"Yes, He'er, I haven't seen you since you married. Last time you came back for the customary visit, things were so hectic at home that I didn't even get a chance to speak with you. It's kind of you to think of us now that you're back." Aunt Xu said warmly, taking Lin He's hand.

"Oh, let's not talk so much yet. Come in, He'er, Chen'er, come sit inside." Uncle Li, who had been working, stopped immediately to greet them.

Lin He quickly waved her hand, smiling, "Uncle Li, we just stopped by for a quick visit. Don't let me interrupt your work. I'll chat a bit with Aunt Xu and then we'll be on our way."

Uncle Li was an honest man. Hearing Lin He say that, he let out a simple, honest laugh, offered a couple of greetings, and then returned to his labor.

Lin He, linking arms with Aunt Xu, continued, "Why are you being so polite with me, Aunt Xu? When we were little, we relied so much on your and Uncle Li's care. Even if I saw no one else today, I'd have to come see you, Aunt Xu. Isn't that right, Chen'er?" As she spoke, Lin He nudged Chen'er beside her.

Chen'er quickly chimed in, "Yes, Big Sister is right. Aunt Xu, please don't be so formal with us."

Aunt Xu looked at Chen'er for a long moment without speaking, her gaze drifting towards Li Zheng standing to the side, her eyes full of regret. Finally, she sighed and took Chen'er's hand, "Chen'er truly is a good girl—bright, sensible, and blooming like a fresh flower. It’s just a pity our Zheng'er doesn't have that kind of fortune." After saying this, Aunt Xu looked at Chen'er with deep, motherly affection.

Chen'er's eyes immediately grew a little red upon hearing this, but she kept her head down and said nothing. Lin He noticed this and deliberately picked up on Aunt Xu's thread, "Not at all, Aunt Xu. It's our Chen'er who lacks the fortune. I heard from my mother that Li Zheng is going to be betrothed soon. Which family's girl is blessed enough to have such good luck?"

Lin He had said this intentionally to provoke Chen'er, but instead, Aunt Xu let out another heavy sigh after hearing it, glanced at Chen'er, and then spoke, "Originally, we had settled on Lanhua from the village; we were planning to pick a date for the formal introduction in these next few days. Zheng'er had agreed too, but just the other day, he suddenly went back on his word and said he wouldn't get engaged. I really don't know what he's trying to do."

Chen'er, who had been keeping her head low and avoiding eye contact, suddenly looked up at Li Zheng standing nearby when she heard Aunt Xu's words, her eyes filled with deep confusion.

Seeing Chen'er’s reaction, Lin He felt an urge to slap her. No wonder Li Zheng had been so angry as to announce an engagement back then—this girl, Chen'er, really knew how to infuriate people. Look at the way she was looking at Li Zheng after hearing Aunt Xu’s words; it was enough to drive someone mad. Her gaze was filled only with perplexity and a hint of curiosity, but utterly devoid of sadness. To Li Zheng, this must look like Chen'er was simply curious why he wasn't getting engaged—it was truly heartbreaking to witness.

Fortunately, Lin He was accompanying her today. Seeing the way the two of them were looking at each other, Lin He nudged Chen'er and said with a smile, "Chen'er, didn't you bring something back from town for Li Zheng? Show him what you have."

Aunt Xu, who had been watching from the side, seemed to sense something at that moment and immediately added with a laugh, "Yes, Zheng'er, take Chen'er inside to look. See that big bundle on her back? There must be quite a few things in there. You two go look inside; I'll stay out here and chat with He'er."

Li Zheng, who had been staring intently at Chen'er, looked over at her as if he couldn't quite believe Lin He's words, standing frozen in place. Only when Lin He gently pushed Chen'er closer to him did he flash a grin at Chen'er and ask softly, "What is it?"

"Oh, Zheng'er, take Chen'er inside to tell him," Aunt Xu urged, getting up anxiously and giving them both a little shove.

Li Zheng flushed slightly at his mother's urging, took Chen'er's arm, and led her into the house. Lin He and Aunt Xu exchanged a knowing smile. Once the two had gone in, Aunt Xu leaned in and whispered, "He'er, tell Auntie the truth, does Chen'er have a place for our Zheng'er in her heart?"

Hearing this, Lin He felt the question was too easy and too difficult to answer at the same time. After all, things hadn't been settled between the two yet, and a young woman always needed to maintain a degree of reserve. But honestly, Chen'er had tormented Aunt Xu's family quite enough over the years. Lin He didn't have the heart to say anything else that might discourage Aunt Xu, so she offered a slight smile and deftly dodged the question with a roundabout answer: "Auntie, over the years, our Chen'er has been willful and caused you quite a bit of trouble, for which we are truly sorry for your patience. But she doesn't have any other intentions; she's just a bit slow-witted and doesn't understand many things. However, even a slow person will eventually realize what they truly want. Look, now that she knows, she insisted on coming back herself."

Lin He's words were somewhat ambiguous. On one hand, she skillfully implied that Chen'er's return was specifically for Li Zheng; on the other hand, she let Aunt Xu understand why Chen'er hadn't agreed to an engagement all these years.

Although Aunt Xu's family had never voiced any complaints about the situation, it was best to clarify some things to prevent any lingering resentment, especially since Chen'er might eventually marry into their family.

Aunt Xu was sharp enough to understand what Lin He meant. After grasping the context, she broke into a smile so wide she couldn't close her mouth. "He'er, why are you being so distant with your Auntie? Arranging an engagement for our children all those years ago was truly premature; we never blamed Chen'er for it. Besides, our families have known each other for so many years, and I watched all you children grow up. I know perfectly well what your character is like."

"He'er, I won't beat around the bush with you today. I was actually thinking that since Chen'er refused Zheng'er this time, we shouldn't push it and should just find a suitable girl for him to betroth. But Zheng'er is utterly set on Chen'er. I suspect the only reason he agreed to the engagement last time was because he hit a wall with Chen'er, and he agreed out of spite when he got home. But within a few days, he changed his mind, threatening that if we didn't let him go back on his word, he would run away from home and never marry anyone for the rest of his life."

"We, as parents, had no choice but to agree. Thankfully, we hadn't finalized anything with Lan'er, so there wasn't much damage. Otherwise, that stubborn boy might have actually left home. This boy is so single-minded, look at how he is with Chen'er—he followed her around ever since he was small, and now that he's grown, he can't see anyone else; he vows he won't marry anyone but Chen'er. Good thing Chen'er is back this time, or we wouldn't have known what to do with him."

Uncle Li, who must have overheard Lin He and Aunt Xu's conversation and was presumably relieved about the matter concerning Chen'er and Li Zheng, joked to Aunt Xu, "This boy takes after me, doesn't he? Wasn't I the same way back in the day?"