While Lin He’s house construction was in full swing, and although Lin He and the others weren’t on site constantly, every evening during dinner with Wen Ningxuan, Ling Xiao would come over to report on the progress there. Moreover, no more than every three days, Wen Ningxuan would take her over for a visit, mainly to check if the construction followed their original design.

As for Lin He’s home, Lin He had been gone for nearly a month now. Aside from feeling a bit quiet and lonely, life there had been relatively peaceful, continuing on their usual small routine. This day, Mother Huang was embroidering with Chen'er at home, while Ziqing and Zihuan attended to them nearby. Not long after they started, they saw Mother Zhao and Hongxia approaching the courtyard. Mother Huang instructed Chen'er not to be lazy and to work diligently, then went over to the main house to chat with Mother Zhao and the others.

Mother Zhao entered, spotted Mother Huang, and immediately exclaimed, “Second Daughter-in-law, I have wonderful news for you!”

“Mother, what good news is it?” Mother Huang asked, a smile already on her face.

“Second Daughter-in-law, I’m telling you, it’s about our Dabao’s marriage. I’ve found an excellent match for our Dabao. The young lady from this family is much better than that Chun'er or Taohua. I truly think Dabao will certainly approve,” Mother Zhao said, beaming.

“Oh? Which family’s daughter is she? Mother, please tell me,” Mother Huang asked with a touch of eagerness.

Shortly after Lin He left, Dabao had returned once. Mother Huang brought up his marriage again. Dabao had simply replied then that he did have someone in mind and would defer to his parents’ judgment. Mother Huang had been overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking her son had finally come to his senses and was ready to settle down, eager to immediately find a matchmaker to secure a girl. Meanwhile, Erniu, looking at Dabao, hadn't said much, only remarking, “Since Dabao himself agrees, you should arrange for someone to go propose.”

Mother Huang recalled Taohua then and said, “Why search for anyone else? Wasn’t that Taohua quite good last time? I thought she was fond of Dabao too. Why don't we just ask Mother to send a matchmaker?”

Erniu didn't object, but Dabao, having heard certain things about Taohua from Lin He and Chen'er, interjected, “Mother, perhaps you should look elsewhere. We invited her to stay here properly not long ago, and then suddenly sent her away. She must be aware of something. Even if we marry her later, I worry she might harbor unkind thoughts. Besides, there are so many girls out there; it’s not as if Taohua is the only one.”

Mother Huang understood Dabao’s point. Although she felt a pang of regret, she assumed Dabao wasn't satisfied with Taohua, and there was nothing to be done. Still, the important thing was that Dabao was willing to marry. If not Taohua, they could find someone else. The next day, when Mother Zhao came over, Mother Huang told them about this. Mother Zhao was delighted too and also mentioned Taohua, but Mother Huang explained that Dabao wasn't willing and they needed to look elsewhere. Since then, Mother Zhao had been continuously asking matchmakers to scout for suitable candidates.

They had found several possibilities during this time, but either Mother Zhao found them lacking, or Mother Huang disagreed. No suitable match had been found until today, when Mother Zhao came over proclaiming she had found a wonderful family. Mother Huang was naturally overjoyed.

Mother Huang inquired about the girl's background. Mother Zhao explained, “I’ve asked several matchmakers to inquire, and finally found a suitable one. This girl is fifteen this year, already of age for marriage. If we agree quickly, the wedding could happen by the end of the year. Her family’s circumstances are quite good; her father is a physician, and her mother does farm work at home. They own over ten acres of land themselves. Moreover, this girl has no brothers; she has two younger sisters. The matchmaker said that when her parents are old, all these possessions will go to these daughters.”

“What is the girl like, Mother?” Mother Huang continued to press.

“The matchmaker told me the girl is very beautiful, especially tall, taking after her mother. The girl is also gentle and refined, and she knows a bit of medicine,” Mother Zhao reported.

Mother Huang listened to Mother Zhao’s account and thought this girl seemed quite exceptional, certainly superior to ordinary girls. She felt quite satisfied but didn't agree rashly, stating, “Mother, I find what you describe satisfactory, but I still need to discuss this with the child’s father. I’ll mention it to him at noon. If it works out, I can tell you this afternoon, and you can speak to the matchmaker to arrange a day for us to see the girl first?”

Mother Zhao agreed this was sensible. She herself only knew what the matchmaker had told her and wasn't certain how good the girl truly was. It was best for the couple from the second son’s house to take a look, so she agreed, saying she would wait for Mother Huang’s reply that afternoon.

Though Mother Huang hadn't given verbal consent, she was already about sixty percent convinced. In her mind, she felt their household was not an ordinary farming family, and the daughter-in-law they brought in should ideally be a cut above the average to be worthy of her son. This girl was said to be good-looking and knowledgeable in medicine, with a father who was a physician—that was certainly good enough. A smile bloomed on Mother Huang’s face as she considered this.

Hongxia, standing nearby, noticed Mother Huang’s expression and joked, “Second Sister-in-law, how desperately eager are you to be a mother-in-law? You haven’t even seen the girl, and you’re already beaming from ear to ear. If you actually marry her in, you’ll probably be laughing in your sleep!”

Mother Huang gave Hongxia a playful glare and said, “For these past two years, I’ve constantly worried about Dabao’s marriage. You have no idea; I’ve worried so much my hair has turned significantly white. Isn't a person’s whole life just worrying about their children day in and day out? You wait until your Yuanbao grows up, and then you’ll understand my difficulties.”

“Second Sister-in-law, you speak well, but I’m not as fortunate as you. Your Dabao has his pick of partners—you won’t accept the lesser ones. If we are to have our Yuanbao later, I truly will have cause for worry. Look at our situation now; we have nothing. What will Yuanbao use to marry a wife? I fear even the poorest families won't be willing to marry into our household to suffer.” Hongxia said with genuine concern.

Hongyun saw Hongxia looking distressed and deliberately tried to lighten the mood with a laugh, “Hongxia, what’s the use of worrying about this now? Your Yuanbao is so young; marrying a wife is probably still many years away. You accuse Second Sister-in-law of being eager to be a mother-in-law, but you seem to be thinking even further ahead.”

“Exactly, Hongxia, Yuanbao is still small, many years to go. In a couple of years, Yuanbao will be able to work, and our family’s life will surely improve. Why worry so much now?” Mother Huang chimed in with encouragement.

Hongxia realized her words had brought a somber note to the otherwise pleasant atmosphere. She quickly changed her tone, laughing again, “I was just saying that casually. I’m not truly worried about that rascal. Children and grandchildren will have their own fortunes, won't they? Worrying more won't change anything. Besides, our situation gets better every year; there’s nothing to fret about.”