Lin He hadn't even gotten out of bed yet, deep in a dream where she saw Wen Ningxuan being chased and killed in Qinghe County, when her mother's loud shout startled her awake. Sitting bolt upright, she saw Ziyu entering from outside. Lin He asked, "Ziyu, what is it? Was that my mother's voice?"

"Yes, Miss. Hurry and get up to see what’s happening. Madam and the Eldest Young Master are arguing—they’re having quite the row in the courtyard," Ziyu replied while fetching Lin He's clothes.

"Why are they arguing so early in the morning?" Lin He asked as she dressed.

"It’s about the Eldest Young Master wanting to go to town," Ziyu answered.

Lin He knew about this matter; they had discussed it a few days ago. Back then, both her parents had persuaded her elder brother to wait until after the current month to leave. Her brother had said a few words then, but the conversation had eventually been steered elsewhere. Lin He had assumed Da Bao had agreed and hadn't paid the matter any further mind; she hadn't expected her brother to genuinely intend on leaving that very day.

When Lin He reached the courtyard, the atmosphere was indeed tense. Her brother stood stiffly on one side, fuming, while her mother scolded him, occasionally letting out a sob. Her father stood beside her mother, looking thoroughly awkward. Chen'er and Xiao Bao watched from behind, likely having just woken up themselves and unaware of the chaos. Thankfully, the household servants were absent, otherwise, this display between mother and son would have made the entire household look ridiculous.

Seeing her mother weeping and wailing, Lin He frowned. She hadn't expected her mother to resort to this tactic. Where had she learned it? Were the tricks of crying and making scenes innate to women these days? Moreover, her mother seemed to have changed completely since marrying his wife; she used to be such a reasonable person, why had she become so troublesome now?

Regardless, looking at the state of the family, she realized she was the only one left to play the peacekeeper. Lin He walked over to Huang Shi, tugged her arm, and said, "Mother, stop shouting. It's so early. Whatever it is, let's discuss it properly. Besides, we have servants everywhere; people will talk if they hear this. Come inside first, and tell me what’s going on."

Huang Shi stopped crying and followed Lin He indoors, recounting the morning's events. Lin He gently massaged her forehead and murmured, "Mother, I know your intentions are good, but you should have just spoken calmly. Don't cry and shout in the courtyard. Think about how the servants will view this later. Our family is not what it used to be; you are the mistress of the house. How can you act like this, crying and making scenes? What will the servants think of you?"

"Does talking nicely work? Didn't I explain things clearly to Da Bao a few days ago? He still insisted on leaving. I thought that once Da Bao married, I would finally have one less thing to worry about. Instead, after marrying a wife, I have even more to manage. This child is here to collect debts," Huang Shi sighed, her voice dropping.

"Sigh, big brother is truly stubborn. I also thought he agreed the other day and forgot to follow up on the matter. Look, I'll go persuade him. If he still won't relent, I can watch the shop for him for half a month and let him stay home with peace of mind," Lin He said with a touch of resignation.

"No! How can you go? People will gossip even more!"

"Mother, what gossip could there be? We aren't a grand family; Uncle Wen and the others already know that. They won't say anything. Furthermore, if I watch the shop, I won't need to sit there every day. I’ll stay in the back, only checking in if something urgent arises. The shop assistants will manage things normally. Please don't worry about that," Lin He tried to soothe Huang Shi with a smile.

"No, Da Bao cannot go, and neither can you. Even if we aren't wealthy, I cannot have my daughter being gossiped about by the Wen family. If you absolutely must go, it would be better to let Da Bao go instead. My son is grown now; I can't control him anymore," Huang Shi sighed.

"Okay, how about this, Mother. I'll discuss it with big brother later to see what we can arrange. Perhaps we can let big brother manage things for a couple of days first. Big brother is right; it's the first day of business for the year, and it wouldn't look good if the owner isn't there. Let him settle the shop arrangements for a few days and return soon after. Besides, now that big brother is married, he certainly can't be as he was before, staying away from home for a month at a time. We must find a solution."

"That could work. Then, you tell him to handle his business quickly and return sooner," Huang Shi agreed to Lin He's proposal.

Lin He nodded. "Yes, I'll talk to him later. And, Mother, don't blame me for saying this, but see how easily this simple matter was resolved? You insisted on arguing with big brother. Moreover, think about what you said—if sister-in-law overheard, she would feel terrible. This matter has nothing to do with her. Stop saying things about sons having wives every time you argue. He is still your son even after marrying, so why bring that up?"

"Also, Mother, big brother is the Eldest Young Master of this house. When you and Father are older, he will be in charge. Now that he is married, the family burdens must gradually shift to him. You should at least consider his standing. What you did today—how do you expect him to establish authority among the house servants now?"

After listening to Lin He's counsel, Huang Shi gradually calmed down, and her anger subsided somewhat. The latter part of Lin He’s speech truly struck home. Huang Shi had genuinely never considered that her son was now a man taking charge. Thinking of this, she looked a bit sheepish. "Well, I was just too angry just now and couldn't control my temper. I hadn't thought about those things."

Seeing Huang Shi pacified, Lin He sat beside her and softened her tone. "Mother, besides, big brother is so old now. Don't worry too much about these things. He has his own sense of propriety. He likely wants to manage the shop well. You know he built that business from the ground up with his own two hands; he's naturally going to be more anxious about it."

Lin He's words made Huang Shi appear conflicted. Huang Shi said, "He'er, there are things you don't know. That rascal Da Bao, since marrying Yun Qi, hasn't treated her as his wife at all. If I hadn't forced him, I fear… Besides, I wasn't truly angry about him going to town today. I was angry about his attitude towards Yun Qi. I just can't stand seeing him act that way."

Lin He understood the unsaid words from Huang Shi. In the end, although her mother’s approach today was wrong, her underlying concern was understandable—it was all for big brother's good. Alas, big brother really was quite a handful.