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

"Hey Dashan, what's that sound? Is it raining?"

In the middle of the night, Su Xiaoyin was awakened by a series of crackling sounds. She groggily nudged Chen Dashan beside her and listened carefully. The sounds grew louder and louder, hitting the roof tiles and making crisp noises.

Chen Dashan opened his eyes, listened for a moment, and gently patted her hand: "You lie down, I'll go outside and take a look."

He put on his clothes, tiptoed off the kang (a heated brick bed), and pushed open the door. A cool breeze carrying the scent of earth rushed towards him, mixed with a fine mist. In the courtyard, large drops of rain were pattering down, hitting the ground and splashing up in little sprays.

Chen Dashan stood under the porch and looked up at the sky. It was pitch black; he couldn't see the stars or the moon, only the dense rain falling down. He walked around the backyard again. The livestock were all in their sheds, peaceful and quiet; the chickens, ducks, and geese were huddled in their coops, making no noise. The doors and windows of the other houses were all tightly closed, and rainwater flowed down the eaves, forming small streams on the ground.

He returned to the house, his clothes damp with moisture. Su Xiaoyin was still awake, leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) waiting.

"It's raining," Chen Dashan said, taking off his outer garment and lying down again. "It's raining quite heavily. The livestock have sheltered from the rain, and the doors and windows are closed. Go to sleep, we'll talk about it when it's light."

Su Xiaoyin hummed in agreement and snuggled closer to him. Chen Dashan reached out and pulled her into his arms, and the two of them, listening to the rain outside the window, gradually drifted off to sleep again.

---

I slept very soundly.

When Su Xiaoyin woke up again, she felt like she had slept for a long time, but the room was still dark, as if it were still dark. She rubbed her eyes and nudged Chen Dashan beside her: "Dashan, what time is it? Why is it still so dark in the room?"

Chen Dashan also woke up and listened to the sounds outside. The rain was still falling, a little lighter than at night, but it was still a light drizzle and showed no signs of stopping. He looked at the window; the window paper was wet with rain, so the light coming in was already dim, and with the sky heavily overcast, the room seemed dark and gloomy.

"It must be getting late," Chen Dashan sat up. "It's raining outside, the sky is terribly overcast, and it's getting dark inside too. Let's get up and go check on the old house."

The two dressed, opened their umbrellas, and walked towards the old house along the muddy path. The rain fell finely and densely on the umbrellas, making a soft pattering sound. The air was filled with the smell of rain and earth; a breath was cool and refreshing.

---

Inside the main room of the old house, Father Chen was sitting in a chair smoking a pipe. Chen Xiaohe and Su Xiaoqing were also there, and the four children were playing around the kang (a heated brick bed). Shitou was teaching his younger siblings to play cat's cradle, but Afu couldn't learn and was so frustrated that he stomped his feet. Qingqing and Aji laughed beside him.

"Big brother, sister-in-law, you're here!" Chen Xiaohe looked up. "Please sit down, Mom is cooking, it'll be ready in a bit."

Chen Dashan closed his umbrella, shook off the water at the door, and came in to sit down: "The sky is terribly overcast, I got up late."

Father Chen tapped his pipe and chuckled, "No work on a rainy day, might as well sleep in. This rain has saved the crops."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Yes, if it doesn't rain soon, the corn in the fields will all die of drought. This rain will at least give us a break."

Mr. Chen sighed, but with a hint of relief on his face: "The crops have been saved, but there was little rain this year, so the yield will definitely not be as high as in previous years. There will be some losses. If only it had rained earlier."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Dad, we water our crops frequently, so I don't think it will have a big impact on the crops and fruit trees. After the rain stops and the sun comes out, I'll go up the mountain and pick a couple of melons to try. If they taste good, we'll start selling them."

Father Chen nodded and turned to Chen Dashan: "Dashan, make a signboard recently. I think it should say 'Chen Family General Store'. Hang it up in the shop. Sell melons in the shop first, and add other things slowly."

Chen Dashan agreed: "Okay, I'll do it in the next couple of days. I have the wood at home, carving a few words won't be difficult."

Chen Xiaohe suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh right, Dad, Brother De came to see me before and said that he has to go to the neighboring county for further study in a few days. This time it won't be long, just five or six days."

Mr. Chen asked, "When are you leaving?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "We've agreed to set off on the third day after the Dragon Boat Festival, which is the day after tomorrow."

Su Xiaoqing chimed in from the side, "The gift has been prepared. Just remember to take it with you when you leave."

Mr. Chen nodded and called out in the direction of Mrs. Chen, "Old woman, Xiaohe is leaving the day after tomorrow. Make him some dry food to take with him in advance."

Chen's mother poked her head out from the kitchen: "I know! It's all prepared, you don't need to worry about it!"

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "Since Xiaohe is going to the neighboring county, I'll go to the general store to sell melons. Dad, you can help Mom sell them at the market stall. We can do both without any problems."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, let's do it this way. Your mother can't manage the stall by herself, I'll go lend a hand."

Just then, Chen's mother brought in the food. There was steaming hot multigrain porridge, cornbread, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a dish of mixed wild vegetables. Although simple, it was warm and delicious.

"Eat, eat!" Chen's mother set out the bowls and chopsticks. "It's cool on a rainy day, eat more."

The family sat together, eating and chatting. The rain was still falling outside the window, pattering softly on the stone slabs in the yard. After finishing their meal, the four children ran off to play. Shitou led his younger siblings in a game of hide-and-seek in the main room, their giggles filling the air.

Father Chen took a sip of porridge and said slowly, "This rain is good; the crops have been saved. However, this year's harvest is not good, and the grain yield will definitely be reduced. Now that we have a shop, we need to think of other ways to make money."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad is right. Even if the melons are sold out, there are still fruits from the mountain. This year, the peach and apricot trees are also laden with fruit, although not much, but it will still bring in some money."

Chen Xiaohe said, "When I get back from the neighboring county, I'll take good care of those fruit trees. I haven't even used all the methods my master taught me yet."

Chen's mother said from the side, "No rush, take it slow. Life goes on day by day, there's no need to rush."

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided, and the sky brightened a bit. This rain came at just the right time.

Father Chen put down his bowl, looked at everyone in the room, and felt a great sense of relief. The crops were saved, the shop was open, and life was getting better every day. Although this year's harvest was not good, the whole family worked together, and they could get through even the toughest times.

The rain stopped, and a sliver of light peeked through the sky. In the yard, the leaves, washed clean by the rain, shone a vibrant green, and the air was as fresh as if it had just been washed. This morning at the Chen family's house was peaceful and warm.

A new day is about to begin.