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

As the sun rose high in the sky, the aroma of food wafted through the Chen family's courtyard. Just as Chen's mother placed the last dish on the table, she heard light footsteps and a familiar call coming from outside the gate.

"Mom, we're back!" "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing is back!"

Chen's mother immediately smiled and lifted the cotton curtain of the kitchen door to welcome them out: "Oh, it's good to be back! Come in and sit down to rest your feet and have some water. The food will be ready soon!" She saw that although her two daughters-in-law looked tired, their eyes showed relaxation, and she knew that things had gone smoothly, so she was even more relieved.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing responded and went to the well to fetch some clean water, carefully washing away the dust of their journey. The cool well water splashed on their faces, dispelling the early summer afternoon heat and the fatigue of the journey. The two then went back to the east wing to check on the four little ones, who were lying side by side on the kang (a heated brick bed) taking a nap, their little faces rosy and fast asleep. They gently tucked the blankets around the children before returning to the main room to sit down.

Before long, the sound of an oxcart's wheels and a man's deep voice echoed outside the courtyard gate. Chen's father returned with Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe. The three of them had clearly just come from the fields; their trousers were still covered in fresh mud, and their foreheads were glistening with sweat. They didn't rush into the house. First, they carefully washed their hands, feet, and faces with well water in the yard. Then they went back inside to change into clean old clothes, washing away all the dust and grime from their work. Only then did they enter the main room, smelling fresh and clean.

Chen Xiaohe was the most anxious. As soon as he entered the house, his eyes fell on Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing. He couldn't wait to lower his voice and ask, "Sister-in-law, Xiaoqing, how much money did you get for your embroidery?" He had been working in the fields all morning, and his heart was filled with curiosity.

Su Xiaoqing smiled, glanced at her sister, and deliberately kept her in suspense: "Guess?"

"I guess... twenty taels? Twenty-five taels?" Chen Xiaohe scratched his head, guessing higher. He knew that the embroidery had taken the two sisters a lot of effort and time, but he had no idea how much it was worth.

Su Xiaoyin took out the heavy old money bag from her bosom (actually from a hidden pocket close to her body), gently placed it on the table, and opened the bag to reveal several small silver ingots and some loose silver coins inside. "The shopkeeper said our skills have improved again, and gave us twenty-eight taels."

"Twenty-eight taels!" Chen Xiaohe gasped, his eyes widening, his voice rising involuntarily. He quickly covered his mouth, afraid of waking the children in the inner room. "My God! That's incredible!" This amount was almost equivalent to two or three years' worth of food for an ordinary farming family.

Even the usually composed Mr. Chen showed clear approval and satisfaction in his eyes. He nodded and said gently, "Good, good. Your skills are truly a means to make a living. However," he changed his tone to admonishment, "Money is good, but health is more important. In the future, when doing these delicate tasks, you must be even more careful with your eyes and muscles. Rest when you need to, and never push yourself too hard."

"Father, we know." Su Xiaoyin carefully put the silver away again. "The shopkeeper praised our color matching and needlework, saying it's among the best in the county. With the money from this sale, we bought some fine silk fabric and embroidery thread, spending three and a half taels. Mother, please keep the rest." She pushed the money bag towards Chen's mother, which was meant for Gongzhong. "From now until the Dragon Boat Festival, we plan to focus on making the small items to sell at the festival market, like sachets, perfume pouches, and hair ties. As for the large embroidery... we haven't decided what to embroider next yet; we need to think about new designs."

Chen Dashan had been listening quietly, and then spoke up: "Next time you go to the county town, I'll go with you. Xiaoyin said you're out of paper and pens for drawing embroidery patterns? We can buy some together."

"Yes!" Su Xiaoyin nodded, "We also need to buy some fine charcoal pencils for drawing patterns."

As they were talking, Chen's mother called out from the kitchen, "Dinner's ready! Everyone come and get the dishes!"

The family paused their conversation and got up. Chen Xiaohe picked up Aji and Afu, who had just woken up and were still a little drowsy, while Chen Dashan went to play with Shitou and Qingqing, who had also started rubbing their eyes. Chen's father and mother carried steaming bowls of vegetables and porridge, and Su Xiaoyin and her sister set out the bowls and chopsticks. In the blink of an eye, the square table in the main room was full of food: a large pot of stewed potatoes, green beans and pork bones, a dish of stir-fried wild vegetables, a pot of egg drop soup sprinkled with scallions, and golden cornbread.

As they sat around the table for their meal, the conversation naturally turned back to the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival market. Chen's mother picked up a piece of pork rib and said between bites, "We need to think this through carefully. The new market at Sanchakou is opening this year; the first three days will definitely be lively, but we need to be well-prepared."

Remembering the jars and pots in the corner of the kitchen, Su Xiaoqing asked, "Mom, can we open the jars of our salted duck eggs and taste them? If they taste good, we can take some to sell at the market. And the salted goose eggs too."

"I was just about to say that," Chen's mother said with a smile. "After dinner, let's take out a few salted duck eggs and cut them open to taste when we cook noodles tonight. If they're oily and sandy, and taste good, then we'll prepare more. Let's also try a couple of salted goose eggs." She then looked at Su Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin, do you still have the seasoning packets for your tea eggs? Let's cook a pot these next couple of days, eat some at home first, and see how it goes. We can cook some fresh ones before the market."

"Yes, Mother," Su Xiaoyin replied. "The seasoning packets are all pre-mixed, and we can cook it this afternoon."

Su Xiaoqing then remembered the half-dried mushrooms and wild vegetables on the shelf in the backyard: "Mom, should we take some of those dried mushrooms and vegetables to the market this time? What if someone likes them?"

After a moment's thought, Chen's mother said, "On the first day, bring a little of everything, just as a bonus, to test the waters. If they don't sell well, it's alright. We can keep them to stew in the winter, or sell them at the end of the year. We're not afraid of storing things; the problem is not having enough preparation."

Listening to his wife and children's enthusiastic discussion, Mr. Chen slowly took a sip of soup, and finally made his decision: "Alright, it's settled then. These next couple of days, once the fertilizer is applied to the fields, the whole family will work together to prepare for the market. Da Shan and Xiao He, you two should finish your carpentry work as soon as possible; we can deal with the finer tasks after the market. Prepare plenty of delicate bamboo weaving and wood carvings. Xiao Yin and Xiao Qing, you two focus on embroidery and food. Old woman, you take care of everything, and make sure all the eggs, duck eggs, and goose eggs are properly organized. This time, our family will make a good impression at the new market at Sanchakou!"

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the family's eager and energetic faces.