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

As the twelfth lunar month approached and the weather grew increasingly cold, the large, heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) in the middle of the Chen family home remained warm and cozy. Four little children lay side-by-side on the kang, wrapped in thick, soft quilts, their rosy cheeks glowing from sleep. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, dressed in thick cotton-padded coats, leaned against the edge of the kang, their hands busy helping Chen's mother cut out shoe patterns, preparing shoes for the family to wear for work the following year.

Just as Chen's mother finished clearing away the lunch dishes and was about to take them to the kitchen to wash, Su Xiaoqing saw this and quickly put down the scissors in her hand, about to get off the kang (a heated brick bed): "Mom, I can do it! I've finished my postpartum confinement, and I'm feeling great. You should rest."

Mother Chen nimbly dodged the outstretched hand, scolding, "Sit back down! It's freezing outside, and you've only just recovered. Avoid cold water. There's not much work to do at home in winter. Your father and his two sons handle all the heavy chores like feeding the chickens and ducks, cleaning the sheepfold, chopping wood, and carrying water. I just cook and tidy up the house; it's very easy. You two, just stay here on the kang and take good care of yourselves. Once spring comes and there's more work to do in the fields and at home, you won't have time to slack off!"

Without a word, she pressed the two sisters back onto the kang (a heated brick bed), then took the bowls and chopsticks and went out. A short while later, after everything was tidied up, Chen's mother returned to the kang, picked up a half-finished pair of hemp-soled shoes, put on a thimble, and skillfully began to sew. With the December holidays being relatively quiet, she planned to make at least one pair of sturdy new shoes for everyone in the family to wear in the spring. She also planned to carefully mend the worn-out clothes of her father and sons.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were temporarily forbidden from doing eye-straining embroidery and needlework, so they helped Chen's mother cut shoe patterns or played with and looked after the children when they were awake. The room was quiet, with only the faint sound of needle and thread passing through the thick cloth soles and the occasional whimpers of the children.

After cutting out a shoe pattern, Su Xiaoyin looked up and asked Chen's mother, "Mom, did Dad go to the county market with Dashan and Xiaohe today?"

"He's gone." Chen's mother didn't even look up, her hands still busy. "He's bringing a lot of things today: bamboo weaving, wood carvings, farm tools, and some mountain produce that was dried recently. I'm worried that Da Shan and Xiao He might not be able to handle it all by themselves, and I'm also worried that it will be crowded and chaotic at the market, so your father is going to come along to help out. Oh, and by the way," she paused, glancing at Su Xiaoqing beside her, "go to 'Jishetang' to see Doctor Li again and ask if you still need to continue taking your medicine."

Upon hearing this, Su Xiaoqing immediately put down the fabric she was holding and said anxiously, "Mother! I've been taking this medicine for almost two months now, I really don't need to take it anymore! Look at me, isn't my complexion much better now? I have energy again, and apart from not being able to do heavy work yet, I'm pretty much the same as before!"

Only then did Chen's mother raise her eyes and carefully examine her youngest daughter-in-law's complexion. Indeed, compared to her pale and weak appearance during her postpartum period, Su Xiaoqing's cheeks now had some color, and her eyes were clear and bright, although she was still thinner than before childbirth. But she still shook her head: "You child, don't take it for granted just because you're young. Childbirth is like going through hell; it depletes a woman's vital energy, and she needs to recover slowly. If you don't take care of yourself now, you'll suffer from backaches, leg pains, and anemia when you get older! Listen to your mother, let the doctor decide."

Her tone was gentle, yet carried an undeniable firmness. She glanced at Su Xiaoyin, who was listening quietly beside her, and continued, "Besides, you and Xiaoyin have both had children now. Our family suddenly has four precious little ones. Your father and I are more than satisfied! You two don't need to have any more children in the future; it's too harmful to your health. Let's focus on raising these four children well and building a solid foundation for them. That's better than anything else."

She put down the shoe soles in her hand, her loving gaze sweeping over the four little ones sleeping peacefully side by side on the kang (heated brick bed), and continued her plan: "When spring comes and the weather warms up, the work in the fields will get busy. At that time, you and Xiaoyin will mainly be responsible for taking care of the children and cooking. As long as your health allows, you can lend a hand with the small chores like feeding the pigs and sheep and cleaning the yard. The heavy work in the fields and the physical labor of clearing land will be left to your father and his two sons, and me too! If our whole family works together, life will only get better and better."

Hearing their mother-in-law's considerate and thoughtful words, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were deeply moved. The two sisters put down what they were carrying, hugged their mother-in-law's arms on either side, and gently rested their heads on her shoulders.

"Mother, how can you be so kind..." Su Xiaoyin's voice was choked with emotion.

Su Xiaoqing also said in a muffled voice, "That's right, Mother, you love us even more than our own mother."

Chen's mother was embraced by her two daughters-in-law, her heart softening, but she deliberately kept a straight face and patted their hands: "Nonsense! That's because that's how your grandmother treated me back then."

Her gaze drifted into the distance, lost in memories: "When I first married your father, your grandmother never set any rules for me, like morning and evening greetings or serving tea and water. When there was work to be done at home or in the fields, it was all discussed and decided by the whole family. When I gave birth to Dashan, I had a difficult labor and suffered greatly. Your grandmother took such good care of me during my postpartum period, providing me with eggs and brown sugar without fail. She made me sit in bed for the full two months, and wouldn't let me touch cold water or do heavy work, afraid I'd develop health problems." She sighed, "My family... was extremely patriarchal. Back home, it was common to go hungry and cold, and I had to do the most work. But in your Chen family, your grandmother treated me better than my own mother, with genuine kindness. People are all made of flesh and blood. I've never experienced the torment of a mother-in-law, so I know how unpleasant it is, and naturally I won't pass on those outdated practices to my daughter-in-law. When we're mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, treating each other with empathy and living peacefully is better than anything else."

These heartfelt words brought tears to the eyes of Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing. They thought of their deceased mother. If their mother were watching from heaven, she would surely be at peace seeing them now with such a reasonable and loving mother-in-law and such a warm and harmonious home.

The mother and her three children chatted intimately in the warm house, occasionally teasing the awakened child; the time was peaceful and cozy.

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