Lin He found Wen Ningmo’s stubbornly defiant look amusing, and unable to suppress a laugh at the sight of his flushed face and bulging neck, she chuckled, thinking the little fellow was quite entertaining. Seeing Lin He laugh only fueled Wen Ningmo’s rising shame and anger; he shouted even louder, "What are you laughing at? Get out of here, and don't you ever set foot in our shop again!"

This declaration was overheard precisely as Uncle Wen walked in. Uncle Wen was always strict with his children, and hearing his son shout so rudely in the shop, he immediately reprimanded him, "Mo'er, the older you get, the more unruly you become. Go home and report to the steward for punishment; you won't be excused until I say so."

Wen Ningmo hadn't expected his father to arrive at that moment, but he dared not disobey his father’s command. He responded with a quick acknowledgment and started walking out. As he passed Lin He, he shot her a fierce glare. Lin He suspected that she and the young master had now forged a serious feud.

Seeing Lin He, Uncle Wen smiled and said, "He'er, it's been quite a while since you've been to town. Didn't my helper tell you last time? Everything here has been sorted out; those incidents won't happen again. But since He'er is still young, it would be best to have someone accompany you when you come out in the future."

Lin He smiled and replied, "Yes, Uncle Wen, that's exactly why I came today. I was planning to hire some guards to go back with me, but my household doesn't require any at the moment. However, I wanted to ask if you knew of any female guards, perhaps, someone with some martial skills, not too old, and ideally available for outright purchase. I was thinking of going to a broker, but the usual ones don't seem to have this type of person. Where would Uncle Wen suggest I look to purchase them?"

"Oh, that’s prudent. Having a young woman accompany He'er frequently is also quite good. There are quite a few brokers in town. I know one who has a larger roster of people; he should have someone like that. I'll have Xuan'er take you," Uncle Wen suggested.

Lin He glanced at Wen Ningxuan, who was sitting quietly to the side. She had almost forgotten he was there. Still, since Uncle Wen suggested Wen Ningxuan go, it felt improper to refuse. Thinking that although Wen Ningxuan was taciturn, he was reasonably reliable when it came to handling matters, she agreed.

With arrangements settled, Uncle Wen instructed Wen Ningxuan to take He'er to the broker to select the servants. Wen Ningxuan walked slightly ahead of Lin He. Lin He caught the faint scent of cherry blossom soap emanating from Wen Ningxuan, which struck her as odd. In this cold winter, even with so many layers of clothing, the scent shouldn't linger so strongly. Did this mean all of Wen Ningxuan's clothes were washed with this soap?

But she hadn't mentioned that the soap could be used for laundry. Back then, she thought that such a luxury was too frequent for ordinary households, let alone using it for cleaning garments—it was utterly extravagant for him to use that soap for laundry. Seeing Wen Ningxuan continue walking without pause, Lin He dismissed the thought. If his family was wealthy, they could do as they pleased. But this observation actually sparked an idea for Lin He.

Lin He was preoccupied with her thoughts, walking without looking up, when she suddenly bumped her head against an object in front of her. Lifting her gaze, she found she had collided with Wen Ningxuan’s chest. Wen Ningxuan appeared somewhat lean, but his chest was surprisingly solid, jarring Lin He’s head to a slight daze. Still lost in her contemplation, Lin He forgot she wasn't in her previous life. She rubbed her forehead and muttered, "Pardon me."

Hearing Lin He's words, Wen Ningxuan arched an eyebrow, likely pondering the meaning behind her remark, but he offered no verbal inquiry. He simply stated, "You need two maids who know some martial arts, is that right? I have two. I can give them to you."

Lin He finally snapped back to attention, and upon hearing Wen Ningxuan's words, she questioned, "Your maids? Giving them to me? What about yourself?"

"I rarely have need of them. Wait here; I'll go fetch them for you," Wen Ningxuan said before turning and leaving.

Lin He thought Wen Ningxuan was being difficult; couldn't he say a few more words? She wanted to ask a few more questions to gauge his general disposition. He didn't even know the specifications of the servants she needed. In truth, Lin He hadn't realized that subconsciously, she placed a great deal of trust in Wen Ningxuan. She never considered whether there might be an ulterior motive in him offering the servants; she was only focused on whether they would meet her requirements.

In a short while, Wen Ningxuan returned, followed by two young maids, each carrying a large bundle on their backs. They both appeared to be around the age of ten or so, slightly older than Lin He. Their appearances were ordinary, and they looked quite docile. Seeing Lin He, they called out, "Miss."

Wen Ningxuan brought the two girls over and handed Lin He two sheets of paper. Lin He unfolded them and saw they were the indentures for the two maids.

Lin He acknowledged the papers and moved aside to ask quietly, "Second Young Master, how much silver do you want for selling these two maids to me?"

Although the buying and selling of maids was a common occurrence at the time, the education Lin He had received made it impossible for her to treat the transaction as casually as others of this era. That’s why she lowered her voice when asking Wen Ningxuan about the price.

Wen Ningxuan glanced at her and said, "They're a gift for you," then turned to leave quickly.

Lin He decided not to press the matter further. If he insisted on giving them, she would accept. Conversing with Wen Ningxuan always proceeded this way—his word was final, and speaking too much might not change his mind anyway. Lin He, along with the two new maids and Xiao Jun, prepared to head back. Unexpectedly, Wen Ningxuan returned and asked, "Why aren't you wearing the bracelet? Didn't you like it very much?"

Lin He froze for a moment. She had completely forgotten about the bracelet. Feeling a bit embarrassed now that Wen Ningxuan brought it up, she mumbled, "Uh, I have to do manual labor often; it's inconvenient to wear."

Saying that, Lin He immediately regretted it. Wasn't she admitting that she knew the bracelet was a gift from him, and that she had accepted it? At this time, young women were not supposed to accept gifts from men so readily. Fortunately, Lin He was not a woman of this era and didn't experience that same level of anxiety over such etiquette.

She had intended to simply let the matter drop if Wen Ningxuan hadn't mentioned it. But since he asked, she started to address it, only to find he had already walked some distance away. Watching his receding back, an unusual sensation stirred in Lin He's heart. However, Lin He had no time to decipher what that feeling was; she gathered the group and left.

Leading the two young maids to Er Niu’s ox cart, they found Er Niu waiting on the vehicle. Seeing the two new girls, he asked, "He'er, where did these two little ones come from?"

"Father, let's go back first. I'll tell you when we get home," Lin He said briefly. She didn't know the girls well yet and felt she needed to question them thoroughly once they returned.

Er Niu glanced at the two girls but asked no further questions. He motioned for them to climb onto the cart and urged the ox forward, heading home.