Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside Chapter 1180: Don’t Tell Anyone

"Hey." Zezi's voice sounded out, as Xiao Tuan dashed inside to assist Good Brother An with the items, grabbing the alcohol box first.

Gu Jinli spoke up once more: "Brother, hold on a bit, I've got another gift for you."

She didn't wait for Good Brother An to reply and dashed off right away.

Good Brother An tried to call her back yet held himself in check, forced to drop the matter.

When Good Brother An and his companions had finished loading every gift onto the mule cart and prepared to depart, Gu Jinli came back holding two things, passing a little wicker basket to Good Brother An: "Brother, these are two bottles of fresh wine, tastes you've never sampled, a bit sweet with a touch of grassy scent. Hand them to Third Miss Ouyang."

Good Brother An reached for the basket she offered, but upon hearing her words, his hand hesitated mid-air, a flash of alarm appeared in his gaze, though he swiftly grabbed the wine and replied, "A case of liquor suffices; these extra two bottles aren't necessary."

Gu Jinli chuckled; Brother hid it fast, yet her keen sight still spotted that brief panic in his eyes... Brother, why the panic? It's merely me reading your mind, no huge issue?

"The case goes to Master Ouyang; this little basket is just for Third Miss." Gu Jinli stressed clearly, "Brother, make sure to tell Master Ouyang plainly, these two bottles are solely for Third Miss Ouyang."

Your sister's being thoughtful here—sure, I'm probing you with these bottles, but I'm also creating an opening for you to connect with Miss Ouyang.

Good Brother An gazed at Gu Jinli's grin... Xiao Yu's smile seems pleasant, yet why does he sense he's stepped right into her scheme? It leaves him on edge.

"Master Ouyang has two granddaughters; favoring just one with a gift could cause trouble." Brother Wang mentioned Ouyang Wu's fiery temper, and Good Brother An fears singling out Third Miss might stir Ouyang Wu's envy.

Gu Jinli giggled: "Brother, relax, do I seem like someone untrustworthy? I've got two gift sets ready."

I only meant to probe you, so I kept Ouyang Wu's present hidden till now.

"Take this for Ouyang Wu—a tiny fan handmade by big sister. With the heat these days, it'll be perfect." Gu Jinli passed the fabric-covered fan to Xiao Tuan: "Grab it and add it to the rest of the gifts."

"Hey." Xiao Tuan accepted the fan and tucked it into a box on the mule cart.

Right then, Good Brother An realized; this lass was putting him to the test.

He struggled to keep his face neutral, but his ears betrayed him by reddening, and at last, he irritably warned Gu Jinli: "Don't breathe a word to anyone!"

Gu Jinli nodded obediently, catching his slightly grumpy tone: "Mm-mm-mm, won't say a thing, I know zilch."

With love just budding, she needed to spare him some dignity, avoid riling up the brother into a tantrum.

Good Brother An itched to tweak her cheek; for the first time, he felt a sister too clever wasn't ideal, plus Brother Cheng—that kid eyed them with sparkling, gossip-filled stares.

Well, this fellow likely figured out seventy percent of it.

"Grip tight, climb aboard, time's slipping away—if you're tardy for lessons and Master Ouyang spares you, I'll come down hard on you!" Good Brother An shoved the small basket into Brother Cheng's hold, face severe.

Brother Cheng: "..."

He felt so unjustly targeted—why him taking the heat, when Second Sister clearly irked their brother? Shouldn't the baby of the family get pampered? How could you do this to me?

"Good Brother An, hold up, have Brother Wu join you all," Mrs. Cui urged swiftly, stepping from the house: "You're fresh back, locals are nosy about you, some scheming women might push their girls at you. Your mother frets, so let Brother Wu escort you."

"Alright." To ease Mrs. Cui's concerns, Good Brother An agreed with a nod.

Mrs. Cui beamed happily. She lingered at the entrance briefly until Luo Wu arrived alongside two officials, shouting from a distance to Mrs. Cui: "Aunt Dashan, Little Tang and crew are quartered at the workshop; troublemakers show up, head there and fetch them to shoo folks off."

