Da Bao didn't argue with Lin He; the very next morning, he summoned Wen Ningxuan and together they purchased the four shops he had taken a liking to, paying the deposits. Once the paperwork was complete, they could take possession. By the time Lin He found out, Da Bao had already settled everything. He handed the deeds directly to her, saying she should keep them safe, and that they would acquire more shops slowly whenever they found ones they liked in the future.

Since Da Bao had already bought them, there was little more to say. Fortunately, the household had a steady income each month, so spending this money wouldn't leave them bankrupt. However, since Da Bao brought up the matter of property, Lin He felt that certain family arrangements needed to be settled sooner rather than later. They thought of themselves, but there were also Chen’er, Xiao Bao, and the elder and younger Xiong brothers. They needed to arrange the major assets before Da Bao married, lest his wife, if difficult to deal with, make life hard for the younger siblings and breed conflict within the family. Even if the future sister-in-law were a good person, it was still best to clearly demarcate ownership.

Lin He considered this, then returned to discuss with her parents the need to acquire more farmland and additional shops in the nearby town, setting them aside for Chen’er and the younger ones. They had to expedite the process upon returning, as her elder brother was likely to marry within the next couple of years.

Lin He and Da Bao spent a few days there, finalizing the handover of the purchased shops. Lin He wasn't taking back the properties anyway; they were already leased out, so the arrangement simply continued. Since the rents were collected annually, and it wasn't the collection season, there were no complications. They merely introduced themselves to the tenants alongside the shop owner, and the property matters were thus settled.

By the fourth day, the people Wen Ningxuan had sent to inquire finally brought news. They had managed to bribe a servant in the Zeng household and had uncovered one crucial piece of information: this son-in-law, Zeng Weiliang, was originally a servant in their house. He had arrived six or seven years ago—how exactly he entered the household was unclear. However, he later became involved with the young mistress of the house. Initially, Master Zeng strongly objected, but Zeng Weiliang offered to marry into the family as a matrilocal son-in-law, willing to change his surname to Zeng and ensuring all their children would bear the Zeng surname. Only then did the master agree. Now that the master was aging, the family’s businesses were managed by Zeng Weiliang.

Da Bao and Lin He exchanged a glance. The timing was indeed quite coincidental. Their own Third Uncle had disappeared six years ago while hunting. It seemed increasingly likely that this Zeng Weiliang was their Third Uncle.

The informant mentioned that Zeng Weiliang was due back the following day. Lin He thought they would finally learn the truth then. Yet, for some reason, despite never having seen her Third Uncle, Lin He suddenly felt an intense dread about facing this reality. She thought of Third Aunt and the state of her and Xiao Shan’s mother and son. She truly lacked the courage to confront it. In that moment, she almost wished her Third Uncle had actually died, and that this Zeng Weiliang had no connection to their family.

Lin He had a strong intuition that Zeng Weiliang was no good. What motive could he have for marrying into the Zeng family? Most people would suspect his intentions, and Lin He was no exception. Da Bao shared similar feelings. He looked at Lin He and said, "No matter what, we still have to verify this tomorrow."

Lin He nodded. Back at the inn, Lin He found herself unable to calm down for a long time, sitting blankly before the table, her mind a mess. She wasn't sure what she was thinking, only possessing a persistent, bad premonition. Finally, after a few comforting words from Zi Yu, Lin He managed to go to bed.

After breakfast the next day, Wen Ningxuan sent Xiao Mo to accompany Ning Ruo out while he accompanied Lin He and Da Bao to Yin Ruoxuan. This time, Zeng Weiliang was at the shop. As soon as Da Bao spotted Zeng Weiliang from afar, his face instantly changed, and he refused to step forward. Lin He knew this must be their Third Uncle without a doubt, but just to be certain, she walked into Yin Ruoxuan with Da Bao and the others. Because of the crowd, Zeng Weiliang only circled the shop floor before heading upstairs, likely having not noticed Lin He and her group.

As soon as Da Bao and the others emerged from the shop entrance, Da Bao broke the silence: "He'er, what do we do? That is our Third Uncle, absolutely no mistake. He hasn't changed much from how he looked before he left home."

Lin He was also worried, but it wasn't a good place to discuss such matters on the street. They returned to the inn with Da Bao's party. Zi Yu was waiting there. Seeing Lin He’s pale face upon return, she didn't ask further questions, simply closed the door for them and left. The group sat in silence for a while until Wen Ningxuan spoke, "He'er, write a letter asking Uncle to come over. It’s best to wait until Uncle arrives to see how to handle this. Don't say too much in the letter; just request his presence."

Lin He figured this was the only way. Father had mentioned at home that if they confirmed it was Third Uncle, he would come. If she wrote asking him to come, Father would certainly know it concerned Third Uncle. They would wait until Father arrived. Lin He asked Da Bao to quickly write a simple letter to Er Niu, asking him to hurry over as soon as possible.

Da Bao spoke with frustration, "What is going on with our Third Uncle? He clearly had a wife and children at home, yet he marries into another family. Look how bitterly Xiao Shan and the others have lived these years, while he is here living carefree! He abandoned his elders and the young ones who depended on him."

"He'er, maybe we shouldn't write home? We can just say this isn't Third Uncle. It's been so many years; we treated him as if he were dead anyway, and his absence hasn't had a major impact," Da Bao suggested in distress.

Lin He had actually entertained that very thought—to simply pretend this Third Uncle had never appeared. But now that Da Bao suggested it too, Lin He became even more uncertain. She looked towards Wen Ningxuan, feeling he was calmer than they were and might offer better advice.

Wen Ningxuan, who had been sitting aside contemplating, finally spoke, "I believe we must inform Father about this. When he arrives, we tell him everything. Whether or not to acknowledge this Third Uncle should be his decision. Some things cannot be hidden forever, and we don't know what the future holds. It’s best to write and ask Father to come."

Lin He and Da Bao exchanged glances. Wen Ningxuan's analysis made sense. As for them, their emotional ties to this Third Uncle weren't deep. Lin He had never even met him, so there was no attachment. As for Da Bao, he hadn't been home much when his Third Uncle left, so his feelings weren't profound either. But Father was different; this was his own blood brother. Perhaps, for Father, knowing Third Uncle was alive was better than anything else, and perhaps Third Uncle had his own hidden reasons, not as villainous as they imagined. Ultimately, Da Bao and Lin He decided to send a letter asking Father to come and let Er Niu deliver the message, letting Father make the final decision regarding their Third Uncle.