Lin He felt fortunate to have arrived in this world; her family cherished her back home, and now she had encountered a kind man like Uncle Wen in the outside world.

Admittedly, the ideas she generated held a certain appeal, but for someone like Uncle Wen, foregoing one business venture was hardly a significant loss.

Lin He understood that Uncle Wen's Cai Die Xuan was merely a small shop to him; he had numerous other business dealings spanning the county and even the capital.

Lin He offered a grateful nod of thanks to Uncle Wen, who merely waved his hand without saying much more.

Boss Wen regarded the young girl before him, thinking that his own youngest son was close to her in age, yet that boy had been coddled at home, raised by the women of the household to be as spoiled as a golden idol, developing a rude and overbearing temperament.

This young girl, so small, was already bearing the heavy responsibility of caring for her family. His interest in partnering with her on the shop was certainly piqued by the cloth doll toys she had conceived, feeling the business was worth pursuing. Furthermore, his intuition told him this girl was no simple character, likely harboring many strange and wonderful ideas in her mind.

Another reason was a genuine desire to help her out. He, as someone who had been through it all, knew how arduous starting a business could be, especially for a child lacking money and connections. That was why he decided to open this shop with her.

Truthfully, at his age and standing, money was little more than a number to him; earning it was based more on pursuing his interests. Adding one more venture or dropping one made little difference.

Lin He said to Boss Wen, "Uncle Wen, I might not be coming out often from now on. My elder brother will rely on your care then. You can just call him Da Bao from now on. The day he stops schooling, he will come to the shop to learn things. You can have him start from the very bottom; no need to assign him any special position. He won't participate in any management of the shop—the management structure remains as I told you before, we won't be involved. If my brother comes, you just need to let him learn a few things."

She paused, then continued, "Uncle Wen, I will also be honest with you. My family is fundamentally very ordinary farmers; my father is not a businessman and has no interest in trade. He spends his days guarding his few acres of land. My brother is the eldest son, and I do not want him to continue farming with Father. I want him to go out and broaden his horizons; the family will depend on him to uphold things in the future. Please help me teach him."

Boss Wen listened, nodding, agreeing with Lin He’s words. "Rest assured, He’er. If Da Bao stops his studies, he can come to the shop. I know what to do; I will speak with the shop manager. If you ever need my help with anything at home, just say so. I might not be able to handle major crises, but small favors should be manageable."

Lin He nodded, thinking that if she were to accomplish any great endeavors in the future, she would invariably need to trouble Uncle Wen. Having settled matters with Uncle Wen about letting Da Bao come alone starting tomorrow, they planned to leave.

Uncle Wen insisted they stay for dinner before heading back. Lin He felt embarrassed, having Uncle Wen treat them to a meal every time; it had been the same way last time. Uncle Wen would not take no for an answer and took them to the "Yunlai Inn," the same place they had eaten last time. Lin He had been in a rush to return last time and hadn't properly observed the establishment.

Seeing the display Uncle Wen commanded upon arriving at this inn, Lin He suspected this hostelry was also one of his properties. When they ate last time, they had been taken directly to a private room, and she hadn't seen Uncle Wen settle the bill after the meal.

Today, they were led to the same private room. As soon as they entered, the waiter immediately approached, respectfully asking Boss Wen what he would like to order. After Boss Wen placed the order, Lin He stood up and looked down through the window at the main hall. This inn was vast, likely containing hundreds of rooms across several floors, and the decor was luxurious. The patrons dining downstairs, judging by their attire, were all people of wealth and status; a single meal here must cost at least several taels of silver.

Lin He knew that inns in this era combined dining and lodging services; one could dine separately or combine it with a stay. She thought that opening such a grand establishment, no matter the era, meant you were someone making substantial wealth. Even in her previous life, someone with Uncle Wen's fortune must have been an exceptional figure.

After the meal, Uncle Wen still had his carriage take them home. Inside the carriage, Da Bao quietly asked Lin He, "Little sister, I really won't be following Father to farm anymore?"

Lin He glanced at him and said, "What's so good about following Father to farm? Look at Father, farming his whole life, stuck in a small village forever—what's the appeal? You’ve been out several times; do you find the outside world any different from our village?"

Da Bao pondered for a moment and said, "Many things are different. City folks speak louder than us, and their clothes are prettier. Even the waiters at Cai Die Xuan know more than we do. It just feels like everything outside is unlike our Lin Family Village."

"Then what do you think is good about it? What kind of life do you prefer?"

Had Da Bao never seen people from the outside world, he might have felt that spending his entire life in Lin Family Village was perfectly fine; the generations in the village had always lived that way.

But after working at the blacksmith shop, and then earning money, building houses, and opening shops with his sister these past few months, his thinking had undergone a seismic shift. In comparison, he preferred the lifestyle led by people outside. It didn't matter so much for himself, but he wanted his family to live very well.

Lin He saw Da Bao fall silent and guessed his thoughts. "Big Brother, I know the life in our Lin Family Village is quite decent too—working from sunrise to sunset, and the villagers are simple, without major conflicts. Outside, perhaps hearts are harder to read; someone smiling sweetly at you one moment might stab you in the back the next. But I don't want our future generations to live like that, where even basic sustenance isn't guaranteed. Even if we end up living in Lin Family Village in the end, we should at least earn some silver outside so we can live like Squire Xia when we return home."

Hearing his sister's words, Da Bao's mouth fell wide open. He certainly didn't have aspirations that grand. Squire Xia owned over a thousand acres of prime land, and his main residence boasted several large halls; word was he owned numerous estates elsewhere too.

For their family to reach that level seemed nearly impossible. Da Bao's own ambition was simple: earn enough silver to buy a small courtyard in town big enough for the whole family, and open a small shop that could bring in some income monthly—that would be enough.

Lin He knew her elder brother was still young, and his perspective certainly couldn't compare with hers as someone from a modern era. It would take time; as he aged and experienced more of the outside world, he would naturally come to understand her vision.

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