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

"Mom, we're back!"

Chen Dashan's steady voice rang out from outside the courtyard gate, followed by Chen Xiaohe's slightly excited addition: "Quite a harvest!" Accompanied by the creaking of the cart wheels rolling across the ground and the sound of slightly heavy footsteps.

Chen's mother was dressing her eldest son, Shitou, who had woken up early, in the main room when she heard the noise. She hurried to the window and pushed it open halfway to look out. In the courtyard, where the morning mist had not yet dissipated, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were pushing a two-wheeled cart loaded with new firewood, with two thick, dry logs lying across the shaft. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing followed behind, each carrying a full basket on their backs, their faces flushed from work, but their eyes were filled with satisfied smiles.

"Oh, it's good to be back!" Chen's mother responded loudly, quickly putting the last shoe on Shi Tou. "Your father went up the mountain early this morning to dig traps and set snares, saying he wanted to see if he could catch some wild animals to supplement the family's diet. You two hurry up and wash your hands and faces, relax. Xiao Yin, Xiao Qing, you two watch the children for a while, I'll go to the stove to prepare lunch."

"Mom, you rest. Xiaoqing and I will make lunch." Su Xiaoyin put down the heavy basket on her back and walked over quickly, taking the stone that Chen's mother was trying to put down. "We're not tired. It's quite refreshing to walk in the mountains. We dug up a lot of wild garlic today. It's very tender. How about we stir-fry some wild garlic and eggs for lunch? It'll smell delicious."

Su Xiaoqing put down her basket, glanced over at the other three little ones rolling around on the kang (heated brick bed), and said with a smile, "Make some more millet porridge, some flatbread, and stir-fry some eggs with wild garlic. It'll definitely whet their appetites. Mom, you should rest for a while and play with the children."

Seeing that her two daughters-in-law were indeed in good spirits, Chen's mother stopped insisting and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), putting her arm around her little granddaughter Qingqing who was snuggling up to her: "Alright, then you two take charge of the cooking. Wild garlic stir-fried with eggs is good, your father likes it too. Put in a couple more eggs, so you can get some nourishment too."

At the other end of the yard, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe had already efficiently unloaded the freshly chopped firewood and carried it to the newly built firewood shed on the west side, stacking it neatly. Chen Dashan straightened up and looked at the hay shed next to him, which was also piled high—that was the winter rations prepared for the family's old ox and two sheep. The hay dried in the summer, the bean stalks and corn stalks harvested in the fall, were already piled up like a mountain, enough for the livestock to safely get through the winter. He felt a little relieved and said to Chen Xiaohe, who was brushing the hay off his clothes, "If we have time this afternoon, let's go to the north slope again. There are more dry branches there, let's chop another cartload. The more firewood, the better."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, brother. I'll go to the river and set up my fish basket after dinner to see if I can catch a few fish to make soup for tonight. The weather's gotten cold so suddenly, some fish soup will warm me up."

As they were talking, the courtyard gate was pushed open again, and Chen's father returned. He had a short pickaxe on his shoulder, a basket on his back filled with some freshly picked mushrooms and a few familiar herbs, and his trousers were covered in fresh mud.

"Father, is the trap set?" Chen Dashan asked.

"Yes, we dug up three and set snares. They're right by the path the badgers often take on the back hill. I'll go take another look around later tonight." Father Chen put down his things, dusted off the dirt, and looked at the newly added firewood in the yard and the full baskets his two daughters-in-law had carried back. A smile appeared on his face. "You two did quite a bit this time."

Lunch was simple yet plentiful. The aroma of golden wild garlic stir-fried eggs was irresistible, a large bowl glistening with oil; the thick millet porridge was topped with a layer of oil; and the multigrain pancakes were toasted to a golden brown. The family sat around the table, eating with exceptional relish. Father Chen deliberately picked up an extra piece of wild garlic and egg, chewing with smacking sounds: "Mmm! This is the true taste of the mountains!"

After finishing their meal, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe didn't rest. One pushed the empty cart, and the other picked up the repaired fish basket and a small bag of bran bait, and went out again. Chen's mother originally wanted to clean up the dishes, but Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing urged her to take a nap: "Mom, you can watch the children, we'll do these dishes." Chen's mother couldn't refuse, and seeing that her four grandsons had finished eating and were playing with cloth tigers on the kang (heated brick bed), she agreed.

