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

"Dashan, how was it when you delivered the things to Registrar Wu? Was he satisfied?"

Chen Dashan had just returned from the county town. Before the oxcart had even come to a complete stop, his father came out of the yard to greet him, his face filled with anxiety. He had been thinking about this matter for the past few days. The set of tables and chairs for Wu Zhubu was something Dashan had painstakingly made over half a month. If Wu Zhubu wasn't satisfied, not only would he not get paid, but all the big jobs that followed would also be canceled.

Chen Dashan tied up the ox, brushed the sawdust off his clothes, and said with a smile, "Satisfied, Clerk Wu is very satisfied. He even sat on it to try it out and said the chair was sturdy and the tabletop was smooth, even better than he expected."

Mr. Chen breathed a sigh of relief, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out: "That's good, that's good."

Chen Dashan continued, "Registrar Wu said that all the carpentry work at his shop will be my responsibility. I have to go there tomorrow; they've already started work, and the scaffolding is almost completely dismantled. The project will take about a month, and the wage is five taels of silver. If there are any additional costs later, the wage will also increase."

"Five taels of silver!" Father Chen's eyes lit up, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded. "Good, good, good, you can do this job. Here's what we'll do: you'll go to the county town tomorrow. You'll work for Registrar Wu during the day and stay with your mother at night, and spend some time with the children. Shi Tou and the others are in the county town, and your mother is taking care of them alone. Now we have Li An too, and I'm a little worried about her; I'm afraid she won't be able to manage. If you go, you can lend a hand."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "Dad, what about home here..."

Father Chen waved his hand: "Xiaohe and I are here at home, so don't worry. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing will continue as before, selling goods at the general store during the day and coming back at night. But since you live in the county town, it's fine if Xiaoyin doesn't come back. You can all live in the county town, so there's room. There are plenty of empty rooms in the old house; we can just clean one out."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay, Dad, I'll discuss it with Xiaoyin tonight. It seems their Five Relationships Chart is finished too, and we should be able to send it to Madam Qian in the next day or two."

Mr. Chen then asked, "By the way, have all the vegetables been planted on our mountain?"

Chen Dashan said, "It's planted. I think the wild vegetables can be harvested for a while longer, so I'll pick as many as possible while they're still tender. It'll be better when the vegetables from our own farm come in a while, because of these wild vegetables, our grocery store's business has been much better."

Mr. Chen laughed: "That's right. Spring is the time when fresh produce is scarce. City people have been eating radishes and cabbages all winter, and they're just waiting for this fresh taste. Our shop is nearby, and every morning we put out fresh mountain vegetables, and people come to buy them without us even having to shout."

As the two were talking, the courtyard gate was pushed open. Chen Xiaohe walked in carrying a full basket of wild vegetables on his back, his forehead was sweaty, but his face was smiling.

"Dad, brother, look at all the wild vegetables I've picked! They're so tender and fresh today, they'll definitely sell well at the shop tomorrow." He put his basket on the ground; the shepherd's purse, bitter greens, and dandelions inside were lush and green, still glistening with dew.

Mr. Chen bent down to look at it, then nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, have Xiaoyin take it to the shop first thing tomorrow morning. By the way, did you get the fish basket you took this morning?"

Chen Xiaohe slapped his forehead: "Oh dear, I forgot to take it! I was in a hurry when I left this morning, and I was only focused on carrying the basket. I'll go down again in a bit, and I'll also check if I caught anything yesterday."

Chen Dashan said, "I'll go with you. We can talk as we walk."

The two brothers took their fish baskets and walked side by side toward the stream behind the mountain. On the way, Chen Dashan told his younger brother about going to the county town to do carpentry work. Chen Xiaohe, after listening, smiled and said, "Brother, this is great news! Five taels of silver is enough for the children's tuition for more than half a year. Don't worry, I'll take care of things at home. I can do all the work in the fields, on the mountain, and with the livestock. Besides, we have Dad. If he's too busy, we'll hire someone; it's not like we haven't done it before."

Chen Dashan patted his younger brother's shoulder, feeling a warmth in his heart. The two brothers reached the riverbank, lowered their fish baskets into the water one by one, and weighed them down with stones. The river water was crystal clear, shimmering with golden light in the setting sun. Several small fish swam out from the crevices of the rocks, then quickly darted back in.

In the evening, Su Xiaoyin returned from the county town. She had been busy at the shop all day and looked a little tired, but her spirits were still high. Qingqing followed behind her, carrying a small basket containing two bunches of leftover chives.

Chen's father told Su Xiaoyin about what had happened that day. Su Xiaoyin's eyes lit up after hearing it: "Five taels of silver? That's great! Wu Zhubu has taken a liking to Dashan's skills, so he won't have to worry about finding work in the future."

Su Xiaoqing brought out the food from the kitchen, setting out the bowls and chopsticks as she said, "Sister, our Five Relationships painting is finished. Take it to Madam Qian tomorrow; if she's satisfied, we'll get the money. We need to think carefully about what to embroider next."

Su Xiaoyin sat down, took the bowl and chopsticks, thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow I'll deliver the embroidery design and chat with Madam Qian to see what themes she likes. Manager Sun also said that we should show him the next piece as soon as it's finished, so we need to embroider something we're good at."

Su Xiaoqing nodded and then asked, "Sister, are you staying in the county town these few days or coming back?"

Su Xiaoyin looked at Chen Dashan, who said, "I'm going to work for Registrar Wu starting tomorrow, so I'll be staying in the county town. If you don't come back, you'll have somewhere to stay. We have plenty of empty rooms in our house; we can just clean one out."

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll live in the county town too. I'll run the general store during the day and spend the evenings with the children. The Five Relationships Picture has been sent out, and the next one hasn't been decided yet, so I can take a few days off. But what about the vegetables in the store every morning? Someone has to deliver them from home."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Sister, don't worry. I'll deliver the vegetables every morning. I also have to feed the livestock and tidy up the garden anyway. I'll come back after delivering the vegetables, so it won't interfere with anything. Dad, Xiaohe, and I are here at home, so you can stay in the county town without worry."

Chen's mother, standing nearby, said, "Can Xiaoqing manage all this by herself? Should I come back and help out for a few days?"

Su Xiaoqing shook her head: "Mother, you should stay in the county town with the children. Shitou and the others are at a mischievous age, and I'm afraid they won't study properly if you're not around. Li An is also with us, so you'll have to keep an eye on him."

Chen's mother thought for a moment and nodded: "That's true. Then I'll have to trouble you during this time, Xiaoqing."

Su Xiaoqing smiled: "Mom, don't talk about how hard it is. We're all family, it's only right."

Father Chen put down his bowl, lit his pipe, and said slowly, "Then it's settled. Dashan and Xiaoyin will live in the county town, Xiaoqing will stay home and take care of things, and your wife will continue to help the children with their stall. I'll keep an eye on the work in the fields in the village, and Xiaohe will lend a hand. If you can't manage, hire someone; don't try to do it all yourself."

The whole family nodded in agreement, and that was the end of it.