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

"Mother! Sister-in-law! Xiaoqing! You're back? Wow! So many good things to report!"

Chen Xiaohe had just returned from the new house, covered in white dust and grime, looking like a mud monkey. He patted his clothes, his eyes wide as he watched the three women enter through the gate. Chen's mother led the way, her large basket crammed full, covered with broad leaves, revealing glimpses of various mushrooms and fungus underneath. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing followed closely behind, each carrying a similarly overflowing basket, a heavy-looking coarse cloth bag in their hands, and small baskets filled with wild vegetables slung over their arms.

This scene is even more spectacular than when we returned yesterday.

Hearing the commotion, Chen's father and Chen Dashan came out from the main room and the open shed. Chen's father was still holding a plastering shovel, while Chen Dashan put down a window frame that he had just planed.

"Quick, quick, take over!" Chen's mother was sweating profusely, but her face was flushed with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

Mr. Chen and Chen Xiaohe quickly stepped forward and took the baskets from their shoulders and the heavy items from their hands. The weight of the baskets surprised Mr. Chen. Chen Xiaohe curiously opened the bag in Su Xiaoqing's hand, peeked inside, and exclaimed, "Chestnuts! So many! And they're huge!"

"You must be exhausted. Come inside and have some water and rest." Chen's father said, carefully placing the basket in a cool, ventilated spot by the entrance to the main room.

The two sisters were indeed exhausted, especially their arms, which were sore and heavy from carrying the bag of chestnuts. They followed Chen's mother into the main room, took the rough earthenware bowls from her, and gulped down most of the warm water before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

"What great luck we had today!" Mother Chen wiped the water from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, her smile deepening. "Not only did we find more mushrooms and wood ear fungus than yesterday, but Xiaoqing, that sharp-eyed girl, spotted a huge wild chestnut tree on a side slope! The ground was covered with chestnuts, many of them big and plump! We hurriedly gathered them, filling three whole bags! If we hadn't been so exhausted, there would still be quite a few left on the ground!"

"Really? A chestnut tree? And it's produced so many?" Mr. Chen smiled with delight, bending down to look at the glossy, plump chestnuts in the bag. "These are good stuff! We won't have to worry about snacks this winter."

"Yes," Su Xiaoyin said, catching her breath, her face flushed and smiling from the hard work. "Mom said that if we dig these chestnuts out and dry them in the sun, they can be stored until winter. We can roast them, cook them in porridge, or stew them with chicken."

Chen Xiaohe was already imagining the aroma of roasted chestnuts and couldn't help but swallow.

After resting for a while, Chen's mother remembered the important matter and asked Chen's father and youngest son, "How's it going on your end? How's the preparation for the new house coming along?"

Mentioning the new house, Chen Xiaohe immediately perked up and eagerly answered, "Mom, the new house is only missing the doors and windows for my eldest brother! The whitewash is applied evenly and neatly, and the house is so bright! The fireplace and kang (heated brick bed) were tested today, and the flue is clear and it's very warm! The yard has also been mostly leveled, and all the clutter has been cleared away."

Father Chen picked up the conversation, his tone steady and tinged with satisfaction: "Yes, the main frame is in place. Tomorrow I plan to use the leftover stones from building the house to pave a path in the yard. That way, it'll be clean and dry when it rains or snows. The yard is quite spacious; once the frost thaws in the spring, I'll turn it over properly and add plenty of base fertilizer, making it much easier to grow vegetables next year. As for the backyard, I'm thinking that when we have some free time, we can make some mud bricks together with Xiaohe and build a sturdy livestock shed. If we have the means later, we can raise a pig or a sheep; that would be a good source of income."

Mother Chen nodded repeatedly, reassured that the men of the family had a plan. She glanced at her two daughters-in-law, who were sitting quietly drinking water beside them, their eyes bright as they watched them, and said to Chen Xiaohe, "The new house will be ready soon, so we need to hurry up and pack up these mountain produce. Tomorrow, Xiaohe, don't go with your father to pave the way. Take your sister-in-law and Xiaoqing to the bamboo forest behind the mountain. They know how to pick bamboo shoots and how to prepare them. Let's see if there are any tender shoots that can still be found at this time of year. If we're lucky..." She paused, a hint of teasing and anticipation in her eyes, "...we might even find bamboo rat burrows! Those things are valuable; if we catch any, it'll be a good income."

