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

Su Xiaoqing leaned over to look: "Sister, add more oil, and fry the cured pork a little longer to render out the fat. It'll smell delicious!"

"I know, do you need to teach me?" Su Xiaoyin laughed and pushed her away. "Go, get the wild garlic ready, and we'll fry an egg for dinner."

As the sun gradually set in the west, wisps of smoke rose from the Chen family's courtyard.

Chen's mother returned with the mule. She took the mule back to the shed, added hay and fodder, and unloaded the unsold goods from the stall before going inside.

"Mom's back!" Su Xiaoqing greeted her. "How was your day?"

Mother Chen took a sip of water and waved her hand: "Not bad, we made over two hundred coins. We also settled the bill for the bamboo shoots from Wang's Restaurant, fifteen coins per catty, for a total of forty-three catties, which is six hundred and forty-five coins." She took out her money pouch from her bosom, "It's all here."

Su Xiaoyin took the money bag and put it in the box in the inner room—this was the family rule: all the money in the family was kept together and the accounts were reconciled at the end of each month.

"Oh, right, Mom, I dug up some more bamboo shoots this afternoon. I can send another batch tomorrow," Su Xiaoqing said. "I also dug up quite a few from the mountains and rivers this morning, and they're all piled up in the warehouse."

Chen's mother nodded: "Okay, I'll deliver it again tomorrow."

Just then, footsteps and voices came from outside the courtyard gate. Chen's father, Chen Dashan, and Chen Xiaohe returned carrying hoes, covered in mud and looking tired, but still in good spirits.

"Dad's back! Da Shan and Xiao He's back!" The four children woke up at some point and rushed out of the main room, rushing towards their respective fathers.

Chen Dashan picked up Shitou, who wrapped his arms around his neck and exclaimed, "Dad! We went to dig bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest today! I helped carry so many!"

"Really? Shi Tou is really capable!" Chen Dashan praised him with a smile.

Chen Xiaohe picked up Aji, who imitated his brother, saying, "Dad, Dad, I helped too!"

"Great, great, great, you're all amazing!"

With Qingqing and Afu holding onto each leg, Chen's father could barely walk. He laughed and cried out, "Ouch, ouch, Grandpa's going to trip!"

Laughter filled the courtyard.

It was already dark when dinner was served.

The steamed buns with cured pork and bamboo shoots were fresh out of the steamer, plump and white, steaming hot. Breaking one open, the savory aroma of the cured pork and the sweet fragrance of the bamboo shoots blended together, making your mouth water just from the smell. Wild garlic stir-fried with eggs was golden and emerald green, while toon sprout stir-fried with eggs had a unique aroma. Water celery, blanched and drizzled with soy sauce and vinegar, was refreshing and helped cut through the richness. There was also a pot of multigrain porridge and a bowl of salted duck eggs, the yolks oozing oil when cut open.

Mr. Chen took a bite of the steamed bun and sighed contentedly, "Mmm! This is delicious! The cured pork and bamboo shoots are a perfect match!"

Chen's mother nodded, "Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing's skills are getting better and better."

Chen Xiaohe had already eaten two, and reached for a third: "Sister-in-law, can you make this again tomorrow?"

Su Xiaoyin laughed: "Sure, there are plenty of bamboo shoots anyway. We can make it again tomorrow, with a different filling, like some glass noodles, it'll be even more fragrant."

Chen Dashan sipped his porridge and said slowly, "Xiaohe and I will go dig another batch tomorrow morning. We'll dig as much as possible before spring plowing is finished. Once this busy period is over, there will be more people on the mountain and in the bamboo forest."

Father Chen nodded: "Yes, dig more. Sell some, and keep the rest for ourselves. Dry them, pickle them, they're all good stuff in winter."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Today I went up the mountain and found that toon, wild garlic, and water celery have all sprouted. I'll go a few more times in the next few days and pick more."

"Okay, be careful," Chen's mother instructed. "Don't go any deeper into the area."

"Yes, Mother."

The children had already eaten their fill. Shi Tou was playing with his younger siblings on the kang (a heated brick bed). Qing Qing pulled out a cloth tiger from somewhere, and the children fought over it, chattering and making a ruckus.

Looking at the table full of food, then at his grandchildren playing on the kang (heated brick bed), and then at his children and grandchildren sitting together, Mr. Chen felt an indescribable sense of peace and contentment.

----

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Chen's mother got up.

She quietly dressed, pushed open the door, and saw Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe already standing in the courtyard. Beside them was a small bamboo basket covered with several large leaves, through which the verdant green color of the contents could be vaguely seen.

"You two are up so early?" Chen's mother was somewhat surprised.

Chen Dashan picked up the basket and handed it to his mother: "Mom, this is what Xiaohe and I picked early this morning on the mountain. A bunch of toon leaves, a bunch of water celery, a bunch of wild garlic, some shepherd's purse, and four bamboo shoots at the bottom. They're all the freshest. Please take them."

Chen's mother took the basket, lifted the leaves and looked inside. The toon sprouts were so tender they looked like they could be squeezed for water, the water celery still had morning dew on it, and the wild garlic roots were still covered in wet mud. They looked like they had just been unearthed.

Chen Xiaohe explained from the side, "Mom, when you go to the county town to set up your stall, give these to Liu Yilong. He's been very kind to our stall these past few months, so we should remember his kindness. Right now, the county town is short of fresh vegetables, and these wild vegetables are a rare treat in the city."

Chen Dashan added, "I chatted with Manager Liu before and heard that his mother used to live in the village. He only brought her over after he established himself in the county town. She's lived in the village her whole life and must miss the taste of wild spring vegetables. Sending this to her is more thoughtful than sending anything else."

Hearing this, Chen's mother felt very comforted. Her two sons, one steady and the other quick-witted, were both thorough in their work. "Alright, Mother understands." She carefully put the basket down and then asked, "What about Manager Wang? Is he still delivering the bamboo shoots?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "Mom, all the wild vegetables except for bamboo shoots are here. When you go to Manager Wang's, ask him if he's still buying wild vegetables this year. If he is, we'll get more tomorrow; it'll be some extra income."

Mother Chen nodded: "Okay, I'll remember. You all go ahead and get busy. Isn't today the last day of spring plowing? Finish early and get some rest."

Chen Dashan responded and then added, "Mother, please drive carefully and be safe. The work in the fields will be finished today, and you'll have an easier time from now on."

Chen's mother laughed: "I know, I know, you two are becoming nagging old women."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe laughed, turned around, picked up their hoes, and went out the door.

---

Mother Chen carefully placed the basket into the mule cart, then checked the goods she would sell that day—bamboo woven items, wooden carvings, hair ties, cloth tigers, and several handkerchiefs made by Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, filling the cart to the brim. She checked the reins and wheels before driving the mule out the door.

The mule was newly bought and had a more volatile temper than the ox, but after driving it for a while, Chen's mother had figured out its temperament. With a soft shout, the mule steadily started moving, its hooves making a crisp sound on the village road in the early morning.