Lin He knew her mother was right; no matter what they thought of Wen Ningxuan, he was still family, and since she would be his wife, some matters of appearance had to be addressed. Whether they accepted her or not was their business, but she had to do what was required of her so no one could find fault.

Furthermore, she couldn't let anyone look down on Wen Ningxuan. Thinking this, Lin He nodded to Madam Huang, saying she would speed up her work, finishing this screen first before moving on to the others.

Madam Huang smiled and patted Lin He’s head. Watching her daughter bury herself in her embroidery, her heart ached. By next year, it would only be a little over a year—she still needed to embroider her trousseau, make clothes, make clothes for Wen Ningxuan, and prepare gifts for their first meetings. Much of this work couldn't be delegated; it was truly exhausting, but there was no alternative. Families of high standing had their rules, and this was all to ensure her daughter wouldn't face difficulties after marrying in.

Madam Huang sat in the courtyard watching the two sisters sew for a while before retiring indoors. Time actually flew by quickly when Lin He was embroidering. Before she realized it, she heard Chen'er announce that two hours had passed and that he was hungry, asking his mother to arrange for food. Soon after, Da Bao’s voice sounded from the doorway. Lin He presumed Da Bao and Yun Qi had returned from town. Without looking up, Lin He heard their conversation drifting in from the entrance.

“You must be tired from going to town today. Rest in the courtyard for a bit later, and I’ll have the maid put these things away.” “Mm, just put them in the room; I’ll sort them out in a moment.” “Alright.”

Lin He smiled; now that felt like a couple settling into married life. Though just a few simple exchanges, it showed their relationship was no longer as frigid as before. Before long, Yun Qi walked over and sat beside Lin He. Seeing the large piece of embroidered cloth, she asked with surprise, “He’er, you’re embroidering such a large screen? How long will this take you? And you have to do all of this yourself?”

Lin He looked up, pulled the fabric slightly taut, and replied with a smile, “I’ll take my time. There’s no rush, and I have nothing else to do at home anyway; it gets quite dull. Did Eldest Sister-in-law and Eldest Brother have a good time in town today?”

Yun Qi replied with some delight, “Yes, we did. I rarely went to town when I was at my parents’ house. Even when I went, it was only to follow Father to buy medicinal herbs. I had no idea the town had so many things for sale. I bought quite a few things today!”

“Oh? What did Eldest Brother buy for you? The hairpin on your head—did Eldest Brother buy that for you today? Eldest Sister-in-law, Eldest Brother truly dotes on you,” Lin He teased, even winking at Yun Qi.

Yun Qi lowered her head, flushed with shyness. “Yes, I told Eldest Brother not to buy it, but he insisted it looked good. Oh, I bought some for you and Chen’er too. I’ll go get them for you, but my taste isn’t as good as yours, so please don’t dislike them.” As Yun Qi moved to rise, Lin He laughed watching her and said, “Mm, no rush. Whenever you give them to me is fine. Eldest Brother just said you were tired and needed rest; if you keep running around, he’ll blame me later.”

Yun Qi was so embarrassed by Lin He’s laughter that she didn’t dare lift her head. Madam Huang emerged from the room, chuckling, “Yun Qi, don’t mind her. That’s just her mischievous nature; she teases everyone. Seeing you two in such harmony makes me very happy; I’ve been wishing for this every day.”

Madam Huang had intended to tease Lin He for teasing Yun Qi, but her own words were even more explicit. Yun Qi’s face turned crimson, so red she felt she could bleed, and she dared not look at Lin He or the others. It was Lin He who called out to Madam Huang, “Mother, must you bring up these matters every three sentences? They’ve only been married a few days!” Lin He then glanced at Yun Qi as she spoke.

Madam Huang laughed, “Hehe, yes, He’er is right. No rush, Mother isn't in a hurry. Yun Qi, you two take your time.”

Lin He was left speechless by her mother’s words, and Yun Qi was too ashamed to remain seated any longer. She immediately stood up and said, “Mother, He’er, please sit for a moment. I’ll go to the room to fetch things for you.” With that, she hurried away.

Madam Huang and Lin He both burst into laughter. Madam Huang sighed, “Ah, I can finally set my mind at ease.” Lin He glanced at her mother and returned to her needlework.

It wasn't until close to lunchtime that Yun Qi and Da Bao emerged from the room. When Yun Qi saw Lin He and Madam Huang, a blush still colored her cheeks. Yun Qi held several small boxes and handed them to Lin He and Chen’er, saying she bought them in town together because she thought the silver hairpins were beautiful, so she bought one for each of them. Chen’er immediately took hers out and pinned it in her hair, preening. He’er also took the hairpin and thanked Yun Qi.

Afterward, Yun Qi presented a box to Madam Huang. Madam Huang asked with a smile, “I have one too?”

“Yes, Mother. I saw this jade bangle was pretty, so I discussed it with Da Bao and we bought it for you. It’s not very valuable; you can just wear it for fun occasionally,” Yun Qi said softly.

Madam Huang took the bangle out of the box—it was a white jade bracelet. While perhaps not exquisite, it was quite unique, entirely translucent, and looked lovely on her wrist. Madam Huang happily told Er Niu that her daughter-in-law had bought it for her.

Watching the family enjoy such a harmonious scene, Lin He was very pleased with Yun Qi’s thoughtfulness. Though her demeanor seemed distant, she knew how to handle people; buying small gifts made everyone happy. In truth, what they valued wasn't the gift itself, but the sentiment that brought joy to the family. That she thought of buying gifts for everyone after such a rare trip to town with Da Bao showed Lin He that if Da Bao was willing to live a good life with Yun Qi, she would indeed be a good wife.

After the family finished lunch happily, not long into the afternoon, Hong Xia and Hong Yun arrived, as Madam Huang had sent word that morning. Hong Xia came in and sat beside Lin He. Seeing such a large piece of embroidery, she laughed, “Only He’er has this kind of patience. If it were me, being forced to sew something like this for months, I would die of boredom.”

“Exactly. That’s why you didn’t become a young mistress, but He’er can. These things are only used by those who don't have to worry about food or clothing. If I had one, I wouldn't know where to put it; a country house doesn't have room for a screen. Wealthy families use such items to display status,” Hong Yun teased Hong Xia.

Lin He watched her two sisters-in-law playfully bicker and laughed, “Eldest Aunt, Youngest Aunt, please don’t tease me. I’m just embroidering for fun; I don’t know when it will ever be finished. Besides, my embroidery skills aren’t as good as either of yours. Why don’t you come and sew something for me when you have time?”

“Well, whatever you need your aunts to do, just tell us. I can sew a bit in the evenings, but I suspect most of these things you must complete yourself. Your Eldest Aunt and I can embroider things like shoes and pouches for you. I heard your mother say that pouches are essential,” Hong Xia replied readily, not declining the offer.