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

When the three Shi brothers returned home, the sun was already setting. Chen Dashan was squatting in the yard sharpening an old hoe, while Chen Xiaohe was washing his feet by the well, his trousers rolled up above his knees, his feet still covered in mud. Seeing his three sons enter the yard, Chen Dashan put down the hoe, wiped the rust off his hands on the stone slab, and stood up.

Shi Tou walked up to his father and recounted the news he had heard from the Yang family: "Wen Hu said that it's not just us keeping an eye on Mingde Academy; an old scholar is also eyeing it. Should we try to contact the people at Mingde Academy, or should we find a place ourselves?"

Chen Xiaohe sat down by the well, slowly putting on his shoes. He said they had gone to Mingde School again today. They ran into the family there; the old scholar had already contacted Mingde School. The two knew each other before, and they were just about to finalize the price of the house. The old scholar's son was a student preparing for the imperial examinations and wanted to use the school as practice. The house at Mingde School wasn't cheap, so he and Xiaohe had gone to a real estate agency today to ask them to help them find a few suitable courtyards for opening a school. If they found a suitable one, they would buy it and open their own school, not competing with them in the same market.

Aji frowned slightly after hearing this. He did some calculations and asked, "Father, how much silver will it cost to buy another courtyard for us to open a school? How many students will we need to enroll to earn that back?"

Before Chen Xiaohe could respond, Afu spoke up first. He said that if there was a suitable courtyard, buying it would be the best option. Rented places are unreliable; if you rent one this year, the tenant might not want it anymore next year, and you'd have to move. Moving every year means the teacher has to change locations just as they've gotten to know the students, which makes both the students and parents uneasy. A school isn't suitable for frequent relocations. Aji thought this made sense and didn't ask any further questions. In the year or so that Afu had worked at the grocery store, he had met and seen many people, and his conversations about everyday matters were much more sophisticated than when he was at the clinic.

Chen Dashan leaned the hoe back against the corner of the wall, dusted off his hands, and glanced at each of his three sons before laying out his considerations. "Let me make this clear in advance—if you buy the courtyard, it will be temporarily registered in my and Xiaohe's names. After we pass away, the three of you brothers will divide it equally. Also, a portion of the school's net profits will go to the public treasury. Go back and discuss this with your wives, since you all have your own families now. Money matters can't be left unresolved; everything must be clearly written down."

Shi Tou, A Ji, and A Fu nodded, all saying they would tell their wives. Chen Dashan said, "Then you should rest early today. Tomorrow I'll take you to the brokerage to look at some properties. If there's a suitable one, we'll finalize it. Hurry up and get things ready so you can open the school as soon as possible." Chen Xiaohe also stood up from the well, dusted himself off, and said, "By the way, think about a name for the school so we can make a signboard for you." With that, the two brothers went back inside to rest.

The courtyard quieted down, a faint red glow lingered on the horizon, the mosquitoes hadn't yet emerged, and a few small birds circled low overhead. Shi Tou, A Ji, and A Fu sat down in the courtyard. A Fu spoke first, asking Shi Tou if there were any new developments regarding the land allocation now that he had passed the imperial examination. The headmaster had mentioned before that he had a lot of land in his hometown that could be registered under someone's name, and since his own land wouldn't take up many slots, the rest would be perfect for Shi Tou. Shi Tou said he had been thinking about this on the way back. Now that he had passed the exam, he had many more land slots available under his name. His family didn't have much land to begin with, and the remaining slots were just sitting there empty. He thought he'd ask the headmaster when he visited him at the county school the next day. The headmaster had mentioned a relative with a lot of land who wanted to find a reliable person to register it under. If he could get the land, it would add a small amount of income to the family each year—not much, but it would be stable.

Aji thought for a moment and then advised, "Brother, ask the headmaster tomorrow. If you get along well with him, you can consult him if you're unsure about anything when the school opens. He's taught in the county town for so many years and knows a lot of people." Shitou nodded, saying he and the headmaster had gotten along well over the years. The headmaster, seeing his diligence, was willing to guide him. Every time he consulted, the headmaster would explain in detail, sometimes even showing him relevant books. The headmaster also had a large collection of books; besides teaching, he had spent the past few years copying books, and he and Aji had copied quite a few together. Those copied books would come in handy when the new school opened; otherwise, they would really lack the necessary foundation to open a school.

Aji added from the side, "I copied everything I could. Four big books, enough for the early learning stage." Afu squatted by the well, twirling a blade of grass in his hand, and suddenly looked up and said, "Big brother, second brother, if you really open the school, I can help. Although I'm not as literate as you, I can still manage odd jobs, collect tuition fees, and deal with students' parents." Shitou patted him on the shoulder and said okay.

Afu stood up and said it was about time to go back inside; Qinghuan was still waiting for him. Shitou and Aji also stood up one after another and went into their respective houses.

When Shi Tou pushed open the door, Zhang Yuming was still awake, leaning against the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) sewing a small garment. Shi Tou sat down beside her and told her about going to the brokerage firm to look at the courtyard house the next day, as well as the plan to buy the house and divide the profits among the family members. After listening, Zhang Yuming put down her needlework and said it was only right. The family had paid for the house, so it was only fair that it be divided among the three brothers. Our small family should just contribute our efforts and not fight over those things. Shi Tou looked at her and said, "You're quite open-minded." Zhang Yuming lowered her head and continued sewing, saying, "What's the use of being so open-minded? Life is lived, not calculated." Shi Tou didn't speak, but reached out and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Her needlework paused for a moment, then continued.

In the next room, Aji repeated the same words to Zhang Qiuming. Zhang Qiuming listened without asking further questions, only saying that she would follow her family's arrangements. Aji sat down beside her, saying that if the school really opened, he would be running back and forth, spending less time with her. Zhang Qiuming said it wasn't like she wouldn't see him anymore; things would be fine once the school was on track. Aji was silent for a moment, then squeezed her hand, not letting go.

In the next room, Afu told Zhao Qinghuan what he had overheard that day. Zhao Qinghuan leaned against the quilt, her belly already slightly protruding. She thought for a moment and said, "Don't take on too much work at the school. You still have the grocery store, and you still have me. Let your older brothers handle their own affairs. You just need to lend a hand. Don't overwork yourself." Afu said he knew and wouldn't overexert himself.