Lin He heard Mrs. Huang’s words and was reminded of the girl accompanying Yun Qi and her mother on the street last time. It seemed Yun Qi had finally heeded her mother’s advice and brought the girl back after all. Lin He sighed inwardly and continued to inquire, “When did Eldest Sister-in-law bring a maid? I never heard she had one serving her before. Who is she, and how is her work?”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Huang began to chatter, “She says the girl is a distant cousin of hers, an orphan. It’s hard for a single girl to get by, so she asked if she could come and serve as her maid, saying they were close. I was initially reluctant because the girl seemed rather old, but Yun Qi insisted the girl was decent and quick on her feet, and that she asked for much less wages than buying a maid. For Yun Qi’s sake, I agreed to let her try it out for a while.”

“But the girl is indeed capable. Not long after arriving, she manages both inside and outside chores excellently, and she is so efficient. Sometimes when Da Bao’s shop is busy, she even brings him lunch. Da Bao even praised her for walking so fast; the food arrives while it’s still hot.”

After listening to Mrs. Huang, Lin He became even more certain about the true intentions behind the girl being placed there by Yun Qi and her mother. She also grew more convinced that that scoundrel Wen Ning Xuan indeed possessed foresight in certain matters. Thinking of Yun Qi and her mother, Lin He let out a rather mocking smile inwardly.

Speaking of Yun Qi, Lin He looked up towards the doorway and asked, “Mother, are Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law still not awake?”

“He’er, when did you arrive? Why didn’t anyone tell me?” As soon as Lin He finished speaking, Da Bao walked in from the doorway, talking with a smile, with Yun Qi following behind him.

Lin He rose from her stool and replied with a smile, “Mm, I haven’t been here long. Mother said someone was going to call you, but I figured you’ve been working hard at the shop all day, so I let you rest a bit longer. Besides, I’m in no hurry to leave.”

“Since you’re here, stay for a few days. You haven’t been home in ages; Chen’er and the other little ones have mentioned it several times,” Da Bao complained good-naturedly.

After speaking, he looked around and asked, “Isn't Ning Xuan with you?”

“Ning Xuan just arrived; he said there was something at the shop, so he left first. He’ll be here tonight. You should come back early tonight too,” Mrs. Huang quickly interjected.

“Mm, alright. I’ll come back early tonight then. I won’t come back for lunch; just have Xin Rou send my meal over,” Da Bao nodded.

In the room, Da Bao chatted with Lin He for a few more sentences before hurrying off to the shop, and Mrs. Huang followed him to the door.

Only then did Lin He have a chance to look at Yun Qi. As Yun Qi entered from outside, she merely offered Lin He a faint smile from a distance as a greeting, then remained silent, listening to Lin He, Da Bao, and the others chat with a placid smile.

Seeing that Da Bao and Mother had left, Lin He walked over and sat next to Yun Qi, casually asking, “Sister-in-law, how are things at home these days? Doesn't it get boring staying in the courtyard all day?”

For some reason, Yun Qi first glanced at Lin He with a complicated expression before replying with a smile, “Heh heh, boring? This is my own home now. This is how things will be from now on; there’s no concept of boring. Besides, with so many people here, it’s quite lively.”

Yun Qi’s words gave Lin He pause. When they were still living together before, she, Chen’er, and Yun Qi often spent time in the courtyard and often complained about how dull it was staying home. This time, Lin He had only asked casually, and Yun Qi seemed to respond casually too, yet the underlying meaning in Yun Qi’s words felt somewhat unusual.

Lin He had a feeling that Yun Qi’s reply was actually blaming her for asking an unnecessary question. But then she thought that her sister-in-law wasn't very good with words, and perhaps she had just answered offhandedly. Maybe it was because Lin He herself was preoccupied after learning about that maid, leading to this strange sensation.

Lin He tried hard to convince herself not to dwell on Yun Qi's remark and instead replied with a smile, “Sister-in-law is right; you get used to it after being here a while. Besides, your nature is quiet, unlike Chen’er and me; we are too restless. If we stay home too long, we find it boring.”

“Heh heh, He’er, you jest. How can I compare to you? When you were at your parents’ house, you were the eldest daughter, and you called the shots regarding household matters. After marrying, you are the young mistress of a truly wealthy household, lacking nothing; naturally, you think differently than us,” Yun Qi said, smiling.

It was clear that Yun Qi wasn't joking; it sounded more like she was venting some bottled-up grievance. Even though a smile was on her face, it was vastly different from before. Moreover, Yun Qi’s response left Lin He, who had intended to chat casually as they used to, unsure of what to say next.

Lin He simply smiled and sat beside Yun Qi with a slightly awkward expression. Yun Qi also sat still, appearing unwilling to speak further. After a period of silent companionship, Lin He found an excuse and left the room.

Chen’er, seeing his elder sister depart, immediately bid Yun Qi goodbye and followed Lin He out. Yun Qi watched the two figures retreat, a profoundly complex look flashing across her face before she too left and returned to her own room.

After Lin He and Chen’er went outside, they saw Mrs. Huang in the courtyard threading corn with Zi Qing and Zi Yu, the three of them chatting happily about something. Lin He and Chen’er walked over, smiling, and asked, “Mother, what are you doing? Why are you preparing corn inside the house? Where did these corn cobs come from? Shouldn't you just have the maids do this kind of chore?”

“Heh heh, I get bored sitting around at home all day and always think of making something special for those two little rascals. Your father brought some fresh corn home the other day, and the boys said they missed the corn cobs you used to boil for them. I made a batch for them, and there were still plenty left over, so I’m drying them. Once they are dry, I’ll grind them into flour to make some snacks for them. Now that we spend more time in town, getting corn cobs isn't as convenient as it used to be. I’m saving these just in case the little ones want some later and we run out.” Mrs. Huang said, laughing while threading the corn.

“Mm, that’s true. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such fresh corn cobs. I haven't even had corn porridge in ages; I actually miss it a bit,” Lin He said, smiling, picking up a corn cob from the ground and handing it to Mrs. Huang.

Mrs. Huang took the cob, smiling fondly, “You children—you only crave novelty. When you were little, we were poor, and it was rare to eat white flour; we mostly ate black flour and cornmeal. You all used to complain it tasted awful. Now look at you, saying you miss it.”