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

"Mother, Xiaoqing and I finished the embroidery. It's market day today, so we'd like to sell it. We'll also bring the wood carvings, bamboo weavings, and the newly made hair ties we've been saving, to see what the market price is." Su Xiaoyin said to Chen's mother, who was mixing feed for the piglets, as she carefully placed two rolled-up embroidery patterns into a clean cloth bag she had prepared.

Mother Chen straightened up, wiped her hands, glanced at the sun, then at her two daughters-in-law whose eyes were filled with anticipation, and nodded, "Alright, it's market day today, there will definitely be a lot of people. Let Dashan and Xiaohe go with you. Selling embroidery and setting up a stall, two people can't manage it all. I'll take care of the livestock at home, they won't run away." She turned and went into the house, and after a while, she came out with a small cloth bag containing some loose silver and copper coins, and handed it to Su Xiaoyin, "Take this money. After selling the embroidery, go to the cloth shop and buy a few feet of fine cotton cloth to prepare for the children. Also, buy some meat and a few big bones to make soup. Your father should be back today, so we can give everyone something nourishing. Dashan, Xiaohe, take good care of Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing on the way."

"Understood, Mother," Chen Dashan replied steadily. Chen Xiaohe also patted his chest and assured him, "Mother, don't worry! With my brother and me here, everything will be perfectly fine!"

The four of them then packed up. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe sorted the small wooden carvings and bamboo woven utensils they had made during this time into baskets and carts, while the Su sisters, carrying embroidery and hair ties, locked the courtyard gate and set off again for the county town in the morning light.

Upon arriving in the county town, it was indeed more bustling than usual. Stalls lined both sides of the street, filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, haggling, and friendly greetings. The air was thick with the aromas of food, goods, and people. Chen Dashan pushed his cart and finally found a quiet spot near the end of the street where the flow of people was slightly slower. He quickly set up his stall, arranging and hanging up his bamboo and wooden products and hair ties.

"Xiaohe, you watch the stall here for now. I'll go with Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to the embroidery shop, and I'll come back to help you after we sell the embroidery," Chen Dashan instructed his younger brother. There were many people around today, and he was a little worried about letting the two women travel alone.

"Okay, you guys go ahead! I'll take care of this!" Chen Xiaohe readily agreed and started shouting, "Look, look! Exquisite bamboo baskets with wooden carvings! Bright and shiny hair ties!"

Chen Dashan escorted the Su sisters through the bustling crowd to the "Jinxiu Cloth Shop." Two women were already selecting fabrics, and the shopkeeper was patiently introducing them. Seeing the Su sisters enter, the shopkeeper's eyes lit up. After the two customers paid and left, she warmly greeted them, "Mrs. Chen is here! Please come in! What fine embroidery have you brought this time?"

Su Xiaoyin gently placed the cloth bag on the counter, untied the rope, carefully took out the two scrolls inside, and slowly unrolled them.

The shopkeeper's wife held her breath. Two pieces of fine white cotton cloth, each about two feet square, were embroidered with patterns in colorful silk threads. One depicted "Magpies on Plum Blossoms," with vibrant red plum blossoms and lively magpies, seemingly chirping. The other depicted "Lotus Giving Birth to a Noble Child," with graceful lotus flowers, full lotus pods, and golden carp frolicking among them, symbolizing good fortune. The stitches were fine and even, the colors elegant and bright, and the composition full yet lively—far superior to ordinary handkerchiefs or bibs.

"Excellent! Excellent!" The shopkeeper's wife exclaimed repeatedly, picking up a magnifying glass to examine the needlework closely, especially the neat and tidy finishing of the loose threads on the back. "This craftsmanship has improved even more since last time! The color scheme is also elegant, and the meaning is auspicious. It's perfect for hanging in a new house, or as a gift for newlyweds or families with new additions to the family."

She put down the embroidery, looked at the Su sisters, her eyes full of admiration: "These two small embroidered pieces are solidly crafted and of excellent quality. I'll give you a first-class price, three and a half taels of silver for each, and seven taels for both. How about it?"

Seven taels of silver! Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing's hearts leaped, almost unable to believe their ears. Suppressing their excitement, they exchanged a glance, both seeing the ecstasy in each other's eyes. These two embroidered designs had taken them nearly a month to complete; they hadn't even had time to make handkerchiefs or bibs, and the cost of the fine embroidery thread and cotton fabric alone had been seven hundred cash. And now they could sell them for seven taels! A net profit of six taels and three hundred cash!

