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

Mother Chen beamed with joy as she deftly wrapped the zongzi, saying repeatedly, "It's all because you're so capable! The food is so well-made, and you all work so hard to promote it. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing's hair ties and sachets are also very popular. It's because our whole family works together that we've achieved such a good result." In her mind, she was already considering what else she could do with the money, besides keeping enough for the family's daily needs and preparing for possible expenses (such as paying for exemption from corvée labor if needed).

Su Xiaoyin calmed herself down and said gently, "We've just happened to be in a good time. It's a newly opened market, and it's just before a festival, so there are so many people. But our products are really good quality, and the prices are fair, so we're sure to have a lot of repeat customers."

Chen Dashan put away his notebook and calmly continued, "The income is gratifying, but we can't slack off on the work ahead. Dad, the Qin family's furniture has reached the stage of fine sanding, assembly, and painting. Starting tomorrow, Xiaohe and I will devote ourselves entirely to this, working carefully and making sure there are no mistakes that could ruin our reputation. By the time this batch of furniture is delivered, the watermelons should be almost ready too."

Mentioning watermelons, Mr. Chen's eyes lit up even more: "That's right! I went to see that patch of watermelons in the valley a few days ago. The vines are growing vigorously, and the melons are growing densely. Judging from their size and the patterns, as long as the weather is favorable, they will definitely be delicious, sweet, and juicy melons. We planted a lot this year, and if they can all be sold at a good price, it will be another considerable income."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Don't worry, Dad, we know what we're doing with the furniture. When the watermelons are ripe, we'll pick them and sell them in the county town, or see if the restaurants there will take them. This year, our family's life will definitely improve."

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The next morning, the sunlight filtered through the thin mist, gently bathing the Chen family's courtyard. The crowing of roosters gradually subsided, and the old ox slowly chewed its fodder in its pen, a scene of tranquil summer morning.

"Mom, Xiaoqing and I are going to buy two pieces of tofu. Let's stew tofu for lunch, shall we?" Su Xiaoyin said to Chen's mother, who was feeding the chickens, while tying a bib on her youngest son, Afu. "We also have some fish that we caught in the river yesterday. We can stew them together. They'll be delicious."

After scattering the last handful of chaff, Chen's mother clapped her hands and said, "Alright, go ahead. Take the children out for a stroll too. It's not good for them to stay cooped up indoors all summer." As she spoke, she walked to the eaves and picked up the old bamboo basket she had used for many years. "After feeding the livestock, I also need to go up the mountain to gather some tender grass. The cattle have been eating well these past few days, and the fodder is flowing out quickly."

Su Xiaoqing had already packed up the double stroller—it was specially made by Chen Dashan last year, spacious enough for the two children to squeeze in. She carried the eldest, Shitou, and the second, Qingqing, into the stroller, while Su Xiaoyin carried the third, Aji, and the fourth, Afu, into another stroller. The two sisters said goodbye to Chen's mother and pushed the chattering children toward the tofu shop at the village entrance.

Chen's mother watched them leave, then quickly fed the pigs and ducks before slinging her basket over her shoulder, putting on her straw hat, and heading towards the hillside behind the house. In summer, the grass on the mountain grows wildly, and the tender grass covered in dew is the favorite food of cattle and sheep.

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In the field, the corn had grown to waist height, a lush green expanse swaying gently in the morning breeze. Father Chen, with his two sons, was bending over, weeding between the corn rows.

"This grass is growing even more vigorously than the crops." Father Chen straightened up, wiped his sweat, and looked at the large handful of weeds he had just pulled out. "But then again, lush grass means fertile soil. There's been plenty of rain this year, so the crops are growing really well. Look at these corn stalks, how strong they are."

Chen Dashan stopped to catch his breath and looked towards the valley next to his family's field not far away: "Dad, I went to see the watermelons we planted in the valley a couple of days ago. The vines covered the ground, and there were quite a few watermelons, and they were bigger than last year. I reckon we can harvest the first batch in a few more days. When I go back around noon, I'll take a detour to pick one to try. If it's ripe and sweet, we can start preparing to sell the watermelons."

Chen Xiaohe perked up immediately: "Brother, the watermelons can be sold? Shouldn't we go to town to find a market? How about Manager Wang's restaurant?"

"No rush," Chen Dashan said calmly. "Let's taste it first. If it's really good, we can sell it at the market like we did last year. We can also send a couple to Manager Wang to try. If he likes it, he'll naturally want them."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, then suddenly remembered something else: "By the way, brother, when are we going to deliver the furniture to Master Qin's house and his nephew's house? It's been ready for a while now."

Chen Dashan continued bending down to pull weeds, his voice coming from among the corn leaves: "I plan to apply tung oil again."

"Again?" Chen Xiaohe asked, puzzled. "Didn't we already do it once? It feels smooth enough to me."

Chen Dashan straightened up and explained earnestly, "I've tried it with scraps. Applying two coats of tung oil versus one coat makes a difference. Two coats make the wood grain more translucent, the texture smoother, and it's also more moisture-proof and rot-resistant. Although it takes more time and oil, when people touch and look at the finished product, they think it's better, and that's how you build a reputation. We craftspeople can't just focus on speed and saving money."

Listening from the side, Mr. Chen nodded approvingly: "Dashan is right. Good things are worth the effort. The Qin family is a prominent family in town. Their use of it and their positive feedback is more effective than us advertising it ourselves."

"Dad, I understand." Chen Xiaohe suddenly realized. "Then let's apply the oil again. Anyway, the work in the fields is mainly weeding lately, so it's not too busy. My older brother and I will hurry up and try to get the furniture all set up as soon as possible."

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