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

Mr. Chen continued, "If you want to set up a stall, there aren't any good spots left; they've all been taken. The remaining stalls are in less desirable locations with less foot traffic."

"A slightly off-center location is fine," Chen Ermu said. "I just want to give it a try; if it doesn't work out, so be it. By the way, is renting a stall still one or two taels of silver a month?"

"Yes, one tael of silver a month, to be paid to Manager Liu who manages the market."

Chen Ermu thought for a moment: "I plan to sell tofu pudding in the county town. The beans are grown on our own land, so the only cost is labor. There are no tofu pudding vendors in the county town market yet, so I want to give it a try."

Mr. Chen nodded: "This is novel; we can give it a try."

Chen Ermu got what he wanted to know, chatted for a few more minutes, and then said goodbye and went home.

Standing there, watching Chen Ermu's retreating figure, Chen's father felt a sudden pang of emotion. Dashan had truly been farsighted to be the first to rent that prime location. Now, even if he wanted to rent, he could only afford the less desirable spots.

He carried a full basket of pig feed on his back and continued walking down the mountain. The setting sun cast a long shadow over him, and the mountain breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. This family, from fleeing famine to now owning fields, land, and mountains, with a stable income, has taken every step steadily.

Back home, the yard was still bustling with activity. Chen Dashan was busy in the carpentry workshop, Chen Xiaohe was sanding tables and chairs, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were doing embroidery inside, and the four children were running around in the yard.

Chen's father put down the pig feed and looked at all this, feeling a sense of peace and satisfaction welling up in his heart.

Life goes on like this, day by day, getting better and better.

----

After dinner, it wasn't completely dark yet.

The late summer breeze carried a hint of coolness, dispelling the daytime heat. The Chen family moved stools to sit in the courtyard, while the four children chased and played in the open space. Shitou led the way, followed by Qingqing and Aji. Afu, running slowly, stamped his feet in frustration. Su Xiaoqing laughed and called out, "Afu, slow down! Don't fall!"

Chen's father leaned back in his bamboo chair, holding a pipe in his hand but not lighting it, just idly stroking it. He looked at his eldest son: "Dashan, how's the furniture making going lately? Are the jobs with the other companies going smoothly?"

Chen Dashan was watching the children play when he heard this and turned around: "Dad, all of Master Zhou's school desks and chairs are finished. Now we just need to let them air out for a few days so the tung oil smell dissipates before we send them over. I also finished making the five shelves for Brother De's family in my spare time. He said he wasn't in a hurry to use them, so I'll leave them to air out for a few days before sending them to him."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Brother De is an honest man, we can't delay his business."

"I know," Chen Dashan continued. "We're currently busy making the camphor wood furniture for Manager Li's house—chests, cabinets, dressing tables—all delicate work. Xiaohe is helping me, and the pace is much faster than expected. I estimate it will be finished in a little over a month."

Chen Xiaohe chuckled and said, "My skills have improved a lot now. My older brother even praised me for being able to chisel mortises accurately."

A relieved smile spread across Chen's father's face. He was most pleased to see his two sons helping each other. He tapped his pipe: "As long as there's enough time. Xiaohe, don't help your older brother these next few days. Come with me to the mountains to pick mushrooms. There's been a lot of rain these past few days, so the mushrooms must have sprouted. Let's pick a lot this year, dry them into dried mushrooms, and sell them for a good price in winter."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "Great idea, Dad! I've wanted to go up the mountain for a long time. The dried mushrooms sold well last year, let's save up more this year."

Su Xiaoyin chimed in, "Dad, Xiaoqing and I are almost finished with our novel 'Wealth and Longevity,' it'll be done in another three to five days. We'd like to go help pick mushrooms too."

Mr. Chen thought for a moment and said, "Alright, you two go to the barren mountain near our house to pick mushrooms. Although that mountain hasn't been completely cleared yet, there are still quite a few wild mushrooms. Xiaohe and I will go to the old forest behind the mountain; there are more mushrooms there, but it's a bit further away."

Su Xiaoqing nodded happily: "Great! We know this barren mountain well; we even went there to dig for wild vegetables last year."

While Chen's mother was sewing shoe soles, she suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, I was setting up a stall in the county town today, and I heard that more people fleeing famine have come here."

The courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Father Chen frowned: "Refugees? Haven't we seen them for years? Where did they come from?"

Chen's mother shook her head: "I don't know exactly where. The county magistrate arranged for them to be quarantined outside the city for a few days before being assigned to various villages. From what I heard, there are quite a few of them."

Chen Dashan was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Life is tough for everyone."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing exchanged a glance but remained silent. They themselves had fled famine; although those days were over, the memories remained. They understood the hunger, fear, and pain of losing loved ones better than anyone else.

Mr. Chen sighed, "Let's help if we can. We got through it all ourselves." He stood up. "Alright, it's getting late. Go back and rest. We have to go up the mountain early tomorrow morning."

---

The next day, before dawn, the Chen family got up.

Chen's mother was the first to get up; she was going to the county town to set up her stall. These days she'd gotten used to driving the mule there every day; it was hard work, but she earned money every day, which gave her peace of mind. She harnessed the mule cart, loaded the goods she needed to sell, and Su Xiaoyin came out of the kitchen, handing her an oil paper package: "Mom, these are the pancakes I made yesterday. Take them with you for lunch."

Chen's mother took it and put it in the basket in the car: "I know, be careful going up the mountain, don't go too deep."

"Don't worry, Mother."

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

Father Chen, along with Chen Xiaohe, Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoqing, were also ready to set off. Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop, still clutching a plane in his hand: "Dad, you guys go ahead. I'll stay home and watch the kids, and fix these tenons while I'm at it."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, we'll try to be back as early as possible at noon."

The four children were pulled from the kang (a heated brick bed). Shi Tou rubbed his eyes, looking confused, and asked, "Grandpa, where are you going?"

Chen Xiaohe pinched his little cheek: "Grandpa is taking Uncle to the mountain to pick mushrooms. You stay home and be a good boy and listen to your dad. He'll bring you something delicious when he comes back."

Upon hearing this, Stone immediately snapped out of his daze: "I want to go too!"

"You're still too young. Wait until you're a little older," Chen's father said, patting his head. "How about you stay home and play with your younger siblings?"

Shi Tou pouted, but was quickly pulled away by Qing Qing to look at the ants.