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

As dawn broke, the mountain mist had not yet completely dissipated, clinging damply to the grass and branches. In the courtyard of the Chen family's new residence, everything was already in full swing, ready for departure.

"Mother, Xiaoqing and I are going up the mountain with Dashan and the others today. Please take care of the children at home, Father." Su Xiaoyin changed into a faded old cotton shirt and trousers with sturdy patches on the cuffs and elbows. Her hair was tightly tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, without any extra decoration. Su Xiaoqing was dressed the same way. The two sisters each carried a large basket that was almost half their height on their backs and held several thick burlap sacks in their hands, looking ready for a big adventure.

This was something the family had agreed upon last night. The autumn harvest was finished, and the work in the fields was temporarily over. Taking advantage of the good weather these past few days, before any snowfall, the last harvest of autumn produce in the mountains was ready to be picked. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were going up the mountain to chop enough firewood for the winter, and Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing volunteered to go with them, both to help and to gather more mountain produce. Mr. and Mrs. Chen had a bountiful harvest yesterday, so they stayed home today, partly to look after their four crawling toddlers who couldn't be left unattended for a moment, and partly to rest their bodies after days of hard work.

Holding her granddaughter Qingqing, Chen's mother smiled and nodded, "Go on, go on, your father and I are here at home. You two sisters must stay close to the mountains and rivers when you go up the mountain, and don't go into any deep or dangerous places. Look after each other."

"Don't worry, Mother, we know," Su Xiaoqing replied crisply, her eyes sparkling with anticipation for the mountains and forests.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were also ready. Chen Dashan pushed the old, sturdy, and lightweight two-wheeled wooden cart from his home, which carried several bundles of rope and a sharp machete and axe. Chen Xiaohe carried a larger basket on his back and held a small pickaxe in his hand.

"Let's chop enough firewood first, pile it on the truck, and then we can free up our hands to collect the mountain produce." Chen Xiaohe planned as he walked. "Firewood needs to be dried to burn well, so we need to take advantage of the sunshine these next few days to chop as much as possible and let it dry."

Su Xiaoyin, following beside Chen Dashan, said, "Okay. If we come across a hawthorn tree, that would be great. We can pick some and dry them, or try making some hawthorn cakes for the kids as snacks and to whet their appetites."

Chen Dashan pondered for a moment and said, "I remember there are a few wild hawthorn trees on the shady slope to the west after you cross that mountain ridge. They used to bear a lot of fruit. I'll take you there to see them after we finish chopping firewood. Maybe there will be some left."

The group ascended the familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar mountain path. The autumn forests were a riot of colors, with a thick layer of golden, ochre, and dark brown leaves carpeting the ground, rustling underfoot. The air was crisp and cool, yet carried the unique, invigorating scent of trees and earth.

Upon reaching the mountain hollow where they usually chopped firewood, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe selected several dead or thinned miscellaneous trees. The two brothers worked in perfect harmony, one wielding an axe and the other sawing. Soon, the dull chopping sounds and the crisp sawing sounds broke the silence of the forest. Wood chips flew everywhere, carrying the fragrance of pine or oak.

Chen Dashan instructed the two sisters, "Just wander around this area, don't go too far. See if there are any mushrooms or wild vegetables, or even dig up some wild garlic. If you need anything, just call us, we can hear you."

"Okay, I understand," Su Xiaoyin replied, and she and Su Xiaoqing began to search the vicinity carefully.

Not far along, Su Xiaoqing exclaimed, "Sister! Look, there's a small patch of wild garlic here!" There, on a sunny spot by a crack in the rocks, grew a clump of slender, emerald-green leaves. Digging into the soft, humus-rich soil, one could find plump, white garlic bulbs the size of pearls, exuding a pungent aroma.

"It really is! We should dig up more and add some when we pickle vegetables; it will definitely taste better. We can also use this to stir-fry eggs tonight; it will be very fragrant." Su Xiaoyin also squatted down and carefully dug with a small hoe. The two sisters worked quickly and soon dug up a large handful, tied it with thin grass stems, and put it into their baskets.

A few steps further on, on the back of a fallen, rotten log, I found several clusters of plump, brown mushrooms, their caps not yet fully open, at their freshest. Nearby, on the damp tree roots, there was also a small patch of thick, glossy black wood ear fungus.

"We're having good luck today!" Su Xiaoqing said happily, carefully picking the mushrooms and wood ear fungus. She looked up and called out in the direction Chen Dashan and the others were chopping wood, "Dashan, Xiaohe! Let's go check out the mushrooms at the edge of that grove over there, we won't go far!"

Chen Dashan stopped chopping with his axe, straightened up, looked over, and called out, "Alright! We're almost done here too, be careful!"

The two sisters agreed and, following the trail of fungal growth, sure enough, they found many more mushrooms at the edge of a sparser, better-lit pine forest ahead. There were common pine mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and even a few nice-looking chanterelles, golden and glossy, quite appealing. The two sisters busied themselves, and their baskets gradually gained weight.

Before long, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe arrived carrying several bundles of chopped firewood. Chen Xiaohe temporarily piled the firewood behind a dense thicket of bushes, brushed the sawdust off his clothes, and said, "Brother said to hide the firewood here first, and then bring it back with a cart. Shall we explore further ahead?"

"Okay." Su Xiaoyin straightened up and wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead. "I think there are quite a lot of things in these mountains."

The four of them continued deeper into the mountains and forests. The fallen leaves on the ground were thicker, soft and yielding underfoot. Chen Dashan, with his sharp eyes, spotted a small tree ahead with sparse branches and leaves, its fruit scattered on the ground. "That's a wild pear tree."

Upon closer inspection, sure enough, many small, greenish-yellow pears had fallen under the tree. Some had been pecked by birds, and some were rotten, but with careful searching, one could find some intact ones, just a little soft from being dropped. Chen Dashan picked up a relatively intact one, wiped it on his clothes, took a bite, and chewed it carefully: "Hmm, a little astringent, but quite sweet aftertaste, and very juicy."

"Shall we pick out some of the good ones and take them home?" Su Xiaoqing asked. "We can make pear water or dry some pears."

"Let's pick them up, there are still some on the tree, let's knock them down together." Chen Dashan said, and he and his brother worked together, shaking the tree trunk or gently tapping the branches with long sticks, and many more wild pears fell. The four of them picked and chose, only picking those without wormholes or broken pieces, and filled half a sack.

The joy of the harvest encouraged them. Then, on another hillside, they found a few hard persimmons hanging loosely, their green skins firm and needing to soften or be boiled before eating. In the hazelnut thicket, carefully prying open the spiky shells revealed some plump hazelnuts that had slipped through the net. They also collected quite a few acorns; Chen Dashan said they could be ground into powder and mixed into feed for pigs and chickens.

We didn't encounter any more mushrooms in large patches like before, but we still picked a few scattered ones. The sun gradually rose higher, and the light in the forest became brighter.

"Dashan, wait a minute." Su Xiaoyin suddenly called out to her husband, who was about to walk forward. She squatted down and parted a clump of half-withered ferns. "There are some wild vegetables here, shepherd's purse and purslane. They're quite fresh. We can pick them and make a refreshing salad tonight."

Chen Dashan bent down to take a look and nodded: "Okay, let's pick them. That's about enough. Let's take the firewood downstairs first, and if we still have the energy this afternoon, we can come back for another look."

The four men carried, shouldered, and lifted their heavy harvest, their faces beaming with satisfaction. The mountains and forests are generous; as long as one is willing to work hard, they will always reward one with simple, honest rewards.