The next day, after breakfast, the weather was turning cold. Er Niu and Huang Shi no longer needed to go out to work the fields. After eating, Er Niu went over to Old Man Lin’s place to chat with his parents. Old Man Qin took Xiao Jun and Xiao Bao out to graze the cattle.

Lin He finished making the two dolls. Huang Shi gave her pointers on the parts she struggled with, and soon two lifelike little foxes and a Big Mouth Monkey were complete. San Ya held them, unwilling to put them down, saying they were even cuter than her Qizai, and asked Er Ya to make her one. Er Ya replied that she would make one for her after they delivered this batch of goods to Boss Wen.

After all, Boss Wen had purchased the copyright for these designs. It wouldn't do to let San Ya show them off to others too early. What if San Ya took them out to play and someone saw them and copied them? That wouldn't be good for Boss Wen.

Once Boss Wen received the current shipment, and they started selling the finished goods, it would be fine to make ones for her to play with. In any case, Boss Wen intended to sell them anyway. Lin He making them for her own family’s amusement was acceptable. Besides, the dolls Boss Wen’s own embroidery shop produced had their own special markings, different from the ones they made.

Huang Shi, looking at the little fox and Big Mouth Monkey in Lin He’s hands, was also greatly delighted. She chided with a smile, “How does this Er Ya get so many clever ideas in her head? The things she comes up with are truly different from what ordinary people imagine, and they are all exquisitely beautiful.”

Lin He leaned closer to Huang Shi and said, “Mother, I have all sorts of strange dreams every day, and these things appear in them. I just thought of making them, and I didn't expect them to turn out so lovely.” She winked at Huang Shi as she spoke.

Huang Shi looked at her, shook her head, and chuckled, “This girl, a whole bellyful of ideas.”

By the end of the month, Lin He went with Da Bao to the Cai Die Xuan. When she handed the two cloth dolls to Boss Wen, he was surprised yet again. He exclaimed, “Miss Lin, how is it that you always bring forth such unexpected treasures? Have you ever considered opening a small shop dedicated to selling these items?”

Lin He picked up on the tone in Boss Wen’s voice; it seemed he was very interested in these toys and might want to expand the venture. Lin He calmly inquired, “Shopkeeper, do you have any good suggestions?”

Boss Wen said, “The dolls you brought last time—I placed them in the shop, and the ones made by the embroidery house every day aren't enough to meet demand. Indeed, many children adore them. Every day, people ask me when new dolls will be available. Just selling the few dolls you made has people queuing up daily at my shop. I was thinking, why don’t we collaborate? We could rent a proper shop to sell these items. What do you think?”

Lin He understood Boss Wen’s intent. Simply put, she would provide the concepts, and Boss Wen would provide the capital to set up a shop, with profits split between them. Lin He had initially worried about opening a shop on her own, fearing unforeseen troubles, especially since she was unfamiliar with Tianxin Town. If anything went wrong, she wouldn't know how to handle it. But with Boss Wen proposing this, it was different. Essentially, she wouldn't have to bear the risk, only needing to introduce a few new toy doll designs each month. This was certainly worth considering.

Lin He also asked Boss Wen, “If we were to open a shop together, what are your thoughts on the arrangement?”

Seeing Lin He’s interest, Boss Wen explained in detail, “Here is the proposal: you just need to deliver a few new cloth dolls each month—the exact number you decide. I will cover the initial investment, secure a location, hire the necessary staff, and we can open for business. The shop will also need a manager. Miss Lin, do you have a suitable candidate from your side? All my current staff are tied up in my existing shop and cannot be transferred immediately. After the shop opens, we will split the net profits fifty-fifty.”

Lin He recognized the sincerity in Boss Wen’s offer, so she replied, “That arrangement is acceptable. However, I feel uneasy taking half the profits. How about this: a seventy-thirty split? You take seventy, I take thirty. You can handle the hiring of the shop manager and assistants. We only need to settle the accounts once a month. I won't involve myself in the day-to-day management of the shop; whatever you think is best, so be it.”

This was actually what Boss Wen had intended, but since they agreed to start a business together, stating it outright first might have seemed improper. Now that Lin He had suggested it herself, Boss Wen felt unconstrained. He continued, “That works as well. After all, Miss is still young and cannot manage so many affairs at once.”

Lin He agreed to these terms. For her, this collaboration had no downsides and offered a way to earn more money. She then stated, “I might visit the shop less frequently in the future. My parents say a young woman shouldn't be seen out and about too often.”

She then gently pushed Da Bao forward and said, “This is my elder brother. From now on, he can handle these matters.”

Da Bao was startled for a moment, then quickly recovered and bowed respectfully to Boss Wen, saying, “Shopkeeper, I ask for your guidance in the future.”

Lin He was quite pleased with Da Bao’s reaction. She hadn't expected his response time to be this quick. It seemed he was teachable.

Boss Wen remarked, “So this is Miss Lin’s elder brother. Truly a talented young man.”

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin He, Da Bao, and Boss Wen discussed the details of opening the shop further. They decided that in a few days, Lin He would create a few more new dolls, and these, along with the two from this time, would be showcased together to make a splash when the shop opened.

Lin He also brought up the issue of copyright with Boss Wen. In this ancient time, there were no such concepts as copyright; one could only rely on their own ingenuity to solve such problems.

Lin He told Boss Wen, “From now on, we will put silk floss inside our dolls to make them softer. When sewing, we will tuck a small piece of cloth into the seam of every doll, embroidered with a tiny lotus leaf, stitched by our own embroidery house’s artisans. This way, they won't be easily counterfeited. Even if they are copied, anyone who looks closely will know they aren't from our shop. Our goal is for people to be reminded of our shop's name the moment they see a doll.”

Boss Wen felt this method was viable and agreed to proceed. After they finalized a few more store operational details, Lin He and Da Bao took their leave, giving Boss Wen their home address. Boss Wen said that once he found a suitable location in a few days, he would send someone to invite Da Bao over.

Lin He agreed. On the way back, Da Bao asked, “Second Sister, why did you say to have people contact me? Aren't these your dolls?”

Lin He rolled her eyes. Just when she thought he was teachable, he turned into a blockhead again. She said, “Didn’t you hear me just now? From now on, you will be the one handling these affairs. As a young woman, it’s inconvenient for me to manage many things. Besides, you are already grown and the eldest son of the family; the responsibilities of the household will eventually fall on your shoulders.”

Da Bao listened and nodded. What his sister said was true; it was indeed improper for a young woman to be constantly in the public eye. It would be better for him to handle these matters from now on. However, he didn't know where to begin; his mind wasn't as quick as his sister's.

Da Bao frowned as he pondered, but Lin He seemed to read his thoughts. She said, “When starting anything new, nobody knows exactly where to begin. Don't worry, I will tell you how to proceed. Moreover, Boss Wen will hire people to assist you. You can learn slowly and work gradually. It’s fine if you make mistakes; just correct them next time. As long as you are willing to do the work, things will eventually get done right.”