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

Su Xiaoqing wiped her sweat and carried her basket down the mountain.

---

When they got home, Chen's mother and Su Xiaoyin had already returned from the county town. Chen's mother was resting in the yard when she saw Su Xiaoqing return and quickly said, "You must be exhausted. Sit down and rest. I'll cook dinner."

Su Xiaoqing put down her basket and said with a smile, "Mom, it's alright, I'm not tired. I cut some pork belly, how about stewing it tonight?"

Chen's mother said, "Okay, I'll add some more glass noodles and a head of cabbage. The cabbages are forming early this year, and they're very tender."

Su Xiaoyin returned and was heading towards the kitchen: "I'm going to check on the livestock and add some more fodder. The pigsty needs tidying up too."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Sister, you take a break, I'll get it done."

Su Xiaoyin waved her hand: "You've been running around on the mountain all afternoon, you should rest. I'll go, I'll be back in a bit."

The two sisters went to the backyard and the kitchen, respectively. Chen's mother also got busy, and the kitchen soon became lively.

Cut the pork belly into chunks, render the fat, add scallions, ginger, and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, then add water and simmer. Soak the glass noodles until soft, and cut the cabbage into chunks; add these to the pot after the pork is tender. The aroma wafts out, filling the entire yard.

As dusk fell, the people from the fields returned.

Father Chen walked ahead, his clothes covered in grass clippings and mud, his face showing fatigue, but his spirits were high. Chen Xiaohe followed behind, and as soon as they entered the yard, he exclaimed, "It smells so good! What are we having for dinner?"

Su Xiaoqing poked her head out from the kitchen: "Cabbage stew with glass noodles, and the leftover fish soup from lunch!"

Chen Xiaohe washed his hands, sat down, and began to eat. The Li brothers and the eldest son of the Zhao family also sat down, each taking a bowl. Chen's father took a sip of soup and said slowly, "The progress today is good. At this rate, we can finish harvesting in about ten more days."

Chen Dashan returned from the threshing ground, washed his hands, and sat down at the table. Su Xiaoyin served him a bowl of vegetables and handed him a steamed bun. He took it and began to eat heartily.

After dinner, the three hired workers went home. The Chen family sat together, discussed the day's work, and made arrangements for tomorrow.

Mr. Chen said, "Do the same thing tomorrow. Xiaoqing, you've worked hard. Let Xiaohe help you out tomorrow."

Su Xiaoqing shook her head: "Dad, it's okay, I can manage on my own."

Chen's mother said, "Don't push yourself. Everyone's tired these days of harvesting. Xiaohe, you should get up early tomorrow to help Xiaoqing fetch water and chop firewood. Don't let her do all the work by herself."

Chen Xiaohe responded.

It was late at night, and everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Chen Dashan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), his legs a little sore, but much better than last year. Su Xiaoyin massaged them for him and said softly, "Go to sleep early if you're tired."

Chen Dashan hummed in agreement and closed his eyes.

----

The autumn harvest lasted for thirteen days in a great fervor before finally coming to an end.

On the last day, before the sun had even set, the last bundle of rice was loaded onto an oxcart. Chen Xiaohe drove the cart to the drying ground, while his father stood on the edge of the field, looking at the bare land, and let out a long sigh of relief. The Li brothers and the eldest son of the Zhao family were also exhausted, but they all had smiles on their faces—the work was done, and the money was about to be in their hands.

That evening, the family sat around the table in the main room. Father Chen took out some silver from his pocket. As agreed beforehand, each person would receive twenty coins a day, totaling two hundred and sixty coins for thirteen days. He handed the silver to Old Li, and then gave some to Old Li's brothers and Old Zhao's eldest son.

"Thank you for your hard work. We've been so grateful for your help these past few days," said Mr. Chen.

Brother Li took the silver, weighed it in his hand, and said with a smile, "Brother Chen, you're too kind. Working with you, I eat well and the work isn't tiring at all. If you need it again next autumn, just let me know."

After seeing them off, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing served the food. Today marked the end of the autumn harvest, and Su Xiaoyin had specially made dumplings—pickled and white with pork filling—plenty of them, arranged on several plates. She also cut up a plate of leftover braised meats from the daytime sale, including pig's head meat, braised eggs, and braised tofu, all glistening with a deep reddish-brown color. Thin slices of cured pork were stir-fried with chili peppers picked from the garden, creating a large bowl of fragrant stew that filled the air with its aroma.

Chen Xiaohe washed his hands, sat down, picked up a dumpling and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "Home-cooked meals are still the best! These past ten days in the fields, although the food wasn't bad, it just tastes better when it's home-cooked."

Chen's mother smiled and said, "That's because you're hungry. You've been so tired these past few days, everything tastes delicious."

The family chatted as they ate. Mr. Chen took a sip of soup and slowly said, "We hired people for the autumn harvest this year, so the time was much shorter than in previous years, and it was easier for everyone. I'm thinking, should we hire people again for next spring's planting?"

Chen Dashan put down his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and said, "I think it's a good idea. Although the autumn harvest was tiring this year, it was shorter, and everyone didn't lose as much weight as in previous years. The spring planting season was also quite demanding, so hiring people will save us a lot of trouble."

Chen Xiaohe nodded in agreement: "I also agree with hiring. Our hiring expenses this year won't be too high. The shop, stall, and embroidery all bring in income, so we can afford it. It will make things much easier for the family, which is better than anything else."

Chen's mother also spoke up: "I agree with hiring someone. Continue to hire them next year, don't skimp on a few dollars. Health is the most important thing."

Mr. Chen nodded, having made up his mind: "Then it's settled. Next spring, we'll hire the Li brothers and the eldest son of the Zhao family again for planting. They're hardworking and don't slack off."

Su Xiaoyin brought over another plate of dumplings, sat down, and asked, "Dad, when can we pick the fruit from the mountain?"

Chen Xiaohe eagerly said, "We can pick them in two more days. I went up the mountain yesterday and saw that the apples are red and the persimmons are ripe. It's the perfect time."

Chen Dashan said, "Then let's dry the grain properly in the next couple of days, put it in the cellar, and then start picking fruit. I've prepared another cellar; we can put the fruit in there to keep it fresh. It's better to sell it at the shop than to leave it in the field."

Su Xiaoyin recalled the dried fruit she had made before and said, "The dried fruit we made with wild fruits before tasted pretty good. When the fruits from the mountains are in season, let's make some dried fruit and sell it at the general store. Dried fruit keeps better than fresh fruit and can be sold even in winter."

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother nodded repeatedly: "That's a good idea. The dried fruit we made last year sold out before the New Year, and many people even asked if we had any left. If we make more this year, we won't have to worry about selling it."

Mr. Chen said, "Alright, let's do it that way. Pick the fruit, take the good ones to the shop to sell, and make dried fruit and preserves from the less attractive ones. Now that we have a shop, we don't have to worry about sales."

Just then, there was a knock at the courtyard gate. Chen Xiaohe ran to open it; it was Brother De.

"Brother De is here! Come in and sit down, have you eaten?" Chen Xiaohe ushered him into the house.

Brother De smiled and said, "I've already eaten. Is your autumn harvest finished? I came over to ask about the fruit trees."