Hong Yun stammered through what Madam Zhao had to say, before finally asking, "Mother, just what is it?"

"It's just that the servants sold themselves into service, and apart from that one named Chang Geng, Niu'er's household has no other suitable people. And these field laborers, I presume their family situations are not good; if they were well-off, they wouldn't be working as long-term laborers," Madam Zhao voiced her concerns.

Lin He knew that her grandmother, in all her rambling, was ultimately worried about the poor backgrounds of these people, which was why she hadn't considered that angle at all.

"Mother, if you feel it's not good, then just pretend I never mentioned it," Hong Yun replied.

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied, I was just mentioning it. Second sister-in-law, do you see anyone among these people who might be suitable? If so, that could work too, since there aren't any other candidates anyway," Madam Zhao asked Madam Huang.

"Among the young male servants in this household, only Chang Geng is of an age that could match Hong Xia. Chang Geng is a very good person, and he has no family of his own—he’s entirely alone. If he were to be with Hong Xia, he surely wouldn't look down upon the children from Hong Xia's family. As for the field laborers, I'm not entirely clear; we'd have to ask the children's father about that," Madam Huang stated honestly.

"Oh, I see. Then, when Niu'er returns, discuss this matter with him, and if there are suitable candidates, have Niu'er gauge their interest first," Madam Zhao instructed.

Madam Huang nodded, saying she would speak to Niu'er as soon as he got back. Madam Zhao had actually come today specifically for this purpose, and now that things were provisionally settled, she felt much more at ease. She called over Da Xiong and Mao Mao, who had been playing nearby. After the children played for a while, Mao Mao was no longer as afraid of strangers. Seeing Da Xiong and Mao Mao approach, he followed them, though he remained somewhat timid and dared not walk close to Madam Zhao. Hong Yun tugged his sleeve, guiding him closer to her side.

While everyone was engaged in lively conversation, Madam Zhou remained silent throughout, and when the topic turned to the field laborers, her expression shifted slightly—though no one noticed.

Children of three or four years old are at their most playful. The whole courtyard was engaged in teasing and laughing with them, and soon the entire yard was filled with uproarious laughter. Madam Zhao and Hong Yun stayed for lunch, not leaving until dusk. When Niu'er returned that evening, he reported that the land purchase was complete. For now, the fields were leased out to nearby villagers for cultivation; they only needed to send Chang Geng and the others over during the harvest. As for building the residences there, that could proceed slowly, there was no rush.

Speaking of Chang Geng, Madam Huang recounted the matter her mother-in-law had raised that day to Niu'er. Niu'er listened and agreed with the idea. He also mentioned that Li Ping was a suitable candidate, and since Li Ping and Hong Xia had regular contact, they could be considered familiar with each other; if it worked out, it would be a good thing. He said he would gauge Li Ping's thoughts in a few days, and if things looked promising, he would then discuss it with his mother.

A few days later, Niu'er had breakfast and headed toward the field laborers' compound. Madam Huang reminded him not to forget the matter. Niu'er nodded and went to the edge of the fields where Li Ping was overseeing the work. In recent years, as the household's field laborers increased, Li Ping was no longer assigned specific plots to work alone; his main duty was to supervise the others. Whenever the household had other tasks that needed doing, he was also assigned those.

In recent years, Lin He's family had purchased over another hundred mu of land, bringing their total to over three hundred mu. With the new hires added to the existing staff, they now had about fourteen or fifteen field laborers in total. This meant each person managed quite a large area. Lin He felt the laborers worked quite hard, so over the years, she had increased their wages annually under various pretenses. Although the field laborers were tired, the higher pay satisfied them all, and they were very content with their employer, causing everyone to work diligently and manage their assigned fields excellently. The wheat yields these past few years had been very good, and Lin He's family's granaries overflowed with grain. Initially, Niu'er refused to sell any, but when the silos were full, they still had to sell a considerable amount every year.

The busy farming season had recently concluded, and these past few days had been spent drying the wheat. Most of the wheat had been gathered in by now. Niu’er entered the laborers' courtyard to find they had already organized the grain. Some of it had been milled into white flour and stored in the family's bins, while the rest was neatly stacked in sacks in the yard. Niu'er surveyed the arrangement, nodded, and offered a few words of praise.

Li Ping made an excellent supervisor; generally, the affairs concerning the field laborers were handled entirely by him, and the family rarely needed to intervene unless absolutely necessary. Looking at Li Ping, Niu'er was reminded of Hong Xia's matter. While the other laborers were busy in the courtyard, he led Li Ping aside, pretending to make casual conversation. "Li Ping, you've been working here for quite a few years now, haven't you?"

"Yes, quite a few years," Li Ping replied.

"How has working here been for you these past years? Is it too tiring? Are there any difficulties in being the supervisor? If there are, tell me; I will solve whatever I can."

"It's not tiring, nor are there any difficulties. All our brothers work diligently, and our employer treats us well; the wages are generous. We are very satisfied."

"That's good to hear. Li Ping, I recall you still have a mother, correct?"

"Yes, I have a mother; she’s over seventy this year."

"Over seventy? That's not young. Has she not pressured you to marry and give her a grandson?"

"Heh heh, she does nag me about it every time I go home. Old folks are all like that, and I’m not getting any younger," Li Ping said, scratching his head sheepishly.

"Then why haven't you found a wife?"

"Alas, with my family situation, what woman would be willing to marry me?"

"What is your family situation like? Working here now, your wages should be enough to support a family, shouldn't they?"

"Master, you don't know. My mother is over seventy, and her health has been poor these last few years. I even hired someone specifically to care for her at home; that expense is considerable. Added to my mother's living necessities, most of my annual wages barely remain," Li Ping admitted.

"I see. That's not a major issue. Tell me then, what kind of person are you looking for? Are you averse to marrying someone who already has children?"

"Heh heh, if a woman is willing to marry me, I’ll be grateful. Why would I look down on someone with children? At my age and with my circumstances, no young, unmarried girl would marry me anyway. Having children is no matter," Li Ping replied honestly, though he was slightly puzzled as to why his employer was asking such questions today.

"Oh, I see. Let me see if I can find a suitable person to introduce to you, alright?"

"Master, you have a suitable candidate?" Li Ping paused for a moment, then chuckled.

"Heh heh, there might be a suitable relative I could introduce to you," Niu'er also said with a smile.

"A relative of the Master’s household? As long as the Master doesn't mind me, that could work," Li Ping replied as if deep in thought.

Niu'er didn't answer directly, just smiled. He chatted casually with Li Ping for a few more moments before walking away. After Niu'er left, Li Ping stared blankly for a moment before returning to his duties in the courtyard. A few days later, Niu'er approached Chang Geng in a similar manner to test the waters. Chang Geng's reaction was much like Li Ping's. When Niu'er asked him, he said it didn't matter; if there was no suitable person, he didn't care about such things and was fine living alone. Later, when Niu'er offered to introduce someone, he said that was acceptable too, but he would have to see the person first.