Da Bao immediately chimed in, following Lin He’s lead, “Exactly, Mother, it was you who agreed to Yun Qi in the first place. You said she was the rarest gem under heaven! How can she be suddenly deemed unsuitable after just one day? If she’s lacking, don’t blame me for poor management. You agreed to her as your daughter-in-law, so you handle her upbringing.”

Madam Huang looked at the way Lin He and Da Bao were speaking, complaining with some displeasure, “What’s wrong with you two siblings, ganging up with an outsider against your own mother? Yun Qi is Da Bao’s wife; if you don’t discipline her, who will?”

“Mother, while managing a wife is primarily Big Brother’s duty, she is also your daughter-in-law, and you must guide her too. If there are things she doesn't know or doesn't understand, you can teach her slowly. After all, marrying into our family makes her one of us, no longer an outsider. A daughter-in-law is like a daughter; don't be so rigid. If you are overly critical, conflicts will multiply. If mother-in-law and daughter-in-law tensions rise, isn't it the son who suffers in the end? So, for Big Brother’s sake, please don’t act like you did today. If she does something wrong, just tell her directly, don't sulk and let your face fall like that. If she truly proves ungovernable, then we can discuss it later, agreed?” Lin He gently persuaded Madam Huang.

“Yes, Mother, what He’er says is right, that’s the principle. If she refuses your guidance, I won’t tolerate her either,” Da Bao added, trying to placate Madam Huang from the side.

Madam Huang looked at her son and daughter speaking like that, and a smile finally broke across her face. Lin He and Da Bao exchanged a look and breathed a sigh of relief. It was true, wives and mothers-in-law seemed fated enemies; the slightest misalignment and small matters were blown into huge issues. If she and Big Brother hadn't intervened today, their mother might have caused a major scene.

Lin He found the whole situation contradictory. Her own mother wasn't naturally a difficult person; she was usually quite gentle with relatives and even the household servants, never putting on airs, often yielding ground where possible, preferring to avoid trouble. Yet, when it came to a daughter-in-law, she seemed to transform into a harsh and unreasonable mother-in-law, practically itching for a fight on the very first day. Where had this disconnect come from? Was this truly the common failing of mothers-in-law in this era?

Lin He didn't have time to dwell on the matter. Madam Huang dispatched a maid to summon Er Niu to settle the wages for the long-term hired hands and the other household servants with Da Bao. Meanwhile, Madam Huang began consulting with Lin He about the preparations needed for the New Year festivities. As they discussed, she instructed Chang Geng to take some men to the market immediately to purchase items that needed to be procured beforehand.

After settling the general outline of the necessary items with Madam Huang, Lin He stepped out of the courtyard. Chen’er and Xiao Bao were playing there. With the New Year approaching, Chen’er didn't have to do embroidery for a few days, and Xiao Bao was excused from his studies; they were happily making noise in the yard. Lin He noticed Yun Qi sitting alone, gazing vaguely around, not participating in Chen’er and Xiao Bao’s roughhousing, just sitting quietly by herself.

Lin He smiled and walked over to Yun Qi. She felt that since her eldest sister-in-law had joined the family, Big Brother wasn't being very attentive, and Mother was setting the new bride very high standards. Chen’er and the others were still young and needed to allow people time to adjust. Regardless of whether the person was good or bad, having married into the house, she was family now and needed time to become familiar with things.

Lin He sat down beside Yun Qi and spoke with a smile, “Elder Sister-in-law, what are you thinking about all by yourself? Are you perhaps feeling a bit unaccustomed since you just arrived? When Big Brother and Father finish their accounting, we can ask Big Brother to take you out for a walk. This village is quite large, you know?”

Hearing Lin He mention Big Brother, a flicker of sadness crossed Yun Qi’s face before her expression quickly smoothed over. She replied calmly, “It’s nothing. Big Brother and Father are busy with business; let them attend to it first. It’s fine for me to sit here in the yard.”

Lin He noticed Yun Qi’s expression and couldn't help but feel a touch of reproach toward Da Bao. Really, Big Brother—no matter what, he married her; he shouldn't let her feel hurt. Besides, Yun Qi hadn't done anything wrong; this treatment seemed excessively harsh. Lin He smiled and continued, “It won’t take Big Brother long to finish. Shall we chat here in the courtyard then? We often laugh and talk here when we have nothing to do. You’ll get used to it over time. Normally, we just work on embroidery and idle chatter at home; the maids handle the household chores. What did you usually do at your parents’ home, Elder Sister-in-law?”

“I usually helped my father dry medicinal herbs and sort them out. I’m not very skilled at other household tasks; Mother didn't require us to do them,” Yun Qi admitted.

“Oh, I see. Your family are physicians, so you must be familiar with medicine? That’s wonderful! In the future, if anyone in the household feels unwell, we won't need to call a doctor specially; we have a ready-made female doctor right here,” Lin He said cheerfully.

“No, I only recognize some herbs. I can’t treat illnesses; we would still need to call a physician for that,” Yun Qi said, waving her hand, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Then, in your free time, does Elder Sister-in-law also do some embroidery? We rely on that to pass the time when we’re idle. In the future, we can work together on needlework in the yard when we're free.”

“I know a little embroidery, but I can’t make clothes—only things like sachets or silk scarves. I can mend clothes a little too, but not very well,” Yun Qi confessed with a touch of embarrassment.

“Then Elder Sister-in-law is just like me; I’m not very good at it either. My mother often scolds me, saying I’ll be cursed by my mother-in-law when I marry! If you don’t know how to do it either, Mother will scold you too!” Chen’er suddenly chimed in quietly, having crept closer.

“Ah? Mother will scold me?” Yun Qi asked.

Lin He looked at Chen’er and tapped her head lightly. “You little thing, how can you compare yourself to Elder Sister-in-law? Elder Sister-in-law didn't have time to learn because she was busy helping her father identify herbs since childhood. Look at what you do; how dare you claim to be the same as her?”

Chen’er rubbed her head, puffed out her cheeks, and fell silent.

Yun Qi smiled and said, “It’s fine. Since I don’t know how, perhaps I’m worse than Chen’er. But there are no herbs here for me to dry now, so I’ll learn alongside Chen’er and the others. Besides, my mother always told me that knowing these things isn't mandatory; finding a good match in life is far more important for a woman.”

“Elder Sister-in-law, your mother told you that? My mother and Eldest Sister didn’t say that to me. They insisted these are things a woman must know, and failing to know them makes one an unqualified wife,” Chen’er interjected again.

Lin He shot Chen’er another warning look, then turned to Yun Qi. “Yes, our mother isn't as open-minded as yours. She forced us to learn these things since we were small, saying they are absolute requirements. But your mother’s words likely have their own merit, though perhaps they don't suit every household,” Lin He remarked diplomatically.