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

The next day, before dawn, soft footsteps could be heard in the Chen family's courtyard.

When Chen Dashan came out after getting dressed, he found his father already waiting in the yard. His father was carrying two bulging burlap sacks filled with dried mushrooms and wild vegetables, which gave off a unique mountain fragrance.

"Dad, you're up so early?" Chen Dashan walked over, took the sack from his father's hand, and weighed it in his hand. "You brought so much?"

Mr. Chen nodded, his voice low so as not to wake the people sleeping inside: "Your mother and I discussed it last night. We have a lot of dried mushrooms and wild vegetables piled up in the house, and we can't eat them all ourselves. They're just sitting there anyway, so why don't we take them to the market and see how much we can sell? I'm free anyway, so it would be good for me to go with you and help watch the stall."

Chen Xiaohe jumped out of the house, just in time to hear this, and grinned as he approached, "Dad, are you trying to steal our business? What are we going to sell then?"

Father Chen smacked him on the back of the head, laughing and scolding, "Stop talking nonsense! What can your bamboo and wood carvings possibly compete with mountain produce for? Hurry up and hitch up the cart!"

Chen Xiaohe rubbed his head, chuckled, and ran to hitch up the oxcart. Chen Dashan loaded several sacks, the stall frame, and burlap onto the cart, and checked the water bladder and dry rations again. Su Xiaoyin had specially made a few extra grain pancakes last night, wrapped them in oil paper, and put them on the cart, saying they were for the three of them to have a snack at noon.

As the oxcart drove out of the courtyard gate, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The morning breeze was cool and felt a little cold on their faces, but the three of them felt warm inside.

By the time they arrived in the county town, it was already broad daylight. The "permanent market" that Liu Yilong had mentioned yesterday was indeed beginning to take shape. The street, which used to only be bustling on market days, now had more than a dozen stalls set up. Vendors selling vegetables, eggs, and handmade crafts were scattered along both sides of the street.

Chen Dashan drove the oxcart to the spot they had rented the day before. The three of them quickly unloaded the goods, set up the shelves, and laid out burlap. Chen Dashan arranged the bamboo weaving and wood carvings, Chen Xiaohe set up samples of the newly made small furniture pieces, and Chen's father opened the bags of dried mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and dried mountain vegetables he had brought, neatly stacking them on the ground with clean coarse cloth. He had also brought a few small cloth bags so that customers could easily take what they bought.

"Dad, you've arranged them quite well." Chen Xiaohe couldn't help but tease his father as he carefully arranged the mountain goods.

Chen's father glared at him: "If you're going to sell something, you have to act like one. Do you think you can just pile things on the ground and call it a day?"

Just then, a middle-aged man dressed in an official's uniform walked over from the other end of the street. It was Liu Yilong from yesterday. He was carrying a teacup and looking around as he walked. When he saw the Chen family's stall, he strolled over leisurely.

"Hey, brother, you're here early today!" Liu Yilong greeted Chen Dashan, his eyes sweeping over the stall. Noticing the extra mountain produce and an elderly farmer standing nearby, he smiled and nodded. "So... the old man's here too?"

Chen Dashan quickly stood up and politely cupped his hands in greeting: "Good morning, Brother Liu. This is my father. He came along today to join in the fun and brought some dried goods that he had dried himself."

Mr. Chen, a worldly farmer, knew the significance of this official's uniform. He quickly emerged from behind the stall, a simple smile plastered on his face: "Sir, you've worked hard, out inspecting so early. This is just a small business; we'll have to rely on your support in the future." He then took two small packets from a cloth bag beside him, which he had prepared beforehand, and handed them over with both hands. "These are mushrooms and wood ear fungus that we picked ourselves on the mountain. They're thoroughly dried; once soaked, they'll be delicious in stews or chicken stews. They're not worth much, but please take them home and try them; it's just a small token of our appreciation."

Liu Yilong's eyes lit up. He took the mushroom, opened it, and examined it. The mushroom caps were intact, yellowish-brown in color, and the wood ear pieces were large and thick—truly top-quality mountain produce. His smile immediately became more genuine, and he lowered his voice, saying, "Brother, you're too kind. Okay, I'll keep this. I'll have my family stew it with a chicken when I get home."

He looked around and, seeing no other officials nearby, moved closer to Chen Dashan, lowering his voice even further: "Brother, elder brother, let me tell you something. I've followed the new magistrate on a few errands and figured out a few things about him."

Chen Dashan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly put on a show of being all ears.

Liu Yilong whispered, "The county magistrate doesn't plan to make any major changes to agriculture or taxes. The amounts will remain the same, and the tax exemption policy for wasteland will also continue. He mainly wants to focus on commerce—this market is his doing. In the future, there will be more and more shops and vendors in the county, and the rules will become stricter, but as long as you pay your fees properly, no one will cause you any trouble. There might even be more benefits in the future."

Mr. Chen listened attentively, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He asked in a low voice, "Sir, so this tax... really won't increase?"

Liu Yilong nodded: "At least not this year. Nobody can say for sure what will happen next year, but the county magistrate is currently busy setting up the market and making the county town lively; he can't pay attention to taxes right now. If you have the spare capacity, it's the right thing to do to reclaim more wasteland. The county magistrate encourages this."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe exchanged a glance, both seeing joy in each other's eyes.

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Liu!" Chen Dashan solemnly cupped his hands in thanks. "We will remember this favor."

Liu Yilong waved his hand, stuffed the two bags of mountain produce into his pocket, and resumed his businesslike demeanor: "Alright, you guys sell them well. If you need anything, come find me at the other end of the street." After saying that, he picked up his teacup and continued his inspection.

After Liu Yilong had walked away, Chen Xiaohe couldn't help but cheer softly, "Great! Taxes won't increase, and we can continue developing the wasteland!"

Mr. Chen glared at him and said sternly in a low voice, "Shut up! We'll talk about it when we get back!"

Chen Xiaohe immediately fell silent and shrank back.

Chen Dashan nodded and whispered to his father, "Dad's right. It's best to keep this to ourselves; it'll cause trouble if it gets out." He paused, then added, "But with this news, we feel at ease. We can continue cultivating the wasteland, and we'll buy a few more acres next year."