Lin He and Da Bao toiled until the afternoon before managing to produce a few dozen mooncakes. Back then, mooncakes were unheard of; for the Mid-Autumn Festival, people usually ate pastries and fruits. When Lin He presented these mooncakes, everyone found them novel—they had never seen such round, charming little pastries.

Seeing their delight, Lin He distributed one to everyone present, including the long-term laborers and the maids. Every single person offered unstinted praise, declaring them delicious—sweet yet not cloying, and satisfying. Er Niu also approved, adding that if these pastries were packed in a box as a gift, they would certainly possess far more presence than ordinary confections.

Madam Huang felt that although the pastry was tasty, it was unsuitable as a gift. The mooncakes were simply too large. If they gifted a box to each recipient, she couldn't fathom how many would be needed; yet, if they only gave one box per family, they would be labeled stingy. Still, for consumption within their own household, they were absolutely superb.

Lin He conceded that Madam Huang had a point; at this stage, they were impractical for gifting—not because of the silver required, but because of the immense time investment. Moreover, mooncakes were inherently seasonal; eating them after the Mid-Autumn Festival would defeat their purpose.

The Mid-Autumn Festival passed, and on the second day, all the laborers returned to work. The construction of the house had been underway for some time, and certain models had already emerged. After much discussion among the workers, the final design was not the elaborate multi-courtyard layout Lin He had envisioned, but the resulting house was still massive. The sheer scale of the house being built for Er Niu's family drove the villagers into a frenzy; this residence was larger than even Landlord Xia’s mansion, surely costing several hundred taels of silver.

At this point, the villagers were certain that Er Niu’s family was genuinely wealthy. Many began to speculate that the recent land purchases had been made with their own funds. Quite a few nosy individuals approached to inquire, and Er Niu readily admitted everything; what did his family have to hide when nothing had been stolen or acquired through thievery?

Around the time the eleventh month approached, the house was finally completed. On the day of its completion, Old Man Lin, Madam Zhao, and the entire He family—everyone except Da Jiang—came to inspect the new residence. Madam Zhao ceaselessly extolled the virtues of the house, murmuring that if she could reside there before her death, she could pass away without regret. This statement struck fear into Madam Huang and the others; if Madam Zhao moved in with them, domestic tranquility would surely be forfeit.

Er Niu caught the implication in his mother’s words. After a moment’s thought, he spoke up, “Father, Mother, how about this: I will have your house completely renovated for you. We'll use blue bricks throughout. Your dwelling has stood for many years now; it is indeed due for a refresh.”

Although Er Niu termed it a renovation, the plan effectively meant rebuilding from the ground up. Old Man Lin demurred, saying, “No need. At our age, we won't be living much longer; there’s no need to waste the silver.”

Madam Zhao, however, was entirely agreeable, nodding repeatedly. Seeing his mother’s willingness, Er Niu smiled and said, “Father, renovating that house won't cost much. While the workers are still here, I'll tell them tonight to start on your house tomorrow. Whatever plans you have, discuss them with the foreman later.”

“That’s right, Father and Mother. Living in the old house for so long, it’s certainly time for an overhaul. Why don't you two go to the house with Hong Xia and sort things out? You can temporarily stay here until the renovation is done,” Madam Huang chimed in supportively.

Er Niu shot Madam Huang an appreciative glance. Renovating his parents' house had been an impromptu thought. While he had mentioned it before, he hadn't solidified the plan until now. Seeing how fine their own new house was, it seemed unsuitable for his parents to remain in the dilapidated old one. A renovation would make the elders more comfortable, and it would settle his own conscience. He was grateful that his wife hadn't needed to be consulted first and had shown such thoughtful consideration—she was truly considerate.

“Er Niu’s wife, we won’t stay at your place. We’ll go stay at Da Sheng’s little courtyard,” Old Man Lin stated. “Hong Yun is home taking care of the baby and couldn't come; Da Sheng is there alone. We’ll just stay a few days. Look at how small your courtyard is, yet you have so many people; where would we all fit?”

“But Hong Xia will be moving in with us,” Madam Zhao considered, recalling her younger daughter-in-law’s arrangements. “It wouldn’t be convenient for Da Sheng to be there.”

Da Sheng, who was also present viewing the house, overheard his mother-in-law’s concern and offered, “I can go stay with Second Brother’s long-term laborers for a few days. It won't be long. As a grown man, I can sleep anywhere. The laborers even have rooms available.”

Madam Zhao found Da Sheng’s suggestion suitable and nodded her assent. On the side, Madam He observed that thanks to Er Niu, nearly everyone else was moving into new housing—Hong Yun’s family was settled, and now Hong Xia would be moving in with her in-laws to the new dwelling. Only her own family remained trapped in that ramshackle old house. She spoke up, “Er Niu, since you’re renovating Father and Mother’s house, why not refresh our house as well? Our house is about the same size as theirs; it won’t cost that much silver.”

Upon hearing Madam He’s words, Lin He truly felt like slamming her against a wall. They were building a house for her paternal grandparents, and this woman dared to intrude with such a request! How could an elder sister-in-law be considered on the same level as one's own parents? Madam He certainly had the audacity to speak so brazenly. Er Niu’s expression darkened slightly at Madam He’s comment, but he remained silent. Madam Zhao, however, snapped, “He Shi, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? My son is building a house for me, and you rush in to join the fray? Who do you think you are, to have the nerve to ask such a thing?”

Madam He’s face flushed with embarrassment at Madam Zhao’s retort, but she quickly masked her expression, saying with a smile, “Mother, what are you saying? I was just thinking that since Er Niu’s family isn't lacking in funds, renovating both houses at once would result in considerable savings on supplies. Da Jiang has long said he wanted to rebuild our house; isn't this the perfect opportunity?”

“Yes, a perfect opportunity—the perfect opportunity for someone else to pay for you,” Madam Zhao retorted with a sniff. “If you want to rebuild too, fine. But you’ll pay half the cost. After all, you said the two houses are nearly the same size.”

“Mother, Er Niu hasn't said anything yet. While it’s true that you two are his parents and naturally closer, Da Jiang is Er Niu’s own elder brother, too. Helping renovate the house shouldn't be a major issue,” Madam He persisted shamelessly.

“Elder Sister-in-law, if your family requires renovation, that’s fine. Here is the arrangement: I will speak to Big Brother shortly. You can suspend your repayments for the next couple of months. Once your house is finished, you can resume paying me back. Beyond that, I can’t help you. The cost of the renovation, you will have to cover yourself,” Er Niu stated coolly.

Madam He’s face immediately soured upon hearing Er Niu’s reply. She realized his seemingly polite words were actually a threat to involve Da Jiang. If her husband, Da Jiang, were to learn of this, he would certainly not agree to the arrangement.