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

In the spring evenings, the sky grows darker and darker. After dinner, the sun still lingers reluctantly on the horizon, bathing the entire courtyard in a warm, golden hue.

The Chen family didn't rush back inside. Instead, they moved small stools to the courtyard to cool off and chat. The four children chased and played nearby. Shi Tou led his younger siblings, running until they were covered in sweat. A Fu, who was slower, was being pulled along by Shi Tou's little hand, stumbling and falling behind, his little teeth showing as he smiled.

"Dad, this spring's harvest of wild vegetables has brought in quite a bit of money for the family!" Chen Xiaohe leaned against the wall, patting his belly contentedly. "I just calculated it; the bamboo shoots and wild vegetables we sold to the Wang family restaurant alone brought in more than three taels. Add to that the dried goods Mom sold at the market, and we've made at least five taels this spring!"

Mr. Chen took a puff of his pipe, slowly exhaling, a smile on his face: "Hmm, not bad. Wang's Restaurant is one of our biggest customers. From dried mushrooms to winter and spring bamboo shoots, and even spring vegetables, as long as they look good, they'll buy them. We have to maintain this relationship well, we can't let anyone steal it away."

Chen Dashan nodded in agreement: "Dad is right. Yesterday I went up the mountain and saw that several families in the village were also selling spring vegetables in the town and county. In the future, when we deliver vegetables, we should bring more of the best quality ones for Manager Wang. If we have any rare wild game, we should also think of him. If we do that, the relationship will be stable."

Mr. Chen glanced at his eldest son, his eyes filled with approval: "Yes, that's exactly right."

Chen's mother, who was sewing shoe soles nearby, looked up when she heard this and said, "You should clear out the barren hill in the next day or the day after. It's time to plant melon seedlings. I saw that the seedlings that Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing were growing are growing very well. The leaves are already the size of a palm. If we don't plant them soon, it will be a waste."

Su Xiaoqing was holding Afu and wiping his sweat when she heard her mother-in-law's words. She smiled and replied, "Don't worry, Mother, those seedlings are strong. It's okay to plant them a few days later, but it's always better to get them in the ground sooner rather than later."

Chen Dashan also said, "Tomorrow, Xiaohe and I will go and deliver the set of study furniture to Master Zhou. It's all finished, the sanding and painting are all done. As long as his inspection is satisfactory, we can get the final payment."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, you guys go deliver the goods first, and find me on the barren mountain after you're done. The melon seedlings won't make a difference if it takes a day or two."

The family chatted for a while longer, and as the sky gradually darkened, they went back to their rooms.

---

Su Xiaoyin watched as Su Xiaoqing gently placed the sleeping Afu on the kang (a heated brick bed), covered him with a small quilt, and then looked at Shitou, Qingqing, and Aji, who were also covered with quilts (the four children now lived together in one room). She turned and went back into her own room. Chen Dashan sat down on the edge of the kang, watching his wife's busy figure, and suddenly asked, "Just now in the yard, did you have something you wanted to say?"

Su Xiaoyin paused for a moment, then turned around and sat down next to Chen Dashan. After hesitating for a moment, she finally spoke up: "Dashan, I'd like you to go to the brokerage firm in town when you have time and ask how much silver it would cost to buy a shop."

Chen Dashan was somewhat surprised: "Why do you suddenly want to buy a shop?"

Su Xiaoyin didn't answer immediately, thinking about the four children sleeping side by side on the kang (a heated brick bed). Shitou and Qingqing slept together, Aji was next to them, and Afu, the youngest, slept alone against the wall. Moonlight streamed in through the window paper, illuminating Afu's thin face.

"Look at Afu," Su Xiaoyin said softly, "He's the same age as Shitou and Qingqing, but he's still shorter. Doctor Li said he needs to be cared for slowly, but his body is weaker than the other children's."

Chen Dashan recalled Afu's figure without saying a word.

Su Xiaoyin continued, "Although I'm not Afu's biological mother, I am his aunt and also his uncle's wife. This child has grown up under my watchful eye, and I have to think about his future. What if... what if he grows up and his health isn't as good as Shitou's and Aji's, and he can't do heavy work? What then?"

She turned to look at Chen Dashan, her eyes serious: "I was thinking, if we could buy him a shop in town someday, whether he runs his own business or rents it out to collect rent, at least he'd have a livelihood. Even if he doesn't run a business, being an accountant or manager in a shop would be easier than working in the fields."

Chen Dashan was silent for a moment, then reached out and took his wife's hand: "You've thought it through. Afu is lucky to have you as his aunt."

Su Xiaoyin shook her head: "What's this talk about good fortune? We're family, so let's not talk about that. I'm just thinking that now that our lives are better, we should think more about the children. Shitou and Qingqing have you as their father and me as their mother, and Afu... also needs someone to rely on. Xiaoqing and Xiaohe, they really don't think long-term."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay, when I deliver the goods to the county town tomorrow, I'll stop by the brokerage firm to ask. I'll inquire about the prices at the shops in town and the county town, so we'll have a general idea."

He paused, then said, "Not just Afu, but if the price is right, we'll buy it first and rent it out. A steady income each month, little by little, will add up. When the four children grow up, whether they go to school or start a business, they'll have a foundation."

Su Xiaoyin's eyes lit up: "You think so too?"

"Yes." Chen Dashan smiled. "In the past few years of our marriage, we've saved money together, bought land together, and built a house together. Isn't it all for the sake of making this family better and better? It's never wrong to plan ahead."

Su Xiaoyin leaned on his shoulder, feeling a warm glow in her heart. The moonlight quietly spilled onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and the four children slept soundly. Occasionally, the chirping of insects drifted in from outside the window, making the night exceptionally peaceful.

"Dashan," Su Xiaoyin said softly after a long while, "Once we really buy the shop, I want to keep an account book. We'll record all the income from the shop and divide it equally among the four children when they grow up. Even though Qingqing isn't a boy, she's still our daughter, so she should get her share too."

Chen Dashan looked down at her, his gaze gentle: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

As night deepened, the Chen family courtyard fell completely silent. A few barks of dogs drifted from afar, quickly fading back into stillness. On this ordinary spring night, a small plan for the future quietly took root amidst the soft whispers of the two adults.

Afu rolled over on the kang (a heated brick bed), smacked his lips twice, and must have been dreaming of eating something delicious.