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

Chapter 412 Good Fruit for Friends

When Gu Xixi took a liking to this bracelet while opening her shop at Zhenbaoge, she naturally asked for its price.

Madam Meng replied, "I don't want any money."

"This stuff is hard to sell anyway, so you can take it and use it."

Gu Xixi said with a smile, "I knew it wouldn't sell well. Sister Meng bought it because she cared about me."

I appreciate your kind gesture.

"But since it was prepared just for me, I should pay for it."

Knowing Gu Xixi's temperament well, Madam Meng finally said, "The bracelet was given as a gift along with the jade; it's really not worth much."

"If you really want to give me something, then send me two more cold melons another day."

"Firstly, Qing'er and I both love to eat it."

"Secondly, this thing is very rare, and I intend to use it to entertain some distinguished guests."

Gu Xixi knew that refusing again would be too distant, so she smiled and said, "Okay, I'll bring it next time."

"It's just the season for winter melons now, and the freshly picked ones can be eaten until the second ten-day period of summer."

"If stored in a cool cellar afterwards, it will be fine until early autumn."

Madam Meng didn't stand on ceremony any longer, "It's a pity that Qing'er has been staying at her uncle's house these past two days."

"She only craved the taste of the cold melon a few times before forgetting to bother me again. But she often brings it up with you and Mr. Chen, constantly asking me, 'When is Aunt Xixi coming? I haven't seen that handsome uncle who's with her in so long!'"

Madam Meng looked at Gu Xixi with amusement.

“I told Qing’er that Aunt Xixi went on a long trip to the capital on business, which makes sense.”

"But how to say that handsome uncle really stumped me for a while."

Gu Xixi smiled helplessly, "Besides bringing melons, I came here this time to tell you about my experiences in Beijing."

"Chen Fang's real name is Mu Nanzhao, and he is now the Regent."

"Judging from your nonchalant expression, you probably knew about it a long time ago."

Madam Meng said, "It's not entirely certain."

"People in business hear a lot of true and false information."

"Chengping was in the Northwest Army, and I couldn't help but pay more attention to him from the moment the Northwest Army set off."

"I've heard a lot about that Mr. Mu, and my own guesses and speculations correspond about 70-80% to what you just said."

Just then, Lü Jing came in. It was a hot day, so she parked her car under the shade of a tree in the backyard and asked the shop assistant at Zhenbaoge for a bucket of water for Laifu to drink.

"This must be Boss Meng. I came with my boss. My surname is Lü and my given name is Jing."

"Thank you very much for the trouble your staff has just gone to."

Madam Meng stood up with a smile, "What a lively girl."

"I was just about to ask Xixi about Miss Lü when you arrived. Please sit down and have a cup of tea."

"Here, make yourself at home, no need to be polite."

Lu Jing sat down opposite the two of them. "There's more than one thing I want to thank Boss Meng for."

She smiled and looked at Gu Xixi, saying, "The Meng family is my benefactor. They saved my life and gave me a second chance."

Madam Meng looked at Gu Xixi with a puzzled expression.

Gu Xixi gestured for Lü Jing to speak herself.

Lu Jing solemnly recounted her journey to the capital to appeal for justice and the series of assistance she received from various people.

Meng Chengping is inevitably mentioned.

After she finished speaking, Madam Meng looked solemn, her eyes showing both heartache and relief.

"Fortunately, the villains were eventually brought to justice, and you are safe and sound."

Lu Jing nodded. "On the way to the Northwest, I heard Xixi say that Meng Canjun's elder sister is also Xixi's close friend."

"Having met Boss Meng in person today, she is indeed as I imagined—a true heroine!"

Madam Meng smiled gently, "I'm just a businesswoman, how could I be considered a heroine?"

"My younger brother is brave and fierce, I wonder if he can adapt to life in the capital."

As the head of the family, Madam Meng, the eldest sister, was like a mother to her younger brother. Having not seen him for a long time, she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy when the topic came up.

Lu Jing said, "Military Advisor Meng is still very busy every day."

"When he said he was going to train troops and take turns guarding the palace, it sounded like his superiors valued him highly."

"He is indeed very busy," Gu Xixi confirmed. "I've only met General Meng two or three times since I came to the capital."

Madam Meng laughed and said, "It's good that he's busy; he can't stay idle."

“In the past, the Northwest was a vast and open place, with plenty of opportunities for him to run wild. I was always worried that he wouldn’t adapt to the peaceful and prosperous capital. But after hearing what you say, I feel relieved.”

Gu Xixi then took the opportunity to recount some interesting anecdotes about her meeting with Meng Chengping.

However, no mention was made of the progress between He Jinglan and Meng Chengping.

Let them share their good news later.

When Madam Meng heard from Lü Jing that cucumbers and persimmons could be eaten directly, she immediately ordered her maid to wash a few.

She tried it and really liked it.

She then asked Gu Xixi how she felt about meeting the Regent in the capital.

Gu Xixi had no intention of hiding anything from Madam Meng; she had told her everything that needed to be said.

Madam Meng was genuinely happy for her friend and said, "That's only right."

The three women chatted happily and spent a pleasant afternoon tea time.

It was already sunset when we left Qingtian County.

As they passed near the farm, Lü Jing asked, "Is Madam Meng going to use winter melon to entertain the guests and smooth things over?"

"Does the employer also intend to use it for the same purpose?"

Gu Xixi said, "It's not for any other reason."

"Let's eat our fill first, and the next batch will be ready to be picked in a couple of days."

"I'll give two to Brother Zichu, and I plan to entrust the rest to a caravan to take to the capital."

"As for Anqing and that portion, he's eaten quite a lot of it in the winter."

"When he comes back, let him pick them himself at the farm."

Although the secret guards left behind by Mu Nanzhao can be used at will.

However, Gu Xixi does not intend to use it lightly unless it is necessary or urgent.

Sending a dozen or so winter melons to the capital only requires paying a small fee to a caravan traveling along the way.

Gu Xixi counted on her fingers as she explained how to allocate the space: "General Meng lives alone, so we can give it to the two younger ones."

"The He family and the Prince's mansion have a lot of people, so we'll split the rest in half with them."

"Unfortunately, cucumbers and persimmons are delicate and easily perishable, so they cannot be transported to the capital."

"Otherwise, I really want Jinglan to try it."

Lü Jing laughed, "Speaking of which, Miss He said she wanted to write a letter when we came back."

"Judging by the time, the letter should have arrived by now."

By the time we reached the village entrance, it was already getting dark.

Laifu's ears suddenly twitched, he snorted uneasily, and shook his neck.

Lu Jing noticed this and was about to turn her head to see if Lai Fu had seen something.

Then Gu Xixi whispered, "Don't turn around. Just pretend you didn't see anything and keep walking."

Although Lü Jing didn't understand why, she composed herself and continued driving without looking to the side.

After walking a short distance into the village, I met a few people who had just returned from the wheat fields.

After exchanging greetings, Lai Fu's emotions finally calmed down as they moved forward.

When they could see their own courtyard wall in the distance, Gu Xixi said, "Just now outside the village, Laifu must have discovered that someone was hiding in the bushes watching us."

Lu Jing was startled, and with her intelligence, she immediately connected the dots and figured out the reason.

She looked around, then leaned back and whispered, "Is that the poisonous snake we've been waiting for... coming out of its hole?"