Chen'er frowned while looking at Lin He, paused for a moment, and then said, "Big Sister, it’s only fun when you’re here. What’s the point if you leave and I’m by myself in this huge yard, so quiet and deserted?"

"How can you be alone? Isn't Big Sister-in-law still here?"

"Big Sister-in-law doesn't like to talk, and she can't do anything around the house. I'm afraid we won't even have food to eat if I rely on her. She doesn't even know how to embroider. What if I don't know how and have no one to ask? I'd rather go back with you. Little Bao and Da Yuan are still at home there."

"If you insist on coming back with me, let’s settle this first. I’m afraid I won't be coming into town for a while. Don't bother trying to follow; Zi Qing has left, and there's no one left to manage the balm workshop at home," Lin He asked, looking at the smiling Chen'er.

"I know, Big Sister. I’ll still go back with you. I’ll go pack my things now." Chen'er turned and left with a slight pout.

Lin He remembered Chen'er's words. That girl was quite direct; indeed, once she left, with Zi Yu and Zi Huan also gone, only Big Sister-in-law and the maid Zi Su would remain at home.

Zi Su was a maid bought last year; she was quite young and initially helped in the balm workshop. Only after Yun Qi came here did Zi Su begin following Yun Qi. She also wasn't good at cooking. Lin He worried they might truly run out of food. But she couldn't possibly hire a cook just to keep Yun Qi company. Lin He decided she would ask Big Brother tomorrow. If things were truly impossible, she could send Big Sister-in-law to stay at the pastry shop for a while.

The very next morning, Wen Ningxuan arrived with his people. When Zi Qing left, she had cried for a long time while hugging Lin He and Zi Yu, which made Lin He and Zi Yu unable to hold back their tears as well. Lin He hadn't realized that the girl Zi Qing was so sentimental.

After Zi Qing and the others departed, Lin He and her group planned to return after breakfast. Lin He mentioned the issue to Da Bao, who thought for a moment and suggested that perhaps Yun Qi could stay at the pastry shop for a period. If Yun Qi found it dull, they could arrange for her to be sent back later. Lin He agreed this was acceptable and didn't press the matter further.

During breakfast, Lin He noticed Da Bao seemed to have something to say. He looked at her several times, his mouth moving as if to speak, but he held back. Lin He directly asked, "Big Brother, just say whatever is on your mind. We are all family here."

"He'er, I was thinking there's a matter you need to resolve. Look at your balm workshop now; you or Zi Qing and the others must always oversee it. Have you ever considered what will happen to the workshop once you marry? You will certainly take Zi Qing and Zi Yu with you when you leave, right? Who will manage it for you then? You can't possibly be running back home every other day, can you?" Da Bao finally asked after some hesitation.

"That’s right, He'er. Da Bao is correct. You need to start making arrangements for this. It depends on what you plan to do. If you decide to keep the balm workshop at home, you'll need to find two new people to manage it, or else you must consider relocating the entire operation," Wen Ningxuan added, following up.

"About that, I haven't fully decided. I was thinking maybe I could leave Zi Qing here to manage things when the time comes, since she handles it when I'm away anyway," Lin He said, feeling a bit embarrassed to discuss her marriage in front of Wen Ningxuan.

"I don't think that will work. Look at that girl Zi Qing; she’s been gone for only a few months, and she’s crying like this this morning. If you don't allow her to be part of your dowry retinue, I don't know if she'll survive," Da Bao said somewhat dramatically.

Actually, Lin He had considered what Da Bao mentioned. However, it was difficult for her to bring it up first. Although she had built the balm workshop from scratch, if she suddenly moved out upon getting married, it was inevitable that her parents and brothers at home would feel uneasy, as if she were completely severing ties with this family. Moreover, relocating was a massive undertaking, and Lin He was reluctant to cause such a large fuss. Therefore, Lin He had kept this matter in the back of her mind, planning to take things one step at a time. If all else failed, she could just have Zi Yu manage things at home.

"Then, Big Brother, what do you suggest we do? Do we really have to move the location? If we move, where should we move it to? And if the balm workshop moves, what about Uncle Li's wooden boxes?"

"I think you should move it here to town. It’s easier to find property in town, and it’s closer to Ningxuan’s house. Even after you marry, you can still visit frequently. Plus, you already have a house here in town, which will make visiting your parents' home convenient later on. As for Uncle Li, that's even simpler; they can arrange for deliveries every other day. We have a carriage, and the distance isn't far," Da Bao mused before suggesting.

"Relocating the balm workshop alone is manageable, but making the soap poses more of a challenge. For convenience initially, we hired some women from the village, and they all live at home. If we move to town, those village women likely won't be able to come work—even our Eldest Aunt and Third Sister. What about them?" Lin He looked at Da Bao with some concern.

"That is true. I didn't consider that all at once. But I believe these problems can be solved one by one. It’s better to move the balm workshop to town. As for the lodging and meals, didn't you build factory buildings and housing over in Qinghe County? You can build them here too. If those women are willing to keep working, you can still hire them; if not, there’s nothing to be done. This is bound to happen eventually; you can't accommodate everyone forever," Da Bao analyzed logically.

Lin He knew Da Bao was right. Arranging things this way would indeed be better. Moreover, having the factory built closer to town would make fetching supplies and dealing with the storefront much more convenient, unlike their current location where the roads were poor, and the carriage journey alone wasted time. A factory setup here would also appear more professional. If those village women were unwilling to move to town, it would be simpler to just buy some maids to work instead.

"Well, He'er, take some time to consider this carefully. I’m just offering suggestions; it's up to you how to handle it best. It’s getting late; I need to open the shop. You go back and tell Mother that Big Sister-in-law will return in a few days." After speaking, Da Bao took Yun Qi and left.

Lin He also decided to return with Zi Yu. Wen Ningxuan offered to escort her, but Lin He figured he was busy, so she took the carriage back with Zi Yu.

On the carriage ride, Zi Yu remarked, "Miss, I think Big Young Master's suggestion is quite good. Setting aside everything else, after you marry, even if Big Sister is willing to help look after the balm workshop at home, what will Lord Wen think? He might feel you are still overly concerned with your maiden family. Although their family doesn't particularly care about these things, it still gives people something to gossip about. Once married, you must be mindful of these matters. There are many women in the Wen family, and they have plenty to say."

Lin He looked at Zi Yu. The few points this girl made were very practical. Some things truly needed to be sorted out properly. Furthermore, if she married and something happened at the balm workshop, it might implicate her family back home. It really was better to move the operation elsewhere. (To be continued.)