Zhou Ning couldn’t help but smile at the joke, clearly delighted as he held the hairpin in his hand.

Shen Linchuan took the glossy wooden hairpin. “Look, I searched through the entire stall just to find a wooden hairpin with a water ripple pattern. My name is Shen Linchuan—‘Chuan’ means ‘water’—so this hairpin represents me.”

As he spoke, Shen Linchuan pinned it into Zhou Ning’s hair. The ebony hairpin glistened in the sunlight. “It’s beautiful. My Fulang is the most handsome man in the world!”

Zhou Ning blushed at Shen Linchuan’s praise. “Whisper… whisper a little.”

“There are people coming and going on this street all the time; it would be so embarrassing if they heard us.”

Shen Linchuan didn’t care at all. “I didn’t say anything wrong. My Fulang is the most handsome young man around.”

Zhou Ning was quite pleased with the beautiful wooden hairpin. It was the first gift Shen Linchuan had ever given him, and he planned to wear it every day from now on.

Shen Linchuan took Fulang’s hand. “Let’s go home. Today we’ll make some spring rolls, and I’ll wash some apricots for us to taste.”

Zhou Ning didn’t pull away. Though he was still a bit shy, he let Shen Linchuan hold his hand.

At that moment, Shen Linchuan was cursing Zhou Er and Hu Caiyun in his heart. Although his Fulang was upset because of the fruit vendor, it had been an unintentional mistake; the real culprits were those two.

He knew that when Hu Caiyun was looking for a husband for Ning-ger, she must have put him down with her words time and again, which was why his Fulang lacked confidence in his appearance. But clearly, his Fulang wasn’t bad-looking at all—every feature of his face was exactly to his liking.

It wasn’t even ten o’clock when the two arrived at Dayangshu Village. Old Lady Shi was sitting at the village entrance sewing shoe soles. Seeing them return, she said, “Ning-ger from Linchuan is back. You have a visitor—it must be your eldest brother.”

When Zhou Ning got married, Old Lady Shi’s house was close by, so she’d gone to watch the festivities; she remembered Shen Linchuan’s family well.

As soon as Shen Linchuan heard his older brother had arrived, he hurried home with Zhou Ning. Before they even reached their doorstep, they saw his older brother sitting on a cart, with the two younger ones playing and roughhousing on top of it. From a distance, Shen Linchuan called out, “Big Brother!”

The two hurried over. Seeing his younger brother, Shen Dage, couldn’t contain his joy. “I’ve come to bring you the cart. I came over as soon as I finished building it.”

Zhou Ning took the key from his waist and unlocked the courtyard gate. “Eldest Brother, come on in.”

Shen Dage pushed the cart into the courtyard. The two little ones were sitting on it and refused to get down. Although they’d never ridden in an oxcart or a mule cart before, this cart was quite spacious, and the two little ones loved it.

Shen Linchuan picked up the two little ones, one in each arm. “Aren’t you both getting heavy? Uncle can barely lift you anymore.”

Shen Huzi wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Uncle Ning, I’ve grown taller! My mom said so!”

Shen Dage gave his son a gentle nudge. “Say hello.”

Shen Huzi smiled, revealing two little fangs. “Hello, Uncle Ning.”

Shen Xiaoyu followed suit and called out, “Uncle Ning.”

Seeing the two little ones come over, Zhou Ning was delighted. “Uncle will wash some fruit for you.”

At the mention of fruit, Shen Huzi’s eyes lit up—he hadn’t had any fruit yet this year!

Zhou Ning washed the apricots and peaches from the basket, setting aside one apricot for his father and taking out the rest. He called the two little ones over and pressed an apricot the size of an egg into each of their hands. “Eat.”

Fruit was expensive, and the two Shen children didn’t get to eat it often. Shen Huzi wanted to swallow his in one gulp, but Shen Xiaoyu, being a polite young ger, held the apricot in his hands and ate it in small bites.

“Big Brother, you should have some too.” Zhou Ning brought over a bowl.

“Alright.” Shen Dage took one.

Zhou Ning handed another one to Shen Linchuan, then picked up the last one himself. Shen Linchuan didn’t care for this slightly tart fruit; peaches and apricots weren’t exactly a rarity to him, and the high price here was simply because the fresh fruit had just hit the market.

Shen Linchuan broke the apricot open. “Hu-zi, Xiao Yu, come here.”

Shen Huzi glanced at his father’s expression, while Shen Xiaoyu shook his head, refusing to take it. One for each of them.

Shen Linchuan pushed it toward them. “Your second uncle doesn’t like apricots. You two kids should eat them.”

