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

(III) Livelihood in front of the stove

It was nearly noon when they got home. Chen's mother was drying the mushrooms she had picked a few days earlier in the yard. Seeing them return, she smiled and said, "You've had quite a haul! Take a rest and have some water. You two rest well at home this afternoon, while Xiaohe and I go to the wilderness to pick some more wild vegetables."

Su Xiaoyin put down her basket and wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Mother, you should rest this afternoon. Xiaoqing and I are working on embroidery at home. We've only just started on the 'Eight Immortals Celebrating Longevity' painting, so we need to hurry. We can go to the barren mountain tomorrow."

"That's fine too." Chen's mother didn't insist. "You two will strain your eyes doing embroidery, so just stay inside and work on it this afternoon. I'll pickle these wild vegetables and tidy up the yard."

Lunch was simple: reheated leftovers from yesterday, served with freshly made cornbread. While eating, Chen Xiaohe recounted his experiences on the barren mountain, and his mother listened attentively, occasionally asking about the soil quality and the orientation of the mountain.

"It would be good if the toon seedlings could be transplanted and survive," Chen's mother pondered. "However, the timing of transplanting is important; it's best to wait until after a thorough rain. The weather is dry these days, so let's not move them yet."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. It was Chen Ermu's wife from next door, coming to borrow a sieve. Upon seeing Chen's mother, she smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, I heard you bought a barren mountain? That's really something! It'll be a treasure trove from now on!"

Chen's mother smiled modestly, "What treasure mountain? It's just a barren hillside. We'll take our time to tidy it up. How's your spring planting going this year?"

"It's almost over!..." The women chatted casually as sunlight streamed into the courtyard.

In the afternoon, Chen's mother didn't let Su Xiaoyin and her sister go out again. But she herself carried a basket on her back, called Chen Xiaohe, and went to the barren mountain again. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing opened the window of the east wing and, taking advantage of the bright light, set up an embroidery hoop on the kang (a heated brick bed).

The "Eight Immortals Celebrating Longevity" painting was made of the finest moon-white satin, with a fine and smooth texture. The pattern was finalized after repeated deliberation by the two sisters. The eight immortals each had a unique expression, some holding treasures, others riding on auspicious clouds. In the center was the God of Longevity holding a peach, surrounded by auspicious patterns such as pine trees, cranes, auspicious clouds, and lingzhi mushrooms. The color scheme was intricate yet orderly, aiming to show both the grandeur of the immortals and the joy and peace of the occasion.

Su Xiaoyin was responsible for embroidering the central figures of the God of Longevity and the two figures of Tieguai Li and Han Zhongli, while Su Xiaoqing embroidered figures such as Lü Dongbin and Zhang Guolao. The fine needles, threaded with colorful silk, pierced the taut satin, making a very slight "rustling" sound. Both of them were completely focused, occasionally exchanging a word in hushed tones about needlework techniques or color matching.

The four children woke up without crying or fussing. They played with the little wooden horses and rattles that Chen Dashan had made on the kang (a heated brick bed). Afu crawled around and almost knocked over the wicker basket, but Su Xiaoqing gently pulled him back into her arms, gave him some water, and he went back to playing obediently.

Time flows quietly by as the needle and thread are stitched. Outside the window, the spring sunlight moves across the pane, the chickens in the yard occasionally cluck, and in the distance, the faint shouts of other villagers plowing in the spring can be heard. Everything is ordinary yet fulfilling.

(iv) Returning with a full load

As evening fell, Chen's mother and Chen Xiaohe returned, their baskets once again full of mountain produce. Chen's mother had even collected a nest of wild eggs, carefully lining them with soft grass.

"I'm so lucky today!" Chen Xiaohe said excitedly. "Besides wild vegetables, I also found a patch of wild scallions and dug up quite a lot. My mother says wild scallions are delicious when stir-fried with eggs, and they can also be used to make scallion sauce."

Chen's mother carefully took out several plants with soil clumps: "Look, I found these on the shady side of the mountain. They look like wild lilies. They grow bulbs in the fall, and I heard they can be eaten and used in medicine. I dug them up with the soil and planted them next to our vegetable garden to try it out."

