Madam He was quite offended by Dong Yu’s words, immediately becoming flustered and angry as she snapped, “So, you really want to be sold to a brothel, is that it? Fine, I’ll grant your wish. I’ll sell you to the brothel in town right now. You’re a lowly creature anyway, fit for such business.” As Madam He spoke, she reached out to grab Dong Yu.

Dong Yu flung Madam He’s hand away sharply. “If you don’t want your son-in-law dragged off by the authorities to be executed, then by all means, sell me off to a brothel. I have nothing left now anyway. Perhaps in a brothel, I’d at least eat well and live better than in this wretched place. But your son-in-law is still so young. If he is executed, your daughter will be a widow, burdened with a child, and with her mother-in-law refusing to care for her—just imagine her plight then. At best, she’d have to remarry, settling for a mere hired hand, just like that Zhou woman.”

“However, that Zhou woman had one advantage: her children were older and didn't require constant upkeep. She also had the care of your second uncle’s family and a source of income, which is why some man was willing to take her. Most importantly, your mother-in-law eventually consented to her remarriage. But Yu’er is different. She has nothing, and given her mother-in-law’s nature, she certainly won't allow Yu’er to remarry. You can look forward to your daughter remaining a widow her entire life, bullied by her mother-in-law until the end.”

Though Dong Yu’s words were sharp, Madam He found a sliver of truth in them. Moreover, Madam He discerned the hidden meaning in Dong Yu’s speech: it seemed she suggested a way for Zhao Yu to avoid execution.

With this thought, Madam He put aside her earlier scolding and tentatively asked Dong Yu, “When you say you have a way, are you perhaps expecting us to produce one thousand taels of silver?”

Dong Yu burst into laughter upon hearing this. “One thousand taels? Your entire family, even if you sold all your assets and yourselves, might not scrape together a hundred taels. Asking you for a thousand taels is no different than letting Zhao Yu be dragged off for execution.”

“Then what did you mean by all those words earlier? Do you have another solution?” Madam He pressed again.

Dong Yu stood up, glanced toward the doorway, then closed the door and lowered her voice. “Since I called for Yu’er, I naturally have a good path to point out. I won't hide it from you: I have a solution that requires you to spend not a single coin. Beyond that, Yu’er can even gain money. As long as you accomplish what we ask of you, someone will naturally settle that thousand taels for you, and Zhao Yu will certainly be returned unharmed.”

Hearing how promising Dong Yu sounded, Yu’er finally reacted, asking in unison with Madam He, “What method?”

“The method is simple. Yu’er, you will go to work for a time at that little shrew Lin He’s ointment workshop in town, and then find a way to steal all the ointment formulas. The moment you manage to steal the formula from that workshop, Zhao Yu will be sent home.”

“Steal the formulas from He’er’s ointment workshop? Why? What do you need those formulas for?” Yu’er glanced at Madam He, both confused.

Dong Yu cast a fleeting look at them. “You don’t need to ask about that. I have my uses. You just need to figure out how to accomplish this. And when the task is done, not only will Zhao Yu be safe, but you will also receive one hundred taels as compensation for your efforts.”

Madam He and her daughter exchanged long looks, unsure whether to agree. In truth, both felt a deep hesitation. Dong Yu noticed their indecision and immediately urged them, “Yu’er, I advise you not to hesitate. Every day you delay is another day Zhao Yu remains imprisoned. What if, by then, his family grows impatient and reports the matter to the officials? It will be too late then.”

Yu’er certainly knew the immense value of the formulas from Lin He’s ointment workshop. Furthermore, she knew exactly how good the second uncle’s family had been to hers over the years. If the second uncle’s family hadn't lent money back then, her elder brother would have already been hacked to death. And when she married, it was thanks to the jewelry that the second aunt had procured that she held any face in her in-laws’ household.

Moreover, given the years of tolerance and care the second uncle’s family had shown toward her own family’s affairs, Yu’er genuinely disliked the idea of committing such a betrayal. Yet, if she did nothing, her husband’s life was forfeit. The thought of betraying the second uncle’s family made it impossible for her to commit.

However, Madam He, whose mind worked faster, pulled Yu’er aside and whispered close to her ear, “Yu’er, why don’t we just agree to pay the one thousand taels? If we can’t gather it, we’ll borrow from your second uncle’s family. Even if the sum is large, it’s surely better than stealing their ointment formulas.”

Yu’er thought this held some sense and was just about to tell Dong Yu when Dong Yu, who seemed to have overheard their whispered conversation, stood up and spoke firmly. “Listen to me, don't hatch any other plans. Forget about your second uncle lending you a thousand taels—even if they were willing to lend it, I don't want it now. I’ll tell you the truth: someone is currently holding your husband’s situation in check. The moment they detect you have other ideas, they will immediately expose your husband. So, the only thing you need to focus on now is how to find a way to infiltrate Lin He’s ointment workshop and work there.”

With Dong Yu laying down the terms so explicitly, Yu’er and Madam He had no choice but to follow Dong Yu’s instructions. This led to Yu’er taking up work at the ointment workshop later on. But this matter was known only to Yu’er and Madam He. Lin He’s paternal uncle, Da Jiang, truly knew nothing about it. At the time, Madam He had argued that it wasn't sustainable for Yu’er to remain idle, so she needed to find work. Da Jiang agreed, thinking it sensible, and accompanied the mother and daughter when they went to plead with Lin He.

Upon hearing this, Lin He naturally understood what transpired afterward. In fact, the successful theft of the formulas by Yu’er today was entirely orchestrated by Lin He. Lin He had people secretly observing Yu’er. Since returning from her break, Yu’er had become visibly anxious. Lin He predicted she would make her move within the next few days, so she deliberately had several fake formulas prepared and placed in the workshop’s cabinet. She also specifically instructed someone to ‘accidentally’ spread the rumor, ensuring Yu’er learned of it.

Originally, Lin He thought that by catching Yu’er red-handed, she might discover who was behind her. But unexpectedly, Yu’er had been coerced by Dong Yu. However, Dong Yu must surely have someone backing her. Although the mastermind wasn't caught this time, the clue of Dong Yu remained unbroken and worth pursuing. Moreover, Lin He was already forming some ideas in her mind.

The party seeking the ointment workshop formulas must be someone familiar with ointment production. And the one who has consistently coveted these formulas is none other than that Yazhi Cosmetics Shop. Dong Yu had just mentioned the name of a cosmetics shop, and the Yazhi Cosmetics Shop was a branch of Yin Ruoxuan’s establishment.