Lin He felt arguing with someone like Old Madam He was utterly futile: "Auntie, fine, if you must borrow our maidservants, our girls are paid eight hundred wen a month, not counting tips. If you can meet that wage, I'm sure they'd be willing to go. What do you think about the payment, Auntie…"

Old Madam He heard Lin He's words and retorted, "I still have to pay wages? Didn't you already pay them wages? Isn't working at my house the same as working at yours? If you paid them, do I have to pay again?"

Lin He was truly speechless regarding Old Madam He. What kind of work could there possibly be at He Shi's house? They only had a few acres of land. If Qingshan and Old Madam He worked together, they’d finish the tasks in mere days. Yu'er was already eleven, a year older than Zi Yu, and should be capable of anything by now, yet Old Madam He couldn't bear to let her work—too spoiled.

Song Yuemei’s belly was about the same size as Hongxia’s, yet Hongxia spent her days cooking in the long-term laborers' courtyard without lifting a finger. Meanwhile, Song Yuemei demanded to be waited on. That, Lin He conceded, was her own household affair and none of her business. But to come here, borrow maids, and expect someone else to cover their monthly stipend? What kind of creature was this person? Lin He thought Old Madam He truly had the capacity to dream up anything and say anything—there was nothing she couldn't utter.

Moreover, she demanded such an outrageous thing without an ounce of shame, acting as if it were her due right. Lin He didn't want to waste any more breath. She stated plainly, "Auntie, when your husband works for us, we pay him wages. When these maids work for us, we pay them wages. If you want them, it’s one tael of silver a month, and I can let them work at your place for a few months. If not, then there's nothing to be done."

"You just asked for eight hundred daqian, and now you want one tael of silver a month? That’s far too expensive! Think how much that could buy! Are these two girls plated with gold or something?" Old Madam He began shrieking upon hearing Lin He's new price.

"Auntie, if you think they aren't worth that much, then don't hire them. I think they are worth it, and that's the price. Not one copper less will they work for. Tell me directly if you’re hiring or not," Lin He was so enraged her head felt like it was smoking.

"I won't hire them! One tael a month? I can hire any old nanny who will take on all the housework for three hundred daqian," Old Madam He declared.

"Then go hire a nanny. Auntie, I have many things to attend to in my own home. Please take your leave now, and I won't see you out," Lin He finished, pulling Huang Shi towards the kitchen.

Seeing that no one was paying her any more mind, Old Madam He muttered, "A girl with such a sharp tongue won't find a husband later. That Er Niu's family is strange, a whole household led by a child. Truly a family of good-for-nothings."

After watching Old Madam He leave, Lin He stepped out into the yard, thinking this must be another brilliant idea hatched by Song Yuemei and Old Madam He. She had just visited Old Madam He’s house, and immediately this request to borrow maids followed—Song Yuemei must have instigated it.

However, Lin He didn't bother dwelling on it. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’s schemes were endless. The strategy was simple: when the soldiers arrive, meet them with a shield.

Besides, the kitchen and courtyard were piled high with meat that needed handling, including offal and entrails. Zi Qing had already done most of the work on the pig's head, separating the ears and jowl meat. Lin He recalled the roaster she had made for making sausages at home; now it could finally be put to use. If she kept the fire low, she could smoke quite a bit of cured meat overnight. But with this much meat, curing it all into larou would be too much; she needed to find ways to make other things as well.

Ultimately, Lin He decided to pickle most of the meat. She knew a preservation method that would allow the meat to last a very long time. She cut the fresh pork into small, square chunks, added chili, salt, star anise, and other spices, then massaged the seasonings evenly into the meat. Lin He brought out a jar from home, poured in some curing brine, and placed the meat inside.

She placed two layers of lotus leaves over the mouth of the jar before covering it with the lid, then sealed the gap between the lid and the body with a layer of mud to create an airtight seal. The jar was placed in a cool, shaded area. After some time, the pork would be perfectly cured. When eaten, the color remained the same as fresh pork, and it could be steamed, boiled, or stir-fried.

Lin He clearly explained the plan to Zi Qing and Zi Yu, asking for their help. Most of the meat was pickled for later consumption, with a small portion kept aside. Since the weather wasn't hot recently, it wouldn't spoil immediately. This way, they could process all that meat. The entire afternoon, Lin He, with Zi Qing and Zi Yu, used several jars to pickle everything.

For the meat destined to be cured bacon (larou), they would wait until evening to set up the roaster so it could smoke overnight, with occasional checks by Zi Qing and Zi Yu. For the remaining fresh meat, Lin He prepared several dishes they had never tasted before, such as dumplings encased in egg batter—egg on the outside, meat and chopped leeks inside—which could be served as a dish. She also personally made meat-balls for them to eat and sent some to the long-term laborers, all of whom praised the food endlessly.

Lin He told Er Niu that for the time being, they didn't need to buy any groceries; they had plenty of meat and vegetables at home. They would finish what they had before going shopping again. Since Er Niu didn't have to go buy food every day, he spent his time inspecting the fields. Lin He had brought back many seeds from the county seat a while ago, intending to grow different varieties of vegetables and fruits on their own land over the next few years. Planting wasn't possible yet, but the fields needed preparation now.

Lin He had also brought back seeds for the small yellow millet used to make the previous tangyuan, planning to try growing some herself. She set aside half a mu of their field near her home, asking Er Niu to prepare the soil first so she could sow the seeds and gauge the harvest. If they could grow it themselves, they could make quite a few things at home later on.

Er Niu was never one to shy away from hard work. While the long-term laborers managed the main fields, he was never idle, tinkering with his half-mu plot and also helping Huang Shi plant vegetables on the vegetable patch.

A few more days passed, and the weather gradually grew warmer. Huang Shi and Er Niu brought back two piglets, twenty chicks, and twenty ducklings from town to raise, saying it was good to have them for their own consumption. The eggs, both chicken and duck, would certainly be needed at home.

Er Niu, along with Da Sheng and Da Jiang, also netted several fish fry from the river. However, Lin He felt the variety of fish in their pond was too limited. When visiting shops in town, she took Zi Qing and Zi Yu to the place where fish fry were sold. The selection there was also small, mostly grass carp and common carp. Yet, Lin He spotted the bighead carp and catfish from her previous life.

She bought some to take back. Since there weren't many other species available, Lin He thought the catfish was a good find; when they grew large, they would be meaty with few bones, delicious no matter how they were cooked. Upon returning, she had Er Niu release the fry into the pond, mentioning that by the time New Year arrived, they would have a greater variety of fish.