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

Shi Tou stood at the entrance of the county school for a while. The plaque above the gate was still the same, the paint faded but the characters were still clear. He pushed the gate open and went inside. The courtyard was quiet; the students hadn't left yet. Only the sound of students reading aloud could be heard from the east wing classroom, muffled by the courtyard wall, as if separated by a layer of water. Shi Tou stood under the eaves for a moment before knocking on the door of the headmaster's study. A voice called out from inside, "Come in." He pushed the door open and went in. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk grading students' assignments. He looked up, saw it was him, put down his pen, took off his reading glasses, and smiled as he asked him to sit down.

"Headmaster, I'm sorry to bother you. I rested at home for a few days after returning home before coming here." Shi Tou sat down in the chair, his back straight, his hands on his knees, just like when he first enrolled.

The headmaster looked at him for a moment, then poured him more tea, saying, "You look alright. You must have had a long journey. How did the provincial examination go?" Shi Tou took the teacup and recounted his decision to pass the provincial examination and not take it again, his tone calm, without regret or resentment. Finally, he mentioned leaving the county school to open his own. He couldn't rely on his parents and brothers to support him forever. His family had already spent a lot of money on his studies and the imperial examinations; he couldn't be a burden on them any longer. The headmaster listened without speaking immediately. He picked up his own teacup, took a sip, rubbed his temples, glanced at Shi Tou, and slowly began to speak—"The fact that you understand this shows that your years of study haven't been in vain." Shi Tou nodded.

The headmaster brought up the matter of land affiliation again. He'd mentioned before that a distant relative in a neighboring county owned several dozen acres of land but hadn't found a suitable land for a scholar to affiliate with—the quotas for older scholars were already full, and the younger ones were considered unreliable. He considered Shi Tou's character and felt he could entrust the matter to him, so he spoke up. Shi Tou agreed, saying that once they met and there were no problems, they could sign a contract, with the money paid annually. The headmaster nodded and said nothing more. Shi Tou sat for a while longer, asking about the details of opening a school—location selection, tuition fees, and the intricacies of student recruitment. The headmaster explained everything, concluding with a word of advice: "You forge your own path; just keep going. If you have any questions about studying later, you can come and ask me."

After leaving the county school, Shi Tou found Aji at the street corner. Aji was leaning against the wall, holding a blade of grass that he had already circled seven or eight times. The two headed towards the brokerage firm, one after the other. Chen Dashan was already waiting at the entrance, clutching a handful of loose silver coins—given to him by Su Xiaoyin that morning, in case he needed a deposit and his hands were empty. The brokerage clerk recognized Chen Dashan and smiled, saying he had found them several houses, all located in the county town, not far from the main street, quiet yet convenient. The clerk led them to see each house one by one.

The first shop faced the street, and upon entering, you were greeted by the shop layout: a front hall and a back living area. It was quite clean, but the interior was bare, with only nail holes left from where shelves used to hang. It was clearly a shop used for business. Chen Dashan walked around the hall and then looked at the back, shaking his head. This layout, with a shop in the front and living area in the back, could be converted into a school, but it would be too noisy. Walls would need to be demolished, windows would need to be changed, and it would be inconvenient for students to come and go.

The second house was deep in the alley. The courtyard was not small, but the terrain was low-lying, and it was prone to flooding after rain. Water stains were clearly visible in the corners of the walls, and moss grew in the cracks between the bricks. The base of the walls was damp and dark. The broker smiled and said that the house could be used after some cleaning. Chen Dashan did not reply. Shi Tou squatted down, touched the corner of the wall, stood up, and shook his head.

The third house was in a quiet alley, not far from the main street, but once you turned in, it became quiet; you couldn't even hear the sounds of cars and horses. The gate was made of two old elm wood doors, which made a dull sound when pushed open. The hinges were rusty, but the wood was still sturdy. Inside was a spacious courtyard, paved with blue bricks and kept clean. In the corner stood a pomegranate tree with strong branches; although it wasn't yet fruiting, you could see that its roots were deep. There were three main rooms in the front, all with windows facing south, providing good natural light. There was also a row of side rooms at the back, divided into several smaller rooms, suitable for use as classrooms or storage rooms. The layout was neat and easy to maintain.

Shi Tou stood in the courtyard for a long time, walking around both the front and back. He squatted down to examine the brickwork at the base of the wall, then tapped on the window frame. The wood was sturdy, neither rotten nor insect-infested, just old; a coat of paint would make it look brand new. As he stood up, he glanced back at Aji, who was standing under the pomegranate tree, looking up at its canopy. Chen Dashan also walked around the courtyard, peeked into the main house, and asked the shopkeeper the price of the house. The shopkeeper said one hundred and eighty taels, but the price was negotiable, estimating around one hundred and seventy taels. Chen Dashan nodded, asking the shopkeeper to help negotiate the price further; they needed to go back and discuss it with their families, as the amount of money was considerable.

By the time they got home, it was already dusk. The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Su Xiaoyin was carrying a bowl of soup out of the kitchen when she saw Chen Dashan enter. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, but she didn't ask anything and first placed the soup bowl on the table. Once the bowls and chopsticks were set, the family sat down around the table. Chen Dashan recounted the day's house-hunting experience. Chen's mother put down her chopsticks and said, "One hundred and seventy taels is not cheap." Shi Tou and Aji ate silently beside them, heads bowed. Mr. Chen sat at the head of the table, took a couple of puffs of his pipe, tapped his fingers on the table, and said, "One hundred and seventy taels isn't a small amount, but for that location and size, it's fair for the county town. Shi Tou and A Ji want to open a school, so the location can't be compromised. Choosing one place only costs money, so it's better to settle on the first try, get things ready as soon as possible, and open the school quickly. Money is meant to be spent, not stored away to breed." Mrs. Chen repeated that the price wasn't cheap, but added, "If the house is really as good as you say, then let's buy it." Chen Dashan said, "Then let's go negotiate the price tomorrow."

Early the next morning, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe drove a mule cart to the county town. Chen Dashan carried silver, and Chen Xiaohe carried the contract. The two rode in the mule cart for the rest of the journey, occasionally exchanging a few words about the house, but mostly remaining silent.

Stone and Aji are finally going to start their own business. They have to walk their own path. All he can do is lay the first brick of that path for them.