Wen Ningxuan seemed to sense Lin He's unease, enveloping her hand in his as he spoke, "You don't need to worry about this. Although my family is large, I make my own decisions. Look, even though they've been urging me for years, I'm still unattached, aren't I? The person I want is not up for discussion or approval by others."

Lin He looked at Wen Ningxuan, knitting her brows. "I know all that. It's not that I'm uneasy; it's just that your family is an entirely unfamiliar place to me. I will certainly be living with your family in the future, and I naturally hope everyone is satisfied with me. Otherwise, won't you be the one put in a difficult position?"

Wen Ningxuan laughed. When Lin He spoke, her tone carried a note of gentle pleading she wasn't even aware of. It was the first time he had seen her look so charmingly coquettish. His heart fluttered, and he chuckled softly, then said with indulgent fondness, "This is not your concern, and you shouldn't overthink it. Once you marry me, if you like staying at home, stay home. If you don't, we can come here for a short stay. Don't you like it here? All our things are here; we can come anytime. He'er will be my wife, and you need not worry about anything else. If you are uneasy, it only means you don't trust me enough."

Hearing this, Lin He felt it was indeed true. Right, she was a transmigrator with two lives' worth of experience—how could she be so timid, fearing the wolf ahead and the tiger behind? She truly didn't trust herself to handle a few women who stayed home all day? While it might be a little troublesome, marrying the man before her meant sacrificing something. Besides, she wasn't alone; didn't she have a man to hold up the sky for her? With that thought, Lin He relaxed and flashed Wen Ningxuan a sweet smile.

Wen Ningxuan held Lin He's hand tightly in his own and laughed as well, a feeling he identified as happiness swelling in his heart. He thought that no matter what happened in the future, recalling this smile would bring him immense peace.

After sitting in quiet companionship for a while, Lin He spoke up again, "Regarding the factory site, how much longer do you estimate it will take to build at the current pace? When I was home, I promised Chen'er we'd bring them over to visit for a few days before the New Year. I wonder if we can make it?"

"Before the New Year? It should be manageable. Write back to Chen'er and tell them to be prepared; I'll send someone to fetch them then, bring Little Treasure and the others over for a visit." Wen Ningxuan replied.

"Mm, that's good. It would be nice to have them here. Originally, I thought Big Brother would send them over with me, but Big Brother wrote that Mother has already arranged a match for him. If time permits, Mother wants to settle Big Brother's marriage before the New Year, so he might not have time to come. I was even thinking if we couldn't manage it this year, I'd bring them next year."

"Yes, we can manage it. I'll have Lingxiao send people to pick them up then."

The two chatted a while longer about household matters until Ziyu came to call them for dinner. They both rose and went to eat. After dinner, as the afternoon set in, Lin He decided she wanted to take a look around the streets. Uncharacteristically, Wen Ningxuan skipped his midday nap and offered to accompany Lin He for a stroll, mentioning that since arriving, they hadn't had the time to simply spend together.

They went to the street accompanied by Ziyu. The street wasn't far from their residence, allowing them to come and go whenever they pleased. Lin He usually treated these outings as post-meal walks, wandering about casually with Ziyu. However, seeing Wen Ningxuan in such a good mood today heightened her own spirits. They walked for quite a distance until they inadvertently found themselves near the entrance of Yin Ruoxuan's residence. Coincidentally, they bumped into Zeng Weiliang by the roadside. Lin He froze momentarily upon seeing him.

It was Zeng Weiliang who greeted Wen Ningxuan first. Accompanying Zeng Weiliang was a lady in her twenties, dressed with an air of luxurious refinement, yet radiating an underlying sharpness. She offered a polite smile toward Lin He and the others. Beside her was a girl, about four or five years old, who was quite delicate and adorable. Lin He surmised this must be Zeng Weiliang's wife and daughter, and indeed, as Zeng Weiliang greeted Wen Ningxuan, he introduced them as his wife and daughter.

Zeng Weiliang's gaze lingered on Lin He with a hint of complexity before he finally spoke, "Young Master Wen, and this lady is?"

"My future wife, Lin He."

Lin He offered a brief nod to Zeng Weiliang's family.

"Truly a match made in heaven, talent and beauty combined. Young Master Wen, don't forget your humble acquaintance when you marry," Zeng Weiliang said with an exaggerated smile.

After a few pleasantries, they parted ways. Lin He watched the backs of Zeng Weiliang's family, feeling a pang of sadness. This man was originally her Third Uncle. He already had a wife and children waiting for him back home, yet he lived his life here with such ease, while her Third Aunt suffered the torments of widowhood. This world was truly unfair.

Walking beside Lin He, Wen Ningxuan understood that seeing Zeng Weiliang had stirred something in her. He wasn't entirely clear about the relatives from Lin He's original home, though he could sometimes grasp fragments from her conversations. Lin He was lost in thought as they walked, and Wen Ningxuan spoke to keep her from wandering too far, "He'er, didn't you say there were things to buy today? What were you looking for? I'll go with you. Some things are past, and dwelling on them won't help."

Lin He snapped back to attention, nodding at Wen Ningxuan. "Ziyu said the weather has turned cold and she wanted to buy materials to make winter clothes. But it's always just cotton, muslin, and the like. I thought I'd look around to see if there were any nice furs or similar items to purchase."

"That's a good idea. Furs are much warmer than cotton. I know a few places further inside that sell fine furs; I'll take you there." Wen Ningxuan offered.

Wen Ningxuan was clearly more familiar with the streets, guiding them through several alleys and finding numerous furriers. The shops were quite large, stocking everything from high-grade silver fox pelts to common rabbit furs. These were all already treated and ready for immediate sewing. Although the prices were somewhat steep, Wen Ningxuan paid them no mind. He ordered a generous amount, saying they needed clothes for winter anyway, and arranged for them to be delivered to Cai Die Xuan.

After purchasing what they needed in the street market, Wen Ningxuan dismissed Ziyu to return home with the purchases. He then mounted his horse with Lin He and rode out to the factory site in the suburbs. Quite a number of people had been hired for the construction there. The factory site had been under development for some time, beginning with the living quarters for the workers, which were now occupied by the few cooks they had hired.

The basic framework of the factory building had already taken shape. Lingxiao and the others oversaw the site daily, often staying overnight unless there were urgent matters requiring their return. Since they were rushing construction, time was still a bit tight.