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

Chen Dashan's heart stirred, and he listened attentively.

Liu Yilong said, "There's a shop at the west end of the county town that was taken over by Wu, the county clerk. The shop is too dilapidated, and many parts need to be renovated. Clerk Wu's idea is to demolish it and rebuild it, and he wants to find a reliable carpenter. You were the first person I thought of."

Chen Dashan was grateful, but he didn't show it on his face. He just nodded and said, "Manager Liu, I've done this kind of work before, but I don't know if I can meet Clerk Wu's requirements."

Liu Yilong said, "I trust your skills. Here's what we'll do: when you're done here, come find me, and I'll take you to see it. You can see what the shop looks like first, so you have a general idea."

Chen Dashan quickly agreed: "Okay, Manager Liu, I'll come find you after I close up shop this afternoon."

Liu Yilong gave a few more instructions before leaving with the teapot.

In the afternoon, the market gradually emptied out. Chen Dashan tidied up the remaining goods, greeted the man at the next stall and asked him to keep an eye on them before going to find Manager Liu.

Liu Yilong was resting in the shed when he saw Chen Dashan arrive. He stood up and said, "Come on, I'll take you there."

The two walked and talked. Liu Yilong lowered his voice and said, "Dashan, let me tell you the truth. I recommended you to Registrar Wu because I wanted him to think highly of me. You've been a carpenter in the county town for quite some time now, and your skills are evident to everyone. So this time, I hope you can take over and do a good job."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Manager Liu, don't worry, I will do my best and not let you down."

Liu Yilong patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

Upon reaching the western end of the county town, a shop could be seen being dismantled from afar. The construction site was a mess, with broken bricks and tiles scattered everywhere, and several workers were carrying away the dismantled debris. A well-dressed middle-aged man stood nearby, hands behind his back, watching expressionlessly.

Liu Yilong strode over and greeted him with a smile: "Registrar Wu, I've brought the person."

Registrar Wu turned around. He was in his forties, with a short beard and sharp eyes. He looked Chen Dashan up and down, and said in a calm tone, "You're the carpenter that Steward Liu mentioned?"

Chen Dashan replied neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Yes, Registrar Wu, my surname is Chen. I run a general store in the county town and also take on carpentry jobs."

Wu, the registrar, grunted in acknowledgment and didn't ask any further questions, leading them inside. The shop had been mostly demolished, with only a few pillars remaining. Wu pointed to a small room at the back and said, "I don't plan to demolish this room. I want to turn it into a small tea room for receiving guests. Could you make me a set of tables and chairs to put in there?"

Chen Dashan carefully examined the room's dimensions and then asked Wu, the registrar, for his specific requirements—the height and width of the table, the style of the chairs, whether they needed carvings, and what kind of wood to use. Wu, the registrar, answered each question, and Chen Dashan silently memorized them.

"Registrar Wu, this set of tables and chairs costs about one tael of silver. If you're in a hurry, I can deliver it to you within fifteen days," Chen Dashan said.

Registrar Wu thought for a moment and nodded, "Alright. You were introduced by Steward Liu, so I trust you." He took out one tael of silver from his sleeve and handed it to Chen Dashan, "This is the full amount, keep it safe. Do a good job, and if you do a good job, all the carpentry work in my shop will be yours."

Chen Dashan accepted the silver, his heart filled with joy, but he kept a composed expression: "Don't worry, Clerk Wu, I will definitely do my best and bring it to you when it's done."

Wu, the registrar, glanced at him again and softened his tone: "No rush, it will take another month for me to start work here. Take your time, and I'll have someone pick it up when it's finished."

Chen Dashan agreed, asked a few more questions, and then took his leave.

On the way back, Chen Dashan thanked Liu Yilong again. Liu Yilong waved his hand: "No need to thank me. You can thank me after you've taken them all. Just send me more wild vegetables when they come out. My mother really wants them; she's been nagging about the ones you sent her last year for months."

Chen Dashan smiled: "Manager Liu, no problem. I'll be the first to send you the wild vegetables as soon as they come out."

The two parted ways at the intersection. Chen Dashan returned to his stall, packed up his things, and drove the mule cart toward the general store.

Chen Xiaohe was waiting for him. Seeing him return, he quickly asked, "Brother, what did Manager Liu want with you?"

Chen Dashan explained Wu Zhubu's job, and Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "One tael of silver! Fifteen days! Brother, this job is doable!"

Chen Dashan nodded: "He is capable. But he has to do it carefully. If he does it well, there will be big work to come. Clerk Wu said that if we are satisfied, all the carpentry work in the shop will be ours."

Chen Xiaohe was even happier, wishing he could go back to work right away. The two closed the shop and drove the oxcart back home.

On the way, Chen Dashan said, "Xiaohe, Shitou and the others are going to school the day after tomorrow. You and I will go to see them off. Brother De said we can't be late; we have to make a good impression on the teacher."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, big brother, I'll go too. It's a big deal for all three of our children to start school together."

By the time they got home, it was almost dark. Su Xiaoyin was cooking in the kitchen, while Chen's mother was soothing the child on the kang (a heated brick bed). Chen Dashan told his father about what had happened that day, and his father nodded: "You must do Wu Zhubu's work diligently. This is an opportunity; if you seize it, you won't have to worry about finding work in the future."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad, I know."

Mr. Chen then asked, "Have you prepared everything the children need for school?"

Chen Dashan took out the meat, red dates, longan, and celery he had bought and placed them on the table. Three portions, neatly arranged, each the same.

Mother Chen looked at the meat and said with satisfaction, "The meat is well-chosen, and the dates are big too. I'll prepare the money again tomorrow, and you can take the children there first thing the day after tomorrow."

Stone ran over, touched the pieces of meat, and asked curiously, "Dad, what are these for?"

Chen Dashan picked him up and said with a smile, "This is a gift for your apprenticeship. I'll send you to school the day after tomorrow. You must study hard and listen to your teacher, okay?"

Shi Tou nodded vigorously: "I know! Dad, I will definitely study hard!"

Aji and Afu also ran over, surrounding Chen Xiaohe and asking him all sorts of questions. Su Xiaoqing smiled and pulled them away, saying, "Stop bothering your dad, go wash your hands, it's time to eat."

At dinner, the family sat together. Mr. Chen took a sip of soup and said slowly, "The children are going to school the day after tomorrow. This is a big event for our family. Shitou, Aji, and Afu, the three of you must study hard and not cause trouble for the teacher."

The three children responded in unison. Qingqing looked on with a hint of envy, but said nothing, simply keeping her head down and eating her rice.

Su Xiaoyin saw through her thoughts, patted her head, and said softly, "Qingqing, your younger brothers will teach you when they come back. You're smarter than them, so you'll definitely learn faster."

Qingqing looked up, her eyes bright: "Mmm!"

Outside the window, the moon rose, casting its gentle light across the floor. Inside the Chen family's house, it was warm and cozy, laughter drifting far away. Tomorrow would be another busy day. But this kind of busyness was fulfilling, and filled with hope.