"No, someone you don't know. Oh, right, didn't you buy a lot of things with Xiao Mo today? Let me see what you got!" Lin He deliberately steered the conversation away.

Sure enough, Chen'er didn't dwell on who had asked her sister to make the item, replying cheerfully, "Yes! Big Sister, I bought so much! I even bought something for you. Wait right there, I'll go get it for you to see."

Chen'er left. Ziyu asked, "Miss, why don't you want Miss Chen'er to know? You often spend time with the Third Young Master; it shouldn't matter if they know."

"Chen'er is still young. I'll tell her later. Besides, nothing much is going on between me and Wen Ningxuan; there’s no need for the whole world to know." Lin He replied.

With that, Lin He placed the pillow and the sachet into the cabinet, lest Chen'er see them later and start asking questions again. Before long, Chen'er returned, carrying a large pile of items—all the little trinkets girls liked: fans, silk scarves, small pieces of jewelry, you name it. Watching Chen'er's delight, Lin He felt a slight headache brewing. She realized Chen'er was truly developing tendencies toward being a shopaholic. Chen'er loved buying things, but she rarely used most of what she bought; it seemed she simply enjoyed the pleasure of shopping.

Chen'er was still excitedly chattering about how pretty this was and how lovely that was, then she shoved a box toward Lin He. "Big Sister, this is for you. It was the most expensive thing among everything I bought. Take a look, do you like it?"

Lin He opened the box to find a delicate silver bracelet, adorned with two tiny, hollowed-out pendants. It was quite unique. Seeing Chen'er staring at her expectantly, Lin He smiled, "Chen'er has excellent taste. This chain is truly beautiful; Big Sister loves it."

Chen'er beamed. "I thought so too! I picked it out especially for you."

Lin He patted Chen'er's head. This younger sister had plenty of intelligence but lacked diligence. If she were a boy, she would surely be the type to become a spoiled, idle young master. She had absolutely no interest in the serious matters of the household. When they were younger, she was somewhat more sensible and used to help with chores when the staff was short, following Lin He around. But in recent years, since the family hired more maids, Chen'er refused to even step foot into the pomade workshop. She claimed that Big Sister and Eldest Brother were responsible for earning money, the younger brothers for studying, and she was responsible for spending and playing.

It was fine to be like this in her parents' home, where they indulged her. But this would not do when she eventually married into her husband's family. Although Lin He didn't personally see a major issue with it, Madam Huang had told Lin He more than once that this behavior was unacceptable; if Chen'er continued this way, her in-laws would gossip that the family lacked proper discipline.

Lin He reflected that this was simply how the era was. In previous years, thinking Chen'er was still young, Lin He couldn't bring herself to admonish her. The family had struggled financially before, and Chen'er had suffered enough; letting her enjoy herself for a couple of years now seemed harmless. But now, Chen'er was eleven, which was no longer considered young for this time; many girls this age were already being courted. Chen'er, apart from basic needlework, knew almost nothing else. She couldn't sew clothes, nor did she know anything about the kitchen—these were essential female skills for this era. Moreover, she was a spendthrift. Lin He concluded that Chen'er truly could not be spoiled any longer.

Lin He asked Chen'er to sit down and inquired, "Chen'er, didn't we talk about having Zihuan and Zixi teach you how to cut and sew clothes yourself? Have you started learning yet?"

Chen'er thought her older sister was joking again and replied with a laugh, "Big Sister, I haven't even begun! I can't even sew a straight stitch, how could I make clothes? If you need clothes made, just have Ziqing or Ziyu do it."

Lin He sighed, exchanging a look with Ziyu nearby. Ziyu understood that Lin He was about to lecture Chen'er, so she closed the door and stepped out. Chen'er was still fiddling with her trinkets at the table. "Hey, Ziyu, why are you leaving? I have so many more things you haven't seen!"

"Chen'er, stop playing with those things on the table. Come here. Big Sister needs to talk to you." Lin He's tone had grown stern.

Chen'er was still somewhat afraid of Lin He. Big Sister rarely lost her temper, but when she did, the younger siblings dared not disobey. Seeing Lin He's displeased expression, Chen'er put down the trinkets and walked over to her sister.

Lin He began, "Chen'er, you are eleven years old now; you are not little anymore. Do you plan to continue like this forever?"

Chen'er didn't quite grasp what Lin He meant and simply looked down at her sister. Lin He sighed inwardly at her expression and continued, "Chen'er, when we return this time, starting tomorrow, in addition to your needlework lessons with Zihuan and Zixi, you will also go to the kitchen to work with Ziqing and Ziyu."

"Big Sister, why? Don't we have maids for everything? Why do I have to go to the kitchen? I don't like cooking," Chen'er grumbled.

"Some things you cannot avoid just because you dislike them. You must eventually learn them. You cannot be your parents' daughter forever; you will marry someday and become someone's wife. You must know these things," Lin He said, pulling Chen'er down to sit beside her.

"When I get married, I'll just bring my maids with me. Zihuan and Zixi will know how to do all that," Chen'er countered.

"You can bring maids, but do you really think that once you marry, your mother-in-law will indulge you in everything the way your own mother does? You are old enough now. Haven't you seen what happens in this family over the years? Look at how Grandmother treats Mother. Look at how Eldest Aunt treats Sister-in-law Yuemei." Lin He patiently explained to Chen'er.

"Then I won't marry. I'll just stay here my whole life! I don't understand why girls must marry out when boys can stay home forever. Look, you never make Xiaobao do these things, and neither does Eldest Brother."

"Fine then. If you don't want to do these things, tomorrow I will send you to the academy to study, or to someone's shop to learn business. You choose."

"Big Sister, must I learn? Can you let me play for one more year, and I'll start next year, okay?"

"No. You start learning as soon as we get back. I will check on your progress regularly from now on. If you aren't learning well, I will personally supervise until you get it right."

Hearing Big Sister's firm tone, Chen'er reluctantly agreed, saying she would try her best to learn. Lin He found Chen'er's demeanor somewhat amusing, knowing she still had a child's heart and couldn't be pushed too hard. This time, she had only applied necessary pressure, and that was enough.

Seeing that Chen'er was no longer as cheerful as before, Lin He deliberately walked back toward the table to engage her. "These are all Chen'er's selections, aren't they? All your own things?"