After fleeing the famine, my older sister and I married the brother next door.

The lively atmosphere of the Dragon Boat Festival still seemed to linger in the air, and the mugwort hanging on the lintel had not yet completely dried, but the Chen family courtyard had already returned to its usual orderly and busy rhythm. Even before the festive spirit had faded, new tasks had already come knocking.

Early that morning, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe didn't rush up the mountain or do anything else. Instead, they carefully wiped down several large pieces of furniture that had been prepared before the festival, coated with tung oil, and left to air dry for a long time. It was the same set that Aunt Li's family had ordered: two sturdy camphor wood cabinets, a dressing table with a mirror, a wardrobe, and a dining table and stools. The furniture was made of thick materials, with tight mortise and tenon joints. The surface was moistened with tung oil, giving it a warm luster. In the morning light, it shone with a calm light, and if you got close, you could smell the faint, unique fragrance of camphor wood and tung oil, which repels insects and prevents moths.

"Brother, this cabinet is really heavy to lift; the material is truly excellent," Chen Xiaohe remarked, touching the smooth edges of the kang cabinet. The old camphor wood that Aunt Li's family had given them back then was dense and had beautiful grain; now, after being polished into a piece, it appeared even more substantial.

"Yes, Aunt Li is willing to use good materials, so we must live up to that trust." Chen Dashan checked the hemp ropes binding the furniture to see if they were strong. "Let's go, take advantage of the cool morning and deliver them over."

The two brothers carefully loaded and secured the large pieces of furniture onto the oxcart and drove to Aunt Li's house. Aunt Li's third son was getting married in the autumn, and his new house was set up in the newly partitioned east wing of the old house. The room was spotless and bright, and they were just waiting for the furniture to be moved in.

Upon seeing the delivered furniture, Aunt Li circled around it several times, touching and tapping here and there, her face beaming with joy: "Oh my, Dashan, Xiaohe, the craftsmanship is truly impeccable! Look at these cabinet doors, they fit perfectly! This mirror reflects so clearly! The lacquer is so even and bright!" She especially loved the dressing table, which was small and practical. Chen Dashan had even carved a delicate floral pattern along the frame of the mirror, following the grain of the camphor wood—understated yet revealing his ingenuity.

The furniture was arranged in the places we had agreed upon beforehand. The once somewhat empty new house was immediately filled with an atmosphere of peace and contentment. The dark camphor wood furniture contrasted beautifully with the snow-white walls and red paper-cut window decorations.

Aunt Li was increasingly satisfied with the furniture, readily paying the balance. She then took Chen Dashan's hand and said, "Dashan, you've really found the right person! To tell you the truth, my sister-in-law has a nephew who's also engaged at the end of the year. If she likes any of my furniture when she comes to see it, I'll definitely tell her to come to you! This craftsmanship, this honesty—more people should know about it!"

These words were undoubtedly a huge affirmation and a potential business opportunity. Chen Dashan calmly expressed his gratitude, feeling a bit more at ease. Having his skills recognized was more gratifying than earning a few extra coins.

After delivering the furniture and returning home, it was nearly noon. The two brothers had just taken a sip of water when a voice came from outside the gate asking, "Excuse me, is this Chen Dashan, the carpenter's house?"

The newcomer was a man in his early thirties, dressed in a respectable blue cloth gown, with a refined appearance, and followed by a servant-like figure. He was none other than Fu Jingde, the son of the old lady who had taken a liking to the baby stroller at the market before the Dragon Boat Festival.

Chen Dashan hurriedly welcomed him into the courtyard. Fu Jingde didn't exchange many pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Carpenter Chen, after my mother returned home, she praised your baby stroller highly, saying its design was ingenious, it was stable to push, and the woodwork was of the highest quality. I've come today to see it for myself, and if it's truly as my mother described, I'd like to order one. Also, my mother mentioned that you seem to have some bamboo cradles?"

"Yes, please wait a moment, Mr. Fu." Chen Dashan gestured for Chen Xiaohe to go inside and bring out the stroller he used at home, and also took out a small cradle that he had woven earlier and originally kept for his own child.

Fu Jingde examined it carefully. The cart frame was made of old elm wood, thick and sturdy yet polished to a perfectly smooth finish, without any burrs. Copper plates were added to the wheel axles to reduce friction, making it easy and silent to push. The cart was spacious, allowing one to sit or lie down, and the canopy frame was detachable—a truly thoughtful design. The bamboo cradle was even more exquisite, with even, smooth strips woven into intricate patterns, lined with a soft, old cotton pad—it looked incredibly comfortable.

