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

Upon hearing this, Chen Dashan's heart skipped a beat, knowing this was a major customer who trusted his craftsmanship. He put down the wooden horse he was packing for the customer and replied earnestly, "Master Qin, it is my honor that Master Han trusts me. I dare not claim my craftsmanship is top-notch, but the materials are high-quality, the workmanship is meticulous, and the joints are sturdy—that's the bare minimum. The furniture I make for your son will certainly be made with the same dedication as the furniture I made for Master Han's family; you can rest assured about the quality."

Old Qin nodded and then asked, "I need to take care of things after the autumn harvest. Will I have enough time? I also need to think about what I need."

Chen Dashan pondered for a moment, then said frankly, "To be honest, the furniture for Mr. Han's house is still being made, and there's another family in the village who ordered doors, windows, and basic furniture from me after building a new house following spring planting. You have plenty of time to handle things after the autumn harvest. As long as the construction schedule is arranged, it won't delay your important matter. You can think about what you need to have made, or I can make a list for you based on the typical needs of a new house?"

Old Qin was very satisfied with Chen Dashan's honesty and waved his hand, saying, "No need for that much trouble. I know about the set the Han family ordered, but my new house isn't as spacious as theirs, and we don't need that many styles. How about this: cut one wardrobe, and the dining table in the main room doesn't need to be that big—an eight-immortal table will do. We'll still have all the stools. A kang cabinet, a kang table, a dressing table, a medium-sized wardrobe, a cupboard, and two chests. How much wood and labor do you think we'll need?"

Chen Dashan quickly calculated in his mind. The Han family's set, with its exquisite materials and intricate design, cost four and a half taels of silver. The Qin family's set was much simpler, saving on both the amount of wood and labor. He quoted a fair price: "Master Qin, if we use sturdy and durable pine or cedar wood, and follow a simple, solid style without too many frills, your set of furniture, including materials and labor, would probably cost three taels of silver. What do you think?"

Three taels of silver! Chen Xiaohe, standing nearby, perked up his ears, barely managing to suppress a gasp. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing also exchanged a surprised glance.

Old Qin and Old Han exchanged a glance. Old Han chuckled, "Old Qin, what do you think? Isn't this young man honest? Those carpenters in town would charge you at least four taels for this set, and their craftsmanship isn't even as good as Chen the carpenter's!"

Old Qin smiled, clearly satisfied with the price: "Alright! Young man, it'll be three taels of silver, as you said! I'll pay two taels as a deposit first, and the remaining one tael will be paid in full after the furniture is finished and I've inspected it and found no problems. When would you like to start construction?"

Chen Dashan said, "It will probably take another half month for Mr. Han's family to prepare the timber. After that, we can start preparing the timber for your house. Construction can begin no later than the middle of next month. Could you leave an address, or arrange a time, and I'll pick you up from town to come to your house to see the timber and finalize the design details?"

"Good! That's straightforward!" Old Qin immediately took out his money pouch, counted out two taels of silver, and handed it to Chen Dashan. Chen Dashan carefully put it away, then wrote his address and name on a clean strip of cloth and handed it to Old Qin. Old Qin accepted it, chatted and laughed with Old Han for a few more minutes, and then went to stroll through the lantern festival, completely satisfied.

Watching the two old men walk away, Chen Xiaohe finally couldn't hold back any longer. He leaned close to his older brother and whispered excitedly, "Brother! You're amazing! You managed to get such a big job at the market! And it's from the town's bigwigs!"

Chen Dashan was also quite excited, but he remained calm on the surface and said in a low voice, "It was Master Han who helped introduce us, and he trusts our skills. We must work even harder in the future and not ruin our reputation." He glanced at the stall. After the commotion just now, a lot of things had been sold, especially the exquisite needlework made by the Su sisters, which was almost sold out.

As the sun began to set, most of the goods on the stall had been sold. The total income was more than several large market days combined. More importantly, the unexpected order of three taels of silver from the Qin family was a godsend for the Chen family.

"We've sold almost everything," Chen Dashan said, glancing at the sky and then at the increasingly dense crowds on the street, each carrying various lanterns. He smiled at his younger brother, Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoqing, "Let's pack up and leave. The lantern festival will be lively tonight. It's a rare opportunity to come all this way, so let's enjoy the sights and buy some delicious glutinous rice balls for Mom and Dad to take home."

The four men's faces beamed with the joy of their harvest and anticipation for the lantern festival that night. They quickly packed up their stall. As the dazzling lights gradually illuminated the town, transforming it into a vibrant, sleepless city, this Lantern Festival had brought the Chen family a fortune. The four men left their oxcart at the post station and headed towards the lantern festival.