About ten officials existed, and since Hui Niang stayed with the Luo Family, overnighting officials there wasn't proper, hence their placement in the workshop yard.

Mrs. Cui smiled: "Hey, Aunt gets it, no worries."

Next, she inquired: "Eaten breakfast yet?"

Luo Wu eyed the Gu Family doorway and answered: "Had some, but not full."

Feeling pity for him, Mrs. Cui hurriedly said: "Hold on, Aunt will fetch you some stuffed pancakes; they're meat-filled and will fill you up nicely."

"I'll accompany Aunt Dashan to get them," Luo Wu declared, trailing after Mrs. Cui into the Gu Family.

Good Brother An, Gu Jinli, and Brother Cheng shared a sly glance with narrowed eyes; Brother Luo Wu was getting bolder by the day, especially after his engagement to big sister, always scheming ways to drop by and see her.

Gu Jinli didn't linger, waved goodbye to Good Brother An, and hurried inside after Mrs. Cui.

Spotting Gu Jinxiu bustling about in the kitchen filled Luo Wu with delight, and he sympathized: "Let Sister-in-law Tong take over these chores; it's far too exhausting rising early to cook breakfast amid this sweltering heat."

Gu Jinxiu's eyes sparkled faintly at the sight of him, then she grew a touch shy in Mrs. Cui's presence, yet boldly chatted with Luo Wu: "I'm merely working the ladle; Sister Chahua and Xiaoxue manage the dish prep, fire tending, and dough kneading."

Since childhood, Gu Jinxiu had grown accustomed to such household duties. Now that life had improved and no longer required slaving at the stove, she still, as the eldest sister, desired to cook meals for her younger siblings.

Upon hearing her words, Luo Wu held back further comments, accepted the soy milk bowl from Gu Jinxiu, took two sips, and asked: "Have you eaten yet?"

"I'll eat shortly," Gu Jinxiu replied, then inquired: "Are you heading out?"

"Mm." Luo Wu shared details of escorting Good Brother An and the others to Master Ouyang's home.

After listening, Gu Jinxiu aided Mrs. Cui in readying supplies, meticulously filling two water pouches with fresh water and a dash of salt: "Xiao Yu says lightly salted water is best during hot weather."

Luo Wu nodded approvingly and grinned.

Mrs. Cui observed the pair with a warm smile; these two youngsters were truly a match made in heaven, promising a joyful and serene life together after marriage.

The wedding between Luo Wu and Gu Jinxiu was fixed for December 9th. Both having reached marriageable age, their families were eager to see the union happen soon.

"I'm off now, Brother An is waiting." Luo Wu grabbed the water pouch and meat pie Mrs. Cui had wrapped, his gaze lingering on Gu Jinxiu.

Under his stare, Gu Jinxiu's cheeks flushed red, and she murmured softly: "Mm, go on."

Luo Wu stole one final glance at her before departing, drawing laughter from Mrs. Cui.

"Brother Luo Wu, speed it up, or we'll be late!" Gu Dewang and the others had shown up, hollering from beside the mule cart at Luo Wu: "If we're tardy, the old man will dump more homework on me!"

With so much homework, he'd have no moments left to earn money.

In addition to Gu Dewang's brothers, Gu Dexing, Qi Kangming, and He Jinseng were there too; they refused to pass up the chance to meet Master Ouyang.

At the shout, Luo Wu rushed out, passed the meat pies to the two officials, swung onto his horse, and called: "Let's depart."

The two officials settled on the front benches of the two mule carts, setting off for town.

One could scarcely imagine it, yet Luo Wu's decision for this journey turned out perfectly right.

Villagers at the entrance, along the paths, and throughout town—who knew Good Brother An, the Small Three-Yuan Scholar, had come back—flocked specifically to catch sight of him.

Still, none dared approach too closely, wary of the five tael silver penalty.