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

"Wow! What a fruitful day!"

As Mrs. Chen was drying the last batch of green beans in the yard, she heard familiar footsteps and a man's deep, excited conversation coming from outside the gate. She straightened up and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw Mr. Chen, Chen Dashan, and Chen Xiaohe pushing the two-wheeled cart into the yard. The cart was piled high with firewood, tightly bound with hemp rope, making the cart almost invisible. The large baskets on their shoulders were also bulging, and Mr. Chen was also carrying a wet, dripping bamboo basket, inside which a fish tail could be vaguely seen swaying.

"Quickly, everyone have a drink of water and catch your breath!" Mother Chen hurriedly put down her work, took out a large earthenware pot that was warming on the stove from the main room, and poured a large bowl of warm buckwheat tea for each of the three men who were covered in dust and sweating.

Father Chen took the bowl, gulped down more than half of it, wiped his mouth, and his dark face beamed with undisguised joy: "What a lucky day! We've got a great haul of traps and snares!" He put down the bowl and gestured to his sons, "Come on, move the firewood aside and let your mother see what's underneath."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe stepped forward and carefully unloaded the top bundles of firewood from the cart. As the covering was removed, several grayish-brown, furry wild animals were revealed underneath! Three plump rabbits had their feet tied with straw rope, two pheasants with colorful feathers, and even a rather large wild duck!

"Oh my!" Mother Chen's eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward to examine the dishes closely. "So many! This is perfect, we have the main dishes to serve our guests during the New Year!"

Chen Dashan carefully lifted an even bigger creature from his heavy basket—a roe deer that was already lifeless but robust and with intact fur! "Dad set a new trap. It caught it in a sheltered ditch. It's quite big."

Chen Xiaohe also laid his basket down, and a number of freshly picked autumn mushrooms with thick caps rolled out. Chen's father unloaded his basket, which, in addition to mushrooms, contained a large bundle of fresh wild garlic, amaranth, and sand onions. "The wild vegetables around the traps are growing well, so we just picked them all. Originally, a deer had gotten into the innermost trap, but unfortunately, it was clever and broke the rope and escaped. We reinforced all the traps and dug two more deeper, to see if we can still harvest anything in the next few days."

Looking at the abundance of wild game scattered on the ground, Chen's mother began to plan: "This roe deer is big and meaty; we can't possibly eat it all at once. Xiaohe, once you're done cleaning, take the oxcart to the county town and ask Manager Wang's restaurant if they'll take any. Also, take one or two wild rabbits, and pick out some good-looking mushrooms. It's almost New Year's, and city restaurants are short of these rare wild game; the price should be good."

Mr. Chen nodded in agreement: "Okay, let's do as your mother says. Tannify the roe deer hide as well, and make small mattresses or knee pads for the children in winter to keep them warm."

So, after a quick lunch, Chen Xiaohe got to work. He skinned and butchered the roe deer (leaving some edible parts of the entrails), prepared the rabbit, and together with his sister-in-law and Xiaoqing, picked out half a basket of the best-looking mushrooms. Chen's mother carefully wrapped the meat pieces in dried lotus leaves and straw rope, placing them in a basket lined with dry straw. Chen Xiaohe hitched up the oxcart, loaded the goods, and, carrying his family's hopes, set off for the county town once more.

After seeing Chen Xiaohe off, Chen's father and Chen Dashan were not idle either. Winter storage was not only for people's food, but also for the family's increasingly robust old ox and two sheep that were starting to gain weight, and the fodder for the winter was of paramount importance.

"Come on, Dashan, let's go to the riverbank and gather a few more bundles of tender reeds, and also collect those half-dried wormwood stalks from the slope." Father Chen shouldered the carrying pole and sickle.

