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

"Xiaohe, I'm back from the neighboring county. I'll need you and Dashan to make me something."

That evening, Chen Xiaohe had just returned from studying in a neighboring county. Before he even entered his house, he was stopped by Brother De. Brother De stood under a big tree at the village entrance, a smile on his face, but it was clear that he had been waiting there specifically for him.

Chen Xiaohe put down his basket, wiped his sweat, and asked, "Brother De, what are you making?"

De Ge said, "I rented a shop in the county town. The location is a bit out of the way, and the building is old and dilapidated, so it needs to be renovated. I'll need Da Shan to take the measurements and make the doors, windows, shelves, and signboard for me. Just tell me how much it costs, don't be shy."

"The cellar shelf I had your older brother make last time, my dad said it was really useful." Chen Xiaohe said, "Okay, I'll go back and tell my brother to take a look at your shop when he has some time."

Brother De nodded and said, "The shop's location isn't good; it needs to be tidied up properly before it's presentable. My dad thought the price was acceptable, so he let me take it over. We just finalized the deal and were thinking of asking you guys for help."

Chen Xiaohe asked curiously, "Brother De, what kind of things are you planning to sell at the shop?"

Brother De didn't hide anything, saying, "We have a lot of fruit, and we can't sell it all just by setting up a stall. It would be a waste if it rotted. I contacted a merchant caravan, and we'll sell the good fruit to them. The rest, which isn't as good, we'll sell in our shop. We also sell the mushrooms and wild vegetables from the mountains, which we can't sell much of at the stall. Basically, we keep enough of what's produced in the mountains and the grain from the fields for our own consumption, and sell the rest."

Chen Xiaohe listened and secretly admired him. De Ge's family had a lot of land and large barren mountains, so their output was naturally abundant, and selling their own produce was enough to support them. Unlike his family, they had to think about selling other things.

De Ge then asked, "Xiao He, I heard your family is going to open a general store. What are you planning to sell?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "Our family mainly sells fruits and vegetables, things produced in the mountains, and some other miscellaneous goods. We can't compare to your family; we have to gradually acquire more."

Brother De patted him on the shoulder: "No rush, take your time. Everyone is feeling their way across the river. I'm leaving now, you go back and rest."

---

When Chen Xiaohe returned home, he told Chen Dashan about De Ge's situation. After listening, Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay, I'll go to his shop to check on him after I'm done with these few days."

When Mr. Chen returned from the mountain, he carried two watermelons and several cantaloupes, which he placed on the stone table in the yard. The melons had just been picked from the vines, still with their leaves attached, and were a vibrant green, a truly delightful sight.

"Come on, try this year's melons." Father Chen took a knife and cut open a watermelon. It had red flesh and black seeds, and was sweet and juicy, with juice flowing down the cut. He then cut open a cantaloupe. It had golden flesh and a fragrant aroma.

The family gathered around, each taking a slice. Chen Xiaohe took a bite of watermelon and exclaimed, "Sweet! So sweet! Even better than last year's!"

Chen's mother also tasted a bite of the melon and nodded in satisfaction: "This melon tastes good; it will definitely sell well in the county town."

Chen's father said, "Dashan, let's go up the mountain and pick more tomorrow. You can take them to the shop to sell, and your mother and I will set up a stall at the market. Selling them both ways will help us sell more."

Chen Dashan said, "Okay, I'll go pick them first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, Dad, for the shop's opening, shouldn't we set off firecrackers to let the neighbors know?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "Of course. We'll buy some firecrackers to set off tomorrow, for good luck."

Su Xiaoyin said from the side, "Dad, let's go help out tomorrow too. The more people there are, the more lively it will be, and it'll bring some customers to the shop."

Mr. Chen smiled and said, "Alright, you can arrange it as you see fit."

Su Xiaoyin turned to Su Xiaoqing and said, "Xiaoqing, we're going to eat in the county town tomorrow, so we need to prepare the food in advance."

Su Xiaoqing responded, and the two sisters turned and went to the kitchen to get busy.

---

In the kitchen, Su Xiaoyin checked out the vegetables she would bring for tomorrow, one by one. The greens were freshly picked from the garden, tender and fresh; she had a basketful of eggs; and there was still a piece of cured meat left, which would be just right for stir-frying. She then checked the seasonings; there was enough soy sauce, salt, and vinegar, no need to add more.

While clearing away the dishes, Su Xiaoqing suddenly remembered something and asked, "Sister, what kind of fork should we use for the guests to taste the melon tomorrow? We can't expect them to eat it with their hands, can we?"

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Yes, we need to make some small forks. Let Xiaohe make some bamboo forks, and have him make dozens of small forks. Tomorrow, we can cut half a watermelon and half a cantaloupe, and if someone asks, we can let them have a taste. Cut them into smaller pieces, and eat them with a fork; it's clean and presentable."

Su Xiaoqing laughed: "That's a great idea! People will immediately know that our family is particular about things."

Su Xiaoyin wiped her hands, walked into the yard, and said to Chen Xiaohe, who was sharpening a knife, "Xiaohe, hurry up and make a few dozen small forks. We'll have them for people to taste the melons tomorrow."

Chen Xiaohe looked up: "A little fork?"

Su Xiaoyin gestured: "Just this big, with one pointed end, enough to hold a melon. It doesn't need to be too fine, but it has to be smooth so it won't prick your mouth."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, put down the whetstone, and went to the woodworking shop to find bamboo. He picked out a piece of fine-grained scrap, sawed it into small sections, shaped them with a knife, and finally sanded them carefully. After working for more than half an hour, dozens of small forks were neatly arranged on the table, all the same size, smooth and round.

Chen Dashan leaned over to take a look, picked one up and twirled it in his hand: "Xiaohe's craftsmanship is really good. This little fork is even more exquisite than the ones you can buy."

Chen Xiaohe checked it again to make sure there were no burrs before putting it into a small bamboo basket.

---

In the evening, the family sat together in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air.

Mr. Chen, puffing on his pipe, said slowly, "The shop's opening tomorrow is a big event for our family. Over the years, we've gone from nothing to something, from being penniless to now owning land, mountains, and a shop in the county town. It hasn't been easy."

Chen's mother said, "Yes, it's all thanks to the whole family working together."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad, I'll go to the shop to sell melons tomorrow, and you and Mom can set up a stall at the market. If we sell from both places, we'll definitely sell more than in previous years."

Su Xiaoyin said, "Dad, let's help out at the shop tomorrow and see what other general stores sell. That way we can buy some things ourselves later."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay. Take your time, no rush. Let's sell the melons first, and add the others later."

Chen Xiaohe suddenly said, "Dad, De Ge's shop is almost ready. When both our families are in the county town, we can look after each other."

Mr. Chen smiled: "De-ge is a capable boy, just like his father. With him around, we can learn a lot from him."

As night deepened, the family members went back to their rooms to rest.

Su Xiaoyin lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking about tomorrow. The shop was opening, selling melons, letting people taste the melons, and preparing meals... everything had to be arranged properly.

Chen Dashan lay down next to her, his eyes closed, but he couldn't fall asleep. He was thinking about the shop's arrangements for tomorrow: how to display the melons, how to set the prices, and how to greet customers when they arrived.

"Dashan," Su Xiaoyin said softly, "tomorrow will definitely be better."

Chen Dashan hummed in agreement and reached out to take her hand.

The moon has risen outside the window, casting its gentle light upon the ground. Tomorrow will be a good day.