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

As the sun began to set, Mr. Chen started packing up his stall. The watermelons were sold out, but he had also sold quite a few embroidered items and small trinkets; it was a good day.

"Alright, let's go home." Mr. Chen loaded the last few things into the car. "The children must be tired after a long day."

Sure enough, the four little ones sat in their chairs, their eyelids already drooping. Afu had already fallen asleep in Su Xiaoqing's arms, his little mouth slightly open, sleeping soundly.

Su Xiaoyin gently lifted him into the car and placed him on the soft cushions that had been laid out. Shitou, Qingqing, and Aji were also lifted into the car and lay down side by side, and soon they all fell asleep.

The oxcart creaked and groaned its way home. The carriage was quiet, with only the even breathing of the four children.

Chen's mother looked back, her eyes full of tenderness: "This trip was worthwhile. The children are happy, and business is good too."

Mr. Chen nodded, a smile playing on his lips: "Yes. We should take them out more often in the future."

The setting sun cast a long, long shadow of the oxcart onto the road home. Inside the cart were empty baskets, coins, four sleeping children, and the family's abundant harvest and hopes for this summer.

Back home, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe had already prepared dinner. Seeing the children sleeping soundly, they couldn't bear to wake them, so they each carried one into the room and placed them on the kang (a heated brick bed). When Shitou was picked up, he groggily opened his eyes, saw his father, and then closed them again, muttering something before going back to sleep.

At the dinner table, Chen's mother recounted everything that had happened that day. When the topic turned to Liu Yilong asking for diapers, Chen Dashan paused for a moment, then said, "Manager Liu is a good man; he's helped our family a lot. The fact that he asked for this shows he truly considers us family."

Chen's mother nodded: "That's what I was thinking too. I'll send it to him tomorrow, and I'll also pick out some good-quality dried mushrooms to take with me."

Su Xiaoyin chimed in, "Mom, I have a few pieces of unused new cotton cloth left over from making embroidery. They're soft. How about I cut a few diapers and send them over with it? It'll be more auspicious to have both new and old."

Chen's mother thought for a moment, then smiled: "You're a very thoughtful child. Okay, let's do it that way."

As night deepened, the Chen family courtyard quieted down. The even breathing of the children could be heard from inside, punctuated by the occasional soft murmur of sleep. This home, on this summer night, was exceptionally peaceful and warm.

----

The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Chen drove their mule cart to the county town as usual.

Although the Dragon Boat Festival is over, the county town's long-term market remains bustling. Chen's stall has a good location and a steady flow of people every day. Plus, it's watermelon season now, so business is even better than usual.

"Old man, hurry up and put the watermelons out; there will be more people soon," Chen's mother urged as she unloaded the goods from the truck.

Mr. Chen leisurely arranged the watermelons one by one, and then placed bamboo woven items, wood carvings, and embroidered trinkets on the table. Having run his stall every day for days, he was now quite familiar with the place and knew exactly where to put his items to attract customers.

The stall had just been set up when people came over.

"Good morning, Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen!"

Liu Yilong walked over with a smile, carrying a teapot. He wasn't on duty today, so he was dressed casually and looked much more approachable than when he wore his official uniform.

Mother Chen's eyes lit up, and she quickly took a bundle from her basket and handed it over with both hands: "Manager Liu, you've come! These are the diapers we agreed on yesterday, please take them."

Liu Yilong took the bundle and opened a corner to take a look. Inside were several old diapers, washed clean and folded neatly, made of soft old cotton cloth, with carefully sewn edges. On top were several brand-new diapers, made of obviously new cotton cloth, with fine stitches, clearly just made.

"Auntie, this is..." Liu Yilong said with some surprise.

Mother Chen explained with a smile, "Those old ones are the diapers my four children used. I specially kept a few good ones. These new ones were made by my two daughters-in-law last night. They're all made of good cotton cloth. Take them home and put the old and new ones together under your pillow. That way, the children will have the strongest sense of childlike innocence."

Liu Yilong listened, his eyes welling up with tears. He and his wife had been married for three years without a child. They had seen countless doctors and tried countless medications, all of whom said there was nothing wrong with their bodies, but they just couldn't conceive. His mother was so anxious that her hair had turned quite white. She prayed to gods and Buddhas everywhere and tried all sorts of folk remedies. This remedy of asking for diapers came from the old lady next door, who said that placing a baby's diaper under a pillow would attract a child.

I originally just opened my mouth with a try-it-and-see attitude, but I didn't expect the Chen family to take it so seriously.

"Auntie, this... how could I possibly ask your daughter-in-law to work through the night to make this?" Liu Yilong felt a little guilty.

Mrs. Chen waved her hand: "It's nothing, just a few diapers. You've been so supportive of our business these past few months, this little token is nothing. Take it, put it under your pillow, and I guarantee you'll be holding a big, healthy baby boy next year!"

Liu Yilong laughed at her words, carefully put away his bundle, and solemnly bowed to Chen's mother: "Auntie, I am deeply grateful. I will remember this kindness."

Mr. Chen chuckled from the side, "Manager Liu, you're too kind. Go back now, don't delay important business."

Liu Yilong nodded and left happily.

---

After Liu Yilong left, business at the stall gradually picked up.

Watermelons sold the fastest, with most of them gone by noon. Father Chen was busy picking out watermelons, weighing them, and collecting money, while Mother Chen attended to customers buying bamboo weaving and embroidery items. Their teamwork became increasingly seamless, busy yet efficient.

Several well-dressed women also came over to inquire about the embroidery.

Chen's mother quickly took out the large embroidery "Wealth and Longevity" by Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, and carefully unfolded a corner of it. The embroidery was indeed exquisite, with layers of peonies, magnificent and splendid, with bright yet elegant colors, and fine and even stitches, showing that a lot of effort had been put into it.

Several women stood around admiring it for a long time, praising it repeatedly: "The embroidery is really good, just as good as the ones in the embroidery shops."

"The color scheme is also beautiful, exuding a sense of luxury."

But despite their praise, after asking the price, they all shook their heads and left.

Before leaving, a woman looked back and said with some regret, "The embroidery is really beautiful, but it costs more than thirty taels of silver... Our family can't afford to hang it up."

Chen's mother put the embroidery away, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Once the crowd thinned out, she said to Mr. Chen, "Old man, will Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing's embroidery pieces not sell this time?"

Mr. Chen was helping a customer choose a watermelon when he heard this. He turned around, glanced at her, and said unhurriedly, "What's the rush?"

After the guests left, he came over and sat down next to Chen's mother. His voice was soft but steady: "Don't you trust Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing's skills? The embroidery is definitely good. But these large embroidered patterns aren't meant for ordinary people. Think about it, how many taels of silver do ordinary families earn in a year? Who would be willing to spend over thirty taels to buy an embroidery to hang on the wall?"

Chen's mother was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about it carefully, she realized that it made sense.

Mr. Chen continued, "Buyers of these large embroidered patterns have to be spacious and wealthy families. The rich and powerful in the city often have an empty wall in their living rooms, and they need this kind of opulent embroidery to make a good impression. But we don't usually meet such people. We have to wait patiently for the right person."