Zhou Ning had already taken a bite of the apricot in his hand. He wanted to offer Shen Linchuan a bite, but with his older brother present, he felt too shy. He quietly tugged at Shen Linchuan’s sleeve, motioning for him to turn away, and only then did Zhou Ning hold the apricot up to Shen Linchuan’s lips. “Have a taste.”

Shen Linchuan smiled and took a bite, but the sourness made his face scrunch up. “No, no, I can’t handle sour things.”

Zhou Ning was amused by his reaction. Seeing that he genuinely couldn’t handle sourness, he stopped him from eating it. “I’ll cut the peaches open. You can have some later—they aren’t sour.”

“Alright.”

Zhou Ning went back and sliced the three peaches into segments. They each took a piece, but Shen Linchuan was being picky—he complained that the peaches had been picked too early, that they were watery and barely had any peach flavor.

Shen Linchuan walked around the handcart while eating. Shen Dage patted it proudly. “What do you think? It’s made of good elm wood—hard and sturdy. As long as you don’t leave it out in the wind and rain, it’ll last twenty or thirty years without a problem.”

“Big Brother, it’s got an iron axle!”

Shen Dage chuckled, “My wife said to consider this a wedding gift for you two. She told me to make it sturdy, so I used iron for the axle—it actually makes it lighter to pull.”

“Big Brother, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it—we’re family.”

That iron axle isn’t cheap. Iron is expensive; this single section probably costs a tael of silver.

“Big Brother, how much does it cost to make a cart like this?”

“Let’s be clear: I don’t want your silver. To be honest, the materials and labor alone come to about three taels of silver.”

Two taels for materials and one for labor—that’s half as much again as making a single-wheeled cart.

Shen Linchuan had a rough idea of the costs. He didn’t stand on ceremony with his older brother; they’d already agreed he’d cover the materials, so he’d give his older brother one tael of silver later.

Shen Linchuan did a quick mental calculation. Since it was his older brother’s first time making this kind of cart, he’d be a bit slower and would have to figure things out as he went along—it would take about half a month. “Big Brother, once you get the hang of it, could you make a cart in seven or eight days?”

“Sure. The wooden parts are easy to make; it’s the wheels that take time. When the time comes, a cart will cost a little over three taels of silver, and I’ll make a little over one tael.”

“So if you work nonstop, you’d make six taels of silver a month. That’s not much more than what you usually make, is it?”

“You can’t put it that way. This cart-making is a long-term business. Only our family knows how to do it. Country folk are poor; if we charge too much, fewer people will buy them. It’s better to keep the price fair. Besides, a carpenter doesn’t have work every single day.”

“Most of the big jobs we get are for making furniture as dowry for young men and women getting married, or for doors, tables, and beds when someone builds a new house. We can’t have work every single day. If we break it down, making a little over three taels of silver a month is already pretty good.”

But if he built a cart for someone, he could earn six taels of silver in a single month!

The more Shen Dage thought about it, the more he felt that wasn’t a small sum at all; working a little harder was nothing to him.

Zhou Ning brewed some coarse tea, poured two bowls, and brought them over. “Shen Linchuan, why don’t you and my older brother sit down and have a chat?”

“Alright.”

The two sat down in the courtyard. Zhou Ning brought out his family’s small square table, set with sunflower seeds, pastries, and other tea snacks. Shen Huzi and Shen Xiaoyu each took a pastry and went off to play with Big Yellow.

“Big Brother, listen to me. If you keep making these wheelbarrows, working day and night for a whole month will only net you six taels of silver. You’ll wear yourself out. Plus, with so many carpenters in the surrounding villages, your family’s thriving business is bound to attract envy. You’d be better off subcontracting the work—you’d make more that way.”

“Subcontracting? What’s subcontracting?”

“It’s the same principle as leasing out farmland. Keep the core craftsmanship in your own hands, but let others handle the parts that other carpenters can easily learn. For example, find one family to specialize in handles, another in railings, and another in wheels—each handles one component. Just make sure the dimensions are fixed in advance, so everything can be assembled directly when the time comes.”

“That’s just the ideal scenario I’ve envisioned. If there aren’t many people interested, you can handle it all yourself. But if you’re making a dozen or so, you can subcontract parts of the cart’s assembly. You’d just buy the finished components—and bulk purchases are cheaper anyway.”

“I hadn’t thought of that approach, but it’s a good idea. If I follow your advice, Linchuan, making a dozen or so a month would be no problem!”

“Exactly.”

Shen Dage agreed enthusiastically. This flatbed cart is flatter than a unicart and can carry more cargo; it’s lighter than a livestock-drawn flatbed cart and can be pushed or pulled. “Linchuan, this flatbed cart is great, but it has no barriers at the front or back. What if the goods roll off?”

