Even many of the relatives from their own extended family had flattering smiles, and although Er Niu was an honest man, he could still distinguish sincerity from pretense. However, since they had come to offer congratulations, it wouldn't do to show his true feelings, so he merely said, "Forgive my lack of proper hosting; please eat and drink your fill, everyone."

The boisterous feast finally ended in the afternoon. After the villagers had offered their well-wishes and gone home, only immediate family relatives remained. As Lin He was busy helping Huang Shi clear the tables, she saw her paternal aunt-in-law, He Shi, and her own paternal aunt, Lin Hongxia, approaching, seemingly speaking with Lin Er Niu. Lin Er Niu's expression was rather grim, but out of deference to his elder sister-in-law and younger sister, he refrained from reacting strongly.

Lin He’s paternal aunt, Hongxia, was married into the next village. Hongxia’s husband was an idle good-for-nothing, though their family was initially quite well-off. They owned several acres of fertile land, and since he was their only son, his sisters had all married out early. Hongxia herself had two children, a boy and a girl.

Life had been peaceful and harmonious until Hongxia’s parents-in-law passed away. Without their restraint, Hongxia’s husband stopped being diligent and hardworking, spending his days drinking at home. When they had money, the whole family indulged in feasting, and their own fields lay fallow.

Hongxia was equally lazy; if her husband wouldn't work, she wouldn't either. She spent her days gossiping from house to house, often leaving her own home with no rice to cook. Usually, knowing the Er Niu family was poor, they didn't visit often, but upon hearing they were celebrating the completion of their new house, she dragged her whole family over to take advantage.

While all the other relatives pitched in to help, their family of four sat at a table since early morning cracking melon seeds, staying there until the meal. At dinnertime, they were the first seated. Clearly, after eating, Hongxia must have something to ask of Er Niu. Hongxia's husband left early with the children, and Hongxia stayed behind without offering to help clear the dishes—it seemed nothing good was brewing.

Lin He walked closer to a nearby table and distinctly heard Hongxia saying, "Second Brother, please lend me a couple [of something]? My family has no rice left; if you don't lend me, my two children will go hungry tomorrow."

He Shi chimed in, fanning the flames, "Er Niu, this is where you are wrong. Your family can afford to feed outsiders, yet you are so heartless to your own kin? Just listen to how pitiful your sister sounds; how can you bear it?"

Lin He grasped the gist of it: Hongxia was there to borrow money from Er Niu, and from Er Niu’s look, he was reluctant. He Shi was clearly stirring up trouble, and the "outsiders" she referred to must be Old Man Qin and his grandson.

He Shi was no good, Lin He thought. Since her paternal aunt was so desperate for money, she must have already asked He Shi for a loan, and He Shi likely refused, which is why she encouraged Hongxia to try borrowing from their house.

Lin He approached them, sweetly calling out, "Auntie, Paternal Aunt," before saying, "Father, it is indeed pitiful that Auntie's children have no food. How about this: we have a few steamed buns left in the kitchen; let's give those to little cousin and cousin. Our family won't eat dinner tonight. We just finished building the house, and we don't have much money left anyway."

A moment later, she turned to Hongxia and said brightly, "Paternal Aunt, why don't you ask Auntie for money? Auntie's family is quite wealthy; they even run a shop in town."

He Shi’s face immediately became awkward, her expression twisting unpleasantly. She didn't know how to respond, but after all, Lin He was only a seven-year-old child; one couldn't argue with a child. People said children always spoke the truth. Indeed, Er Niu's family had just built a house, and they were foregoing their own dinner to give buns to their cousins—it was somewhat embarrassing for her, the elder aunt-in-law, to remain completely silent.

However, Hongxia knew what sort of person her sister-in-law was; she only came to Second Brother because she couldn't borrow from He Shi. Er Niu wasn't unwilling to help his sister, either. If her family was truly so poor that the children couldn't eat, an uncle would certainly have to lend a hand.

But the problem was that Hongxia and her husband were now just lazy and unambitious. If he lent money this time, there would surely be a next time, and a next after that. This wasn't helping them; it was harming them and himself.

Lin Er Niu immediately found a solution. "Hongxia, you know we just built our house, and money is still tight. We need the rest to get through the winter; things are already stretched thin. We do have some food supplies at home; take some back for the two children. I must say, you two should be more diligent and stop being idle all day. You have a few acres of land; work them properly, and you won't lack grain for the year. You can't spend all day gossiping from house to house, never doing anything serious, and constantly borrowing money—that's no way to live. Borrowed money always needs to be repaid. If you two can't manage the farm work during the busy season, I can help, but that's the extent of what I can offer."

Hearing these words, Hongxia’s face turned bright red, and a flash of shame crossed her eyes, though it was momentary. Realizing there was no hope of borrowing from Second Brother, she walked over toward Zhao Shi.

Seeing her expression, Zhao Shi knew what had just transpired. She sighed; her children were truly a constant source of worry. But she had to help her daughter and her grandsons, no matter what. She called Hongxia into the room, spoke to her for a while, and still gave her five hundred large coins. After receiving the money, Hongxia hurried to the kitchen, where Huang Shi packed some food for her to take back. Then, she left joyfully.

Lin Er Niu naturally witnessed all this and could only shake his head helplessly. This sister of his was beyond saving.

He Shi's expression, meanwhile, had soured considerably. Her mother-in-law usually lived and ate at their place, constantly sighing about having no money. Yet, she was generous with her daughter—this truly rankled her. However, since the money belonged to her mother-in-law, she couldn't say anything, no matter how uncomfortable she felt.

In the kitchen, some leftover food and pastries remained. The pastries were bought for the masons to take back as thanks for working so diligently for so many days; one must always be grateful.

Lin He instructed Huang Shi to give each worker an extra hundred large coins and a package of pastries for their children, claiming the hundred coins were an expedited labor bonus. The workers thanked them profusely before leaving. The foreman even said that if they needed any work done in the future, they should call on him, and he would ensure it was prioritized. Lin Er Niu agreed.

Lin He found the ways of the world strange. Some people who should be close act in ways that provoke loathing, while strangers can offer unexpected warmth.

After the house was finished, they couldn't move in immediately. It had to be aired out for a while to dissipate the lingering unpleasant odors of lime and other materials used in construction. Furthermore, the floor was still damp. Dampness could be managed by buying charcoal and placing a basin in the center of each room to draw out moisture. But the chemical smells would take several days to clear before they could safely inhabit the place.