"Mother, if Hongxia herself is willing, there's no issue with this matter. You're right, Hongxia is still young, not yet thirty, and living alone her entire life would be quite difficult." Hongyun also nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. Your father and I are still robust now, so Hongxia's family could certainly stay with us. But once we two old ones pass on, what will become of Hongxia? Though she has a son, if things turn out poorly with the boy later, Hongxia will have nowhere to go. I was thinking, while she is still young, she could find someone to marry, perhaps have more children, and have someone to rely on in the future, which would be better." said Mrs. Zhao.

Mrs. Huang felt that her mother-in-law’s words held merit. At this time, divorce, or a woman remarrying after her husband died, was not uncommon, especially since Hongxia was still so young.

Thinking this over, Mrs. Huang asked, "Then Mother, do you have any suitable candidates in mind? Have you asked the matchmaker to inquire?"

"Not yet. I wanted to find suitable people first, and then ask the matchmaker to make inquiries. Hongxia is remarrying, after all; it’s best not to make too big a fuss, lest we become a laughingstock. I came today precisely to ask if you two know of anyone suitable."

Hongxia and Mrs. Huang exchanged glances and mentally reviewed everyone they knew, but truly, no one seemed appropriate. They both shook their heads. Mrs. Zhao fell silent for a while, then spoke again, "Second daughter-in-law, why don't you ask Dabao to inquire in town? See if there are any suitable candidates—someone older is fine, or a widower, even one with children is acceptable. There are more people in town, perhaps there’s someone suitable."

Hearing Mrs. Zhao’s words, Mrs. Huang looked a bit troubled. Truthfully, she wasn't very familiar with matters in town. After a moment’s thought, she couldn't flatly refuse, so she replied, "Mother, I’m not sure about that. Dabao comes back infrequently, and I don’t know if there are suitable people. I'll mention it to him the next time he returns and ask him to keep an eye out. But Mother, did you want Hongxia to find someone from town?"

Mrs. Zhao nodded. "That's what I was thinking; people in town generally have better family circumstances."

Hongyun, standing nearby, somewhat disagreed with Mrs. Zhao. "Mother, why are you like Big Sister-in-law, focusing on their money? Why must we find someone from town? I say, when Hongxia looks for someone now, don't set the requirements too high. Just an honest man who can accept that Hongxia has two children and doesn't mind that she was married before—that’s enough; don't fuss over the rest."

When Lin He arrived, she happened to overhear what Hongyun said and guessed the general topic was her sister-in-law's remarriage. Lin He didn't interrupt, instead taking her seat and listening.

Mrs. Zhao looked at Hongyun but didn't speak immediately. After a long pause, she finally said, "I didn't say she must marry someone from town. I'm just thinking it’s best to find someone with some established means, which would also be better for Yuanbao in the future. If the family is poor, they can barely manage their own affairs; how could they concern themselves with Yuanbao’s matters?"

"Mother, don't hope for the best. If Hongxia marries into someone's family, let's not even mention if they have children. Even if they don't, Hongxia will likely have more children. If she does, it would be a blessing if they don't mistreat Yuanbao, let alone you expecting them to manage Yuanbao’s future affairs. Truly, you..." Hongyun stopped short.

Mrs. Huang chimed in from the side, "Yes, Mother, that's the logic. If Hongxia remarries, Yuanzhu is easier to manage; the child is older now and can do some work, so she doesn't really need looking after by others. It's just Yuanbao who is still young, and he'll need a wife someday. The new family probably won't care for a child brought along from a previous marriage; it’ll be good enough if they don't beat or scold him."

"I thought of that too. I figured Yuanbao is eight or nine this year and can start working in a couple of years. These next two years, I can take him in to raise him here, and Yuanzhu can stay with me as well. If Hongxia marries out, she won't have to take them. If Hongxia finds someone good, she can save some money, and perhaps use it to help Yuanbao when he marries." Mrs. Zhao explained.

"If that's the case, I think Hongxia doesn't necessarily need to find someone with a good family background. Finding a regular farming family would be just as well, since Hongxia has work of her own and doesn't need a man to support her," Hongyun stated again.

"That could work too, according to what you say. But there aren't any suitable people nearby. I don't want Hongxia marrying too far away, and she could still work at Second Brother's place," Mrs. Zhao conceded, seeing the sense in Hongyun's words.

Hongyun looked at Mrs. Zhao, mused for a moment, and then spoke, "Mother, I actually have an idea, though I don't know if you'll approve. But I’ll say it; please don't blame me if you don't like it."

"Say it. We won't blame you. We are all discussing this matter; it's not set in stone yet," Mrs. Huang interjected.

Mrs. Zhao also looked at Hongyun, signaling her to continue.

"Mother, look, Second Brother's household hires quite a few laborers and has stable boys, so many people. Can't you just pick one? There are several here around Hongxia's age who haven't married," Hongyun suggested.

Lin He looked at Hongyun, having not considered this angle herself. The stable boys and laborers were indeed suitable candidates. There were several long-term laborers who were unmarried. Setting aside others, the foreman, Li Ping, was a good prospect—thirty-five this year. She recalled that he supposedly had a seventy-year-old mother at home; he had been married years ago, but his wife either died in childbirth or from illness; in any case, he was currently single. Moreover, the man was honest, had no children, and if he could be paired with her sister-in-law, it would be excellent. They had never thought of this possibility.

There was also the household steward, Chang Geng. Although he had sold himself into service to their family, if things worked out between him and her sister-in-law, it would be manageable. Besides, Chang Geng was a very good person, a bachelor, and his wages working in their own household were quite good. Pairing him with her sister-in-law would also be a fine arrangement. From Lin He’s understanding of Chang Geng, he certainly wouldn't look down on her sister-in-law having children.

While he couldn't be called wealthy, they could certainly manage a life together. Lin He glanced at Mrs. Huang, who seemed to agree that Hongyun’s idea was good, and nodded to Hongyun with a smile. Then everyone looked to Mrs. Zhao for her reaction. After hearing Hongyun’s words, Mrs. Zhao looked at her eldest daughter-in-law, remaining silent for a moment before saying, "I never thought of that angle... If there is someone suitable among them, it wouldn't be bad. Hongxia already knows them, and it wouldn't be too far away. However..."