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

The next morning, Mr. Chen got up early.

He put on the clean clothes he usually wore when going out, tucked the address Li Hu had given him into his pocket, checked the silver pouch again, and then left. Today he was going to the county town to find that bricklayer Liu and finalize the matter of building the shop.

Chen's mother was feeding the chickens in the yard. When she saw him come out, she told him, "Drive carefully on the road. Don't be in a hurry if you can't reach an agreement. Ask around at a few more places."

Mr. Chen nodded: "I understand. You go about your business."

He drove the mule cart toward the county town, pondering what he would ask later. Li Hu said that Liu the bricklayer was skilled and his prices were fair, but he would only know for sure after meeting him.

---

Upon arriving in the county town, Chen's father followed the address to an alley on East Street. The alley wasn't deep; it was the third house. The gate was an ordinary wooden door, the paint somewhat peeling, but it was closed tightly.

Mr. Chen knocked on the door, and after a short while, the door opened from the inside, and a middle-aged man in his forties poked his head out. The man was wearing a short brown shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his hands were still covered in mud; he looked like a laborer.

"Excuse me, is this Liu the bricklayer's house?" Mr. Chen asked politely.

The man glanced at him, then nodded. "That's me. And you are?"

Mr. Chen quickly explained his purpose: "I'm from Nanshan Village, and my surname is Chen. Li Hu from our village recommended Master Liu, saying he's skilled and his prices are fair. My family is planning to build a shop in the county town, so I came to ask if Master Liu has time to take on this job."

Upon hearing that Li Hu had introduced him, Liu the bricklayer's expression softened considerably. He opened the door and said, "So you're a friend of Brother Li Hu. Please come in and let's talk."

Chen's father followed him into the courtyard. The courtyard wasn't large, but it was tidy. There were some bricks, tiles, and timber piled up in the corner, as well as a few unfinished stone troughs. The bricklayer, Liu, led him into the main room and poured him a bowl of water.

"Brother Chen, what kind of shop do you want to build? Approximately how big?" Liu the bricklayer asked directly.

Mr. Chen explained his family's situation: "It's a small courtyard in the alley behind East Street. I'm thinking of building a general store on the open space behind the courtyard. It's not a big place, but I want to build it sturdily so it can be used for a long time."

Liu the bricklayer nodded and asked some more details, such as the orientation of the shop, the size of the entrance, and whether or not to include windows. Chen's father answered each question, explaining the general meaning of everything, even though he didn't quite understand some parts.

After listening, Liu the bricklayer asked again, "Brother Chen, are you planning to provide both labor and materials, or do you only need me to provide the skills and you can prepare the materials yourself?"

Mr. Chen said, "We have prepared some timber and stone at home, which are leftovers from building the house. We'll have to trouble Mr. Liu to prepare the rest."

Liu the bricklayer said, "Okay. But I need to go to the site first to take a look and measure the dimensions before I can give you a precise price."

Mr. Chen stood up: "That's perfect. Is Mr. Liu available now? Let's go check on him right away."

Liu the bricklayer picked up his tool bag and followed Chen's father out the door.

---

The two arrived at the alley behind East Street. Chen's father pushed open the courtyard gate and led Liu the bricklayer to the open space in the backyard.

Liu the bricklayer put down his toolbox, walked around the open space, and then squatted down to examine the foundation. He took out a ruler from his toolbox and began to measure carefully, memorizing the length and width.

Chen's father watched from the side without disturbing them.

After measuring for a while, Liu the bricklayer straightened up and said to Chen's father, "Brother Chen, this place is good, and the foundation is solid. If you want to build, you can build a general store of fifteen to twenty-five square meters. There will be more than enough room for two or three rows of shelves. You can also partition off a small space of about two square meters in the corner to store goods, which will be very convenient."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen said, "Then let's build a bigger one, twenty-five square meters. We'll have a lot of stuff in the future, and a small one won't have enough room."

Liu the bricklayer nodded, took out a small notebook from his pocket, and began to calculate: "For 25 square meters, the amount of red bricks needed will be between 3,600 and 4,000. The current price of red bricks, plus delivery to your door, will be about three taels of silver. We'll need 2,000 to 2,200 tiles, plus lime, sand, and other materials, which will cost a total of more than six taels of silver."

Mr. Chen silently calculated in his mind that the price was a bit higher than he had expected, but it was still within an acceptable range.

Liu the bricklayer continued, "I'll be responsible for building the entire general store, and the wage is three taels of silver. I'll bring two extra people with me, and I'll pay for their wages; you don't need to worry about that. As for the timeframe, if all the materials are ready, it should be completed in about twenty days."

He paused, then added, "This price doesn't include carpentry work. Doors, windows, and shelves will need to be done by someone else."

Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen felt relieved. They could do the carpentry themselves; Da Shan and Xiao He were both skilled carpenters, which would save them the money.

"Master Liu, this price is acceptable. I'll go back and discuss it with my family, and I'll give you a definite answer tomorrow," said Mr. Chen.

Liu the bricklayer nodded: "Okay, Brother Chen. Just come find me once you've discussed it. My schedule isn't too full, so I can arrange the time."

Mr. Chen asked a few more questions, such as where the red bricks were bought and how the quality of the lime was guaranteed. The bricklayer, Mr. Liu, answered each question sincerely, not as if he were just giving a perfunctory answer.

---

After seeing Liu the bricklayer off, Chen's father didn't rush home, but stood in the yard for a while longer.

He looked at the empty lot, imagining what the shop would look like once it was built. He envisioned selling the produce from the mountain, the bamboo and wood carvings from his home, and the embroidery from his two daughters-in-law. When his children grew up, they would also have a livelihood.

As he thought about it, a smile appeared on his face.

When he got home, the sun was already setting. His mother was busy in the kitchen. Seeing him return, she asked, "How did it go? Did you find him?"

Mr. Chen nodded and recounted what had happened that day. After listening, Mrs. Chen said, "Then let's discuss this properly tonight."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also came in from the courtyard. Hearing this, they both crowded around to ask. Chen's father explained the situation again, and finally said, "I think this Liu the bricklayer is reliable, and his price is reasonable. What do you think?"

Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop and, upon hearing this, asked, "Dad, is it settled then?"

Mr. Chen said, "I'm thinking of finalizing this. That bricklayer Liu seems reliable and honest. I'll go see him tomorrow and finalize the deal. We also need to gather the materials quickly so we can start work and finish as soon as possible."

Chen Xiaohe said from the side, "Dad, we need to hurry up and prepare some more timber. Doors, windows, and shelves all need to be made to order."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Yes, you two have worked hard these past few days. Once the shop is built, we can start making arrangements gradually."

Su Xiaoyin brought over a bowl of water and handed it to Chen's father, saying, "Dad, does that mean we'll have a place to stay in the county town from now on?"

Mr. Chen took the water, took a sip, and smiled, "Yes. This way, when you go to the county town, you'll have a place to rest. And when the children grow up and go to school, they'll have a place to stay."

The whole family listened with smiles on their faces.

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly. A new day, a new hope, is slowly unfolding.