You see, to solve this problem, flatbed carts have side panels all around—but that adds weight to the frame. The flatbed cart, however, is designed for lightness and only has half-height rails on both sides, and even those are only in the middle. If we’re harvesting corn in the fall, even a single ear will fall off.

“Don’t worry about that. The design was made with this in mind. I’ve already had someone make the necessary parts. Once they’re snapped into place, you’ll see exactly how it works.”

After Shen Linchuan returned from his older brother’s place, he asked Zhou Ning the very next day if anyone nearby knew how to work with wicker. As it happened, Granny Shi, who lived next door, did. Shen Linchuan asked her to weave some wicker clips for him—ten wen for one, twenty wen for two—and she had them ready in no time.

When he brought them back, Zhou Ning was curious about how they were used. Shen Linchuan just smiled and said he’d know once the cart was finished.

Hearing that Shen Linchuan was going to get two wicker brackets, Zhou Ning also wanted to know how they worked, so he hurried inside to fetch them. “Big Brother, this is what you need.”

The wicker panels were semicircular. The rattan was naturally supple, so it fit perfectly into the frame’s rails and could be easily removed. Plus, the gaps in the rattan significantly reduced the weight of the cart.

Shen Linchuan took them and clipped them onto the cart. Shen Dage looked at them and exclaimed, “Brilliant!” 

“That’s right,” he agreed. “Now it’s enclosed on all sides—that’s a great idea. This cart is really something. I’m going to make a set for my own place, too.”

After chatting for a while, it was almost time to cook. Zhou Ning had already gone down to his chicken coop to catch some chickens, but Shen Dage saw him and hurriedly stopped him: “Just have a light meal—these are all laying hens. No, no, that won’t do.”

Zhou Ning thought about it and agreed. Their chickens had started laying eggs now—three hens could produce two eggs a day—so he decided not to kill a hen after all. He’d kill the rooster instead.

In the coop, there was one rooster and three hens. Earlier, when he’d visited his older brother’s house, he’d even given them a hen as a gift. All the chickens had their wings clipped, making them easy to catch in the coop. Zhou Ning turned and went to grab the large rooster with its colorful feathers.

The two little ones, Shen Huzi and Shen Xiaoyu, heard they were going to kill a chicken and started drooling with anticipation. Their mother couldn’t bear to kill a chicken for food; she’d even kept the one Uncle Ning gave them just to lay eggs.

Shen Huzi stood outside and called out, “Uncle Ning, over here, over here!”

Shen Dage gave Shen Huzi a light slap on the head. “Stop fooling around. Ning-ger, don’t catch it. We’ll just have noodles for lunch.”

Shen Linchuan stroked his chin and feigned reluctance. “Oh, but this rooster is for crowing. If we eat it, I won’t know what time it is in the middle of the night.”

As soon as Zhou Ning heard this, he immediately let go of the large rooster in his hands. After all, this was meant to keep time for Shen Linchuan—it couldn’t be eaten. “Then let’s catch a hen instead. That lazy one that won’t lay eggs—we’ll eat her.”

Shen Linchuan teased his Fulang enough before finally saying leisurely, “Why don’t we just go out and buy a rooster? Let’s keep our hens for laying eggs.”

“Right, why didn’t I think of that?”

Zhou Ning finally emerged from his chicken coop, but Shen Dage tried to stop him from going to buy a rooster. Shen Linchuan grabbed his arm. “We haven’t had chicken in ages at my place either. Since you’re here, let’s have some together.”

Zhou Ning nodded. “Xiao Yu, come with us.”

Shen Xiaoyu tugged at her uncle’s sleeve, and the two of them headed out together to buy the chicken, with Shen Huzi quickly following behind.

Shen Dage felt quite embarrassed. “How could I let you go to such trouble?”

“Shen Dage, wait a moment. I’ll go to the village entrance and ask someone heading to town to pass a message to my father. It should be dinnertime just as he gets back.”

Shen Linchuan hurried out. Not far from the village entrance was the main road, where oxcarts and mules heading to town passed frequently—some carrying goods, others carrying people.

Shen Linchuan flagged down a horse-drawn cart at the village entrance. The cart moved quickly, so he gave the driver a few copper coins to ask him to call his father back. He was easy to find—he was Zhou the Butcher, who sold pork at the market.

By the time Shen Linchuan returned, Zhou Ning hadn’t yet come back with the two younger children. Zhou Ning wanted to buy a large rooster—he didn’t fancy the smaller ones—so he could get a bigger one for everyone to eat their fill. Shen Linchuan had to study and run the business, and studying was mentally taxing, so he needed to nourish his brain properly.

