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

Su Xiaoqing nodded: "Yes. Li An is a sensible child, he knows how to care for his father. If he studies hard and passes the imperial examinations, Uncle Li Hu can enjoy a few years of happiness. Sister, do you really think Uncle Li Hu can't have children?"

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and shook her head: "It's hard to say. Maybe he was really hurt, or maybe Uncle Li Hu said that on purpose to cut off those people's hopes. Whether it's true or not, the word has been spread, and no one should try to arrange a marriage with him anymore. That's good, it saves trouble."

Su Xiaoqing sighed, "That's true. Uncle Li Hu's health is like this now; if another person comes, it'll be too much of a worry. An'an is such a good boy; it's better for the father and son to live a good life together than anything else."

Just then, the courtyard gate rang. Chen Dashan returned, and the basket was empty.

"Have they all been delivered?" Su Xiaoyin asked.

Chen Dashan placed the basket on the stove and washed his hands. "I delivered it. Brother De's family was cooking and insisted I stay for dinner, but I said I was waiting at home and didn't eat. Uncle Li Hu tasted a piece of jujube cake and said it was delicious. He told me to make some more tomorrow so he could take it to Li An. An'an is at school and hasn't been home for several days; he misses his son."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Okay, I'll make another pot tomorrow. An'an likes sweets, so I'll add more dates."

Chen Dashan added, "Uncle Li Hu is in much better spirits today and chatted with me for a while. He said that he hired two people from Kaoshan Village, and they have already cleared the weeds from the barren mountain and fertilized the fruit trees. This year's fruit should be better than last year's."

Su Xiaoyin was delighted: "That's great! With more fruit, the shop can sell one more thing."

Chen Xiaohe came in from outside, carrying two fish in his hands, grinning: "Sister-in-law, I'm lucky today, I caught two big fish in the river. We'll stew them for dinner tonight!"

Su Xiaoyin took the fish and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll stew the fish tonight. I just steamed some jujube cake, so the kids will definitely love it with the fish soup."

The family got busy, and soon the kitchen was filled with delicious aromas.

In the evening, the family sat down for dinner. Father Chen took a sip of fish soup and slowly said, "I went to the fields today, and the crops are growing well. This year we had plenty of manure, so the crops are stronger than in previous years. In another month, the corn will be ready for harvest."

Chen Dashan asked, "Dad, are you hiring the same people for this year's autumn harvest?"

Mr. Chen nodded: "Hire them. The two brothers from the Li family and the eldest son from the Zhao family are honest workers and easy to use. I'll talk to them tomorrow and finalize the hiring so we don't run out of people later."

Su Xiaoyin served the children some food and then asked, "Dad, how long will the melons from the mountain last?"

Mr. Chen thought for a moment: "We'll be done selling in about half a month. Once the melon season is over, we should start preparing to harvest the crops. This year there's been a lot of rain, so the crops are ripening late. We need to hurry."

Chen Xiaohe said, "Dad, I'm keeping an eye on the fruit trees too. This year, the peaches and plums are plentiful, and we can pick them in another month. We can take them to the shop and sell them, which will be another source of income."

Mr. Chen nodded with satisfaction, looking at the table full of dishes and his family, feeling very at ease. Although life was busy, it was busy with something to look forward to.

After dinner, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing cleared the dishes. Chen Dashan sat on the porch, smoking a pipe. The moon rose, casting its soft light across the ground. He thought about Li Hu, the crops in the fields, and the business in the shop—everything was on his mind.

Su Xiaoyin came out and sat down next to him.

"Dashan, I'll make some more jujube cakes tomorrow, and you can take them to Uncle Li Hu. He's all alone at home, it's so lonely there," Su Xiaoyin said softly.

Chen Dashan nodded: "Okay. Also, bring some braised pork; he likes that."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and leaned on his shoulder.

A breeze swept through the yard, carrying the scents of crops and green grass. Tomorrow will be another busy day. But this kind of busyness brings a sense of peace.

----

"Dad, have you finalized the hiring arrangements for this year's autumn harvest?"

After dinner, the family sat in the courtyard as usual to enjoy the cool evening air. The moon hadn't risen yet, and a faint red glow remained on the horizon. The evening breeze carried the heavy, ripe scent of the crops before they ripened. Chen Dashan leaned back in his chair, holding a palm-leaf fan, fanning himself idly, and turned to ask his father a question.

Mr. Chen was smoking his pipe when he heard this. He took the pipe out of his mouth and nodded. "Don't worry, it's all arranged. The two brothers from the Li family and the eldest son from the Zhao family are still the same three. They're reliable and easy to work with. This year, I've hired another person, Old Liu from the east end of the village. He's also a skilled farmer. This way, things will be easier for our own family, and you won't have to worry about your legs not being able to take it."

Chen Dashan felt relieved and smiled, "Father is so thoughtful."

Chen's mother, who was sewing shoe soles nearby, nodded in agreement upon hearing this: "It's good to hire another person. Although we hired people last autumn, we were still exhausted. Having an extra helper this year will make things much easier."

Father Chen then asked his youngest son, "Xiaohe, how are the fruits on the mountain?"

Chen Xiaohe was squatting on the ground playing with the puppy when he heard his father ask. He stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and smiled, "Dad, this year's fruit harvest is better than last year. They're bigger and rounder, and they're growing exceptionally well. The peaches and plums will be ready to pick in about ten days, but the apples and pears will have to wait a while longer. I go up the mountain every day to check on them, and there aren't any pests. I've also been fertilizing them."

Father Chen nodded in satisfaction: "That's good. With more fruit, the shop can sell one more thing. Sell the good ones fresh, and have your sister-in-law and Xiaoqing make the less attractive ones into preserves, so nothing goes to waste."

Su Xiaoyin chimed in, "Dad, we've already planned this. This year, when the fruit is harvested, I'll make more dried fruit. Last year, we didn't have enough to sell, and many people were asking if we had any left. If we stock up this year, we won't have to worry about sales."

Father Chen then inquired about the embroidery. Su Xiaoyin replied, "Father, our embroidery is finished. We'll take it to the county town tomorrow and see if we can sell it to Madam Qian and Manager Sun. If they don't like it, we'll sell it slowly; there's no rush."

Mr. Chen nodded: "Alright, you guys handle it. If you can't sell it, just keep it. Good things are worth waiting for."

Su Xiaoyin continued, "We won't start any new embroidery designs before the autumn harvest. We'll replenish the small items that are missing from the shop and stalls, such as hair ties, silk flowers, sachets, and cloth dolls, making extra to keep on hand. We'll focus on embroidering new designs after the autumn harvest."

Mr. Chen said, "This arrangement is good. We're busy with the autumn harvest and won't have time for fine work. Let's stock up on the smaller items first, so the shops and stalls don't run out of stock."

Chen's mother chimed in, "This year will be the same as last year. I'll be living in the county town with the children. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, you two can take turns doing chores at home. One of you can cook and take care of the house, while the other goes to the shop. That way, neither of you will be neglected."