Mrs. Huang, upon hearing Mrs. Zhao’s words, inquired with marked interest, “Mother, how old are the two girls you mentioned this year? What do their parents do for a living, and what are they like?”

Mrs. Zhao stated that she had two candidates in mind: one named Taohua (Peach Blossom) and the other Chun’er (Spring Child). Both were around thirteen or fourteen years old, possessed good looks, and their families were reasonably well-off. One set of parents ran a small shop in town and employed two servants, while the other family farmed their own few acres of land. Overall, their circumstances were average, passable.

Mrs. Huang was greatly tempted and said, “Mother, here is what we can do: when Er Niu returns tonight, I will discuss this with him. If Er Niu agrees, I will give you my answer tomorrow. How does that sound?”

Mrs. Zhao nodded, agreeing that Mrs. Huang should reply the next day. When Er Niu returned that evening, Mrs. Huang relayed the matter to him. Er Niu expressed some apprehension: “We don’t know what kind of people the ones Mother mentioned are; we haven't even seen them. It might not be wise to agree just like that. When marrying a wife, the family’s wealth isn't the primary concern, but her character must be good. If we marry someone like Song Yue Mei, it will bring endless trouble to the household.”

Lin He felt that Er Niu’s point was absolutely correct. Regardless of Da Bao’s current situation, since his grandmother had brought this up, it would be difficult for his parents to refuse outright. Furthermore, both Mrs. Huang and Er Niu genuinely worried about Da Bao’s marriage prospects. After some thought, it was Mrs. Huang who suggested, “Husband, why don’t we do this: since both girls are relatives on your side of the family, why don’t we ask Mother to invite them over to stay for a few days? Tell them it’s just a visit from relatives, without mentioning the true intention. When they arrive, we can assess them ourselves.”

Er Niu agreed with Mrs. Huang’s idea. Although marriages were traditionally decided by the parents at this time, Er Niu was unwilling to blindly choose a daughter-in-law who might end up ruining his son’s entire life and bringing distress to the whole family.

Er Niu said, “Then I will discuss it with Mother tomorrow and ask her to bring the two girls over. Da Bao isn't home anyway, and they are relatives from her side, so it shouldn’t matter.”

Lin He voiced a slight concern: “Perhaps tomorrow we should ask Elder Brother about this? It’s better to inform him.”

“No need,” Mrs. Huang replied. “We aren't forcing him to marry right now. We will simply look at the two girls. If one seems suitable, only then will we speak to Da Bao. If not, it’s fine. Da Bao is busy in town, and if we tell him now, he might object anyway.”

Lin He considered this and found it reasonable. Since it was only a preliminary look, they could proceed if a match was found; if not, they wouldn't need to bother Da Bao. If Da Bao truly had someone else in mind and refused these girls, they could simply send both back.

Lin He paused, then spoke again, “Father, Mother, I might need to go out for a trip in a while.”

“Going out again? Where to, and for how long?” Mrs. Huang asked nervously.

Seeing her mother’s anxiety, Lin He smiled faintly. “I need to go to a county not far from here. Uncle Wen opened a Caidie Xuan there and wants me to check on it. It will probably take about half a month.”

“Half a month? That long? Uncle Wen’s shop has never required your attention before. Why must you go now? You are a young woman traveling alone, it’s inconvenient. Why not send Da Bao instead?” Mrs. Huang was uneasy about Lin He traveling.

Since this invitation was from Wen Ningxuan, Lin He found it difficult to explain truthfully. If she admitted to going with Wen Ningxuan, her parents would certainly object. Lin He explained, “Elder Brother’s shop is busy, and all the products at Caidie Xuan are made by me; only I know the formulations. Brother going wouldn't be useful. Mother, I will take Ziyu with me, and besides, there will be others from Uncle Wen’s side there too. Don't worry.”

Hearing that there would be others from Uncle Wen’s side, Mrs. Huang was somewhat reassured. Furthermore, in recent years, Lin He had frequently traveled with Ziyu and Ziqing without incident, so Mrs. Huang was not as worried as she had been during Lin He's first trip. She finally consented: “Take Ziqing along as well. If you have two people with you, I will feel safer. Your father can watch things here.”

“Ziqing cannot go. She manages all the inventory here, and Father doesn’t understand these things. If anything comes up, Father wouldn't know how to handle it,” Lin He stated.

Mrs. Huang reflected and realized this was true. They had never meddled in Lin He’s affairs. In fact, Lin He gave them a sum of money every year, and they never inquired how she earned it, nor did they concern themselves with the management of Lin He’s ointment workshop; having Ziqing oversee that was better.

“When are you leaving? I’ll prepare some things for you to take,” Mrs. Huang asked.

Lin He wasn't sure of the exact date, partly because she remembered how anxious her mother had been when she and Da Bao traveled to the county town years ago. She replied, “I don’t know the exact time yet. It will be in a few days. Uncle Wen will send someone to fetch me then.”

Mrs. Huang nodded. Noticing Da Xiong and Xiao Xiong still scrambling about nearby, she called out, “Da Xiong, Xiao Xiong, it’s time for bed! Hurry and let Caiqing take you to wash up and sleep.”

The next day, Mrs. Huang visited Mrs. Zhao’s house and discussed the matter. Mrs. Zhao agreed that Mrs. Huang’s plan was sound, as it allowed them to observe the two girls. She said that Er Niu should drive the cart that afternoon to bring the girls back.

In the afternoon, Er Niu and Mrs. Zhao journeyed to Mrs. Zhao’s maternal home. By late afternoon, they returned. Lin He and the others waited in the courtyard. They had brought two girls, whose looks were indeed quite good. The one named Chun’er was taller and sturdier, with slightly darker skin, but very delicate features. Her clothes, though not made of fine fabric, were perfectly clean. As she alighted from the cart, she was very shy, offering tentative greetings to Er Niu and Mrs. Huang before giving Lin He and the others a bashful smile.

The other girl, Taohua, wore fabric visibly superior to Chun’er’s, and she was quite fair-skinned, not looking like a typical farm girl. Lin He guessed that Taohua must be the daughter from the family that owned the town shop. Taohua was far bolder than Chun’er. As soon as she stepped down, she sweetly greeted Er Niu and Mrs. Huang. When Mrs. Zhao introduced Lin He, Taohua sweetly called out, “Greetings, Sister He’er.”

On the surface, Taohua’s demeanor clearly overshadowed Chun’er’s. Mrs. Zhao chuckled from the side, “Taohua, Chun’er, my house doesn’t have enough room for you both. You should stay at your distant cousin’s house for a few days.”

Saying this, Mrs. Huang instructed Ziyu and Zihuan, who were standing nearby, to fetch their bundles and put them away. Taohua naturally handed her bundle to Ziyu and sweetly said, “I trouble you, Elder Sister.”

Chun’er, however, murmured softly, “Elder Sister, may I go with you?”

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