Two gunshots rang out, a scream rang out, and then the world fell silent.

Xiaoman and Zhang Jun calmly looked at the tiger on the ground.

Officer Li's eyes were tightly closed, and his face was as white as paper.

Zhang Jun nudged Officer Li: "Cousin, it's alright now."

Officer Li opened his eyes and nearly died of fright. The tiger was crawling on the ground, only a meter away, its eyes riddled with bloody holes. Officer Li's face paled even more: "The tiger...the tiger is...dead?"

Zhang Jun: "Mm."

Officer Li: "You killed him?"

Zhang Jun: "Mm."

Officer Li looked at Zhang Jun and then at Xiao Man: "You two are crazy."

Xiao Hei yelled at Officer Li a few times: "You're the crazy one, you coward!"

Officer Li looked at Xiao Hei: "You're crazy too."

Xiaoman returned the gun to Officer Li.

Officer Li glared at Xiaoman: "I said I wouldn't shoot." If he had a gun, he wouldn't be so scared.

Xiaoman: "Can you hold back?"

Officer Li fell silent. He could only tolerate being five meters away at most. Any closer and he wouldn't be able to hold out. "Aren't you afraid he'll miss?"

Xiaoman: "Don't be afraid."

Xiao Hei looked at the tiger on the ground. What's there to be afraid of? Its master could kill it with one punch.

Officer Li looked at Zhang Jun: "Aren't you afraid you'll miss?"

Zhang Jun: "I'm not afraid."

Officer Li thought to himself: So I'm the only one who's scared. You two are crazy. "Can we go back now?"

Zhang Jun glanced at Xiao Man.

Xiaoman walked over and picked up the tiger: "Let's go."

Officer Li was so shocked his jaw almost dropped.

Zhang Jun: "I'll help you carry it."

Xiaoman: "No need. You take care of him."

Officer Li took a deep breath: "No need. You carry it first. I'll switch with you later."

Zhang Jun: "Really not going to?"

Officer Li: "No need."

Half an hour later, Zhang Jun couldn't lift it anymore, so Officer Li took his place. After resting for a while, Zhang Jun took Xiao Man's place. In this way, the three of them took turns carrying the tiger out of the deep mountains.

As they were nearing the bottom of the mountain, Zhang Jun pulled a cart out from a pile of dead branches and leaves. Five large burlap sacks were tied to the bottom of the cart.

Officer Li wanted to ask, "Are you absolutely certain you can catch the tiger?" But he swallowed the words back. With Wang Xiaoman around, they really could. "You've thought of everything. If we just dragged a tiger down the mountain, wouldn't that scare people?"

Zhang Jun smiled. He not only didn't want to scare anyone, but he also didn't want anyone to know he had hunted a tiger: "One should keep a low profile."

Officer Li thought about it and agreed. If others knew that Zhang Jun had hunted a tiger, not only would they want his tiger bones and gallbladders, but if they asked him to hunt another one... "Yes, one should keep a low profile."

The two brothers first loaded the tiger onto the cart.

Next, the two brothers filled four more sacks with weeds. Officer Li stacked the sacks of weeds on top of the sacks of tigers, and Zhang Jun tied the sacks up before pulling the cart down the mountain.

After descending the mountain, Xiaoman parted ways with them.

The two brothers walked and talked.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Jun asked Officer Li, "Do you know where Han Bin is serving in the military?"

Why are you asking that?

"It's nothing, I was just asking."

Officer Li didn't believe it: "Breaking up a military marriage is a crime."

Zhang Jun smiled. "If you won't tell me, I'll think of another way. I've said before, some love doesn't necessarily have to be reciprocated. Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Has anyone introduced you to anyone lately?"

"Yes, I'll tell you..."

After resting at home for a day, Xiaoman told her parents that she wanted to go into the mountains to collect herbs. Xiaoman's mother was worried and insisted that Xiaoman's father come along.

The next day, Xiaoman took his father and Xiaohei into the mountains.

Eight days later, Xiaoman returned with his father and Xiaohei. Xiaoman had collected three baskets of herbs. Among them, one ginseng was the most valuable, as it was at least eight hundred years old. Such ginseng was extremely rare and hard to come by. Xiaoman decided to keep it for himself.

