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

Father Chen said, "Take a look and experiment, try a few different things. If they taste good, take them to the general store to sell. Our store should have as many items as possible."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, already starting to plan the recipe in her mind.

After dinner, Chen Dashan took out a small wooden box from the woodworking shop, inside which were several molds neatly arranged. There were little rabbits, little fish, little flowers, and one was the character "福" (fortune). Each one was polished smooth and round, without a single burr. Su Xiaoyin picked up the little rabbit mold, turning it over and over to examine it, unable to put it down.

"Dashan, your craftsmanship is amazing. This rabbit is so lifelike," Su Xiaoyin said with a smile.

Chen Dashan was unusually embarrassed and waved his hand, saying, "It was just carved according to the pattern; it wasn't difficult."

Su Xiaoqing returned from the county town in the evening and shouted as soon as she entered the door, "Sister! The roast duck is sold out! It was gone before noon! Many people even asked if there would be any left tomorrow!"

Su Xiaoyin was overjoyed and quickly asked, "What did they say? Is the taste good?"

Su Xiaoqing put down her basket, took a sip of water, and said, "Everyone says it's good. One old man said it's even better than another place, the sauce is more fragrant. Sister, you must have been working on the recipe again."

Su Xiaoyin smiled: "I added some dried tangerine peel and licorice. It seems to be working."

Su Xiaoqing added, "Sister, make a few more tomorrow. I think this roast duck could become our shop's signature dish."

Chen Xiaohe also returned from the mountain, carrying a basket of firewood on his back, steam rising from his head. He put down the basket, washed his hands, and sat down to eat.

"Dad, I've discussed it with Brother De. We'll send the master a New Year's gift earlier this year," Chen Xiaohe said while eating. "The master taught us so many real skills, we can't neglect him."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Alright, you can decide on the gift later. Make it substantial; the skills you've learned are genuine and worth the price. They're not holding back, so we can't be stingy either."

Chen Xiaohe said, "De Ge and I plan to go in early December. We'll feel more at ease if we deliver it earlier."

Chen's father then asked, "Have all the fruit trees on the mountain been taken care of?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "It'll be done soon, in two more days. By the way, Dad, I'll go set a few fish baskets tomorrow and catch some fish. We ate all the dried fish we made before in the fall harvest, so we need to stock up. They're good for stewing with tofu or steaming in the winter."

Mr. Chen said, "Okay, set a few more baskets. There's been a lot of rain this year, and the fish in the river are plump."

As night deepened, the family members went to their rooms to rest. Su Xiaoyin lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking about tomorrow's plans. She needed to make several roast ducks, try making jujube cake, mung bean cake, and red bean cake, and the embroidery couldn't stop; everything had to be arranged. But she wasn't worried. With the family working together, they could get through any busyness.

Chen Dashan lay down beside her and whispered, "Xiaoyin, I'll make a mold for you tomorrow. Whatever shape you want, I'll carve it for you."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "I want one shaped like a gourd, which symbolizes good fortune and prosperity."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay, I'll carve it for you tomorrow."

----

"Dad, Brother De told everyone to gather at the village entrance. Is it because we're being forced into labor?"

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula in her hand. She heard the sound of gongs coming from the village, her heart tightened, and she quickly asked Chen's father, who had just entered the yard.

Father Chen leaned his hoe against the wall, sat down on the stone bench, and looked somewhat grave. He waved his hand and said, "It's not about corvée labor. There's a wanted criminal who's wandered into our area. The yamen issued a portrait, and everyone should take a look. Brother De posted the portrait on the big locust tree at the village entrance so that every household can see it."

Su Xiaoyin put down the spatula, walked over and sat down, feeling somewhat uneasy: "A wanted criminal? What's his background?"

Father Chen sighed and lowered his voice, saying, "This isn't just any ordinary thief. He wiped out a family of fifteen and then burned down their house. He's a ruthless character. The authorities have offered a reward for his capture, but Brother De said that if we ordinary folks encounter him, we should stay as far away as possible and not think about collecting the reward money. Life is more important than money."

Su Xiaoyin was startled, her face turning pale: "Fifteen people? That's too cruel. Dad, what do we do?"

Mr. Chen said, "Brother De suggested that each household keep a strong laborer at home and lock the doors and windows at night. This person could wander off anywhere, so we have to be careful."

Su Xiaoyin glanced at the sky; the sun was already setting, and wisps of smoke rose from the rooftops of every house. Usually, the village was most peaceful at this time, but today there was an inexplicable tension. She said to Chen's father, "Dad, let's discuss how to arrange things after Dashan and Xiaohe return tonight."

Mr. Chen nodded and added, "Stay home as much as possible at night."

Su Xiaoyin responded and got up to continue cooking in the kitchen. The vegetables in the pot were already stewed, so she made a pot of flatbreads and cooked a pot of porridge. The fire in the stove reflected on her face, but her heart felt somewhat heavy.

As dusk fell, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe returned. Chen Dashan had come from the shop in the county town, and Chen Xiaohe had come down from the mountain; both were exhausted. As soon as Chen Xiaohe entered the courtyard, he exclaimed, "Dad, there's a wanted poster at the village entrance, have you seen it?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "I've seen it. We've been waiting for you to come back to discuss it."

The family sat around the table in the main room, the oil lamp flickering slightly. Father Chen repeated De Ge's words, concluding, "I'm thinking we can't be careless in the county town. Your mother lives there alone with four children. Although the house is sturdy, there's no man around. What will happen to your mother and the others if that man manages to escape to the county town?"

Chen Dashan thought for a moment, then spoke, his voice steady: "Dad, how about this, you go to the county town too, and stay with Mom. Otherwise, we won't feel at ease leaving her alone with four children. With you by her side, we'll feel much more at ease."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Big brother is right. Dad, you go to the county town and set up a stall with Mom. Set up the stall during the day and stay in the house at night, making sure the doors and windows are closed."

Mr. Chen hesitated for a moment: "What about the house? We haven't chopped enough firewood yet, and the livestock need someone to take care of them..."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad, Xiaohe and I are here at home. One of us will stay in the village to work, and the other will go to the county town to look after the shop. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing will stay at home and shouldn't wander around too much lately. We'll take turns so it won't interfere with anything."

After thinking it over, Mr. Chen felt the arrangement was sound and nodded, "Okay, let's do it that way. It'll just be a bit harder for you and Xiaohe. We're still short on firewood, so you'll need to chop more. We also need to send firewood over to the county town; your mother and the others can't go without firewood in the winter."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Dad, don't worry. There's plenty of firewood on the mountain. My older brother and I will chop it quickly, and it will be enough in a few days."

Su Xiaoyin chimed in from the side, "Dad, don't worry. Xiaoqing and I will take care of all the chores around the house. We'll feed the livestock, cook the meals, and harvest the vegetables in the garden. You can stay in the county town and stay with Mom and the children without worrying about home."