"Bamboo rats!" Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up instantly, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "I'm an expert at this! I know how to find burrows and how to set traps! Leave it to me!"

"And bamboo fungus too!" Chen Xiaohe couldn't help but add. He remembered hearing people say that it was a very precious fungus.

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother smiled and gently patted Chen Xiaohe's arm: "You silly boy, always dreaming! Bamboo fungus is a delicacy among delicacies, and it grows so well hidden, it's not so easy to find. In the mountains and forests around here, how many can be found each year? Every household in the village is eyeing it; it's a treasure that you can only dream of!"

Chen Xiaohe chuckled and scratched his head.

At this moment, Chen Dashan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "The doors and windows are all done. We can move them to the new house for installation this afternoon."

All eyes turned to him. He remained calm and continued, "Tomorrow, I will go to the bamboo forest with you."

Su Xiaoyin was slightly taken aback and looked at him.

Chen Dashan's gaze swept past her and landed on the wooden planks for the doors and windows to be installed. He added, "While you're at it, cut some suitable bamboo. The new house needs some racks for storing things, and bamboo strips can also be used to weave baskets for drying mountain produce."

His words made perfect sense; it was for the sake of the household chores, and also to take care of his younger siblings and...wife who had gone to the mountains.

Chen's mother immediately agreed: "It's good that Dashan is going too! He has a good eye and knows which kind of bamboo is suitable. I'll feel more at ease with him around."

Father Chen nodded, "Alright, then tomorrow Dashan will take Xiaohe to accompany Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to the bamboo forest. There's no rush to pave the road; your mother and I will stay home and prepare these chestnuts and mountain produce."

And so it was settled. Lunch was a simple dumpling soup with pickled vegetables, but the family sat around talking about the progress of the new house, the mountain produce scattered all over the ground, and tomorrow's trip to the bamboo forest. The atmosphere was more lively and hopeful than ever before.

In the afternoon, Chen Dashan began moving the finished doors and windows one by one into the new house. Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe helped out, measuring the dimensions and fixing their positions. The Su sisters followed Chen's mother, moved small stools to the yard, and began processing the three bags of chestnuts.

This was a task that required patience. They put on the old cloth gloves that Chen's mother had found, and first used their feet or wooden mallets to gently crush and knock open the chestnuts that were still covered in spiky shells, then carefully peeled out the brownish-red fruit inside. Some of the shells were already dry and cracked, making them easy to peel; others were still fresh and prickly, requiring extra care. The peeled chestnuts also needed to be carefully inspected, and those that were worm-eaten or shriveled were discarded.

The sun was shining brightly in the courtyard, warming everyone. The rustling sound of peeling chestnuts, the knocking and discussing of the men installing doors and windows in the new house, and the occasional quip from Chen Xiaohe all blended together to create a busy yet cozy scene of late autumn home life.

Su Xiaoyin carefully peeled large, plump chestnuts, her fingertips feeling the hard, smooth shells. Occasionally, she looked up and could see Chen Dashan, slightly tiptoeing (his injured leg seemed to make this difficult), aligning a heavy wooden door frame with the new house. His profile was sharply defined in the afternoon light, his expression focused. Chen Xiaohe was supporting him, saying something, and Chen Dashan nodded occasionally.

Life seems to be getting better day by day, becoming more concrete, and filled with tangible hope. The sweet aroma of chestnuts seems to already permeate the air, and the verdant scent of tomorrow's bamboo forest seems to be faintly carried on the mountain breeze.

The new house is nearing completion, the granary is full of mountain produce, and the family is united in heart and mind. This autumn is destined to be a season of harvest for the Chen and Su sisters, and also a time when their new life truly takes root.