Xu Li was stunned by the blow, and his cheek quickly swelled up. He covered his face, feeling a burning pain, and hurried away from the alley with tears in his eyes.

Wan Hai wanted to call out to him, but he opened his mouth without saying a word. He lowered his head and slapped himself, then closed his eyes and didn't open them for a long time.

Now, Xiao Wanshi, having received one tael of silver from Wan Hai, exchanged it for copper coins and then chartered a carriage to leave for Chishui Village.

After arriving, they went straight to He Donglai's house.

The villagers have never seen anything like this in all their years of life. Wasn't it said that Xiao Wanshi was already dead?

How did she reappear? Seeing her go to He Donglai's house, she went in crying. He Donglai, seeing the little Wan Shi he had lost and found again, asked, "What are you doing here?"

Xiao Wan started talking again about how she was about to die, but was saved by someone.

The story was full of holes. Little Wan cried, "Originally, the King of Hell was going to take me away, but I really couldn't bear to leave you all. I was afraid that no one would take care of my son, so I forced myself to come back."

He Donglai said, "Your eldest son, I raised him for nothing all these years, and he just ran off with someone else after meeting a rich dad. How much have I sacrificed to support that family of three all these years, and what have I gotten in return?"

Xiao Wan said, "He's having a hard time over there too. I guess he hasn't settled down yet. If they don't take care of you in your old age, I won't stand for it." Although Xiao Wan was covered in lice and disheveled, He Donglai wasn't much better off. He had an indescribable stench. The house was a mess, with barely any room to step.

He Donglai knew there was something fishy about Xiao Wanshi's departure and return, but he couldn't be bothered to pursue it. He had thought that with money in his pocket, he could find a younger woman to have a son with, but not only did the deal fall through, he also became a laughingstock in the village, who called him a shameless old man.

He had thought that He Zifeng's mother's return would allow him to rekindle their old relationship, but she, taking advantage of her son's good fortune, completely ignored him. He, with only eighty taels of silver, had become a nuisance to everyone; he simply couldn't bear this filthy existence any longer. Now that Xiao Wanshi had returned, it was just as good.

He Donglai said, "You took my money with you when you left, so don't even think about me putting any more money with you. If you behave yourself, the family won't starve. If you don't behave yourself, get out of here. I have money, I can find a wife anywhere, I don't need you."

Xiao Wan was now in a vulnerable position, so she had no choice but to submit and remain.

He Fan returned from chopping firewood and was overjoyed to hear that his mother had come back. "Mother! That's wonderful! I thought someone was lying to me." Only He Tong snorted and didn't even look at Xiao Wan Shi.

Xiao Wan didn't care. Hearing that He Zifeng's mother had also returned, she was afraid that the two of them would get together, so she was determined to make a good impression.

First, I took a shower and applied a lot of lice-repellent powder. Then I gathered all the dirty clothes in the house, which were taller than a person, and carried them out to wash.

These days, the He family has had a lot of trouble, and they don't even open the gate during the day. But now that Xiao Wanshi has come back, she opened the gate to let the outside air dissipate the smell in the yard.

When Xiao Wanshi returned, the villagers had all sorts of rumors. Some even said that she and Wan Hai had set a trap to kill Liangzi, but Liangzi's mother had accepted money back then, and Wan Hai had also knelt down and kowtowed, so it was not appropriate to bring up old grievances again.

The rest of what she said seemed rather bland and insignificant. Having experienced the hardships of making a living outside, being ridiculed was nothing to Xiao Wan.

After washing the clothes, they were all hung out to dry. The sun was strong, and the clothes dried quickly, then were neatly folded. First, Xiao Wan put the food in the pot, then began tidying up the house.

The more I cleaned, the more alarmed I became; I smashed almost all the porcelain jars in the house. Now it feels empty, and with Wan Hai's family gone, the large house feels lifeless.

When He Donglai returned home, he was pleasantly surprised to find the house clean and tidy, and there was even a hot meal waiting for him.

The third brother, He Tong, had his cane repaired by Xiao Wan Shi, and now he could eat with everyone in the courtyard. After everything they had been through, the four of them sitting together at the table for a meal actually felt quite warm and cozy.

That evening, Xiao Wan first went to her two sons' rooms and exchanged a few casual words with them. When she returned to the main house, He Donglai, still harboring lewd intentions, wanted to do something even more indescribable.

Xiao Wanshi couldn't get along with him for even a quarter of an hour. However, Xiao Wanshi wanted to please He Donglai, so she not only showed off her desire to perform, but also said a lot of flattering things.

He Donglai thought he was as imposing as he was in his youth, and he found Xiao Wanshi much more pleasing to the eye.

What made Xiao Wanshi so appealing before he abandoned his wife was this touch of tenderness and affection.

He Donglai was also tired and wanted to sleep.

Xiao Wan said, "Husband, tell me, with so many things happening to our family this year, is it because we've been cursed? I've heard that Baiyun Temple is very efficacious; let's go there and pray to the gods and Buddhas."

