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

Mr. Chen closed the door and said in a low voice, "Come on, let's take stock of what we found today."

He took out the wooden box from his arms and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed). He also laid out the box of ginseng that Chen's mother had found, the purse that Su Xiaoyin had found, and some odds and ends that Su Xiaoqing had found.

"I dug this out by the well." Mr. Chen opened the wooden box, revealing the silver and jewelry inside.

Chen Dashan's eyes widened: "Dad! This..."

Chen Xiaohe exclaimed directly, "Twenty taels! And silver jewelry too!"

Chen's father glared at him: "Keep your voice down!"

Chen Xiaohe quickly covered his mouth.

Su Xiaoyin also took out a few things from her bosom—two gold earrings, a gold bracelet, several fine handkerchiefs, and some old clothes.

Su Xiaoqing also had a haul—a ginseng root in a small box, which, although not very old, was still worth some silver; and some loose silver, about two taels.

"I also found some books over there." Su Xiaoyin pointed to a stack of books in the corner, "and the Four Treasures of the Study: brush, ink, paper, and inkstone—all good stuff."

Father Chen nodded and began to calculate: "This twenty taels of silver, plus the one tael and a little over that Xiaoyin had, and the two taels that Xiaoqing had, totals a little over twenty-three taels. These gold jewelry pieces are worth at least twenty taels. This ginseng, although not very old, is still worth more than ten taels. Add to that the books and writing implements..." He paused, "This morning, we've found at least fifty or sixty taels worth of stuff."

The room was quiet for a moment, then erupted into a suppressed cheer.

Chen Xiaohe blushed with excitement: "Dad! We're rich!"

Chen Dashan was also excited, but he was more composed than his younger brother. After thinking for a moment, he said to his father, "Dad, now that we have this much money, should we buy that shop we had our eye on before?"

Mr. Chen was taken aback: "You mean the general store on East Street?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "That's right. That shop is in a good location, so there's no problem renting it out. With this unexpected windfall, plus our family's savings, it should be enough."

Mr. Chen pondered for a moment, then looked at Mrs. Chen. Mrs. Chen thought for a moment and said, "That shop is indeed good. If we buy it and rent it out, we'll have income every month, which is better than keeping the money at home."

Mr. Chen then looked at his two daughters-in-law. Su Xiaoyin nodded: "I think it's a good idea too. We can't live in this house for the time being, so we can buy a shop and rent it out, and then our family will have two stable sources of income."

Su Xiaoqing nodded as well.

After a moment of silence, Mr. Chen finally nodded: "Alright. Let's do as Da Shan said and buy that shop as well. We'll leave this house for now and fix it up slowly. We'll take care of the shop tomorrow."

Chen Dashan breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face.

---

In the afternoon, the family tidied up for a while, putting things away. As the sun began to set, they locked the gate and drove home.

On the way back, Chen Xiaohe was still excitedly talking about the twenty taels of silver, gold jewelry, and ginseng. Su Xiaoqing glared at him, telling him to keep his voice down so no one could hear.

Chen Dashan drove the cart steadily. Su Xiaoyin leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Dashan, our family is getting better and better."

Chen Dashan nodded, a warm feeling welling up inside him.

Yes, things are getting better and better. From being a disabled veteran who was disliked by others, to now owning land, mountains, two properties in the county town, a virtuous wife, and four lovely children... it all feels like a dream.

But he knew this wasn't a dream. It was something his family had earned through hard work, bit by bit.

The setting sun cast long shadows of them. The mule cart creaked and groaned along, carrying the family's hopes and future towards that warm little courtyard.

Chen Dashan got up very early the next morning.

He put on the clean clothes he usually wore when going out, and carefully wrapped up the house deed, the silver, and the jewelry he had found yesterday, then tucked them into his pocket. Su Xiaoyin straightened his collar and instructed him, "Speak politely when you get there, don't rush."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Understood."

Chen Xiaohe had also finished packing, and the two brothers hitched up the mule cart and headed towards the county town.

---

Upon arriving in the county town, they went directly to find Liu Yilong. Liu Yilong was working in the yamen (government office) when he heard they had arrived, and he quickly came out.

"Big Mountain, Little River, what brings you here today?" Liu Yilong asked with a smile.

Chen Dashan pulled him aside and lowered his voice to explain his purpose. Liu Yilong's eyes lit up: "You want to buy that general store?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "Yes. The family has discussed it and wants to buy it."

Liu Yilong thought for a moment and said, "The starting price for that shop is eighty taels. If you really want it, I can help you negotiate a lower price."

Chen Dashan took out some silver from his pocket and handed it to Liu Yilong for him to see. Liu Yilong glanced at it and nodded, "Alright, you wait here, I'll go and negotiate for you."

---

Liu Yilong returned in less than an hour.

"Done! Seventy-five taels! You just need to pay the difference for the red contract." He smiled broadly.

Chen Dashan felt relieved and quickly paid the difference in silver he had brought. Liu Yilong handed him the document: "This is the property deed, stamped by the government. Keep it safe."

Chen Dashan took it, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at it carefully; it clearly stated the address on East Street in the county town, the area, the boundaries, and was stamped with the county government's large red seal.

He carefully put away the property deed and solemnly said to Liu Yilong, "Manager Liu, thank you very much."

Liu Yilong waved his hand: "Don't be so polite. We've known each other for so long, we're practically family. If you ever need anything, just come to me."

---

On the way back, Chen Xiaohe was so excited he couldn't sit still, constantly looking at the property deed and asking questions. Chen Dashan let him be, and was happy about it too.

With this shop, there will be rent income every month. With a steady stream of income, life will become more and more stable.

When he got home, Mr. and Mrs. Chen were already waiting. Chen Dashan took out the property deed, and Mr. Chen looked at it, nodded, and his eyes became a little hot.

Chen's mother muttered from the side, "Two shops...two shops now...our family can be considered to have property now..."

Su Xiaoyin held her hand and whispered, "Mother, things will get even better from now on."

Mr. Chen carefully put away the house deed and said to his family, "Don't tell anyone about this. Wealth should be kept hidden; only by keeping a low profile can we make a fortune. Let's close the door and live our lives quietly."

The whole family nodded in agreement.

---

That evening, Chen's mother prepared a sumptuous dinner: braised pork, stewed tofu, scrambled eggs, and a large pot of steaming multigrain porridge. The family sat together, enjoying the meal in a lively atmosphere.