After exchanging a few words with Uncle Wen, Lin He looked over at Xiao Jun, who had been sitting quietly to the side, pulled him closer, and asked, "You must have been frightened today, right?"

Xiao Jun, however, just smiled, "With Sister He around, I'm not afraid."

Lin He studied Xiao Jun closely. Indeed, there were no visible signs of being startled. Although Xiao Jun was young, he had followed his grandfather through many experiences, meaning he had witnessed far more than the average child. Moreover, this time, at least he hadn't been alone.

Uncle Wen, seated nearby, observed the two children and was genuinely surprised. Neither child was old, both hailing from ordinary farming families, surely having never encountered such a situation before. Yet, neither seemed frightened; they were behaving as usual, as if nothing had happened.

It seemed this He'er was truly extraordinary—not only clever and quick-witted but possessing courage as well. Even the child accompanying her showed no signs of being scared, which truly earned one's admiration.

Uncle Wen suggested they rest a while longer before leaving. Seeing that it was getting late, Lin He figured Old Man Qin had already returned home and informed her parents, who must be worried. She said, "Uncle Wen, I won't rest. I should head back first. I’m afraid Mother and Father will worry at home, and returning sooner will put their minds at ease. As for the delivery, Uncle Wen, you can send someone to collect the goods around the middle and end of the month from now on."

Uncle Wen nodded thoughtfully. After what the two children went through, their family would certainly be anxious. He instructed two men to escort them back, while he himself needed to resolve the issue concerning Yazhi. Uncle Wen narrowed his eyes; it seemed the people connected to Yazhi had been too idle lately, bothering their Caidie Xuan for no reason.

When Lin He and Xiao Jun returned home, the family was predictably frantic. Although Uncle Wen had already sent word that they were safe, their anxiety lingered until they saw them step down from the cart, whole and sound, before they finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Madam Huang was especially distraught. Seeing Lin He alight, she hurried over, took Lin He’s hand, and said, her voice thick with unshed tears, "He'er, how are you? Mother was worried sick about you."

Er Niu was also concerned, but he remained much calmer than Madam Huang, saying only, "It's good that you're all right."

Madam Huang exclaimed, "He'er, don't deal with these things anymore. Life is much better for us now. You're just a child; don't do this work anymore. Look how dangerous it is! What if you had been captured? What would you have had me do?"

Lin He understood her family’s worry, but she hadn't expected her mother to be so agitated. Seeing how truly frightened Mother was, Lin He grasped Madam Huang’s hand and said, "Mother, nothing is wrong. See, I'm completely fine. I already spoke with Uncle Wen; we agreed to supply his shop. How can I stop now? Besides, Uncle Wen said he will send people to collect the goods later, and this kind of thing won't happen again."

Madam Huang eased slightly upon hearing Lin He speak, but she remained uneasy. "He'er, listen to your mother. We’ve saved some silver this past year. The house is built, we have the fields—isn't this good enough? Why risk such danger?"

Lin He knew explaining further to Madam Huang would be difficult, so she turned to Er Niu. "Father, Uncle Wen’s shop is waiting for our goods. He's already sending people to fetch them and promised to handle all these matters. I'm fine, too; it wasn't as dire as that, was it?"

Er Niu, being a man, was naturally calmer and persuaded Madam Huang, "Yes, my dear. Uncle Wen has been very good to our family. He helped us reach this point. We can't just cut off his supply now. Furthermore, if someone comes to collect the goods in the future, this sort of incident shouldn't reoccur."

Hearing Er Niu take his daughter's side, Madam Huang glared at him and conceded, "Alright, then. But in the future, He'er, you must not go into the city alone. If you must go, you must have your father accompany you. That way, I can feel relieved."

He'er, prioritizing comforting her mother first, agreed with a smile, and Madam Huang finally consented to let Lin He continue making the ointments. However, she inwardly resolved that she could no longer let her daughter wander outside alone. She had let things go because her daughter seemed so smart and capable, and nothing had happened for so long. But after this incident, she could not afford to be careless again.

The family then asked how He'er and Xiao Jun managed to escape. He'er said they were rescued by Uncle Wen’s second son. Madam Huang launched into another round of gratitude for Uncle Wen’s second son, even murmuring about blessings from the Bodhisattva.

Lin He saw that Madam Huang’s tension had finally eased and let out a sigh of relief herself. Thank goodness her actual age wasn't eight; otherwise, she and Xiao Jun today might truly have been scared out of their wits. Lin He asked Old Man Qin to look after Xiao Jun carefully, suggesting the boy might still be shaken.

After dinner that evening, Lin He remembered needing Uncle Wen to purchase dogs. She told Er Niu, "Father, in a few days, Uncle Wen will bring us a few dogs. Build a shelter for them near the pond in the backyard. You handle it; there will be a place for the dogs when they arrive."

"Dogs? He'er, you want to raise dogs?" Er Niu asked.

"Yes, I told Uncle Wen I want a few dogs. They can be used for guarding the house normally, and later they can watch over the fish pond as well. If we have to go out in the future, taking a dog would also be useful. If we had a large mastiff today, those few men wouldn't have been able to take Xiao Jun and me away," Lin He explained.

Er Niu considered this sensible. Raising a few dogs wouldn't hurt. He decided to tell Da Sheng and Da Jiang to build a small house by the pond tomorrow for the dogs to live in. The fish in the pond had been growing for some time and should be sizable now, so having dogs guard them when idle was a good idea. Moreover, dogs were not difficult to feed.

Lin He knew Er Niu and the others didn't understand what kind of dogs she intended to raise. The breed she wanted was very different from common household dogs; just in terms of sustenance, one dog might consume a significant amount of food daily. She hoped her parents wouldn't complain later.

Lin He also thought about another issue: Old Man Qin and Xiao Jun. Lin He wanted to build a small courtyard for them. She had witnessed what happened today firsthand. Xiao Jun was so young, yet he understood the concept of sacrificing himself to protect her, and Old Man Qin hadn't uttered a single word of protest. This filled Lin He with emotion and a touch of guilt.

She felt confused. She didn't know if Xiao Jun and Old Man Qin's actions were genuine reactions in the moment or driven by a sense of repayment. If it was the latter, Lin He did not want that. She didn't want Old Man Qin and Xiao Jun to always feel like they were indebted benefactors, harboring that kind of mindset where they’d disregard their own lives for a master. Lin He had always considered Old Man Qin and the others as family, and she hoped Xiao Jun could grow up happily and without burdens, just like Xiao Bao. She felt that having their own home would certainly benefit the grandfather and grandson.