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

Chen Dashan got up very early for his first time setting up a stall in the county town after the New Year.

It was still dark when he harnessed the mule. Chen Xiaohe rubbed his eyes and came out of the house, yawning, "Brother, so early?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "Let's go early. We need to have a good start to the new year. Besides, we have important business to attend to today."

Su Xiaoyin chased after Chen Dashan from inside the house and handed him a bundle: "Take this with you. If you're too busy at noon, buy some food in the county town. Don't go hungry."

Chen Dashan took it and looked at her hair, which was ruffled by the morning breeze, and felt a warmth in his heart: "Okay, go back inside, it's cold outside."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, then added, "Drive carefully on the road," before turning back.

The mule cart creaked and groaned as it left the gate and headed towards the county town.

---

Upon arriving in the county town, the two brothers set up their stall; it was already broad daylight. Chen Dashan said to his younger brother, "Watch the stall for a while; I'm going to the brokerage."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Brother, you go ahead, I'll stay here."

Chen Dashan walked through the market and arrived at the brokerage firm in the county town. He planned to hand over the shop on East Street that he had bought before the New Year to the brokerage firm for rent. He wasn't sure how much rent he could collect each month, but it was better than leaving it vacant.

The brokerage firm's manager was a middle-aged man in his fifties surnamed Zhou, with a perpetually smiling face. After Chen Dashan explained his purpose, Manager Zhou pulled out a notebook, glanced at it, and said, "That shop on East Street has a good location; several people have inquired about it before. I'll give you an estimate: eight hundred cash a month, one month's deposit and three months' rent in advance. What do you think?"

Chen Dashan thought for a moment. Eight hundred cash a month, that's a little over nine taels of silver a year. It's not much, but it's stable. He nodded: "Alright, let's do as Manager Zhou says."

Manager Zhou quickly drafted the contract, which Chen Dashan carefully reviewed to ensure it was correct before signing and affixing his seal. Manager Zhou handed him a copy of the contract and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Carpenter Chen, I'll guarantee you a good tenant for this shop. The rent will be delivered to you on time every month."

Chen Dashan took the contract and carefully put it away. As he walked out of the brokerage, he breathed a sigh of relief—finally, his family would have a stable source of income.

---

Back at the stall, Chen Xiaohe was busy attending to customers. Seeing his older brother return, he took a moment to ask, "Brother, is everything settled?"

Chen Dashan nodded and helped greet the guests. Only after this group of guests left did he take out the contract to show his younger brother.

Chen Xiaohe looked at it, his eyes lighting up: "Eight hundred cash a month! That's more than nine taels a year! Brother, our family will have a stable income now!"

Chen Dashan carefully put away the contract and nodded: "Yes. But we need to work harder this year. After buying these two shops, both the public funds and our own family's savings have shrunk considerably. We need to save up quickly."

Chen Xiaohe patted his chest: "Don't worry, brother, I'll definitely work hard! Look—" He pointed to the new items displayed on the stall, "I've woven a lot more winnowing baskets, wicker baskets, and carrying baskets. I also made a bamboo tea set with plum blossoms carved on it, isn't it beautiful?"

Chen Dashan followed his finger and saw a set of exquisite bamboo teaware. The teapot, teacups, and tea tray were all made of bamboo, polished smooth and rounded, and decorated with sparse plum blossoms, giving it a very elegant feel.

"Not bad," Chen Dashan praised, "Your hands are getting more and more skillful."

Chen Xiaohe chuckled and started shouting again.

---

Business was pretty good all morning. People came and went, buying bamboo crafts, wood carvings, and embroidery. The two brothers were busy as bees, but they were happy.

Around noon, a person walked up to the stall.

Chen Dashan looked up and immediately stood up: "Manager Sun! Long time no see! What brings you here?"

The visitor was none other than Manager Sun of the Sun Family Bookstore. He was wearing a dark blue cotton robe, a smile on his face, and carrying a bundle in his hand.

"Carpenter Chen, Happy New Year!" Shopkeeper Sun greeted him with a cupped-hand salute.

Chen Dashan quickly returned the greeting: "Happy New Year, Manager Sun! What brings you here today?"

Manager Sun placed the bundle on the stall and said with a smile, "I heard from Manager Liu last time that you can make furniture. I'd like to order a batch of pen holders and pen rests. I wonder if you would accept orders?"

Chen Dashan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly said, "Yes, of course! What kind do you want, Manager Sun? How many sets?"

Shopkeeper Sun took out a piece of paper from his pocket, on which a design was drawn and dimensions were marked. Chen Dashan took it and looked at it carefully. The pen holder should be carved, and the pen rest should be simple.

"I've made pen holders like this before." Chen Dashan took a sample from under the stall and handed it to Manager Sun. "Take a look, is this craftsmanship acceptable?"

Shopkeeper Sun took it and examined it carefully. The pen holder was made of fine wood, polished smooth, and carved with a few bamboo branches—simple yet full of charm. He nodded in satisfaction: "The craftsmanship is impeccable. This is what I want."

Chen Dashan asked, "How many sets do you want?"

Manager Sun said, "Fifty sets. Delivery will be in batches: twenty sets the first time, thirty sets the second. How long do you think it will take to finish?"

Chen Dashan quickly did the math in his head—fifty sets of pen holders and pen racks, requiring carving and polishing, and also taking into account the time delays caused by spring plowing. He looked up: "Twenty sets can be delivered in a month and a half. Thirty sets will have to wait until after spring plowing is over, another month."

Manager Sun thought for a moment and nodded: "The time is fine. What about the price?"

Chen Dashan said, "Fifty sets will cost two and a half taels of silver in total. The main thing is that the pen holders need to be carved, so it will take a while."

Shopkeeper Sun didn't haggle. He took out a tael of silver from his sleeve and placed it on the stall: "This is a tael of deposit. The rest will be settled when the goods are delivered. If possible, we'll do it as early as possible, as I need it on my end."

Chen Dashan quickly wrote a receipt and handed both the silver and the receipt to Manager Sun. Manager Sun put it away, then suddenly asked, "By the way, does your wife still accept orders for embroidery?"

Chen Dashan was taken aback: "Embroidery? We still accept those, but it depends on the specific requirements."

Shopkeeper Sun nodded: "A relative of mine from the prefectural city visited me before the New Year and saw that painting of the Five Relationships. He loved it so much that he asked me to come and ask if he could order one for himself."

Chen Dashan was secretly delighted, but maintained a composed demeanor: "Manager Sun, I don't know much about embroidery. How about this, I'll have my wife go to the bookstore tomorrow, and you can discuss it with her in detail?"

Manager Sun nodded: "Alright, have them come over tomorrow morning. I'll wait at the shop."

After saying that, he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, turned around, and left.

---

As soon as Manager Sun left, Chen Xiaohe crowded around, his eyes shining brightly: "Big Brother! Big Brother! Another order! Two and a half ounces for carpentry, and who knows how much for the embroidery! What a great start to the year!"

Chen Dashan smiled and patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "Yes, it's a good omen. Our business will definitely be good this year."

Chen Xiaohe rubbed his hands excitedly: "Big brother, let's hurry up and pack up and go home! Let's tell sister-in-law and Xiaoqing this good news!"

Chen Dashan glanced at the sky; it was past noon, and the market was gradually emptying out. He nodded: "Okay, pack up and go home."

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