Lin He finally decided to keep the bracelet. It was precious to her, but worthless in Wen Ningxuan's eyes. Going through so much effort over something trivial would only invite ridicule—she'd deal with it later.

After being away for more than ten days, returning home felt like stepping into a livelier place. That night when all family members gathered after dinner, the children swarmed around Lin He, bombarding her with questions about what county life was really like.

Smiling gently, she said, "The county is much more prosperous—more shops, wider roads and pricier goods. When we get wealthy enough in our time, I'll take everyone for a visit."

The family beamed at the prospect as if it were some grand honor. Yet Lin He learned from Huangshi that several things had happened during her absence. Hongxia visited briefly, claiming to feel somewhat better now, no longer demanding favors—but still seemed troubled. She complained about her husband's continued neglect of both household duties and children, barely making ends meet alone with another pregnancy looming.

Cao Yumei was pregnant too, confirmed by the village physician two days ago during her recent bout of illness. The eldest brother's family rejoiced immensely, with He Shi even consulting a fortune-teller in town who assured them it would be a son—an assurance that elevated Cao Yumei to near-royal status at home.

Now she could walk with her nose in the air while receiving lavish treatment—daily meat and fish deliveries from town. Slightly more restrained than He Shi, the eldest brother was still elated knowing his wife carried the family's first grandson. Even Grandma Zhao visited frequently, urging better care for the expecting daughter-in-law who bore the precious position of great-grandmother.

Hongxia's frail state troubled Zhao too—the woman looked skeletal yet another pregnancy weighed heavily on her shoulders with no support from an indifferent husband. Lin He received silver coins and supplies when Hongxia visited, though she secretly worried about Hongyun whose marriage remained barren despite months passing.

Hearing these household updates from Huangshi, Lin He found little personal joy or sorrow in Cao Yumei's pregnancy except for amusement at He Shi's sudden devotion to her once-disliked daughter-in-law. She wondered what would happen if the fortune-teller proved wrong about the baby's sex—would the extravagant spending on boxes and delicacies be justified then?

Regarding Hongxia, Lin He felt pity but no obligation. The woman had sown her own difficulties through past misdeeds, though she did consider divorce an option if things continued worsening. But such matters weren't hers to meddle in until family elders intervened.

Turning her mind to business, Lin He prepared for the delivery run to Caide Xuan tomorrow. Stockpiled soaps needed transporting and tanshikao (purple herb ointment) was readying in the workshop. She would visit Uncle Li's workshop first thing morning for several hundred boxes—her eldest aunt and third cousin were arriving later that day to assist with preparations.

Since commissioning custom boxes from Uncle Li, operations had become much smoother. With his nephew helping out, over a thousand lacquered boxes could be produced monthly just right for her needs. Storage in Li's shed made retrieval convenient, though Lin He preferred picking them up herself rather than receiving deliveries unless quantities were large.

Financial calculations showed cost savings of about 50 taels every two months—significant potential if scaled further. The next morning brought confirmation when Uncle Li arrived with boxes early, dismissing her thanks with characteristic generosity before departing.

Outside the courtyard buzzed with activity as Zhou Shi's family and Lin He's eldest aunt arrived, all eager to hear county tales through gifts of ribbon hairbands and toys for Xiaoshan. As children played with their new treasures, women helped braid hair while heading to the workshop to commence daily work.