"Sister Chen'er," Chen'er exclaimed excitedly, clutching Lin He's arm, "I knew you were the best to me! You have no idea how long it's been since Mother made me a new dress. The ones I sew myself never turn out well, so I’ve been wearing the one you made me last year constantly. Truthfully, I don't even like the ones Mother makes; yours are always so much prettier. I think this one is the best."

Seeing Chen'er's expression, Lin He laughed, tapping her head. "You still blame Mother? You're practically a young woman now. After all these years of learning, you still can't sew clothes properly. Who else can you blame? If you knew how, you wouldn't have to worry about what to wear. We have plenty of fabric at home; you don't need to buy any."

"No, Sister, I can actually sew now. It's just that mine aren't good-looking yet. I'm practicing! Give me some time, and I'll get it, don't worry so much," Chen'er replied with a conciliatory smile.

"Hmm, well, practice hard when you have nothing else to do. You can't slack off just because I'm not here. You mentioned going downtown to buy some things—what exactly do you need? Let me tell you now, you absolutely cannot buy frivolous junk, or Mother will scold you," Lin He said, smiling at Chen'er.

"Sister, I know! When I said I was going shopping, I meant to buy..." Chen'er lowered her voice, her face flushing as she leaned close to Lin He’s ear to whisper a few words.

After Chen'er finished speaking, Lin He smiled. So, the girl was finally growing up—she’d gotten her first period yesterday. Seeing that Mother had been in a foul mood these past few days, Chen'er was too embarrassed to tell her. Her maid was even younger than she was and didn't know much either, so the girl had managed with some scraps of cloth, claiming she felt unwell and needed Lin He to accompany her to buy the necessary items.

Lin He silently chided herself. Chen'er was thirteen; it was about time for her cycle to start. Lin He had been so busy this year that she’d completely forgotten to explain these matters to her. Although she knew Mother would teach her how to manage, Lin He could never accept Mother's crude methods. It wasn't surprising the girl had been so eagerly waiting for her to return.

Thinking this, Lin He called Chen'er back into the room, asking Zi Qing and Zi Yu to fetch some materials from home. She quickly made Chen'er several sanitary pads, similar to the ones she used herself, taught her how to use them and how to make more. She stressed that every month, she should prepare these beforehand; it was best not to buy them downtown, as those certainly wouldn't be as effective as homemade ones, and she shouldn't use the old methods like Mother did, as those were unsanitary.

Lin He had Chen'er clean herself up and change into the pad she had made, then brought her into the room to discuss many important points about this time, including how to regulate her body when her cycle came. Chen'er listened intently, nodding in agreement.

Afterward, Lin He instructed Zi Qing and Zi Yu to go watch Da Xiong and the others. The two sisters stayed in the room chatting. Chen'er asked Lin He about her life at the Wen family. Lin He held nothing back and told her everything. When she recounted the tea ceremony on the second day after the wedding, Chen'er looked at Lin He for a moment before suddenly asking, "Sister, when is Brother Xiaomo coming back? I haven't seen him in ages."

"I don't know. Didn't he say he'd be gone for several years? It’ll probably be a while longer. Chen'er, do you still like Brother Xiaomo?" Lin He asked directly.

Chen'er blushed slightly but asked earnestly, "Sister, what do you mean by 'like'?"

Indeed, what was liking? Chen'er’s question was quite profound. Lin He pondered for a long time, trying to explain it in the simplest terms: "Liking is a wonderful feeling. It’s wanting to see him every day, and feeling sad if you can’t see him for even one day. It’s wanting to chat with him, play with him, do anything with him and never feeling bored. If you don’t see him for a while, your heart feels empty, and you lose interest in everything. But the moment you see him, you instantly feel energized, and your mood brightens—something like that."

Chen'er thought about it and replied, "Sister, I don't actually know if I like Brother Xiaomo. I just feel very comfortable and happy when we play together. When he leaves, I feel like I’m missing someone to talk to, but nothing more than that. It’s not as severe as what you described. I guess I don't like Brother Xiaomo that much."

Lin He was delighted that Chen'er was willing to share her innermost thoughts. This Chen'er made Lin He feel immensely relieved. Lin He felt that she was finally growing up, learning to analyze things with her own mind, and daring to face her true feelings.

Seeing the smile on Lin He's face, Chen'er asked, confused, "Sister, you don't want me to like Brother Xiaomo? Actually, look, if I like Brother Xiaomo, that would be wonderful too! If I marry him, then we two sisters can be together forever and never be separated. I feel so bored when you aren't home, Sister."

Hearing Chen'er’s childish words, Lin He smiled helplessly, then said with a touch of seriousness, "Chen'er, you can't think like that. Big Sister hopes that the person you eventually like will attract you solely because of who he is, because he is truly worthy of spending your life with. It absolutely cannot be because of external factors, and the reason you mentioned—Brother Xiaomo—is even more absurd."

"I know you and Xiao Bao grew up following me everywhere, so you must be unaccustomed to me suddenly not being home. But that's unavoidable. I can't stay with you forever; you will eventually have your own life to live. You can't rely on me your whole life, do you understand?"

"Mmm, Sister, don't be so serious. I was just joking. I understand all these things; I'm thirteen, not a little kid anymore," Chen'er teased back with a mischievous smile.

Lin He knew Chen'er was only jesting and wasn't taking her words too seriously, but she used the opportunity to instill some correct ways of thinking in her.

Regardless of whether Chen'er truly harbored feelings for Xiaomo or not, her words had brought Lin He a measure of relief. If, before her marriage, she merely disapproved of Chen'er’s interest in Xiaomo, now she was resolutely opposed.

Although nothing catastrophic had happened since marrying into the Wen family, small annoyances were constant. While Lin He often told her family that her life there was much the same as at home—and in terms of lifestyle, it was relatively similar—the atmosphere was vastly different. Even when confined to her own courtyard, Lin He constantly felt stifled.

If it weren't for considering Uncle Wen's kindness toward them, Lin He would seriously entertain Wen Ningxuan’s suggestion that they move out together. Thinking this, Lin He let out a sigh.

Seeing Lin He sigh, Chen'er steered the conversation elsewhere, taking Lin He's hand. "Sister, don't worry about those things; it’s still a long way off. I’m not old yet, we can talk about it later. Let’s go look at the yard; I’ve taken excellent care of your little flower patch while you’ve been away."