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

Chen's mother also said, "Yes, Dashan. The family is better off now, we don't need you to work in the fields. If you take good care of the threshing ground, you'll be a great help."

Chen Dashan nodded, feeling a warmth in his heart.

Father Chen gave a few more instructions, telling everyone to get some rest early. They had to get up before dawn tomorrow; the autumn harvest was the most important task for farmers all year, and it couldn't be delayed.

Night had fallen, and the Chen family's courtyard was quiet. The moon rose, casting its soft light upon the ground. Tomorrow, the autumn harvest would begin.

----

Before dawn, there were sounds coming from the Chen family's courtyard.

Father Chen, along with Chen Xiaohe and the two Li brothers and the eldest son of the Zhao family whom they had hired, went to the fields while it was still cool. The autumn harvest was tiring work, so they worked as much as possible in the cool morning so they could rest when the midday sun got too strong.

Chen's mother and Su Xiaoyin also got up early. They were going to the county town today, so the shop couldn't be closed and the stall couldn't be stopped. The four children were still asleep, so Su Xiaoyin carried them onto the car, wrapped them in their blankets, and put them in the small room behind the shop to continue sleeping.

Upon arriving in the county town, Su Xiaoyin first opened her shop. She carefully arranged the vegetables she had brought, braised pork, braised eggs, and braised potatoes on a plate, while the freshly sprouted bean sprouts, white and tender, were soaking in water. The tofu was cut into neat squares and placed on the cutting board. The shelves were wiped clean, and small items such as hair ties and silk flowers were also arranged neatly.

Chen's mother went to the market to set up her stall. Before leaving, she told her, "Keep an eye on the shop. If anything happens, have someone come to the market to find me."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, settled the children in the yard, and said to Shitou, "You're the older brother, so take good care of your younger siblings and don't leave the yard. If you need anything, call for your mother; she's in the shop in front."

Stone puffed out his little chest: "Don't worry, Mother, I'll watch over them!"

As soon as the shop opened, a regular customer came in. The aunt next door came to buy tofu, saw the newly sprouted bean sprouts, and praised, "These bean sprouts are so good, so white and clean! Give me a bunch."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and weighed out bean sprouts for her, and also sold two braised eggs. Throughout the morning, there was a steady stream of customers, with vegetables selling out the fastest, and a considerable amount of braised food also going through.

---

In the village, Su Xiaoqing got up as soon as it was light.

In the kitchen, she brought the bone broth she had made yesterday to a boil, chopped some small green vegetables and threw them in. The white broth and green vegetables looked very appetizing. She stuck the cornbread to the side of the pot, and it soon turned golden brown and crispy. She shredded the pickled vegetables, added a few drops of sesame oil, and mixed a whole plateful.

She packed the food into a large basket, covered it with a cloth, and carried it to the field.

The work in the fields had been going on for a while. Father Chen was bent over cutting the leaves in front, while Chen Xiaohe followed behind tying them up. The two brothers from the Li family and the eldest son from the Zhao family were loading the crops onto the truck one trip at a time. Everyone was working diligently, sweat streaming down their faces, their clothes soaked and clinging to their backs.

"Dinner's ready!" Su Xiaoqing called out from the edge of the field.

Several people straightened up and sat down. Chen Xiaohe took the bowl, gulped down a large mouthful of water, and then picked up the porridge to drink. Old Li took a bite of the flatbread and said indistinctly, "This flatbread is delicious; your daughter-in-law is a really good cook."

Mr. Chen smiled and said, "Eat more, there's more in the pot."

After finishing their meal, the group rested for a while before going back to work in the fields.

Su Xiaoqing finished cleaning up the dishes and carried another basket to the drying ground. Chen Dashan was squatting by the mat, spreading out the rice he had just brought back to dry. He was slow but meticulous, spreading each bundle evenly.

"Big brother, dinner's ready." Su Xiaoqing handed over the food. "Take your time eating. I'll go back and make some herbal tea, and bring it to you later. I'll bring your lunch too."

Chen Dashan took the bowl and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

Su Xiaoqing waved her hand and went back with the empty basket.

---

Back home, Su Xiaoqing first brewed a large pot of herbal tea. The honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, licorice root, and a few mint leaves were all hand-picked, dried, and stored at home. She boiled the water, added the herbs, and simmered them for a while, filling the kitchen with a refreshing herbal aroma. She poured the herbal tea into a wooden bucket, lowered it into the well using a rope.

Next, she began to prepare the fish she had caught the day before. The fish were caught by Chen Dashan in a basket he had set in the river yesterday; they weren't very big, but they were very fresh. She scraped off the scales, removed the innards, and arranged them one by one in a basin.

She was going to make a mixed fish and tofu stew for lunch, a dish that required a lot of time and effort to prepare in advance. First, she marinated the fish with salt, cut the tofu into cubes, and chopped the scallions, ginger, and garlic. Then she started the dough to rise so she could steam buns for lunch.

After finishing all that, Su Xiaoqing finally pulled the herbal tea from the well. A layer of water droplets clung to the outside of the wooden bucket, making it feel icy cold to the touch. She put the herbal tea into a bamboo tube and carried it to the fields.

Upon arriving at the field, the group was resting. Chen Xiaohe took the bamboo tube, gulped down a large mouthful, and sighed contentedly, "Herbal tea is still the best thirst quencher!"

Mr. Chen also took a few sips, glanced at the sky, and said, "Let's drink a little longer, it's time for lunch."

Su Xiaoqing made another trip to the grain drying ground and delivered a bamboo tube of herbal tea to Chen Dashan.

---

It was almost noon when Su Xiaoqing got home. She quickly started a fire and cooked.

Pour oil into a pot and fry the fish until golden brown on both sides, then add water and simmer. Once the soup turns white, add the tofu and simmer over low heat. The steamed buns are being steamed, and some firewood has been added to the stove; the heat is just right.

She went to the backyard to feed the livestock. Pigs, chickens, ducks, geese—she added food and water to each one. The chickens, ducks, and geese were now the mainstays of the household; the shop's eggs depended on them, so she had to feed them well. The pigs also needed to be fed more so they could grow bigger and fetch a good price at the end of the year.

After finishing their work, the aroma wafted from the kitchen. The fish soup was milky white, and the tofu had soaked up all the broth, looking incredibly tempting.

Su Xiaoqing packed the food and delivered a portion each to the field and the threshing ground. After running back and forth several times, she finally caught her breath.

---

Seeing that it was still early, Su Xiaoqing picked up a small basket on her back and took another basket, then headed towards the back of the mountain.

Most families in the village are busy with the autumn harvest, so there shouldn't be many people on the mountain. She wanted to take advantage of this free time to see if she could pick some mushrooms or other mountain produce.

It was cooler up on the mountain than down below, with dense shade from the trees, and an occasional breeze carried the fresh scent of grass and trees. Su Xiaoqing walked along the familiar path, her eyes searching around.

There weren't many fully ripe wild vegetables, but if you looked carefully, you could still find some good ones. She found a small patch of mushrooms under the bushes; the caps hadn't fully opened yet, they were very tender, and she carefully picked them and put them in her basket. After walking around a bit more, she saw a few wild fruit trees, the fruits still green, and she would have to wait a while before picking them.

After wandering around for a while, her basket was half full of mountain produce, and her other basket contained a small handful of autumn mushrooms. Although it wasn't much, Su Xiaoqing was quite satisfied. Finding even this much at this time was considered lucky.