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

The main room fell silent for a moment, save for the babbling of four innocent children playing on the kang (a heated brick bed). This sudden bad news was like a cold stone thrown into the previously warm and peaceful lake of my heart.

Mother Chen slowly sat back down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her face pale, and murmured, "Amitabha... thank goodness, thank goodness we didn't take the child to the county town yesterday... if... if..."

She dared not think any further. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were also filled with lingering fear, instinctively glancing at their healthy and lively children on the kang (heated brick bed), their hearts tightening. Last night, they had thought the lantern festival was lively and wonderful, but now, thinking back, they realized that such terrible danger was lurking beneath that bustling and noisy facade.

Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Chen Ermu's family offered a few words of comfort: "Don't be too frightened. Our village is relatively peaceful. Just remember to keep a close eye on your children from now on, especially when they go to crowded places. Those child traffickers are ruthless!"

After exchanging a few more casual words, Chen Ermu's wife got up to take her leave, as she still had to go to other houses to "convey" this astonishing news.

After seeing the guests off, Chen's mother closed the courtyard gate and returned to the main room. Seeing her two daughters-in-law's still shaken expressions, she patted their hands: "It's alright, it's alright, our children are fine. We just need to be more careful. When Dashan and the others come back, we need to talk to them about it. In the future, when going out, especially with the children, they must be extra careful."

The atmosphere at lunchtime was slightly more somber than usual. The aroma of the food mingled with the chilly early spring air outside, yet it couldn't dispel the lingering anxiety in my heart.

Mother Chen placed the last dish—stir-fried salted pork with bamboo shoots—on the table. She glanced at her husband and sons, who had just returned from the barren mountains, their hands and faces still weary from their work, and said, "Er Mu's family came over this morning and told me something." She paused, her voice tinged with a sigh, "Yesterday was the county lantern festival; it was chaotic. Children went missing. Not just children, I heard even young women went missing. Our village… Chen Duofu's daughter, Xiuya, hasn't come back."

With a clatter, Chen Xiaohe's chopsticks fell onto the table. His eyes widened: "Xiu'er? That Xiu'er from Uncle Duofu's family, the one who's engaged and getting married in the fall?" He had helped repair the fence for Duofu's family last year and had seen the girl; she was diligent and always smiling.

Chen Dashan frowned and put down his bowl. "When we left yesterday, the county town was quite peaceful; we didn't hear of any trouble. It seems the incident happened later, during the peak of the lantern festival." He recalled the bustling crowds and dazzling lights of the county town last night. At the time, he only felt it was prosperous and lively, but now, thinking back, he realized that danger lurked beneath the surging crowds. He subconsciously glanced at Su Xiaoyin, who was carefully feeding her second son, Qingqing, egg custard, and felt a wave of fear wash over him.

"That's right," Chen's mother put a piece of food on Chen's father's plate and continued, "Duofu's family is almost frantic. They've been asking around the village since early this morning, asking for help, and they even went to the county government office. The government office sent officers to look for them, but there are so many people..." She shook her head and didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.

Father Chen ate a few mouthfuls of rice in silence before saying in a deep voice, "This should serve as a reminder to all of us. From now on, whenever you take the children or your wife out, you must keep your eyes wide open. Avoid crowded and chaotic places if possible. If you must go, keep a close eye on them and never let them out of your sight." He glanced at his two sons, "When you go to the county town to set up your stall and deliver goods, be extra careful and keep an eye out for Duofu's family. Just in case... just in case there are any clues." He knew the chances were slim, but as fellow villagers, he should do his part.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe nodded solemnly: "Understood, Dad."

The topic was too heavy, and there was a moment of silence at the dinner table. Mother Chen let out a soft breath, as if trying to blow away the oppressive atmosphere, and then asked, "Let's not talk about this. Did you three manage to clear the land this morning?"

Mentioning the work in the fields, Chen's father's expression softened slightly, and he nodded, saying, "Yes, the area at the foot of the mountain has been completely burned. Taking advantage of the dry weather and lack of wind these past few days, it burned quite thoroughly. This afternoon, I'll go with Dashan and Xiaohe to collect the larger stones. Once the soil thaws in the spring, it will be easier to plow." He already had a plan in mind: for the first year, he would try planting some barren beans and miscellaneous grains on those dozen or so acres of barren land at the foot of the mountain.

While giving a small piece to her eldest son, Shitou, who was eagerly eyeing the salted meat, Chen's mother talked about the family's plans: "Tomorrow, Dashan and Xiaohe, don't do anything else. First, clean up the livestock sheds in our backyards. The roofs of the cowshed and sheepfold were a bit crooked from last year's heavy snow, so they need to be reinforced, and the old thatch should be replaced. The pigsty also needs to be thoroughly cleaned and lined with new soil. Your father and I have discussed it, and this year we'll raise two piglets and more chickens and ducks. So the chicken coop and duck coop need to be expanded."

Mr. Chen chimed in, his tone revealing the meticulous planning characteristic of farmers when it came to livestock: "Over there in the sheepfold, I've asked around and found a ram to breed with our ewe. We'll take her there in a couple of days. If we're lucky enough to get pregnant and she gives birth, we can feed her well and it'll be a source of income by the end of the year."

Chen Dashan listened attentively and added, "The more chickens and ducks we raise, the more eggs we'll have. Besides eating them ourselves, during the off-season, Xiaohe and I can try selling tea eggs and salted duck eggs at the market. The two kinds that Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing came up with last year tasted really good; people in the village have been asking about them."

Su Xiaoyin was carefully removing the fish bones and feeding the fish meat to Qingqing in her arms when she heard this. She looked up and said softly, "Then we need to prepare more spices this year. Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, etc., we should pick more when we go up the mountain. We also need to prepare some other spices that we are short of. Tea leaves... we can just buy some cheap tea leaves, they will taste just as good when brewed."

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "That's right! The aroma of your sister-in-law's tea eggs can waft down half the street! And her salted duck eggs are oily and sandy, perfect with rice! They're sure to sell well!"

Seeing that her children were quick-witted, Chen's mother was also happy. Then she remembered something else: "There's also the hay shed and firewood shed in the backyard. Last winter, the snow made some parts of them a bit flimsy. We'll repair them together in the spring so that we can dry hay and store firewood safely in the summer."

"Alright," Chen's father said decisively, "Tomorrow, we'll focus on repairing the livestock shed and the barn. We can work on the hay shed and firewood shed in a couple of days, after we've cleared all the stones from the ground. We'll do it one thing at a time."

The conversation at the dinner table gradually shifted from the heart-wrenching disappearance to the specific and trivial arrangements for the spring.

After finishing their meal, Mr. Chen took his two sons and their tools and went out again. Mrs. Chen cleared the dishes, while Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took turns putting the children down for a nap and washing the scraps of cloth left over from making hair ties that morning.