The villagers shrank back and dared not utter a sound.
It turned out that after the silver was distributed during the New Year, each family in the village had two or three hundred taels of silver in their coffers.
When women are happy, they might sew a new dress or buy a silver hairpin, but the men secretly harbor thoughts they shouldn't.
Uncle Zhao and his men were patrolling for several nights when the villagers overheard a few words of what was going on while they were hiding behind a woodpile to avoid the wind.
But the village chief didn't know that, and he was so angry that he glared at him and started cursing.
"You little bastards, who wants to take a concubine? Come here, tell me."
"Let's see if I can knock your yolks out!"
"You've only had a few good days, and you're already getting cocky. Do you really think no one can handle you?"
"One wife isn't enough for you two to sleep with, and you want to bring me back a troublemaker? You must have a death wish, a life that's too easy for you!"
The village chief waved his pipe, scolding the men in the village until they could only laugh awkwardly, their faces red and necks bulging.
The women, on the other hand, straightened their backs and felt a great sense of pride and accomplishment.
If even the old men can hear about it, how could their wives not know?
However, although they earned work points and kept the money in their homes, they never truly considered themselves to be on the same level as men.
Knowing that the men had ulterior motives, the women were terrified and secretly wiped away their tears. They didn't even dare to tell the village chief, much less let the Li family know.
Now that the village chief is backing them up, they finally feel more confident.
The village chief pointed at the women and continued to berate the men, "These are all your spouses!"
“When we were fleeing famine and fighting for our lives against wolves and tigers in the mountains, they followed you through thick and thin without ever complaining.”
"Now that life is better, do you think they're not pretty enough or that they're too loud? Do you think other women are better?"
"Then ask those delicate and beautiful women outside if they would suffer with you."
"Don't tell me people like you, don't talk about some bullshit marriage. With your slovenly appearance and unwashed feet, only your wives wouldn't mind!"
The men could only chuckle awkwardly, but they were much more alert than before.
Their inherent flaws made them want to bring back a concubine to change their tastes even if they only harvested a couple more bushels of wheat.
But the village chief's scolding brought him back to his senses, and he came to his senses.
"Uncle, don't worry, we won't take a concubine, we'll live a good life."
"That's right, uncle. We haven't even taken care of our own wives and kids yet, where would we get that kind of extra money!"
"Everyone was just joking; nobody took it seriously."
The village chief snorted and continued to persuade them earnestly, "How much money do you have? It's not even enough to buy your wives a set of gold jewelry. In a few years, when your children go to school, the tuition will be sixty taels a year!"
"Look at the Li family again. The eldest master, the son-in-law, the third master, and the fourth master—who among them isn't more capable than you? And none of them have taken a concubine!"
"Even the master and the earl don't have wives yet, and they're not worried, so why are you all in such a hurry!"
Li Lao Er, who was suddenly called out, was walking towards the carriage when he heard this. He stepped on his right heel with his left foot and almost fell flat on his face.
Is the village chief praising him?
But something just doesn't feel right!
Inside the carriage, Jiayin was already hugging her grandmother and laughing together.
Haha, Uncle's embarrassed look is so cute!
In short, the discussion with the Chen family about past events started seriously but ended in a hilarious way.
Although the village chief scolded him harshly, he genuinely cared about the village's well-being.
That evening, he came to the Li family to discuss finding wives for the village's veterans, wounded soldiers, and bachelors.
This time, the village chief wanted to conduct a surprise inspection beforehand.
While this doesn't guarantee absolute certainty, it's still more reliable than relying solely on the matchmaker's word.
Grandma Li, of course, wholeheartedly supported it.
After all, marriage is a major life event, so it's right to be cautious.
The next day, the village chief began searching the entire village for older women who had nothing to do and wanted to visit the girls in each village.
At this time of year, it's not that busy; it's mostly just a bunch of small, scattered tasks.
The older women have always enjoyed matchmaking, and now, under the guise of the village, they're openly and legitimately arranging marriages—it's truly a joyous occasion.
So, six aunties immediately volunteered to take on the task.
The selection process started from nearby villages and gradually moved to farther ones, beginning with Dawangzhuang, Xiaowangzhuang, and Dahuaishu Village...
Jiayin loves to join in the fun and wishes she could also join the "Matchmaker Team".
Unfortunately, she still has a big money-making project to keep her busy...
The day has come for beheadings and the destruction of the hibiscus paste at Caishikou!
After nearly half a month of uproar, or even almost two months from the time of Chen He's death, the case of the Hibiscus Ointment has finally come to a close.
Throughout the entire city, anyone who didn't have to work tirelessly to support their family flocked to the streets to see what was going on.
For ordinary people in particular, a box of hibiscus cream costing a hundred taels of gold was something they could only dream of their entire lives.
Therefore, they were even more curious and wanted to see what this precious but harmful thing looked like.
Wealthy families mobilized their entire population, but all they did was for people—those "people" who had been seduced by the Jade Pool and had now become like demons.
These "people" include their nephews and nieces, friends, family friends, and classmates.
Now that they've ended up like this, I don't know whether to feel sad for them or to pity and sigh for them.
To prevent any accidents, all the perpetrators in the Hibiscus Cream case were kept in a row of rooms outside the palace.
At this point, they were delivered to the market without using a horse-drawn carriage.
The manager of Yaochi was considered the principal offender and was put in a cage, while the other accomplices were tied together with ropes and led around.
Perhaps to warn the world, the entire procession moved very slowly, passing through the most bustling streets.
Countless people lined the streets to watch, their gazes complex, the atmosphere silent.
Until a few people suddenly craved cigarettes, and as they walked, they started yawning and sneezing, their bodies trembling, curling up in a ball, rolling around on the ground like madmen, screaming and begging for mercy.
The once aloof and noble young master was now begging like a stray dog for a piece of spoiled rice, a sight that shocked and terrified everyone.
No amount of words can compare to the realism and impact of seeing it with your own eyes.
"This hibiscus ointment is truly a harmful substance!"
"Indeed! No wonder the Emperor went to such great lengths to ban this thing!"
"Where did this thing come from? It's absolutely vicious!"
"It gives me goosebumps. If someone gets infected, it could lead to the destruction of their family!"
"Don't joke around. A box contains a hundred taels of gold. You won't even have a chance to taste it."
"Haha, that's true, we poor people don't even come close."
"You still have to be careful. I heard that these people don't ask for money at first, but they'll ask for a high price after you get addicted. By then, you won't be able to afford it even if you sell your house and land!"
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