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

Chen's mother nodded: "Okay. Everyone has been busy lately, so it's time to replenish our energy."

Su Xiaoyin added, "Mom, I also bought some braising spices. I was thinking that if our braised pig's head tastes good, the grocery store could add braised pork and sell it to the neighbors. That would be a good source of income."

After thinking for a moment, Chen's mother said, "That's one way. But we don't know if it will taste right; we'll have to try it."

Hearing this from the side, Chen Xiaohe chimed in, "Sister-in-law, I heard someone in the county town say there's a braised pork place that's really good. It's a long-established brand, but it's expensive. We just need to be about 30% as good as them."

Mr. Chen said, "Go back and try it first. Make it a few more times and taste it. Then go to the county town and buy that old-established braised pork you mentioned, taste their flavor, and learn how to make it."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Okay, I'll try it when I get back."

---

As the sun began to set, the family packed their belongings and drove back home.

Back home, it wasn't dark yet. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing immediately went into the kitchen and started preparing the zongzi for dinner.

The glutinous rice was soaked in advance, and each grain was plump. The bamboo leaves were scalded with hot water, giving off a fresh aroma. The dates were washed clean, and the pork was cut into small pieces and marinated with soy sauce and seasonings.

Su Xiaoyin was in charge of wrapping the zongzi, while Su Xiaoqing was in charge of cooking them. Su Xiaoyin was skillful; she stacked two zongzi leaves together, rolled them into a funnel shape, filled them with glutinous rice, added a few dates, covered them with another layer of glutinous rice, folded the leaves, tied them with string, and a four-cornered zongzi was wrapped quickly and beautifully.

Su Xiaoqing watched the fire by the stove, where zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) were bubbling away in the pot, the fragrance of the bamboo leaves filling the whole house.

The four children stood around the kitchen doorway, watching eagerly. Shi Tou swallowed hard and asked, "Mom, when will the zongzi be ready?"

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "It'll be a little while. Don't worry, I'll call you when it's ready."

Afu, the youngest, stood on tiptoe to peek into the pot. Su Xiaoqing picked him up so he could see. Afu saw the bubbling rice dumplings in the pot and clapped his hands happily, shouting, "Rice dumplings! Rice dumplings!"

The whole family laughed.

---

By the time the zongzi were cooked, it was already dark.

The family sat around the table in the main room, where steaming hot zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), a plate of sliced ​​braised pig's head, and a cold dish prepared by Su Xiaoyin were laid out. The zongzi were peeled open, revealing glistening glutinous rice and bright red dates; each bite was both sticky and sweet.

Mr. Chen ate a zongzi, then picked up a piece of braised pork to taste, and nodded: "It tastes good. The braising sauce is just right, not too salty or too bland."

Su Xiaoyin said, "It's my first time making this, so it's a little undercooked. Next time, I'll cook it a little longer, and the flavor will be richer."

Chen's mother said, "Try it slowly, and you'll get the hang of it after a few tries."

Chen Xiaohe ate heartily, saying indistinctly, "Sister-in-law, your braised pork is already very delicious. With a little more practice, it might really catch up with that old brand in the county town."

Su Xiaoqing laughed and said, "All you ever think about is eating."

Chen Xiaohe chuckled and picked up another piece.

----

On the last day of the Dragon Boat Festival market, before dawn, the Chen family's courtyard was already bustling with activity.

Chen Dashan stood in the courtyard and called out towards the kitchen, "Xiaoyin, have you packed up the things you prepared for Steward Liu?"

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen, holding a basket in her hand. As she put things into it, she replied, "It's all packed! There are homemade zongzi, dried mushrooms, dried bamboo shoots, a bunch of mugwort, a five-poison bib and summer clothes for his child, and sachets. They're all in this basket."

As she spoke, she brought out the basket to show Chen Dashan. The basket was crammed full, the items neatly arranged. The five-poison bib was specially made by Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing; it had a red cloth base, embroidered with scorpions, snakes, centipedes, geckos, and toads—the five poisonous insects were embroidered vividly, the stitches fine and the colors bright. The summer clothes were made of fine cotton, breathable and cool, with simple patterns embroidered on the collar and cuffs. The sachet smelled of mugwort, worn during the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off insects and evil spirits.

Chen Dashan took it and looked at it, then nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, I'll deliver it to Manager Liu when we get to the market. He's helped our family so much; we can't forget his kindness during holidays."

Mr. Chen, who was listening nearby, nodded and said, "That's right. Manager Liu is a kind man, we should remember his kindness."

Today is the last day of the market, and the whole family is going. While packing, Chen's mother said, "After the market closes today, let's not rush home. Let's all go to the house in the county town for a meal. It's the Dragon Boat Festival; let's add some festive cheer to the house. The house has been built for so long, and we haven't had a proper meal together yet."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and replied, "Okay, Mom, I've taken all the dishes I'm going to make. The rest of the ingredients are in the kitchen, so there's no need to bring them from home."

Chen Xiaohe ran out of the house, carrying a bundle of mugwort tied with a red string and a small, exquisitely crafted broom made from scraps of cloth. He held it up for everyone to see: "Hang this on the door of the house to ward off evil spirits and plague!"

Chen's mother smiled: "Okay, I'll hang it up when we get there."

After the family finished packing and locked the courtyard gate, they drove the mule cart and oxcart to the county town.

---

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

Today is the last day, and there are even more people than the previous two days. Vendors selling zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), sachets, and colorful ropes are calling out their wares. The air is filled with the fresh scent of zongzi leaves and the rich aroma of braised meat, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

As soon as the Chen family set up their stall, people crowded around. Mr. and Mrs. Chen greeted the customers, while Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were also extremely busy. There were so many people today that even Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing came forward to help sell the goods.

The four children sat obediently behind the stall. 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 nestled on the small blanket Su Xiaoqing had laid out for them, clutching a piece of pastry, his face covered in crumbs. They were quiet and didn't make a fuss, curiously watching the passing crowds. Occasionally, someone would compliment them, and Stone would readily shout "Thank you," making passersby even happier.

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 are good today, even better than the previous two days."

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

Mr. Chen nodded, a smile spreading across his face: "It's the last day, everyone's rushing to buy everything."

As they were talking, Chen Dashan stood up and took out the basket from behind the stall: "I'm going to deliver something to Manager Liu. I'll be right back."

He carried the basket, walked through the crowd, and headed towards Manager Liu's office.