Having settled things with Chen’er, Lin He saw that Madam Huang was still packing and spoke to her about household matters, urging her to keep an eye on Ziqing when she had time, as Ziqing might be overwhelmed managing alone. Madam Huang chuckled in response, "This child is like a little housekeeper. Don't I know these things? With you here managing things, we don't worry. With you gone, I will naturally look after things."

Lin He nodded, realizing that was the logic. People inherently possess inertia; when they have someone reliable to depend on, everyone naturally rests easy relying on that trusted person. Once that dependency is gone, they naturally have to start relying on themselves.

For years, it had always been her and Eldest Brother holding things together. Eldest Brother was always away, and she managed the entire household. Perhaps it was time for them to let go; some things cannot be managed forever. This trip away could serve as a test—to see what the household would look like after she was gone for a long time. If the family could manage well without her, then she could finally be completely at ease in the future.

Even though Lin He thought this way, she still couldn't completely stop worrying. She called Ziqing to the courtyard and told her, "Ziqing, I’m taking Ziyu away for a few months. Everything at home will fall to you, and this time, it’s not just the factory you need to watch; you must also oversee some household affairs. If you feel anything is amiss, you must tell my mother and say that I have given you the authority to do so."

Ziqing nodded and responded, "Miss, you and Ziyu can go with peace of mind. I will take good care of things at home. You just need to look after yourselves while you are away. I imagine this trip will be taxing; please don't exhaust yourself by handling everything yourself. Don't spoil Ziyu by letting her off the hook for what she should be doing. This girl is always acting improperly and is quite immature, very fond of playing. I am genuinely worried about you being away with her for so long, but I can’t accompany you."

Lin He felt Ziqing was even more of a housekeeper than herself, needing to manage everything. She laughed and said, "Heh heh, you talk even more than I do. Don't worry, Ziyu, although she is a bit playful, she does what she is supposed to do. In the past, when she accompanied me out, she was the one taking care of me."

"Miss, I know my own sister. It has been good these years being in Miss’s household. Miss and the Master are good people; they treat us servants like family—never shouting or beating us, and their provision of clothing, food, shelter, and transport is thorough. They are especially tolerant toward us few personal maids. If Ziyu had been with another strict young lady, who knows how many times she would have been scolded or beaten. I'm not worried about her when you go out for fun, but this time it’s for serious business, and I fear she will be scatterbrained. I must have a serious talk with her these next few days," Ziqing said with deep gratitude.

Lin He smiled and nodded. Ziqing was just like this; always serious and earnest in whatever she said or did, which was why she had always been able to manage the maids in the household well. Lin He did not dwell on the matter with Ziqing; the business of the ointment workshop needed to be clearly handed over. Lin He said, "Ziqing, Ziyu must have told you. We are going to build a new factory there. By next year, you will probably need to go there to manage for a period. So, during this time you stay here, you must not only look after the ointment workshop for me but also promote a few people. When the time comes, they will go with you to manage the factory over there. I suspect that factory will be much larger than this one, and require more staff. When I am not at home, you might have to manage that place alone."

"Ziyu mentioned this to me. The maids Ziyu mentioned are capable. I will take them with me then. As for the maids here, since they are newly bought, they will have a few months to get familiar with things here first," Ziqing replied.

"Yes, tomorrow I will take you both to select some maids to bring back. I won't say much more. Since you are already handling things when I’m home, you will manage well. If you are too busy, ask my mother and the others to lend a hand; I’ve already spoken to her," Lin He said.

Ziqing nodded, and Lin He let her leave. Lin He looked around the house, thinking that the next few months would be winter, and there shouldn't be too much going on at home. She would wait until after winter, perhaps starting things in the spring of the next year. Moreover, her parents usually kept an eye on other family matters, so there shouldn't be any major issues.

The next day, Lin He took Ziqing and Ziyu to the matchmaker's to select about ten maids and a few young male servants. Most of the selections were based on Ziqing and Ziyu's judgment. Since they were being bought for work, they couldn't be too young; most were around twelve or thirteen—an age capable of work and not too difficult to discipline. However, the few young male servants bought were older. Lin He entrusted Chang Geng with their training. Lin He thought that if she found any suitable ones, she would take them along next year too. That place was new, and they would need to hire many people; bringing more people from here would help them get up to speed faster.

On the third day, Lin He had basically finished clarifying all the household matters she needed to address. Feeling there was nothing else urgent, she planned to set off for the town that afternoon. In the morning, her paternal elder aunt and younger aunt came over. Hearing that Lin He was going out for business, they came to inquire and brought many gifts. Hong Yun brought a pair of hand warmers and handed them to Lin He, saying, "You are going on a long trip, so I stayed up late these past two nights rushing these out for you. They are a bit roughly made, but you can use them at night when it gets cold."

Lin He opened them to see that the hand warmers were for keeping hands warm. In her previous life, most people used gloves made of yarn or leather. People around this time used this kind: a simple cylindrical object made of cotton and cloth. Her elder aunt had made hers with the finest silk cloth, using plenty of cotton inside, making them wonderfully warm to hold. Lin He smiled and said, "How could Elder Aunt’s craftsmanship be poor? These are so much better than what's sold on the street; I can use them both at home and outside. Thank you, Elder Aunt."

Hong Yun smiled and said, "I’m glad you like them; I was afraid you’d find them cumbersome." Then she continued saying things Lin He needed to be mindful of while away, to which Lin He agreed one by one.

Younger Aunt Hong Xia watched Hong Yun speak incessantly and laughed, "Sister, you’ve said everything already! When it’s my turn, I won’t know what to say."

The group burst into laughter. Hong Xia had made a pair of padded cotton shoes for Lin He, also filled with cotton. Although they weren't as warm as the fur-lined padded shoes Lin He had sent to the Wen family in her previous life, these cotton shoes were much better looking than what she could make herself. The outer layer was separate from the sole, and the colors were lovely. Many young ladies from prominent families wore this style of shoe in winter.