Once the candied winter melon strips were dried, the younger ones all proclaimed them delicious. Lin He tasted some herself and agreed—they were truly good, with a clear sweetness and a soft texture that wasn't overly cloying, perfect for the season. Moreover, Lin He knew they offered benefits: clearing internal heat, quenching thirst, dissolving phlegm, and stopping coughs—tasty and wholesome.

However, since they were made with sugar, Lin He instructed Huang Shi to wrap them in oiled paper bags, doling them out daily to the children. Too much could harm their teeth. Huang Shi agreed this was wise, putting most away while setting some aside to take to Lin He’s grandmother for her to try.

Lin He mentioned that if stored properly, they would last a long time, meaning the little ones wouldn't lack snacks for a while. Lin He noticed a large batch of fresh green beans still sitting in the yard. These couldn't be kept long; the household was already eating green beans at every meal until everyone was tired of them. Lin He decided to dry them all to make preserved beans. So, she and Huang Shi, with the help of the younger ones, took the beans to the riverside to wash them clean before spreading them out in the yard to dry. Once dried, they would be salted and stored in jars; as long as the water around the rim of the jars was changed regularly, they would keep indefinitely.

In the following days, Lin He and Huang Shi, accompanied by Da Yuan, Chen'er, and Xiao Jun, processed everything in the yard facing the sun: the pumpkins, soybeans, winter melons, and beans. They made many pumpkin pancakes, and used the rest of the pumpkin flesh to make numerous pumpkin steamed buns.

The entire family sang their praises. They noted that these pumpkin buns not only served as a staple food but also saved on flour. Most importantly, no pumpkin would spoil and be thrown away in the end—truly an act that achieved several goals at once. Furthermore, the buns, colored a brilliant gold by the pumpkin, were instantly appealing. The children loved eating these buns so much they often refused side dishes. Lin He understood that because pumpkin is rich in sugars and starches, the resulting steamed buns were fragrant and sweet, naturally irresistible to children.

Huang Shi then remembered the many pumpkins still stored in their root cellar. In past years, those old pumpkins were usually boiled directly to be eaten, but everyone grew tired of the strong pumpkin flavor after a while. This new method, however, was a favorite—delicious and wasteful only in the past. The pumpkins in the cellar from now on would all be made into steamed buns to serve as their main carbohydrate source.

Er Niu ate the snacks his daughter had prepared and chuckled, "Woman, you’ve been cooking your whole life, yet your skill can’t match our little girl’s. Our daughter is the clever one."

Huang Shi chided him playfully, "Yes, your daughter is clever; all the credit goes to your daughter. We didn't do anything; your daughter did it all herself."

Lin He knew this gentle teasing was their customary way of bantering when happy; it was their marital language. She didn't interject, simply smiling along with them.

For the past few days, Lin He had been researching and preparing different foods daily. Her stomach was full, and her body was tired, but she was genuinely happy. She naturally enjoyed cooking, and the main difference now was her mindset. These items were being made for family enjoyment, not for earning a living, so there was no pressure. If they turned out well, great; if not, no big deal—she could just remake them. Her spirits were light, and she thought how wonderful it would be if her whole life could be lived this way, free from want.

Perhaps that future awaited, but not yet. The family was still in its nascent stages of development. They were certainly better off than the average farming household in the village, but achieving that level of ease still required a considerable distance to cover.

Having finished preparing these provisions, she spent her idle time at home, doing embroidery or taking the youngsters out for walks, sometimes foraging for flowers and wild fruits on the nearby hills. Life felt unusually serene. The batch she had sent to Cai Die Xuan should sell for about ten days, meaning she would likely need to start preparing the next shipment soon. It was then that Lin He heard a piece of news—though she wasn't sure if it was good or bad.

That day, Lin He returned with the children after picking some flowers, intending to dry them in the backyard. Upon entering the courtyard, she noticed an unusual gathering: all the adults were present, even her usually busy Great Uncle, who often worked by the pond. Everyone in the courtyard wore smiles, especially Great Uncle, whose grin revealed every tooth. As soon as Lin He walked in and overheard their conversation, she learned the news: her paternal Great Aunt was pregnant.

Lin He found this odd. Just a short while ago, she had heard that Great Aunt was unable to conceive, and even with treatment, it shouldn't have happened this quickly. How could pregnancy be announced so soon? Something felt off. Lin He observed her parents' and Great Aunt's smiles closely and sensed that something was indeed amiss. While smiles adorned their faces, suggesting happiness over the news, a closer look revealed they weren't entirely genuine. Her father’s smile, in particular, seemed forced. Being an honest man, he wasn't good at deception. Only her Great Uncle seemed genuinely delighted.

Lin He mentally reviewed the events of the past few days, recalling everyone's reactions, and thought about her paternal aunt who had been staying with their grandmother. A suspicion formed: perhaps this was the secret they were hiding. They intended to pass the child off as hers. If so, Lin He felt speechless.

Given her education over the years, her ingrained thought process deemed this course of action profoundly wrong. It was riddled with flaws: How would her Great Aunt manage a nearly ten-month pregnancy? How would they explain the birth when only one child emerged from two parents? Furthermore, even if the child was passed off, what if, years later, the child resembled Zhou Da Fa’s side of the family rather than Hong Xia’s?

Moreover, her Great Aunt was an honest woman. Could she maintain such a flawless deception for so long? The strain of keeping such a massive secret between husband and wife must be something ordinary people couldn't comprehend. Yet, Lin He reasoned that even her usually honest father approved of this method, suggesting it might be the only viable solution.

Fortunately, Lin He was still young. Although she harbored worries about the situation, since her family preferred to keep it from her, she could pretend she knew nothing. After all, her Great Aunt was an ordinary woman of this era. Perhaps her perspective was one that Lin He, a person from a different lifetime, couldn't fully grasp. Otherwise, why would Great Aunt risk so much to undertake such a plan? Lin He couldn't fault Great Aunt, her parents, or her grandmother for being selfish; they were not wrong. The fault lay with the era itself.

The intense focus on lineage succession and the desperate yearning for heirs prevalent in this time had led to such drastic measures. Since Lin He felt she couldn't resolve the underlying issue, she decided to go with the flow, acknowledging the reality without interfering.

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