Just as they were tidying up, the creaking of an oxcart and a familiar shout came from outside the courtyard gate: "We're back!"

It's Chen's father and Chen Dashan!

The whole family went out to greet them. The oxcart was loaded to the brim, the most eye-catching items being dozens of saplings tied with straw ropes and their roots wrapped in soil, as well as several large baskets, the contents of which were unknown.

"Dad! Big brother! You're back!" Chen Xiaohe was the first to rush over. "You bought so much!"

Mr. Chen got out of the car with a smile. Although he looked tired, his eyes were bright. "We're back! The trip went smoothly." He pointed to the saplings in the car. "These are apple saplings, these are pear saplings, and there are a dozen or so jujube saplings. The village head said these fruit trees are suitable for our climate and will grow well. Also," he lifted the cloth covering a basket, "we also got some sweet potato seedlings, a new variety, which is said to have a high yield. The other basket contains vegetable seeds, including cucumbers, green beans, and pumpkins, all good varieties."

Chen Dashan, who was unloading the truck, chimed in, "The fruit tree seedlings were purchased as the village head suggested; they're three-year-old seedlings, and they should bear fruit next year. They're a bit expensive, but it's worth the money."

Chen's mother circled the oxcart, looking at her husband and son with concern at the dust and grime on their faces: "You must be exhausted. Come inside and rest, dinner will be ready soon."

Dinner was exceptionally lavish. Chen's mother stir-fried wild eggs with wild scallions, filling the house with a wonderful aroma. The braised mixed fish was made by Su Xiaoyin at noon, simmering in the pot all afternoon until the fish was tender and flavorful. The freshly baked flatbread was golden brown, served with a refreshing and appetizing side of cold dandelion salad.

At the dinner table, Mr. Chen recounted his observations from the trip to the county town. The fruit tree saplings were purchased from an official nursery recommended by the county government. Although they were more expensive than at the market, the quality was guaranteed, and they even received a wooden sign with planting instructions. They also heard in the county town that the government was encouraging land reclamation this year, with newly reclaimed land exempt from taxes for the first five years, barren hills exempt from taxes for the first five years, and taxes halved for the sixth to eighth years. This was excellent news.

"Oh, right," Chen's father remembered something, "we ran into Manager Qin from the town in the county town, the one who ordered furniture before. He said his nephew is getting married after the autumn harvest and might need furniture made too, so he told Dashan to go to town to find him then."

Chen Dashan nodded calmly: "I've got it."

Chen Xiaohe couldn't wait to talk about the Chinese toon seedlings on the barren hill and the plans. After listening, Chen's father pondered and said, "Transplanting is fine, but we have to wait for a rain. The weather is dry these past few days, and I'm afraid they won't survive if we transplant them. Just remember the location first, there's no rush."

After dinner, Chen's mother and her sister, Su Xiaoyin, busied themselves pickling wild vegetables. They scrubbed the large earthenware jar clean, layering wild vegetables with coarse salt, pressing it down firmly, and finally weighing it down with a clean stone. They sealed the jar and placed it in a cool, shady place. This jar of pickled vegetables would be the flavor that accompanied their meals for the next few months.

Under the moonlight, Chen's father and Chen Dashan temporarily planted the fruit tree saplings in the damp soil in the corner of the yard, covering the roots with straw mats to keep them moist, and would officially choose a site to plant them the next day.

After cleaning up his fish basket—he'd been lucky today, catching two palm-sized crucian carp, which he'd kept in a basin to purge the mud—Chen Xiaohe went to the backyard to feed the cattle, sheep, pigs, and chickens. The livestock ate heartily, making satisfied noises.

Night deepened, and the Chen family courtyard finally fell silent. The four children were fast asleep. Su Xiaoyin took one last look at the emerging features of the birthday boy on the embroidery frame by the light of the oil lamp, then gently covered it with a soft cloth to protect it from the dust. Su Xiaoqing, meanwhile, jotted down the chores for tomorrow in her notebook: continue embroidering Lü Dongbin, go to the vegetable garden to collect cucumber seeds, and help her mother dry the mountain vegetables…

From the old house, the hushed conversation of Mr. and Mrs. Chen could be faintly heard; they seemed to be calculating the expense of buying the saplings and the future profits.