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

Before noon, the three women's baskets were already full. The heavy harvest weighed on their backs, yet their steps were light. Back home, Chen's father had just seen Chen Ermu off and was watching his four grandsons happily chasing chicks in the yard. Seeing them return, he quickly went to help unload the baskets.

"Wow! So many!" Mr. Chen exclaimed in amazement as he looked at the large piles of fresh mushrooms on the ground. "The mountains are really generous this year."

"This is only the first trip!" Chen's mother took a sip of water, her face flushed. "We'll take the mushrooms out, and you and Dashan can sort them at home, breaking them apart and spreading them out on the mat to dry. Be careful; don't take any with wormholes or that are too old. Let's rest for a bit, then we'll go up the mountain again!"

"Going again?" Mr. Chen glared. "It's already noon, aren't you going to eat? Mushrooms aren't going to grow legs and run away!"

"Dad, we brought some flatbread, we won't go hungry," Su Xiaoyin said with a smile, already starting to pour the mushrooms from the basket onto a clean mat. "Let's dry as many as possible while the sun is shining. If we go in the afternoon, they might not be as fresh as they are now."

Unable to dissuade him, Chen's father could only shake his head: "You three, really..." Before he could finish speaking, the three women had already put their empty baskets back on their backs and rushed out the door again.

Watching their hurried figures, Mr. Chen smiled helplessly and turned to his eldest son, who had come from the carpentry shed to check on things, saying, "Well, your mother and the others have gotten addicted to mushroom picking. Dashan, you make lunch, something simple, I'll watch the kids."

Chen Dashan replied, "Okay, Dad. I'll make some noodle soup, quick. I'll steam some egg custard for the children and boil some eggs. Mom and the others brought some dry rations, they won't go hungry." As he spoke, he walked towards the kitchen, deftly starting a fire and ladling out the noodles.

In the courtyard, Mr. Chen squatted down and began carefully picking mushrooms, all the while keeping an eye on his four little adventurers exploring the yard. The warm sunlight shone down, and under the eaves, the freshly picked mushrooms emitted a unique mountain fragrance, mingling with the aroma of food gradually wafting from the kitchen. From the carpentry shed, the rhythmic sound of hammering could be faintly heard. This early summer afternoon, the busy activity in the Chen family courtyard was imbued with the satisfaction of hard work and a simple, honest hope for a more prosperous future.

...Dinner time

"You three, are you out of your minds?! It's almost completely dark, why aren't you getting down the mountain?! What if something happens to you?!"

Chen's father's voice rang out at the courtyard gate shrouded in twilight, tinged with lingering fear and, more importantly, with barely suppressed worry. Behind him lay the heavy darkness of night, and before him stood three figures emerging from the shadows of the mountains and forests—Chen's mother, and Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, their backs laden with baskets, their faces bearing the joy of a bountiful harvest yet unable to conceal their exhaustion.

Before Chen's mother could explain, Su Xiaoyin spoke first, her voice full of apology: "Dad, I'm sorry... We were so engrossed in looking for mushrooms in the mountains that we didn't notice the time. When we looked up, we realized the forest was already dark... We'll definitely be more careful next time." As she spoke, she carefully put down the basket, which was filled with brown and pine mushrooms, which exuded the unique aroma of damp soil and fungi.

Looking at his daughter-in-law's sincere apology and then at his wife's weary yet content expression, Mr. Chen's anger subsided considerably, turning into a sigh. He stepped forward and took the obviously heavier basket from Mrs. Chen's shoulder, softening his tone: "Don't do that again next time. It gets dark quickly in the mountains, and the roads are difficult to travel. No amount of mushrooms is as important as your safety. Come on, hurry home, the mountains have prepared a meal and are waiting for you."

He walked ahead carrying the basket, then turned to Chen's mother and said, "I'll go up the mountain with you tomorrow. Let Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing rest well at home. Isn't their large embroidery just a little bit finished? Hurry up and get it to the embroidery workshop before the Dragon Boat Festival; they can still get a good price."

Chen's mother wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and nodded in agreement, "Okay, old man, you'll keep me company tomorrow." Although she was tired, her eyes were bright, clearly very satisfied with today's gains.

Walking behind, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing exchanged a glance and smiled secretly. Su Xiaoqing leaned close to her sister's ear and whispered, "Sister, did you notice? Dad's worried about Mom. He's afraid she'll get tired climbing the mountain with us, so he's 'supervising' her and accompanying her."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, her eyes warming. The family's mutual concern and understanding were evident in this ordinary conversation.

Back home, the oil lamp was already lit in the main room, and the aroma of food filled the air. Chen Dashan was putting the last dish of scrambled eggs on the table, while Chen Xiaohe was setting out the bowls and chopsticks. Seeing them return, Chen Dashan first handed each of them a bowl of warm water before speaking, "Next time, you have to be more careful with the time. It's not safe in the mountains at night." His tone was calm, but his concern was evident.

Chen Xiaohe chimed in, "That's right, sister-in-law, Xiaoqing, mushrooms can be picked anytime, safety first."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing quickly reassured them again. The family sat down for dinner, and naturally, the conversation turned to the day's harvest. Mother Chen enthusiastically described how they discovered the abundant pine mushroom patch, while Father Chen, though stern-faced, listened attentively, occasionally asking, "Was that slope steep?" The stir-fried fresh mushrooms and mushroom soup on the table transformed their hard work into a truly delicious experience.