But Lin He didn't overthink things. With Wen Ningxuan having ridden off, Lin He and the two maids got into the carriage and headed home. By the time they arrived, dusk was settling in. Madam Zhao, Hongxia, and the others were waiting in the courtyard. Hongxia, Hongyun, and Mrs. Zhou had finished their tasks, and Madam Zhao had been there all afternoon. As soon as she saw Lin He's carriage pull up to the gate, they all rushed out.

Madam Zhao anxiously asked, "He'er, did you get the things? Is the money enough?"

Hongxia, standing nearby, chuckled, "Mother, why such a rush? Wait until Lin He is settled inside before you ask."

Lin He alighted from the carriage and handed the bundle to Granny Huang. "Grandmother, Mother, take a look. Are these ornaments satisfactory?"

When Huang Shi and the others opened the bundle, their eyes widened. They hadn't expected anything this fine, especially considering the small sum of money involved. Though the jewelry sets weren't particularly heavy, the craftsmanship was exquisite, and the designs were remarkably fresh—utterly unlike anything they had ever seen. Hongyun looked at the pieces and asked, "He'er, how much did this cost? Don't tell me you dipped into your own funds. Can a few taels of silver even buy things like this?"

Lin He smiled. "I didn't need to add anything. Your share is fully covered. I bought them from an acquaintance who gave me a better price. Tell me, do you think these will do for Sister Yu'er's dowry?"

Madam Zhao gently touched the ornaments. "Yes, of course, they will do. I've never worn anything this beautiful myself. When Yu'er marries, giving her one set will surely make many people envious."

Apart from the set designated for Lin He’s immediate family, the other set was divided so that Madam Zhao and the other three women each received one piece. Coupled with the bolts of cloth Lin He had brought back, they agreed to deliver the dowry items to Mrs. He’s house in a few days.

Once Madam Zhao and the others departed, Lin He distributed the minor trinkets she had bought for the family's maids. Since the girls were still quite young, upon receiving the jewelry, they immediately began trying them on, preening in front of the mirror. Chen'er pouted, "Sister, you bought things for all the maids, why not for me? I like them too."

"You little greedy thing, wanting everything! I’ll take you to town next time, and you can pick things out for yourself. Everything today was bought at Brother Xiao Mo's shop. Xiao Mo even said he wanted to give you something today, and asked me to choose. I told him to let you choose yourself. Next time I go to town, I'll bring you along, and we can also buy some decent jewelry for Mother." Lin He said with a laugh.

"You child, your mother doesn't need jewelry. These ornaments can't be eaten or worn; they’re just a burden to carry around, and they cost a good amount of money too," Granny Huang chided gently from the side.

Er Niu smiled and said, "She needs them, He'er. Buy a few more pieces for your mother next time you go out. Look how she still wears the hairpin you bought her last time."

"Mmm," Lin He nodded in agreement.

Several days passed. One morning, after finishing her ablutions in the washing room, Lin He was tying up her hair at her vanity. Suddenly, she remembered the bracelet and the single piece of glazed chain bracelet she had tucked away in the drawer. Both were exquisite, and Lin He felt it was a waste to keep them locked away; jewelry was meant to be worn, not hidden, or its inherent luster would be lost. After a moment’s thought, she placed the heavier bracelet in the lower drawer of the vanity for safekeeping and fastened the chain bracelet onto her own wrist.

Just as she fastened the bracelet, Chen'er burst in, exclaiming, "Second Sister, when did you buy such a beautiful bracelet? This one is transparent too! It’s such a lovely color. Second Sister, did you buy this at Brother Xiao Mo's shop too? Can you buy one for me?"

Lin He recalled that it was Chen'er who had originally mentioned the bracelet. Chen'er's mouth was practically a loudspeaker. Thinking quickly, Lin He replied, "No, this wasn't from Brother Xiao Mo's shop. I bought it myself from a small street stall outside; it was very cheap. I thought you wouldn't like this style, so I didn't get one for you. I’ll look for one for you next time we go out."

"Really? Then I’ll go out with you next time, and I’ll buy some for myself on the street! Since they’re cheap, I’ll buy several to give to Da Yuan and Yuan Zhu!" Chen'er chirped.

Lin He offered a noncommittal reply, "Fine, I’ll take you next time, and you can buy them yourself."

With that, she nudged Chen'er and left with her. After all, Chen'er was still a child at heart; if she saw something she liked better on the street next time, she’d forget all about this bracelet. Besides, this kind of bracelet wasn't sold everywhere on the street; buying even one would cost a fortune, let alone several. What a little girl.

After the Lin family finished breakfast, Madam Zhao and the others arrived. They had made arrangements a few days prior to take the gifts to Yu'er that morning since there was nothing else pressing. When they reached Mrs. He’s house, Mrs. He was sitting alone in the courtyard. Seeing Madam Zhao and the others arrive, bearing so many items, Mrs. He’s face immediately bloomed into a wide smile, and she hurried to usher them inside.

The group entered the house, and one by one, they handed over what they carried. Madam Zhao announced, "Eldest sister-in-law, please call Yu'er out. These are the items we all pooled together for her dowry. This set here—mine, Hongxia's, Hongyun's, and Third Brother's wife's contribution—is one complete set. That other set was given by the Second Brother's family separately. And all this cloth was brought by us together."

As Madam Zhao spoke, she opened the jewelry boxes. Mrs. He, seeing the two dazzling sets of ornaments before her, was so happy her mouth couldn't close. She immediately called for Yu'er, instructing her to thank them properly. Yu'er did manage to say, "Grandmother, why did you buy such expensive things? This must have cost a great deal of money."

Hearing Yu'er, Madam Zhao laughed heartily. "Our Yu'er is getting married; this is a huge event! Why worry about spending a little more? We must ensure Yu'er has a splendid wedding so she won't be looked down upon by her in-laws. Oh, eldest sister-in-law, is the 'bottom-of-the-chest' silver ready for Yu'er?"

"My family’s silver is ready. The amount from Qingshan's side hasn't arrived yet. The new clothes they were making for Yu'er haven't arrived either. I don't know why; I wonder if Song Yuemei is causing trouble again by withholding them. Please, sit here for a moment; I'll go call them over." Mrs. He said.

Madam Zhao frowned upon hearing this. "They still haven't arrived? Really. Go and call Qingshan and the others. I want to see what they are dawdling over; it’s been so many days, and they still aren't done."

Mrs. He immediately left upon hearing Madam Zhao’s command. Before she even stepped into Qingshan’s courtyard, she overheard Song Yuemei’s voice saying, "Qingshan, I think your sister is being too demanding. For her wedding, your mother expects twenty taels of bottom-of-the-chest money? In all of Lin Village, you’d be hard-pressed to find another family doing that. Is your mother expecting your sister to support her in her old age?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I just need you to come up with five taels. Why are you making such a fuss? Hurry up and give me the money so I can take it to Mother. We don't have many days left, and I still need to buy some things for Yu'er," Qingshan urged. (To be continued)