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

Brother De explained his purpose: "Manager Zhao, we have a fellow villager named Li Hu who went out with your caravan. He's been gone for almost two months without any news, and his family is very worried. We wanted to ask if you know when he will return?"

Manager Zhao thought for a moment and said, "Li Hu, I know him. He went south with our caravan. He knows the area well and guided us. Half a month ago, the caravan sent word that they were already heading back, so they should have arrived by now."

Brother De breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Do you know exactly when we'll arrive?"

Manager Zhao shook his head: "It's hard to say. If the journey goes smoothly, they should arrive in the next couple of days. If something delays them, it might take a few more days. Here's what we'll do: leave your address, and I'll have someone notify you as soon as the caravan returns."

Chen Xiaohe quickly wrote down the address of the general store and handed it to Manager Zhao. Manager Zhao took it, looked at it, and put it in his pocket.

"Manager Zhao, I hope Uncle Li Hu won't get into any trouble?" Chen Xiaohe couldn't help but ask.

Manager Zhao waved his hand: "It shouldn't be. Li Hu has traveled all over the country for so many years, he's experienced. Maybe something happened on the way that delayed him. Don't worry, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

De Ge and Chen Xiaohe thanked Manager Zhao and took their leave.

Walking along the road, Chen Xiaohe was still a little worried: "Brother De, do you think Uncle Li Hu might have really gotten into trouble? He said he was heading back half a month ago, why hasn't he arrived yet?"

Brother De patted him on the shoulder: "Don't scare yourself. Manager Zhao said there might be some delays on the way. Uncle Li Hu has been out there for so many years, what storms hasn't he seen? Don't worry, everything will be fine."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, but still felt uneasy.

The two parted ways at the intersection. De Ge went to check on his own shop, while Chen Xiaohe returned to his general store.

When they arrived at the general store, Chen Dashan was attending to customers. An old man was buying tofu, and Chen Dashan chatted with him while packing the tofu for him. After the old man left, Chen Xiaohe recounted the story of the caravan.

After listening, Chen Dashan remained silent for a while, then said, "Don't tell your family when you get back, and especially don't let Li An know. The child is young; he'll worry if he finds out."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Brother, I understand. We'll talk about it when we have definite news."

Chen Dashan then asked, "What good things did you see at the market? I noticed you were carrying a heavy basket."

Chen Xiaohe chuckled, lifted the basket onto the counter, and lifted the cloth covering it. Inside was a large fish, weighing three or four pounds, its scales shimmering silver in the light, and its gills still twitching slightly.

"Brother, look how fresh this fish is! An old man caught it himself and was selling it at the market. I thought it looked good, so I bought it. My sister-in-law will stew it for dinner tonight. The children are on holiday today, so they can come back to the village tonight," Chen Xiaohe said with a smile.

Chen Dashan looked at the fish and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, this fish is really fresh. Have your sister-in-law stew a pot tonight, and the whole family can have a good meal."

He thought for a moment and then said, "Xiaohe, next time you see that old man, ask him if they catch a lot of fish. If they do, let's buy some and make dried fish. Dried fish keeps well, so we can eat it ourselves or sell it at a grocery store."

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "Brother, that's a great idea! Dried fish stewed with tofu, or steamed, is delicious. People in the county town will definitely like it. Tomorrow I'll go to the market and ask that old man again. He said there are several people fishing together, so there should be quite a few."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Fish is cheaper than pork, so the cost of making dried fish is not high, and the selling price is not expensive either. We don't have to worry about finding buyers. If we can supply it regularly, our shop will have one more item."

Chen Xiaohe was delighted: "Okay, big brother, I'll go early tomorrow and specifically look for that old man."

The two chatted for a while longer, and then several more customers entered the shop. Chen Dashan busied himself greeting them, while Chen Xiaohe helped organize the goods. Qingqing followed along, pulling up a small stool and sitting behind the counter, diligently calculating today's accounts.

In the afternoon, Chen Dashan told Chen Xiaohe to go back to the village first, as he still needed to go to the oil mill to buy soybean cakes. Chen Xiaohe drove the oxcart, carrying the soybean cakes and the big fish, home.

Back home, the sun hadn't set yet. Su Xiaoyin was in the yard collecting the clothes that had been drying, while Su Xiaoqing was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Chen Xiaohe brought the large fish into the kitchen, and Su Xiaoqing's eyes lit up when she saw it: "Such a big fish? Where did it come from?"

Chen Xiaohe told Su Xiaoqing about buying fish, and she happily said, "I'll stew it tonight! The kids have the day off, so it's a good extra dish."

Su Xiaoyin walked in, looked at the fish, and said, "This fish is really fresh. I'll go to the garden and pick some scallions, ginger, and garlic; it'll be more fragrant when stewed."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Sister, you rest, I'll take care of it. You've been busy at home all day, you must be tired?"

Su Xiaoyin shook her head: "I'm not tired. Let's do it together, quick."

The two sisters busied themselves in the kitchen. Su Xiaoyin cleaned the fish, cut it into sections, and marinated it with salt and cooking wine. Su Xiaoqing started a fire, poured oil into a pot, and fried the fish sections until golden brown on both sides. She then added water, scallions, ginger, and soy sauce, and simmered it over low heat. Soon, the aroma wafted out, filling the entire yard.

Chen Xiaohe was chopping firewood in the yard when the aroma made his stomach rumble. He swallowed hard and quickened his pace.

As the sun set, Chen's mother returned from the county town with the children. Shitou ran ahead, shouting as soon as he entered the courtyard, "It smells so good! Mom, what are we having today?"

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Stewed fish! Go wash your hands, it'll be ready in a minute."

Several children ran to fetch water to wash their hands. Li An followed behind, neither arguing nor rushing, waiting until Shi Tou and the others finished washing before he did. Chen's mother saw this and thought Li An was too sensible, lacking the liveliness of other children his age; she needed to treat him even better.

Dinner was served: a large pot of stewed fish, the broth milky white, the fish tender and fresh, topped with bright green scallions. There was also a dish of braised pork, a plate of stir-fried greens, a dish of pickled vegetables, and crispy, golden-brown flatbreads.

The family sat together, enjoying their meal in a lively atmosphere. Shi Tou picked up a piece of fish, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and nodded repeatedly, "Mom, your stewed fish is so delicious!"

Aji and Afu nodded in agreement, their mouths stuffed full, unable to speak. Mother Chen placed a piece of fish on Li An's plate; Li An whispered thank you and lowered his head to eat.

After dinner, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing cleaned up the dishes. Chen's mother played with the children in the yard. Shi Tou took out his textbook and taught Qingqing to recognize characters. Aji and Afu listened nearby, and Li An also came over to help teach.

The moon rose, casting its gentle light across the ground. The children's laughter echoed far and wide in the courtyard.

Chen Dashan sat on the porch, smoking his pipe, thinking about the day's events. There was still no news from Li Hu, which was worrying. But life had to go on; the work in the fields couldn't be neglected, and the business in the shop couldn't stop. He took a deep breath, tapped his pipe, and stood up to go inside.

Tomorrow will be another new day.