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

That morning, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe drove their mules to the county town to set up their stall. After seeing them off, Chen's father stood in the yard for a while before turning and going inside.

"Old woman, there's something I need to tell you." Chen's father sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), his face serious.

Chen's mother was sewing cotton-padded coats for her four children when she heard this and looked up: "What is it?"

Mr. Chen said, "I just went to the village head's house. After spring, I discussed with the village head that we would go to the neighboring county to learn about fruit tree care together."

Chen's mother was taken aback: "Learn to care for fruit trees? Where can I learn that?"

Mr. Chen lit his pipe, took a puff, and slowly said, "There's an old farmer in the next county who's been growing fruit trees for over twenty years. He doesn't sell his jujubes, persimmons, and apples in the county town; he transports them directly to the prefectural city where he has regular customers. He's been selling them for over ten years, so he must have plenty of experience."

Chen's mother's eyes lit up: "That would be great if I could learn it. But would anyone be willing to teach me?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "I'm willing. It's mainly thanks to the village head. Before the New Year, the village head saved that family's old man's life. They remember this favor, so they're willing to give me some pointers. However..." He paused, "I have to pay three taels of silver."

Chen's mother took a breath: "Three taels? That's not cheap."

Mr. Chen said, "It's not cheap. But think about it, those fruit trees on our mountain should be bearing fruit this year. If there's a pest or disease, we have no experience with that, and all the fruit will be ruined. The loss will be much more than just a few ounces."

Chen's mother thought for a moment and nodded, "That's true. Why don't you go and learn?"

Mr. Chen shook his head: "I'm not going. I plan to send Xiaohe instead."

Chen's mother was taken aback: "Xiaohe?"

Father Chen said, "Xiaohe is clever and learns things quickly. Dege used to live with the village head, and with Xiaohe by his side, the two of them can look after each other. I'm getting old, and my memory isn't what it used to be. Even if I went there, I might not be able to learn it properly. Xiaohe is young, and once he comes back, someone in our family will know this."

Chen's mother thought about it and felt it made sense: "Okay, then let Xiaohe go. But..." She remembered something else, "When does spring plowing end? Don't delay the work in the fields."

Mr. Chen said, "We'll go after spring planting is finished. The timing will be perfect and won't cause any problems."

Chen's mother nodded, then remembered something else: "Then we should prepare some gifts, right? It's not appropriate to go empty-handed when we're going to learn a craft."

Mr. Chen said, "Yes, then I'll have to trouble you to prepare. It doesn't need to be too expensive, just a small token. They don't need it, but we can't be impolite."

Chen's mother agreed and began to think about what to prepare.

---

As they were talking, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing came out of the east wing. Su Xiaoyin was holding the book "Essentials of Agriculture and Sericulture" and handed it to Chen's father.

"Dad, have you read this book?" Su Xiaoyin asked.

Mr. Chen took the book and flipped through it, a smile spreading across his face. "I've been reading it these past few days. This book is really good; it covers a lot of information. Especially the section on composting—I'm thinking of trying it next year. If we can improve the soil's fertility, the crops will definitely yield a better harvest."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "That's good. Xiaoqing and I found it by chance and thought it would be useful for the family, so we bought it."

Chen's mother said from the side, "You two sisters are so thoughtful."

Su Xiaoqing leaned closer and asked, "Mom, the New Year is coming soon. Is there anything else we need to buy? We'd like to prepare in advance."

Chen's mother thought for a moment and then began to count: "We need to buy some candy to sweeten the children's mouths. We also need to buy a fish, for abundance every year. I'm thinking of buying a pig's head and offal to braise for the New Year. What else would you like to eat?"

Su Xiaoyin said, "Mom, let's buy some more glutinous rice and bamboo leaves. I want to make some zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) to eat during the New Year; it has a good meaning."

Chen's mother nodded: "Okay, this is good. Zongzi symbolizes 'middle,' it's for good luck."

Su Xiaoqing also said, "I'll grind the chestnuts I picked in the fall into powder and make some chestnut cakes. Everyone loves them."

Mother Chen smiled and said, "That would be great. I see we still have quite a few hawthorns left. Let's make some hawthorn cakes to aid digestion and stimulate the appetite. We've eaten too much meat and fish during the New Year, so this will be just what we need."

Mr. Chen, standing nearby, said, "We also need to buy couplets and the character '福' (fortune). It's the New Year, after all, and we want to have a festive atmosphere."

The family chatted amongst themselves and quickly finalized their New Year's shopping list.

---

In the county town, crowds gathered in front of Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe's stall.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, the market is getting busier every day. The Chen family's stall has a good location and a wide variety of goods, including bamboo weaving, wood carvings, embroidery, and hair ties. In particular, the hair ties and handkerchiefs made by the Su sisters are very popular with young wives and girls because of their bright colors and novel designs.

"How much is this hair tie?" A young girl picked up a peach-colored one, admiring it.

Chen Xiaohe quickly called out, "Three coins for one, two for five. You have excellent taste, young lady; this color suits your skin tone."

The girl listened and happily picked out two.

Several more women came over to look at the handkerchiefs, and Chen Dashan busied himself greeting them. Throughout the morning, the copper coins that had been brought in were being poured into his money bag with a clattering sound.

They were busy until the afternoon before the crowds gradually dispersed. Chen Xiaohe plopped down on a stool, gulped down a large mouthful of water, and wiped his mouth: "Brother, I'm exhausted. My mouth is so dry from talking."

Chen Dashan also sat down to rest, and said with a smile, "It's good to be tired. Being tired means I'm making money. If I persevere for a few more days, I can make another fortune before the New Year."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, about to speak, when he suddenly saw someone walking over.

"Dashan, sales are going well!" The person who came over was Liu Yilong, dressed in casual clothes, and he walked over with a smile.

Chen Dashan quickly stood up: "Manager Liu! What brings you here? Please, have a seat!"

Liu Yilong waved his hand: "I won't sit down, I was just passing by. I came by this morning and saw you were all very busy, so I didn't want to bother you. Now that there are fewer people, I came over to talk to you about something."

Chen Dashan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "What is it? Manager Liu, please tell me."