Zhou Ning still had to follow Shen Linchuan in the mornings to learn to read and write, and he increasingly felt that studying was no better than having him work in the fields—it was simply too exhausting.

Taking advantage of the fact that only the two Shen brothers were in the courtyard at the moment, Shen Dage quietly asked Shen Linchuan how he was getting along. He wasn’t worried that Zhou Da or Ning-ger would treat his younger brother poorly; he was just afraid that the villagers might bully Shen Linchuan because he was a son-in-law who had married into the family and was looked down upon by others.

Shen Linchuan didn’t care at all what others said about being a son-in-law; that was exactly what he was.

When he told his older brother about his recent small business, Shen Dage was taken aback. “If you make at least five hundred wen a day, that’s fifteen taels a month—you’re making more money than I do as a carpenter!”

“Not really, older brother. The meat is from our own farm, so there’s some capital involved, and I don’t go every day. I make a little over ten taels a month.”

“That’s still quite a bit. Seeing that you’re doing well puts my mind at ease.”

Zhou Ning carried a large red rooster; the few long feathers on its tail were particularly striking. Shen Huzi chattered excitedly, “Second Uncle, Uncle Ning bought the biggest one! It was so hard to catch—it took half an hour, and I even helped grab it!”

Shen Linchuan took it and gave it a lift. “It’s so heavy. Must be six or seven jin.”

“Almost seven jin. I’ll go boil some water and slaughter it.”

“Let me do it. You just help me boil the water. I’ve sent someone to bring a message to our father. By the time the meal is ready, he should be back soon.”

“Let me do it. You’re a scholar—don’t dirty your hands with this kind of work.” Zhou Ning thought Shen Linchuan’s hands were exceptionally beautiful, and he felt a bit reluctant to see him doing such rough work.

“You’re still just a young ger—I can’t let you slaughter a chicken.”

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it. Your big brother here knows how to slaughter a chicken, too.”

The two of them said in unison, “No way!”

“Our eldest brother is a guest—how could we let him slaughter a chicken?” After much back-and-forth, Shen Linchuan finally killed the chicken. Zhou Ning helped boil water and rinse the chicken, while the two younger boys squatted nearby watching—especially Shen Huzi, whose eyes were practically glowing with excitement.

The group walked along, Shen Linchuan working at a leisurely pace as they waited for his father.

The chicken Zhou Ning had bought was large; once cut up, it filled a huge basin. Shen Linchuan prepared a pot of braised chicken, adding the wild wood ear mushrooms and wild mushrooms that Shen Dasao had given them earlier. He also made some pancakes with chives. The aroma was so enticing that the two younger ones crouched by the door, refusing to leave. “Uncle, Uncle, it smells so good!”

“Is it your Uncle who smells good, or is it the chicken in the pot?”

“The chicken!”

It was time to eat, and the two little ones were hungry too. Shen Linchuan had finished butchering the chicken but waited a while for his father before starting to cook. Zhou Ning, worried the children might be hungry, brought them some snacks, but they refused to eat, saying they wanted to save room for the chicken.

Just as the meal was nearly ready, Zhou Da returned, pushing a handcart. “His older brother is here.”

Shen Huzi was a lively child who wasn’t afraid of anyone. Upon seeing Zhou Da, he shouted loudly, “Grandpa Zhou!”

“Here I am!”

Zhou Da was very fond of children. He’d long hoped his son would have a little one for him to look after. When a little tyke was running around the courtyard, life at home would be even livelier.

“Hu-zi, Xiao Yu, come here. See what Grandpa bought for you?”

The two little ones hurried over. Zhou Da took a few sugar-coated hawthorn skewers off the rack. “Hu-zi, go hand them out—one for each of you.”

Zhou Da had originally bought two, but then he suddenly remembered that Shen Linchuan had bought one for his son the other day. Since his own boy seemed to like them too, he decided to get another one.

Once he realized he’d bought some for his son, he figured his son-in-law deserved some too. And if his son-in-law got some, that meant his son-in-law’s older brother was the only one left out—so he went ahead and grabbed five more.

Shen Huzi went off to hand out the candied hawthorn, while Shen Dage stood there holding one, torn between laughter and tears—he hadn’t expected there’d be one for him.

His son Hu-zi was already eight years old, and he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d eaten a sugar-coated hawthorn—it must have been when he was a child himself. He never thought there would come a day when someone would treat him like a child again. Thinking of his late parents, he felt a pang of emotion.

