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

The days flew by amidst the busyness and anticipation. In the Chen family's fields, cowbells jingled, and plows turned over the land that had slumbered all winter, filling the air with the scent of dark, damp earth. Father Chen held the plow, Chen Dashan led the ox in front, while Mother Chen and Chen Xiaohe sowed seeds and covered them with soil behind. The family worked in perfect harmony, beads of sweat dripping onto the field ridges, their hearts filled with the solid peace of planting hope.

At home, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing's "workshop" was also thriving. The four children seemed particularly considerate of their mother's busy schedule. Apart from feeding, diaper changing, and the occasional need for cuddling, they spent most of their time lying quietly in their cradles or on the kang (a heated brick bed), touching each other, or babbling while staring at the roof beams, creating their own interesting little world. This gave the two sisters plenty of time.

The colorful scraps of fabric transformed in their skillful hands. The hair ties were the first to be completed. In addition to the traditional single and double strand braids, they also experimented with more complex braids and added wooden beads and polished shell pieces (made by Chen Dashan from scraps) as embellishments, making them look exceptionally exquisite. Then came the main event—the tiger series.

Su Xiaoyin was in charge of cutting and sewing the main body. She cut out the soles and uppers from thick red cloth, and cut out round tiger heads, ears, and king-shaped patterns from yellow cloth. She embroidered bright eyes and whiskers with black thread. Her hands were very steady, and the tiger she embroidered had a cute and adorable look, yet it was still majestic. Su Xiaoqing was good at stuffing and decorating details. She carefully stuffed soft old cotton wool into the sewn tiger shoes, tiger hats, and small rag dolls, making them plump and warm to the touch. She also used the leftover strips of cloth to braid thin ropes, attached small bells (also made by Chen Dashan), and sewed them onto the sides of the tiger hats or the necks of the rag dolls. They made a crisp and pleasant sound when moved, which was even more pleasing to children.

"Sister, look at this little rag doll, doesn't it look like our third son?" Su Xiaoqing asked with a grin, holding up a newly made, round-headed little tiger rag doll. The rag doll was made of yellow cloth with black stripes, with big embroidered eyes and a slightly upturned mouth, exuding a silly and cheerful charm.

Su Xiaoyin took it and looked at it, then smiled: "It does look a bit like it, it looks silly and adorable." She picked up a pair of tiger shoes that were almost finished in her hand, the tiger face on the toe of the shoe was lifelike, "This pair is for the second child, girls wear red shoes, it makes them look spirited."

As they worked, they chatted quietly, their conversation ranging from their children and memories to their hopes for the future.

"I remember when I was little, my mother would always embroider little flowers and grasses on the cuffs or collars when she made new clothes for us." Su Xiaoqing threaded the needle, her eyes somewhat distant. "Back then, I thought my mother's hands were so skillful; she could make such a beautiful piece of ordinary cloth."

"Yes," Su Xiaoyin bit off a thread and sighed softly, "It's a pity that Mother left so early, and we didn't learn many of her skills. Now that I'm a mother myself, I understand even more how difficult it was back then." She looked at the four babies sleeping peacefully side by side in the cradle, her eyes softening, "I hope our children can also remember the warmth of Mother's handmade crafts."

"Definitely!" Su Xiaoqing said firmly. "When they're a little older, I'll teach them to recognize these scraps of cloth, and see how Mom turns them into treasures." She paused, lowered her voice, and asked with a hint of anticipation, "Sister, do you think we can really sell these tiger shoes and dolls? How much can we get for them?"

Su Xiaoyin neatly stacked the finished tiger shoes and the batch of hair ties she had made earlier in a clean bamboo basket, estimating: "The hair ties cost almost nothing; I can make a profit selling them for three or five coins. These tiger shoes and rag dolls take more effort and use better fabric, but the material is still scraps. I reckon a well-made pair of tiger shoes should sell for ten to fifteen coins; someone should be willing to buy them. The rag dolls will be cheaper, around eight coins. After all, it's all about novelty and good fortune, and they're for children."

"That's not bad!" Su Xiaoqing's eyes lit up. "Let's make more while we have time and stock up. After spring planting, we can have Big Brother and Xiaohe take them to the market in the county town, or maybe next time Mother goes to the embroidery shop, she can ask the shopkeeper if they buy these kinds of children's items. Even if they sell slowly, it'll still be some income."

The more the sisters talked, the more hopeful they felt. Their needle and thread moved faster and faster, and the finished products in the bamboo basket gradually piled up. Red tiger shoes, yellow tiger hats, adorable rag dolls, colorful hair ties... They lay there quietly, yet seemed to radiate a warm light, illuminating this ordinary spring afternoon in the farmhouse.

As evening fell, the family returned from the fields, their steps weary but content. The ox was led back to the barn, and the farm tools were put away. As soon as Chen's mother entered the courtyard, she glanced at the kitchen and found that the lunch dishes had already been washed, the porridge for dinner was simmering in the pot, and the vegetables had been washed and chopped, ready to be cooked. Her heart warmed, and she quickly went into the main house.

The room was warm and cozy, filled with the clean scent of soapberry and a faint aroma of milk. Four children lay side-by-side on the kang (heated brick bed), waving their arms and legs, full of energy. Su Xiaoyin was stir-frying the last of the vegetables at the stove, while Su Xiaoqing gently shook a rattle drum to make the children laugh. On the edge of the kang, several brightly colored and adorable little objects caught Chen's mother's eye.

"Oh! This is..." Mother Chen picked up a tiger-shaped shoe and examined it closely. "You two made this? It's really beautiful! The tiger head is embroidered so well!"

Su Xiaoyin turned off the stove, wiped her hands, and came over: "Mom, you're back. You must be exhausted. Dinner will be ready soon. These are things that Xiaoqing and I made with scraps of cloth when we had nothing to do. We were thinking of making some toys for children, and after the spring planting is over, we'll have Dashan and Xiaohe take them to the market to see if we can get some money."

Mother Chen looked at the tiger shoes, little hats, and dolls one by one, admiring them with delight: "What a great idea! They're auspicious and beautiful, someone's sure to like them! Our two daughters-in-law are so skillful!" She looked up at her two daughters-in-law; although they had been busy all day, they looked radiant and their eyes were bright. Mother Chen felt even more gratified. "Don't overwork yourselves, take your time. Now that we have oxen, the work in the fields is easier than before, and the pressure from the family isn't as great. You two take good care of the children and do some work you enjoy, that's good enough."

Just then, Chen's father and brothers came in after washing up. Chen Xiaohe immediately noticed the new trinkets, picked up a cloth doll and weighed it in his hands: "Wow! Sister-in-law, Xiaoqing, your craftsmanship is getting better and better! This little tiger is just as good as the ones sold in the antique shops in town! It's sure to sell well!"

Chen Dashan also picked up a tiger-shaped shoe and examined it. The stitching was fine and the design was cute. He looked at Su Xiaoyin with admiration and a hint of barely perceptible pride in his eyes: "Hmm, the workmanship is very good. I'll take it with me when Xiaohe and I go to the market in a few days."

At the dinner table, the family enjoyed a hot meal, talked about the progress in the fields, and chatted about these lovely handicrafts, creating a particularly warm atmosphere.