A woman in her 70s marries a rough-looking man; her plump wife is too delicate and alluring.

Shi Aijun looked at Liu Aiyun with a serious expression, slowly took a sip of tea, and said, "Comrade Liu Aiyun, this matter is not something to joke about."

Liu Aiyun quickly said, "I'm definitely not joking. My daughter, He Zhaodi, married into the Sheng family. I saw her when I went to see her yesterday."

Shi Aijun remained silent.

Liu Aiyun continued, "Actually, I know I shouldn't have reported them, after all, they are my son-in-law's family, but! It is precisely because they are my son-in-law's family that I feel I should set an example and not cause trouble for the country."

Shi Aijun handed over the teacup in his hand. "Good, well said. Since you've said so, I'll have someone go with you. If it's true, I'll praise you in front of everyone."

Shi Aijun called the brigade accountant and two militiamen, and followed Liu Aiyun toward the Sheng family's house.

Liu Aiyun walked in front, her steps quick and hurried, while He Xidi followed behind her, the corners of his mouth unable to be turned up.

When they arrived at the Sheng family's door, Liu Aiyun didn't knock; she simply reached out and pushed the door open.

She tried to push him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"He Zhaoyang! Open the door! The brigade has arrived!"

There was no movement in the courtyard.

Liu Aiyun feigned concern and said, "You saw it, Secretary Shi, the door was bolted, which means someone was home. When they heard that the brigade was coming, they didn't react at all. They must be feeling guilty, or they're hiding something. I really didn't want to report this, but the facts are right here."

Shi Aijun shouted sternly, "Open the door now, or we'll consider it a violation of the rules!"

The courtyard was quiet for a few seconds.

Then came footsteps, unhurried, reaching the doorway, where the latch was pulled open.

The door opened.

He Zhaoyang stood at the door.

"Secretary Shi, is something the matter?"

Shi Aijun glanced at her, then at the yard behind her. "Someone reported that your chickens and geese are exceeding the permitted levels. We've come to verify this."

He Zhaoyang stepped aside to make way for the doorway. "Then come in and take a look."

Liu Aiyun was the first to squeeze through the door and headed straight for the chicken coop. She peered inside from the edge of the coop, then froze.

Five chickens and two geese.

She rubbed her eyes and counted again.

Five chickens and two geese.

"Impossible!" She turned her head sharply. "When I came yesterday, there were clearly eight chickens and three geese!"

He Zhao sneered, "What time did you arrive yesterday?"

I was at your doorstep yesterday.

Before Liu Aiyun could finish speaking, He Zhaoyang interrupted her, "You were making a scene at the door until dark, how did you find the time to count the chickens?"

Liu Aiyun's face flushed red: "I counted them the day before yesterday!"

"You counted them the day before yesterday, and you're checking them today?" He Zhaoyang looked at her, finding it amusing. "Did they run away on their own yesterday?"

The brigade accountant had already gone into the chicken coop and counted them once. He came out and nodded to Shi Aijun, "Secretary Shi, five chickens and two geese, not exceeding the limit."

Shi Aijun frowned and glanced at Liu Aiyun.

Liu Aiyun stood there, saying, "She must have hidden the chickens in the house! Secretary Shi, search the place!"

Shi Aijun: "Comrade Liu Aiyun, you just said you saw eight chickens and three geese with your own eyes, but now you've counted five chickens and two geese. How do you explain that?"

He Zhaoyang stood in front of Liu Aiyun. "Tell me, where am I supposed to hide? Were there any places in the yard where I could hide chickens?"

Liu Aiyun opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Shi Aijun closed the notebook. "Comrade Liu Aiyun, your situation constitutes false accusation. This is a verbal warning; if you repeat the offense, the brigade will hold you accountable."

Liu Aiyun's face turned pale. She turned and glared at He Zhaoyang, then turned and left. He Xidi followed behind with his head down, his steps hurried and disordered.

Shi Aijun also left with the accountant and the militiamen.

The courtyard gate was closed again.

He Zhaoyang stood in the yard, listening to the footsteps outside the door fade into the distance, before bending down to lock the chicken coop door.

Qin Meng waited until they left before coming out. "Zhaoyang, your mother is really heartless. Actually, it wouldn't have mattered if we had been found out."

He Zhaoyang shook his head. "Mother, that won't do. The investigation is very strict right now."

Qin Meng: "Okay, but where did you hide them?"

He Zhaoyang took out feed to feed the chickens. "I've been feeling uneasy these past few days, so this morning I tied the extra ones to the back mountain."

Qin Meng nodded. "That's fine too."

Qin Meng didn't ask any more questions and turned to go back into the house.

He Zhaoyang scattered the chicken feed in his hand into the chicken coop, stood up, and patted the crumbs off his hands.

The three chickens and one goose are still in the space. They'll be released when it gets dark.

After absorbing all the spiritual energy from the bracelet over the past few days, He Zhaoyang discovered that the space could now hold things.

Just as Liu Aiyun knocked on the door, she had already put the chickens and geese into her spatial storage, thus preventing Liu Aiyun and her group from succeeding.

As Liu Aiyun walked home, she kept cursing and swearing, "That wretched girl, that ingrate, it would have been better if she hadn't married into the family. Nothing has gone smoothly for her since she got married."

He Xidi lowered his head and dared not speak, for fear that the anger would fall on him.

Liu Aiyun walked for a while, then suddenly stopped.

Not far ahead, a postman in green, riding a bicycle, stopped at the intersection, took out a form from his bag, and was asking a passing auntie for information.

"Auntie, which way is the Sheng family's house? We need to deliver a money order."

The aunt pointed deeper into the alley, "Keep walking straight ahead, that's the house with the blue brick wall, you should be able to recognize it at a glance, it's very grand."

"Okay, thank you, Auntie."

The postman put the form back in his bag and was about to get on his bike when Liu Aiyun walked over.

"Young man, are you looking for the Sheng family?"

The postman looked up at her. "Yes, there's a money order. Sheng Yuze sent it back."

Liu Aiyun's eyes lit up, and a smile immediately spread across her face. "I'm Sheng Yuze's mother-in-law. Just give it to me, and I'll take it to my daughter."

The postman sized her up. "Are you from the Sheng family?"

"Oh dear, my daughter married into the Sheng family, He Zhaodi. She just got married a couple of days ago. You can ask around; everyone in the village knows." Liu Aiyun spoke incredibly fast, as if afraid the deliveryman would leave in the next second. "I'm just on my way there anyway, so I'll give this to her on the way, saving you an extra trip."

The postman hesitated for a moment, "The money order needs to be picked up by the person in person with their household registration book. You can just bring it to her."

"Okay, okay, don't worry, I'll definitely give it to her."

The postman handed her the form, which Liu Aiyun took without looking at it, folded it neatly, and put it in her pocket.

"Thanks, young man."

The postman got on his bike and drove away. Liu Aiyun stood there, watching the slip of paper go into her pocket, and only then did the corners of her mouth slowly turn up. She swallowed her anger.

He had just lost face at the Sheng family's doorstep, but then he found money.

Even God is on her side.

He Xidi leaned closer: "Mother, what's that?"

"The money your brother-in-law Sheng Yuze sent back," Liu Aiyun said in a low voice. "Let's go home."