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

Mr. Chen asked about the furniture again. He had been spending all his time in the woodworking shop these past few days, with Chen Xiaohe helping out. The furniture for Grandpa Li's house was almost finished.

"Dad, the furniture will be finished in two more days. Tomorrow we'll apply tung oil, and after two days of drying, we can deliver it," Chen Dashan said.

Mr. Chen nodded: "Okay, deliver the goods as soon as possible, so they'll feel at ease. After you're done here, we'll go and apply manure to the crops. We've raised a lot of livestock this year, so we have a lot of manure. I feel like the crop yield will increase significantly this year."

Chen Xiaohe chimed in, "Dad, the fruit trees are doing exceptionally well, without a single pest. I think this year's harvest will definitely be more plentiful than last year's, and the quality will be even better. When the time comes, have Sister-in-law and Xiaoqing make the less attractive fruit into preserves, and the shop's business will surely boom even more."

Su Xiaoyin smiled: "Okay, when the fruit comes out, I'll make more dried fruit. Last year's amount wasn't enough to sell, so I'll prepare more this year."

The family chatted for a while longer, and then the night deepened. The moon rose, casting its soft light across the ground. The children grew sleepy and were carried back inside by Chen's mother and Su Xiaoyin. Chen Dashan remained sitting in the yard, thinking about tomorrow.

Su Xiaoyin came out and sat down next to him.

"Dashan, do you think our braised food will sell well if we add spice?" she asked softly.

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said, "Let's give it a try. How will we know if we don't try? Our braised food tastes good, it's just that people are tired of it. A change of pace might make it popular again."

Su Xiaoyin nodded and leaned on his shoulder. Chen Dashan put his arm around her, and the two sat there quietly.

A breeze swept through the yard, carrying the sweet scent of apricots. Tomorrow will be another busy day. But this kind of busyness brings a sense of peace.

The next morning, Su Xiaoyin got up early and got busy. She first went to the storeroom to find the dried dates from last year, picked out a few pounds of plump ones, and soaked them in warm water. Then she went to the butcher to buy a set of offal to make spicy braised pork.

Su Xiaoqing also got up and helped start the fire and wash the pots. The two sisters worked in the kitchen all morning, and the aroma filled the whole yard.

Chen Xiaohe returned from the mountain and, drawn by the aroma, went into the kitchen: "Sister-in-law, what are you making? It smells so good!"

Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "Spicy braised pork, and jujube cake. Try them and see if you like them."

She picked a piece of braised pork intestine from the pot and handed it to Chen Xiaohe. Chen Xiaohe blew on it, took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up: "Delicious! It's both numbing and spicy, much more flavorful than before!" He ate a few more bites, nodding repeatedly, "Sister-in-law, this will definitely sell well!"

Su Xiaoqing cut a piece of the freshly made jujube cake and handed it to him. The jujube cake was golden yellow, sprinkled with sesame seeds, and one bite revealed its soft, sweet texture and rich jujube flavor. Chen Xiaohe couldn't stop eating, mumbling, "This is delicious too! Sister-in-law, you guys are amazing!"

At noon, the family sat together and tasted spicy braised pork and jujube cake. Mr. Chen tasted a piece of jujube cake and nodded: "Sweet but not greasy, not bad." He then tasted a piece of spicy braised pork, gasped for breath from the spiciness, but did not say it was bad.

Chen's mother smiled and said, "This spicy one is good; young people love it. Jujube cake is enjoyed by both the elderly and children. Make a larger batch tomorrow and try it at the shop."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay, I'll get up early tomorrow to deliver the goods and bring these two items with me."

Su Xiaoyin was happy. After finishing her meal, she went to the kitchen and worked all afternoon, making two large pots of spicy braised pork and steaming several trays of jujube cakes.

The next day, Chen Dashan delivered the goods to the shop, and by noon, the spicy braised pork and jujube cake were sold out. Chen Xiaohe returned from the shop and shouted as soon as he entered, "Sister-in-law, the spicy braised pork and jujube cake are all sold out! Many people even said they wanted to save some for tomorrow!"

Su Xiaoyin smiled, her heart finally settling down.

----

"Dashan, this is some new jujube cake I made. Take some to Uncle Li Hu and Brother De's house. It's fresh out of the oven, so eat it while it's hot." Su Xiaoyin wrapped the jujube cake in oil paper, put it in a basket, and handed it to Chen Dashan.

Chen Dashan took the basket and nodded, "Okay, I'll take it right away. Brother De's house is closer, I'll take it to his house first, then go to Uncle Li Hu's." He carried the basket out the door, walking quickly, and soon disappeared at the alley entrance.

Su Xiaoyin stood at the gate for a while, then turned and went back to the kitchen. Su Xiaoqing was washing dishes, while Qingqing helped wipe the plates. The two sisters chatted as they worked.

"Yesterday I saw Uncle Li Hu walking with a shaky gait. He doesn't need crutches anymore now, but I think it will take some time for him to recover, and he might not be able to return to his original state." Su Xiaoyin sighed, her tone filled with worry.

Su Xiaoqing put the washed dishes into the cupboard and wiped her hands. "Uncle Li Hu originally came back from the county town because of a leg injury, and this time he's injured again, even more seriously than before. I hope he can hold on until Li An comes of age, otherwise what will happen if we leave Li An behind at such a young age? That child is pitiful; he lost his mother when he was young, and just when things were finally getting a little better, his father got injured."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Yes. Li An is a sensible boy, and he studies well. He will definitely be successful in the future. Uncle Li Hu will be at ease if he can see him settle down and start a family."

Su Xiaoqing suddenly lowered her voice and leaned closer: "Sister, did you know? A matchmaker went to Uncle Li Hu's house to propose marriage for him."

Su Xiaoyin was stunned, her hand holding the rag stopped moving: "Really? When did this happen?"

Su Xiaoqing said, "Just a few days ago. I heard it from Er Mu's aunt. She said there was a widow with a son who took a liking to Uncle Li Hu and was willing to marry him to take care of him. But there was a condition: Uncle Li Hu had to help her raise her son, and it would be best if he could be sent to school like Li An, because she said the child had a talent for studying."

Su Xiaoyin shook her head, her tone somewhat cold: "I bet Uncle Li Hu definitely refused. This widow is clearly just looking for someone to raise her son, not sincerely wanting to live with Uncle Li Hu. She might even be trying to seize his property. Look, she's demanding that Uncle Li Hu raise her son and send him to school, but what can she do?"

Su Xiaoqing nodded: "Sister, you're right. Uncle Li Hu refused outright and sent the matchmaker back on the spot. He also told the matchmaker to spread the word that he didn't plan to remarry and that he was infertile and only wanted to live with his son. Once this got out, the matchmaker couldn't come back."

Su Xiaoyin was silent for a while, then said, "Uncle Li Hu is right not to remarry. Otherwise, with a stepmother comes a stepfather. When the new bride comes in, Li An will definitely be bullied. How many stepmothers truly care for their stepchildren? Even if Uncle Li Hu wants to protect them, having another person in the family will only create more problems. Now, the father and son depend on each other for survival. Although life is a bit tough, they have peace of mind."