He Donglai said, "Go tomorrow, I'll give you five coins." Two coins are needed to burn incense over there, and it's quite a distance; there are shared oxcarts for one coin per person. The trip will take at least a day. The remaining coin will only be enough to buy some tea by the roadside, not even a sesame seed cake.

When Xiao Wan was in charge of the money before, she had everything she wanted. She had never felt so frustrated before. Fortunately, she had the money she got from her eldest son.

Xiao Wan knew five copper coins wasn't much, but she still agreed. She was trying to impress He Donglai, letting him know she was genuinely repentant and ready to live with him. She hoped He Donglai would eventually soften his heart.

He Donglai, oblivious to everything, had already started snoring. Xiao Wanshi woke him up, saying, "Only with a large and prosperous family can things get better and better. So, I'm thinking of arranging a marriage for the third and fourth sons."

He Donglai had thought the same thing before. Given their age, they should have started making arrangements long ago. He Donglai said, "You take charge of the arrangements. Five taels of silver for each son to marry her." He didn't want to spend a penny more. Thinking about it still made him angry. "When He Zifeng got married, I didn't have to spend much money. Look at the children you've raised, every single one of them wants money for their weddings. Do you think I'm a minter?"

Xiao Wan was so scolded that she dared not utter a sound.

People in Chishui Village are relatively well-off, and the bride price is high, but they can buy women from poorer villages, so it should be cheaper. People from smaller places are easier to control.

After discussing the matter, the next day, Madam Wan asked her two sons for their opinions. He Tong said he wanted to marry a boy. As for He Fan, he shyly said he wanted a girl.

She wasn't in a hurry before and didn't get married to her two children, but now that she's in a hurry, everything has come together at once.

...

After listening to the story, Xiao Wanshi returned to the village. She seemed to have reformed and became much more diligent. He didn't say much.

When he got home, he heard someone running over and calling out "Dad!"

He Zifeng picked up his beloved son and kissed him.

Even Fang Shi said when she saw it, "You're such a doting father."

He Zifeng said, "My son is of one mind with me!" Little He Ran also lay obediently in his arms.

Qiu Yu asked, "Are you tired?" As she spoke, she tried to take the child down, but Xiao He Ran liked to stick to his father, and once she finally got the chance, she wouldn't let go. Even at four years old, he still acted like a spoiled child with his father.

He Zifeng said, "I'm not tired." He sat there holding his son.

The little guy reached out and found a grasshopper made of straw. It looked lifelike; his grandma had given it to him. It was his precious toy, and he'd been playing with it all day.

He Zifeng knew his son liked these kinds of things, and asked, "For me?"

"Mm." Xiao Heran nodded.

Qiu Yu, standing nearby, was envious: "Why won't you give it to me?"

Xiao Heran was a little embarrassed. He had already promised He Zifeng, and said, "Then can I give Daddy a kiss?"

Qiu Yu figured it was something the child had racked his brains to come up with, and not wanting to make things difficult for her son, she said, "I was just teasing you."

He Zifeng put his son down, and he ran off again. There were all sorts of small animals in the house, and he could play with any of them for a while. Having a child running around in the house made him very happy.

Fang has now embarked on a large-scale basket-weaving business. She didn't have much capital, but she's already collected over two hundred. And it's not just the traditional kind. She's discovered that people in the county prefer lighter, more portable baskets, not necessarily large, just enough to carry some vegetables. She's also commissioned some more complex designs from the village's skilled elderly craftspeople. The price is two or three coins, depending on the quality of the workmanship.

Although Fang returned later, she became the most prominent woman in the village because of her skills.

Every household in the village knows how to weave; it's better to sell some than to leave it sitting there.

Fang was also very skillful. Although she couldn't weave baskets, she could make little rabbits and grasshoppers out of straw. The children all liked her very much.

He Zifeng said, "Why don't you take these trinkets over and try selling them?"

Upon hearing this, Fang immediately said no, she was just making this up casually for fun, how could she sell it for money.

He Zifeng said, "The kids in the county aren't like the kids in the village who've seen this kind of thing before. They've never seen anything like it. Besides, you can just sell it for a lower price."

Upon hearing this, Fang suddenly understood. She said, "Then I'll give it a try."

He Zifeng then told her about Xiao Wanshi returning to live with He Donglai, saying, "Mother, if you don't want to find an old man, I'll take care of you. If you do want to find one, I'll pick a good one for you."

Hearing her son's words, Fang blushed and said, "I'm already this old, why would I still be doing that!"

He Zifeng hummed in agreement. A moment later, Ranran ran back, pestering her grandmother for the straw rabbit toy.

Fang patiently prepared it for him.

Qiu Yu was preparing food. He Zifeng went into the kitchen and saw that there was his favorite stir-fried pork with chili peppers. He Zifeng said, "It smells delicious."

Qiu Yu picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and said, "Would you like to try some?"

He Zifeng took a bite, then gave Qiu Yu a thumbs up and said, "Delicious."

Qiu Yu's eyes showed a hint of joy as she said, "Then you should eat more."