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

Su Xiaoyin said from the side, "I wonder if Dad and Xiaohe managed to buy the right seeds this time. It would be great if they could use new watermelon seeds; our watermelons have been selling exceptionally well these past two years."

Chen's mother sighed, "I hope things will be better this year. Last year was a real ordeal with heavy rain and snow."

Su Xiaoqing comforted her, "Mom, our family is well-off and can handle it. Besides, don't we still have shops in the county town that we collect rent from? This year, Dashan took on another job from Manager Sun, and my sister and I took on another embroidery project. Things will definitely get better and better."

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother smiled and said, "You're right, things will definitely get better and better."

---

After dinner, Chen's mother cleared the dishes, with Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing helping. The four children played on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Shitou started teaching his younger siblings cat's cradle again.

Chen Dashan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at everyone in the room, and felt much more at ease.

Although the corvée labor was brought forward and the taxes were changed, the whole family was together, and with concerted efforts, there was no obstacle that couldn't be overcome.

He remembered what Chen's father had said—"Make a fortune quietly." Yes, no matter how things change outside, they should just close their doors and live their own lives well.

Outside the window, the sky gradually darkened. Inside the Chen family's house, the lights were bright and the atmosphere was warm and inviting.

Tomorrow, Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe will be back. A new chapter is about to begin.

----

"Big brother! We're back!"

At noon, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Chen Xiaohe's voice came in first. His voice carried the weariness of a long journey, but it couldn't hide his excitement at seeing his family.

Chen Dashan was polishing a pen holder ordered by Shopkeeper Sun in the carpentry workshop when he heard the sound. He quickly put down his work and hurried out to greet them. In the courtyard, Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe were carrying a large basket on their backs and several bundles in their hands, looking travel-worn.

"Dad, Xiaohe, you're finally back!" Chen Dashan took the bundle from his father's hands and patted his younger brother's shoulder. "You must be exhausted. Come inside and rest!"

Chen's mother peeked out from the kitchen and, seeing the father and son return, beamed with joy: "You're back? Come in quickly, I'll get you some water!"

The family entered the main room, and Chen's mother brought over two bowls of warm water. Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe took them and gulped them down.

Chen Dashan sat down beside them and waited until they finished drinking before recounting everything that had happened in the past few days. He told them everything, from Brother De's visit to the early implementation of corvée labor and the new tax policy, to the village head's impending succession.

After listening, Chen's father nodded: "I have no objection to De Ge taking over as village head. That boy is honest, just like his father. With him in charge of our village, we can rest assured."

Chen Xiaohe chimed in from the side, "Dad, we met that old gentleman when we went to the neighboring county this time. He was a very nice man and taught us a lot. We'll officially start learning from him after the spring planting is over."

Mr. Chen nodded, took out a cloth bag from his pocket, opened it, and showed it to his eldest son: "I've bought quite a few seeds too. These are seedlings of a new variety of melon. The melons we planted last year sold well, so we're trying new ones this year. These are vegetable seeds. Brother De's family grew them quite well last year, so I bought some too. We'll change up the variety in our garden later."

Chen Dashan took the package and looked at it. The seeds were neatly wrapped and labeled with names written on them. He nodded, "Dad is very thoughtful. We'll have Xiaoyin and the others cultivate the seedlings; their melon seedlings last year were exceptionally good."

Father Chen then took out a small paper packet from his bundle: "And this too, these are herb seeds. I didn't know how they'd turn out, so I bought some to try. I'll plant them in the herb patch and see if they'll survive."

Chen Dashan said, "Okay, we'll ask Doctor Li when the time comes; he knows how to take care of her."

Chen's father took a sip of water, then remembered something: "By the way, Dashan, you just said the corvée labor was brought forward. Did our family pay the money?"

Chen Dashan nodded: "Pay up, two and a half ounces. I won't go, but I'll take the money."

Mr. Chen sighed, "Fine, let's just hand it over. It's good that no one's hurt."

Chen Xiaohe, unable to sit still any longer, stood up and said, "Dad, Big Brother, you two talk first, I'll go check the bamboo forest! Last winter, with the heavy snow, we didn't manage to dig up many bamboo shoots. Now that it's spring, the spring bamboo shoots should have sprouted, right?"

Mr. Chen also stood up: "I'll go with you. We'll cut down a couple of bamboo trees while we're at it; we need to re-fence the vegetable garden this year."

Chen Dashan said, "Then I'll continue doing Manager Sun's work. The sooner I finish, the sooner I can feel at ease."

The father and son carried baskets on their backs, picked up hoes and machetes, and headed up the mountain.

---

Spring has quietly arrived in the bamboo forest.

Last winter's heavy snow weighed down the bamboo forest, breaking many bamboo stalks. But the power of spring is tenacious; beneath the withered yellow bamboo leaves, tender green bamboo shoots have already quietly emerged.

Mr. Chen bent down, brushed aside the fallen leaves, and revealed a newly sprouted bamboo shoot. The shoot sheath was still a pale yellow, covered with fine hairs, and looked incredibly fresh.

"Little river, there's one over here!" he called to his son.

Chen Xiaohe ran over, squatted down to look at the bamboo shoots, and grinned, "Dad, these bamboo shoots are so tender! Let's dig up a lot and stew them with meat when we get home!"

The two men began digging for bamboo shoots. Chen's father, with his extensive experience, could spot the shoots at a glance; Chen Xiaohe, young and strong, dug quickly and steadily. Before long, their baskets were half full of spring bamboo shoots.

Chen's father straightened up, stretched, and said, "That's about enough. We'll cut two more bamboo stalks and then head back."

The two men selected two old bamboo stalks of suitable thickness in the bamboo grove. Chen Xiaohe wielded his machete and chopped them down in a few strokes. The father and son trimmed the bamboo branches, carried them on their shoulders, and with the spring bamboo shoots on their backs, headed home.

On the way, Chen Xiaohe said, "Dad, we should also clean up the pigsty and cowshed. Spring is coming and the weather will be warm, so we need to clean them thoroughly."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Yes, and the chicken coop too. I'm thinking of rebuilding it. We still have some mud bricks and stones at home, enough to build a chicken coop."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Then I'll start working on it tomorrow."

When she got home, Su Xiaoyin was already busy in the kitchen. Hearing the gate open, she poked her head out and called out, "Dad, Xiaohe, wash your hands, we're waiting for you to eat!"

Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe put down their things and went to the well to fetch water to wash their faces and hands. When they entered the house, the food was already on the table: steaming hot multigrain porridge, cornbread, and a large pot of stewed radish with meat.

The family sat down around the table, just about to pick up their chopsticks, when Su Xiaoqing suddenly asked, "Dad, who lives next door?"