When gathering herbs, Xiaoman always picked the most expensive ones. After selling the herbs, Xiaoman had a lot more money in her hands.

Xiaoman made a new outfit for Grandma Wang, her parents, and her younger brother and sister.

Around nine o'clock in the morning, Xiaoman's father was carrying a bucket to fetch water when two people came in through the door.

Han Gui: "Uncle, are you fetching water? My mother sent us to pick up Binzi's wife."

Xiaoman's father: "Half a month has passed? I thought it was only ten days or so. Xiaoman, Hanbin's brother has come to pick you up."

Xiaoman's mother came out of the house: "Come in quickly. Auntie will pour you some water."

Han Gui: "Thank you, Auntie."

Xiaoman's mother: "Don't be so polite. Come inside."

Han Gui: "Hey."

Xiaoman originally planned to go back in the afternoon.

Han Gui and Han Zhuang drank a bowl of water and rested for a while before saying they had to go back. Xiao Man's mother invited them to stay for lunch, but they said they had things to do at home and declined.

Xiaoman went back inside to get a small bag. When she left, Xiaoman told her parents that they needed to see her.

Da Ni and Da Bao had been eagerly awaiting Xiao Man's return. Xiao Man gave them two bags of candy and five pieces of cloth to Tian Da Hua, asking her to make a dress for Grandma Han, Tang Hui Hui, and the three of them.

Tian Dahua was overjoyed. Ever since she had her child, she hadn't been willing to make new clothes for herself.

Grandma Han and Tang Huihui were also very happy. Although Wang Xiaoman was capable and didn't like doing housework, she respected them and always thought of them when she had good food or nice clothes.

Han Dashan, Han Gui, and Han Zhuang are all skilled farmers. Except during busy farming seasons, the women in the family rarely have to work in the fields.

Xiaoman (the 8th solar term) is a leisurely time. I stay at my parents' home, then at my in-laws' home. I read books, gather herbs, and tend the fields.

Han Bin frequently wrote letters to Xiaoman. They would either express how much he missed her or inquire about the progress of the family housing construction.

To surprise Xiaoman, Han Bin didn't mention that he was learning to cook.

In the blink of an eye, a year has passed.

That year, the village pooled its land and established an agricultural production cooperative. Everyone farmed together and shared the harvest.

Although Xiaoman had money and food, she didn't want to be treated specially.

Xiaoman was working when Han Liniang came over and chatted with the people around Xiaoman while she worked. As they chatted, they started talking about her daughter: "My daughter is so much better. She can earn money just by sitting down, and she earns a lot. Unlike us, we only have strength, but we can't do anything. We were born to be farmers."

Xiaoman glanced at her and said, "Your daughter is so nice, her mother-in-law must like her a lot, right?"

"Of course."

Xiaoman smiled and said, "Really? Her mother-in-law's way of liking her is really different from others."

Someone nearby asked curiously, "Why are you different from everyone else?"

Xiaoman: "Her mother-in-law always complains that her cooking is bad or that her clothes aren't clean enough. Now there's another one: she can't lay eggs."

"You!" Han Liniang wanted to accuse Xiaoman of lying, but Xiaoman was telling the truth. She wanted to get angry with Xiaoman, but she was afraid Xiaoman would beat her up. "You're not pregnant either."

"My husband isn't home. And her husband isn't home either?"

"this……"

"You should take your daughter to see a doctor. That way, her mother-in-law won't scold her every day."

"you……"

"No. Having a child is a matter for both people." Xiaoman stopped and looked at Han Liniang: "You don't mean Liu Cheng doesn't touch your daughter even when he's at home, do you?"

Han Li's mother was stunned. Han Li couldn't conceive, and she was anxious, so she secretly took Han Li to see a doctor. The doctor said Han Li was fine. Could it be... the problem really was with Liu Cheng?

Han Liniang said, "You're talking nonsense, they're doing great together," and went to work on the other side.

Xiaoman thought she could spend the rest of the year tending to her crops. Unexpectedly, after she threw away a clod of earth, the village chief forbade her from farming.