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

"Big brother, I'll help Dad fertilize the fields, and then I'll come back and help you make furniture!"

Early in the morning, Chen Xiaohe stood in the yard and called out to the carpentry workshop. He had a hoe on his shoulder and two large baskets in his hands, looking ready to set off at any moment.

Chen Dashan poked his head out of the carpentry workshop, his hands still covered in sawdust, and nodded: "Go on, Dad is busy with so many fields by himself, he definitely can't handle it all. You don't need to rush back, just get the work in the fields done properly first."

Chen's father, who was harnessing the oxcart, overheard his two sons' conversation and opened his mouth as if to say something. He wanted to say that he could do it himself, it was just fertilizing, it would only take a couple more days. But seeing the serious looks on his eldest and youngest sons' faces, he swallowed his words.

The children's kindness warmed his heart.

"Dad, get on the cart!" Chen Xiaohe put the basket on the oxcart, patted the shaft, and said, "Let's go early and finish early. I can help my older brother with some work when we get back this afternoon."

Mr. Chen smiled as he got into the car and took the reins: "Okay, whatever you say."

The oxcart slowly made its way to the fields, encountering many familiar faces from the village along the way. One would call out, "Brother Chen, going to the fields?" Another would call out, "Xiaohe, come help too!" and Father Chen would respond with a smile.

After the oxcart had gone far away, a few old women sitting under the trees at the village entrance began to whisper among themselves.

"Look at Old Chen's two sons, how filial they are. Whenever there's work to be done in the fields, both sons go with him."

"That's right! One earns money as a carpenter, and the other sets up a stall, yet they both still think about helping their father with his work. How many young men in our village can do that?"

"Old Chen and his wife are so lucky. Their two daughters-in-law are hardworking. I heard they are good at embroidery and can earn a lot of money."

"This family has really gotten ahead."

The sound drifted on the wind, and Chen Xiaohe vaguely heard a few words, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face. He turned to look at his father, who was still steadily driving the cart, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, clearly having heard it as well.

---

In the field, Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe, one in front of the other, began to fertilize the melon seedlings.

These melon seedlings had been planted for some time, and long vines had already sprouted, some even beginning to bear small melon heads. Chen Xiaohe squatted in the ground, carefully burying the fermented manure near the roots, then covering it with soil. He worked meticulously, afraid of damaging the melon vines.

"Dad, the melons are growing really well this year." Chen Xiaohe looked up at the melon vines covering the ground, his heart filled with anticipation. "In two months, these mountains and fields will be full of melons. When we pick them and sell them in the county town, we're sure to make a lot of money."

Mr. Chen straightened up, wiped his sweat, and looked at the valley in front of him with a smile in his eyes: "Yes. Last year, the watermelons sold well, so this year we've planted even more, as well as cantaloupes and honeydew melons. If we take good care of them, we'll have a considerable income in the fall."

The father and son talked as they worked. The sun gradually rose higher, and their clothes were soaked with sweat, but neither of them complained of being tired.

---

At home, Chen Dashan was busy working alone in the woodworking workshop.

He had already completed most of the frames for the twenty sets of tables and chairs for Mr. Zhou; all that remained was sanding and assembly. He was always meticulous in his work, comparing each tenon and mortise repeatedly to ensure a perfect fit. The woodworking shop was filled with the faint scent of wood, wood shavings were piled up on the floor, and the sounds of sawing and chiseling echoed throughout.

In the yard, four children were playing. Shi Tou led his younger siblings to squat on the ground to watch the ants. The little heads huddled together, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise. Qing Qing pointed at the line of ants moving their nest and said in her childish voice, "Ants, ants, where are you going?" A Ji imitated her from the side. A Fu, the youngest, could barely squat properly and plopped down on the ground. He didn't cry, but just smiled foolishly.

Chen Dashan would occasionally look up at them through the window, and seeing that they were all behaving obediently in the yard, he would continue working with his head down.

---

"Sis, let's go!"

Su Xiaoqing stood in the yard, carrying a large basket on her back and a small basket in her hand, calling out to the house. She wore a straw hat on her head, which she had made herself last year; although it was crooked, it was enough to shield her from the sun.

Su Xiaoyin came out of the house, also carrying a basket on her back and holding a small hoe. She first went to the window of the carpentry workshop and said to Chen Dashan inside, "Dashan, Xiaoqing and I are going up the mountain to take a look. It rained the other day, the mushrooms should be sprouting. Keep an eye on the children and don't let them run out."

Chen Dashan put down his chisel and nodded: "Go ahead, but don't go inside. Just wander around outside the mountain. I'll keep an eye on them and make sure they don't leave the courtyard."

"understood."

The two sisters left the courtyard and walked up the familiar path towards the mountain. The air was exceptionally fresh after the rain, and the wild grasses and flowers along the roadside glistened with dewdrops in the sunlight. Birdsong echoed from the distant forest, rising and falling in a lively chorus.

"Sis, look!" Su Xiaoqing, with her sharp eyes, pointed to a clump of lush green plants by the roadside. "Wild garlic! Stir-frying these with eggs will definitely be delicious!"

She squatted down and carefully dug through the soil with a small hoe, soon unearthing a small handful of tender wild garlic. Su Xiaoyin helped dig as well, and the two of them dug their way up the mountain.

Once inside the woods, the two sisters slowed their pace and began searching carefully.

"Sister, there are wood ear mushrooms over here!" Su Xiaoqing pointed to a dead tree trunk with clusters of shiny black wood ear mushrooms growing on it, which were plump and tender.

Su Xiaoyin leaned over to take a look and nodded: "Hmm, they look good, let's pick them all."

The two carefully picked the wood ear mushrooms and placed them into the small basket that Su Xiaoqing was carrying. This basket was specially designed to hold fragile items, and the wood ear mushrooms, being light and soft, were perfect for it.

They walked a little further, but didn't find many mushrooms, though they did find a few more spots of wood ear fungus. Su Xiaoqing's basket gradually filled up, and Su Xiaoyin's basket was also quite full.

"Sis, shall we walk a bit further in?" Su Xiaoqing suggested. "We come here often, so the mushrooms might have already been picked by someone else. Fewer people go further in, so there might be some left."

Su Xiaoyin hesitated for a moment, then nodded when she saw that it was still early: "Okay, let's go in a bit, but don't go too deep."

The two continued deeper into the woods, where the light grew dimmer. The decaying leaves beneath their feet were soft and rustling underfoot. The sisters slowed their pace, carefully searching every possible spot where mushrooms might grow.

"Sis! There are mushrooms over here!" Su Xiaoqing whispered, pointing to the area under several pine trees.

Sure enough, a small patch of brown mushrooms sprouted on the ground covered with leaves, their caps thick and looking fresh. The two sisters quickly squatted down, carefully picked them, and put them into their baskets.

After picking the mushrooms, Su Xiaoyin was about to call her sister to head back when she suddenly caught a glimpse of something in the bushes next to her.

"Wait a minute." She gently parted the bushes, her eyes widening in surprise. "Xiao Qing, look!"

Hidden in the grass behind the bushes was a nest of wild eggs! Seven or eight grayish-brown eggs were nestled quietly in the grass, smaller than domestic eggs, but they looked fresh.

"Wild eggs!" Su Xiaoqing almost shouted out loud, then quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice, "Sister, shall we take them all?"

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and only took five: "Leave a few for the hen; she'll come back here to lay eggs next year. We can't be too greedy."

She carefully placed five wild eggs on top of her basket, padding them with soft grass, afraid of damaging them.

"Let's go down the mountain." Su Xiaoyin stood up. "We've had quite a bit of success today."