Lin He and her party arrived home just as the family was finishing breakfast. Lin He ate with her family, then sat in the courtyard keeping Chen’er company while she embroidered. Chen’er looked up. “Big Sister, did you see Little Mo brother when you were in town? He mentioned when he might come visit us. Little Xiong was asking about him just yesterday.”

Lin He smiled. “I saw him. He came into the shop and rambled on about a lot of things, asking why you weren’t coming into town to play. He said he’d visit our home in a while, but probably not anytime soon.”

Chen’er looked up at Lin He, confused. Lin He chuckled. “His Second Brother is back, and he said things are a bit busy at home.”

Chen’er nodded and went back to her needlework. Lin He watched her stitching, finding it a bit amusing. “You’ve been learning embroidery for three years, yet all you ever make are little sachets or handkerchiefs, or maybe mend some clothes. You still can’t tailor clothes? How can you be so slow?”

“Second Sister, slowpoke,” Little Xiong chirped, running up from a distance and chiming in with Lin He’s assessment of Chen’er.

“I am not! Aren’t the clothes you and Big Sister wear to sleep made by me? How can you say I can’t make clothes?” Chen’er protested.

Lin He picked up Little Xiong and placed him on her lap. “That counts, sure, but those are just simple stitches anyone who knows how to thread a needle can manage. Starting tomorrow, you must have Huan’er and Xi’er teach you how to cut fabric and start tailoring for real. You’ve studied for three years—are you planning for someone else to make all your clothes for your entire life?”

“What’s wrong with that? As long as Huan’er and Xi’er know how to do it, I have clothes to wear. Plenty of people don't know how to do it either.” Chen’er argued back.

“I don’t care about other people, but I care about you. Don’t argue anymore. Start tomorrow. If you don’t do well, you won’t get any new clothes. From now on, you make your own clothes,” Lin He stated firmly.

“Make my own,” Little Xiong echoed from the side.

Chen’er pinched Little Xiong’s cheek and replied reluctantly, “I know.”

Lin He looked at Little Xiong perched on her lap and then at Big Xiong playing nearby, supervised by a maid. Though they were identical twins, indistinguishable if they remained silent—even their parents couldn't tell them apart—their personalities were polar opposites. Big Xiong was reserved and quiet; you could leave him alone in a spot, and he’d entertain himself perfectly well. Little Xiong, however, craved company, gravitating toward any crowd, and he had a sweet tongue, constantly coaxing Lin He with ‘Big Sister, Big Sister’ to make him tasty treats. The moment Lin He returned from the street, he always knew she’d brought something good. As expected, he drifted toward Lin He right after breakfast.

Lin He knew exactly what he was after but pretended not to, waiting to see what he’d say. Little Xiong sat on her lap for a moment before growing restless. “Big Sister, I want cakey.”

“What cakey? Big Sister has no cakey. Look for yourself,” she said, showing him her empty palms.

Little Xiong rolled his eyes and said, “Carriage.”

Lin He and Chen’er burst into laughter at his antics. Chen’er laughed and called him a ‘little glutton.’

Lin He instructed Ziyu and Huan’er, who were standing nearby, to fetch the sachima they had made just yesterday from inside the house. She let Little Xiong take a piece in one hand and head over to eat with his brother. Little Xiong happily walked over to Big Xiong.

After sitting in the courtyard for a while, Lin He remembered the matter of the fragrant unguent and headed towards the balm workshop. Several maids were inside the workshop area. The packing and boxing were done in a small outer courtyard. Lin He walked in quietly, watching them work. The maids greeted her with a respectful “Miss” but did not stop their tasks.

Lin He stood aside, observing the maids in the workshop. They were all women she had personally hired from outside—clever, capable, and all having worked there for several years. Lin He trusted them implicitly, but she decided to check the other area too.

The previous building had been converted into a small factory setup, containing three balm rooms. Cooled soap bars were arranged in both the front and back courtyards. Lin He inspected each room one by one. These women were also working diligently. Just by looking, it was impossible to spot anyone suspicious, yet Lin He was certain the culprit was among them.

Lin He stood there for a moment, glanced at the cooling soap, and then exchanged a meaningful look with Ziqing inside before stepping out. Ziqing followed her out, and Lin He immediately asked, “Ziyu must have told you everything. Do you have anyone in mind you suspect?”

“Miss, I do have a slight suspicion about one person. It’s Sister Sanxi, whom we hired a few months ago. I’ve noticed she always wanders around our area when she has nothing else to do. Sometimes, when you aren't home, she goes to chat with Auntie Dongjia, and other times she strikes up conversations with Cailan and the others. I wonder if that’s unusual behavior.” Ziqing mused thoughtfully.

Sister Sanxi. Lin He tried to recall. This woman had been introduced by Tie Niu’s wife, who mentioned a relative wanted to work. Er Niu had brought her in for an interview, found her acceptable, and kept her. Ordinarily, Tie Niu’s wife was dependable, having worked diligently and quietly for years, so when she recommended this person, Er Niu told Lin He, and she agreed without hesitation. This Sister Sanxi shouldn’t have much reason to associate closely with their inner circle, so lingering around was indeed slightly suspicious.

Thinking it over, Lin He instructed Ziqing, “Don't say anything yet, and don't question her. Keep a very close watch on her without letting her notice. Also, monitor her whenever she goes into our yard. Note down what she says when she speaks with Mother or the maids.”

About three or four days later, Ziyu came to report to Lin He. “Miss, today when we were coming back from buying materials, we ran into Auntie Sanxi on the road. She wouldn't stop asking what we bought, deliberately prying to find out about the fragrant balm. I’m sure it’s her.”

Lin He nodded. “Yes, it seems highly likely it’s her. But she can’t get into our rear workshop, so she probably doesn’t know much detail. You need to check if one of the maids working on the balm process might have let something slip. Observe who seems overly close with Sister Sanxi.”

Lin He mulled over the situation at home for a long time. She truly believed her own maids wouldn't betray her secrets. Anyone outside would only know surface-level ingredients; they likely wouldn't know the crucial steps of the process. It must be someone from their side who let something slip. Combined with Sister Sanxi’s frequent loitering—if the household wasn't careful, too many visits meant she might spot material deliveries or storage arrangements. A little bit here, a little bit there, and she could piece together a significant portion. The key now was identifying who was careless with their words.

Ziyu listened to Lin He’s instructions and nodded.