The owner of the earrings angrily took back his lost property and resolutely moved his family to the neighboring village.

While migrating, they did not forget to spread the "deeds" of Zhang Lao Da with exaggeration. Within a few days, not only Zhangjia Village, but also the surrounding villages knew about Zhang Lao Da's not clean reputation.

When Hu Cuimei returned to her parents' home again, she was no longer greeted with a warm embrace, but with explicit or implicit ridicule and exclusion from her sisters-in-law.

After returning home, Hu Cuimei and Zhang Lao Da had a fierce argument. The emotions of both sides were like a flood about to burst the dam, and they were just one step away from getting out of control and fighting.

Fortunately, Mrs. Zhang intervened in time and stopped the turmoil with her dignified and calm attitude, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous.

Hu Cuimei felt aggrieved and felt she was innocent, but was implicated because of the Zhang family's actions.

Boss Zhang also felt extremely wronged, as he had indeed never touched the pair of silver earrings!

During this storm, no one noticed Zhang Dawa standing in the corner. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, as if a huge stone in his heart had quietly fallen to the ground, and his secret was buried deep with it.

In a blink of an eye, the atmosphere of the New Year arrives quietly.

In just over a month, thanks to Long Yi's clever promotion, the name of the Zhangjia Village Pankang Team became famous throughout Chengguan County, and even people from Qingzhou Prefecture heard the news and came to sincerely invite them to go and pankang.

Relying on this exquisite craft, the people of Zhangjia Village have reaped great rewards. Former patients have either recovered and joined the kang-making team, or, under the organization of Zhang Laoer, the women in the family have joined the ranks of making beauty pills.

The sales of beauty pills were astonishingly hot, especially after the sudden snowstorm, to the point where demand could not keep up with supply.

While Zhang Laoer was busy, he received a large number of orders from Baicaotang for reserve.

The surge in demand forced him to expand production and recruit more people.

The double harvest of making kangs and balls has enabled every family in Zhangjia Village to have an unprecedented prosperous New Year.

Less than ten days before the New Year, Zhang Laoer, who had just been freed from the busy work of making the kang, went to the market with his family to buy New Year's goods.

Melon seeds, wild game, festive spring couplets, bright red lanterns...

All kinds of New Year's goods are in my pocket, it's so lively.

Xu Liyun has always loved lively occasions. She knew how important the Chinese New Year was to the people of Da Chu, and she was determined to make this festival lively.

The children were "forced" by their mother to wear festive red clothes, and even the two daughters' hair accessories were replaced with bright red ropes.

Xu Liyun happily threw all the New Year's goods she had brought back onto her second uncle's slightly worn-out donkey cart. The heavy cargo made the donkey cart suddenly sink several degrees.

On the way back, my second uncle couldn't bear to add to the burden and would rather follow on foot, fearing that the old donkey cart would be overloaded. The ruts left by the cart were deeply embedded in the wet soil and seemed deeper than the mud after the rain.

As the group stepped into the edge of the village, they met a strange man with an ordinary face, who was slowly leaving the village.

The other members of the Zhang family just glanced at him casually and didn't take it seriously. Only the thoughtful Xiao Youniang kept her gaze on him for a few more seconds.

Until that person seemed to notice the strange gaze, he turned around suddenly, and happened to meet the inquiring eyes of Xiao Youniang, and the two gazes created subtle sparks in the air.

The little girl seemed to have suffered a sudden fright. Her little body trembled violently. In panic, she found a safe haven and quickly buried her petite head in Xu Liyun's warm and familiar arms.

Xu Liyun was extremely shocked when she saw her daughter's unprecedented frightened expression in her arms.

Normally, Xiao Youniang was always full of curiosity and fearlessness, and loved to communicate closely with others. But now, she was so frightened and lost her composure just because of a quick glance from someone. The contrast made her full of doubts.

Just when Xu Liyun was full of doubts, taking advantage of the gradually receding steps of the man who frightened the little girl, the little girl cautiously poked her head out of her mother's arms. Her big, lively eyes glanced secretly at the receding figure through her fine hair, with curiosity and obvious fear in her eyes.

"Mother, that person...that person gives me a very scary feeling!"

The little girl's voice was as thin as a mosquito's, but clearly audible. The barely perceptible tremor made her frown unconsciously. She looked again at the figure that had moved away, trying to find the source of her daughter's fear.

Just as she was concentrating on observing, she seemed to have some strange feeling. The man seemed to have noticed something and suddenly turned around, his eyes lingering here for a short while.

Xu Liyun quickly adjusted her mood and returned to normal, avoiding any action that might attract attention and ensuring that she and her daughter were not exposed to the curiosity of strangers.

With all kinds of confusion and concern in her heart, Xu Liyun gently asked the little baby in her arms: "My dear little girl, tell me why you think that uncle is scary? Is there any special reason?"

The little girl snuggled closer, her dark eyes flashing with alertness and confusion, and her little nose wrinkled unconsciously, as if she really recalled some unpleasant smell.

"I don't know, but he just looks scary and has a bad smell."

Children's intuition is often the most acute, and the judgment based on that innocence cannot be ignored.

Xu Liyun knew very well that although Xiao Youniang was young, she had a rare truthfulness and directness in her character. She never judged others easily and never had emotions without reason.

Even when facing those Zhang family relatives who occasionally teased her in the past but meant her no harm, Xiao Youniang would always respond with an innocent smile.

Now, showing such strong rejection towards a stranger made Xu Liyun have to think deeply about the reasons behind it.

Being in a crude donkey cart with many inconveniences at the moment, Xu Liyun secretly decided to investigate in detail after returning home.

When they returned to the warm but slightly shabby thatched cottage, Zhang Laoer's enthusiastic performance added a bit of joy to the upcoming New Year, and Sixth Grandpa was both grateful and worried about the Zhang family's rare generosity.

He hoped that the Zhang family would be frugal, but he couldn't help feeling happy about the unexpected wealth.

As night fell and the door closed, the family sat together in a room sharing a moment of tranquility. Xu Liyun brought up the episode that happened during the day at an opportune moment.

Zhang Laoer frowned when he heard this. He hugged his little daughter and said in a soft voice full of fatherly care, "Young lady, can you tell Daddy what that uncle reminded you of? And what about that strange smell? What does it taste like?"

Little Youniang tilted her head, thought seriously for a while, and then gave her answer: "It's like the big black dog at Aunt Su's house, smelly and fierce, and a bit like the rotten meat that my second brother forgot to throw away!"

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