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

That morning, the sun shone brightly, and the backyard of the Chen family's new house was bustling with activity. Chen Dashan, Chen Xiaohe, and their father were working on a newly built stone structure. The stones, of varying sizes, had been collected from the ground a few days earlier while clearing land. They were carefully stacked together with yellow mud and bits of straw to create a simple rabbit hutch, about half a person's height, divided into two sections.

The roof of the burrow was covered with several relatively flat wooden planks, with gaps left for ventilation. The ground was paved with stone slabs that Chen Xiaohe had brought back from the riverbank and dried and smoothed, covered with soft, dry grass. Although the rabbit burrow was not exquisite, it was sturdy enough to shelter from the wind and rain.

The incident began last night when Mr. Chen's lasso, which he had set on the gentle slope behind the mountain, unexpectedly caught a pair of grayish-brown wild rabbits. Fortunately, they were discovered in time, and both rabbits were still lively and energetic. Even more surprising was that the slightly larger female rabbit had a round belly, clearly indicating she was pregnant.

"Dad, this mother rabbit is pregnant, it's a pity to kill her." Chen Xiaohe had been clamoring for it last night. "Why don't we try raising her? If she survives and gives birth to baby rabbits, we can have an extra source of income. We can sell the rabbit fur and meat for money. If she doesn't survive, then we can kill her and eat her meat."

Mr. Chen, puffing on his pipe, looked at the two rabbits in the cage, who were both panicked and clever, and nodded: "Alright, let's give it a try. Wild rabbits are fierce and not easy to raise; it'll take some effort. We'll build the burrow tomorrow."

And so this morning's bustling scene unfolded. By mid-morning, the rabbit burrow was finally taking shape. Chen Xiaohe patted the mud off his hands, walked around the stone burrow with satisfaction, and said, "Dad, brother, I'll go up the mountain and get some fresh, tender grass to see if the mother rabbit will eat it. I heard wild rabbits don't eat what people feed them at first; you have to tame them slowly."

Mr. Chen hummed in agreement and instructed, "Don't go too far. Just cut some grass on that grassy slope at the foot of the mountain. While you're at it, see if there are any dandelions or plantains; they'll be good for the rabbits to eat."

"I know, Dad!" Chen Xiaohe replied, picked up his sickle and basket, and went out the door.

Chen Dashan washed his hands and said to his father, "Dad, I'll go up the mountain for a walk in a bit. Xiaoyin and the others made some sachets for the Dragon Boat Festival. Let me see if there are any wildflowers that have bloomed, so I can pick some, dry them, and add some fragrance."

"Alright, go ahead. Remember to come back early." Chen's father said, picking up the hoe leaning against the wall. "I'm going to take a look around our field to see how the corn seedlings are growing and whether we need to apply some fertilizer."

Chen's mother went up the mountain early in the morning with a basket on her back and hasn't returned yet. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing stayed at home, taking care of their four energetic children who had started to crawl, while also working hard to finish their embroidery.

On the kang (heated brick bed) in the main room, a small "safe zone" was temporarily created using pillows and blankets. Four chubby little ones, dressed in round clothes, rolled around, babbled, and scratched each other, thoroughly enjoying themselves. The two sisters sat on the edge of the kang, their embroidery frames propped up in front of them. Su Xiaoyin was embroidering "Four Joys Arrive at the Door," with four magpies in various poses already taking shape on the red cloth, some perched on plum blossoms, others poised to take flight. The vibrant colors exuded a strong sense of joy. Su Xiaoqing, on the other hand, was embroidering a slightly smaller piece, "Lotus Brings a Noble Child." Pink and white lotus flowers stood gracefully, and beneath the emerald green lotus leaves, ripples danced in the water. A chubby, adorable baby sat on a lotus leaf, symbolizing good fortune.

The two sisters made hair ties, sewed sachets, and sewed tiger-head shoes in their spare time, squeezing in time while their children slept or they played quietly. With the number of trinkets prepared for the Dragon Boat Festival almost complete, they focused their main efforts on these two embroidered pieces, hoping to finish them before the festival and sell them at the pre-festival market for a good price.

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On the mountain, Chen's mother's basket was already more than half full. She carefully selected the tender, succulent mugwort, cutting it down to the base with a sickle and neatly stacking it in the basket. Once dried, the mugwort could not only be kept for her family to use during the Dragon Boat Festival to repel insects and ward off evil spirits, but any surplus could be given to neighbors or exchanged for other goods. Besides the mugwort, her eyes, like those of an experienced treasure hunter, meticulously searched for any herbs that might be hidden in the grass or crevices between the rocks.

A few days ago, Mr. Chen took some dried common herbs that his family had accumulated—such as plantain, selfheal, and honeysuckle vine—to Dr. Li in the village. After examining them, Dr. Li gave him a full one hundred coins. Although the amount wasn't much, it was a real source of income for a farming family, and it proved that this method was feasible. Therefore, every time Mrs. Chen went up the mountain, in addition to picking wild vegetables, she was also more careful.

Sure enough, on a shady, damp slope, she found an astragalus plant. Its leaves were emerald green, its main root thick and robust, the part above ground covered in a dark brown outer layer. Delighted, she put down her basket, took out her small hoe, and carefully dug away the surrounding soil, trying not to damage the main root. After some effort, a whole, decent-quality astragalus plant was successfully extracted. She weighed it in her hand; it was quite heavy, and after drying, it should be worth some money. Carefully placing the astragalus in her basket, Chen's mother glanced at the sun, estimating it was almost noon, and she had to hurry home; her husband would start nagging her if she was late.

She carried a heavy basket on her back and a sling filled with herbs and a few wild delicacies, walking back down the mountain path. As she neared the foot of the mountain, she ran into "Big Mouth Li," a notorious woman from the village. This woman, surnamed Li, had earned her the nickname because of her loud voice, her love of gossip, and her tendency to spread rumors. Mother Chen usually disliked interacting with her, but since she had encountered her, she couldn't pretend not to see her. So she nodded and continued walking, intending to pass by.

"Hey! Auntie Shan! Wait!" Li Dazui called out to her, quickly walking over. His eyes swept over Chen's mother's basket and carrying basket, a smile spreading across his face. He lowered his voice, but it still sounded abrupt. "I was just about to ask you! How are your two daughters-in-law so amazing? They gave birth to twins so soon after they married into the family, two sets of twins! Is there any secret to it? We live in the same village, you can't keep it from me, tell me about it!"

Mother Chen rolled her eyes inwardly, but her face remained expressionless. She simply said, "His aunt is joking. There's no secret formula. Our Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, their mothers both gave birth to twins, and they themselves are twins. Having twins is mostly due to the fate and good fortune brought from the womb. Your daughter-in-law is young and healthy, so just wait a little longer; when the time is right, the baby will come naturally." Without waiting for Li Dazui to speak again, she tightened the straps of her basket and walked straight into the village, leaving Li Dazui standing there, mouth agape, speechless for a long time.

Chen's mother walked briskly, thinking that her husband must be getting impatient at home, and she wondered if those wild rabbits would even eat grass. She also thought about her four grandchildren; she hadn't seen them all morning and they were probably making a ruckus again…