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

Stone puffed out his little chest: "Grandma, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of my brothers."

Chen's mother escorted her three children to the school gate. Liu, the scholar, was already standing there. Seeing them, he smiled and came to greet them.

"Aunt Chen, you've brought your grandson?"

Mrs. Chen nodded with a smile: "Mr. Liu, I'll have to trouble you from now on. These three children are quite shrewd, so please take care of them as needed."

Liu Xiucai nodded and led the children inside.

Chen's mother stood at the door for a while before turning to leave. She still had to go to the market to set up her stall and couldn't afford to be late.

All morning, Chen's mother was busy at her stall, but her mind was on her children. Finally, school let out in the afternoon, and she went to wait at the school gate. A little while later, the children came out; Shitou ran ahead, followed by Aji and Afu, all with smiles on their faces.

"Grandma! The teacher taught us to write big characters today!" Shi Tou held up a piece of paper with a few words written crookedly on it.

Chen's mother took it and looked at it. Although it wasn't written well, the strokes were clear. She smiled and praised, "It's well written! Take it back and show it to your mother."

The children came out, chattering about their day. Ah Fu, speaking in his childish voice, said that the teacher praised him for sitting up straight.

Back at the house, Chen's mother washed their faces and brought out a warm meal. The three children sat around the table, eating heartily, while Chen's mother watched from the side, feeling at ease.

In the evening, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe arrived. They brought some green vegetables, braised pork, and freshly made preserved fruit.

"Mother, how are the children?" Chen Dashan asked.

Mother Chen smiled and said, "They're doing great. The teacher praised Shitou for being clever, Aji for writing carefully, and Afu for sitting still. All three children are doing very well."

Chen Xiaohe breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Mother, can you manage all this by yourself? Should we ask Xiaoqing to help you?"

Chen's mother waved her hand: "No need. I'll go set up my stall after dropping them off in the morning, and pick them up again in the evening. There's nothing to do in the evening, so I'll go to bed early. You all go about your business, the work in the fields, the carpentry work, don't let it interfere with your work."

Chen Dashan nodded and asked, "Is there anything missing? We'll bring it next time."

After thinking for a moment, Chen's mother said, "Bring some more firewood; we're almost out here. Also, bring some tofu; the tofu here isn't as good as the one at home."

Chen Xiaohe agreed, asked the children a few more questions, and then left with Chen Dashan.

Days passed like this. Chen's mother stayed in the county town to accompany her children during their studies, running a stall during the day and taking care of them at night. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were busy in the village, going to the county town every two days to deliver things and visit the children. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took turns going to the county town to help out, looking after the shop and keeping Qingqing company.

Shi Tou, A Ji, and A Fu studied very diligently at school. Liu Xiucai liked them and praised them for being smart and able to sit still. Shi Tou's handwriting improved more and more, A Ji's recitation and handwriting were both good, and A Fu was also good; he could sit still and listened attentively to everything the teacher said.

Every day after school, the three children would gather around Qingqing and teach her the characters they had learned that day. Qingqing was clever and learned quickly, writing even better than her brothers. Shitou was unconvinced and said he would definitely write better than his sister next time.

Days passed by, and spring plowing was fast approaching. Father Chen began arranging for hires, Chen Dashan was busy making tables and chairs for Registrar Wu, and Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were rushing to embroider the Five Relationships. The family members were all busy with their own tasks, but their hearts were together.

The snow outside the window has melted, and the willow trees have sprouted new buds. Spring has arrived; a new year, new hope, is quietly growing.

----

The weather has warmed up without us even realizing it.

The apricot tree in the yard was in bloom, its blossoms a lovely pink and white. A gust of wind blew, and the petals fell to the ground. Mother Chen swept them up several times, but couldn't get them all clean, so she simply gave up and let the children run around among the petals. Afu picked up a handful of petals and scattered them everywhere, covering Qingqing's head and face in them. The two siblings then started playing together.

The Chen family's spring planting is progressing steadily. The two brothers from the Li family and the eldest son from the Zhao family went to the fields on the first day of spring plowing, working tirelessly without taking a single day off. Father Chen led them, leaving before dawn and returning only after sunset every day. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were also busy, doing work in the fields, the carpentry workshop, and the shop, making sure nothing was neglected.

In a few more days, spring plowing will be basically over.

That evening, Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop, holding a freshly planed wooden board in his hand. He examined it against the light and nodded in satisfaction. The table and chairs for Registrar Wu were finished. The mortise and tenon joints fit perfectly, the tabletop was polished smooth as a mirror, and the curves of the chairs were just right, making them stable and comfortable to sit on. He planned to deliver them as soon as spring planting was over, not wanting to delay the matter.

"Dashan, let's go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables first thing tomorrow morning." Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen, still holding a spatula in her hand. "The demand for wild vegetables this year is even greater than last year. Wang's restaurant needs some, our grocery store needs some, and we also need to send some to Manager Liu and Manager Sun."

Chen Dashan put down the wooden board and wiped his hands: "Okay, let's go early tomorrow. Spring has been short this year, and the mountain vegetables will be too old as soon as they come out, so we have to hurry."

Su Xiaoyin added, "Oh, right, Manager Sun also sent someone over today to say that once the next embroidery is finished, we'd like to take it over for him to see. The Five Relationships embroidery is almost finished, and Xiaoqing and I are thinking about what to embroider next."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "You two sisters decide what to do. If you've built a good relationship with Manager Sun, you won't have to worry about finding work."

Su Xiaoyin nodded and went back to the kitchen to continue her work.

Ever since Shi Tou, A Ji, and A Fu went to the county school, Chen's mother also moved there. During the day, she would take the children to school, then go to her stall, and bring them back in the evening to cook. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe would go every two days to deliver things and check on the children. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took turns going to the county to help look after the shop, and Qingqing also came along. During the day, she helped organize the goods in the shop, and at night she stayed with her brothers. Their lives were fulfilling and lively.

These past few days have been busy with spring plowing, and the children have come home for the holidays. Chen's mother brought her three grandsons back to the village, and the whole family was finally together. Qingqing was the happiest, pulling Shitou along and asking him all sorts of questions. Shitou earnestly told her what he had learned at school, while Aji and Afu chimed in. The four children chattered away, making the yard several times more lively than usual.

After dinner, the family moved stools to the courtyard to enjoy the cool evening air. The sunset glow on the horizon hadn't faded yet, a deep red that bathed half the courtyard in warm hues. The sweet fragrance of apricot blossoms wafted over, making everyone feel soft and comforted.

Chen Xiaohe leaned back in his chair, holding a blade of grass in his hand, idly weaving something. As he wove, he said, "Dad, the new saplings and melon seedlings on the mountain have all been planted. I plan to clear out a vegetable patch and grow some fresh vegetables to sell at the general store. City people love to buy fresh produce, and our store is nearby. We can pick a batch every morning, so we don't have to worry about finding buyers."