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

Infected by her sister's emotions, Su Xiaoyin felt even more hopeful: "Good idea. It seems... when I passed by before, I vaguely saw bamboo in that mountain valley? If there's bamboo, maybe we can find bamboo shoots, dry them, or pickle them like Mother used to..." She thought of the pickled bamboo shoots her mother, Lin, made, their crisp, slightly sour taste, and couldn't help but swallow hard, then felt a little sad. Things had changed; the same skills, she wondered if she could still recreate the taste she remembered.

"It really looks like there's bamboo!" Su Xiaoqing recalled, even more excited. "Let's hurry up and get the chores sorted out quickly, maybe Grandma will agree!"

The two sisters talked, but their hands moved quickly, and soon they had washed several kinds of vegetables clean and placed them neatly in a clean bamboo sieve to drain.

At this moment, Chen's mother also returned, carrying a small bamboo basket in her arms, inside which were four pieces of snow-white and tender tofu, covered with a clean, damp cloth.

"The vegetables are washed? Good." Chen's mother glanced at the vegetables in the bamboo sieve and nodded in satisfaction. "Come on, help me take the cured meat down."

Chen's mother took a piece of dark, glistening cured pork from a hook hanging from the roof beam. This was probably one of the Chen family's most precious possessions. She carefully cut off a small half, then hung the rest back up. The cured pork was first washed with hot water to remove the surface soot, then sliced ​​thinly, the fatty parts glistening and translucent.

The stove fire was reignited, burning brighter than usual. Water boiled in the large iron pot, and Chen's mother gave her instructions with composure: "Xiaoyin, the fish is ready. Fry it, be careful not to break the skin. Xiaoqing, cut the tofu into cubes and soak it in salt water. Fry the cured pork slices until the fat renders; that'll make the most fragrant stir-fried cabbage. Grate the radish, salt it to draw out the water, and mix in some sesame oil and minced garlic. Blanch the spinach just before it's done cooking..."

The aroma of oil and cured meat gradually filled the air. Following Chen's mother's instructions, Su Xiaoyin dried the cleaned crucian carp with a cloth. After heating the pan, she added a little precious lard and carefully slid the fish into it. With a sizzle, the aroma burst forth. She watched intently, gently shaking the pan handle until one side was lightly golden brown and set, then carefully flipped it with a spatula. Her movements, though not yet practiced, were meticulous and attentive.

Chen's mother watched from the side, offering no further guidance, but her eyes held a hint of approval. It was truly remarkable that this girl, who had fled famine, could so quickly master the kitchen work; she wasn't spoiled and was willing to learn.

The fish soup simmered until it turned milky white, then tofu was gently added and simmered over low heat. The rendered fat from the cured pork seeped into the cabbage, releasing an enticing savory aroma. The shredded radish was tossed lightly, and the vibrant green spinach was blanched briefly in boiling water, its color almost dripping with color. A pot full of thick, golden-brown multigrain pancakes filled the pot.

As the sun approached noon, the courtyard was filled with a fragrant aroma, prompting villagers who occasionally passed by to take a sniff.

"It's done." Chen's mother glanced at the sun, wiped her hands, and said, "Put it in a basin and we'll take it over. They should be almost done by now."

The food was packed in the largest earthenware pot and jar in the house, and the lids were put on to keep it warm. Chen's mother and Su Xiaoyin carried the basket containing the flatbread and vegetable bowl on a shoulder pole, while Su Xiaoqing carefully carried the jar of steaming fish soup. The three of them went out the door and walked towards the house site to the east.

Before we even got close, we could hear lively voices and energetic shouts coming from that direction.

The once overgrown open space had been cleared and leveled. A shallow trench had been dug, and river stones of varying sizes were firmly piled inside, forming the foundation. Seven or eight strong young men were working diligently, some tamping the earth, some carrying adobe bricks, and some mixing mud. Chen's father was directing from the side, while Chen Xiaohe carried two baskets of mud, walking briskly, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead in the sunlight. Chen Dashan sat on a flat stone, drawing lines on the ground with a twig in his hand, seemingly calculating something. Occasionally, he would look up and say something, and one of the men responsible for building the wall would nod and adjust accordingly.

In just one morning, the foundation of the new house was clearly visible, and the boundaries of the five rooms were clearly marked, with the middle room being particularly prominent. The progress was faster than expected.

"Hey! The food's here!" A sharp-eyed man saw them, stood up, and called out with a smile.

Everyone stopped what they were doing, wiped their sweat with their clothes, and gathered around with smiles. The rich aroma of food wafted through the air, making everyone's mouths water.

"Old Chen's food smells amazing!"

"Sister-in-law Dashan, Sister Xiaoqing, thank you for your hard work!"

"Aunt Zhao, the food's really good today, there's even fish soup!"

With a smile on her face, Chen's mother urged everyone to wash their hands, saying, "Thank you all for your hard work, brothers and uncles! We don't have much to offer, just something to eat to tide us over! We'll need your help this afternoon!"

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing helped set out the flatbreads and vegetable bowls, then distributed bowls of soup to everyone. The steaming fish soup was handed to rough, muddy hands, earning heartfelt thanks in return. Watching these simple farmers devour their food, their foreheads still steaming from their work, the two sisters felt a warmth in their hearts. The sweat of these people was laying the foundation for their future home.

When Chen Dashan took the bowl from Su Xiaoyin, his fingers accidentally touched it. His hands were rough, with the texture of dirt and sawdust. Su Xiaoyin's fingertips recoiled slightly, and she looked up to see Chen Dashan's profile as he sipped his soup. He was drinking intently, his Adam's apple bobbing, and there was a mud stain on his forehead that he had somehow gotten there.

Su Xiaoyin silently withdrew her hand and turned to serve Chen Xiaohe soup. Chen Xiaohe took the bowl, grinned at her, revealing a set of white teeth: "Thank you, Xiaoqing... uh, sister-in-law!" He almost called her "Xiaoqing sister" again, but quickly corrected himself, his face slightly red, and he lowered his head to drink the soup.

Mr. Chen squatted to one side, munching on a flatbread with pickled vegetables. Looking at the bustling construction site and his wife, children, and daughter-in-law busy greeting everyone, his eyes were filled with an unconcealed smile, glistening with sweat.

The foundation is in place, and the main frame is about to rise. This simple yet heartfelt lunch infused the busy construction project with a real, homey energy. Amidst the activity and the aroma, the Su sisters felt more and more clearly that they were gradually becoming part of this land, this home, and the hopeful sounds of construction.