"Excellent, very good!" Fu Jingde nodded repeatedly. "To be honest, my wife is about to give birth, and both my mother and wife are worried about baby items. Seeing these two items seems to ease their concerns. I wonder if Carpenter Chen could make me a stroller and a cradle? What would the price be?"

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe exchanged a glance, quickly calculating in their minds. Fu Jingde seemed to be from a wealthy family, and he wanted something exquisite and refined. Chen Dashan said, "Master Fu, the materials and workmanship of the cart must be exquisite, especially the axles and joints, which require extra care. The bamboo strips for the cradle must also be carefully selected and finely polished. For these two items, we'll charge you one tael of silver. What do you think?"

One tael of silver! Chen Xiaohe's heart skipped a beat; this was much more profitable than ordinary furniture. But seeing his elder brother's calm demeanor, he figured the other party was certain they would accept it.

As expected, Fu Jingde, upon hearing this, not only didn't complain about the price, but instead laughed and said, "Carpenter Chen is indeed honest. To tell you the truth, I inquired in the county town before, and if you wanted to have a carpenter make a cart like this, the labor and material costs would be at least one and a half taels. This price is very fair." He paused, "But I wonder how long it will take? My wife's due date is in July."

"I will definitely finish it and deliver it to your residence within a month," Chen Dashan promised.

"Excellent!" Fu Jingde immediately had his attendant bring out five hundred coins as a deposit. "This is the deposit. The balance will be paid in full when we pick up the goods. This is my address." He handed over a slip of paper with the address written on it.

After seeing Fu Jingde off and closing the courtyard gate, Chen Xiaohe couldn't help but pump his fist and exclaim, "Brother! It's done! Another big job worth a tael of silver! And it's with a high-ranking official in the county town!"

A relaxed smile spread across Chen Dashan's face, but he was thinking further ahead: "This Mr. Fu knows his stuff and is very straightforward. We need to make sure the product is of high quality and there are no mistakes. Moreover," he picked up the handcart they used, his fingers tracing the smooth handle, "I'm thinking that we should leave our own mark on the handcart we're making for them this time."

"A mark?" Chen Xiaohe asked, puzzled.

"Yes. Just like an embroiderer leaves their monogram in the corner of their embroidery, or a potter leaves their mark on the bottom of a bowl. If our work becomes famous in the future, it will be easy for people to know who made it. I plan to carve a small 'mountain' character, or a small mountain design, in an inconspicuous place, like on the crossbar under a cart. Simple, but unique." Chen Dashan's eyes gleamed. This wasn't just about getting a good job; it was also about a vague idea about a "brand" taking shape.

"That's a great idea!" Chen Xiaohe immediately agreed. "Then I'll also brand the character '河' (river) in an inconspicuous place on the base of the bamboo ware I make!"

The two brothers were excited about the new order and the new idea, but they didn't forget their daily chores at home. As the sun began to set, Chen Dashan said, "Happy as we are, we still have work to do. Come on, let's grab our baskets and go up the mountain to gather pig feed; the cattle and sheep are running low on fodder."

"Alright!" Chen Xiaohe quickly packed up the machete and rope.

The two brothers went out to the mountain. The courtyard returned to quiet, with only the occasional clucking of chickens and ducks. In the east wing, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing settled the four children, who were full and taking a nap, gently closed the door, and sat down in front of the embroidery frame by the window.

Several sheets of rough straw paper were spread out on the kang table, with patterns drawn on them using burnt willow charcoal. These were the new embroidery designs the two sisters had come up with over the past few days. Since they had decided to take on the challenge of embroidering a larger and more intricate "福" (Fu, meaning good fortune) character, they naturally needed to prepare a draft first. Su Xiaoyin was carefully outlining a round and full "福" character, preparing to incorporate auspicious patterns such as bats (representing good fortune), gourds (representing good fortune and prosperity), and osmanthus flowers (representing wealth and honor) into the strokes. Su Xiaoqing, on another sheet of paper next to her, was experimenting with color matching, deciding which shade of red to use as the main tone, and how to embellish it with gold thread, aiming for a look that was both luxurious and unique.