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

Chen Xiaohe finished the last sip of water in his bowl and followed his father outside. At the door, he turned back to look at Chen Dashan: "Brother, take good care of your leg. When Dad and I get back, we'll tell you what we heard in the county."

The father and son left the courtyard one after the other, their footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

The room fell silent. Su Xiaoyin poured Chen Dashan a bowl of hot water and handed it to him, asking softly, "Is your leg still sore? Should I put a hot compress on it?"

Chen Dashan took the bowl and shook his head: "It's nothing, I'm just exhausted. I'll be fine after a few days of rest." He took a sip of water, but his brows were still furrowed. "I wonder what kind of person this new magistrate is. He's increased the corvée labor and raised prices as soon as he took office. I'm afraid things won't be peaceful from now on."

Su Xiaoyin paused for a moment, then asked, "Will there be any other assignments this winter?"

"It's hard to say," Chen Dashan sighed. "In a couple of days, Xiaohe and I will set up a stall at the market and take a stroll around the county town. There's plenty of information in the teahouses and restaurants; we're sure to find out something."

Su Xiaoqing chimed in, "Big brother, we'd like to go too. We haven't been to the embroidery shop in ages; we don't know if they're still accepting orders."

"Okay, let's go together." Chen Dashan nodded. "Let's leave early and leave the four little ones with Mother."

Just then, the gate to the courtyard rang again. Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe returned one after the other, with Chen Xiaohe clutching a note in his hand.

"The money has been paid, here's the receipt." Chen Xiaohe handed the slip of paper to Chen's mother. "The village head said that everyone going to repair the official road should gather at the village entrance early the day after tomorrow, bringing their own dry food and bedding. Those who have paid don't need to worry about it."

Mother Chen took the note, carefully folded it, and put it in the box. She then breathed a sigh of relief: "Alright, it's good that you've paid. Our family is doing well now; there's no need for anyone to suffer. Look around the village, how many families have paid?"

Chen Xiaohe shook his head: "Not much. When I went there, only three or four families had paid. They just paid two liang in the summer, and now they're asking for another two and a half liang. Who would be willing to pay that? Many families in the village haven't separated yet; they're all living together as one big family, so they can't afford this kind of money."

Chen's mother sighed, "That's true. I hope this time the corvée labor will be easier, and that nothing else goes wrong."

Father Chen sat down, took out his pipe, slowly filled it with tobacco, lit it, took a puff, and said, "From what the village head said, this road repair project won't take long, but it will be tiring. I hope so."

Chen Xiaohe stood there for a while, then his eyes suddenly darted into the kitchen. He leaned close to his mother and asked with a grin, "Mom, how are your persimmon cakes? Can we eat them now? I've been craving them for so long, I dream about their sweetness every day."

Startled by his sudden change of heart, Chen's mother laughed and scolded, "You greedy little monkey! All you ever think about is food!" She then stood up and walked behind the kitchen. "I checked a few days ago; it's coated with icing sugar. It should be ready by now. I'll take it out for you to try."

A moment later, Chen's mother came out carrying a bamboo basket, inside which were neatly stacked more than a dozen persimmon cakes. Each persimmon cake was flat, round, and plump, with a layer of white frost-like sugar powder on the surface, which shimmered faintly in the sunlight, looking very tempting.

"Here, one for each of you, have a taste." Mother Chen handed the basket to everyone.

Su Xiaoyin took one and took a small bite. The persimmon flesh was thick and soft, and the sweetness slowly melted on the tip of her tongue, carrying the unique fragrance of persimmon. The granular sugar coating gently rubbed against her lips and teeth, sweet but not cloying.

"Mom, it's so sweet! Much better than what's sold at the market!" Su Xiaoyin couldn't help but take another bite, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

Su Xiaoqing nodded repeatedly, "It's really delicious! The sweetness is just right, without that cloying feeling in your throat."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe each took one. Chen Xiaohe finished it in a few bites, then licked his fingers with lingering satisfaction: "Mom, if we took this out to sell, people would definitely be fighting over it!"

Chen Dashan chewed slowly, nodding and saying, "Xiaohe is right. We can take a batch to the market this year to try it out. If it sells well, we can plant a few more persimmon trees next year. This stuff isn't picky about the land; it can be planted in front of and behind houses, on hillsides, and it doesn't take much effort."

Mr. Chen took a puff of his cigarette and offered his opinion: "Let's try selling some this year and see how the market goes. If it works out, I'll go ask the village head next spring where I can find persimmon saplings and buy a few more. Not just dried persimmons, but fresh persimmons can also be sold; city people love them."

Chen Xiaohe perked up again: "By the way, Dad, we have to keep planting watermelons next year! They sold so well this year, Manager Wang even asked us if we're going to plant them again next year! If we can find some other melon seedlings, like cantaloupes or crisp melons, we can plant them together, and they'll definitely be in high demand at the market!"

Mother Chen laughed, "All you ever think about is growing melons! Didn't our pumpkins and winter melons have a good harvest this year? Pumpkin porridge, winter melon soup, stewed or stir-fried, aren't they all delicious?"

Chen Xiaohe scratched his head and chuckled, "That's different, it's sweet, who doesn't love sweets!"

Su Xiaoqing whispered to her sister, "Sis, how about we embroider some fruit-themed embroidery next year? Pomegranates, pumpkins, and gourds all have auspicious meanings, and they'll definitely sell well during the New Year and other holidays."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, a smile in her eyes: "Sure, I'll draw a few examples and see how it goes."

The family chatted and laughed, and the basket of dried persimmons was quickly emptied. Outside the window, the autumn sun shone brightly, warming the yard. The persimmon trees planted by the wall had lost most of their leaves, and a few unpicked persimmons still hung on the bare branches, bright red like little lanterns.

Father Chen tapped his pipe, looked at the trees, and said slowly, "If the persimmons sell well this year, we'll plant a few more trees next year. These things keep well; even if we don't sell them, we can eat them ourselves without wasting them."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Dad is right. Now that our family is more financially secure, we need to have a long-term vision. Whether we're planting trees or melons, we have to look ahead."

Chen's mother tidied up the basket, looked up at the sky, and said, "Alright, stop talking. Xiaohe, go to the backyard and see if there's any more pig feed; it needs to be added. Dashan, your legs aren't good; don't sit for too long, get up and move around. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, the children should be awake; go check on them."

The family agreed and got busy with their own tasks.

In the courtyard, the autumn sun shone warmly, chickens and ducks scratched for food at the base of the wall, grunts and squeals came from the pigsty, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of the kitchen. On this ordinary afternoon after the autumn harvest, life flowed slowly and steadily forward in the Chen family's courtyard.