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

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was still dark, and a few roosters crowed sporadically from the distant villages, making the pre-dawn chill even more biting. But the Chen family's courtyard was already brightly lit, with figures moving about.

The oxcart was driven to the gate of the courtyard, and Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe loaded the prepared goods onto it one trip after another. Bamboo-woven "Fu" character pendants, small storage boxes, newly made rattles and small wooden horses; thick and warm rabbit fur hats and knee pads; tiger-head shoes, tiger-head hats, five-poison bibs, and various exquisite hair ties made by Su Xiaoyin and her sister; and several newly made, polished, and practical farm tools... All sorts of things filled the small oxcart to the brim.

Chen's mother chased after them from the kitchen, carrying two bamboo tubes wrapped tightly in old cotton wool. She handed them to her two sons, saying, "Here, this is ginger soup. It'll be cold on the way. Have a sip to warm yourself up. If you don't make it back by noon, buy two hot steamed buns at the market. Don't go hungry."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were also dressed neatly and helped to check the goods. They were not traveling with the two brothers today; they would wait until dawn to take the oxcart that went to the village market. They would first go to the embroidery workshop to sell the large "Guanyin" embroidery that had taken them months and countless efforts, and then go to the market to help out.

Holding the stone, which was wrapped up like a cotton ball, Chen's father stood at the door of the main room and instructed, "Be careful on the road, and come back soon."

"Yes, Dad!" Chen Xiaohe answered loudly and jumped onto the cart shaft. Chen Dashan nodded to his family, flicked the reins, and the old ox snorted, puffing out white mist, pulling the heavy weight of hope as it stepped onto the frost-covered village road.

As dawn broke, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, carrying baskets covered with blue cloth, boarded an oxcart from their village to the county town. Inside the baskets, the embroidery was wrapped in layers of soft cotton cloth, which the two sisters carefully held close to their chests the entire way, as if they were holding a fragile treasure, or perhaps carrying a burning expectation.

Upon arriving in the county town, after paying the fare, the two sisters hurried towards "Jinxiu Cloth Shop." In the lead-up to the New Year, the streets of the county town were bustling with people, and all the shops were decorated in vibrant red. The shouts and haggling were several times louder than usual. Inside the embroidery shop, however, it was relatively quiet and elegant, with a faint scent of sandalwood. Behind the counter, the shopkeeper was engrossed in working on an abacus.

Hearing the rustling of the curtain, the shopkeeper looked up and, seeing the Su sisters, immediately broke into a familiar and warm smile: "Oh! It's Madam Chen, Young Madam Chen! It's been a while since we've seen you! Come in and warm up!" Her gaze fell on the basket in Su Xiaoyin's arms, and her smile deepened. "Judging by this, you must have gotten some good embroidery work again? It's the end of the year, and all the sophisticated ladies in the county really appreciate large, elegant embroidered pieces with auspicious meanings to decorate their halls!"

Suppressing her nervousness, Su Xiaoyin smiled politely and gently placed the basket on the counter. "Shopkeeper, you have a good eye. Thanks to you, my sister and I have embroidered a 'Guanyin' painting. We brought it here today for your approval. Please take a look and see if it meets your standards."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. She quickly washed her hands and stepped forward herself. She gently lifted the cotton cloth covering the embroidery, and as the embroidery slowly unfolded, even she, with her vast knowledge, couldn't help but hold her breath.

On a pale white silk background, the image of Guanyin Bodhisattva is dignified and compassionate, her robes flowing gracefully as if a gentle breeze were blowing. The willow branch and vase in her hand are lifelike. The infant in her arms is exquisitely carved, with an endearingly innocent expression. The lotus pedestal is pristine, surrounded by auspicious clouds. The entire embroidery is richly composed, its colors elegant yet luxurious. The stitches are extremely fine and even, the silk threads are incredibly thin, and the luster is flowing. The softness of Guanyin's face and the texture of her clothing are particularly well-handled, creating a powerful effect from afar and exquisite detail up close.

