see us into the village."

The Northwest Army first suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Northern Li, and then went out to defend the emperor, thus making a great contribution to the cause of supporting the emperor.

With his troops back in the army, Huo Jiang took the opportunity to eliminate the spies, bandits, and other forces hiding along the border.

This region is now at its most peaceful since the founding of the Daye Dynasty.

After thinking for a moment, Mu Nanzhao did not insist on escorting Gu Xixi into the village. "Alright, if I have nothing to do tonight, I will not stay overnight at the military camp and will come back."

Gu Xixi nodded with a smile.

Their eyes met, and a feeling of affection was exchanged between them.

Mu Nanzhao left behind the coachman and two guards, instructing them to take good care of the two girls and escort them into the village.

He grabbed the reins, gave Gu Xixi a deep look, and then continued forward.

As the carriage turned toward the village of dependents, Gu Xixi felt a sense of trepidation, as if she were approaching home.

After Mu Nanzhao left, Lü Jing relaxed a lot. She leaned out of the car window and looked around curiously.

"This is the dependents' village?"

"Do we live in the village?"

Gu Xixi nodded, "There's a small, fixed courtyard. Jinglan and I always stayed there whenever we came here."

After a while, Lü Jing asked again, puzzled, "Miss He said that the people here are mostly military dependents and children."

"We've been in the village for so long, how come we haven't seen a single person?"

Gu Xixi was startled and also lifted the curtain to look.

The carriage traveled along the straight road in the middle of the village, but there was no one in sight.

She thought for a moment and realized the reason: "The harvest at the border is a few days later than in our village."

"At this hour, those who are able to work should still be in the fields harvesting."

"Those who are not physically strong either stay indoors to cook or help take care of the children. They don't have time to go out and walk around."

Lü Jing nodded, "If it's just women and children, it's indeed quite difficult."

"It's inevitable that everyone will help each other and work together."

As they were talking, the carriage stopped outside a small courtyard.

The ground beneath the car's feet was clean all the way to the gate.

I reached out and touched the door panel; there wasn't much dust on it.

Lü Jing said with a smile, "Even though you've been gone for so long, there are still people who come over to clean regularly."

Gu Xixi smiled, picked up the key she had prepared earlier, unlocked the door, and pushed it open.

The courtyard was as clean as the outside.

The accompanying coachman and guards, without needing Gu Xixi's instructions, had already taken the bundles and luggage from the carriage into the courtyard.

Gu Xixi said thank you for your trouble, and said, "Put the things in the main hall, and then you can go and rest."

These people were all well-trained and obeyed Gu Xixi's every word.

He simply put down his things and left the courtyard without saying another word.

Gu Xixi went to her usual bedroom first, where everything was still as it was.

She skillfully opened the box, took out clean mattresses and sheets, and began to make the bed.

Lu Jing ran in and said, "I've checked the kitchen, there's nothing to eat."

"There was a full tank of water, and it was very clean."

Gu Xixi said, "It's inconvenient to buy things here. In the past, the meals for the small courtyard were all taken care of by the army's cooks."

"Since they didn't send a letter in advance to let us know, they naturally didn't prepare any food."

She smoothed the sheets out with both hands, turned her head and said, "Are you hungry?"

"Once you've settled into your place, we'll go find something to eat."

The bedroom next to this one was previously occupied by He Jinglan.

Everything was readily available.

Gu Xixi helped Lü Jing make the bed. When the two went out, the sun was shining brightly, making the ground appear white.

Lu Jing originally thought that Gu Xixi was going to take her to a family's house to freeload a meal.

But as they walked, they found themselves out of the village, only on a different road than the one that led into it.

Lu Jing, feeling hot, took out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat and asked, "Where are we going?"

"We're almost at the wasteland."

Gu Xixi said, "I just want to take you to see what used to be a wasteland."

Lu Jing's interest was immediately piqued, and she even forgot about being hungry.

"I know that! You reclaimed wasteland in the Northwest, planting oats, alfalfa, and vegetables, stretching as far as the eye could see!"

"I've been wanting to see it for myself for ages!"

Gu Xixi laughed and said, "We can't get there yet."

"Let's go to the nearest place first."

Outside the village, there are rolling oat fields, their color slightly different from that of wheat.

As you get closer, you can hear a lively chatter, all of which is women's voices.

Gu Xixi said to Lü Jing, "Everyone is resting and having lunch right now, so we've come at the perfect time."

First, a military dependent saw the two of them. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, then exclaimed in surprise:

"Boss Gu is back!"

"Aunt Lin! Madam Zhou! Sister Zaohua! Quick! Quick!!"

Lu Jing smiled, pursing her lips, "She said you're back, which shows she considers you family."

In the blink of an eye, a large number of women emerged from the wheat field and surrounded Gu Xixi and Lü Jing.