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

"And now she..." Su Xiaoyin asked.

"She lived with that man in the county town, which was considered a marriage, but there were no proper matchmakers or marriage certificates, and the man never formally married her." Chen's mother paused, a mixture of disdain and pity on her face. "Your Aunt Ermu found out that the man never intended to divorce his wife to marry her; he just took advantage of her youth and coaxed her into being his concubine. Xiu'er is now just a mistress without any status."

Su Xiaoqing gasped, "What's the point? Giving up a lawfully wedded wife, even if the man is older, at least he's from a respectable family. Why go and be someone's mistress?"

Chen's mother shook her head, her voice weary: "She was blinded by money and that empty 'affection,' she lost her mind. That man probably painted her a huge pie in the sky, promising her a life of wealth and luxury. Silly girl, doesn't she think, if he really had that kind of ability, would he have fallen for a girl who ran away from the countryside? Would a respectable family let him take her around like this, without any clear explanation?"

She stood up and dusted off her pants. "Let's just listen to this and leave it at that. Xiu'er chose her own path, and she has to bear the consequences, good or bad. As for her parents... sigh, they've lost all face this time, and they must be feeling both resentment and pain. It's better for us to live our own lives well than anything else."

This sudden news was like a stone thrown into a calm pond, creating ripples in the Chen family's home, but these were quickly covered up by the everyday routines. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing exchanged a glance, both seeing the same感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, including regret and a sense of unease) and a hint of warning in each other's eyes. A peaceful and uneventful life might be mundane, but having your feet firmly on the ground brings peace of mind.

As the sun began to set, the bone broth in the kitchen simmered until it turned a rich, milky white, and its aroma filled the air. Su Xiaoqing started kneading dough, preparing to steam wild vegetable buns. Su Xiaoyin, meanwhile, deftly used the fresh shepherd's purse and dandelion that Chen Xiaohe had brought back to make two large plates of refreshing cold dishes.

When Chen Dashan and his father returned from the fields carrying hoes, and Chen Xiaohe carried half a basket of tender bamboo shoots and wild vegetables down the mountain, the courtyard was already filled with a comforting aroma of food. The controversy surrounding Xiuya seemed to have been temporarily shut out of the courtyard. At the dinner table, the family talked about the crops in the fields, the harvest on the mountain, and the work to be done tomorrow.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking and the mist had not yet completely dissipated, there was already activity in the Chen family courtyard. Chen's father got up early and sharpened the hoes and machetes used for clearing land until they gleamed. Chen Dashan checked the baskets and ropes on his back, while Chen Xiaohe filled his water bag with cooled boiled water and packed a few grain cakes as dry rations.

"We need to go check out the other side of the barren mountain today," Mr. Chen said to his two sons at the breakfast table. "The path at the foot of the mountain has been cleared, but the mountain itself is still the same. We need to work on it slowly, check the soil quality, and think about what we can plant first. This is a long-term plan; we can't rush it, but we can't just leave it undone either."

Su Xiaoyin was serving porridge to the children when she heard this and looked up, saying, "Dad, Xiaoqing and I will go with you too. We'll carry our baskets and wander around the neighborhood to see if there are any newly sprouted wild vegetables or mountain greens. Mom can stay home and take care of the children, so we won't have to worry about them."

Chen's mother was feeding her youngest son, Afu, rice cereal when she nodded in agreement: "Okay, you can go ahead. I'll take care of the children, don't worry. It just rained on the mountain, the roads are slippery, so be careful."

So, after breakfast, the group of five went out and headed towards the newly purchased, still wild and unknown wilderness. The morning breeze was cool, carrying the scent of awakening vegetation. In the distance, the mountains appeared exceptionally serene and verdant in the morning mist.

Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, a narrow dirt road, clearly newly carved out and only wide enough for one person to pass, winds its way upwards. The weeds and shrubs on both sides of the road have been cleared away, revealing damp, black soil. This was something that Chen's father and his two sons had spent a lot of effort clearing a few days ago.

"This road still needs to be repaired slowly. We'll put some stones on it and make it smoother so it'll be easier to go up and down later." Chen Dashan walked in front, using a machete to clear away the branches blocking the way. He turned back to his wife and siblings behind him and said, "For now, just make do with this. Keep up with me and watch your step."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing responded and carefully followed behind. Although the path was narrow and steep, both of them were used to doing manual labor and walking mountain paths, so they didn't find it too strenuous. Instead, they looked around with great interest. Compared to the back mountain that they often visited and where the villagers were active, this barren mountain that belonged to their own family seemed more primitive and lush. The trees were tall, the vines were intertwined, and all kinds of unknown wildflowers and grasses grew vigorously. The air was filled with a rich, complex aroma of decaying leaves and new plants.

After walking for a while, we came to a relatively flat valley area. It was surrounded by slightly higher slopes on three sides, with a small, relatively open depression in the middle. The soil there looked darker and was quite moist.

Mr. Chen stopped, squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between his fingers, and carefully examined the surrounding vegetation. "This spot is good," he mused. "Sheltered from the wind, sunny, and the soil is decent. I'm thinking of planting some medicinal herbs here when conditions allow. I mentioned it to Doctor Li a few days ago, and he said that if I really intend to plant them, he can help me find some easy-to-grow and usable medicinal herb seeds or seedlings."

"Father, are you planning to plant medicinal herbs all over this valley?" Su Xiaoyin asked curiously. She knew that medicinal herbs were precious, but planting them would definitely require even more effort.

Father Chen shook his head, his gaze both far-sighted and pragmatic: "We haven't even seen any medicinal herb seeds yet, and growing medicinal herbs is risky and time-consuming. Right now, our most important thing is food. Food is the foundation of life. In years of famine and disaster, what we can always rely on is the crops in the fields. This year, let's clear out this valley and plant millet or beans. As for medicinal herbs, we can take our time once we have a stronger financial foundation."

With the plan set, Mr. Chen and his two sons began clearing the weeds and bushes in the valley. The sound of pickaxes swinging and falling, and machetes chopping branches, broke the tranquility of the mountains. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were not idle either; they put their baskets aside and began searching for edible wild vegetables nearby. The wild vegetables here were indeed more succulent than in the places they usually went; the dandelion leaves were large, the shepherd's purse grew in lush, vibrant green clumps, and there were some tender leaves that they didn't know the names of but were certain were edible.