The shopkeeper's wife carefully examined the front, then gently turned it over to check the back. The back was equally neat, with loose threads cleverly concealed, only faint, orderly stitching visible. She looked at it for a long time before slowly exhaling, her eyes full of admiration: "Excellent! Truly excellent! Even more exquisite than the last 'Hundred Blessings' painting! The Guanyin's face is particularly well-defined, compassionate and dignified—exactly the subject matter most beloved by ladies praying for children or expecting a baby. The two ladies' skills are becoming increasingly refined!"

She pondered for a moment, then offered a price: "This embroidery is of superior quality in terms of size, materials, craftsmanship, and subject matter. The end of the year is also a good time to buy. How about I offer twenty-five taels of silver, ladies?"

Twenty-five taels!

Su Xiaoyin felt her heart leap, her ears ringing, and she almost doubted her ears. Su Xiaoqing was even more excited, her fingers trembling slightly as she gripped her sister's sleeve tightly. They had estimated that they could sell it for at most twenty taels, but they never expected it to be five taels more!

Su Xiaoyin pinched her palm hard, forcing herself to calm down and not let the shopkeeper see her loss of composure. She took a deep breath, steadyed her voice, and maintained her usual gentle and calm demeanor: "The shopkeeper is always fair, and my sister and I have no objection to this price. Thank you for your kind offer."

"Good! Very generous!" The shopkeeper's wife was also pleased. She immediately told the shop assistant to fetch the silver, while she took out two pieces of fine cotton cloth that she had prepared earlier from behind the counter. Both were soft and skin-friendly materials, each enough to make a close-fitting undergarment. "These two pieces of cloth are what's left in the shop. The colors and patterns are quite nice. I'm giving them to you two ladies. I just hope that you'll patronize our embroidery shop more often in the future if you have any good embroidery pieces."

"Of course, of course! Thank you so much, shopkeeper!" The two sisters accepted the heavy silver ingots and cloth, thanking her profusely. Su Xiaoyin carefully divided the twenty-five taels of silver into two portions, wrapped them in an old handkerchief, and tucked them into the safest inner pocket of her bosom. She also carefully put the cloth into her basket.

Carrying a large sum of money, the two sisters were a little unsteady on their feet, but they were filled with irrepressible joy and enthusiasm. They almost ran to the market, thinking about the Chen brothers' stall.

Arriving at the spot they had chosen yesterday, they found a crowd gathered around their stall. Chen Xiaohe was enthusiastically promoting a newly made, lightweight, wheeled baby stroller to a woman holding a child; Chen Dashan, meanwhile, was calmly explaining the sturdiness and durability of his newly crafted sickles and baskets to several men who looked like farmers. The tiger-head shoes and hats, small wooden toys, and bamboo woven items on the stall also attracted many people with children or those preparing New Year's gifts.

The two sisters exchanged a smile and immediately squeezed forward to help. Su Xiaoqing, with her sweet tongue, picked up a pair of tiger-head shoes and described to an elderly woman how dense the stitching was and how soft the fabric was; Su Xiaoyin, on the other hand, demonstrated a new way of braiding hair ties to a young woman, showing her how to match them with her clothes. Their arrival made the stall even more lively and bustling. The exquisite baby stroller was eventually bought by a well-dressed grandfather, who said it was a gift for his soon-to-be-born grandchild.

After the initial surge of people subsided, the flow of people in the market slowed down. Chen Dashan took a moment to look at Su Xiaoyin questioningly. Su Xiaoyin looked around, leaned closer to him, and quietly made a "twenty-five" gesture.

Chen Dashan's pupils suddenly contracted. Even with his usual composure, he was shocked by the number. He quickly regained his composure, nodding only slightly, and said in a low voice, "Okay! We'll talk about it when we get back." He glanced at the few remaining goods on the stall and said to the two sisters, "Xiaohe and I will watch over things here; we've sold almost everything. You and Xiaoqing go to the market and browse the New Year's goods. Buy whatever you want."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing felt a little tired, but more excited. With twenty-five taels of silver in their pockets, they carried baskets and joined the bustling crowds buying New Year's goods.