There was absolutely no room for objection in what Old Man Lin said; it had to be handled exactly as requested. The Clan Head knew that Old Man Lin and Madam Zhao were not as easily persuaded as Er Niu, so the Clan Head naturally agreed since he had no other choice.

The Clan Head had originally planned that if the other wealthy families refused to contribute money, he would simply make Er Niu cover the entire amount by himself. However, if the matter were to be blown open now, people would accuse him of bullying the weak and fearing the strong, and the Clan Head would end up being heavily criticized.

Upon returning home, Madam Zhao paid a visit to Er Niu’s house. Huang Shi was also home. Er Niu had told Huang Shi when he last returned that his mother might be angry, instructing Huang Shi to say a few comforting words to Madam Zhao upon her arrival. As Madam Zhao entered the courtyard, her expression was quite stern. She snorted upon seeing Huang Shi but said nothing. Huang Shi followed her husband's instructions, offering words to appease Madam Zhao, assuring her that she hadn't spread those rumors and that gossips were just gossips; she urged her mother-in-law not to take it to heart, as they knew how kind her in-laws were to them.

Fortunately, although Madam Zhao’s anger flared up quickly, it also dissipated quickly. After listening to Huang Shi, she stopped being upset. She told Huang Shi that Er Niu should not get involved in this matter anymore; when the ancestral hall is built, Er Niu should just contribute whatever amount others contribute. If the Clan Head came knocking again, they should be summoned to deal with him themselves.

Later, the Clan Head never visited again. When the village finally began building the ancestral hall, the collector did not demand extra money from Er Niu’s family. They were only asked for the standard contribution fee, with the explanation that there were other donors as well. However, these donations were voluntary, with no set limit on how much one wished to give. The donors’ names would be carved onto a stone tablet by the entrance once the hall was complete, as a mark of recognition.

When the collector mentioned this, Er Niu stated that in addition to his standard contribution, he was also donating two taels of silver. The collector was overjoyed, exclaiming that even the village’s richest landlord, Master Xia, had only donated one tael of silver. Since Master Xia was not surnamed Lin, he wasn't obligated to pay the contribution fee and merely offered a token donation.

Lin He felt that this incident revealed how insufficiently powerful her family still was—too weak, in fact. The Clan Head dared not press the other wealthy families but singled out their household to extort money. What did this imply? It meant her family still had to tread carefully and consider others' feelings because they had not yet reached a sufficient level of strength. Furthermore, such matters would surely arise often in the future, and they couldn't trouble her grandparents for every single thing. She was determined to make her family powerful enough to make their own decisions about everything.

Lin He considered that as soon as her mother finished her confinement period, she needed to move the family quickly and hire more staff to get Uncle Wen’s specialty counter fully operational. With more hands in the household, they would naturally not worry about having enough goods to supply, and if goods were abundant, money would cease to be a major issue.

However, in these ancient times, mere wealth was not enough; the status of merchants was terribly low. Fortunately, the family was growing. They now had four adult men, and surely one of them could be cultivated into a scholar. If the family had a scholar, they wouldn't have to worry about pleasing others. Da Bao was not suited for academics, but Little Bao was the quickest candidate for cultivation. Lin He watched Little Bao scamper around the courtyard; he was sharper than Da Bao, and when Lin He taught him characters and reading, his memory proved quite good. If taught diligently, she believed he could succeed.

Lin He reflected that Little Bao was already six this year and it was time for him to attend school. After the festivals concluded, she planned to send Little Bao to study. The nearest schoolhouse was in the next village, which was quite a distance, meaning Little Bao would require someone to escort him back and forth daily.

That evening, Lin He discussed the family's relocation and hiring plans with Da Bao and Er Niu. Er Niu and Da Bao agreed. After all, Huang Shi had given birth, and everything in the new house was ready. They decided to move on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, right after the main festivals concluded.

On moving day, Lin He’s family rose early. There was truly little to move; they left most of the heavy furniture behind, needing only to transport clothing and smaller items. They had several maids who handled everything, so the entire move was completed before noon.

Moving into the large house, Lin He’s family felt it was incredibly spacious. Previously, everyone lived in one courtyard, and a raised voice meant everyone could hear. Now, one had to walk to the doorway to be heard, and several rooms in the new house stood empty.

On the day they moved, Er Niu invited all his siblings over for a meal. Each subsequent house Er Niu moved into was larger than the last, making everyone in the family immensely happy. Although it wasn't a formal banquet, everyone brought congratulatory gifts to celebrate, and the family enjoyed a warm, harmonious gathering.

During the meal, He Shi spoke up, "Father and Mother, when do you plan to move over to our place? The festivals are over, and Mother said you would move after the first lunar month, didn't you?"

Everyone in the large family, except for Da Jiang’s immediate branch, looked at He Shi, confused about what she was implying. Why on earth would Father and Mother move in with her and Da Jiang? Even Hong Xia, who lived with Madam Zhao, was unaware and asked, "Mother, what is Big Sister-in-law saying? You are moving in with her and Big Brother? Why haven't you ever mentioned it?"

Madam Zhao set down her chopsticks and replied, "Yes, I haven't told you all about this yet. Your elder brother and sister-in-law suggested we come live with them, and I agreed. I planned to move over after the New Year period ended."

"Mother, aren't you living well here? Why would you move to live with Big Brother and Big Sister-in-law? Big Sister-in-law’s courtyard is so small; where would you live if you went? Dong Yu would have to come too; where would she sleep?" Hong Yun also chimed in.

Lin He was momentarily taken aback. If He Shi claimed she wanted to live with Madam Zhao out of affection, Lin He wouldn't believe it. But what was He Shi’s true motive? Before Lin He could fully process this, He Shi quickly jumped in after Hong Yun’s comment: "I have already arranged the housing. I will give my and Da Jiang’s large rooms to Father and Mother. Da Jiang and I will move into the room where we usually store firewood. Oh, I hadn’t considered Dong Yu! Truly, what should be done about her?"

Hearing He Shi’s words, Lin He wondered if He Shi intended to move in with her in-laws. Dong Yu could be brought along since He Shi had long wanted a maidservant at her disposal. Before Lin He could sort through these possibilities, Da Jiang, standing nearby, interjected: "I forgot about Dong Yu too. How about this: since Dong Yu serves Father and Mother during the day, she can return to Father and Mother’s house to sleep at night. Hong Xia is quite lonely managing the two children alone; Dong Yu’s return would be company for Hong Xia."

"How can that be right? Dong Yu is here to serve Father and Mother; they need care at night as well. How can she go back to sleep elsewhere? Why don't we let Dong Yu share a room with Yu'er?" He Shi said, deliberately posing the question.