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

The tinkling of cowbells, their crisp sound like a key, unlocked the tranquility of this early spring afternoon in Nanshan Village. Father Chen led his glossy yellow ox, with Chen Dashan watching over it, as the father and son walked home along the still-frozen village path. The robust ox moved with steady steps, occasionally shaking its head, causing the copper bells around its neck to ring melodiously, attracting the attention of villagers busy in their yards or basking in the sun.

"Hey! Brother Da Nian! This is... buying cattle?" Uncle Chen Wu, who lives at the entrance of the village, was repairing the fence. He straightened up, squinted at me, and his face showed undisguised surprise and envy.

Father Chen nodded with a simple smile on his face: "Yes, Fifth Brother. Thanks to everyone's blessings, we can barely make ends meet. Thinking that the work in the fields will be heavy in the spring, adding a livestock will make things easier."

"Great! Great! Having a cow makes things much easier!" Uncle Chen praised repeatedly. "Your family's life is getting better and better! First you built a new house, then you had a new baby, and now you've even got a cow! Amazing!"

After walking a few more steps, they ran into Chen Ermu, who was leading his old yellow ox back from drinking water at the river. When the two oxen met, Chen Ermu's old ox mooed, and the yellow ox that Chen's father was leading responded gently.

"Brother Chen, you're doing great!" Chen Ermu greeted him with a smile, his eyes carefully examining the new ox. "This is a good buy! Good frame, long body, clearly a good working animal! Where did you find it?"

"It's from Geng Niuguan's family in Xiaohegou Village," Chen's father replied.

"The Geng family's cattle? That can't be wrong! He's really good at raising livestock." Chen Ermu said, leaning closer and lowering his voice with a smile, "Brother Chen, I want to discuss something with you. Once your cattle are well-bred, how about you breed them with my old buddy? Don't worry, I know the rules, and there will definitely be a generous reward!"

Father Chen readily agreed: "Sure, Er Mu brothers. They can keep each other company then."

They exchanged pleasantries and received heartfelt congratulations and envious glances from the villagers along the way. Chen Dashan followed beside his father, saying little, only nodding and smiling in response. He could feel the weight in those gazes—it was recognition, proof that the Chen family had truly established itself in the village and was thriving. His heart was heavy with responsibility, but also with motivation.

Pushing open the gate of the old house, Chen Xiaohe couldn't contain himself any longer and ran over, circling the cow, looking like he wanted to touch it but was too shy to do so: "Dad! Big brother! Is this our cow? It looks so spirited!" Chen's mother also came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands, her face beaming with joy. She looked the cow over and over again, muttering, "Good, really good, this cow looks just right."

Behind the window of the house next door, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing squeezed to the side, looking through the bright window paper at the tall yellow ox in the yard. Sunlight shone on its back, giving it a healthy sheen. The two sisters smiled at each other, their eyes moist with warmth. Fleeing famine from Jiangnan, struggling through muddy roads, they had now found a home in this small northwestern village, with blood relatives, and even such a precious livestock. It all seemed like a dream, yet so real and tangible.

Chen Dashan temporarily tied the cow to the jujube tree in the yard and patted its neck: "Rest here for now and get familiar with the place. In a couple of days, I'll build you a spacious and bright new home."

The cow seemed to understand, and obediently lowered its head, chewing on the handful of hay that Chen Xiaohe carefully handed over.

In the evening, the family gathered around the warm, cozy central room for dinner. The four little babies, settled on the kang (heated brick bed), were playing by themselves, babbling away after their fill of goat's milk. The simple meal on the table was steaming hot, and the warm light of the oil lamp shone on everyone's faces.

Father Chen took a sip of porridge and said, "The cow has been brought back, but there's still a lot to do. These past two days, Xiaohe and I have been working on building the cowshed in the backyard. It's still a bit cold, but the soil is loose enough. We'll compact the foundation, build up the adobe bricks, and put a thick layer of thatch on top. We hope to get it done before the thaw. Once it gets warmer, we'll reinforce it gradually."

Chen Dashan asked with some concern, "Dad, if we build a wall in this weather, won't the mud freeze solid? Will it be strong enough?"

Father Chen waved his hand, revealing the experience of an old farmer: "I know what I'm doing. I chose a sunny, sheltered spot, and the adobe bricks I used were made last autumn and are completely dry. When building them, I mixed plenty of chopped wheat straw into the mortar and tamped it down firmly. They'll be in the sun during the day, and we'll find a way to block the wind at night. There shouldn't be any major problems. First, we'll put up the framework so the cattle have a place to shelter from the wind and rain. We also need to build the sheepfold while we're at it, because we'll need to make room for piglets when we catch them in the spring."

He looked at Chen Dashan: "Dashan, go to town tomorrow and find Wang the blacksmith. Order the iron axle, hoops, chaff, and plowshare for the new oxcart. You know what they look like, so make sure the dimensions are accurate. Once you've ordered them, bring them back quickly. Take advantage of this free time before spring to have the oxcart frame and the new plow made. This year we have oxen, so we need to seize the time for spring plowing; the tools must be handy."

"Okay, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning," Chen Dashan replied.

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up, and he eagerly said, "Dad! Once the oxcart is ready, my older brother and I can drive it to the county town at the next market day! How cool would that be! We can bring so much stuff—bamboo and wooden items, hair ties, embroidery—we can take it all! It'll save us effort and time going back and forth!"

Chen's mother smiled and tapped her youngest son's forehead: "You're so shrewd! But you're right, having a cart is convenient. I can go with you then, and there will be one more person to look after the stall." She then looked at her two daughters-in-law, "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, don't worry, now that we have an oxcart, we won't have to walk so far and suffer like that when we go to town to sell embroidery or buy fabric."