Uncle Li finished speaking, chuckling to himself a few times. Aunt Xu, however, blushed slightly, letting out a soft, breathy sound as she chided him, "What are you saying? He'er is right here, you can't control your tongue. Aren't you afraid He'er will laugh at you?"

Uncle Li paused his work, glancing over with a smile, dismissing her concern. "He'er isn't an outsider; why would she laugh at us? Right, He'er?"

Watching the familiar, playful banter between the couple, Lin He felt a surge of warmth. She couldn't help but tease back, "That's right. Don't let his big, rough appearance fool you, Uncle Li is certainly a man who dotes on his wife. Look how well he treats Auntie. Your son, Li Zheng, will surely inherit Uncle Li's fine tradition. When he marries, I bet he'll cherish his wife just as much."

Hearing her son mentioned, Aunt Xu forgot all about being shy, speaking with evident pride. "He'er, you hit the nail on the head there. Although our Zheng'er isn't some exceptional figure, when it comes to spoiling a wife, few can match him. You only need to look at how devoted he is to Chen'er to know."

"My dear, stop praising our son so much," Uncle Li interjected with a laugh. "He'er has been here a while now. Are you just going to sit here chatting with her? It's almost time for a meal. Go prepare something; are you going to let our guest starve?"

Aunt Xu slapped her forehead lightly. "Look at my head! I got so excited seeing He'er and the others that I forgot the important things. He'er, you sit down, I'll be right back." With that, Aunt Xu set off toward the house.

Hearing this, Lin He immediately reached out and took Aunt Xu’s hand. "Aunt Xu, please don't bother. My father already sent someone to buy supplies back at our place. Grandma and Eldest Aunt are already busy. We won't be eating lunch here today. As soon as Chen'er and the others finish talking, we'll head back."

"You silly girl, you mustn't be so polite with your aunt! Look at all the things you brought—I accepted them without a second thought. Since you've made this rare trip, you absolutely must have a meal at my house today. As for your father, I'll have Uncle Li send word over later." Ignoring Lin He’s attempts to stop her, Aunt Xu bustled into the kitchen to get busy.

Seeing she couldn't dissuade Aunt Xu, Lin He turned to Uncle Li. "Uncle Li, we truly aren't staying for the meal. Please tell Auntie to stop fussing. Like you said, we aren't outsiders. We’ll visit again soon, alright?"

Seeing Lin He still demurring, Uncle Li deliberately put on a stern face. "He'er, have you become an outsider to Uncle Li now that you’re married? You won't even share a meal? Are you worried you owe us something? If that’s the case, take back all those things you brought, and don't come to Uncle Li's house again."

Faced with Uncle Li’s demeanor, Lin He had no choice but to agree to stay for dinner. In the courtyard, Lin He watched Uncle Li working on his craft while chatting away. She picked up some of the small trinkets placed around the yard, examining them with a smile. "Uncle Li, your skill is getting better and better! These little things you make are truly beautiful, almost lifelike."

Uncle Li was completely unreserved with Lin He. He laughed heartily. "Of course! Uncle Li's craftsmanship is no joke. I’ve been a carpenter for so many years; these small items are naturally no trouble at all. Otherwise, how could you and the others trust us with making the wooden boxes for the ointment workshop, right?"

Lin He smiled and nodded. "That's for sure. But Uncle Li, we moved the ointment workshop to town these past two years. It must be more inconvenient for you than before. Has this affected your production of the wooden boxes? Are you still keeping up with the demand? If you run into any difficulties, remember to tell us. We can figure out a solution on our end."

Hearing Lin He's question, Uncle Li stopped his work, his expression growing noticeably serious. "To be honest, with you moving away, it’s naturally not as convenient as it was before. But the inconvenience is mostly yours—you still have to have someone bring the carriage back to load these boxes. I think that’s quite a hassle. However, He'er, I have an idea. See if you think it’s feasible?"

"What is it, Uncle Li? Tell me," Lin He asked, watching him.

"It’s like this: I was hoping you could ask your elder brother or Young Master Wen the Second to inquire around town for a decent location to open this kind of shop. I want to open a carpenter's workshop in town."

"That's certainly doable. But Uncle Li, what kind of shop are you envisioning? Are you just planning a small retail space, or do you intend to move all the woodworking operations there? You need to be clear so I know how much space you need. And are you planning to buy or rent the location?" Lin He inquired.

Uncle Li pondered for a moment before speaking. "If the price is right, I'd prefer to buy. I figure if we open a shop in town, we should do it properly there. That way, it's more convenient for people to order custom items. However, I realize that if all the carpentry work moves there, we’ll need a larger space, which will definitely be more expensive. And another point is raw materials—we might have to exert more effort sourcing the lumber. Because I'm worried about these two points, we haven't decided whether or not to go ahead. I thought, since your husband's family runs a large business, maybe you could advise me on whether this is viable."

Lin He considered this. If the Li family intended to take this step, moving to town would certainly be much better. While Uncle Li’s annual income in the village was respectable, his clientele was too narrow. Although villagers occasionally commissioned small items, it was rare; for the past few years, it had essentially been just his family’s dedicated carpenter.

Given Uncle Li's skill, opening a shop in town would undoubtedly be far more lucrative than just making boxes for her family. Although Lin He wasn't an expert in that trade, she recalled the price of wooden boxes she bought in town when she first started making ointment—the cost difference compared to her own production price was significant. Such a shop would definitely make money.

Furthermore, opening a shop in town would allow them to sell a wider variety of goods, perhaps even expensive furniture, which would surely bring in more profit. However, Lin He had a rough idea of the Li family's finances. They could probably afford a small shop, but a large space capable of housing the entire carpentry operation was likely beyond their current means.

In fact, Lin He had considered this possibility before and had gently probed the Li family about it, but Uncle Li hadn't shown much interest then, so Lin He had dropped the subject.

But the situation was different now. Firstly, Uncle Li had brought it up himself. Secondly, Chen'er was now involved with Li Zheng; when Chen'er eventually married in, this place would become her home. Lin He naturally wanted her younger sister’s family to prosper, especially since her own family’s focus seemed destined to shift gradually toward the town in the future.