On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Er Niu and Da Jiang feared they wouldn't get enough food if they waited, so they headed to the town early to procure everything needed for the celebration feast. The dishes were all as specified by Mother Zhao: primarily chicken, duck, fish, and meats, costing nearly two hundred large coins, with the rest going toward assorted fruits and vegetables.

People didn't eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in those days. Da Niu bought a few packets of pastries, which cost about three hundred large coins—just enough. Er Niu urged Da Jiang to hurry; after buying the groceries, they still needed to fetch Da Bao. Da Bao had sent word the day before that they were getting two days off for the festival; the shop would open briefly on the morning of the festival, but close in the afternoon for them to go home and celebrate. Er Niu was anxious not to miss him, pressing for speed.

The women had also finished their breakfast and gathered in Mother Zhao's courtyard. Lin He and Chen’er were playing there, while the faint sound of Mother Zhao and He Shi’s hushed conversation drifted over. Mother Zhao remarked, "Eldest sister-in-law, it’s been several months since Qingshan’s wife married in, yet there is still no news."

He Shi replied, "Indeed, we are all waiting eagerly. She’s truly useless; she’s very delicate about what she eats and drinks normally, but her belly shows no sign of movement. Who knows what the matter is."

Mother Zhao cautioned, "What are you saying? Keep your voice down. Go back and urge Qingshan and his wife; tell them I am waiting to hold a great-grandchild."

He Shi said something in response that Lin He didn't catch. Lin He glanced toward Song Yue Mei beside her. The expression on Song Yue Mei’s face hadn't shifted at all; she still held a faint, gentle smile, as if she hadn't heard He Shi and Mother Zhao speaking. However, Lin He was certain she had heard, as she was positioned even closer to He Shi and Mother Zhao.

It was Yu’er, standing nearby, whose eyes held a slight, gloating amusement as she watched Song Yue Mei, suggesting that Song Yue Mei’s life at home was indeed difficult—disliked by her mother-in-law and not getting along well with her sister-in-law. Song Yue Mei noticed Lin He watching her and offered a smile, which Lin He returned.

Although Lin He didn't particularly favor Song Yue Mei, Song Yue Mei hadn't caused any overt conflicts since marrying into the family; it was just that they rarely interacted normally.

The women sat in the courtyard without speaking much. Huang Shi and Zhou Shi were seated not far from He Shi and the others. Upon hearing their conversation, they offered no reply. Since He Shi had caused a scene at Er Niu’s home last time and was subsequently ignored by that family, He Shi hadn't visited their home in a long while. When they encountered each other in passing, He Shi would always speak sarcastically. Now that this was a matter concerning Er Niu’s immediate family, Huang Shi and Zhou Shi were disinclined to intervene, fearing it might just provoke another round of sharp retorts and irony from He Shi.

He Shi noticed Huang Shi and Zhou Shi sitting to the side and snorted, deliberately remarking, "Mother, I wonder what kind of dishes Second Uncle and Da Jiang are buying in town for the Mid-Autumn Festival today."

Mother Zhao answered, "It's mostly chicken, duck, and fish—nothing else particularly good is being sold. We already have some fruits and vegetables at home."

It seemed He Shi had been waiting for Mother Zhao’s reply. She quickly chimed in, "Oh, Mother, really. Doesn't Second Uncle's family have plenty of chicken and duck? They could just take some from their house. Why go to town and waste money? Besides, what they sell in town is expensive."

Mother Zhao didn't respond, just stared off to the side, perhaps lost in thought. Huang Shi knew He Shi was looking for trouble again, but she wasn't angered; she merely laughed softly and said, "The chickens and ducks at our place are still too small; they’re mostly bone, no meat. What is there to eat?"

He Shi retorted, "How can they not be eaten? Those chickens have been raised for almost a year, and the ducks for over half a year. This is the best season for eating duck. Second sister-in-law, are you reluctant to part with them? Your family is doing so well now; haggling over these small things with us poor folk—surely giving them up would be a trifling matter. I heard that Old Man Xu’s man is earning several taels of silver a month making wooden boxes for you."

Huang Shi felt He Shi’s words were becoming increasingly outrageous, showing no regard for propriety in front of so many people. She grew somewhat indignant and replied, "First sister-in-law, what kind of talk is that? We are celebrating a festival together, hoping for family happiness. What are you trying to stir up by saying these things? Furthermore, for this joint celebration, it’s not just your household footing the bill—my family is contributing every bit as much. Just because my family has these things, does that mean yours doesn't? Don't you have several old hens at your place? Why not catch one of those?"

Because she was genuinely angered, Huang Shi’s tone rose, losing its usual gentle quality. Lin He, however, thought her mother’s response was excellent. For certain people, courtesy was wasted; the more polite you were, the more they thought you were an easy target—He Shi was exactly that type.

Er Niu’s family had helped them so much in the past, yet she showed no gratitude, only demanding more and more each time. It was only after they had spoken sharply to her once, refusing her demands, that she had somewhat improved and stopped frequenting their home so often. For Lin He's family, this was certainly a good thing; otherwise, they would be bothered day in and day out by her constant trivial demands.

He Shi noticed Huang Shi reacting uncharacteristically—the old Huang Shi wouldn't have spoken like this. She turned sarcastic, "Second sister-in-law’s family has money now, and truly they are different. Even the sound of their voice is louder than us poor folk, and their assertiveness has clearly increased compared to before."

Huang Shi calmed down then, deciding not to waste any more breath on He Shi. She simply responded, "First sister-in-law, the good fortune we have in our lives is earned through our own family’s hard work; it isn’t just handed to us. If you wish, First Sister-in-law, you could try that too."

He Shi, sensing the veiled accusation in Huang Shi’s words, became even angrier, her face turning the color of pig liver. She hissed under her breath, "Is it just because we owe you some silver? Is it because your family has acquired some wealth that you’ve become so arrogant? Let’s see what kind of misfortune befalls your family one day."

Few people heard He Shi’s last remark, but Mother Zhao, standing nearby, did. She glared sharply at He Shi and said, "Today is a festival, a day of celebration. Do not look for trouble. Whoever ruins my Mid-Autumn Festival today, I will not let them off lightly."

Hearing her mother-in-law, He Shi pouted and fell silent. A hush settled over everyone. Not long after, Er Niu and Da Jiang returned with the provisions. Seeing the ox cart parked in the courtyard, everyone went to the entrance to unload the goods.

Da Bao had also returned. Huang Shi was delighted to see him and peppered him with questions. Da Bao explained that he had two days off for the festival and would be home tomorrow as well. Huang Shi then headed to the kitchen to start cooking, saying they would talk more later.

Indeed, they had bought quite a lot; a large pile of goods was unloaded. With so many people in the family, everyone took a few things, and the items were quickly carried into the kitchen. Then, all the women became busy in the kitchen. The kitchen was small, and with Mother Zhao present, there were five women in total, making it difficult for them to turn around.

He Shi, having finished slicing some vegetables, spotted Lin He standing outside and began speaking up again: "Second sister-in-law, I heard people say that your He'er cooks delicious food. Why don't you let your He'er cook lunch for us today so we can have a taste?"

Huang Shi truly didn't want to engage her. Why did this He Shi have so much to say? Everyone was busy cooking in the kitchen, but she was the one always making suggestions. Why didn't she ask her own Yu'er to cook? Huang Shi said without a hint of a smile, "My He'er is just a young girl. I let her casually cook at home when I’m not around—what could possibly be delicious?"