"The shopkeeper's price is fair, we're willing to pay it," Su Xiaoyin replied calmly, trying to keep her composure.

"Alright!" The shopkeeper's wife deftly wrote out the receipt, took out seven taels of silver from the counter, and handed it to Su Xiaoyin. She added, "Since you two ladies have such skill, if you have any medium-sized embroidery designs in the future, as long as you maintain this level of quality, I will definitely accept them. The price, of course, will be higher."

Having received an affirmative answer and the promise of the future, the two sisters were even more excited. They carefully put away the money, thanked the shopkeeper's wife repeatedly, and then followed Chen Dashan, who had been patiently waiting by their side, out of the embroidery shop.

Back at his stall, Chen Xiaohe was busy as a bee. He had sold two bamboo baskets, a pair of wooden horse carvings, and quite a few hair ties. Seeing them return, Chen Xiaohe grinned and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, how was it?"

Su Xiaoqing secretly made a "seven" gesture to him. Chen Xiaohe's eyes widened instantly, and he almost exclaimed. He quickly covered his mouth, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face.

With the four of them tending the stall together, the goods sold even faster. As the market neared its close, the bamboo and wooden products and hair ties they had brought were almost gone. Chen Dashan glanced at the sky and said to Chen Xiaohe, "Xiaohe, go to the meat market and buy a few big bones and some meat. If there's any lard, buy some too. At this hour, there probably won't be many good ones left, so take care of it."

Chen Xiaohe responded, pocketed the money, and hurried towards the meat market. Most of the meat stalls had already sold out, with only one stall having some leftovers. Chen Xiaohe, with his sharp eyes, spotted a decent piece of pork belly left on the cutting board, weighing about one and a half pounds, with three large, bare bones lying in a wooden basin next to it. He went up to ask the price, and the butcher, who was packing up, gave him a reasonable price when he saw someone buying it all.

"Boss, do you have any more lard?" Chen Xiaohe asked.

The butcher hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a large, thick, snow-white lard wrapped in oiled paper from under the chopping board. He weighed it in his hand and said, "This piece weighs five or six pounds. I was originally keeping it for my own family to render oil. But since you're so generous, taking all the rest of the meat and bones, I'll give it to you. It'll be seventy coins, all together."

Chen Xiaohe was overjoyed. He quickly paid, carefully wrapped the meat, bones, and the precious piece of lard, put them in the large basket he had brought, and hurried back to his stall.

Chen Dashan had already sold the last few trinkets and packed up his cart. Seeing Chen Xiaohe returning with his purchases, he said, "Let's go to the fabric shop. We need to buy things so we can go home quickly; Mother will worry if it's late."

The four of them went to Tao's cloth shop again. This time, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were much more confident. They replenished their stock with various embroidery threads and needles, bought several bolts of soft cotton cloth to make clothes and diapers for their child, and also picked out some red and colored cloth that might be used for the New Year and other festivals. All in all, it cost them one and a half taels of silver. When paying, Su Xiaoyin's hand trembled slightly, but thinking of the seven taels of silver in her arms and the good prospects ahead, she became resolute.

"Shopkeeper," Su Xiaoqing pointed to several bundles of cut fabric scraps piled in the corner of the counter. These scraps were of better quality and brighter colors than the ones she had received last time. "Could you sell us some of these scraps? We can make some odds and ends."

Seeing that they were big customers, the shopkeeper hesitated for a moment and said, "These scraps of cloth may be leftovers, but they are all from good fabrics, and people often ask for them. If you want them, give me ten coins and you can take both of these big bundles."

Ten coins for two large bundles of fine cloth! What a bargain! The two sisters readily agreed, paid the money, and carefully bundled up the cloth.

As the sun set, the market's hustle and bustle gradually subsided. Chen Dashan pushed a cart loaded with empty baskets and miscellaneous items, Chen Xiaohe carried a heavy basket of meat, and the Su sisters held newly purchased fabric and scraps. The four of them, bathed in the golden afterglow, began their journey home. Their steps were light, their hearts overflowing with immense joy and hope. Seven taels of silver for embroidery, plus the income from selling small items today, their hopes for the future of their embroidery business, and the substantial meat, oil, and fine cloth in their arms… This summer's market, for the Chen family, brought far more than just money and goods; it brought boundless confidence in the future prosperity of their new family. The wisps of smoke rising from the distant village seemed to welcome their bountiful return.