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

Early in the morning, before dawn, the Chen family's courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Father Chen checked the timber he had bundled up yesterday again, making sure the ropes were all tightened before straightening up. Mother Chen had already harnessed the mule, and the cart was loaded with stones and timber, heavy with loads.

"Old man, let's go first." Chen's mother cracked her whip, and the mule cart slowly drove out of the courtyard gate.

Mr. Chen nodded, then turned and called out, "Dashan, Xiaohe, you two hurry up too!"

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe had already loaded the oxcart. The two jumped onto the cart and followed behind the mule cart, heading towards the county town.

---

The house suddenly became quiet.

Su Xiaoyin stood in the yard, watching the two cars disappear at the end of the village road before turning back into the house. Su Xiaoqing was in the kitchen clearing away the dishes when she saw Su Xiaoyin come in and asked, "Sister, what are we having for lunch?"

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Didn't we have a lot of small fish in the fish basket we caught yesterday from the mountains and rivers? Let's make a stew of small fish and tofu for lunch. I'll also go buy two blocks of tofu."

Su Xiaoqing's eyes lit up: "Stewed small mixed fish with tofu? Delicious! We can make a ring of pancakes for lunch and eat them with the fish soup, it'll be so fragrant!"

Su Xiaoyin smiled: "Okay, then you decide. I'll soak some more beans, grind some soy milk tomorrow, and make some tofu pudding."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Sister, let's soak some more mung beans. It's getting hotter and hotter. Let's make some mung bean soup this afternoon to cool us down."

Su Xiaoyin nodded and turned to go to the storeroom to get the beans.

---

After cleaning up the small fish, Su Xiaoyin went to the garden.

The vegetable garden was lush and green, with the bok choy growing perfectly. She squatted down, picked a handful of tender ones, pulled up a few scallions, and plucked a few chili peppers. Back in the kitchen, she washed and chopped the bok choy, and also cut a small piece of pork cracklings, preparing to stir-fry it with the cracklings for lunch.

There were still mustard tubers pickled last year in the pickled vegetable jar. She took one out, cut it into thin strips, mixed it with sesame oil and vinegar, and a refreshing dish of pickled vegetables was ready.

"Everything's ready." Su Xiaoyin looked at the ingredients prepared on the cutting board and nodded in satisfaction.

---

In the county town, Chen's father, Chen Dashan, and Chen Xiaohe were unloading goods.

In the alley behind East Street, the courtyard was quiet. Chen's father pushed open the gate and drove the mule cart inside, with Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe following behind. The three began unloading the goods; the timber was piled at the entrance of the east wing, and the stones were stacked in the corner of the courtyard.

Chen Dashan straightened up, wiped his sweat, and asked, "Dad, should we build the shop ourselves, or hire someone to do it?"

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen said, "Let me ask about the price of hiring someone to build it. If we build it ourselves, it won't be as sturdy as if it were built by a professional. Besides, this shop will be used for a long time, so we can't be careless."

Chen Xiaohe asked from the side, "Wouldn't it work if we used mud bricks? Mud bricks are cheaper."

Father Chen shook his head: "Mud bricks won't do. The shop can't use mud bricks; it has to be red bricks. Red bricks are cheaper than blue bricks, but still much more expensive than mud bricks."

Chen Dashan calculated for a moment and said, "The price of red bricks will cost at least several taels of silver to build this shop."

Mr. Chen nodded: "We still need to use it. We can't be cheap and build something that won't last more than a few years. We need to get it right the first time so we can have peace of mind later."

Chen Xiaohe scratched his head: "Then we need to find a good craftsman. Dad, do you know anyone like that?"

Mr. Chen said, "I'll go and inquire about it later. Let's gather all the materials first, then we'll find someone."

The three men continued unloading the goods. Once the truckload was unloaded, the sun was already high in the sky. Looking at the sky, Mr. Chen said, "That's about enough. Let's go back to the village for lunch. We'll come back tomorrow."

Chen Dashan rubbed his stomach; he was indeed hungry. The three locked the courtyard gate and drove the cart back.

---

When they got home, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing had already prepared lunch.

On the table sat a steaming pot of stewed small fish and tofu, the broth milky white, the fish tender and fresh; a plate of stir-fried greens with pork cracklings, glistening with oil and emitting a fragrant aroma; and a dish of seasoned pickled vegetable shreds. A ring of golden, crispy cornbreads was stuck around the edge of the pot, looking incredibly delicious.

Chen Dashan and his two companions were starving. After washing their hands, they sat down to eat. Chen Xiaohe picked up a piece of fish with his chopsticks and exclaimed, "Delicious! This fish is so flavorful!"

Su Xiaoyin poured a bowl of water for each of the three of them and said, "Eat slowly, don't choke."

With his mouth full, Chen Xiaohe mumbled, "I'll go again tomorrow, but I need to bring some dry food. I'm starving this morning."

Su Xiaoqing said from the side, "I'll get up early tomorrow morning and make some pancakes for you to take with you. I'll also pack some pickled vegetables so you can have a bite if you get hungry."

Mr. Chen took a sip of the fish soup and said, "Okay, let's do it this way."

After finishing his meal, Chen's father wiped his mouth, stood up, and said, "I'm going to Li Hu's house."

Chen Dashan asked, "Dad, is there something you need to see Uncle Li Hu about?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "Ask him if he knows any craftsmen. He's lived in the county town for so many years, he knows a lot of people."

---

The gate to Li Hu's courtyard was open, and Li Hu was sitting in the yard basking in the sun. Seeing Chen's father enter, he quickly stood up: "Brother Chen, please come in and sit down!"

Chen's father sat down and told him about wanting to find craftsmen to build a shop. After listening, Li Hu thought for a moment and said, "I do know a few craftsmen. There's an old carpenter named Zhou on West Street in the county town. He's skilled and honest. But he mainly does carpentry work; for building the house, you'll need to find a bricklayer."

Mr. Chen asked, "Do you know any bricklayers?"

Li Hu said, "Yes. When I renovated my shop, I hired Liu the bricklayer from East Street in the county town. He's meticulous and his prices are fair. I'll write down his address for you later, you can go and ask him."

Mr. Chen quickly thanked him. Li Hu waved his hand, "No need to thank me, we're neighbors. By the way, Brother Chen, what are you planning to sell at your shop?"

Mr. Chen explained his plan. Li Hu nodded repeatedly after listening, "That's a great idea. Your family has a lot of stuff; opening a shop would be perfect. I'll definitely be a regular customer."

Mr. Chen laughed: "That would be great."

The two talked for a while longer before Mr. Chen took his leave and went home.

---

Back home, Chen's father wrote down the address Li Hu had given him, planning to find time to visit that Liu the bricklayer the next day.

In the courtyard, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were packing materials for tomorrow. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. The four children were chasing the puppy in the yard, their giggles carrying far.

Standing in the courtyard, looking at the whole family, Mr. Chen felt very at ease.

Life goes on like this, one day at a time. Having work to do, something to look forward to, and the family being together—that's better than anything else.

As the sun sets, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys. The Chen family's courtyard is filled with warmth and coziness.