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

Chen Dashan said, "Okay, let's go together then. I think the varieties the old master has are pretty good. Next year, we can ask him for some branches to graft, which is faster than buying new saplings."

De Ge's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I'll go back and ask the master grafter when is the best time to graft. We can do it together then."

The two talked about the fruit trees for a while longer. Then, Brother De looked at the sky, stood up, and said, "Alright, I'm leaving. I'll come find you tomorrow morning, and we can go to the shop together."

Chen Dashan saw him to the gate of the courtyard: "Take care, Brother De."

After seeing Brother De off, Chen Dashan returned to the main room. Su Xiaoyin was tidying up the teacups and asked him, "What did Brother De want with you?"

Chen Dashan explained De Ge's purpose and then brought up the matter of the fruit trees. Su Xiaoyin listened and said, "The dates are small, but they can be used to make date paste and desserts. Don't we sell candied fruit in our shop? We can also sell date paste cakes and date paste pastries."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "That's a good idea. You and Xiaoqing can try it out later."

Su Xiaoyin smiled: "Okay, we'll make a batch during the Chinese New Year and see if it sells well."

That evening, the family sat together. Chen Dashan explained De Ge's purpose for coming and then brought up the fruit trees. Chen's father, smoking his pipe, slowly said, "De Ge is very thoughtful. We really should thank the old master. Next year, you two brothers should pay close attention to the fruit trees. If the jujube trees can be grafted successfully, it will be a source of income in the future."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Dad, I've discussed it with Brother De. We'll go deliver the New Year's gifts around the 20th of the twelfth lunar month. I'll bring whatever we have at home."

Chen's mother said, "The dried persimmons, dried fruit, and cured meat are all prepared. You should also bring two packets of good tea; it will make you look presentable."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, Mother, please help me prepare."

As night deepened, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Chen Dashan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking about tomorrow's tasks. De Ge's shop needed repairs; he needed to take measurements. The housework couldn't be stopped either. The New Year was just a few days away; he needed to hurry and finish what he had to do.

----

Another ten days or so passed, and the Chinese New Year was just around the corner.

Chen Dashan finally finished the carpentry work on his newly purchased shop and De Ge's new shop. These days, he spent every day in the carpentry workshop, sawing wood, shaving, chiseling mortise and tenon joints, sanding, and applying tung oil, doing each step meticulously. De Ge wasn't in a hurry to finish, but he was thinking that if he finished before the New Year, the other party could arrange to rent it out after the holiday.

That afternoon, Chen Dashan installed the last few window frames, checked the opening and closing of the door panels again, and only after confirming that there were no problems did he call Brother De over.

"Brother De, take a look, is it okay? If there's anything wrong, I'll fix it." Chen Dashan stood in the shop, his clothes still covered in sawdust, a smile on his face.

Brother De walked around the shop, pushing each door and window aside and examining the mortise and tenon joints closely. The window frames fit perfectly, the door panels were thick and flat, and the hinges were securely fastened, making no sound when opened or closed. He then tapped on the window frame and nodded in satisfaction.

"No problem, it looks great to me. Dashan, your skills are among the best in this area." Brother De patted Chen Dashan on the shoulder and said with a smile, "I'll rent out this shop after the New Year. Now that it's all cleaned up, I can get a few more taels of rent."

Chen Dashan smiled too, and the two stood at the shop entrance, basking in the rare winter sun. Several children were setting off firecrackers on the street, the crackling sound instantly adding to the festive atmosphere.

"Brother De, you've been doing better and better these past two years," Chen Dashan said.

Brother De waved his hand and said with a smile, "Your family is the same. They're busy all year round, running shops, stalls, doing carpentry, embroidery—they don't miss a thing. They must be making a lot of money, right?"

Chen Dashan chuckled and didn't respond to that. Brother De didn't press further and turned to talk about the child.

"By the way, Dashan, when are you planning to send your children to school? I'm thinking of sending my youngest son. He can't sit still at home; we need to get a tutor to discipline him."

Chen Dashan said, "The family has this plan. We want to send all three boys there. It's a pity the school doesn't accept girls, otherwise I would also like to send Qingqing there. At least she can learn to read and write, so she won't be cheated when she gets married and has a marriage contract."

Brother De nodded: "That's right. Things are different now than before; literacy is still useful. So, after the New Year, shall we send the children to the county school? Then your Shitou, Afu, and Aji will have some company with my youngest son."

Chen Dashan asked, "Brother De, which restaurant in the county town are you planning to send it to?"

Brother De said, "I inquired about the school Li Hu's child attends before, and I heard it's good. The tuition isn't expensive, and the teachers are dedicated. If the child has talent for the imperial examinations, they'll even help recommend him to other schools. I'm planning to go there."

Chen Dashan nodded: "My dad inquired about that family before. Li Hu said that Liu Xiucai is a good teacher and patient with children who are just beginning their education. Let's go and ask him together after the New Year and make a decision."

De Ge said, "Okay, it's settled then."

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Chen Dashan took his leave.

The streets were busier than usual, filled with people buying New Year's goods. Vendors selling couplets, firecrackers, and candied fruit called out their wares. Chen Dashan passed a cosmetics shop; several women were lined up at the entrance, indicating the business was thriving. He slowed his pace and glanced inside.

Behind the counter, on the shelf, were various kinds of rouge, face powder, hand cream, and a few silk flowers, brightly colored and exquisitely crafted. He remembered that Su Xiaoyin was always busy at home, her hands always dry. That box of clam oil was long gone, and he hadn't heard her mention it again. A few days ago, when she was washing clothes, her hands were chapped and cracked in several places, but she didn't say a word, only applying some leftover lard before going to bed at night.

Chen Dashan touched the copper coins in his pocket and went inside.

The shop was even more bustling inside than it appeared from the outside. The shopkeeper was a woman in her forties, well-dressed, with powdered face, smiling as she greeted customers. Chen Dashan stood in front of the counter, somewhat hesitant. It was his first time in a place like this, and he didn't know what to buy.

"Brother, are you buying this for your family?" The shopkeeper noticed his embarrassment and asked with a smile.

Chen Dashan nodded: "Buy a box of hand cream. A decent one."

The shopkeeper took a small porcelain box from the counter, opened the lid, and inside was a milky white ointment with a faint osmanthus scent. She picked up a little with her finger and spread it on the back of her hand: "This is newly arrived, moisturizing but not greasy. All the ladies in the county use this. Smell it, it smells like osmanthus, it smells nice."