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

The mountains and forests in spring are full of vibrant life.

Tender green shoots sprouted from the roadside weeds, and scattered wildflowers—yellow, white, and purple—were dotted among the grass. Occasionally, birds flew overhead, leaving behind a string of clear chirps. The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth, grass, and wildflowers; taking a deep breath made me feel completely refreshed.

The closer you get to the bamboo grove, the more pronounced its unique fragrance becomes. The bamboo stands tall and verdant, its new leaves already sprouting, rustling in the spring breeze as if whispering some secret.

"We're here." Su Xiaoqing put down her basket, glanced into the depths of the bamboo forest, and exclaimed with delight, "Sister! Look! There really are bamboo shoots!"

Su Xiaoyin looked in the direction she pointed and saw that on the ground at the edge of the bamboo forest, there was a brown tip here and a small mound there. Upon closer inspection, they were all newly sprouted bamboo shoots, some just showing their tips, and some already half a foot tall.

"There are so many!" Su Xiaoyin exclaimed happily. "It looks like there's been a lot of rain this year, and there are even more bamboo shoots than last year."

Su Xiaoqing couldn't wait any longer and picked up a hoe: "Dig, dig! Let's dig as much as possible before everyone else comes!"

"Shitou," Su Xiaoyin gathered the children around her and pointed to a flat open space nearby, "You and your younger siblings play here. Don't go too far, stay where Mom and Auntie can see you. Mom is digging bamboo shoots, and I'll cook something delicious for you when we get back tonight."

Stone puffed out his little chest, looking like a little adult: "Don't worry, Mom, I'll watch over them!"

Qingqing nodded in agreement, "I'll watch too!"

Su Xiaoqing smiled and patted their heads: "Good boy/girl! In a little while, when we dig up the bamboo shoots, you can help carry them into the basket, okay?"

"Okay!" the four children said in unison.

The two sisters were relieved and picked up their hoes to start digging bamboo shoots.

Su Xiaoyin squatted down, first using her hands to brush away the withered leaves and loose soil around the bamboo shoot to find the direction of the bamboo rhizome, and then she used the hoe. The hoe steadily cut into the soil, and with a gentle pry, a complete spring bamboo shoot emerged, its brown sheath tightly wrapped around its roots, with fresh soil still clinging to them.

"Sister, your technique is getting better and better," Su Xiaoqing praised from the side, her hands moving just as quickly.

As expected, Shi Tou led his younger siblings to play nearby, occasionally running over to check on them. A Fu, the youngest, was still unsteady on his feet, stumbling and falling behind his older siblings. He didn't cry when he fell, but got up and kept chasing.

"Mom! Can I take this?" Qingqing asked, pointing to a freshly dug bamboo shoot with bright eyes.

"It's okay, give it a try." Su Xiaoyin nodded with a smile.

Qingqing squatted down, grabbed the bamboo shoot with her small hands, and tried her best to lift it. The shoot was as thick as her forearm and quite heavy. Her face turned red, but she finally managed to lift it up and wobbled towards her basket. Shitou saw this and quickly ran over to help: "Qingqing, let me help you!"

The two little ones worked together to put the bamboo shoots into the basket on their backs, smiled at each other, their faces covered in sweat.

"Stone! Green! Great job!" Su Xiaoqing exclaimed.

When Aji and Afu saw this, they ran over and tried to help, just like their older siblings. Aji picked up a smaller bamboo shoot and walked steadily; Afu couldn't carry it, so he simply lay down on the ground and pushed it forward, getting covered in mud but still grinning.

Looking at the children, Su Xiaoyin's heart melted completely.

"These mischievous kids can actually be quite helpful," she said to her sister with a smile.

Su Xiaoqing laughed, "That's right, it's much better than causing trouble at home."

The two sisters quickened their pace, the hoes rising and falling. The children went back and forth, carrying the bamboo shoots to the baskets on their backs. Shi Tou worked the hardest, running until he was covered in sweat, but he still wouldn't stop; Qing Qing was meticulous, arranging the bamboo shoots neatly each time; A Ji and A Fu were just there for the fun, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.

