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

The morning light was faint, and the dew was still heavy. People were already busy in the Chen family's courtyard.

"Mom, Dashan and the others are going to the market to set up a stall tomorrow, we'll go with them." Su Xiaoyin said to Chen's mother, who was mixing feed for the chickens and ducks, as she finished the last few stitches on the embroidery frame and carefully cut the silk thread. She carefully removed the large embroidery "Hundred Blessings" that the two sisters had spent months working on from the frame and gently smoothed it. The stitches on the pale white cotton cloth were fine and even, possessing a lively charm. "This embroidery is finally finished. We want to take it to the embroidery shop to see if we can get a good price," Su Xiaoqing added from the side, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "We'll also buy some big bones and lard. The autumn harvest is coming soon, the work is heavy, and we need to add some meat and oil to the family so everyone has the strength."

Mrs. Chen put down the wooden ladle she was holding, wiped her hands on her apron, and walked over to examine the embroidery closely. A smile of admiration appeared on her face: "It's so beautiful! Like a painting! We should take it to someone to see. Okay, you two go ahead. This market is open for two days straight, it'll be lively. After the market, your father will start preparing for the autumn harvest." She turned to Mr. Chen, who was sharpening his sickle, "Old man, should we follow last year's old practice of harvesting from the wasteland first and the cultivated land last?"

Father Chen hummed in agreement, his hands moving without pause, the whetstone making a rhythmic "ch-ch" sound. "That's the plan. Although the rains came a bit late this year, the subsequent downpours were quite timely, and we applied plenty of fertilizer," he paused, his tone carrying the understanding and confidence a farmer possesses about the land, "I don't think the yield will be greatly affected. We applied plenty of pig and chicken manure to the wasteland this year, which improved the soil fertility, so I estimate the yield will be 10-20% higher than last year."

Chen Dashan was tying up several newly forged, gleaming sickles and sturdy carrying poles and ropes when he heard this. He looked up and asked, "Dad, is it because this year all the manure from our pigsty and chicken coop is being used on the wasteland?"

"That's right!" Father Chen stopped sharpening his knife, straightened his back, and said, "The fertile soil has a good foundation and can withstand it. The barren land needs to be nurtured little by little with fertilizer. This year's manure has not been wasted." He pointed to several other farm tools piled in the corner—a few improved narrow hoes more suitable for digging sweet potatoes, and two larger and sturdier bamboo grain sieves. "Dashan, when you go to the market tomorrow, take these newly made farm tools with you and try them out. The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and these things will be very useful. They might sell well. Oh, and don't forget to buy some soybean cakes."

"Yes, Dad," Chen Dashan replied.

Chen Xiaohe, who was helping to load things onto the oxcart, heard this and pouted, half-jokingly saying, "Dad, you care about this old ox of ours more than you care about me and my brother! You've even got your eye on the bean cakes."

Father Chen casually tapped his youngest son's head with the wooden handle of a sharpening knife, laughing and scolding, "You little rascal, how can you compare to our old ox? This year, how much heavy work did it do for spring plowing and autumn harrowing? How much labor did it save the family? The autumn harvest is even more inseparable from it. If we don't take good care of it, it will be exhausted and delay the harvest. Then we'll see if you cry!" These words made everyone laugh, even Su Xiaoyin and her sister, who were taking care of the children inside, smiled.

---

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the oxcart creaked and groaned its way out of the village. It was laden with goods: bamboo and wooden farm tools, exquisite bamboo weaving, small wooden carvings, colorful hair ties, patchwork baby clothes, and embroidered patterns carefully wrapped in blue cloth, held tightly by the Su sisters. Chen Dashan drove, while Chen Xiaohe sat energetically on the other side of the cart. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing sat side by side, watching the road gradually brighten, their hearts filled with both anticipation and trepidation.

When they arrived in the county town, the market was already bustling with activity. Because the autumn harvest was approaching, this market was exceptionally grand, lasting for two days, with people from all around coming to buy and exchange goods. The good spots were already mostly taken, and after searching for a while, Chen Dashan finally found a relatively spacious open space at a slightly off-the-beaten-path intersection. The group quickly unloaded their goods, spread out old burlap, and categorized their farm tools, bamboo and wooden implements, hair ties, and clothing. Chen Dashan deliberately placed the newly made farm tools in the most prominent position.

"Come and take a look, everyone!" Chen Xiaohe cleared his throat and immediately got into the swing of things, calling out in a clear voice, "Top-quality farm tools, sickles, carrying poles, grain sieves—harvest is just around the corner, don't you need some handy and sturdy equipment? We also have all sorts of fresh hair accessories, baby clothes, and children's toys like rocking horses and bamboo dragonflies—affordable prices, come and see!"

His shout indeed attracted a lot of attention. Especially the farmers who were preparing for the autumn harvest, seeing the gleaming sickles and the sturdy carrying poles, couldn't help but stop and come forward to inquire. Chen Dashan calmly introduced the hardness of the iron handles and the toughness of the wooden handles; Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, on the other hand, beckoned to the women and girls who came to look at the hair ties and clothes, taking out patchwork bibs and hats, and explaining in detail how soft the fabric was and how fine the stitches were.

Once someone started, others who had been watching gathered around. Soon, seven or eight people had surrounded the stall, asking about prices, selecting items, and haggling, creating quite a lively scene. Chen Dashan and his companions worked efficiently and responded appropriately. Before long, they had sold two sickles, a carrying pole, several bamboo baskets, several hair ties, and a set of baby clothes.

After a brief lull in the activity, the flow of people subsided. While tidying up the goods that had been moved around, Chen Xiaohe whispered to Chen Dashan, "Brother, I just took a look around the market, and there are several more stalls selling bamboo and wooden crafts and hair ties than last year. There are even two or three stalls selling things like farm tools."

Chen Dashan's gaze swept over several other stalls displaying bamboo and wood products not far away. His expression remained unchanged, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes. He nodded, his voice steady: "I see. We need to come up with some new ideas. Once the autumn harvest is over and we have more free time, we should try different things. Otherwise, with more and more people selling, prices will have to go down, and business will become difficult." He remembered that Su Xiaoyin and her sister had mentioned before that they could try weaving simple patterns with bamboo strips of different colors, or making some more practical modular furniture. He began to have some vague plans in mind.

At this moment, the stall quieted down again. Su Xiaoyin glanced at the sky and said to Chen Dashan, "Dashan, you two watch the stall for now. Xiaoqing and I are going to the embroidery shop to take this embroidery design to get an estimate. We'll also go to the market and buy everything Mother asked us to."

"Alright, you can go ahead. Be careful, and keep the money safe," Chen Dashan instructed. "Come back when you're done shopping, or come find us here."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing agreed, carefully picked up the blue cloth bundle, and then carefully put away the money bag they had prepared to buy pork ribs. They slung their shopping baskets over their shoulders, smiled at each other, and with a mix of anticipation and nervousness, joined the bustling crowd in the market and headed towards the "Jinxiu Cloth Shop".