The sun had not yet fully set, and there were already quite a few people outside. After hearing the story of Qingshan and his wife, the reputation of He Shi as a wicked mother-in-law was now cemented in Lin Family Village; it was likely that from now on, no matter what happened, people would attribute the blame to He Shi.

Lin He's family had also heard the news. Huang Shi remarked, "This elder sister-in-law is truly something else. Qingshan is her son, after all. Splitting the household is one thing, but kicking a couple out so late in the evening—it's chilling. She’ll rely on that son for support when she’s old; I don't know what she was thinking."

Lin He thought Song Yuemei was incredibly clever. In reality, the path from their house to the grandmother's courtyard was quite short, but Song Yuemei deliberately took the long way around, precisely so everyone would know how her mother-in-law had treated them.

Even with her own mother speaking up for them, the villagers who didn't know the full story would likely spread even harsher gossip. It seemed that no matter how Song Yuemei treated He Shi from now on, no one would speak out against her. Still, He Shi had genuinely overstepped, so she couldn't really blame people for talking. However, Lin He had no intention of concerning herself with these matters.

Instead, Huang Shi sent Er Niu over to Zhao Shi’s courtyard to check on them. When Er Niu arrived, Song Yuemei was sitting in Zhao Shi’s room, holding her baby, tears still on her face, presumably recounting her troubles with her mother-in-law.

Zhao Shi comforted Yuemei, "Qingshan, Yuemei, your mother was indeed too harsh. He is still her own son. You both stay here for now; once your house is built, you can move back then."

Qingshan and Song Yuemei nodded, then brought up the matter of building their new house. They asked Er Niu how much it had cost to build the small courtyard for Hongyun, and then they began calculating, saying they planned to invite their maternal uncles over tomorrow to help, thus avoiding the cost of hiring masons, as their older brothers knew how to build.

Er Niu felt that it was hard for young couples to start out on their own, so he shared advice about building the house, telling them how to save money, where using red bricks was essential, and where common earth bricks would suffice. After offering a few words of guidance, he returned home.

Back home, Huang Shi and Cai Qing were comforting the baby, while He'er was doing needlework under the oil lamp. Noticing that what she held didn't look like cloth and the needlework wasn't for clothing, he asked what she was doing. Lin He smiled and said, "We have some animal hides, and I plan to make a satchel for Xiao Bao so he can carry it to school when he starts."

"Xiao Bao is going to school? Where? The nearest schoolhouse is in the next village—that’s a long walk. Can he manage it by himself?" Huang Shi asked nervously upon hearing Lin He's words.

Lin He smiled and replied, "Mother, don't be so anxious. Xiao Bao is old enough; it's the right time for him to study. If we wait, it will be too late. I plan to send him to school in the town. I'll hire a boy to take him there and bring him back every day by oxcart."

"He won't even be six until after the New Year. How is he old enough? I can't rest easy with him out there alone. Wouldn't it be better to wait until next year when he’s a bit older?" Huang Shi was still somewhat hesitant.

"Mother, Xiao Bao will be studying in town; he’ll be back by noon. What is there to worry about? You were worried when Elder Brother went out, but see how well that turned out? If Xiao Bao starts studying now and does well, in a few years he could test to become a Xiucai (Scholar) and bring that honor back for you. Then you’ll be a Scholar's Mother." Lin He strategically chose the most pleasing words.

Xiao Bao, overhearing his sister, jumped up and declared, "Good! Big Sister, make me a satchel! I want to test for Xiucai, and then I'll become a teacher. I can manage lots of people, and I can earn silver!"

In Xiao Bao's mind, becoming a Xiucai meant becoming a teacher, and teachers were very important people. He vaguely remembered when the family had hired a tutor. Lin He laughed, "Our Xiao Bao will aim for official recognition in the future; he’ll be an official! We aren't interested in just being a minor scholar."

Though Xiao Bao didn't know what Gongming (official status) meant, he knew what being an official was. He shouted, "Okay, Mother! I want to study! I want to be an official!"

Huang Shi watched them joke and laugh, finally cracking a smile, thus agreeing to let Xiao Bao attend school. Lin He tidied the rabbit pelts and sewed a small knapsack for Xiao Bao. Children studying at that time did carry satchels, but they were usually the single-strap type worn across the body. Lin He worried that a single-strap bag might be bad for a child’s spine, so she stitched a small, two-strap backpack for Xiao Bao—not too large, but enough for a few books, and light enough for him to carry.

Lin He spent several days completing it. She placed the finished satchel on Xiao Bao’s shoulders for a test fit. Xiao Bao said it felt very comfortable. Although Er Niu and Huang Shi found the style of the bag a bit unusual, it did look quite nice on Xiao Bao—a neat, square little bag resting on his back, which seemed to lessen the burden on the child.

Chen'er watched the satchel and also demanded one. Lin He said, "Chen'er, you aren't studying; what use would a satchel be? Where would you carry it?"

"I can carry it when I go out to play! Big Sister is clearly favoring him, making one for Xiao Bao and not for me," Chen'er pouted.

"Fine, Big Sister will make one for you, so you don't accuse me of being biased again," Lin He said with a smile.

However, considering Chen'er wouldn't be carrying heavy books, she decided to sew a tiny crossbody bag for her since she would only carry light things when playing. Because it was made of leather, it looked quite structured, and being able to access things easily while it rested at her side made it quite suitable for a girl to wear.

Lin He helped Chen'er put the bag on. Chen'er was ecstatic, saying she would show it to Dayuan and the others tomorrow, certain they would say it looked nice too.

After finishing both bags, Lin He began discussing household matters with Er Niu. "Father, now that the house is larger, I need to bring in more workers. Uncle Wen plans to set up several shops, and I fear these few people won't be enough for the workload. I was thinking of hiring more help. Also, now that Xiao Bao is going to school, and Elder Brother is getting older, we should probably buy a few young attendants (xiaosi) for them."

Er Niu nodded in agreement. "Good. Tomorrow I will go to the agent's place to look around. But about the people who make the ointment—are you planning to hire them or buy them as servants? You need to decide; the prices are different."

Lin He considered this and thought either option was feasible. If she bought everyone necessary for the ointment production, the household would eventually become overcrowded if the business expanded significantly. As long as the people were reliable, hiring them outright was acceptable.

Besides, Zhou Shi and the others could manage the production of the purple-green and purple-jade pastes along with her. Her soap and fragrance pastes were also continuously being refined. Now, the soap and paste products all bore her family's specialized mold imprint, making it very difficult for others to imitate. Furthermore, she controlled the ingredient formulations herself, ensuring those making the products below her level wouldn't know the full recipe.

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