The two younger ones, Shen Huzi and Shen Xiaoyu, didn’t eat theirs either—they were afraid they’d get too full and wouldn’t have room for the chicken later. They just held them in their hands and played with them. Shen Linchuan also got a skewer. “Dad bought one for me, too. Ning-ger, could you please put it away for me? It’ll be perfect for cutting through the richness after we eat.”

Shen Linchuan’s roast chicken was nearly ready, and the chive and egg pancakes were already cooked. The two little ones, lured by the aroma, each took a bite first.

Zhou Da was happily using his handcart in the courtyard at that moment. Shen Dage stood by, proudly explaining its features. Zhou Da was overjoyed, “Wow, this cart’s only a little heavier than a unicycle—it’s so lightweight! This will make running my business so much easier from now on.”

Shen Dage even gave him a demonstration. “Look, Zhou Da, the body and wheels can be separated. It’s easy to store inside and doesn’t take up much space. You can even use it as a bed when you’re out in the wild.”

Overjoyed, Zhou Da kept saying how great it was, gazing at the two one-of-a-kind carts as if they were treasures.

“I don’t know what Linchuan was thinking. When he came to see me back then, he said he wanted to make a cart frame for you, Uncle Zhou.”

Zhou Da was overjoyed. “Linchuan is a good kid—such a filial son.”

Shen Dage wasn’t exactly a smooth talker; after speaking a few kind words on his brother’s behalf, he couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Shen Linchuan had already served the chicken. “Dad, Big Brother, dinner’s ready.”

“Oh, coming, coming.”

In the center of the table sat a large earthenware bowl of roasted rooster, along with a plate of stir-fried pork offal, a plate of quick-fried bamboo shoots, several chive and egg pancakes, and a bowl of sweet cornmeal and egg soup—the kind kids love to drink.

Shen Dage felt quite embarrassed. “Why did you go to all this trouble?”

“It’s not too much at all. These are all vegetables we can find right in our fields. Big Brother, please don’t be so formal—we’re family,” said Shen Linchuan.

Zhou Da was delighted too. “Exactly, exactly. We’re family—no need for formalities. We’ve got a new frame at home today, and Dad’s in a great mood. Come on, everyone, have a drink.”

Zhou Da didn’t drink often; he’d only take a sip or two when he was in a good mood, or during festivals. He never got drunk—just a few sips to lift his spirits.

Zhou Da was in high spirits today and urged Shen Dage to drink some with him. He didn’t pour any for Shen Linchuan, knowing his brother-in-law still had to study later.

Shen Huzi sat next to Zhou Da, and Shen Xiaoyu sat next to Zhou Ning. The two little ones finally got to eat chicken. Shen Huzi exclaimed excitedly, “Uncle, your stir-fried chicken is so delicious! I’ve never had chicken this good before!”

Shen Dage also praised, “Linchuan has really grown up.”

He’s even learned to be considerate of others.

He hadn’t tasted chicken this good either; with every bite, the flavor lingered in his mouth.

After eating here, Shen Dage took the two little ones back home. When they arrived, he had pulled them over in a handcart; the two little ones were overjoyed to ride in the handcart for the first time, but now they had to walk back with him.

“Linchuan and Ning-ger, you two go back and get to work; no need to see us off.”

“Alright, Big Brother, take it easy on the way back.”

Shen Huzi and Shen Xiaoyu waved their hands. “Second Uncle, Uncle Ning, we’re off!”

The two little ones had eaten until their bellies were round as balls. Now, each held a sugar-coated hawthorn on a stick, sucking on it slowly as they skipped and hopped along behind their father.

Shen Xiaoyu was especially adorable. His mother had tied his hair into two round little buns with red string, and the ends of the red thread dangled down. As he bounced along, the red thread swung back and forth, making him look exceptionally cute.

Zhou Ning watched with envy and whispered to Shen Linchuan, “Let’s skip reading today. Let’s have kids too—three or five of them.”

Shen Linchuan coughed so hard he nearly choked himself. Business had just stabilized recently, so he’d been studying late into the night and hadn’t been spending much time with his Fulang. But he’d forgotten to buy the things he wanted in town!

Zhou Ning glanced at him. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to?”

“I do, I do. It won’t work tonight, but I’ve read the stars—tomorrow is an auspicious day. Let’s try again tomorrow.”

Zhou Ning nodded with the utmost solemnity. “Mm-hmm. We’ll definitely conceive on the first try.”

Knowing how hard Shen Linchuan worked studying at night, Zhou Ning naturally didn’t dare to drag him around and fool about like he had during their first few days of marriage. But after spotting those two little ones today, his desire to have a child had grown even stronger.