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

The two sisters chatted as they returned to the general store. The store was empty. Su Xiaoqing put her things down, and Su Xiaoyin took out the red cloth and fine cotton cloth, carefully folded them, and put them in the cabinet.

"Let's wash the red cloth first thing tomorrow morning, and it will dry in the sun in a day while the weather is good," Su Xiaoyin said.

Su Xiaoqing nodded: "Okay, sis, I'll come over earlier tomorrow."

The two put away the remaining goods in the shop again, and seeing that it was getting late, they closed the shop and headed back to their house.

Chen Dashan had also returned and was sitting on the porch drinking water. Seeing Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing enter, he stood up and asked, "How was business at the shop today?"

Su Xiaoyin explained the matter of buying fabric. Chen Dashan listened and nodded, "Okay, you guys handle it. You know best about needlework around the house."

Su Xiaoqing smiled and said, "Big brother, aren't you going to ask how much money it cost?"

Chen Dashan laughed and said, "What's done is done. We can't skimp on money that needs to be spent."

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen and called out, "Dinner's ready! Stop chatting!"

The family sat around the table, enjoying a lively dinner. Su Xiaoyin had stewed pork ribs and stir-fried some chives and eggs; everyone ate with gusto, their mouths greasy with delicious food.

While eating, Su Xiaoyin said, "Dad, tomorrow I'll wash that red cloth, dry it, and sell it as a defective piece of cloth. The color is perfect, someone will definitely want it."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay. You two sisters can handle it."

Su Xiaoqing said, "Dad, my sister and I also bought a bolt of fine cotton cloth to make summer clothes for the children. We'll also make two sets for Li An."

Looking at Su Xiaoqing, Mr. Chen smiled and said, "Of course. An'an is getting more and more energetic, and she looks even better in her new clothes."

After the meal, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing cleaned up the dishes.

----

Time flew by and the Dragon Boat Festival arrived.

The weather is getting hotter every day, and the apricot tree in the yard is already full of green fruit. In another month, they will be ready to eat. Chen's mother goes to the tree several times a day to check on it, talking about how plentiful the apricots are this year. She plans to make dried apricots, which the children will love.

But one thing weighed heavily on the family's mind—there was still no news of Li Hu.

Chen Xiaohe and De Ge went to the caravan twice more. The caravan's manager, Zhao, also looked worried, saying that the people they had sent out to look for them hadn't returned yet and they should wait a little longer. The two had no choice but to return.

"Manager Zhao said that the people he sent out are all experienced, so they should be able to find them. Let's wait a little longer," Chen Xiaohe said to Brother De, as if he were also trying to comfort himself.

Brother De sighed, "That's all we can do. Uncle Li Hu has traveled all over the country for so many years, he's seen it all, he'll be fine."

The two parted ways at the village entrance and went their separate ways home.

When Chen's mother learned of this, she was also heartbroken. But she couldn't show it in front of Li An. Although Li An hadn't said anything these days, he would sometimes sit alone at the gate of the courtyard, lost in thought, looking towards the village entrance. Chen's mother saw this and felt a pang of pain in her heart.

That evening, Chen's mother called Li An to her side, took his hand, and said softly, "An'an, your father went to a far place, and the road is difficult to travel, so he is slow. Wait a little longer, he will be back in a few days. Study hard, and when your father comes back, he will be very happy to see that you know so many words."

Li An nodded and said softly, "Grandma Chen, I know. I'm not in a hurry."

Chen's mother patted his head and sighed inwardly. This child was so sensible that it broke her heart.

The Dragon Boat Festival arrived, and the school was closed for three days. Chen's mother took her children back to the village. Chen's father stayed home to take care of the children and cook for them. As soon as Shitou, Aji, and Afu entered the yard, they ran around wildly. Afu chased a hen, making it fly all over the yard, clucking. Chen's mother laughed and scolded them a few times, but didn't really care.

Qingqing also returned and helped Chen's mother pack her things. Li An followed behind, silent, but with a hint of a smile in his eyes.

The stalls and shops in the county town couldn't close. Dragon Boat Festival was peak season, one of the best times of the year to sell goods. The family agreed on a division of labor: Chen's mother, Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoqing would take care of the stalls at the market; Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe would keep an eye on the general store; and Chen's father would stay home to feed the livestock and look after the children.

Before dawn, the family got up. Chen's mother, along with Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, drove the mule cart to the county town. The cart was loaded with goods: braised food, tofu, bean sprouts, green vegetables, eggs, preserved fruit, and the sachets, colorful ropes, and tiger-head shoes that Su Xiaoyin and her sister had been making these past few days, filling the cart to the brim.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe then set off in their oxcart. Their cart was mainly loaded with bamboo weaving, wood carvings, gift boxes, and a batch of fish that had arrived the day before.

Upon arriving in the county town, they gave some of the vegetables and braised goods they had brought to Chen Dashan and his family, and the rest they took with them. Then, Chen's mother, Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoqing set up their stall. As soon as they put the goods on display, people gathered around. The Dragon Boat Festival market was several times more lively than usual, with people everywhere selling zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), sachets, and colorful ropes, their shouts rising and falling in a cacophony.

While greeting the guests, Chen's mother said to Su Xiaoyin, "There are a lot of people today, so we need to be quick."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, her hands moving non-stop. She was in charge of selling braised food and tofu, Su Xiaoqing was in charge of selling vegetables and eggs, and Chen's mother was in charge of selling sachets and hair ties. The three worked together seamlessly, busy but not chaotic.

At the grocery store, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were also extremely busy.

The shop had significantly more items than usual. Braised meats remained the top choice; with the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, every household was adding a few dishes to their menu, and buying some braised pork was both convenient and delicious. Luckily, Su Xiaoyin had made a lot in advance that morning, otherwise, it really wouldn't have been enough to sell.

"Shopkeeper, give me a fish! A big one!" A middle-aged man squeezed to the front of the counter and pointed to the fish in the basin.

Chen Xiaohe quickly scooped up a large one and weighed it: "Two pounds and two ounces, is that alright?"

The man looked at it and nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, this one will do. Your fish is really good, big, much bigger than the ones at the market, and I don't have to go that far. I'll buy from you from now on."

Chen Xiaohe smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it. These were caught by some elderly men from the neighborhood; they're very fresh. We have them every day, so feel free to come anytime."

The man paid and left with the fish.

Another old man came in, wearing a straw hat and carrying a vegetable basket. He walked around the shop, bought tofu and greens, and then took a fancy to the fish in the basin.

"Give me a fish. This fish looks fresh," the old man said.

Chen Xiaohe picked out a piece for him, weighed it, strung it with straw rope, and handed it over. The old man bought a lot—tofu, vegetables, fish, everything. Chen Xiaohe took out a bunch of mugwort from behind the counter and handed it to him: "Grandpa, it's a festival, here's a bunch of mugwort for you, just to mark the occasion."