This day, while recalling the soap-making method she had read about in her previous life, Lin He heard the cheerful voice of Mrs. Huang from the front yard. It turned out the hens at home had started laying eggs—four of them, in fact! They had caught twenty chicks initially; two died as hatchlings, and then Xiao Bao had accidentally stepped on one while running around. The remaining seventeen had all survived.

Now that some chickens were laying, it meant the others would soon follow suit. If each hen laid an egg daily, the family could collect seventeen eggs a day, which would be more than enough for the entire family to eat. The eggs produced by their own chickens at this time were exceptionally nutritious.

Since spring began, the family hadn't fed the chickens much grain. During the day, they were simply let out to forage for whatever they could find. In the evenings, when they returned, they were given a meager feed of wheat bran mixed with wild vegetables before being locked securely in the coop. Lin He noticed the eggs being laid were somewhat small. She remembered reading in a book that feeding chickens things like crawling insects would result in significantly larger eggs.

Insects like these were easy to sustain. Lin He knew that creatures such as silkworms or earthworms could be raised easily, and they would be excellent feed for the ducks and fish as well. However, Lin He had a deep-seated fear of such worms, so she abandoned the idea immediately. The mere thought of a large mass of them made her whole body tremble; no matter how beneficial, she wanted none of it.

Mrs. Huang diligently fed the chickens every day, and she was overjoyed that they were finally laying. In the future, the family could eat the eggs, and any surplus could be sold, amounting to a small income. Furthermore, in a few days, He’er said she planned to buy some ducks, meaning duck eggs would also be available. He’er also loved making various foods, and now they had enough resources for her endeavors. Thinking of this, Mrs. Huang’s spirits soared higher.

Lin He felt immense happiness seeing her mother’s joyful smile. So this was what it meant: seeing someone you cared for happy made you even happier. Lin He looked at Mrs. Huang; her mother wasn't ambitious. She never conceived grand plans for the family's future; this current state was likely already more than satisfactory for her.

Though she was accustomed to hardship, she didn't place excessive value on money. As long as their lives were secure and without worry, she was content. If Lin He involved the younger ones in making salves, and if everyone was busy enough, Mrs. Huang usually preferred not to help. She wasn't particularly interested in those matters. Given the choice, she would rather spend her days feeding the chickens and pigs, doing some embroidery, and living a simple, ordinary life.

Originally, Lin He planned for Mrs. Huang to help with the salve production after Da Bao left. But seeing her lack of interest, Lin He didn't force the issue. After all, they didn't require that many hands yet. For now, it would just be her and Da Gu, and in a few days, Zhou Shi would bring Chen’er and Jun’er to help.

The younger ones were also thrilled to hear the chickens were laying. Since the family had been poor and hadn't kept poultry before, they couldn't fully grasp this simple delight. Just as everyone was celebrating these small blessings, an uninvited guest arrived. Qing Shan’s wife, Song Yue Mei, actually walked into the courtyard carrying a basket. Since her marriage, Song Yue Mei had never visited Lin He’s house, nor had anyone from Lin He’s family visited theirs. They only occasionally heard from Da Jiang or Er Niu that Song Yue Mei was not getting along well with He Shi at home.

Song Yue Mei was wearing a dress of mauve silk cloth, and her hair was pinned up with a silver hairpin. She possessed a slightly more alluring aura than when she was married. Lin He’s family members were all somewhat surprised by her arrival. Song Yue Mei called out, “Second Mother, you are all home?”

Mrs. Huang replied with a smile and stepped forward to welcome Song Yue Mei inside. Song Yue Mei looked upon the Lin He family’s house: the gleaming, expansive courtyard, the perfectly straight row of brick walls, and the immaculate cleanliness of the dwellings. Peering through the closed doors and windows, one could easily imagine the spaciousness and neatness within. Envy flickered in her eyes.

Lin He watched Song Yue Mei stand stunned by the sight of their house, and she spoke up, “Sister-in-law Yue Mei, is this your first time visiting? Why don't you come over more often to chat?”

Yue Mei snapped back to attention and laughed, “This must be He’er, right? I saw you last time; you truly look radiant. Oh, Second Mother, I realized I’ve been here so long without properly visiting. Please accept this small token; don’t think too little of it.” With that, she handed the basket in her hand to Mrs. Huang.

Lin He discreetly glanced into the basket. There were over a dozen eggs, two packages of pastries, and a bolt of coarse flowered cloth. For the Da Jiang family, this was not a small gift. It seemed unlikely that Song Yue Mei had come merely for a casual visit while bringing such a generous offering.

Lin He remained silent while Mrs. Huang ushered Song Yue Mei to sit on a stone block in the courtyard. They chatted for a while, mostly small talk. Women’s conversations rarely strayed beyond embroidery, the chickens, or the piglets. However, Lin He noticed Song Yue Mei didn’t seem particularly interested in these topics; she appeared somewhat distracted.

Lin He became even more certain that Song Yue Mei had an ulterior motive for her visit. Sure enough, after a brief chat, Song Yue Mei finally spoke, “Second Mother, I actually came today because I need to ask for your help with something. I truly hope you can lend me a hand.”

Mrs. Huang felt a small jolt in her heart—could it be another request for a loan? But she immediately dismissed the thought; if it were about money, He Shi would have come herself. She asked, “What is it about?”

“Second Mother, you know our family’s situation. We have many mouths to feed but few hands working, so life is quite difficult. I was hoping that Qing Shan and I could come to your home to work for you, just like Elder Sister Gu and her husband. We aren't asking for much money; we are younger and stronger than Elder Sister Gu and her husband, and we are certain we can work faster and better than they can.”

Hearing Song Yue Mei’s words, Lin He inwardly acknowledged Song Yue Mei’s shrewdness; it was no wonder she could force He Shi into submission. These few sentences contained layers of meaning. First, she expressed the current hardship in her own household. Second, she implied that since Lin He’s family had hired the second aunt and uncle to work, they were also eligible. Furthermore, she stressed that being young, hiring them would be more cost-effective than hiring the elder Gu couple.

Mrs. Huang hadn't anticipated this request. However, she was well aware that Song Yue Mei was no pushover and might even be harder to deal with than He Shi. Qing Shan wasn't a diligent worker and was prone to laziness. Setting aside the fact that their household currently had no openings, even if they needed help, they certainly wouldn't hire them.

After considering the matter, Mrs. Huang said gently, “Yue Mei, I won't lie to you. Though our family appears to be doing well on the surface, it’s mostly an empty shell. The recently established fish pond and the purchased riverbank land represent huge expenditures. Even though we hired your Elder Sister Gu and her husband to help, I can’t guarantee they will receive monthly wages for the next few months. If the fish pond doesn't yield much, there might not be much money for wages at all.”

Mrs. Huang thus indirectly rejected Song Yue Mei, deliberately mentioning that the Hong Yun family was helping without specifying their pay. She surmised that Song Yue Mei wouldn't agree to work if there was no clear prospect of money. As expected, Song Yue Mei’s expression shifted upon hearing Mrs. Huang’s explanation. She replied, “Oh, I see. I didn’t know. I thought you still needed people, so I wanted to lend a hand. If you’re not short of help, then never mind.”

Song Yue Mei was clearly disappointed. She wasn't foolish enough to work for free when there was no money involved. After chatting with Mrs. Huang for a little while longer, she departed.