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

On an autumn morning, a thin mist, like a veil, enveloped the fields after the busy harvest. The air still carried the fresh scent of straw and the faint, warm aroma of sun-dried grain wafting from the threshing floor. The Chen family compound, however, was already awake.

"Dad, Xiaohe and I are leaving. We need to go to Aunt Li's nephew's house to take measurements today." Chen Dashan said to his father, who was weaving baskets in the yard, as he carefully packed the plane, ink line, measuring tape and other tools into a half-worn wooden box.

Father Chen put down the bamboo strips he was holding, brushed the debris off his clothes, and nodded, saying, "Go on, be careful on the road. The remaining chores at home—drying the grain and storing it in the granary—are more than enough for your mother, Xiaoyin, and Xiaoqing to help out. You all hurry up and finish what you need to do for them."

This job came at just the right time. Just a few days ago, the Chen family had finished storing their last batch of grain, and before they could even catch their breath, Aunt Li Er rushed over. It turned out that her sister-in-law (her nephew's mother) had run into trouble with the furniture she was preparing for her son's winter wedding. The old carpenter in town they had initially ordered had made an outdated style, which the bride found distasteful and almost caused the wedding to be called off. Aunt Li Er, in a moment of inspiration, remembered Chen Dashan, who made sturdy and well-made furniture for her family, and strongly recommended him. Her sister-in-law, desperate for a solution, accompanied Aunt Li Er to see the furniture Chen Dashan had made for the Li family, and immediately decided to buy it, urging Aunt Li Er to quickly invite him to take measurements.

So, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe hitched up the oxcart and, following the address given by Aunt Li, inquired along the way until they arrived at a hamlet nestled against the mountain in a neighboring village. Just as they reached the village entrance, they saw a neatly dressed, well-off-looking middle-aged woman waiting there. It was Aunt Li's sister-in-law, surnamed Wang. Upon seeing the oxcart, Aunt Wang immediately greeted them with a smile: "Are you Carpenter Chen from Nanshan Village? I'm your Aunt Li's sister-in-law! We've been waiting for you! Come in, the new house is just ahead."

Aunt Wang's family was clearly well-off; their newly built brick and tile house had five rooms in a row, and the courtyard was spacious. She led the two brothers directly to the east wing, which was to be their new home. The room was still empty, with snow-white walls and bright, open windows.

"Master Chen, look, this room is only so big. I'm thinking we need a wardrobe with a large chest, a large wardrobe, a dressing table with drawers, a kang table, and a large dining table in the main room that can seat eight or nine people, along with eight chairs. As for the materials..." Aunt Wang spoke briskly, gesturing as she spoke, "My husband saved some good camphor wood years ago, intending to make furniture for our son to keep out insects. This time it'll come in handy for the wardrobe and the large chest. For the rest, I'll have to trouble you, Master Chen, to find some good wood."

Chen Dashan listened attentively, nodding occasionally. He took out a measuring tape and had Chen Xiaohe hold the other end as he carefully measured the length, width, and height of the room, the location of the doors and windows, and the size of the kang (heated brick bed). He asked detailed questions: "Auntie, how tall should this wardrobe be? Should the large wardrobe be divided into several compartments? Is the mirror on the dressing table fixed or movable? Do you want a square-shaped dining table, or something more rounded?"

Seeing that although he was young, he was composed and knew how to ask questions skillfully, Aunt Wang trusted him even more and answered all her questions. The two then discussed details such as the mortise and tenon joint style and the paint color. Chen Dashan quickly calculated the amount of wood and labor in his mind, and finally gave a figure: "Aunt Wang, the things you want are made of high-quality materials and the workmanship is not simple. You can provide the camphor wood, and the cost for the other wood and labor will be three and a half taels of silver. Is this amount acceptable?"

"Three and a half ounces?" Upon hearing this, Aunt Wang not only didn't complain about the price, but her face lit up with surprise. "Master Chen, your price is really reasonable! To be honest, I asked around in town and neighboring villages before, and for similar items, you have to provide all the wood yourself, and the starting price for labor is four ounces or more, without even a guarantee of quality. Okay! It'll be three and a half ounces, as you said!"

She only had this one son, and after years of planning his wedding, she wanted it to be grand and impressive, especially the furniture. Chen Dashan's price and attitude made her feel both secure and respectable. So, Aunt Wang readily paid a deposit of two taels of silver, agreeing that once the furniture was nearly finished, she would be invited to come and see it, and if she was satisfied, she would pay the balance, after which the furniture would be delivered to her door.

On the way back, I made a detour to Aunt Li's house to let her know. Aunt Li, upon learning that her sister-in-law was so satisfied and the price was fair, grasped Chen Dashan's hand and thanked him profusely: "Dashan, thank you so much! You've made me look good! Your skills are excellent, and you're a truly honest person. My sister-in-law will definitely tell everyone in her village about you; your reputation might even spread to other villages!"

Chen Dashan smiled憨厚ly: "Auntie, don't say that. You trust me and introduced me to this job. I will definitely do a good job and not let you down."

Back home, Chen's father heard what had happened, especially the three and a half taels of silver he'd received and the other party's straightforward attitude. Smoking his pipe, his face showed undisguised satisfaction and seriousness: "Dashan, you did a great job. Not only did you earn money, but you also made a name for yourself. For us farmers, our skills are our livelihood, and our reputation is our calling card. You must put in your utmost effort and make this batch of furniture even better than the furniture you made for Aunt Li's family! If you make it beautiful and solid, that village might only recognize your work from now on."

Chen Xiaohe excitedly rubbed his hands together, saying, "Big brother, I'll be your assistant! I can handle everything, from sanding wood shavings to polishing!"

Chen Dashan was also filled with determination. He nodded and said to his father and younger brother, "Dad, Xiaohe, I know what's important. We've already received the deposit and promised, so I'll do my best." He looked at the pile of dried timber in the corner of the carpentry shed. "Xiaohe, help me move those straight-grained pine and linden pieces out first. We'll start cutting the dining table and chairs. We'll work on the camphor wood when Aunt Li's nephew's family brings it over."