Chen Dashan responded and picked up the rope to follow. The father and son walked along the familiar path towards the riverbank and hillside. The autumn afternoon sun was no longer so scorching, but they were still drenched in sweat from their work. Chen Dashan wielded his sickle to cut clumps of wild oats that had already sprouted ears and whose stalks were still tough, while his father used a rake to gather various kinds of wormwood that had naturally dried in the shady areas of the hillside.

"Dad," Chen Dashan said as he tied up some hay, "there's absolutely no work in the fields this winter. Xiaohe and I have been discussing it, and we'll set up a stall in the county town every market day. We're not just hoping to sell those little trinkets, but mainly to see if we can get any carpentry work. Even just repairing furniture or making a stool would be fine. We'll also keep an eye out for anyone who wants to order a custom-made oxcart or handcart; that would be a really big job."

Father Chen neatly stacked a bundle of dried wormwood, straightened up, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve: "Hmm, that's a good idea. We're idle anyway in the winter, so having some work to do will give the family an extra source of income. And you're not rusty with your skills. Go ahead, your mother and I, along with Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, can take good care of the children and livestock."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over his own field, now fully harvested and seemingly empty, and further on, the uncultivated hillsides. He pondered, "I'm planning to visit the village head these next couple of days. First, to ask if the government's policy of encouraging land reclamation and exempting it from taxes has remained unchanged over the past few years. Second, to see if there are any suitable wastelands in our village that are close to a water source."

Upon hearing this, Chen Dashan slowed down his movements: "Dad, you still want to buy land? In the past two years, quite a few families in the village have bought up wasteland, but the better plots, those close to home, have probably all been taken, haven't they?"

"Yes," Chen's father sighed, with a stubbornness typical of farmers, "These past few years, the heavens have been kind to us, with favorable weather and abundant harvests. Anyone with a little extra money in the family would want to buy a few more acres of land. Land is the foundation." He looked at his son, his eyes filled with deep consideration, "Dashan, look at our family. You and Xiaohe have both started families, and suddenly we have four little ones. Watching them grow up day by day, getting married and marrying off their daughters—what won't cost money? Relying solely on the land we have now doesn't feel secure. Gongzhong saved some money this year, and with the oxen, farm work is much easier. I'm thinking, if there's suitable wasteland, even if it's a bit remote and barren, and the price is right, we should grit our teeth and buy a few more acres. We can slowly cultivate it until it's fertile. Every acre more gives us more security and leaves more property for our children and grandchildren."

Chen Dashan listened silently, deeply moved. His father's words, simple and unadorned, revealed the deepest emotions and most practical wisdom of farmers over thousands of years. Acquiring land was not merely about expanding production, but about laying a solid foundation for the family's future, reserving living space and hope for future generations. Hadn't he thought about this himself? He just felt too much pressure and didn't dare to say it easily.

"Father, you're right." Chen Dashan nodded emphatically. "Land is fundamental. If there are suitable lands, and our family is able to afford it now, we should buy some more. When it comes time to clear the land, Xiaohe and I will put in a lot of effort."

The father and son worked while quietly discussing their future plans.

Meanwhile, in the county town, Chen Xiaohe parked his oxcart at the back door of "Wang's Restaurant." Hearing that there was fresh roe deer meat and wild game, Manager Wang came out to inspect it himself. Seeing the cleaned, bright red roe deer meat and the plump wild rabbit, he beamed with joy. With the year-end approaching, it was peak season for banquets, and such wild delicacies were in high demand. After some haggling, the roe deer meat sold for a good price, and the rabbit and mushrooms also went smoothly. With more money than expected, Chen Xiaohe went to the general store to buy some salt, sugar, and soy sauce for his family, and set off on his journey home before sunset.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were busy in the kitchen, stewing a large pot of fragrant soup with the leftover pheasant and some mushrooms, and also stir-frying eggs with wild garlic and making a cold salad with sand onions. The aroma of the food wafted through the yard, mingling with the scent of haystacks and fresh firewood, warm and comforting.

The news of Chen Xiaohe's return and the income from selling goods made the dinner atmosphere even more cheerful.