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

She couldn't help but turn back, glancing at her four innocent grandchildren in the stroller, playing hand in hand. She then thought of her two daughters-in-law, who, though from other places, were always diligent and considerate. Suddenly, she felt incredibly fortunate—fortunate that her husband was reasonable, fortunate that her sons were kind, and fortunate that this family always put "people" first. Money can be earned again, land can be cultivated again, but if people lose their warmth, if a home becomes an icebox, what's the point?

"Alas, everyone has their own fate, and every family has its own difficulties." In the end, Mother Chen only sighed softly and did not participate in the discussion about the Sun family anymore. She stood up and waved to Father Chen, "Old man, the sun is too strong, the children should go back and drink some water."

On the way home, Mr. Chen asked what the women had been talking about earlier, and Mrs. Chen briefly recounted Xiu'er's situation. Mr. Chen pushed the cart in silence for a while before slowly saying, "...Foolish! No matter how wrong our daughter is, if she comes back in trouble, how can we not let her in? Isn't that pushing her to the brink?" He paused, his voice steady, "Our family doesn't do that. When the children grow up, no matter what happens to them outside, as long as they remember to come home, this door will always be open for them."

Chen's mother nodded, tightening her grip on the stroller handle.

As the sun began to set, the oxcart creaked and groaned its way back to the Chen family's courtyard, bringing with it the lingering warmth of the bustling market and a piece of news that thrilled the entire family.

"Dad, Mom, Sister-in-law, Xiaoqing! We're back!" Chen Xiaohe jumped out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop, his face beaming with excitement. As he helped unload the mostly empty baskets, he eagerly announced, "The market was packed today! I also heard some very important news—our county is going to co-organize a large joint market with the neighboring Pingyang County! The location is on the flat ground beside the official road between the two counties!"

"A joint market?" Father Chen put down the farm tools he was repairing, straightened up, and his eyes revealed the keen attention that farmers have for both the land and the market. "This is really big news. If it really goes on, people from all around, even from two counties, will flock there. The market will be much bigger than the county town market. Our products will have a much wider market."

Chen's mother, wiping her hands as she came out of the kitchen, also brightened up upon hearing this, but then her cautious demeanor as the head of the household resurfaced: "It's a good thing, but with more people, there will definitely be more vendors selling the same things, leading to fierce competition. Xiaohe, have you found out when this market opens? What are the rules?"

Chen Xiaohe took a big gulp of herbal tea, wiped his mouth, and said, "I've got it all figured out! It'll be on the Dragon Boat Festival, open for three days straight—a grand opening! From now on, the market will be open on the 8th of every month: the 8th, 18th, and 28th. The market in the county town will continue as usual, no problem. Mom, do you think we can bring a lot more variety with us then?"

"Dragon Boat Festival...three days in a row..." Mother Chen quickly calculated in her mind, a confident smile gradually spreading across her face. "That's great! We've raised a lot of chickens and ducks this year, so we have plenty of eggs. Besides our usual fare, we can take our boiled tea eggs and pickled salted duck eggs to the market! Snacks are what people love to buy at the market. Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, is there still time for your large embroidery?"

Su Xiaoyin was helping to tidy up when she heard this. She looked up, her eyes shining: "Mom, Xiaoqing and I are working hard, and we'll definitely finish before the Dragon Boat Festival! We've also come up with a few new designs and plan to make a few more sets of baby onesies and bibs. Xiaoqing also drew some really cute cloth tiger and carp doll designs. They'll be so pretty if we make them with scraps of silk and cotton!"

Su Xiaoqing nodded vigorously and added, "We also want to add some new styles of hair ties, and make some more exquisite ones using leftover silk scraps."

Not to be outdone, Chen Xiaohe chimed in, "My brother and I have also discussed it. We'll split more bamboo strips during this time, and besides the usual baskets and boxes, we'll make some more delicate bamboo hairpins and small hand-held items. Brother, shouldn't we prepare one or two more of those baby strollers we made before? What if someone takes a liking to them at the market? We can hang up our 'Chen Family Furniture Workshop' sign there too!"

Chen Dashan had been listening calmly until now, when he finally spoke, his voice low but strong: "We can make more carts. It's all about quality, not quantity. I'll finish one in the next couple of days. Also, Dad," he turned to his father, "the work in the fields can't be neglected. Where do you see we need fertilizer? While the weather's good these next few days, Xiaohe and I will apply the fertilizer first, so we can feel at ease, and then the whole family can focus on preparing for the market."

Mr. Chen was very satisfied with his son's thoughtfulness and nodded, saying, "Our cultivated land is fertile enough. The main problem is the few acres of wasteland we cleared the year before last, and the plot of land at the foot of the barren hill where we planted soybeans. Those areas have a weak foundation and need additional fertilizer. Let's finish it in the next couple of days, and then we'll go all out to prepare for the Dragon Boat Festival market!"

"Alright!" Mother Chen declared decisively. "Then it's settled! The next two days, you two brothers, eldest and second eldest, hurry up and fertilize the fields. Xiao Yin and Xiao Qing, you two continue with your embroidery as usual, don't rush, and keep your eyes peeled. As for me, I'll try boiling a few more pots of tea eggs these next few days to adjust the flavor, and also pickle a couple of jars of salted duck eggs to see how they turn out. Once the fertilizer is applied, the whole family will get together—those who want to do bamboo weaving will do it, those who want to make dolls will make dolls, and those who want to pack things up will pack them up! This Dragon Boat Festival, our 'Nanshan Chen's' will also go to the joint market and try to make a name for ourselves!"

As night fell, the lights in the Chen family courtyard stayed on later than usual. In the east wing, the sound of needles being threaded could be heard continuously; under the open shed on the west side, the faint scent of bamboo and wood shavings lingered; and from the kitchen, the salty aroma of tea and spices wafted out.