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

Unexpectedly, the next morning, the situation changed.

When Chen Dashan woke up, he found the room brighter than usual. He pushed open the door and was stunned—the courtyard was a vast expanse of white, with a thick layer of snow already accumulated and still falling. The goose-feather-like snowflakes fluttered down, dense and numerous, making it almost impossible to see the courtyard wall.

"What heavy snow!" Chen Xiaohe came out of the house, wrapped in a cotton-padded coat and stamping his feet. "Brother, has it been snowing all night?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "It seems so. Quick, go add some firewood to the kang (heated brick bed), don't let the child get cold. Then go check on the livestock in the backyard!"

The two men turned and went back into the house. They first added a few pieces of firewood to the stove, then tucked the blankets around the four children. Shitou woke up, rubbing his eyes, and asked, "Dad, what's wrong?"

Chen Dashan patted his head: "It's okay, it's snowing heavily. You stay here with your younger siblings and don't wander off."

After saying that, he and Chen Xiaohe put on their raincoats and hats and walked to the backyard.

The snow had piled up to twenty centimeters deep, crunching underfoot, reaching up to their calves. The two trudged through the snow to the livestock shed, first herding the chickens, ducks, and geese out of their coop and into the pigsty—which had been cleaned a few days earlier and was empty, lined with thick layers of dry straw to keep out the wind. The chickens, ducks, and geese huddled together, clucking and squawking, but it was quite warm.

Father Chen also got up, wearing a straw raincoat, and came over. He looked at the cowshed and mule shed and said, "Take the cows and mules to the new shed as well. That shed has a heated wall, so you can burn firewood and it will be warm."

The father and his two sons got busy again. The new shed was built after the autumn harvest, with earthen walls on all sides and a fire wall inside. Chen Dashan added a few pieces of firewood to the stove, and the fire quickly caught fire. The heat spread along the fire wall, and the shed slowly warmed up.

The cows and mules were led in, stood on the hay, swishing their tails, and looked very comfortable.

"Alright, they won't get cold anymore." Mr. Chen clapped his hands. "Let's go back and eat."

---

Back inside, Chen's mother had already prepared breakfast: steaming hot multigrain porridge, cornbread, and a large pot of stew. The four of them sat around the kang (a heated brick bed), eating their hot meal while watching the heavy snow outside the window.

Chen's mother said worriedly, "This snow is falling too heavily. We've never seen snow this fast before. It's snowed before, but it stopped quickly. It's been snowing all night and shows no sign of stopping."

Mr. Chen took a sip of porridge, his brow furrowed. "It's true that a timely snowfall promises a good harvest, but this snow is too heavy. What if it keeps falling and the house collapses? The livestock shed won't hold up either."

Chen Dashan put down his bowl: "Dad, after dinner, Xiaohe and I will go to the roof to clear the snow. This snow is so thick, we can't leave it unattended."

Chen's father wanted to go too, but Chen Dashan stopped him: "Dad, don't go. It's too slippery in the snow. You might fall and get hurt. We're young and quick; we'll finish in no time."

Before Mr. Chen could say anything more, Mrs. Chen said from the side, "Listen to the child. They'll worry if you go."

Chen's father then nodded.

After finishing their meal, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe put on their raincoats, took their wooden shovels, and went up to the roof. The snow was still falling, and it quickly accumulated on them. The two of them pushed the snow down, shovel by shovel, the snow chunks hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Su Xiaoyin stood on the veranda, watching, her heart clenching. She saw that with each push Chen Dashan made, his body swayed, his leg clearly unable to support him. She wanted to call him down, but knew it would be useless.

After working all morning, they finally cleared the snow from the roof and the livestock shed. When the two of them came down, they were soaked to the bone, their faces were red from the cold, and their hands were covered in frostbite.

Su Xiaoyin quickly brought over two bowls of hot ginger tea and a dry towel. Chen Dashan took the ginger tea and drank it all in one go. His stomach felt warm, and he finally felt better.

"Come inside quickly, get on the kang (heated brick bed) and warm up," Chen's mother urged.

The two men took off their wet clothes, wrapped themselves in quilts, and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed). The four children gathered around, and Shitou asked, "Dad, is the snow heavy outside?"

Chen Dashan patted his head: "Big, I've never seen anything so big before."

---

In the afternoon, the snow not only didn't stop, but it actually snowed even harder.

Chen Dashan looked out the window and saw that the area in the yard and on the roof, which had just been cleared, was already covered with a thick layer of dirt again. He sighed and said to Chen Xiaohe, "We'll have to go back and clear it again in a while."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, and the two of them put on their raincoats and picked up wooden paddles.

They cleaned twice more that afternoon. Each time they came back, their legs felt like they were filled with lead, and their whole bodies were stiff. Chen Dashan's leg was getting more and more uncomfortable, sore and swollen, but he gritted his teeth and didn't say anything.

As darkness fell, the snow finally lessened. Chen Dashan stood under the eaves and looked around, then breathed a sigh of relief: "It looks like it's going to stop."

Chen's mother called from inside, "Come in quickly! Don't stand outside, you'll freeze!"

The two went inside, changed into dry clothes, and sat on the kang (a heated brick bed). Dinner was already prepared: steaming stew, cornbread, and a large bowl of bone broth. The family sat around the table to eat, no one saying much, all secretly relieved—the snow was finally going to stop.

---

Back in the room that evening, Su Xiaoyin had Chen Dashan lie down. When she lifted his trouser leg, she saw that his leg was swollen and thicker than usual, with faint bluish-purple veins visible.

She didn't speak, but turned around and took out a bundle from the cabinet. Inside were the plasters that Chen's father had bought from Doctor Li last time. She cut one off, heated it over the fire, and gently applied it to his leg.

Chen Dashan was taken aback and looked at her.

Su Xiaoyin lowered her head, applied the plaster, and gently pressed it to allow the medicine to seep in. Only after doing this did she raise her head and meet his gaze.

"I noticed your leg was bothering me this afternoon." Her voice was soft, but I could hear the concern in it. "You were limping a little when you walked. You thought you were just pretending, but I could tell."

Chen Dashan fell silent.

Su Xiaoyin carefully put away the plaster paper and said, "Try this and see if it works. If it does, next time we go to the county town, we'll buy more from Doctor Li to keep on hand. Next time the weather is like this, put it on early, don't try to tough it out."

Chen Dashan looked at her, then suddenly reached out and pulled her into his arms. Su Xiaoyin was startled for a moment, then leaned on his shoulder without moving.

"Thank you, Xiaoyin." Chen Dashan's voice was low and a little hoarse.

Su Xiaoyin didn't say anything, she just hugged him gently.

Outside the window, the snow was still falling, but much lighter than during the day. The wind was howling, but the house was warm and cozy. On the kang (a heated brick bed), the four children slept soundly, huddled together. The little dog curled up on the straw mat, purring softly.

Su Xiaoyin leaned against Chen Dashan's chest, listening to his heartbeat, steady and strong. She thought, life is like this, with wind and snow, hardship and fatigue, but as long as the family is together, no matter how difficult it is, we can get through it.

The snow should stop tomorrow. The sun will come out again, and life will go on.

But tonight, just snuggling together like this is nice.