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

In the yard, four children were still playing.

Suddenly, Shi Tou stood up, his ears perked up: "I heard Grandpa and the others come back!"

Sure enough, footsteps and Chen Xiaohe's loud voice came from outside the courtyard gate. Shi Tou was the first to rush over: "Grandpa! Dad! Uncle!"

Father Chen caught Shitou and Qingqing, one in each hand, as they lunged at him, his eyes crinkling into slits with laughter: "Oh, my dear grandsons!"

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe did not go inside. They put down their belongings and then picked up two empty baskets and walked out.

"Dad, let's go haul in the fish!" Chen Xiaohe called out, turning around. "Let's see if we caught any big ones!"

Afu chased after him for a couple of steps, but Su Xiaoqing came out of the house and stopped him: "Afu, don't go. It's dangerous by the river. Let your father and your uncle go."

Afu pouted, but was quickly pulled back by the stone to look at the ants.

---

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe walked along the familiar path towards the river. The setting sun cast long shadows of them, the fields echoed with the croaking of frogs, and wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops of every house, enveloping the entire village in a peaceful and serene twilight.

"Brother, do you think we can catch a big fish today?" Chen Xiaohe asked.

Chen Dashan looked at the river ahead and smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "Who knows? But even without big fish, the small fish and shrimp will be enough to keep the kids happy."

The two talked as they walked away.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Chen Xiaohe found the spot where he would place the fish basket. He squatted down, grabbed the straw rope tying the basket, and pulled it up little by little.

"Wow! It's gotten quite a bit heavier!" His eyes lit up, and he put more effort into it.

The moment the fish basket emerged from the water, Chen Xiaohe almost shouted out loud—the basket was crammed full of fish and shrimp, the most eye-catching of which was a carp as long as an adult's forearm, struggling desperately in the basket, splashing water everywhere.

"Big brother! Look!" Chen Xiaohe's voice trembled with excitement. "A big fish! It's a really big fish!"

Chen Dashan leaned closer for a look and smiled, "Good heavens, it's huge! It must weigh three or four pounds!"

The two men scooped up several fish baskets, finding not only the large carp but also several palm-sized crucian carp and a handful of shrimp. Today's catch was even more bountiful than yesterday's.

"Let's go home!" Chen Xiaohe packed the fish basket, beaming from ear to ear. "The children will be overjoyed to see this big fish!"

---

The aroma of food was already wafting out of the courtyard.

As soon as Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe entered the courtyard, Shitou rushed over first: "Daddy! Did you catch any fish?"

Chen Xiaohe put the basket down on the ground and opened the lid. Shi Tou peeked out and immediately screamed, "A big fish! A huge fish!"

Qingqing and Aji ran over too, and the four children surrounded the basket, their eyes wide with excitement. Afu, the youngest, couldn't reach it and jumped up and down anxiously, shouting, "I want to see! I want to see!"

Chen Dashan picked Afu up so he could see it clearly. Afu stared at the large carp still thrashing about and cried out in his childish voice, "Big fish! Eat big fish!"

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing also came out of the house, saw the fish, and laughed: "Oh, you actually caught a big one?"

Chen Xiaohe said smugly, "Of course! How could I not catch any fish in my basket?"

Chen's mother poked her head out from the kitchen: "Alright, alright, stop showing off. Hurry up and clean the fish, we'll stew it for the children tomorrow. Tonight we'll eat the smaller ones, braised in soy sauce, they'll go well with rice."

"Alright!" Chen Xiaohe carried the basket on his back and walked towards the well, with the four children following behind like little tails.

Chen Dashan led the old ox back to the cowshed, added some hay, and patted its neck: "You've worked hard today, get some rest."

Inside the main room, Mr. Chen had already washed his face and was sitting at the table playing with Afu. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing brought the last dish to the table, and the family sat down around it.

----

The next morning, before dawn, the Chen family's courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Mother Chen carefully packed the handkerchiefs, hair ties, tiger-head shoes, and bamboo woven items she had prepared the night before into her basket, checking again to make sure nothing was missing. Father Chen harnessed the cart beside her; the mule, having gotten used to going out every day, stood obediently, occasionally swishing its tail.

"Old man, hurry up, let's go set up the stall as soon as possible," Chen's mother urged.

"Here it comes." Father Chen tightened the last rope, patted the mule's back, and said, "Let's go."

The mule cart creaked and groaned as it drove out of the courtyard gate and disappeared into the morning mist.

These days, Chen's mother has completely gotten used to her daily life of setting up a stall in the county town. The average daily income of a little over a hundred coins isn't much, but it's a steady stream, adding up to three or four taels of silver a month. Add to that the occasional extra income, and it's much better than staying idle at home. Chen's mother is now full of enthusiasm and looks forward to going to the county town every day.

By the time they arrived in the county town, it was already broad daylight. Their stall was in a prime location at the long-term market, next to food stalls, bustling with people and full of lively atmosphere. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Chen set up their goods, people gathered around.

"Wow, this hair tie is so pretty! How much is it?"

"These tiger-head shoes are so exquisitely made! Give me two pairs; they'll fit my little grandson perfectly!"

Chen's mother was busy greeting customers, while Chen's father helped by handing out items and collecting money. In no time, they had sold several items.

After the group of customers left, Mrs. Chen counted the coins, a smile on her face: "Not bad, not bad, a great start. Old man, you watch the stall for now, I'm going to the fabric shop. Xiaoyin said we're out of fabric scraps, and the colors of the scraps we had before weren't quite right, so we had them used them to make shoe soles. I'll go buy a few bundles."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, go ahead. There aren't many people today, I can manage by myself."

Chen's mother took off her apron, straightened her clothes, and headed towards the cloth shop.

---

After Chen's mother left, the stall did indeed become quieter. Chen's father sat on a small stool, idly watching the flow of people. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in his sight.

"Manager Liu!" Mr. Chen quickly stood up to greet him.

Liu Yilong was dressed casually today, carrying a basket, seemingly there to buy groceries. Hearing someone call out, he turned around, smiled, and walked over: "Uncle Chen, are you here to set up your stall today?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "Yes, I've finished the work in the fields, so I came to keep my wife company. She just went to the cloth shop and will be back in a little while."

Liu Yilong looked at the items on the stall, picked up a small bamboo basket, and examined it carefully: "The bamboo weaving skills are getting better and better."

Mr. Chen laughed and said, "It was all made by Xiaohe. This child just loves tinkering with these things."

Liu Yilong put down the basket, then suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, Uncle Chen, have Brother Dashan come see me tomorrow."

Mr. Chen's heart skipped a beat: "What is it, Steward Liu?"

"My neighbor's son is getting married and he's looking to have a set of furniture made. I recommended your company, saying your carpenters are skilled and your prices are fair," Liu Yilong said with a smile. "I'll take Dashan over to take a look tomorrow. If we can get the job, it'll be a good source of income."