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

The sun climbed higher and higher, like a giant brazier hanging overhead, relentlessly scorching the earth. The soil on the field ridges was baked white, and burning hot to the touch. The corn leaves in the fields wilted and curled at the edges, displaying a lifeless grayish-green hue.

Chen Xiaohe straightened his aching back, wiped his face haphazardly with the sweat-soaked towel around his neck, looked up at the clear blue sky without a single cloud, and couldn't help but speak, his voice hoarse with thirst: "Dad, it's getting drier and drier. If it doesn't rain soon, the ground will really start to steam. I wonder when we'll get a good downpour."

Mr. Chen was bending over, checking the soil moisture around the base of a row of corn plants. Hearing this, he looked up, squinting at the glaring sun for a long time, his deeply lined face etched with worry. He sighed heavily, his voice low: "Looking at the sky, not a cloud in the sky, it doesn't look like it'll rain anytime soon. How can we farmers guess what the heavens are thinking? We've only had a few years of peace, and now..." He didn't finish his sentence, but shook his head, picked up the wooden water ladle on the edge of the field, scooped the last ladle of water from a nearly empty bucket, and carefully poured it at the base of a corn seedling that looked particularly thirsty. "Come on, hurry up and finish watering the last two acres on the east side. After you're done, check if the ones you watered before have dried up again; you might have to water them again."

Chen Dashan hadn't said much, just silently carrying water from the river in the distance. Though his legs weren't as nimble as his younger brother's, he was strong enough to carry the load steadily. Hearing his father's words, he stopped and looked at the small river that nourished the fields of Nanshan Village, his brow furrowed. "Dad," he said, "I noticed this morning when I was carrying water; the water level in the river has dropped again compared to the past few days. If this drought continues, we'll have trouble irrigating the fields. After you irrigate this afternoon, why don't you go talk to Uncle Village Head and discuss it? See if the village can come up with a solution together, like taking turns using the water, or looking for a water source further upstream. We can't just watch the crops die of drought."

Father Chen nodded, his face showing deep weariness and helplessness: "We should talk to the village head. Hopefully, we can come up with a plan. Let's get to work first; every extra scoop of water we give the crops a better chance of survival."

---

Meanwhile, Chen's mother, carrying a large, bulging basket almost as tall as herself, trudged down the path from the back of the mountain. The basket contained only the still-fresh pig feed and some barely edible wild vegetables she had searched for half a day in the sweltering forest. Sweat had already soaked through her coarse cloth clothes, leaving dark stains on her back; her wisps of hair clung tightly to her skin, and her cheeks were flushed red from the heat.

She practically shuffled into the courtyard. Su Xiaoyin, who was embroidering by the light under the window of the east wing, saw her immediately, put down her embroidery hoop, and came out to greet her, supporting her slightly unsteady mother-in-law: "Mother! You're back! Sit down and rest!" She deftly took the heavy basket from her back, then turned around and poured a bowl of cooled tea made with honeysuckle and prunella vulgaris from the earthenware pot on the stove, handing it to Chen's mother.

Chen's mother took the bowl and gulped down more than half of it in one go. She let out a long sigh of relief, finally feeling the heat and fatigue rising from the bottom of her heart subside a little. She waved her hand, her voice still a little breathless, "It's nothing, it's nothing, it's just that the weather is stuffy and I walked too fast. I'll be fine after a rest. You go and do your work, I'll gather these wild vegetables and dry them while the sun is shining."

"Mom, please sit down and rest for a while. I'll take care of it." Su Xiaoyin was worried.

"No need, this little chore won't tire you out." Chen's mother had recovered and got up to empty the pig feed and wild vegetables from her basket, starting to sort them. "You should go back and embroider yours. Those big pieces are hard on your eyes, so take advantage of the good light now."

Seeing her mother-in-law's resolute attitude, Su Xiaoyin knew she couldn't persuade her otherwise, so she said, "Then Mother, please call us if you need anything. Xiaoqing and I will stay in the room." She returned to the east wing and continued embroidery. Su Xiaoqing also came closer and asked in a low voice, "Is Mother alright?"