The two sisters quickly cleaned the stove and carefully sorted the mushrooms they had brought back that morning, spreading the best-looking ones on bamboo sieves to dry in the sunniest spot. The herbs they had dug up were also sorted and laid out to dry in the shade under the eaves, just as their father had instructed.

By the time she finished all that, the sun was already beginning to set. Mother Chen tiptoed out the door, carrying a small basket, and whispered to the two sisters who were watching their baby in the main room, "I'm going to Old Wang's house at the east end of the village to help his daughter-in-law with her lactation. When you two were in confinement, they brought sixteen eggs. Now that they have a new baby, we should reciprocate."

Su Xiaoyin hurriedly said, "Mom, I'll go get the eggs and put them in your basket. Wouldn't it be bad to bring back the same kind? We have plenty of eggs, so... how about we take a few more?"

Chen's mother thought for a moment and said, "Then let's put in twenty, to make it a round number, it'll look nicer. We'll also put in a few of the good-looking red dates we dried, to help replenish qi and blood."

"Okay, sure." Su Xiaoqing replied, went to the storeroom and filled it with twenty red-skinned eggs, then grabbed a handful of dried red dates, lined them with clean red paper, arranged them neatly in the basket, and handed them to Chen's mother.

Mother Chen left with her basket. Inside the main room, the four little ones played for a while, then gradually became sleepy and started rubbing their eyes. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing quickly fetched warm water to wash their faces and hands, took off their outer clothes, and tucked them into bed. Perhaps they were tired from playing in the morning, or perhaps the comforting scent of their mother made them feel at ease; in no time, the four little heads were pressed together, and they fell into a deep sleep, emitting soft, sweet snores.

The room fell silent, save for the occasional shouts of villagers from afar and the rustling of the wind through the treetops. Sunlight streamed through the paper windows, casting warm patches of light onto the straw mat on the kang (a heated brick bed). The two sisters exchanged a glance and simultaneously let out a soft sigh of relief.

"Let's hurry while they're asleep," Su Xiaoyin said in a low voice, carefully taking out the embroidery frame wrapped in soft cloth from the kang cabinet. On the frame, the draft of the "Guanyin Image" had already been clearly outlined with fine charcoal pencil, the lines smooth and the image dignified. Next to it, the colored threads, gold threads, and silver threads, arranged in compartments, shimmered with a soft and beautiful luster under the light.

The two sat down in the best-lit spot by the window, each picking up a fine needle and threading silk. Su Xiaoyin was responsible for the face and flowing robes of Guanyin, requiring the finest needles and the softest transitional colors; Su Xiaoqing focused on the lotus seat, the vase, and the auspicious clouds and plants in the background, using brighter colors and gold thread for embellishment.

Once they started, the two were completely absorbed, as if everything around them had quieted down and faded away. The sound of a needle ticking and the faint rustling of needles were so intense that they didn't even notice when footsteps sounded in the yard, followed by the soft voices of Chen's mother and father talking to each other.

When Chen's mother returned from Old Wang's house, she met Chen's father at the gate. He was carrying an empty basket on his back and two grayish wild rabbits (obviously newly caught) in his hands. The two entered the yard together. Chen's mother originally wanted to go to the main room to see the children, but she caught a glimpse of her two daughters-in-law intently sewing through the open window.

Chen's mother immediately stopped, gestured for Chen's father to be quiet, pointed inside the window, and waved her hand. Chen's father understood, and also moved quietly, carrying the rabbit to the kitchen to process it, so as not to disturb it.

Mother Chen gently put down the basket, thought for a moment, then picked up the basket she had used that morning and grabbed the sickle. She walked to Father Chen's side and whispered, "The children are sleeping soundly, and they're engrossed in their embroidery, let's not disturb them. We haven't gathered enough pig feed yet. While it's still light, why don't you come with me and cut some more? It'll make us feel more at ease if we have more on hand."

Chen's father glanced at the quiet main room, nodded, and silently picked up another sickle and rope.