The first month quickly passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. While "the first month" technically refers to the entire period after the New Year, people here generally confine the term to the time up to the fifteenth day.

The fifteenth day of the first month is the Lantern Festival, but the people here do not make tangyuan; they simply eat dumplings to mark the occasion. Lin He had originally planned to make tangyuan, but the household lacked the necessary ingredients, so she gave up the idea.

In her previous life, tangyuan often contained fillings like red bean paste, sesame, or peanuts, and sometimes even fruit fillings. However, sugar was prohibitively expensive at this time, and with spring approaching, the family needed to save silver. Thus, they also just had a meal of dumplings, and the first "First Month" of her life here concluded.

After the fifteenth day of the first month, the weather remained bitterly cold. Although spring was on the horizon, it was not arriving immediately. Er Niu frequently visited the fields or the place where farm implements were kept, and the scholar had also returned to give lessons.

Lin He had never been keen on studying with the younger children, only feigning interest. After the New Year holiday, she stopped attending the lessons. Seeing his older sister abstain, Lin Chen also lost interest and spent his days playing with Little Bao.

Lin He did not force her to study; if she enjoyed playing, so be it. In a few years, she could teach her enough reading for basic needs. Since she didn't need to pursue scholarly success, Lin He let her play as she wished.

Lin He always felt her own childhood had been difficult, so she was not overly strict with her younger siblings, hoping their childhoods would be happy. For now, Big Brother and she could manage the household's burden.

Lin He pondered ways to earn extra money. It seemed the doll shop would take some time to break even. However, the busy farming season was fast approaching. Lin He planned to earn some silver before the intense labor began so she could hire temporary help for Er Niu when things got hectic.

Big Brother certainly wouldn't have time to work the fields, and Father had forbidden Mother from doing so. The younger children could only offer minimal assistance. This left Er Niu to manage all the land alone—fields that included not just fertile soil but also patches of sandy ground. She worried how long he could manage alone; it would be far too arduous.

Lin He considered this in the afternoon while sitting in the courtyard with Huang Shi, doing needlework. She thought about what pursuits were profitable in her previous life that she also knew how to perform. Lin He recalled the saying that the easiest money to earn was from women—cosmetics and skincare products, boasting low initial investment and high profit margins. She wondered if that principle held true now.

Ancient cosmetics did exist, but they often contained dangerously high levels of lead, making them unusable. Lin He pondered this for a long time, until she looked at Huang Shi’s hands and conceived an idea.

Huang Shi’s hands were heavily calloused from years of labor, frequently plunged into cold water during winter. Many deep cracks marred her skin, and some were even weeping blood from the cold and dryness—a truly distressing sight. Winter must have been agony for her.

Lin He remembered a topical cream from her past life that was excellent for severely dry skin. It could be used not just on the hands but all over the body, even for chapped lips. While it might feel slightly oily on the face, it was perfect for hands and body, and the preparation didn't seem overly complicated.

Lin He decided to research and develop a formula. If successful, she would ask Uncle Wen to consign the product at the Cai Die Xuan shop; someone should surely buy it. Lin He recalled the basic raw materials used in that skincare product from her previous life.

Upon reflection, many of those materials were unavailable now. However, only a few key components were essential. Furthermore, the raw materials available now were entirely natural and pollution-free, lacking modern chemicals, which meant her product might actually be superior to its modern counterpart.

Lin He turned to Huang Shi and said, "Mother, please give me five taels of silver from the household funds. I want to experiment with something new to sell in town and see if I can earn some money back."

Seeing the seriousness in Lin He’s eyes, Huang Shi nodded. She rarely doubted her daughter's intentions. Everything Lin He attempted to create turned out unexpectedly well and often brought unexpected wealth to the family. Therefore, Huang Shi didn't even ask what Lin He intended to make; she simply stood up and went to fetch the silver.

Including the seven taels Father Qin had provided, Lin He knew five taels were available after accounting for the New Year expenses and the money Father spent on custom farming tools, so she didn't hesitate. Once Huang Shi returned with the silver, Lin He called for Big Brother and asked him to travel to town to purchase items like beeswax, almond oil, and other supplies.

Lin He knew these items were common at this time and not rare or expensive. She also instructed Big Brother to buy some of the small wooden boxes typically used for holding rouge, which she would need later.

Additionally, since the He Cai Dolls shop had opened on the eighth day, and Big Brother hadn't been to check on it, this was a good opportunity to see how the doll business was faring.

Big Brother took the money without asking many questions and left with Father Qin in the oxcart heading toward town. Meanwhile, Lin He prepared a crucial ingredient at home. The most vital component for this skincare product required incorporating a plant, such as cherry blossoms or roses, to add fragrance and beneficial natural properties for the skin.

However, now, just after the New Year, the weather was still cold, and most flowers had not bloomed. The best option available at this time was plum blossoms. Plum blossoms had a delightful fragrance, and their light pink color would be visually appealing in the product. Furthermore, plum blossoms were common; Lin He knew that Aunt Xu, who lived nearby, had two plum blossom trees in her courtyard.

Lin He took Lin Chen and Little Bao to Aunt Xu’s house to gather some plum blossoms for the hand cream she planned to make. Lin He decided to name the general skincare product "Hand Cream" and the plum-infused version "Plum Blossom Balm."

When they arrived at Aunt Xu’s courtyard, only Aunt Xu and Er Gouzi were home. Er Gouzi was thrilled to see the three Qin siblings approach and happily greeted them. "Little Bao, Chen'er, why have you come over?"

Little Bao explained, "My big sister wants to pick some plum blossoms from your house to make Plum Blossom Balm."

Er Gouzi paused to consider. "He'er, you can make Plum Blossom Balm? What is that? Is it something edible? If you make some, you must send some to me first! That sweet potato jerky you made last time was so delicious."

Lin He smiled. "It's not for eating, just something fun to make. You can come see when it's finished."

Er Gouzi pouted slightly in disappointment when he heard it wasn't food, but his eyes brightened when he heard it was something fun. "Okay! When you finish, remember to call me over."

Aunt Xu emerged from the house. Hearing that Lin He had come to pick plum blossoms, she laughed. "He'er, go ahead and pick them. These blossoms fall all over my yard, and I have to sweep them up every day. You might as well take them all; it saves me the chore of sweeping the yard."