Before we knew it, both large baskets were full.

Su Xiaoyin straightened up, rubbed her back, and looked at the sky: "That's about enough, we should go back. I still have to cook."

Su Xiaoqing put down her hoe, looked at the two full baskets of spring bamboo shoots, and smiled until her eyes curved into crescents: "What a great harvest today! Enough for several meals!"

"Let's go! Home!" Stone shouted, leading his younger siblings back home.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing carried heavy baskets on their backs, following behind the children. Afu was slow, so Su Xiaoyin simply put him in the basket, squeezing him in with the bamboo shoots. Afu was very curious, touching and looking at everything, occasionally plucking a piece of bamboo shoot skin, giggling non-stop.

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By the time I got home, the sun was already high in the sky.

Su Xiaoqing sat the four children down on small stools, brought hot water, and washed their hands and faces one by one. Shitou and Qingqing were fine, but Aji and Afu looked like they had rolled in mud, their clothes, faces, and hair were covered in mud.

"Oh my, you two little mud monkeys!" Su Xiaoqing laughed as she washed them. "How much water will it take to get them clean?"

Aji grinned, revealing a few small teeth.

Su Xiaoyin poured out the bamboo shoots and spread them out in the shade under the eaves. She picked out a few of the tenderest ones to cook for dinner. The rest she would deal with when her parents-in-law returned—some to sell, some to dry, and some to pickle.

Just as I was busy, I heard the sound of mule hooves outside the courtyard gate.

"Grandma's back!" Stone was the first to rush over and open the door.

Sure enough, it was Chen's mother returning with the mule. She tied the mule up in the shed, added some hay, and then carried the half-empty basket into the yard. Seeing the bamboo shoots piled up under the eaves, her eyes lit up: "Oh, you went to dig for bamboo shoots?"

"Yes, Mother," Su Xiaoyin greeted her and took the basket from her back. "I went to check the bamboo forest today, and there were quite a few bamboo shoots, so I dug some up. Tonight we'll make pickled bamboo shoot soup and stir-fry some cured pork."

Chen's mother nodded, looked at the tender bamboo shoots, suddenly put down her basket, and turned to walk out again.

"Mother? Where are you going?" Su Xiaoqing called out to her quickly.

"Let's go to the bamboo grove!" Mother Chen waved her hand. "I'll dig up some more. We can start delivering them to the Wang family restaurant tomorrow, and this batch of bamboo shoots will fetch a good price!"

"Mom, why don't you rest for a while before you go? You must be tired after just getting back from the train." Su Xiaoyin said with some concern.

Chen's mother laughed: "What's there to be tired about? You're not seventy or eighty years old. Don't worry, I've brought water with me, I'll be back soon." With that, she slung another empty basket over her shoulder, picked up a hoe, and went out the door.

Watching her mother-in-law's retreating figure, Su Xiaoqing couldn't help but say to her sister, "Mom's energy is even greater than ours."

Su Xiaoyin laughed, "That's right. Alright, let's prepare dinner first."

The two sisters went into the kitchen and started working. Su Xiaoyin sliced ​​the piece of cured pork that she had left over from the morning into thin slices, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, glistening and translucent. Su Xiaoqing peeled a few bamboo shoots, cut them into chunks, and then soaked a small handful of dried mushrooms that had been dried in the sun last winter.

Four children were playing in the yard. Shi Tou found some bamboo strips somewhere and wanted to "build houses" for his younger siblings. Qing Qing squatted down beside him as an advisor, while A Ji and A Fu were responsible for causing trouble, knocking down the "houses" they had built from time to time, which made Shi Tou yell loudly.

The aroma of cured pork wafted from the kitchen, mingled with the fresh scent of bamboo shoots, making the children peek over every now and then.

"Mother, when are we eating?" Shi Tou asked.

"It'll be here soon, just wait a little longer."

"Auntie, I'm hungry." Qingqing came too.

Su Xiaoqing took out a few leftover pancakes from the kitchen and gave each person a small piece: "Have something to eat first, then we'll have a proper meal when Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, and Uncle come back."

The children, holding their pancakes, ran off to play again.

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