Originally, the spot where Xu Qi set up her stall had been taken over by someone else. The old man before, lacking enough silver, was pushed aside by others. This was the rent paid by the original owner for a year, so Xu Qi didn’t face such troubles.

“Hey, it’s Qi’er.”

The newcomer was from the same village as Xu Qi, and usually, he would come to buy meat from her once or twice a month.

“Hey, Uncle, are you selling something here?”

“Yes, these are wild vegetables I dug with my neighbor yesterday, still fresh.”

Dug vegetables? Xu Qi’s eyes lit up; it was indeed a good way to pass the time. And since Ah Lan had just arrived, she needed to take him out for some fresh air. Without her guidance, he might not dare to go out.

Thinking of her husband’s timidity, Xu Qi lowered her head and chuckled softly.

As soon as the meat stall was opened, customers began to flock in.

“Xu, give me two pounds of meat.”

“Sure, that’ll be twenty-eight coins.”

“I also want some. Give me two pieces of lean meat for making dumplings. These two look good.”

“Your taste is impeccable. These two pieces are both lean and tender, perfect for dumplings.”

The young man blushed at the praise and carefully accepted the two pieces of meat Xu Qi handed over.

“That’ll be thirty-five coins.”

After paying, the customer left, and immediately another person arrived.

Watching Xu Qi’s thriving business, an uncle nearby couldn’t help but envy her. “Qi’er, your business is really good. You must have saved up a lot of money to marry a husband.”

Amidst her busy schedule, Xu Qi found time to reply, “Oh, I already have a husband.”

The uncle seemed shocked, and after Alan spoke those words, he froze. “You, you already have a husband? When did this happen, and why didn’t we know?”

Other villagers from the Xu Village also gathered upon hearing the commotion. “That’s right, Qi’er, why didn’t we know? You should have held a wedding banquet or something, so we could have come to see.”

“He’s shy. He just arrived a few days ago. Let’s hold the banquet later.”

This implied that there would indeed be a wedding banquet.

The onlookers’ eyes sparkled. “Hey, then we’ll have to go see your new husband in a few days.”

“Sure.”

Xu Qi agreed verbally, but in her heart, she knew that if they came, she would have to stay by Ye Lan’s side. Men around here were known for their gossip, and she was well aware of it.

“Qi’er, I’ll buy a pound of meat from you later.”

As the conversation shifted, another villager from the Xu village spoke up.

“Sure, Uncle, which one do you want?”

“Just that piece. My child loves lean meat.”

Xu Qi smiled and cut off the chosen piece, putting it aside to prevent someone else from eyeing it.

Not far away, the old uncle who had heard gossip about Xu Qi was discussing it with other uncles, including Uncle Zhou, who had previously stopped Xu Qi.

Uncle Zhou’s eyes widened in shock; he had hoped his son would marry into the Xu family and enjoy a better life!

“How did Xu Qi get married? Are you sure you’re not hearing things?” Uncle Zhou still held a glimmer of hope.

But the uncle who had heard the gossip was very certain. “Of course, it’s true! Why would I lie to you? Xu Qi just told me herself!”

On the other side, Xu Qi finished selling the meat earlier than usual. She packed up and headed back home with her donkey cart. Along the way, she was stopped by Uncle Zhou.

“Hey, Xu’er, are you heading back now? Can I catch a ride? I didn’t bring any change with me today.”

Xu Qi didn’t have a good impression of Uncle Zhou, but since they were from the same village, she didn’t want to escalate the situation. “Sure, Uncle Zhou, come up.”

Since all the meat had been sold, the cart was now empty, and there was plenty of space for two. Sitting together, they didn’t feel crowded at all. Besides, Xu Zhi had sent a message earlier saying he wouldn’t come today.

“I heard from the villagers that you got married?”

Xu Qi knew that Uncle Zhou had always had some thoughts about her, so she naturally didn’t directly admit it. Instead, she put on a happy expression. “He’s a very gentle person.”

When she glanced at Uncle Zhou, his expression looked like he was constipated.

Suddenly, Xu Qi felt somewhat pleased.

Her house was a bit far from the village entrance, so when they reached it, she stopped and said to Uncle Zhou, “This is your stop. I’ll drop you off here.”

Unexpectedly, Uncle Zhou was reluctant to leave. “It’s still early. Can I come in and see your newlywed husband?”

Xu Qi: …

“Sure, come on in, Uncle Zhou.”

Since they were from the same village, they would eventually meet Ye Lan sooner or later. It would be better for her to bring him in, and perhaps she could get some support from the side.

“Ah Lan, I’m back.”

Taking the man home, Xu Qi tied the donkey cart near the door. Since she hadn’t bought any vegetables today, she planned to take her husband to the mountains to pick some wild ones.

People inside heard her voice and came out. Ye Lan was still wearing the clothes Uncle Man had given him. “Mistress.”

He called out softly, taking a few quick steps towards Xu Qi but suddenly stopped when he saw a man behind her.

The man had a sharp gaze, giving off an unfriendly vibe.

Ye lan paused, afraid to approach any further.

“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you coming over?”

Seeing her husband so happy, Xu Qi almost forgot there was someone behind her.

“Mistress, who is this…”

Ye Lan stood still, not daring to move any closer. He was wearing shoes that Xu Qi had lent him, which didn’t fit well and exposed a glimpse of his ankle.

“Oh, right, this is Uncle Zhou, also from our village.”

Ye lan lowered his head, his long hair falling on both sides of his ears. “Uncle Zhou.”

He responded softly, obediently.

Uncle Zhou frowned, but instead of responding to Ye lan, he turned to Xu Qi. “Is this the new husband you’ve married?”

“Yes.” Xu Qi gently hugged Ye lan’s waist, as if telling him to relax.

“He’s quite good-looking, like a fox from the mountains.”

Xu Qi felt that something was wrong with Uncle Zhou’s words, but she couldn’t quite figure it out.

Ye Lan’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he discerned the hostility in the words. It was a veiled insult, implying that he was a fox spirit seducing people.

He pursed his lips, quietly slipping out from Xu Qi’s embrace.

Initially, Xu Qi didn’t understand what Uncle Zhou meant, but when she saw Ye Lan looking a bit downcast as he retreated from her embrace, she suddenly understood.

Comparing someone to a fox was not a compliment.

She suppressed her displeasure and replied with a smile, “In my opinion, Ah Lan doesn’t resemble a fox at all. He’s more like jade, gentle and soft.”

“Oh, you shameless child.”

Uncle Zhou’s expression darkened even more, and he could only dryly retort.

Xu Qi didn’t want to say anything more. She was afraid that if she spoke, she would end up scolding someone. Who lacked shame? Saying such things about someone’s husband on the first visit showed a lack of manners.

As they stood there awkwardly, fortunately, Uncle Man came out of the house, glanced at them, and exclaimed, “Hey, Uncle Zhou, why are you here?”

He opened the gate and invited Uncle Zhou in.

Xu Qi noticed that when Uncle Zhou saw Uncle Man, Ye Lan instinctively moved behind her, using her as a shield for half of his body.