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

Liu Yilong lowered his voice and said, "Dashan, as you all know, there were heavy rains during the autumn harvest and heavy snows in the winter, which made it difficult for many small businesses in the county to survive, so they planned to sell their shops. Coincidentally, the newly arrived county magistrate arrested a group of corrupt officials and confiscated some houses and shops, which are now under the government's control. These houses and shops can't be sealed off indefinitely, so the county magistrate wants to liquidate them for internal use in the government office. He assigned us the task of helping to promote them."

Chen Dashan listened attentively, his heart beating faster.

Liu Yilong continued, "So I wanted to ask you, are you planning to buy a shop? If so, you could consider this area in the county town. The prices aren't high, cheaper than the market price. I can introduce some options to you."

Chen Dashan took a deep breath and steadied himself: "Manager Liu, to be honest, my family is indeed planning to buy a shop or a house. But the price can't be too high, as we don't have that much money."

Liu Yilong nodded: "I know that. I'm aware of your family's situation. Here's what we'll do: have your father come over tomorrow, and I'll take you to see those shops and houses. If you like anything, I'll help you negotiate the price."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment, then asked, "Manager Liu, if we buy shops that have been seized by the government, will there be any trouble?"

Liu Yilong patted his chest and said, "Brother Dashan, don't worry, everything will be fine. If there were any problems with the shop, I definitely wouldn't have recommended it to you. Everything has been settled cleanly, and no one will cause trouble. Even if there are any disputes, the government can't sell it out."

Chen Dashan felt a little more at ease and nodded: "Okay, Manager Liu, I'll bring my family over tomorrow. Thank you for your help."

Liu Yilong waved his hand: "No trouble at all. Okay, you guys get back to work, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow!"

After seeing Liu Yilong off, Chen Dashan stood there in a daze for a while.

Chen Xiaohe leaned closer, excitedly saying, "Big brother! Buying a shop! This is a big deal!"

Chen Dashan snapped out of his reverie and nodded: "Yes, this is important. Let's pack our things and go home. We need to discuss this with our parents."

----

By the time I got home, it was almost dark.

Chen's mother was busy in the kitchen, while Chen's father was chopping firewood in the yard. The four children were playing inside when they heard the gate open and rushed out in a flurry.

Chen Dashan tied up the mule and went inside. Su Xiaoyin noticed his strange expression and asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

Chen Dashan shook his head and recounted everything that Manager Liu had said that day.

After listening, Mr. Chen remained silent for a moment, then asked, "Manager Liu said the price is cheaper than the market price?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "They said it was confiscated by the government and they want to sell it for cash, so the price won't be too high."

Mr. Chen asked again, "He said there wouldn't be any trouble?"

Chen Dashan said, "He said that everything has been handled cleanly, and he wouldn't sell out any disputes."

Mr. Chen took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled, "Then...shall we go take a look tomorrow?"

Chen's mother chimed in, "Go! Of course we have to go! Such a great opportunity, we might miss it forever."

Su Xiaoyin also said, "Dad, let's go take a look tomorrow. If the price is right and the location is good, then we'll make a decision. It's time to put our savings to good use."

Chen Xiaohe excitedly said from the side, "Big brother, let's go as a family tomorrow! Let's have a good look!"

Chen Dashan nodded and looked at his father: "Dad, what do you think?"

Mr. Chen tapped his pipe, stood up, and said, "Go! The whole family will go first thing tomorrow morning!"

---

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

Chen's mother prepared a hearty breakfast, and after the family had eaten and drunk their fill, they hitched up the mule cart and headed towards the county town.

On the way, Chen Xiaohe was so excited he couldn't sit still, asking questions all the time. Su Xiaoqing, annoyed by his constant questioning, rolled her eyes at him: "Can't you just shut up for a bit? You'll find out when we get there!"

Chen Xiaohe chuckled: "I'm just excited!"

Upon entering the county town, Chen Dashan drove his mule cart straight to the market. Liu Yilong was already waiting at the usual spot, and greeted them with a smile.

"Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, you're here? Come on, I'll take you to see them." Liu Yilong jumped onto the mule cart, pointed to the road, and said, "Let's go to East Street first; there are a few shops in a good location there."

The mule cart stopped on East Street. It was a main street, bustling with people. Liu Yilong pointed to a shop with its doors closed and said, "This used to be a general store, but business was bad, so it closed. Later, it got involved in a case and was investigated by the government. Now it's under government jurisdiction and they want to sell it. What do you think of the location?"

Chen Dashan jumped off the cart and examined the shop closely. It wasn't large, the storefront only about two zhang wide, but it was quite deep, with a small courtyard in the back that could be used for living. The location was indeed excellent; next to it was a cloth shop, and opposite was a teahouse, bustling with people.

Mr. Chen also got out of the car, stood at the entrance for a while, and then peeked inside. He nodded: "The location is good, but I wonder what it's like inside."

Liu Yilong said, "The inside is alright, just a bit old, but it can be used after some cleaning. The key is the location. Just think about it, if you open a shop here, you won't have to worry about not having customers."

Chen Dashan asked, "How much is this room?"

Liu Yilong lowered his voice: "The government's bottom price is eighty taels. If you want it, I can help you negotiate down to around seventy taels."

Chen Dashan did the math in his head and realized the price wasn't expensive. He looked at his father, who nodded slightly.

Liu Yilong then showed them a few other places. One was also on East Street, but in a more remote location, and the price was cheaper, only sixty taels. Another was on West Street, in a less desirable location, but the house was newer and the price was higher, eighty-five taels.

The last place we visited wasn't on the main street, but in an alley. It was a small courtyard with three main rooms, east and west wing rooms, and a small open space in the back. Liu Yilong said, "This is a residential courtyard. The original owner was a minor official who committed a crime and was confiscated. You can buy it to live in, or convert it into a shop if you want. You can add to the open space in the back."

Chen Dashan went inside and took a look. The yard was quite clean, and the house was sturdy. A thought struck him—wouldn't it be wonderful for the whole family to live in this yard? The old house was alright, but it was old after all. This yard was new and spacious.

He looked at Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoyin was also looking at him with a light in her eyes.

---

After looking around, Liu Yilong led them back to his stall and let them discuss it.

The family sat together, and Mr. Chen spoke first: "Which one do you think is better?"

Chen Dashan said, "I think the shop on East Street has the best location; it'll definitely be a good business there. It's just a bit pricey."

Chen Xiaohe said, "That house with a yard is also nice. If we move to the county town in the future, we'll have a place to live."

Chen's mother said, "Move to the county town? That won't do. Who will farm the land?"

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen said, "We can buy the shop, and we can also consider the courtyard. But we must act within our means and not empty our savings."