When Er Niu returned, he paid the matter no further mind. A few days later, when Da Jiang went to work up on the hill, he mentioned that the issue had been resolved. As to precisely how it was settled, Er Niu did not ask, and Da Jiang offered no details. Only after some time had passed did Er Niu overhear Zhao Shi mentioning that the girl Dong Yu had already moved into Qingshan’s courtyard. There was no ceremony to it; she simply packed a bundle and moved across.

However, such matters cannot truly be kept secret for long. Within a few months, Dong Yu’s belly had begun to swell, and every discerning eye in the village knew exactly what had transpired. The sudden arrival of Zhao Shi’s young daughter into Qingshan’s home, visibly pregnant, required no great deduction. The villagers talked about it for a time, but since it infringed upon no one’s direct interests, it remained little more than gossip, quickly fading as the novelty wore off and people simply accepted the situation.

What was frequently heard from Qingshan’s household, however, were sounds of quarreling. Song Yue Mei was not simple, and Dong Yu was certainly no pushover. Song Yue Mei genuinely intended to treat Dong Yu as a mere servant, expecting her to handle all the chores. But Dong Yu, relying on her advanced pregnancy, often stood up to Song Yue Mei, resulting in frequent eruptions of domestic warfare.

Dong Yu, meanwhile, managed to win the favor of He Shi. Heavily pregnant, she made frequent visits to He Shi’s house, keeping the older woman delighted daily. He Shi constantly boasted that her younger daughter-in-law was far superior to the elder—more diligent, more sensible, and more filial—and loudly proclaimed that the child in Dong Yu's belly would surely be a son.

As for Qingshan, ever since Song Yue Mei forcefully demanded ten taels of silver from his parents, Qingshan’s view of her had subtly shifted. Song Yue Mei had taken the ten taels without consulting him, immediately claiming it was to find wives for her own brothers. Moreover, with Dong Yu now in the household—so much gentler than the current Song Yue Mei—and so adored by his mother, Qingshan’s relationship with his parents grew considerably warmer.

When he had free time, Qingshan would visit his parents for a meal or a chat, leaving Song Yue Mei alone in the house. She had pleaded and cried with him, but Qingshan resumed his visits after only a few days. Men are like that; initially, when newly married, he had set his mother aside, caught up in the freshness of his new life. Now that the novelty had worn off, the intense attachment had waned. Coupled with Dong Yu constantly visiting his parents, his proximity to his mother naturally increased.

He Shi had always been dissatisfied with Song Yue Mei and was delighted to witness this turn of events, thinking, So, Song Yue Mei, you have your day of reckoning. Remember how grand you once were? You urged Qingshan to fight with his own mother, and now? You can’t hold the upper hand forever.

Regarding Dong Yu, she didn't genuinely care for He Shi either. But she had thoroughly analyzed the situation. She was privy to the entire affair of Song Yue Mei demanding silver from the in-laws, as Qingshan had complained to her about it often. She perceived that Qingshan’s affection for Song Yue Mei had cooled. Since Song Yue Mei was also disliked by her in-laws, Dong Yu strove to excel in every other aspect. Apart from Song Yue Mei, no one disliked her. Her objective was clear: once she gave birth to a son, she would use the child and her own machinations to make Qingshan utterly renounce Song Yue Mei, forcing him to divorce her so that she could become the mistress of the house.

Just as the Qingshan family was engulfed in turmoil, the Lin Family Village ancestral hall was finally completed, fulfilling everyone’s anticipation. The Lin Family Village ancestral hall was truly magnificent, perhaps the finest in ten surrounding villages. Both the interior and exterior were finished with blue bricks, and it boasted a grand entrance, quite imposing. Since everyone had contributed financially, they naturally held high hopes for the hall.

The day the ancestral hall was finished, the village buzzed with excitement, even more lively than the New Year celebrations. All the villagers gathered outside the entrance, as women were forbidden entry at that time. Thus, the crowd clustered outside, watching, while the men went inside to offer incense to the ancestral tablets.

Furthermore, the village hosted a grand banquet that day, drawing everyone present. Many women busied themselves cooking, while the men drank and chatted nearby, discussing how splendid the hall looked. Everyone was joyous, proclaiming it a great celebration for the village.

The Clan Elder had also specially invited an opera troupe from the town to perform for two full days. This was Lin He’s first time seeing a genuine, full-scale opera performance. Lin He couldn't discern which theatrical school the performance belonged to, but she watched intently. The performers’ faces were painted in vivid colors, completely obscuring their original features. She heard others commenting on the exquisite singing, but Lin He wasn't sure if the vocal skills were truly good or not; however, she noted a distinct difference compared to the performances she had seen on television in her previous life.

The completion of the ancestral hall occurred near the beginning of the sixth month, as the wheat harvest was fast approaching. The village’s excitement lasted only a few days before everyone returned to their labor. Lin He’s family was no exception. Although the field work was managed by hired hands, sparing them the frantic intensity of their own previous harvests, there were still many arrangements to be made. Booking the mill, for instance, needed to be done well in advance, otherwise, with the family’s substantial acreage, grinding all the grain into fine flour would be impossible. However, these tasks did not fall to Lin He and the others; Er Niu and Old Man Qin took the family’s few servants and Chang Geng to handle the logistics.

After the harvest concluded, the family owned over a hundred mu of land, yielding tens of thousands of jin of grain. Seeing the towering piles of grain, Er Niu grinned widely, remarking that selling this harvest would bring in a considerable amount of silver.

Once the entire wheat harvest was complete, it was already mid-July. Seeing that the weather was beginning to cool, Lin He discussed with Da Bao the plan to open a shop in town. Coincidentally, Uncle Wen had sent a messenger a few days prior, reporting that he had found a fine shop for them in town, not overly expensive, and larger than the one used for the He Cai Wa Wa dolls.

Renting alone would cost at least thirty taels a month, but because the seller was relocating and eager to leave, they were offering the property for a cheap sale—buying it outright would cost less than three thousand taels of silver. Lin He calculated and decided that buying was the better investment. She then called Da Bao to view the shop. Indeed, everything about the premises was excellent: the location was good, the size sufficient, and the backyard spacious enough for Lin He’s entire family to reside in. Lin He was very pleased and consulted with Da Bao and Er Niu, proceeding to purchase the shop.

With the property secured, planning the business began. After much deliberation among the family, they finally decided to open a shop selling snacks and small goods. This was practical because the location had previously been a food establishment, meaning the kitchen facilities were already in place and required only minor adjustments. Lin He felt this was the most convenient option, as, aside from this, there wasn't another business they could easily launch.