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

In the afternoon, the market gradually emptied out. Chen Dashan glanced at the sky and said, "It's about time. Let's pack up and head back."

The group packed up their stall, loaded their goods onto the cart, and drove the mules back home.

On the way, Chen Xiaohe was still muttering about the forty-five taels, while Su Xiaoqing bickered with him beside him. Chen Dashan drove the carriage steadily, occasionally glancing at Su Xiaoyin beside him. She leaned against the carriage wall, her eyes closed, a faint smile on her lips. She looked somewhat tired, but at peace.

"Are you tired?" Chen Dashan asked softly.

Su Xiaoyin opened her eyes and shook her head: "Not tired. Just a little happy."

Chen Dashan nodded and said nothing more.

The mule cart creaked and groaned as it moved along, the cold wind blowing against their faces, but the hearts of the group were warm. An order of forty-five taels of silver, a three-month production period, and a Five Relationships chart unlike any they had ever seen before—this winter seemed to hold more promise than in previous years.

----

By the time I got home, it was almost dark.

Chen's mother was busy in the kitchen when she heard the sound of the gate opening and hurried out to greet them. Seeing the smiles on their faces, she knew something good was coming.

"How did it go? Did it work?" Chen's mother asked.

Su Xiaoqing couldn't help but rush over, hugging her mother-in-law's arm and saying, "Mother, it's done! Forty-five taels! The deposit has been accepted!"

Chen's mother was stunned for a moment, then beamed with joy: "Good! Good! Our Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing are so amazing!"

Mr. Chen also came out of the house. Hearing this, he nodded: "That's right. Having your skills recognized is more important than anything else."

The family entered the house, and Su Xiaoyin recounted the day's events. When she mentioned the Five Relationships Chart, Chen's father asked, "Have you ever made this chart?"

Su Xiaoyin shook her head: "I've never made one before, but I heard my mother talk about it when I was little, and I've seen what it looked like. When we get back, Xiaoqing and I will draw a pattern first, and then we'll figure it out slowly. We're sure we can make it."

Mr. Chen nodded: "It's good that you're confident. Take your time, there's no rush."

Chen's mother chimed in, "That's right, it's three months, take it slow. Don't overexert yourself."

Hearing the commotion, the four children ran out of the inner room and surrounded Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, calling them "Mom" and "Auntie." Afu clung to Su Xiaoqing's leg, looking up at her with his little face and asking, "Mom, where did you go? I missed you."

Su Xiaoqing squatted down, picked him up, and kissed his cheek: "Mom went to the county town on errands. I brought you some delicious food when I came back."

She took out a few pieces of sesame candy from her basket, and each of the four children took one, jumping for joy.

---

At dinner, Chen's mother specially prepared a few extra dishes: braised pork, stewed tofu, scrambled eggs, and a large pot of hot multigrain porridge. The family sat together, enjoying a lively meal.

After taking a sip of porridge, Mr. Chen said to his family, "Although we suffered a disaster this year, our family has worked together and our lives are getting better and better. We must continue to work hard."

Chen Dashan nodded and glanced at Su Xiaoyin beside him. She was wiping Afu's mouth, a gentle smile on her lips.

Chen Xiaohe said from the side, "Dad, don't worry, we'll definitely do a good job!"

Su Xiaoqing nudged him: "Finish your bamboo weaving first."

Chen Xiaohe chuckled: "Don't worry, I've planned everything. There's nothing to do in winter, so I'll weave more and sell them next spring."

Looking at the large family, Chen's mother felt very at ease. The old man was right; life was getting better and better.

Outside the window, the north wind howled, but inside the house it was warm and cozy. The family sat together, talking about tomorrow's plans, laughing and joking. Such days, no matter how hard or tiring, were worthwhile.

After dinner, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing cleaned up the dishes. Chen Dashan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looked over the contract that Manager Sun had given him that day, and carefully put it away.

When Su Xiaoyin came in, she saw his movements and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Chen Dashan shook his head: "It's nothing. It's just that I feel our lives are really getting better and better."

Su Xiaoyin smiled, sat down next to him, and leaned on his shoulder. The wind was still blowing outside the window, but it was warm inside. On the kang (a heated brick bed), the four children were already asleep, huddled together, breathing evenly. The little dog was curled up on the straw mat, making soft purring sounds.

"Things will get better in the future," Su Xiaoyin said softly.

Chen Dashan nodded and took her hand.

----

"Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, please watch the child. I'm going out for a bit."

Early in the morning, Chen's mother hurriedly dressed, calling into the house while tying a headscarf around her neck. She had a smile on her face, clearly indicating that something good had happened.

Su Xiaoyin peeked out from the east wing: "Mother, where are you going?"

Chen's mother said, "I heard from your aunt from Er Mu's family that Aunt Li's eldest grandson is getting married, and they've asked us to come over and sew the wedding quilt. I have to go and join in the fun."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Okay, Mother, you go ahead. We'll look after the child."

Chen's mother responded, wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter, and went out.

Since Chen Dashan finished his carpentry work, Chen's mother no longer needed to go to the county town to set up her stall every day. As the weather grew colder, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe felt sorry for her and insisted that she stop going to the county town. Now, the two brothers go to set up their stall every day, while Chen's father goes up the mountain whenever he has free time to set traps and dig snares, occasionally catching a pheasant or rabbit to improve the family's meals.

Chen's mother stayed home to take care of the children and cook, making life much easier than during the autumn harvest.

---

In the east wing, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were working on the Five Relationships diagram.

This time, they put in extra care. The order was for forty-five taels of silver, and it was for the old lady of the prefectural city's birthday celebration; they couldn't afford to be careless. They got up at dawn every day to embroider and continued until dark, rarely leaving their embroidery frames except to eat and feed the children.

While sewing, Su Xiaoqing said, "Sister, shall we soak some soybeans? We can make some tofu pudding and some soy milk tomorrow."

Su Xiaoyin looked up and stretched her stiff neck: "Okay, then soak some soybeans. Soak some red beans too, we'll make bean buns tomorrow. Afu has been saying he wants something sweet these past few days."

Su Xiaoqing laughed: "That kid, all he cares about is food." She put down her embroidery hoop and got up to go to the kitchen to soak beans.

Su Xiaoyin continued embroidering, her needle moving swiftly and steadily. After several days of work, the outline of the Five Relationships diagram was beginning to emerge, and the postures of the five birds were gradually becoming clearer. But the further she progressed, the more careful she had to be; not a single mistake could be tolerated.