Lin He stayed in the shop all afternoon, planning to return the next morning, and took the opportunity to watch the maids finish making the pastries. However, toward dusk, Uncle Wen unexpectedly arrived. Seeing Lin He in the shop, he let out a sigh of relief. Lin He found this strange and asked, "Uncle Wen, what happened? Why didn't you send someone to notify me to come over?"

As she spoke, Lin He led Uncle Wen to a side room in the back. Uncle Wen began, "He'er, there is something I need to ask you. You must answer me honestly."

Lin He nodded, somewhat surprised by Uncle Wen's unusually serious tone. It seemed to be a significant matter, judging by his tension.

"He'er, besides placing the things you make in our Cai Die Xuan counter for sale, have you allowed anyone else to sell them on consignment?" Uncle Wen finally voiced the question after a moment of contemplation.

"Uncle Wen, we agreed. All my products are only sold in your shop. How could I secretly allow them to be consigned elsewhere? There's no benefit for me in doing that," Lin He replied, slightly puzzled.

"Oh, I suppose I thought He'er wouldn't sell things elsewhere," Uncle Wen said, seemingly relieved.

"Uncle Wen, what exactly happened?"

"Recently, some scented pomades have appeared in another rouge shop. They look and smell very similar to the ones you make, and the box packaging is about ninety percent the same, but the price is significantly lower than ours. Several customers have asked about them these past two days. I sent someone to buy a box back today; take a look." Uncle Wen pulled a box of pomade from his person.

Lin He took it and first opened the pomade. The color was indeed very similar, and the scent shared about sixty to seventy percent resemblance to her own rose-scented pomade. Even the lettering and carving on the box were almost identical to her packaging. However, having made these items herself, Lin He knew instantly where the differences lay. Although the color was similar, it lacked the crystal clarity of her own creation. The scent did carry a rose note, but it was distinctly too strong and mixed with other smells, setting it apart from the faint fragrance she achieved. The most convincing imitation was the box itself; the carvings and label were so accurate they could easily fool an untrained eye.

After closely examining it, Lin He pointed out the discrepancies to Uncle Wen. Although he was in the trade, he wasn't intimately familiar with the production details, and as a man, he naturally wouldn't be as discerning about scent and color. Hearing Lin He’s explanation, he realized the products were indeed different. Uncle Wen laughed and said, "He'er, I truly apologize. I was being small-minded. Please forgive me."

Lin He wasn't bothered. While her relationship with Uncle Wen was good, it was fundamentally a mutually beneficial arrangement. Over the years, Lin He's products had gained considerable recognition in various circles, ensuring they never lacked buyers. But no matter the time, to grow larger, one always needed social connections. Lin He’s family lacked wealth and influence; all of that depended on Uncle Wen. Conversely, Cai Die Xuan had become a premier shop precisely because of Lin He’s products. They were interdependent.

Lin He also smiled and said, "It’s fine, Uncle Wen. It’s good that the matter is cleared up. When I first started, I promised you I wouldn't sell elsewhere. If anything changed, I would definitely inform you in advance. You’ve helped us so much these years; I would never do such a thing, you can be certain of that."

"Heh heh, He'er is absolutely right. I suppose I didn't think things through immediately," Uncle Wen chuckled.

"But He'er, I find this situation rather peculiar. Consider this: I sell these items frequently and don't distinguish them keenly. If a customer hasn't used them often, they'd be even less likely to notice. I think we should investigate this thoroughly and find out where the problem lies. You know, if someone else could replicate this product, they would have done so long ago; there was no need to wait until now. This is clearly someone imitating it. While the imitation isn't perfect, it bears too much resemblance. I think we need to investigate," Uncle Wen added thoughtfully.

Lin He had already considered this herself. She said, "Uncle Wen, how about this: regarding the presence of these items in other shops, I'll leave that to you. Naturally, if we can sell it, others can too, but the boxes being identical to mine is unacceptable. You handle that. Tomorrow morning, I will go back to my family compound to investigate what exactly is going on."

Uncle Wen nodded. If he hadn't been concerned about Lin He, he would have dealt with that shop already. After seeing Uncle Wen off, Lin He summoned Ziyu to the side room and explained the situation, asking, "Ziyu, do you have any leads on this? I'm not certain yet, but someone must have learned some of the ingredients we use for the pomade and managed to imitate it. To achieve this level, it has to be someone from our household, specifically one of the people who makes the pomades."

Ziyu pondered and said, "Yes, but for the past two years, only the maids in our immediate family have been making the pomades, and I watch them very closely. All those maids are from our own kin. If the secret truly leaked, it should be at least eighty percent accurate. This pomade, however, can be distinguished by anyone with even slight care or anyone who has used yours before."

Lin He felt Ziyu’s reasoning held weight. Both Ziyu and Ziqing knew the entire process of making the pomade. Although they didn't have the exact formula, they managed every step from start to finish. If they wanted to betray her, they could produce an exact replica, and they had been with her for many years; if they were going to leak the secret, it wouldn't have waited this long, and she trusted them implicitly.

As for the maids specifically tasked with making the pomade, although Ziqing and Ziyu handled the initial stages, they only participated in the subsequent stirring and boxing. However, if they were truly determined, they could figure out how to make it through observation. Yet, they didn't seem like the type to do this. Then there were the maids who handled the raw materials outside, but the household maids rarely went out, making it difficult for them to contact outsiders. The only remaining explanation was the women hired from the village.

Lin He mentally reviewed all the women hired from the village, yet couldn't pinpoint anyone suspicious. However, Lin He leaned toward suspecting the latter group hired. The previous ones seemed unlikely because this issue only surfaced recently, and this new batch was only brought in a few months ago—the timeline matched.

"Ziyu, when we go back tomorrow, don't mention this to anyone. Carry on with your duties as usual. For the next few days, you and Ziqing will secretly watch those women hired from the village. See if anyone is acting strangely. If you see anything, don't make a sound; just inform me first. I must find this person," a sharp glint flashed across Lin He's face.