Mrs. Huang asked Hongyun to wait in the courtyard. She took Lin He inside to pack some things and give her some money to take back, so that things would look better on the surface, and perhaps her mother-in-law’s temper would be better upon her return.

The relatives who were supposed to visit had all come, and most of the food had been given as gifts. Mrs. Huang packed up what was left in the house—some white flour, some cured meat, a few sausages, and a few packets of pastries—intending for Hongyun to take them back. Then, she called Hongyun into the room and pressed three hundred large coins into her hand.

Hongyun’s eyes turned red. When she came to visit her maternal family and her brother’s family for the New Year, she was supposed to bring gifts. But her mother-in-law hadn't prepared anything for her, and she had no private savings of her own; she had come empty-handed, which weighed heavily on her conscience. Now, going back, her second sister-in-law was giving her so many things to take with her; she truly felt she couldn't accept them.

Mrs. Huang pulled her down to sit and pressed the money into her hand, saying, "Keep this money for yourself. Don't give it to your mother-in-law. I've also prepared some food for you to take back. Your mother-in-law shouldn't say much when you get back. Keep this money, just in case you need it."

Then she added, "If you ever suffer any grievances at your husband's house in the future, come back here for a visit. Come to our home. Your second brother won't ignore you, and you certainly won't go hungry here."

Hongyun looked at her sister-in-law, tears streaming down her face. Since returning to her maternal home, her own mother had only asked a few questions before sighing without saying much else, and her younger sister hadn't exchanged many words with her. It was this second sister-in-law who had thought of everything for her, even hinting that if life at her marital home became unbearable, she could return, and they would support her. What a good sister-in-law she was.

In this era, it was rare for a woman to be so generous to her sister-in-law. Hongyun nodded, tears still brimming in her eyes.

Before leaving, Hongyun took Da Sheng to bid farewell to Mrs. Zhao. Mrs. Zhao had come over with Hongxia. Hongxia’s eyes lit up when she saw Da Sheng carrying a basket of goods, thinking that she should have some when she returned home too.

Hongyun, Da Sheng, and the children left reluctantly, with Er Niu walking alongside them, chatting all the way. Hongxia and Mrs. Zhao entered Er Niu’s courtyard. Hongxia walked into the room, looking everywhere, but didn't find anything. Her face showed a touch of disappointment, so she deliberately walked into the courtyard and said to Mrs. Huang, "Second Sister-in-law, you are certainly generous, giving so many things for Big Sister to take back. I’ll be taking the children back soon too."

Mrs. Huang understood what her sister-in-law meant. She merely smiled and said, "It's nothing. It’s just some inexpensive food. Hongyun has a hard time at home, so it's good to let her take some back to quiet her mother-in-law’s mouth."

Lin He thought that her aunt (Hongxia) was truly on par with He Shi; their faces were equally thick-skinned. But after all, she was her aunt, so no matter how displeased she felt, she didn't show it on her face.

Seeing that her second sister-in-law didn't intend to offer her anything to take back, Hongxia brazenly said, "Second Sister-in-law, please give me something to take back later. We have no food left at home at all."

Mrs. Huang was indeed a bit displeased upon hearing Hongxia’s words. How could someone directly ask for things like that to someone’s face? Her skin was extraordinarily thick. However, since it was the New Year, Mrs. Huang didn't want to upset everyone. She said, "There’s nothing else in the house. I'll give you some coarse grain to take back later." With that, she left, ignoring Hongxia.

Mrs. Huang went to the kitchen to pack some things for Hongxia. She hadn't anticipated Hongxia seeing what was given to Hongyun, which was why she had specifically packed extra for Hongyun. Now, if she gave an equal portion, she might not have enough food left for her own household.

Lin He said from the side, "We don't have much white flour left either, Mother. Why don't you give Aunt some black flour and cornmeal for her to take back? Just a few packets of pastries will do. You can give that Second Aunt as much as you want, and she’ll never be satisfied."

Mrs. Huang thought it over and agreed. In any case, they would be packed in bags, and Hongxia wouldn't know what was inside. Besides, this cornmeal and black flour could last for a while. Giving her a portion of the other things wouldn't be a loss either.

Hongxia watched Mrs. Huang pack the items and held them for a long time before saying, "Second Sister-in-law, this isn't right. Big Sister had some of those sausages just now, the kind we ate at Mother's house. Please give me a few too, those things are delicious."

Mrs. Huang froze for a moment before realizing Hongxia was dissatisfied with the items. She smiled helplessly and said, "There are no more of those sausages; we finished them all during the New Year. Only these pastries and coarse grains are left."

Hongxia’s face immediately showed discontent, and she said, "Second Sister-in-law, I am your sister-in-law too. How can you be so much better to Big Sister and look down on me like this? I should have a share of what Big Sister has. This isn't fair, is it?"

Lin He saw Hongxia's expression and a cold sneer appeared on her face. Such a person was truly insatiably greedy. It was proper for a woman to bring gifts when visiting her natal family, but there was no rule about return gifts. What her family had was theirs to give to whomever they wished; when did it become her place to talk about fairness or unfairness?

Mrs. Huang’s anger flared even more, and she said in a deep voice, "Hongxia, we don't owe you anything. This is all we have. Take it if you want it; leave it if you don't. There are no other things. I won't give you anything else when you leave." Then she walked away.

Mrs. Zhao also walked over from the side and said, "Hongxia, take these things and hurry back. It will be dark if you don't leave soon."

Hongxia pouted, picked up the items, and went back.

Lin He felt her mother was genuinely angry, but it was understandable; even the Buddha gets angry. However, Lin He was also a little puzzled. How could two sisters born of the same parents have such different temperaments? Whose disposition did Hongxia take after? It really seemed like even ten fingers have differences in length.

Although it was the first lunar month, all the relatives had left, meaning the month was practically over. During these few days, Lin Er Niu was preparing the farm tools needed for the spring planting, checking what was required. After the first month passed, he would go to town early to have these tools made. Otherwise, when more people needed tools made, the work would slow down, and he would have to wait a long time.

After Lin He finished making ten hand warmers, there were still several pieces of fur left. She wasn't sure whether to keep them or return them to Uncle Wen. Lin He decided to make a few pairs of fur-lined shoes for Uncle Wen’s younger son. The process of making fur shoes was the same as making cloth shoes, except for adding a layer of fur inside and another layer outside, then covering it with cloth, naming them "House Slippers."

She said they would be extremely warm for the child to wear indoors when not going out. If it wasn't raining or snowing outside, he could wear them out too, though they looked a bit bulky because of the several layers. But they didn't feel heavy to wear, and they were incredibly warm.

The hand warmers that Lin He promised Uncle Wen were also finished. She asked Da Bao to take the ox cart over to deliver the hand warmers and the shoes to Uncle Wen. If Uncle Wen needed to use them, it was best to send them over early. She also instructed Da Bao to explain the function of the shoes.

Xiao Bao saw the shoes and also asked for a pair. Lin He sewed together the remaining scraps of fur and made a pair for Xiao Bao too. Xiao Bao laughed, saying they were very warm, and he hopped and jumped around wearing them. Chen'er watched with envy.

Lin He smiled, hugged Chen'er, and told her she would make her a pair next time there was fur. Lin He knew these were certainly much warmer than ordinary cloth shoes. Everyone in the family wore single-layer shoes; these shoes were not just padded but truly made of fur, so they were naturally warmer. By next winter, if they had money, she would buy some fur and make a pair for everyone.