The carriage arrived home after a brief chat between the two parties. Little Bao and Chen'er rushed out from the courtyard to greet them, and surprisingly, Yu'er trailed behind them, showing a flicker of astonishment when she saw who had dismounted. Though she had seen horses in the town, she had never ridden in a carriage before.

Yu'er was ten years old. Although she lived in town, she was a true homebody, never venturing out. He Shi intended to marry her off to a prominent family eventually, even if it was as a concubine, so she kept her daughter at home, exempting her from any chores, claiming it was to prevent her hands from becoming rough. Instead, Yu'er was taught only how to dress beautifully every day. She was forbidden from going out to play, as it was believed that being frequently seen in public would ruin her prospects for a good match.

But Yu'er was, after all, a child, and the outside world held a certain allure for her. Seeing Lin He accompany Da Bao everywhere stirred in Yu'er not just a touch of envy, but also disdain. She felt that a country girl who showed her face everywhere would surely never secure a decent husband, unlike herself.

Lin He noticed Yu'er standing in her courtyard. She walked over to her and smiled, calling out, "Sister Yu'er, why are you here today?"

Yu'er replied, "I came with Mother. Mother and Second Mother are talking inside."

Lin He nodded and headed inside, finding He Shi indeed speaking with her own mother. Lin He and Da Bao greeted them with a polite "Auntie." Da Bao then slipped away. Lin He sat down beside Huang Shi and watched her embroider.

Lin He covertly observed He Shi, who seemed to have something to say but kept hesitating. Lin He suspected it wasn't good news; she shouldn't think ill of it, but He Shi rarely visited unless there was some matter requiring attention. Lin He remained quiet, sitting nearby, waiting for He Shi to speak first.

Indeed, after sitting uncomfortably for a while, He Shi finally broke the silence. "Second Sister-in-law, Laba Festival is in a few days. How are you planning to celebrate?"

Having arrived here, Lin He knew that Laba was quite an important festival in this era; families were expected to send gifts to relatives and neighbors, and show filial piety to any elders.

Huang Shi, unsure of He Shi's motive for asking, paused slightly before answering, "We haven't decided yet. The children's father hasn't said anything, but we'll probably prepare some things to send to relatives and neighbors."

He Shi immediately chimed in, "Exactly! Life is truly difficult these days. During festivals, we must give gifts to relatives and honor the elders. Our family doesn't even have enough staple food for ourselves; I don't know what to do. Yesterday, I tried to borrow some from my mother's family, but they are also short on funds. I don't know how we'll manage this holiday." She glanced subtly at Huang Shi, watching her reaction.

Lin He now understood He Shi’s true purpose; she likely intended to borrow money, and the Laba Festival was merely an excuse. She presumed Huang Shi had also grasped the implication, as she didn't respond immediately, sighing only after a moment, "Yes, life is hard now. Our family has many mouths to feed, and no new income; winter is proving difficult."

He Shi's expression flickered but quickly smoothed over. "Second Sister-in-law, your family is far better off than ours. Look at how bright your house is—it makes people envious. Those few acres of good farmland you have! Seeing them eases the heart, and when the harvest comes next year, your grain stores will be full. Unlike us, living day to day, with no certainty about the next meal. We are both wives of the Lin family, so why is my life so troubling?"

Huang Shi offered a helpless smile and tried to soothe her, "Elder Sister-in-law, it’s not that bad. Your family had a bit of misfortune recently, making things temporarily difficult, but it's only for a while. Once these few years pass, and your Qingshan is settled with a good wife to care for you, and Yu'er grows up to find a good match—how wonderful that will be! It’s not like us; our children are so young, just raising them is a worry in itself."

He Shi genuinely smiled when Huang Shi praised her child, but then pressed on, "How can our Yu'er compare to your He'er? Your He'er is a golden treasure; she knows how to earn money. I heard from cousin's wife that He'er and Da Bao made quite a bit of silver selling things in town last time. Second Sister-in-law, I won't beat around the bush any longer; I came today because I need your help, and you must assist me."

Huang Shi looked up, about to speak, when He Shi quickly interjected, "We have no rice to cook. I need to borrow some money from you to buy grain to make porridge and get through these few days. I'll try my mother's family again in a few days."

Huang Shi was genuinely conflicted. To lend or not to lend—both options were difficult. If she lent, their own funds couldn't sustain many requests, especially after the large sum they lent last time. But if she refused, He Shi sounded so desperate, which was worrying; she couldn't simply ignore her sister-in-law.

As she pondered this, Yu'er walked in. She likely knew He Shi was there to borrow money, and had probably been standing there for some time. Seeing Huang Shi still silent, she spoke up, "Second Mother, please lend some to my mother. Our family truly has no money. Father goes out every day looking for work but finds nothing. We’ve been eating thin porridge for many days now. We will definitely repay you when we have money."

If Huang Shi could steel herself against the pleas of adults, she found it impossible to refuse a child's request. She reluctantly lent He Shi two hundred large cash coins. After receiving the money, He Shi and Yu'er departed.

In truth, Lin He knew the actual living conditions of He Shi's family. They were still considerably better off than Lin He's family had been previously. Although they also seemed to lack things, they received assistance from others frequently. Many villagers whispered that, except for Lin Dajiang, the rest of the family’s diet and clothing were far from meager.

The family members still wore silk and satin clothes brought from town and never wore coarse cloth. They ate white flour daily, or at the very least, corn flour. This was why their money was spent so quickly. However, the state of their household was none of their business. Still, this dependency couldn't continue indefinitely; Lin He knew she needed to devise a solution, lest He Shi keep returning to borrow money.

After a while, Huang Shi remembered to ask Lin He about the shop in town—was the renovation finished? Thinking of the shop instantly brought joy to Lin He, and she recounted the matter of Uncle Wen to Huang Shi.

Huang Shi remarked, "Uncle Wen is truly a good man. It’s rare to find someone who doesn't look down on us as farmers and is so willing to help. We have truly met a benefactor. You must work hard to make the shop a success for him in the future."

She paused, then added, "Since he has been so kind, perhaps we should send him a gift for Laba?"

Lin He agreed it was fitting, but wondered what to give. Uncle Wen’s household likely possessed everything. Their own possessions felt inadequate to offer. They needed to find a solution—ideally something that wouldn't cost much but could convey their sincerity, something unique would be even better.