And Lin He truly felt that the temperament of that girl, Chen'er, was indeed unsuitable for living in a household like the Wen family's; if she merely sparred with Madam Wen, she'd likely be utterly consumed, let alone considering the others in the Wen family. Lin He found herself trapped, unable to pull free, but Chen'er still had time. She was young; even if feelings had stirred, they were nascent and vague, not deep enough to be irreparable. For now, the priority was to clarify Chen'er's true intentions.

The next day, Lin He relayed Chen'er's words to Madam Huang without adding anything further. Madam Huang said that Er Niu's sentiment was the same—not to set anything in stone, to let her decide for herself. If she genuinely wished to be close to Er Gouzi, they could arrange things in a couple of years when she was older. Lin He had long known her father would hold this view; while her father was traditional in some ways, he was quite open-minded regarding their marriages, never forcing decisions.

Whatever Madam Huang communicated to Aunt Xu later, the matter was dropped. Aunt Xu showed no displeasure; she still visited Lin He's courtyard with her younger daughter from time to time to chat and bring things. Er Gouzi would occasionally come over to play with Xiao Bao and Chen'er, and nothing seemed amiss.

In the blink of an eye, time moved to June, the busiest period of the year—the start of the busy farming season. Er Niu plunged back into work, spending most of his days tending the fields. Er Niu had already planned to sell a small portion of the harvested grain, keeping the majority for their own household consumption.

In previous years, there was no need to sell the grain. After satisfying their family's needs, the rest would be stored in the town warehouse to reduce costs for the pastry shop. In the past, once the household granary was full, the excess grain, susceptible to dampness and spoilage, had to be sold off.

Because they had purchased a residence in town this year, which included a small loft capable of storing enough grain to supply the pastry shop for over half a year once filled, this year's situation was different. Having acquired more fields, the grain yield increased significantly, and even with both the home and town storage filled, they still had a surplus that needed selling.

During the busy farming season when the household's paste-making workshop paused operations, Lin He took Ziyu to town to finalize the relocation plans with Wen Ningxuan and Da Bao. Both Da Bao and Wen Ningxuan were delighted that Lin He was determined to move the pastry shop.

Wen Ningxuan, especially, took ownership of the entire affair immediately. He stated he was familiar with finding suitable locations and believed that within a month or so, they wouldn't need to construct a new residence there; renovating an existing place would suffice. He assured her he would handle everything, and Lin He only needed to manage her household staff arrangements.

This matter caused Lin He not a shred of worry. Even Da Bao offered little assistance; Wen Ningxuan managed every detail from start to finish. Lin He merely oversaw the initial site visits and final confirmation of the courtyard. She had no time to look into the subsequent decoration and finishing touches. For the first time, Lin He realized how wonderful it felt to have someone she could truly rely upon.

However, once the residence was secured, Lin He didn't linger in town. The people at home needed to be notified in advance. For the paste-making workshop, it was simple: the household maids would simply be taken along, moving people and equipment together.

It was the women in the soap-making workshop that Lin He hesitated to address. Several of these women relied on that monthly income to support their families, and some had been working for years, their wages now increased to six hundred large coins per month—significantly more than typical farming income. After days of delay, Lin He knew she couldn't postpone it any longer. Gritting her teeth, she gathered everyone and informed them of the situation.

Hong Yun and Zhou Shi were already aware; Lin He had dropped hints to them previously. Aside from those two, everyone else was utterly taken aback. Many faces immediately fell upon hearing the news. One woman spoke up, asking, "He'er, are you dismissing us? Is there something we've done poorly that we can correct? If you think the wages are too high and unprofitable, we can lower them—just keep us on."

"Yes, He'er, we have relied on this money to support our families all these years. What will happen if the work suddenly stops?" another woman chimed in.

Immediately, several others began speaking, some even starting to cry. The news was too sudden, and they found it hard to accept. Lin He asked everyone to quiet down and explained, "Everyone, please listen clearly. I am not dismissing you. I am saying the workshop is relocating to town. If any of you are willing to follow to town to work, you can. The wages remain the same, and lodging will be provided. The only inconvenience is that the town is a bit far from home, so you won't be able to return daily, though you can come back for two days at the end of each month."

Hearing Lin He's words caused another stir. Some immediately declared they were willing to go to town, but others simply couldn't. Those whose families required their presence locally couldn't leave, while those whose family care was covered elsewhere were willing to move.

Finally, Lin He informed them they had one month. If they wished to continue working, they needed to register their names with Ziyu before dark the following day. If they chose not to come, they could leave after working through the end of the month and receiving their final wages, which she assured would be fair. She advised them to discuss it with their families.

With a final apology to them, Lin He left the courtyard.

In the afternoon, Hong Yun and Zhou Shi both arrived, stating they both intended to go. Lin He asked, "Auntie, Third Sister, your families depend on you. Who will look after things if you go?"

Zhou Shi immediately replied, "My family situation is manageable. Little Yun isn't so small anymore and can look after herself at home. Besides, her brother, Xiao Shan, is there too; the siblings will keep each other company, and your parents can look after things. Moreover, if I stop working, how will my family survive?"

Lin He nodded; Zhou Shi's reasoning was sound, as their family circumstances were indeed unique. Lin He then turned to Hong Yun and inquired, "Auntie, what about your family? If you go to town and can only return once a month, does your husband agree?"

"He was initially against it, but I want to go. I’m used to this work. If I stay home, I’d be stuck with my mother-in-law day in and day out, and I can’t be bothered to argue with her. Besides, I want to work a few more years to save more money for Da Mao's future marriage," Hong Yun said cheerfully.