The carpenter brought by Wang Youfu was named Sun, and everyone called him Master Sun the Carpenter. Once Master Sun arrived, Wang Youfu immediately took him to the new house to measure the required dimensions for the furniture to be built. Although the house wasn't finished yet, the specific dimensions of each room could still be accurately taken.

Measuring the dimensions went quickly. After Master Sun had gauged the rooms, he knew precisely the quantity and size of the furniture Wang Youfu's family would need. Master Sun estimated the amount of lumber required, and then Wang Youfu led him up the mountain to find suitable trees. While some trees on the mountain weren't fit for main beams, they would certainly do for crafting furniture.

Master Sun selected a few promising-looking trees. Wang Youfu found people to help fell them. The felled timber was then left on the mountain to air-dry naturally for several days, just as Master Sun had instructed, before being carried back. Only then did Master Sun bring out his tools to begin crafting the furniture for Wang Youfu's household.

Since Master Sun's home was not nearby—it was quite a distance from Wang Youfu’s—Wang Youfu suggested that Master Sun stay at their house for the duration of the carpentry work.

Master Sun considered that staying there would be more convenient for him, and so he agreed. Master Sun made no specific demands, only saying that he could manage sleeping in the room used for storing sundries; after all, he wouldn't be staying long. Although Wang Youfu's family felt awkward about asking Master Sun to stay in the storage room, since Master Sun himself didn't seem bothered, the entire family felt somewhat relieved.

With Master Sun settled in, there was no need for him to commute back and forth, and the time saved was happily put to use by him in his carpentry work.

Wang Qingchen knew that much of the furniture in ancient times featured carved patterns—designs like 'Blossoming Wealth,' 'Twin Dragons Playing with a Pearl,' or 'Auspicious Union of Dragon and Phoenix'—and since there were no modern machines in this era, everything was purely handcrafted. Thus, he was quite curious and would often linger to watch whenever he returned from school.

Wang Qingchen watched as Master Sun's fingers skillfully carved something into the corner of a piece of wood. Before long, the pattern of auspicious clouds emerged. He couldn't help but marvel inwardly at the sheer excellence of the craftsmanship.

Master Sun noticed the little boy watching him work without blinking, his face alight with astonishment. He found it quite amusing. This child, he thought, seemed to be studying; yet here he was, showing interest in carpentry. After all, to farming families, reading was considered highly noble, while carpentry was merely a trade for making a living.

"Heh heh... What's so interesting about carpentry, young fellow? There's no future in this line of work. Studying, like you are, that's the proper path!" Master Sun chuckled at Wang Qingchen.

Wang Qingchen, mindful of the deeply ingrained beliefs of the era, had no intention of challenging them. He smiled and replied, "I just think it’s so marvelous. What you're carving is truly beautiful."

Master Sun laughed at that, "Haha, this is something every carpenter must know how to do; it’s not just something unique to me."

Wang Qingchen was unconcerned. "I don't know about others, but what you carve, I genuinely think it looks beautiful."

Master Sun became a bit shy from the compliment, and as a result, he worked even more diligently on his craft, determined to achieve perfection.

After some time, Qian Yaji, the broker from town, paid a visit to Wang Youfu's home. He mentioned having found a shop and some fields that looked promising, and then led Wang Youfu out to inspect them. This time, Wang Qingchen did not join as he needed to attend his studies.

It should be noted that the shop Wang Youfu’s family intended to buy was for setting up a mill, and since Wang Qingchen had suggested they would eventually be processing grain, the requirements for the warehouse space were quite high.

The shop Qian Yaji took Wang Youfu to see was not in the busy downtown area, but rather closer to where the local villagers typically brought their agricultural byproducts to sell in town. This location was perfectly suitable for setting up a mill; in fact, it might even attract more customers.

This property consisted of two storefronts with a rather large courtyard behind them. Like the previous shop they bought, the courtyard was divided into two halves: the front courtyard connected to the shop spaces, and the back courtyard designated for living quarters. The front courtyard housed two large storage rooms and one small one. The back courtyard had seven rooms in total: three main rooms in the center, with two side rooms flanking each side. In the courtyard, there was a well, a chestnut tree, and a thatched shed, which the previous owner apparently used for stabling a horse. The space was quite ample, and Wang Youfu was rather pleased with it.

Qian Yaji observed Wang Youfu's expression and knew he was quite satisfied with the shop, so he spoke up, "This is the only shop currently on the market that I have, and with only two or three months until the New Year, who doesn't want to make a profit before the holiday? Sellers are even rarer now. If you are still satisfied, I might be able to negotiate the price down a bit."

Wang Youfu nodded and asked, "What is the asking price from the current owner?"

"The original owner is in urgent need of funds, and the location isn't prime downtown either, so the asking price is quite reasonable—Eighty-five taels of silver. But I estimate that with some haggling, we could bring it down to eighty taels," Qian Yaji stated.

