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

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the Chen family's courtyard was bustling with activity.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen packed the selected melons into baskets and took them to Wang's Restaurant first. Wang's Restaurant had been a regular customer of their mountain produce for years, so naturally they wanted to send some over to try the new melons. Mrs. Chen planned to sell the rest at the market.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also loaded the melons onto the oxcart. The melons had grown well this year, and the cart was full, covered with straw mats to prevent them from getting damaged on the road.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing carried baskets filled with vegetables, seasonings, and braised dishes they had brought from home. The four children, still half asleep, were carried into the car, wrapped in blankets, and drowsy.

The mule cart and the oxcart left the village one after the other, heading towards the county town.

Upon arriving in the county town, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe unloaded the melons into the shop. The melons, vibrant green, were displayed on the shelves, looking quite appealing. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took the vegetables to the kitchen, while the four children were led to the yard. Shitou played with his younger siblings, behaving quite well.

Chen Xiaohe hung the firecrackers at the shop entrance and lit them with incense. A series of crackling sounds followed, and the smell of gunpowder wafted far and wide. Nearby neighbors, hearing the noise, all peeked out to see what was happening.

"Is this a newly opened shop?" An older woman walked over and peered inside curiously.

Chen Xiaohe quickly went up to her, smiling and greeting her, "Auntie, our family's new general store is opening today. We sell all the melons we grow ourselves, watermelons and cantaloupes, would you like to try some?"

Su Xiaoyin came out carrying a plate of sliced ​​melon. The melon was cut into small pieces and neatly arranged, with a small fork stuck on each piece. The small forks were made by Chen Xiaohe yesterday; they were polished smooth and round, and looked exquisite.

The woman stabbed a piece of watermelon with a fork, took a bite, and juice dripped down her chin. She nodded repeatedly, "This watermelon is so flavorful, sweet, and delicious! Give me a watermelon, my grandson loves it."

Chen Xiaohe quickly picked out a large one, weighed it, tied it with straw rope, and handed it to the aunt. The aunt paid and left happily.

Several more people gathered around, and Chen Xiaohe greeted them while Su Xiaoyin carried a plate of melons for them to sample. An old man tasted a piece of melon, squinted his eyes, and said, "This melon is fragrant; it tastes just like when I was a child. Give me two; I have a large family."

Some people hesitated after tasting it, but Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "It's homegrown and just picked this morning. You can buy it with confidence. If it's not sweet, you don't have to pay." Hearing this, the person took out his money and bought one.

Throughout the morning, people came and went, a steady stream, but not particularly busy at any particular time. Su Xiaoyin's anxiety gradually subsided. She said goodbye to Su Xiaoqing and turned to go to the kitchen to prepare lunch.

In the kitchen, Su Xiaoyin took out the braised pork offal from yesterday, sliced ​​it thinly, and arranged it on a plate. She also made a cold dish: smashed cucumber, mixed with minced garlic, vinegar, and sesame oil—refreshing and appetizing. The noodles were rolled out in the morning, cooked, rinsed in cold water, and then topped with the braising sauce—a bowl of cold noodles.

"Xiaoqing, I'm going to bring lunch to Mom and Dad. Tell Dashan and Xiaohe to come over for lunch; I see there aren't many people at the shop right now." Su Xiaoyin carried the basket out the door.

Su Xiaoqing wiped her hands, walked into the shop, and said to Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe, "Brother, Xiaohe, you two go back to the yard for lunch. I'll watch the shop. My sister went to deliver food to our parents. The children have already eaten in the yard. You two should hurry up and go; you've been busy all morning."

Chen Dashan nodded, washed his hands with Chen Xiaohe, and returned to the courtyard. On the table were a platter of braised meats, cucumber salad, and a large bowl of cold noodles—it looked very appetizing. The two sat down and ate; they were indeed hungry.

As Chen Dashan ate, he said, "The melons sold well this morning. At this rate, they'll be sold out by the afternoon."

Chen Xiaohe chewed on braised meat and mumbled, "Brother, why don't you sell melons here, and I'll go back to the village to pick more and bring a whole cartload over? Let's sell as many as possible since it's our first day."

Chen Dashan shook his head, swallowed the noodles in his mouth, and said, "No need. We won't sell any more today once we've sold out. If anyone asks, just say that the freshly picked melons are all gone, and you'll have to wait until tomorrow to buy some."

Chen Xiaohe was taken aback: "Why? Why wouldn't you do business with such a good opportunity?"

Chen Dashan put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Think about it, our melons are grown by ourselves, and we know how many we can pick each day. If we sell them all at once, once they're gone, they're gone. If people come to buy them tomorrow and they find they're sold out, it'll be very disappointing. It's better to limit the quantity each day and close up shop when they're sold out. First, it makes people think our melons are in high demand, and second, it tells people that our melons are all freshly picked that day, not old melons bought from outside."

Chen Xiaohe slapped his thigh: "Brother, you're really quick-witted! From now on, we'll just haul this much every day, and go home once we've sold it all!"

Chen Dashan laughed: "Yes, that's right. Take it slow and steady, build up your reputation gradually."

---

Su Xiaoyin carried the basket and hurried to the market. A few people were still browsing at Chen's mother's stall, with Chen's father helping to serve them. Su Xiaoyin didn't rush over; she waited until the people left before placing the basket behind the stall.

"Mom, dinner's ready." She brought out the dishes one by one.

Mrs. Chen sat down, wiped her sweat, and asked, "How's the shop?"

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "That's great. Dashan said he sold quite a lot this morning, and he expects to sell out by the afternoon. He also came up with an idea to limit the quantity sold each day, and close up shop once it's sold out, so people will think our melons are in high demand."

After listening, Mr. Chen nodded: "Dashan is very thoughtful. In business, reputation is the most important thing."

As Chen's mother ate her cold noodles, she smiled and said, "This child is becoming more and more opinionated."

Su Xiaoyin watched the stall for a while, and only after Chen's mother finished eating did she carry the empty basket back home.

---

In the afternoon, the melons in the shop were almost sold out. Chen Dashan looked at the few left on the shelf and said to Chen Xiaohe, "We're not selling these anymore. Take them home and eat them ourselves. Let's close up shop."

Chen Xiaohe tidied up the shop, checked the doors and windows again, and then locked the door. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing had already cleaned up the kitchen, and the four children, tired from playing in the yard, were dozing off against the wall.

The family drove back. The setting sun painted the sky orange-red, and people were watering the fields, the water droplets shimmering in the sunlight. Stone, leaning against Su Xiaoyin's chest, asked sleepily, "Mother, will we come again tomorrow?"

Su Xiaoyin patted his head: "Come on, come every day."

Stone hummed in agreement and then closed his eyes again.

Chen Dashan drove his cart and glanced back at the shop. The setting sun shone brightly on the lintel, making the words "Chen Family General Store" stand out prominently.

He thought to himself, this is a good start.