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

The dazzling lights illuminated the county town's night sky as if it were daytime, and the crowds thronged shoulder to shoulder, their laughter creating a warm, bustling atmosphere. Chen Dashan held Su Xiaoyin's hand tightly as they weaved through the throng, the warmth of his palm providing a sense of security and comfort. Chen Xiaohe carefully protected Su Xiaoqing, occasionally shielding her from the pushing and shoving. The four of them, immersed in this rare moment of prosperity and liveliness, wore relaxed smiles on their faces.

"Big brother, look over there! There's a stall selling glutinous rice balls! There are quite a lot of people. Let's go and have a bowl too! And buy some raw ones to take back so that our parents and children can also try them!" Chen Xiaohe pointed to a steaming stall not far away, where the stall owner was deftly scooping up snow-white, round glutinous rice balls from a large pot and serving them into rough porcelain bowls.

Chen Dashan nodded: "Alright, we've walked for half a day, let's take a break." The four of them squeezed to the front of the stall and found an empty bench to sit down. "Shopkeeper, four bowls of glutinous rice balls, please!"

"Alright! Please wait a moment, sir!" the stall owner called out loudly, moving swiftly. Before long, four steaming bowls of glutinous rice balls, garnished with osmanthus honey, were served. The white porcelain bowls made the rice balls look even more translucent and lovely, and their sweet aroma was irresistible.

Su Xiaoyin scooped one up with a wooden spoon, blew on it, and carefully took a bite. Unexpectedly, the black sesame filling inside was scalding hot and thick, burning her tongue. She exclaimed softly, "Ouch, it's so hot!"

"Are you alright?" Chen Dashan immediately leaned closer, looking at her with concern. He awkwardly reached out to touch her but hesitated, his tone full of worry. "Eat slowly. First, poke a small hole in the glutinous rice ball to let the heat inside dissipate."

Su Xiaoyin was amused by his reaction and shook her head, "It's nothing, I was just too impatient." She imitated Chen Dashan's instructions, gently poking each glutinous rice ball with the tip of a spoon, watching the steam rise. Su Xiaoqing did the same, while Chen Xiaohe, unfazed by the heat, ate heartily, mumbling, "Mmm! Sweet! Fragrant!"

The four of them slowly ate their glutinous rice balls, enjoying this moment of leisure and sweetness. After finishing, they strolled around for a bit and bought two bags of frozen glutinous rice balls from a nearby stall. They wrapped them in oil paper and prepared to take them home.

As they walked on, they saw a tall lantern tower surrounded by layers of people, cheers, sighs, and chatter filling the air—they were guessing lantern riddles. Su Xiaoqing became interested: "It's so lively up ahead, shall we go take a look?"

So the four of them squeezed into the outer edge of the crowd, looking up at the riddles hanging under the colorful lanterns. Some were simple: "A hemp house, a red curtain, inside lives a plump white man (peanut)," while others were more literary riddles based on poetry and allusions. Chen Xiaohe scratched his head in frustration, while Chen Dashan watched quietly, occasionally guessing one or two correctly. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing discussed quietly; although their literacy was limited, their minds were quick, and they could often guess the riddles fairly accurately just by understanding their meaning, which was quite interesting. "This lantern festival is really lively; I wonder if there will be another one next year,"

Su Xiaoyin said from the side, "If there's another lantern festival next year, I'll bring you again, and we'll bring our parents and children with us then." Chen Dashan held Su Xiaoyin's hand as they walked forward.

Further along from the lantern riddle area, you reach the banks of the Qingshui River, which runs through the county town. Tonight, the river reflects countless lights on both banks and the bright moon in the sky, shimmering in the sunlight. Many young men and women, or people praying for blessings, are releasing lotus lanterns into the river. One by one, lotus lanterns made of colored paper or silk, with small candles lit in the center, are gently placed into the water, carrying the wishes of those who release them, drifting slowly away with the current, twinkling like stars, as if the Milky Way has fallen to earth.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing looked at the scene with longing in their eyes. Seeing this, Chen Dashan went to a nearby stall and bought two ordinary colored paper lotus lanterns, handing them to the two sisters.

The four found a less crowded spot on the riverbank. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing crouched down and carefully placed the lotus lantern into the water, gently pushing it away from the bank with their fingertips. Su Xiaoyin closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and silently made a wish: "May my family be safe and healthy, may my children grow up carefree, may our lives get better and better..." Su Xiaoqing also whispered, "May my parents be healthy, may the river and mountains prosper, and may our skills be recognized..."

Two lotus lanterns float side by side on the clear river, their candlelight flickering in the breeze, gradually merging into the shimmering river of lights.

Chen Dashan stood behind Su Xiaoyin, watching her profile and the lights receding into the water, a sense of peace washing over him. He reached out and took Su Xiaoyin's slightly cool hand in his. Su Xiaoyin turned around and smiled gently at him, a smile that, illuminated by the lamplight, was exceptionally tender and captivating.

"It will definitely get better," Chen Dashan said softly, as if answering her wish, or as if making a firm promise about the future.

After releasing the lanterns, Su Xiaoqing stood up, patted the water off her hands, and said, "Shall we go back? It's still quite a distance to drive the oxcart back to the village, and our parents will worry if it gets late." Chen Xiaohe nodded, "Let's go home. I wonder if our parents are asleep, and if the four kids were being noisy during the day." Su Xiaoyin said, "These four kids are at that really demanding age right now."