The Laba Festival is fast approaching, and the custom dictates that gifts must be delivered the day before. Huang Shi planned for the afternoon, waiting for Er Niu to return so she could take Da Bao with her to the Clan Elder’s house first to deliver their gifts, and then proceed to the maternal grandparents’ home with more presents. Afterward, she would take Lin He to deliver gifts to Aunt Xu and her sisters-in-law.

Laba time usually meant a holiday period, so there was no school. In the morning, Da Bao rode the ox cart alone to the entrance of the "He Cai Wa Wa" shop. The doll shop had been open for some time now, and business was booming.

Since it was a grand opening, Uncle Wen said he had set the prices for the toys and dolls slightly lower to establish a reputation first, promising to revert to the original prices after this initial period. At this price point, even the small dolls sold for one tael of silver each. After accounting for rent, labor, and materials, the profit margin wasn't exceedingly high.

In truth, one tael of silver was already considered quite expensive. Consider this: selling a hundred pieces in a day would yield a gross income of one hundred taels of silver. However, Lin He insisted that because these were items for children, only the finest materials were used.

The stuffing inside consisted of silk floss, even softer than the highest grade of cotton, and the exterior was made of beautiful, colorful satin. Therefore, after deducting the original expenses, the actual profit was only about half of the revenue. Coupled with the limited variety, and given that the number of wealthy patrons in town was finite, a shop like this required patience and slow cultivation.

Moreover, not long after the shop opened, imitations had already begun to appear, though their quality was leagues behind. For example, they used coarse cloth for the exterior and stuffed them with scraps and the cheapest cotton, yet their prices were significantly lower. These knock-offs only vaguely resembled the originals, yet some families were still willing to buy these inexpensive versions for their children.

Da Bao didn't stay long at the shop. Uncle Wen arrived shortly after and was surprised to see him. "Da Bao, Laba is tomorrow; why are you in town today? Is something the matter?"

Da Bao respectfully bowed to Uncle Wen before replying, "No, Uncle Wen, my sister asked me to come into town to bring you something." He then handed Uncle Wen a small bundle he was holding.

He continued, "This trinket was made personally by my sister. She said that because Uncle Wen has taken such good care of them for so long, and we, as simple farming folk, have nothing truly fine to offer, she made this small item with her own hands to give to young Master Wen. She truly hopes Uncle Wen will not find it lacking."

Owner Wen opened the bundle. The item’s colors were indeed lovely, but he wasn't immediately sure what it was for. Just as he pondered this,

Da Bao spoke up again, "Sister said this is a hand warmer. It uses a small goatskin water bladder inside. In winter, you can fill it with hot water, then place the bladder into this outer sleeve. The strap here can be looped around the neck. She said it keeps you very warm."

Uncle Wen then examined the hand warmer closely. The water bladder was nestled inside the fur cover, and openings were cut on both sides so hands could be inserted to warm them. He thought it looked nothing like a conventional tangbozi (a traditional hot water bottle).

Uncle Wen looked at it seriously, then chuckled. "That girl, the things she invents are always so peculiar. Please thank He'er for me. And since Laba is here, I’ll have the cart take you home later; the things on the cart are my Laba gifts for your family."

Da Bao thanked Uncle Wen and stayed in the shop a while longer before leaving. Only when he got onto the cart did he realize that what Uncle Wen called 'a few things' amounted to a substantial haul for them. Uncle Wen had prepared over ten packages of pastries and candies, and perhaps several dozen pounds of meat—many varieties, likely rabbit and pheasant, definitely not pork.

There were also fresh fruits like apples and pears, several bolts of beautiful fabric—not the common coarse weave, but clearly some superior silk—and finally, a large sack containing at least forty or fifty pounds of white flour.

If Da Bao had known how much there was, he wouldn't have accepted it even if beaten, but since the goods were already accepted, there was no way to return them; he could only carry them back.

Furthermore, Da Bao suspected that if he hadn't come today, Uncle Wen would have sent men to deliver everything to their home. Da Bao decided to bring it all back first and see what his sister had to say.

Upon returning home, Lin He wasn't surprised to learn about the abundance of gifts from Uncle Wen. After all, considering Uncle Wen’s background, he either didn't give gifts at all, or whatever he gave would never be a small gesture.

She surmised that Uncle Wen sent such substantial gifts while considering their family's practical circumstances. Otherwise, given his generosity, he would have sent something else entirely.

However, Uncle Wen was indeed correct; these items were practical for the Lin family—things they could consume or use for gift-giving themselves. Since Laba was just before the New Year, relatives would be visiting each other extensively through the first lunar month, and these gifts would come in handy.

Huang Shi, upon seeing the sheer volume of goods returned for Da Bao’s tiny trinket, felt rather embarrassed, believing they had taken too much advantage.

Lin He comforted her, "This isn't an exchange. Even if I hadn't brought my little item today, Uncle Wen would have sent someone over with these things anyway. Our giving him a gift was merely for the sentiment. For a family like ours, what could we possibly offer him that would be presentable? Uncle Wen isn't the type to covet gifts from others; perhaps my small trinket pleased him more than many other expensive items."

Huang Shi fell silent, realizing Lin He's words made sense. Just then, Er Niu returned and, overhearing Lin He, agreed with her assessment. Huang Shi was already busy arranging the afternoon deliveries for the Clan Elder’s house and the maternal grandparents.

Huang Shi set aside the gifts from Owner Wen, planning to use them closer to the New Year. The Laba gifts were already prepared and only needed to be delivered.

Lin Er Niu first took Da Bao to the Clan Elder’s residence. Many people were already there delivering their seasonal tributes, and Lin Er Niu’s gift was noticeably more generous than the others. The Clan Elder accepted it, his face clearly beaming, and immediately arranged for Er Niu to sit beside him.

The other gift-givers in the room watched Er Niu with a mix of envy and jealousy. However, most of them had good relations with Lin Er Niu and were soon engaged in conversation with him.

The Clan Elder observed Er Niu and nodded inwardly. He thought that although Lin Dajiang’s family was troublesome, Er Niu’s family was quite decent. They consistently brought gifts for the festivals, and the last two offerings had been particularly substantial.

Moreover, Lin Er Niu possessed excellent character and maintained good relations with everyone in the village. Whether poor or relatively better off now, he never looked down on anyone, remaining the same as before. Villagers also knew he would do his utmost to help them when needed.