"It's nothing, just hot." Su Xiaoyin lowered her voice, "I don't think Mother brought back much pig feed, I'm afraid the grass on the mountain is too dry to grow."

As the two were talking, Chen's mother's voice came from the courtyard: "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, I'm going to gather more pig feed. We don't have enough at home. Let's do this before the sun gets too strong."

Su Xiaoyin quickly opened the window: "Mom, why don't you go later? The sun is really strong right now!"

Chen's mother had already put on her worn-out straw hat, and was holding a sickle and a water bag. Without turning her head, she waved her hand and said, "Go early and come back early, it'll be even more stuffy in the afternoon. Don't worry, I brought water, it'll be fine!" With that, her thin but upright figure disappeared outside the courtyard gate.

Watching their mother-in-law's retreating figure, both sisters felt a pang of sadness. Su Xiaoqing sighed, "Mother is too strong-willed."

Su Xiaoyin was silent for a moment, then picked up her needle and thread again: "If we take care of things at home, it will save Mother a lot of trouble. Let's make something refreshing for lunch. It's hot, and Dad and my older brother Xiaohe are working even harder in the fields. They won't be able to eat anything greasy when they get back."

"Okay," Su Xiaoqing nodded, "Make some multigrain pancakes, stir-fry some chili peppers and eat them together, it'll whet your appetite. I'll cut some cured meat into small cubes and stir-fry it with the chili peppers, it'll be even more fragrant. Also, make a cold dish, and add plenty of garlic."

"Okay, I'll go to the garden in a bit and pick a couple of cucumbers and some scallions." Su Xiaoyin said, but her needle and thread didn't stop. The large embroidery of "Hundred Blessings" was nearly a third complete, with a rich and opulent color scheme and fine, even stitches, showing her dedication.

Su Xiaoqing returned to her embroidery frame, and the two embroidered quietly for a while. Suddenly, Su Xiaoqing remembered something and asked in a low voice, "Sister, we've used up almost all the fabric scraps we've collected, and we've made quite a few hair ties and little clothes. Should we ask Xiaohe and the others to bring back some more fabric scraps from the market next time?"

Su Xiaoyin's silver needles moved deftly through the fine white fabric as she replied softly without looking up, "Not for now. These finished pieces will be enough for them to sell for a while. Business at the market isn't always as booming as it was last time; it's a steady stream. What we need to do now is work harder and try to finish this large embroidery as soon as possible. Then we can send it to the embroidery shop and see what price the shopkeeper will offer."

Mentioning the large embroidery, Su Xiaoqing felt both anticipation and worry. She looked at the lotus buds that had only just begun to bloom on her embroidery frame and whispered, "This large embroidery is beautiful, but it takes too much time. It's only July now, and even if we work as hard as we can, it would be considered fast if we could finish it before September. Staring at it all day long is making my eyes blurry."

Su Xiaoyin stopped sewing, looked up at her younger sister, and smiled knowingly. "I know. But think about the money we can get if we finish this embroidery, doesn't that give us more motivation? The shopkeeper said last time that large embroidered pieces, if done well, can fetch several times the price. Let's grit our teeth and make this one beautiful. If... if it doesn't sell for a good price this time, or if it's too much work and not worth it, we can always go back to making smaller pieces. We have to try."

Her words were like a small shot of adrenaline. Thinking of the potentially substantial sum of money she could earn, the things she could buy for the house, or the extra clothes she could make for the children, Su Xiaoqing's eyes hardened again, and she nodded: "Yes! Sister, you're right, we have to try! For the money, we'll give it our all!"

The two sisters exchanged a smile and buried themselves back in their embroidery. Each stitch reflected their hopes for the future, and their own quiet yet resilient struggle. Outside the window, the sun blazed fiercely, and in the corner of the courtyard, the wild vegetables Chen's mother had laid out to dry were slowly losing moisture and becoming shriveled.