Lin He sat with Chen'er for a while until the dress Chen'er was making was finished. She happily brought it over to show Lin He, saying, "Big Sister, look, I won't go back on my word. This dress I made looks pretty good, doesn't it? Now you won't call me clumsy anymore."

Lin He smiled and glanced at Chen'er, taking the garment from her hands for inspection. While the piece generally resembled a finished dress, the stitching and tailoring were lamentably poor. It was the sort of thing hardly anyone could actually wear. However, seeing Chen'er so delighted, Lin He couldn't bear to dampen her enthusiasm. "Mmm, not bad," she conceded. "It might not be perfect, but Chen'er clearly put effort into it. Big Sister can see that. Practice a bit more, and you'll be fine."

Chen'er was elated by Lin He's praise, swelling with a little vanity. "Of course! Let's see if Little Bao and the others dare laugh at me now. From now on, all their clothes will be my responsibility; I can sew now too."

Lin He chuckled watching Chen'er's demeanor. Beside them, Zi Yu looked at the finished dress and found it quite appalling—a true eyesore. Had it been her, she certainly couldn't have held back criticism. To think that the Mistress called this acceptable, and Chen'er looked so proud, as if this garment was fit to be a calling card! Still, since her mistress had spoken, Zi Yu could only offer a polite smile from the sidelines.

After praising the garment, Lin He turned to Chen'er. "Chen'er, now that you have some idea of how this works, have one of the household maids help you practice diligently from now on. If you do it often enough, it will naturally become second nature. Mother mentioned that you should spend the next few years learning estate management from me. What are your thoughts on that?"

"Sister, why must I learn estate management? You handle the household perfectly well already. Besides, when you aren't home, Mother is here. I dislike managing these things; they are too troublesome. There are endless tedious chores around the house—it's exhausting," Chen'er complained, looking troubled at the mere thought.

"Chen'er, there are many things in life we cannot simply avoid because we dislike them or are unwilling to do them. If I could, I would choose to live a quiet, settled life right here at home forever, but that isn't possible. Look around; so many people struggle just to get by. We must persevere, just as it is the natural path for us girls to grow up, marry, and bear children." Lin He felt it necessary to explain this clearly, observing Chen'er's current attitude.

"But I'm still little! Do I have to learn this now?" Chen'er asked, her face showing genuine confusion.

"Are you still little? You are eleven years old. Do you know that when I was eleven, Mother had already handed over the household responsibilities to me? And Big Brother, at eleven, had already endured significant hardship—do you realize that? By the time Little Bao is eleven, he will leave home alone to take the Child Examination. Do you truly think eleven is young?" Lin He queried.

"Is eleven so old that I must do things I don't want to do?" Chen'er retorted.

Lin He had always considered Chen'er a very bright child. She wasn't afraid of hardship; when they were younger, Chen'er was remarkably obedient. If Lin He took her to town, she never fussed or wandered off, and she often worried about family matters. When the elders were away, Chen'er looked after Little Bao and guarded the home; she wasn't pampered. However, as the family's circumstances improved day by day, Chen'er began to feel that many duties were no longer necessary for her, leading her to resist exerting herself over tasks she deemed superfluous.

It is human nature: when there is a safety net, people tend to become complacent. Once cornered with no way out, growth inevitably follows. This was precisely Chen'er's situation, which is why Lin He felt it vital for her to understand that some tasks must be done, regardless of preference; there is no alternative.

"Big Sister hasn't said that eleven is ancient. I'm not asking you to master everything right now, only that you stop spending all your time solely on play. Learn something in between your fun, as these skills will greatly impact your future life—they are essential learning. If you don't find time to study now, in two years, Big Sister might not be here. Mother will then find someone else to teach you. Think about that: what will you do then? Will you still be able to say you are too young?" Lin He patiently reasoned with her.

Chen'er remained silent, her eyes blinking rapidly, her thoughts inscrutable. Lin He knew Chen'er hadn't grasped the gravity of the situation yet, so she continued, "Chen'er, let's put other things aside. Look at Elder Sister Yu'er; you know what happened to her recently, don't you? Look at how her mother-in-law treated her. Yu'er is probably more capable than you are, yet because she didn't know how to work in the fields, her mother-in-law beat and cursed her, nearly forcing her out of her marital home. Of course, I’m not suggesting you need to start plowing fields, but I mean that at a certain age, you must shoulder certain responsibilities. You are no longer a small child. Even if a task seems difficult, even if you can't perform it perfectly, you must at least try to start. Remember what I told you: putting aside everything else, everyone in our family has their duty. Look at Big Brother, look at Little Bao; they all have their roles. Their work isn't any easier than these household matters, but neither Big Brother nor Little Bao has ever complained to you, have they? We are different from them in some ways, so we must do the things that are ours to do."

This time, listening to Lin He, Chen'er stared at her sister for a moment. Lin He watched her expression and knew some of the words had finally sunk in—unlike before, when a simple word would cause Chen'er to either fiddle with her toys or stare blankly outside, paying no attention whatsoever. Seeing Chen'er quiet, Lin He also sat down silently beside her. After a long pause, Chen'er blinked and asked, "Big Sister, are all mothers-in-law that terrifying after one is married?"

Lin He smiled gently. "No, of course not all mothers-in-law are like Yu'er's. But don't assume a mother-in-law will indulge you as much as your own mother will. Naturally, if we manage our own affairs well, we need not fear a mother-in-law's difficult nature; no matter how fierce she is, she generally cannot argue against reason. But if a daughter-in-law fails to perform the duties expected of her, then reason will no longer be on your side, do you understand?"

Chen'er pondered this for a long time, then nodded slightly, appearing to grasp something. Lin He felt she had said all she needed to; whether Chen'er internalized it was up to her now. She looked at Chen'er, then stood up. "Chen'er, that's all I wanted to tell you. Think it over. If you decide you want to learn estate management from Big Sister, come to me anytime. If you still prefer to play, then tell me how long you plan to play for, understood?"

Chen'er nodded. Lin He patted her head lightly, then left with Zi Yu, leaving Chen'er alone in the room.