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

"Dad, is this enough firewood for us to use in the winter?"

Chen Xiaohe unloaded the last bundle of firewood from the oxcart and stacked it in the corner of the yard. The firewood was piled up neatly, almost reaching the eaves. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and turned to ask his father.

Chen's father stood in front of the pile of firewood, looked it over, and shook his head: "We'll chop some more tomorrow. We also need to prepare some for the house in the county town; I'm afraid we won't have enough there. If it snows heavily in winter and the roads are blocked, we won't be able to deliver anything."

Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop, still holding a piece of wood in his hand. Hearing his father's words, he said, "Then let's chop it for another two days. Anyway, business at the shop is good lately, so there's no rush to do anything else."

Speaking of the shop, Chen Xiaohe perked up: "Brother, the apples and pears in the shop have been selling really well lately! And the dried persimmons, people buy them as soon as they're put on the shelves. Quite a few people have also asked about the watermelons and cantaloupes we sold in the summer, saying they can't forget them, and asking if we'll still sell them next year."

Chen Dashan laughed: "Sell, of course we'll sell. If the melons sell well this year, we'll plant more next year."

Mr. Chen nodded, sat down on the stone bench, and took a puff of his pipe: "Recently, we caught several wild rabbits and pheasants in the traps. I've cleaned them all out and smoked them to keep for the New Year."

Su Xiaoyin peeked out from the kitchen, holding a rag in her hand, and said with a smile, "Dad, your cooking skills are getting better and better. The last time you smoked the wild rabbit, the kids all fought over it."

Mr. Chen waved his hand, but a smile was on his face.

Chen Xiaohe squatted beside the pile of firewood, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Brother, I was thinking of having a promotion at the shop during the New Year. Let's make a lot of small items and put them together to make a big gift package, and see how it goes."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "That's a good idea. We can put the bamboo baskets, wooden carvings, hair ties, silk flowers, and the like together, make them look nice, and give them away in a presentable way."

Su Xiaoyin came out of the kitchen and said, "Should we make some couplets and the character '福' (good fortune)? Every household has to put them up for the New Year."

Mr. Chen shook his head: "We can't write the couplets and the character '福' (good fortune) ourselves. It's not appropriate to buy them from outside and then resell them. People can just buy them directly from the market. Why would they need to go through our shop as intermediaries?"

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "How about this, for those who buy things that amount to a certain amount of money, we'll give them a couplet and a 'Fu' character as a gift. It won't cost much, it's just the thought that counts. Xiaohe can also weave some gift boxes, and we can provide them for guests who need gifts, so they'll look presentable."

Mr. Chen nodded: "This idea works. Giving things away is more profitable than selling them; the customers are happy, and we don't lose out either."

Chen Xiaohe patted his chest and said, "I'll design the gift boxes; I guarantee they'll look great!"

Su Xiaoqing came out of the house, holding an embroidery hoop in her hand, and said with a smile, "Then my sister and I will hurry up and finish embroidering the Five Relationships Chart. We won't do any embroidery during the New Year. We also need to find time to make some hair ties, tiger-head shoes, and tiger-head hats. Oh, and I also made a few cushions and put them on the chairs in the shop. Some people like them, and I've sold several already."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Yes, we need to prepare the things we need to sell at the end of the year in advance. After the New Year, it will be spring, and then we'll be busy with farm work again."

The family was talking when the gate to the courtyard opened.

Brother De pushed open the door and came in, his face somewhat solemn. Father Chen quickly stood up: "Brother De's here? Please sit down and have some water."

Brother De waved his hand, stood in the courtyard, and said bluntly, "Uncle Chen, it's time for corvée labor again. This time you can still get silver, but it's increased to three taels."

Mr. Chen was taken aback: "Three taels? How come the price has gone up?"

Dege sighed and explained, "The county magistrate is afraid that this winter will snow as heavily as last year, so the corvée labor period is longer and the work is harder. Those who don't go will naturally get more money. I went to a meeting in the county, and the idea from above is to dredge the riverbed deeper and reinforce the dikes to prevent flooding when the snow melts in the spring."

After a moment of silence, Chen's father took out some silver from his pocket, counted out three taels, and handed it to De Ge: "This is our family's silver. If the person doesn't leave, the money will."

De Ge took the silver, nodded, and lowered his voice, saying, "Uncle Chen, to be honest with you, I suggest that everyone who can take the silver do so. This labor service is going to be tough. It's long, the work is heavy, and the weather is cold; something bad could easily happen. There are a few families in our village who are reluctant to give up the silver and insist on sending people; I've tried to dissuade them, but to no avail."

Mr. Chen sighed, "Everyone has their own difficulties. Our family is better off, so we won't let our child suffer like that."

Brother De said a few more words and then left in a hurry.

When Chen's father returned to the courtyard, his face was not looking well. Chen Dashan asked, "Father, how much silver?"

Mr. Chen sat down and took a puff of his pipe: "Three ounces."

Chen Xiaohe, who was listening nearby, frowned: "Three ounces? Wasn't it two and a half ounces last time?"

Chen Dashan waved his hand: "Three taels is fine. It's better than sending people. Last winter's snow was so heavy. If there's another one this year, the people doing corvée labor will freeze outside and might get sick. The conditions for corvée labor are already tough, with poor food and sleep. Our family doesn't lack this little bit of money. As long as the people don't suffer, that's fine."

When Chen's mother came out of the kitchen and heard this, she nodded and said, "Dashan is right. Money can be earned back, but if a person gets sick, not only does it cost money, but they also suffer."

Su Xiaoyin also said, "Yes, Father. Our family has income from the shops and stalls now, so we don't need these three taels of silver."

Father Chen nodded and tapped his pipe: "Alright, it's settled then. No one from our family will be coming this winter."

Chen Xiaohe suddenly asked, "Dad, will Brother De's family contribute men or money?"

Father Chen said, "De Ge's family should also contribute money. They're well-off and don't need the money. It's just that those families in the village with less land can't afford to contribute money, so they can only contribute manpower. Everyone has their own difficulties, and we can't interfere with that too much."

Chen Dashan stood up and said, "Dad, I'll go chop firewood again tomorrow. We also need to send some to the house in the county town, in case the snow is too heavy this winter and the roads are blocked, at least we'll have firewood."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Alright, cut down more. Dig a few more traps, and catch more wild game to smoke. Winter is long, so it's always good to have more supplies."

The family chatted amongst themselves and quickly made arrangements for the winter.

Father Chen stood up, looked at the neatly stacked firewood in the yard, and then at his family members who were packing up. He felt a little more at ease. Although the corvée labor had added some trouble, as a family, they could overcome any difficulty by being together and helping each other.

In the evening, Su Xiaoyin prepared a delicious meal: braised pork, stewed tofu, stir-fried vegetables, and a steaming pot of bone broth. The family sat together, eating and chatting. Chen Xiaohe talked about the shop, Chen Dashan talked about the carpentry work, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing talked about the embroidery, and the children played on the kang (heated brick bed), their laughter filling the room.