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

The two sisters finished their embroidery, changed into their outdoor clothes, and carried two empty baskets on their backs. Su Xiaoyin called out to the courtyard, "Dashan, Xiaoqing and I are going for a walk in the mountains. You stay home and look after the children!"

Chen Dashan poked his head out of the carpentry workshop: "Go ahead, but don't go too deep into the mountains. Just wander around outside and come right back."

"knew!"

---

It's much cooler up in the mountains than down in the valleys.

The trees blocked most of the sunlight, and an occasional breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing walked up the familiar path, their eyes searching the surroundings.

"Sister, there's wild garlic here! And wild onions too!" Su Xiaoqing spotted a small patch of wild garlic.

The two sisters squatted down and carefully dug with small hoes. These wild garlic and onions, when stir-fried with eggs, tasted much better than the ones they grew at home.

After digging, they continued uphill and found several more wild berry bushes, bright red and sweet and sour. The two sisters picked some and put them in their basket, intending to take them back for their four children to try.

As she was walking, she heard a rustling sound ahead. Su Xiaoyin looked up and saw a young woman carrying a large basket on her back, bending down and searching for something in the bushes.

Hearing the noise, the woman straightened up. Only then did Su Xiaoyin realize that it was Ye Ge's wife.

The three met eyes, all somewhat surprised. Ye Ge's wife forced a smile, nodded as a greeting, and then continued with her work.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing nodded, said nothing more, and continued walking uphill.

After they had walked a distance, Su Xiaoqing turned back for a glance and whispered, "Sis, was that Ye Ge's wife just now?"

Su Xiaoyin sighed: "Yes."

Su Xiaoqing sighed, "How pitiful. After hearing about what happened to Ye Ge, she was so angry that she went into premature labor. The baby was born weak, and it's uncertain whether it will survive. All the family's money has been spent on the child. Now she and Ye Ge go up the mountain every day to pick wild vegetables and fruits to exchange for money to pay for the child's medical treatment and medicine."

Su Xiaoyin was silent for a while before saying, "My mother said she was a very gentle person. When her family found out about that incident, they came immediately to take her back and make her divorce Ye Ge. But she refused to leave, saying that the child couldn't be without a father."

Su Xiaoqing shook her head: "If Ye Ge can really change for the better, then he'll have done right by her. I'm just afraid..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but they both understood what she meant.

Su Xiaoyin recalled the scene of those people being whipped in public that day. The whips were dipped in chili water, and they stung her skin. But more painful than the physical pain was the humiliation—the whole village was watching, even her own children were watching.

"Those three women have really done a lot of harm," Su Xiaoqing said angrily. "They ruined several families in our village in one fell swoop."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, then shook her head: "You can't entirely blame them. They chose their own path, and they all have wives and children at home. If their conduct is improper, they can't blame others."

As they talked, they unknowingly walked into an open space. Su Xiaoqing, with her sharp eyes, suddenly pointed ahead: "Sister! Look, isn't that a persimmon tree?"

Su Xiaoyin looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, several tall persimmon trees stood on the hillside, their branches laden with green and yellow fruits, ready to be picked in another month or two.

"Make a note of this spot, we'll come back to pick them when they're ripe," Su Xiaoyin said with a smile.

Su Xiaoqing nodded happily, then looked around and said, "Sister, there seem to be a few more trees over there. Let's go take a look."

The two sisters wandered around the mountains again and found several wild persimmon trees and a small patch of wild grapes. Although the grapes were still sour, they noted the location so they could come back and pick them in a while.

Seeing that it was getting late, the two of them carried their half-full baskets down the mountain. The baskets contained wild garlic, wild onions, wild strawberries, and some wild vegetables and wood ear mushrooms that they had picked along the way.

On the way down the mountain, she passed the place where she had met Ye Ge's wife earlier, but she was no longer there. Su Xiaoyin glanced back and sighed silently.

I hope Ye Ge has truly changed for the better. Otherwise, he would be letting down that gentle woman and that premature child.

---

Back home, the yard was quiet. The four children were playing in the main room. Shi Tou was leading his younger siblings in building houses with blocks. The houses were crooked and uneven, but the little ones were having a great time.

Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop and took the baskets from the two sisters: "A good harvest?"

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "It's alright. We found a few wild persimmon trees, we'll pick them when they're ripe. We also picked some wild garlic and onions."

Chen Dashan looked at the contents of his basket and said with a smile, "I'll stir-fry some wild garlic and eggs tonight; it'll definitely be delicious."

Su Xiaoqing laughed, "Of course, it smells much better than the ones we grow at home."

The two sisters washed their hands and began preparing lunch. Su Xiaoyin kneaded the dough, while Su Xiao washed the vegetables. The two worked together seamlessly, and soon the aroma of food filled the kitchen.

The four children, drawn by the delicious aroma, stopped building with their blocks and gathered around the kitchen doorway, watching eagerly. Stone, the oldest, swallowed hard and asked, "Mom, what are we having today?"

Su Xiaoyin turned around and saw their hungry expressions, so she couldn't help but laugh: "Wild garlic stir-fried with eggs, and your favorite potato stew with meat. Go wash your hands, dinner's ready!"

The four children rushed to wash their hands, and the yard suddenly became lively.

The sun shone brightly, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. The Chen family lived their lives steadily and peacefully, day after day.

----

"Father, I went to deliver some things to Steward Liu's family today. The baby items are all ready. I sent them over early to express our family's good wishes."

Early in the morning, Chen Dashan packed his things and spoke to his father. The bag of baby items was wrapped tightly in a clean cloth. Inside were the bibs, drool bibs, small pillows, tiger-head shoes and hats that Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing had made in the past few days, as well as the Hundred Blessings quilt that had taken the most effort to make.

Mr. Chen nodded: "It's only right. Manager Liu has helped our family a lot. This time, his wife is pregnant, so we sent the things over in advance. It makes them feel warm inside."

Chen Dashan carefully placed the bundle onto the oxcart and asked, "Dad, isn't the autumn harvest coming in a couple of days?"

Mr. Chen looked up at the sky, his brows furrowing slightly. "It's about time. This year, I discussed it with some of the old folks in the village. We'll harvest early. Our family will start with the land at the foot of the barren mountain, then the wasteland, and finally the cultivated land. We're familiar with this process."

Chen Dashan was somewhat surprised: "Dad, this is earlier than usual?"

Mr. Chen nodded, lowering his voice slightly: "I'm thinking that the weather might be bad this autumn. We need to harvest early to avoid the grain rotting in the fields and being unable to be harvested, which would mean a year's hard work would be wasted."