Comparing this to the price of their previous shop purchase, Wang Youfu agreed that the price was indeed quite fair, and so he decided to buy the shop.

Seeing Wang Youfu nod, Qian Yaji then summoned the owner. Having the experience from the last property transaction, the paperwork proceeded swiftly. Only after Wang Youfu paid the four taels of silver for commission and taxes did Qian Yaji bring up the matter of the land.

"Last time, you asked me to keep an eye out for any land for sale, preferably paddy fields. I happen to have a listing with a significant amount of paddy fields—ten mu in total. However, they aren't selling the paddy fields alone; they are bundling them with ten mu of dryland," Qian Yaji explained the information he had gathered regarding land sales.

Wang Youfu frowned upon hearing this. Ever since he planned to buy land, he had focused only on acquiring paddy fields, as they offered a wider range of crops and higher yields. But now, to get the paddy fields, he had to take the dryland as well. Wang Youfu was momentarily unsure how to proceed.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Youfu became less conflicted and simply told Qian Yaji to take him to see the land. If the quality was good, he would buy; if not, the land purchase could wait.

So, Qian Yaji led Wang Youfu to inspect the fields again. Coincidentally, the land these sellers were offering was also located in Yunqiao Village.

The inspection of the land revealed Wang Youfu was very satisfied. He had been slightly dissatisfied initially, but after the seller lowered the price a little, his mind settled comfortably.

Because the ten mu of paddy fields had to be sold bundled with the dryland, even though the land was already planted with crops, the seller was asking only eight taels of silver per mu for the paddy fields. The ten mu of dryland were priced at four taels and five hundred wen per mu. The total cost came to one hundred and twenty-five taels of silver.

After calling over the Lizheng (village head) of Yunqiao Village to serve as witness and re-measuring the land, both parties proceeded to Qian Yaji’s shop to complete all the necessary procedures for the land transaction. Wang Youfu then paid over three taels of silver for commission and taxes. After bidding farewell to Qian Yaji, Wang Youfu happily returned home.

Upon returning, Wang Youfu recounted the details of the shop and land he purchased that day under the questioning of Lady Yang. Thinking about how much more property the family now possessed, Lady Yang felt she could laugh herself awake from dreams. Wang Qinghua, standing nearby, said nothing, but presumably, he was equally pleased.

When Wang Qingchen returned, he heard Wang Youfu telling the story of buying the land and the shop. Wang Qingchen understood that his family had agreed to his suggestion to open a mill.

However, Wang Qingchen’s thoughts ran a step further. "Father, Mother, if we open a mill, someone will have to manage it, won't they? Have you decided on the person to manage it?"

Wang Youfu and Lady Yang were momentarily stunned. Honestly, they hadn't thought that far ahead. Under Wang Qingchen's reminder, Wang Youfu began to seriously consider the issue. Indeed, no one in their immediate family understood that side of the business. He himself knew nothing about managing such an enterprise, and even if he did, he couldn't leave; if he went to manage the shop, what would happen to the family's fields? Having worked the land for so many years, in Wang Youfu’s eyes, managing a shop was far less important than the fields; he absolutely could not neglect the family land to go run a shop in town.

Wang Qingchen observed the expressions of his family; even Wang Qinghua was looking down in silence. Seeing that his family couldn't come up with a solution, Wang Qingchen finally said, "My original thought was that Father needs to stay home to look after the family lands and cannot leave. I also need to attend the academy for my studies, so," Wang Qingchen paused, looking towards Wang Qinghua, "the only suitable person in our family is Big Brother."

When Wang Qinghua heard that he was expected to manage the shop, he immediately shook his head. "No, no... I don't know how to run a shop, I'll only mess things up..."

Though Wang Qinghua was continuously refusing, Wang Youfu began to seriously contemplate Wang Qingchen's suggestion. Moreover, even setting aside whether Wang Qingchen's proposal would succeed, Wang Youfu was very pleased with Wang Qingchen’s attitude alone. Everyone in the family knew that the money was earned by Wang Qingchen, and the idea to open the mill also came from him. Now, Wang Qingchen suggested Wang Qinghua run the shop, which showed he didn't harbor any desire to hold tightly to the earnings simply because he had made them, and that he held no resentment toward his elder brother.

Lady Yang clearly grasped this point as well and stroked Wang Qingchen's head with evident satisfaction.

However, after thinking for a moment, Wang Youfu asked again, "Qingchen, you suggest your older brother run the shop, but he knows absolutely nothing about that line of work? We might end up losing money."

Wang Qingchen smiled brightly, "It's alright. No one is born knowing everything. Big Brother doesn't know now, but he can learn!" Wang Qingchen then turned to Wang Qinghua, "Isn't that right, Big Brother!"

Wang Qinghua still shook his head, "I can't, really I can't..."

Wang Qingchen was very displeased with Wang Qinghua’s attitude and decided to administer a stronger dose. "Big Brother, when you eventually marry and bring your wife home, don't you want to earn money yourself to give her a good life?"