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

Mother Chen nodded: "We'll know once those people from our village come back and see how they are. If it's really as they say, then this new magistrate is quite considerate."

Chen Dashan pondered, "If that's really the case, things might be easier in the future. In any case, let's make the most of what we have now. Tomorrow I still have to continue making that set of study furniture; that customer's big order of four and a half taels of silver can't be taken lightly."

Mr. Chen nodded and said, "You just focus on your work. From now on, your mother and I will handle the stall. We'll go there every day during the off-season. You two brothers, one of you can do carpentry, and the other can do bamboo weaving. Each of you can use your strengths. Our family's life is getting better and better."

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. The aroma of dinner wafted from the kitchen; Su Xiaoyin was cooking porridge. The four little ones were huddled together on the kang (heated brick bed), waiting for dinner.

In the Chen family courtyard, lights gradually came on, and the warm light shone through the paper windows, illuminating the weary birds returning to their nests and the rising smoke from the chimneys—the most peaceful moment of the day.

---

It was late at night, and Chen Dashan was still polishing the table leg in the carpentry shed by the light. Su Xiaoyin brought in a bowl of hot brown sugar ginger soup and placed it beside him.

"Don't stay up too late, you have to get up early tomorrow."

Chen Dashan took the bowl, took a sip, and the warm sugar water slid down his throat, dispelling the chill of the night. Watching Su Xiaoyin turn and go back into the house, he suddenly felt that although life was busy, it was full of peace and contentment.

----

"Big brother! Little River! The man who went to do his corvée labor is back!"

Chen Xiaohe was squatting in the yard chopping wood when he heard the shout, and he almost hit his foot with the axe. He looked up and saw his neighbor Chen Ermu's son running over, panting, his face flushed from running back from the village entrance.

"You're back? How are you?" Chen Dashan poked his head out of the carpentry shed, still holding a plane in his hand.

"They look much better than the batch from last summer!" the kid gestured. "They have fleshy faces and walk with more energy, unlike last time when they had to lie in bed for several days before they could get out of bed."

Chen Xiaohe threw down the firewood in his hand, stood up, and ran towards the courtyard gate: "I'll go ask around!"

"Hey—" Su Xiaoqing was carrying a basket out of the kitchen. Inside were two blocks of soft, white tofu she had just traded from the tofu shop, still steaming hot. Seeing Chen Xiaohe rushing out, she quickly called out, "They just entered the village, if you run fast you can still catch up!"

Chen Xiaohe waved his hand without turning his head and disappeared in a flash.

Su Xiaoqing put the basket back in the kitchen and came out to whisper to her sister, "It seems the new magistrate is indeed quite good?"

Su Xiaoyin came out of the main room, sewing a small garment in her hand. Hearing her sister's words, she smiled and said, "You found out again? Let's wait until Xiaohe finds out and we'll talk about it. Alright, stop standing there, hurry up and make dinner; Mom and Dad should be back soon."

"Okay!" Su Xiaoqing rolled up her sleeves and went into the kitchen. "I'll fry the fish first, then I'll stew the tofu in a bit."

Soon, the sizzling sound of oil in the kitchen filled the air. The fish were caught by Chen Xiaohe from the river yesterday; they weren't large, but there were quite a few—six or seven in total—and they were still lively and jumping around in the bucket. Su Xiaoqing cleaned the fish and put them one by one into the oil, frying them until golden brown on both sides. The aroma immediately filled the entire yard.

Su Xiaoyin continued sewing in the yard, watching her four children as she did so. Shitou, with his younger siblings, squatted in the corner, watching some kind of insect; their four little heads huddled together, occasionally letting out a gasp of surprise. The sunlight slanted across them, casting long, small shadows.

The main dish was pumpkin flower rolls. Su Xiaoyin had steamed the pumpkin yesterday, mashed it into a puree, and mixed it into the dough, which had risen perfectly today. She arranged the flower rolls one by one into the steamer, covered it, and added a fire to the stove.

The pickled vegetables were ready-made. I took out pickled cucumbers and radish strips from the jar, cut them into small pieces, and drizzled them with sesame oil. I also cut three salted duck eggs, each one oozing oil, with bright red yolks that looked incredibly tempting.

---

When Mr. and Mrs. Chen returned, it was already dark.

As soon as the oxcart entered the yard, Su Xiaoyin came out of the kitchen to greet them: "Dad, Mom, you're back! Quickly wash your hands and faces, rest for a bit, dinner will be ready soon!"

Chen's mother got off the cart and rubbed her lower back: "There were quite a few people today, so sales were pretty good. Your father chatted with people for a long time and sold our bamboo tea set. He made twenty more coins than usual."

Father Chen untied the ox from the cart shaft and led it towards the cowshed: "Alright, let's unload the things first, and the ox needs to be fed too."

Su Xiaoyin took the basket from her mother-in-law and helped carry the remaining goods into the house. Chen's mother went to help in the kitchen, and as soon as she entered, she was drawn in by the aroma of fish soup: "Wow, stewed fish? It smells so fresh!"

"Mother, please try the saltiness." Su Xiaoqing scooped up a spoonful of soup and handed it to her.

Mother Chen blew on it, carefully took a sip, and her eyes lit up: "Good! Just right! Fish caught in the river?"

"That's right, we caught it yesterday. We kept it for a day, and it's already expelled all the earthy smell."

Chen's mother nodded, then looked at the steamed buns in the steamer: "Pumpkin buns? They look so soft, the little ones will definitely love them."

Over at the cowshed, Chen's father tied up the ox, added hay, and then grabbed a handful of soybean cake from a bag and put it in the trough. The old ox lowered its head, sniffed it, and began to eat heartily. Chen's father patted its back: "Eat more. We're running around to the county town every day; it's all up to you. Next spring, you'll have to work in the fields again, so don't get sick from overwork."

---

Just as dinner was being served, Chen Xiaohe ran back, covered in sweat and panting heavily.

"Did you find out?" Chen Dashan poured him a bowl of water.

Chen Xiaohe gulped down more than half a bowl of wine, wiped his mouth, and said with bright eyes, "I found out! I asked several people, and they all said this year's corvée labor is good!"