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

Sheng Yuze was getting impatient with He Xidi's pestering, and when he took out a lighter to smoke, he saw He Zhaodi walking over.

"Sold?"

He Xidi stopped talking and stared straight at He Zhaodi.

He Zhaodi shook his head. "No, you need a letter of introduction."

He Xidi leaned closer, looking He Zhaodi up and down, seemingly trying to figure out where she had hidden her things.

"He Zhaodi, why don't we go home and give it to our mother? She has a letter of introduction that can help you sell it."

He Zhao ignored her and looked at Sheng Yuze, "Can you help me?"

Sheng Yuze looked at her and said, "I can't get you a letter of introduction."

He paused for a moment and continued, "But I know a place where a letter of introduction isn't needed."

He Zhaodian: "Where?"

Sheng Yuze did not answer, but glanced at He Xidi.

He Xidi leaned close to her ear, and when she was discovered, she smiled awkwardly, "Yuze-ge, you're amazing, you know everything."

Sheng Yuze ignored her and said to He Zhaodi, "Get in the car."

Sheng Yuze opened the car door, and He Xidi tried to get into the passenger seat, but Sheng Yuze stopped her.

"Go to the back row, or walk back."

He Xidi pouted and reluctantly sat in the back.

The car was restarted and drove towards the edge of the city.

"We're here." Sheng Yuze stopped the car, leaned close to He Zhao, and whispered, "Go straight ahead, and when you see a tree with a red cloth tied to it, go inside and say I introduced you."

Thank you.

He Zhaodi got out of the car and walked straight ahead. He Xidi tried to open the car door to catch up, but found that she couldn't open it.

"Let's go, don't follow her."

Sheng Yuze drove the car to the street corner before stopping, turned off the engine, leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and waited.

He Xidi wanted to get closer, but Sheng Yuze coughed every time she spoke.

After a long while, He Zhaodi came out of the alley, where Sheng Yuze was already waiting.

She opened the car door and got in.

"Sold?"

"Sold." She patted her chest. "Thanks."

Sheng Yuze didn't say anything and started the car.

He Xidi kept staring at her bulging pockets.

He Zhao felt a headache coming on when he saw her eyes.

She tried, but the space only allowed money to go out, not in, so she couldn't store her money there.

She was afraid that He Xi would cause trouble.

As they neared home, Sheng Yuze spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Six o'clock tonight, go to the riverbank, I need to talk to you about something."

He Zhaodi nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.

He Xidi glared at He Zhaodi with resentment. She couldn't understand why they were being treated differently just because of a marriage agreement. Wasn't she prettier than He Zhaodi?

As soon as He Xi got home, he hurriedly went to find Liu Aiyun.

He Zhaodi then thought of hiding the money there.

Although the place Sheng Yuze recommended didn't require a letter of introduction, the prices were much lower. She sold four ginseng roots and only managed to raise 54 yuan.

He Zhaodi had just hidden the money when Liu Aiyun blocked his way as soon as he stepped out the door.

"How many did you sell?"

"It didn't sell."

Liu Aiyun looked at her bloated body. Perhaps she had walked too much today, because she did smell. She said with disgust, "You smell like sweat. Go take a shower right away. The smell is disgusting."

He Zhao frowned.

Liu Aiyun added, "By the way, use cold water, don't use firewood to boil water."

"No need, I don't want to wash."

"Do whatever I tell you to do," Liu Aiyun shouted. "Look at yourself now, are you even human? You smell terrible. You're getting married in a couple of days, don't embarrass me."

He Xidi peeked out from inside the house and said with a smile, "Sister, I've already filled the water for you. It's in the basin behind the woodshed; it's clean."

Looking at He Xidi's smiling face, He Zhaodi felt that things were not so simple. How could they be so kind? Was it because of the money from selling ginseng?

"Okay, I'll go back to my room to get something."

She tried to turn and leave, but Liu Aiyun grabbed her arm.

Liu Aiyun stared intently at her. "What? Are you hiding something in the house?"

He Zhaodian smiled and said, "What can I hide? Since you asked me to wash it, I will go and wash it."

After she finished speaking, she turned around and went into the woodshed, where she bolted the door.

She took off her clothes and looked into her inner pocket. The reason she agreed to take a bath was that the money wasn't hidden in the house.

Saying that she wanted to go inside to get something was meant to make them suspect that money was hidden inside.

She took off her coat and squatted down in the basin.

At this moment, Liu Aiyun and He Xi were looking inside the house.

Liu Aiyun searched through all the loose bricks. "Where's the money? Where did that brat hide it?"

He Xi looked over the bed and searched every corner he could think of, but still couldn't find it.

"Mom, do you think the money might still be with her?"

Liu Aiyun glanced at He Xidi. Besides the fact that she was destined to have a younger brother, another reason she liked He Xidi was that she was smart.

Liu Aiyun went out. "That makes things easier. Go get a towel and tell her to bring it to her. Tell her to come out quickly."

He Xidi reluctantly went to get a nearly worn-out towel and went over to her. "He Zhaodi, I brought you a towel."

She tried to open the door but couldn't, so she bolted it.

He Zhaodian: "I don't need a towel."

She didn't think He Xi was being so kind to them. In the past, she would be scolded even if she just glanced at a towel, so why would she offer it to them now?

He Xi looked at Liu Aiyun and said, "Mother."

Liu Aiyun went straight up and pushed the door open. "Come out now! Don't I need firewood to cook? You think you're so sophisticated?"

He Zhao looked worriedly at the rickety door, still naked.

Liu Aiyun couldn't push it open, so she simply used her shoulder to brace against the door and gritted her teeth to push.

"Click".

The door was cracked, and half of the door panel was drooping at an angle.

He Zhaodi suddenly squatted down into the basin, splashing water all over the floor.

She clutched her chest tightly with her hands, but it was no use.

It was a disgrace, a complete disgrace. This was the first time she had ever encountered something like this, and Liu Aiyun had gone even further than she had imagined.

Liu Aiyun stood at the door, not coming in, her eyes scanning her from head to toe as if she were a pig.

"Tsk." Liu Aiyun snorted. "Look at all this fat. Is a basin of water enough for you to wash? The water's all murky. Aren't you filthy?"

He Xidi chuckled behind him, "He Zhaoyang, thank goodness it's not New Year's yet, otherwise someone would have dragged you home and slaughtered you like a pig for the New Year, hahaha."

He Zhaodi trembled all over: "Get out."

Liu Aiyun walked towards He Zhaoyang, bent down, and stared at He Zhaoyang's body soaking in the water.

"Tell me, what part of you is worth fifty dollars?"

He Xidi also came over and squatted down by the basin.

"Sister, where did you hide the money?" He Xidi asked with a smile, reaching her hand into the water.

He Zhaodi suddenly shrank back, "What are you doing?"

He Xidi's hand had already touched her arm, and he pinched her soft flesh hard.

"Don't touch me!" He Zhaodi slapped her hand away, splashing water all over He Xidi's face.

He Xidi exclaimed "Ah!" and stood up, wiping his face. He turned around and cried out in grievance, "Mom, she hit me."

Liu Aiyun immediately slapped He Zhaodi on the back of the head, pushing her into the water.

"What's wrong with your sister touching you a couple of times? You think you're so special?"