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

The old man took the mugwort and exclaimed happily, "Young man, you know how to do business! I'll come again next time!"

The shop was packed with customers all morning. Fish sold out quickly, almost all of it gone by noon. Most of the braised food was also sold out, and the tofu and bean sprouts were long gone. Chen Xiaohe took a moment to say to Chen Dashan, "Brother, I'll go find those old men who are fishing again tomorrow. If they have any fish, I'll keep them all."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay. These old men are nice. Every time they buy big fish, they also give us some small fish along with them. We've dried quite a few small fish at home. I'll have your sister-in-law fry them later; the kids love them. The ones we can't sell can be dried into preserved fish and sold at the shop; that'll be some income."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Brother is right. I get along well with those old men. They all say our shop is honest and the prices are fair. They're happy that we can earn money from the fish we catch ourselves."

Chen Dashan advised, "You should treat them well. It's practically unrealistic for us to catch such a big fish on our own. They have the skills, and we have the shop. If we help each other out, we can both make a good living."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Big brother, I understand."

In the afternoon, the number of people gradually decreased. Chen Xiaohe put away the remaining goods and said to Chen Dashan, "Brother, after the Dragon Boat Festival, you'll have to look after the shop yourself. The fruit trees on the mountain need someone to look after them; I have to go back and keep an eye on them."

Chen Dashan said, "Okay, go ahead. I'll take care of things here in the county town. You can focus on your work on the mountain, and leave the shop to me."

Chen Xiaohe responded and then said, "Brother, then you'll have to work hard. I'll take over for you after this busy period."

Chen Dashan waved his hand: "Don't mention how hard it is. We're family, there's no distinction between you and me."

By evening, the family had finally finished their work. Chen's mother, Su Xiaoyin, and Su Xiaoqing packed up their stall and returned to the house. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also closed their shop and came over. The children had been waiting in the house all afternoon, and when they saw the adults return, they swarmed around them.

"Mother! How much money did you make today?" Stone asked.

Su Xiaoyin smiled and patted his head: "We sold quite a lot. Enough to buy you candied hawthorns."

The children were happy and ran off to play again.

That evening, the family returned to the village. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing prepared a table full of dishes: braised fish, stewed pork ribs, a platter of braised meat, stir-fried vegetables, cucumber salad, and a large pot of steaming hot bone broth. The family sat together and ate in a lively atmosphere.

After finishing their meal, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing took out the clothes they had made earlier and laid them out on the kang (a heated brick bed) one by one.

"This is for Shitou, this is for Aji, and this is for Afu. Qingqing also has two sets," Su Xiaoyin said as she distributed the clothes to the children.

The children were overjoyed, clutching their new clothes. Shi Tou wanted to try them on right away, but Su Xiaoyin stopped him: "It'll be chilly tonight, wear them tomorrow."

Su Xiaoqing then took out two more sets of clothes and handed them to Li An: "An'an, these are for you. Two sets, one is light blue and the other is light green. Try them on and see if they fit."

Li An paused for a moment, then took the package, his eyes slightly red. He said softly, "Thank you, aunties."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "Try it on tonight. If there's anything that doesn't fit, tell your auntie and I'll help you alter it."

Ang Lee hugged the clothes tightly and nodded vigorously.

Su Xiaoqing took out a few more pieces of clothing and handed them to Chen's parents: "Dad, Mom, these are for you. They're made of fine cotton, so they'll be cool to wear while working in the summer."

Mr. Chen took the clothes and looked at them, saying, "I still have clothes here, you can make some. The ones I made last year are still wearable."

Chen's mother also said, "Yes, the summer clothes we made last year aren't torn. Don't keep thinking about us."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "Dad, Mom, this fabric is a defective piece from the cloth shop. It's cheap and not worth much. Besides, summer clothes are quick and easy to make. Many of your previous summer clothes are worn out, so it's time to replace them. These other pieces are made of fine linen, so you can keep them for working. They're absorbent and cool."

Mrs. Chen picked up the fine linen garment, touched it; the material was indeed fine, thin and soft, perfect for summer. She nodded, a smile in her eyes: "You're so thoughtful."

Mr. Chen smiled, folded the clothes neatly, and put them aside.

Night had fallen, and the children were asleep. Chen Dashan sat on the porch, smoking his pipe. The moon rose, casting its soft light across the ground. He thought about Li Hu, his heart heavy. But he also knew that life had to go on; his family, young and old, all depended on him.

Su Xiaoyin came out and sat down next to him, saying softly, "Dashan, don't think too much. Uncle Li Hu is a lucky man; he'll definitely come back."

Chen Dashan hummed in agreement and took her hand.

----

Two or three days after the Dragon Boat Festival, news of the forced labor service spread through the village.

Brother De went door-to-door to inform everyone, following the old rule: if no one showed up, they would have to pay two and a half taels of silver per person. The Chen family, as usual, paid the silver; they didn't go, but they received the money. Chen Dashan took the silver from the communal bank and personally delivered it to Brother De's house.

"Brother De, this is Uncle Li Hu's share." Chen Dashan handed over the money. "He's not home, so I'm covering it for him first. You can tell him when he gets back."

De Ge took the silver, made a note in his notebook, and nodded: "Okay, Da Shan, you've thought of everything. When Uncle Li Hu comes back, I'll tell him that this silver was given to us by your family."

Chen Dashan waved his hand: "We're all neighbors, it's only right."

Brother De sighed, "It's been over two months since he left, and there's still no news. I wonder what happened."

Chen Dashan's heart sank, but he still comforted her, "Didn't Manager Zhao say he sent someone to look for them? Let's wait a little longer, maybe they'll be back in a few days."

Brother De nodded and said nothing more.

Several more days passed, and still no news. Chen Xiaohe went to the caravan again, and Manager Zhao said that the people he had sent out had not returned yet, and that they should wait a little longer. Chen Xiaohe returned and told Chen Dashan, and the two of them remained silent for a long time.

"Brother, do you think Uncle Li Hu might really be in trouble?" Chen Xiaohe asked in a low voice.

Chen Dashan shook his head: "Don't overthink it. He's traveled all over the country for so many years, he's experienced. He'll be fine."

Even so, he wasn't entirely sure.

Just when the family thought Li Hu would be back in a few days, devastating news arrived.

That noon, the grocery store was nearly empty. Chen Dashan had been busy all morning, without even having a sip of water, and his throat was parched. He was just about to go to the backyard to eat something and have a bowl of cold tea when someone suddenly walked in through the door.

He was a caravan worker. Chen Dashan recognized him; his surname was Sun. He had seen him before when he went to the caravan to inquire about information.

"Manager Chen, I've finally found you!" Shop assistant Sun was sweating profusely and his face was pale.

Chen Dashan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly asked, "What's wrong? Is there news about Uncle Li Hu?"