Indeed, the words from Madam He silenced Madam Zhao; she couldn't possibly summon the clan elder over such a minor matter. Seeing it was the New Year, Er Niu and the others quickly persuaded Madam Zhao to walk back into the courtyard. Meanwhile, Qing Shan, his sister, and Song Yue Mei also pulled Madam He back. Song Yue Mei whispered something into Madam He’s ear, which Lin He noticed, but couldn't clearly hear. It seemed this Song Yue Mei was certainly no simple character.

Once inside the courtyard, Madam He stopped sitting around cracking melon seeds and went into the kitchen. Only then did Madam Zhao’s expression ease slightly, though the anger inside her hadn't subsided. She thought that Madam He was becoming more and more outrageous, and she would definitely find a chance to teach her a lesson soon.

That day, the entire family ate a meal—it was hard to tell if it was lunch or dinner—at Madam Zhao's courtyard before leaving, with only Hong Xia and Hong Yun staying overnight in Madam Zhao’s quarters. Lin He’s family returned home as dusk was settling. Under the oil lamp, they discussed Hong Xia’s situation. Madam Huang said, "He'er, your father mentioned having your paternal aunt work in the long-term laborer's quarters to cook. What do you think? You know your aunt’s character; what if, after being like this before, she reverts to her old ways?"

Lin He smiled and replied, "Mother, don't worry. She is still our aunt, after all. Seeing how she has corrected herself recently, cooking should be fine. Besides, our family should lend her a hand in her current state. Do we really have to be like Big Aunt and wish her dead?"

"You child, what kind of talk is that? Criticizing your Big Aunt—be careful she hears you and gives you a hard time," Madam Huang also said with a smile.

"Mother, this isn't criticism. Look at Big Aunt’s character—I’m not speaking nonsense," Lin He countered with a smile.

The family chatted idly for a while longer before everyone retired for the night. It was the height of the New Year, and aside from the first two days, guests might visit every day from now on. As expected, early on the third day of the lunar new year, before Lin He was even awake, the sound of lively conversation drifted from the front yard—someone must have arrived.

Lin He got up and went to see. It turned out to be several of her father’s paternal cousins who had come, one of whom had brought his wife. Lin He had met this woman shortly after arriving here, the time when Da Bao and she were selling dried sweet potatoes and ran into that rather sharp-tongued woman. Lin He had seen her several times around the village but had rarely spoken to her; she was only known as one of her father’s paternal cousin-in-laws.

However, traditionally during the first lunar month, the wives of the menfolk usually didn't accompany their husbands when visiting relatives. Last year this cousin-aunt hadn't come either, so why was she here today? Moreover, the way this woman was speaking seemed intended to flatter Madam Huang. Lin He heard her saying, "Sister-in-law, look how prosperous your household is living! You have everything you need. In our Lin Family Village, you are truly among the best—it truly makes many people envious to see."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around the courtyard, clearly not a contented person. Madam Huang had heard such talk often lately. At first, she felt pleased—regardless of whether it was flattery, hearing that her family was doing well always brought happiness. Later, hearing it repeatedly made her a bit numb; at most, she would just offer a polite smile.

Seeing Madam Huang offered no reply, the cousin-aunt continued, "Sister-in-law, I heard your family helped a merchant purchase quite a bit of land. That land must require quite a few laborers, right? Have you hired everyone you need? If not, I’d like to suggest my husband come work for you. Our man is very diligent; you know that, he's considered one of the best in the village."

After listening to the cousin-aunt, Lin He glanced toward the other side of the courtyard where three paternal uncles were sitting and chatting with Er Niu. One of them looked quite decent—well-featured and tall, and when speaking, he was reserved, listening more than talking, and not interjecting randomly. He appeared honest and simple. The other two were of average height and rather thin, but seemed more talkative. One was constantly speaking, his mouth opening and closing, while everyone else listened. The other, though silent, was continuously eating the melon seeds and pastries from a plate while his eyes roamed the courtyard.

Lin He knew the one stuffing his face was the cousin-aunt’s husband. He certainly didn't look like someone who was second to none in diligence; he was likely just a lazy bone. Madam Huang, upon hearing the cousin-aunt propose her husband come work, knew the family circumstances of this cousin-aunt well—her in-laws were not fond of labor, and the fields they rented were poorly cultivated. Yet, she wanted to come here for hired work. Of course, Madam Huang wouldn't say this directly, but smiled and replied, "Cousin-aunt, I’m truly sorry, but before the New Year, my children’s father had already hired all the long-term laborers. I'm afraid we don't need anyone else."

Hearing Madam Huang say this, the cousin-aunt chuckled, "Sister-in-law, look at you. You have over a hundred mu of excellent fields! Hiring just one more person wouldn't hurt, would it? Besides, our man is family. He'd surely be more dedicated to the work than outsiders, wouldn't he? Perhaps he could even help you manage things. If you don't need your own kin, must you rely on strangers?"

Madam Huang felt dizzy from the cousin-aunt's constant repetition of "family," unsure how to respond. The matter of hiring was indeed handled entirely by her husband, and she couldn't properly reply. Unable to think of anything else, she finally said, "But this whole thing is handled solely by my husband. I usually don't manage these affairs. Besides, doesn’t your family also rent several fields? Working as a long-term laborer here is very hard work; you need people in your own home too."

"Renting fields to farm—how much do you earn in a year? Not even enough to cover your own family’s food for the year! How is that better than being a long-term laborer for you? That’s eight liang of silver a year," the cousin-aunt carelessly blurted out her true intentions, instantly looking embarrassed.

However, her recovery was quick. She swiftly regained her composure and said, "I’ve wanted to discuss this with you for a long time, Sister-in-law, but I figured you were busy with house building and the New Year celebrations, so I put it off until today. I figured you certainly wouldn't refuse, right?"

Now Madam Huang was truly at a loss for how to refuse. She merely offered an awkward smile and let the matter drop, deciding to wait for Er Niu to make the final decision, as she couldn't manage this herself. Seeing her mother struggling, Lin He walked over and greeted the cousin-aunt, who immediately launched into a flurry of compliments for Lin He.

Lin He didn’t realize she possessed so many virtues. This aunt was turning out to be another 'top-tier relative' following Big Aunt He. She could discern so many good qualities just by glancing at her! But no matter how well she was praised, Lin He couldn't solve this problem. She only sat nearby for a moment before leaving.

At noon, the paternal uncles all ate at Lin He's house. At the dinner table, the cousin-aunt brought up the job situation again with Er Niu. Er Niu neither agreed nor immediately refused; he just said that since the laborers were already hired, adding one more would require consulting the merchant who bought the fields. The cousin-aunt was somewhat disappointed by the lack of a definite answer, but since Er Niu hadn't outright refused, she said she would wait for his news.

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