Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming thus spent several days recovering peacefully, and during this time, many villagers came to visit, bringing them snacks and treats, which Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming indeed enjoyed.
One morning, upon waking up, Xiaoxiao asked, "Husband, where should we bury the bracelet?"
"How about burying it at the same hollow again? Or maybe find a place in the mountains to bury it?"
Thinking it over, Xiaoxiao felt that they had to handle the matter themselves and couldn’t trust anyone else with it, "Husband, I think we need to keep it under our watch. Otherwise, what if someone else digs it up? It’d be terrible if it got broken."
Yang Ming thought his wife made sense. He pondered for a moment, then had a brainwave and said, "Why don’t we just bury it outside the house, under the water jar?"
Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up; this way, it would be right under their noses and they wouldn’t have to worry about others digging it up. Since they made the hiding spot so inconspicuous, nobody would guess it was under the water jar, so she cheerfully agreed, "Okay, that works."
The two set to work without delay. Yang Ming moved the water jar aside and grabbed a shovel, and it wasn’t long before he had dug a deep hole. The bracelet was put back into the pot, which was then buried in the hole, and he filled the dirt back in.
They stamped it down to make sure it was well concealed, then moved the water jar back on top of it.
Xiaoxiao clapped her hands happily and said, "There, now nobody will think of stealing the bracelet."
"Right," replied Yang Ming with a smile, feeling relieved that now his wife wouldn’t be taken away for the sake of the bracelet.
They were both happy, but Little Cutie inside the bracelet felt suffocated and unhappy, "You’ve buried the bracelet again, how am I supposed to complete my next task? Don’t forget that the bracelet is also broken."
Little Cutie’s thoughts were unknown to Xiaoxiao, who simply felt safer now, not caring about what Little Cutie might feel.
After resting in the house for a while, Xiaoxiao poured Yang Ming a cup of water and handed it to him, "Husband, you must be exhausted."
If it weren’t for fear of aggravating his injuries, she would have dealt with the bracelet the day they returned home. She was truly frightened by the bracelet and had delayed handling it for several days, waiting until Yang Ming’s condition improved.
Yang Ming took the cup and gulped down the water. After all, he was a strong man and his body was robust.
Moreover, with his wife’s tender care, being well-fed and well-nourished, he could handle such tasks. He was not like those fragile scholars; he had to work on the land, and his body was sturdy.
"Husband, if you’re not tired, shall we go take a look at the hollow? We haven’t been there for several days, and I don’t know how well the pond is being dug."
Xiaoxiao was restless. She had been thinking about her pond and that stretch of land, wanting to see it as they would soon need to start planting. There was still so much work to be done.
"Sure, let’s go check it out now. I’ll hitch up the horse cart."
They left the house, hitched up the horse cart, and drove towards the hollow.
But before they reached the spot, they saw a bustling crowd gathered at the hollow, noisy and tumultuous. What was happening? Had something else gone wrong?
Xiaoxiao got anxious. She feared more trouble with the hollow, "Husband, let’s hurry over."
"Right," said Yang Ming as he cracked the whip, and the horse cart sped up, "Ya!"
Upon arriving, Xiaoxiao and Yang Ming quickly got down from the cart and headed toward the crowd. The closer they got, the more familiar the sounds seemed.