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

After dinner, the family gathered in the main room of the old house to cool off, fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans and discussing the next day's plans. The cicadas outside were chirping loudly, making the sounds of their discussion inside even clearer.

"Dad, there's a big market tomorrow. My older brother and I are going to set up a stall. We'll also drop off the cart there. Her house is just over there at the market." Chen Xiaohe said in a clear voice, munching on a piece of tender cucumber.

Su Xiaoqing chimed in, "My sister and I have made quite a few hair ties and baby clothes these past few days, and we've packed them all up. You can take them with you tomorrow. There are several new styles of hair ties, and the baby clothes are all made of soft, fine cotton fabric, so they don't look cheap."

Father Chen puffed on his pipe and nodded: "Yes, leave early. I saw that several watermelons in our backyard are ripe. Tomorrow morning, pick a few of the best ones and put them on the oxcart. Give the biggest one to Doctor Li as a thank you for always buying our medicinal herbs. Try selling the rest at the market. It's so hot, watermelons are refreshing, they should sell well. If we don't sell them all, we can bring them back and eat them ourselves, so it won't go to waste."

Chen Dashan mentally reviewed the goods he needed to take the next day and said calmly, "Father, don't worry, we know. After we finish setting up the stall, we need to water the fields as soon as possible. There's been little rain this summer, and the ground is so dry it's cracked. If we don't water it soon, I'm afraid the autumn harvest will be reduced."

Mother Chen, fanning herself, listened to the father and sons' arrangements and finally made the decision: "Alright, the important matters are settled. Go back to your rooms and rest early, you have to get up very early tomorrow. Dashan and Xiaohe, go back and repack your things so you don't forget anything. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, I'll look after the children. You two should also wash up and go to bed early."

Everyone agreed and dispersed. The summer night sky was exceptionally bright, and the evening breeze dispelled the daytime heat, bringing a rare coolness.

Back in their east wing, the two children (Shitou and Afu) were already asleep in their crib, their breathing even. Su Xiaoyin gently tucked them in. Chen Dashan came in after washing up, sat on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and asked in a low voice, "I'm going to the county town tomorrow. Is there anything we need to buy? Or... is there anything you particularly want to eat? I'll go to the market after I finish setting up my stall and buy it for you."

Su Xiaoyin was checking the hair tie she was going to give her husband tomorrow for loose threads when she heard this. She looked up, the candlelight illuminating her gentle profile. She shook her head and said softly, "We have everything we need at home. We still have rice, flour, oil, and salt, and enough vegetables from the garden. Don't bother buying anything. Just come back early after you've finished setting up your stall. The sun is strong now, so take plenty of water with you on the way to avoid heatstroke." She paused, then added, "Tomorrow, after you and Xiaohe leave, I plan to go for a walk in the back mountain to pick some selfheal and honeysuckle to make herbal tea. It's so dry these days; everyone needs something to cool them down."

Chen Dashan immediately frowned: "Don't go. It's hot now, the grass is thick and the forest is dense, there are lots of mosquitoes, snakes and ants, it's not safe. The herbal tea isn't urgent, I'll go pick it in the afternoon when I get back from the county town tomorrow. I'm nimble-footed, and I know where to find it."

Su Xiaoyin knew he was worried about her, and her heart warmed. She didn't insist anymore, but only told him, "Then be careful when you come back tomorrow, and don't go too deep into the mountains."

"Yes, I know." Chen Dashan blew out the oil lamp, plunging the room into darkness, with only the faint light of the stars and moon outside the window. "Go to sleep."

---

The next day, as soon as the sky began to lighten, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe got up. They moved very quietly, first going to the melon patch in the backyard and, by the morning light, selecting seven or eight round, ripe watermelons that made a dull sound when tapped. They carefully carried them onto the oxcart, padding them with dry straw to prevent them from bumping and falling on the road. Then they carefully placed the cradle they were going to push on the cart and tied it securely. Finally, they put the small bamboo and wooden items, hair ties, baby clothes, and other items they planned to sell into baskets and bamboo crates, covering them with coarse cloths to keep out the dust.

Father Chen got up even earlier and had already taken buckets of water to the fields, intending to water several rows while the morning was still cool. Mother Chen heard the commotion and got up as well. She first heated up the leftover porridge from last night for her sons, then made some flatbreads for them to take on the road, and filled two large bamboo tubes with cooled mint water.

"Drive carefully, don't rush to sell things, safety comes first," Chen's mother repeatedly told them as she saw them off at the gate of the courtyard.

"Okay, Mother. You can go back inside now," Chen Dashan replied, starting the oxcart. The old ox strode forward, and the oxcart creaked and groaned as it drove out of the still quiet village, disappearing into the pale dawn.

After seeing her son off, Chen's mother returned to the yard and began her busy day. She first fed and watered the chickens, ducks, and geese, and then cleaned the pigsty and sheepfold. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing also got up, washed up, and came to help.

While collecting eggs, Su Xiaoyin looked at the dozen or so chicken eggs, seven or eight duck eggs, and five or six large goose eggs she had just collected in the basket, and said to Chen's mother, "Mom, we've accumulated some eggs again. It's hot, they won't keep well and will spoil easily. Shall we pickle some salted duck eggs and salted goose eggs? They'll last longer and will be good with porridge in the summer."

Mother Chen was taking out the goose eggs one by one to check for cracks when she heard this and smiled, "Great! You and Xiaoqing are so skillful, you two can pickle them. I always have trouble getting the salt right when pickling these, they're either too salty or too bland. Wash the duck and goose eggs and let them dry, you can work on them later." She then pointed to the pile of chicken eggs, "We won't pickle the chicken eggs, we can save them for you and the children. Or... how about we try making some tea eggs? I think there's some tea foam in them."

Su Xiaoqing's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Tea eggs? Great! I love those, they're so much tastier than boiled eggs!"

Su Xiaoyin laughed too: "Eggs are delicious no matter how they're cooked. But the tea eggs I bought are especially fragrant; besides tea, it seems like they added other spices as well."

Chen's mother became interested: "Then let's give it a try! I'll find all the spices we have at home, like star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns, and put some in. Anyway, it's just for our family, so if we try it a few times, we'll eventually figure out how to make it taste good."

Without further ado, Chen's mother went to find seasonings and some leftover tea leaves, while Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing fetched well water and carefully washed the duck and goose eggs. The cool well water washed away the mud and grass clippings from the eggshells, revealing a smooth, bluish-white or pale blue surface. As they washed, the two sisters discussed how much salt to use, and whether to coat them in mud or soak them in salt water.

The morning light grew brighter, bathing the neatly tidied courtyard. Chickens and ducks pecked leisurely in their pens, while piglets grunted by the fence. In the east wing, the four little ones woke up one after another, making babbling noises. Chen's mother quickly wiped her hands and went inside to look after them, while Su Xiaoyin went to the kitchen to start a fire, preparing breakfast for the family and boiling a large pot of water to cook eggs later.