Not knowing that Wen Ningxuan, sitting beside her, hadn't said a word or even lifted his head, continuing to sip his congee, Lin He assumed his silence meant agreement. After all, he had only promised to accompany her out of respect for Uncle Wen, and now that she was safe, perhaps he was relieved.

Lin He didn't dwell on it further after speaking, signaling the waiter for some breakfast. She began to eat slowly herself, already calculating what she needed to buy. There were so many people back home; buying a gift for each one would take quite a bit, and she wondered how she’d manage to carry it all back.

Just as she was pondering this, Wen Ningxuan finally spoke, “Are you done eating? If you’re done, let’s go.”

Confirming that Wen Ningxuan was addressing her, Lin He felt a surge of frustration. Hadn’t the young master heard a single word of what she’d said? Was he still insisting on fulfilling his promise to Uncle Wen?

Lin He looked at him and set down her chopsticks. Wen Ningxuan was already standing up. It seemed he’d asked if she was finished as a mere formality; his stance suggested he was leaving whether she had eaten or not. For some inexplicable reason, Lin He felt compelled to challenge him. She picked up her chopsticks again and stated, “Not yet. If you want to leave, you go ahead.”

Seeing Lin He put down her chopsticks as if to leave, only to suddenly pick them up again claiming she wasn't finished, Wen Ningxuan paused. Wondering what was wrong with the girl, he simply sat back down without comment and watched her.

Lin He had almost finished eating; she had only picked up her chopsticks out of pique, hoping he would leave first so she could be more at ease. She hadn't expected him to sit down. With a sigh, she stood up and walked towards the door, failing to notice the sly smirk that briefly crossed Wen Ningxuan’s lips.

Once they reached the street, Taiping County was indeed much larger than her hometown village. The roads alone were significantly wider, lined with numerous vendors and shops. The county shops, large and small, looked far more impressive, selling everything imaginable.

Indeed, shopping seemed to be a woman’s innate nature; whether eight or eighty, the sight of beautiful trinkets and amusing novelties always stirred the impulse to open one's purse. While the items here weren't particularly rare to Lin He, she still browsed with genuine delight, forgetting the person trailing behind her as she lingered at stalls selling ornaments and interesting toys.

It was the busiest time of day on the street, with vendors loudly hawking their wares. Lin He had always enjoyed window shopping; even without buying anything, just looking brought her joy. The goods here were vastly superior to those in her town, which naturally elevated her spirits. She looked at one thing, touched another, her face frequently breaking into expressions of excitement, and soon she had amassed quite a pile of purchases.

The accessories on the stalls weren't particularly valuable, nor was the craftsmanship exquisite, yet Lin He adored them. She stopped before a stall displaying a pair of lovely butterfly hairpins and was instantly captivated. These would look perfect adorning Chen’er’s hair; they were just the right size for her age.

The pins appeared to be made of silver, though likely of a low purity, but the butterflies themselves were crafted with remarkable lifelikeness. The stall owner noticed Lin He examining the pair and smiled, saying, “Miss has excellent taste. These butterfly pins are the prettiest hair ornaments we have. They would certainly suit you well, Miss.”

Lin He asked the price. The owner named five hundred large coins. Lin He haggled fiercely and finally settled on three hundred. Afterward, at another stall, she bought a silver hairpin for her mother to secure her hair, purchased numerous toys for Xiao Bao and Xiao Jun, and picked out some high-quality brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones for her elder brother. She made Wen Ningxuan carry everything. Initially, when the load was light, Wen Ningxuan tolerated it, though his expression soured. Lin He didn't care; if he was accompanying her, he was expected to carry things, otherwise why come out at all?

However, as the packages grew heavier, Wen Ningxuan couldn't manage them all. While Lin He was inside the shop buying stationery, he called over a waiter, gave him some money, and instructed him to deliver the items to the Fulai Inn, specifying they belonged to Young Master Wen. The waiter quickly accepted the tip and hurried off with the parcels.

Lin He thought this was the quintessential behavior of a young master; what couldn't money achieve? Having finished her stationery shopping, Lin He's enthusiasm remained undiminished. She continued moving forward, and Wen Ningxuan followed quietly behind. Lin He paused at various jewelry and fabric shops, eager to look inside them all.

The goods in the jewelry shops were significantly more expensive than those at the roadside stalls, and naturally, the quality reflected the price. In these establishments, she merely looked, having no intention of buying. Yet, when she spotted a bracelet in one shop, she found it hard to look away.

Lin He wasn't inherently fond of jewelry. In her previous life, she had never understood why some women were so passionately, even fanatically, devoted to gold, silver, and jade. Lin He was different; she sometimes viewed such items as mere encumbrances. Perhaps it was her age, or perhaps her limited financial means meant she couldn’t afford to desire such luxuries, so she rarely wore adornments.

However, as Lin He held this particular bracelet, she felt reluctant to put it down. At first glance, it wasn't dazzling. It was primarily made of silver, with reasonably delicate craftsmanship. The edges of the bracelet featured some openwork patterns, embellished with small, pink, crushed gemstones—she couldn't tell if they were real. Lin He tried it on; it didn't look too ostentatious. It was truly lovely, but upon hearing the price, Lin He gasped. It seemed jewelry shops of that era were not places for people like her.

This bracelet, which didn't look particularly expensive, cost two hundred taels of silver. Although Lin He possessed that amount, it wasn't money she felt someone like her should spend, at least not right now. The shop assistant remained polite, smiling warmly as he saw Lin He pick up and set down the bracelet, mentioning that they had other styles available for viewing.

Lin He looked at a few other styles but didn't find anything else she favored. As she stepped out of the shop, Wen Ningxuan, walking behind her, finally spoke, “The bracelet was nice. Why didn’t you buy it?”

While Lin He had been engrossed in the bracelet, Wen Ningxuan had been looking at other things and hadn't seemed to pay attention to what she was examining. His sudden question caught Lin He off guard. Yet, she felt no embarrassment and answered directly, “It was too expensive. I couldn’t afford it.”

“Couldn’t afford it? With the money you earned selling things at Caidie Xuan, buying a bracelet should have been more than enough,” Wen Ningxuan frowned.

“Do you think everyone is like you, Young Master, having everything you want? My family depends on that money to live. How can I spend that much on a mere trinket?” Lin He retorted, immediately regretting her sharp tone. Why was she explaining herself to him? He wasn’t anyone close to her.