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

As the sun began to set, it cast long shadows from the old locust tree in the courtyard, and the woodpile in the corner was edged with a warm gold. In the kitchen, Su Xiaoyin glanced at the bubbling radish soup in the pot, then turned to her younger sister, who was playfully wrestling with the four children on the kang (heated brick bed) in the inner room, and called out, "Xiaoqing, bring the last big bone we have. We'll make radish soup tonight, and a pot of pumpkin buns too!"

From inside came Su Xiaoqing's clear voice as she fended off a little one trying to climb out of the "encirclement": "Hey! Sis, I'll cut two more pieces of pumpkin and steam them with the steamed buns to make pumpkin puree sponge cake for these little gluttons!"

"Okay, then you watch them, I'll cook." Su Xiaoyin rolled up her sleeves and deftly kneaded the dough. The pumpkin was homegrown, golden yellow, and after steaming it, she mashed it into a puree and mixed it into the dough. The steamed buns had a naturally sweet taste, which the children especially loved.

Just as the pumpkin buns were steaming, familiar footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, along with Chen's father's slightly breathless but excited voice: "Dashan, Xiaohe, come and lend a hand!"

Hearing the sound, Su Xiaoqing quickly jumped off the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), telling the eldest boy, Shitou, to "look after your younger siblings" as she hurried out to greet them. She saw Mr. and Mrs. Chen carrying a nearly overflowing large basket on their backs, each dragging a bulging burlap sack in their hand, their steps slightly unsteady but their expressions invigorated as they entered the yard. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also rushed out of the carpentry shed, startled by the sight, and quickly took the heavy baskets and sacks from them.

"Dad, Mom! Why are you carrying so much back? Didn't I tell you to take it easy?" Chen Dashan weighed the basket in his hand, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with undisguised heartache.

Father Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, his face beaming with the joy of a bountiful harvest. He chuckled, "We were lucky today. Your mother and I took a detour and went to that old forest deep in the mountains. Not many people go there usually. Look at this basket—it's full of top-quality pine mushrooms and yellow mushrooms, plump and delicious! And this sack," he patted the bag at his feet, making a rustling sound, "contains chestnuts, hazelnuts, and quite a few pine cones! We also picked some herbs that we can sell. This trip has provided us with all the snacks to keep us entertained this winter, and all the dried goods for stews!"

Mother Chen untied her headscarf, let out a long sigh of relief, and although her face showed signs of fatigue, her eyes sparkled: "That's right, I didn't expect to find so many chestnuts. They're big and not many have worms. This is truly a bumper harvest!"

Su Xiaoqing had already quickly brought over two bowls of warm water: "Dad, Mom, have some water, wash your face and rest. Dinner will be ready soon, and the pumpkin buns are steaming!"

Mr. and Mrs. Chen took the water and drank it all in one gulp. The cool water dispelled much of the heat. After a quick wash and changing into dry, everyday clothes, they finally felt the soreness and fatigue wash over them. Instead of resting, they went straight to the east wing. On the kang (heated brick bed), the four little ones saw their grandparents and immediately began excitedly calling out "Ah ah!" as they crawled towards the edge of the kang. The weariness on Mr. and Mrs. Chen's faces instantly gave way to tenderness. They each picked up a child and began to play with them, filling the room with the innocent laughter of the children and the satisfied chuckles of the elderly couple.

Before long, the aroma of the food wafted through the air, growing stronger and stronger. Su Xiaoyin called out loudly, "Dad, Mom, Dashan, Xiaohe, dinner's ready!"

On the square table in the main room, a large bowl of milky-white radish and pork bone soup steamed hot. The radishes in the soup were stewed until translucent and tender, and the meat on the bones fell off with a gentle touch. Next to it was a large plate of golden, fluffy, and soft pumpkin buns, a dish of bright green stir-fried vegetables, and a dish of homemade pickled spicy and sour radish strips. The pumpkin puree and chicken cakes prepared for the children were also served in small bowls, golden and glistening.

The family sat down together, and Chen Dashan served his parents bowls of thick soup. Chen's mother took a bite of the soft pumpkin steamed bun, savored it, and praised, "This year's pumpkins are really sweet, and the dough has risen perfectly."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "Yes, it's quite sweet. We'll chop up the rest and cook it into porridge tomorrow morning; it'll definitely taste good that way too."

While feeding Shi Tou, Chen Dashan got down to business: "Dad, Mom, the furniture at Aunt Li's nephew's house has had its last coat of tung oil applied today. It's being left to dry in the open shed. After a couple of days, once the oil smell dissipates, we can send it over."

Chen Xiaohe, shoveling food into his mouth, interjected, "Brother, the woodpile in our backyard looks a bit thin. We'll need a lot of firewood to heat the kang (heated brick bed) in winter. Should we go up the mountain tomorrow and chop some strong firewood first?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "Yes, that's what I was thinking too. Tomorrow our whole family will go up the mountain, with Dad and Mom leading the way. We'll first chop enough firewood for the winter, bundle it up, and put it in a conspicuous place so we can slowly transport it back. After we've chopped the firewood, if we have time, we can go with Dad and Mom to pick up any other mountain produce we missed."

Chen's father swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth, then suddenly remembered something and said to Chen Dashan, "By the way, Dashan, I ran into the village head's eldest son on the mountain today. He said he wants to buy a small cart for the family, to make it easier to transport grain and other things. He wants a single-wheeled cart and a slightly larger two-wheeled one. He gave a deposit and said there's no rush, he'll let you take your time to make it, as long as it's ready before spring." As he spoke, he took out a small cloth bag from his pocket, which contained several hundred coins as a deposit.

Chen Dashan took it and replied, "Okay, Dad, I've got it. We still have plenty of good timber at home, enough to make a cart. I'll cut the timber out after we deliver the furniture to Aunt Li's house."

Listening to the children discussing household chores, arranging everything in an orderly fashion, Mr. and Mrs. Chen exchanged a glance, both seeing satisfaction and contentment in each other's eyes. Outside, the autumn wind swept across the eaves, carrying a noticeable chill. But inside, the warmth of the food, the sweet aroma of pumpkin, and the children's chatter filled the air.