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

Days passed by, and before we knew it, it was the Dragon Boat Festival.

Before dawn, lights were already on in the Chen family's courtyard. Today was market day in both counties, one of the busiest markets of the year, and the family had gotten up early to prepare.

Mother Chen checked out all the items she had prepared the night before: hair ties, handkerchiefs, tiger-head shoes, sachets, five-colored ropes, and several newly made pairs of mandarin duck pillowcases, filling two large baskets to the brim. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe loaded the bamboo weaving, wood carvings, and mugwort onto the car. Father Chen did a final check to make sure nothing was left behind before calling everyone to set off.

The four children were also woken up early. Stone rubbed his eyes, still half asleep, and asked, "Mom, where are we going?"

Su Xiaoyin dressed him in new clothes, tidied his hair, and said with a smile, "We're going to the county town for the Dragon Boat Festival. It's going to be very lively today, so you all need to behave and not run around."

Upon hearing that they were going to the county town, Shi Tou immediately perked up, puffed out his little chest, and said, "Mom, I'll be good! I'll help you look after your younger brother and sister!"

Qingqing and Aji and Afu nodded in agreement, grinning happily.

Mule carts and oxcarts left the village one after the other. There were already quite a few people on the road, some carrying loads on their shoulders, others driving donkey carts, all heading to the county town market. People who knew each other greeted each other, chatting and laughing, making the journey quite lively.

---

When we arrived in the county town, the market was already packed with people.

The Chen family's stall was set up in its usual spot. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Chen finished setting up their goods, people gathered around. A young woman picked out a few sachets and bought two colorful ropes, then left happily. Next, several other women came, took a liking to the newly made mandarin duck pillowcases, and examined them closely, turning them over and over in their hands, clearly delighted.

"These pillowcases are beautifully embroidered. How much is a pair?"

Mother Chen smiled and said, "Sixty coins a pair. These are all handmade. Look at the stitches, how dense they are."

Without saying a word, the woman took out her money and bought two pairs.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were also very busy. Bamboo baskets, winnowing trays, and small wooden carvings were being sold one by one. Chen Xiaohe had a sweet tongue; he chatted with people while selling his goods, making several aunties laugh heartily.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing sat behind the stall with their four children. Since it was crowded today, and they were worried the children would run around, Su Xiaoyin had bought them pastries and sesame candy, and told them to sit still and eat.

The four children, dressed in clean new clothes, sat quietly, watching the passing crowd with curiosity. Stone, the oldest, sat on the outermost edge, protecting his younger siblings. Qingqing and Aji sat side-by-side, each holding a piece of sesame candy, nibbling on it little by little. Afu, shy and timid, nestled in Su Xiaoqing's arms, clutching a piece of pastry, his face covered in crumbs from eating.

Passersby couldn't help but take a second look at the four children.

"Oh my, whose child is this? He's so good-looking!" A middle-aged woman stopped and looked at the stone with a smile.

Stone wasn't shy at all; he looked up and greeted her, "Hello, Auntie!"

The woman beamed with delight: "This child is so well-behaved! He looks just like a New Year's picture doll!" She then looked at Qingqing and Aji, growing more and more fond of them. "All four of them are beautiful, fair-skinned, and neatly dressed. Your family really knows how to raise children!"

People nearby also came over to watch and praised it all at once.

"That's right, they're chubby and look so lucky."

"This family is great; the adults are capable, and the children are lovable."

Many people were drawn over by the children and also took a look at the goods on the stall. Some bought hair ties, some bought sachets, and some even came over specifically to ask if the little clothes the children were wearing were for sale.

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "Those were made at home, and these are the only ones left. If you like, there are a few new ones here."

She took out a few small garments from the basket, and the woman picked out two, paying happily.

Su Xiaoqing whispered to Su Xiaoyin, "Sister, those four little guys really did a great job today. So many people came for them!"

Su Xiaoyin laughed: "That's right, he's our family's lucky charm."

---

Before I knew it, it was afternoon.

As the crowd thinned out, Mr. and Mrs. Chen finally got to rest. Mrs. Chen rubbed her back, sat down on a stool behind the stall, and let out a long sigh: "There were so many people today, I was so busy I barely had time to breathe."

Chen Dashan sat down, took a big gulp of water, and said, "Sales were good today, several times more than usual."

Chen Xiaohe counted the copper coins in his money bag, his eyes lighting up: "Brother, we've made almost two taels of silver this morning alone!"

Mr. Chen nodded, a smile spreading across his face: "It's the Dragon Boat Festival, it only comes once a year. Everyone's willing to spend money."

Su Xiaoyin gestured for everyone to sit down and eat. She took out the flatbread and pickled vegetables she had prepared that morning from her basket, and poured several bowls of water. The group was indeed hungry and ate heartily.

While eating, Chen's mother said to Su Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin, there aren't many people around now, so we'll watch the children. You carry the basket on your back and go buy some things. We'll make zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) tonight for the Dragon Boat Festival."

Su Xiaoyin responded and asked, "Mom, what should we buy?"

Chen's mother counted on her fingers: "Buy two catties of pork, and some bamboo leaves and glutinous rice. Take a look around, and buy some other things you like."

Su Xiaoyin slung her basket over her shoulder and walked into the market.

---

Although there were fewer people at the market, it was still lively. Long queues formed in front of the food stalls, and the aroma of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) wafted far and wide.

Su Xiaoyin went to the butcher stall first. There were still a few pieces of meat left on the counter. She picked out a piece of pork belly with alternating layers of fat and lean meat and had the butcher weigh it out to two jin (1 kg). There was also a pig's head next to it, which was cleaned up and looked quite fresh.

"How much is this pig's head?" Su Xiaoyin asked.

The butcher said, "This is the last one, I'll sell it to you cheap. Ten coins a pound."

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll take it."

The butcher wrapped the pig's head in lotus leaves and put it in her basket. Su Xiaoyin also bought some braising spices—star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan peppercorns—grabbing a small handful of each and wrapping them in paper.

Walking a little further, she saw a stall selling bamboo leaves for making zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). The leaves were lush and green, wide and long, and looked very fresh. Su Xiaoyin picked out two bunches and also bought five catties of glutinous rice and one catty of dates.

Passing by a fish stall, she saw two carp weighing over a pound each, lively and jumping, their scales shimmering in the sunlight. Remembering that Chen Dashan loved to eat fish, she bought them.

Su Xiaoyin only turned back after filling her basket to the brim.

---

Back at the stall, Chen's mother saw the pig's head in the basket and paused, "Why did you buy such a big pig's head?"

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "This was the last one at the meat stall, and it was cheap, so I bought it. I plan to braise half of it and smoke the other half to eat after the autumn harvest."