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

As he picked up the goods, Manager Zhou asked, "Have you taken on another big job?"

Su Xiaoyin nodded with a smile: "Yes, I've taken on a large embroidery project that requires gold thread. Shopkeeper, please pick the best for me, don't skimp on the price."

Shopkeeper Zhou responded and took out the finest silk fabric and gold thread from the cabinet, along with a complete set of embroidery thread in various colors, which he then wrapped in a cloth. He also selected two bundles of fabric scraps, each brightly colored and of different sizes.

"It'll be four taels of silver in total. Gold thread is expensive, there's nothing I can do about it," said Manager Zhou.

Su Xiaoyin paid, put the items into the basket, checked carefully to make sure nothing was left behind, and then carried the basket to the general store.

Back at the shop, Su Xiaoqing was weighing tofu for a customer. Qingqing sat behind the counter, a pen in her hand, writing something in a small notebook. Seeing Su Xiaoyin enter, she looked up, her eyes bright: "Mom, look, what I wrote!"

Su Xiaoyin walked over and took a look. Several characters were scrawled on the small notebook: "person," "mouth," "hand," "mountain," and "water." Although the strokes weren't very steady, each character was written carefully. She smiled and patted Qingqing's head: "Qingqing is so amazing! You can write so many characters already."

Qingqing was happy and lowered her head to write again.

After the guests left, Su Xiaoqing walked over and saw the basket full of things. She asked in surprise, "Sister, why did you buy so much? Embroidery thread, silk fabric, gold thread... Didn't you just go to buy a pig's head? Why did you buy embroidery stuff?"

Su Xiaoyin placed the basket on the counter and took out the items one by one, a smile on her face: "Xiaoqing, I ran into Steward Liu when I went to deliver a sponge cake to Mother. He introduced us to a big job. His cousin works in the prefectural government and needs to send a birthday greeting painting to his superior. Our 'Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity' embroidery pattern will come in handy."

Su Xiaoqing's eyes lit up, and she quickly asked, "It's settled? How much?"

Su Xiaoyin said, "It's settled. The price wasn't mentioned, but Manager Liu said that as long as the embroidery is good, the money won't be small. We have to do a good job and not ruin the reputation. We'll start as soon as the autumn harvest is over."

Su Xiaoqing was so happy she almost jumped for joy, grabbing Su Xiaoyin's hand and saying, "Sister, this is wonderful! We won't have to worry about selling the next embroidery!"

Su Xiaoyin patted her hand with a smile: "Alright, don't get too excited yet. Let's finish what we need to do first. Tomorrow is the autumn harvest, and we need to get things settled at home. Come on, help me pack up, and we'll close the shop and go home early."

The two sisters put the embroidery thread, silk cloth, and gold thread into the cupboard and locked it. They then took the pig's head, large bones, and offal to the backyard and soaked them in clean water. Su Xiaoyin looked at the sky; the sun was already setting, and the market was gradually filling up with people. The afternoon's business was about to begin.

"Xiaoqing, you watch the shop. I'll go and rearrange the braised pork and jujube cakes. It'll be crowded this afternoon, so we need to be more alert," Su Xiaoyin said.

Su Xiaoqing nodded, wiped her hands, and stood behind the counter.

Qingqing put down her pen, stood up, and, imitating the adults, moved her small stool next to the counter, ready to help greet the guests.

Su Xiaoyin felt a warmth in her heart as she looked at Qingqing's earnest expression. Although life was busy, the family was together, and even the busyness was enjoyable.

In the evening, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe came to pick them up in an oxcart. Chen Dashan loaded the goods from the shop onto the cart, and Chen Xiaohe helped tidy up the stall. The family walked home, the setting sun casting long shadows, and the oxcart creaked and groaned as it made its way back to the village.

Back home, Su Xiaoyin cleaned the pig's head and put it in a large pot to braise. The pork bones were also stewing, filling the kitchen with a rich aroma. Su Xiaoqing brought in the clothes that had been drying in the yard, and Qingqing helped fold them. Father Chen returned from the fields, washed his hands, and sat down at the table.

"Is everything ready for the autumn harvest tomorrow?" Mr. Chen asked.

Chen Dashan nodded: "Father, everything is ready. The sickle is sharpened, the rope is ready, and the oxcart has been checked. The hired men will come first thing tomorrow morning."

Mr. Chen nodded in satisfaction: "Alright. We've hired an extra person this year, which will make things much easier for us. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, the meals at home will depend on you two."

Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen and said with a smile, "Dad, don't worry, we've already prepared everything. We'll get up first thing tomorrow morning to cook, and we'll make sure everyone has a good, full meal."

Mr. Chen smiled, feeling at ease as he looked at his busy family members.

Outside the window, the moon has risen, casting its gentle light across the ground. Tomorrow, the autumn harvest will begin. Although it will be busy, it will be a busy time filled with anticipation.

----

Before dawn, oil lamps were lit in the Chen family's courtyard.

Mr. Chen was the first to get up, put on his faded old jacket, and pushed open the door. The courtyard was cool and carried the heavy, ripe scent of the crops before harvest. He walked to the kitchen door and called out, "Xiao Yin, is dinner ready?"

Su Xiaoyin was busy at the stove, the fire burning brightly, making her face glow. Without looking up, she kept turning the pancakes in the pan: "Dad, it'll be ready soon. Go call them, they'll be here in a bit."

Mr. Chen responded, turned and left the courtyard, heading towards the workers' quarters. The two brothers from the Li family, the eldest son from the Zhao family, and Liu, the newly hired worker this year, had stayed in the village last night and agreed to go to the fields early this morning.

Chen Xiaohe also came out of the house, rubbing his eyes and yawning. He walked to the well, drew a bucket of cold water, and splashed it on his face, which made him shiver and feel refreshed.

"Xiaohe, go to the threshing ground and help your older brother lay out the mats," Chen's father instructed upon returning, then picked up his hoe and led the workers to the field.

Chen Xiaohe ran to the threshing ground, where Chen Dashan was already busy. He had difficulty walking, so he squatted on the ground, spreading out bamboo mats and weighing the edges down with stones. The dew hadn't dried yet, and the mats were damp; they needed to be aired out before they could be used.

"Big brother, let me do it." Chen Xiaohe took the stones and pressed them down one by one.

Chen Dashan straightened up, rubbed his legs, and looked at the procession gradually disappearing into the distance on the ridge of the field. He said, "We hired one more person this year, so Dad can have an easier time."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "That's right. Dad was exhausted last year, but at least he can catch his breath this year."

The two brothers tidied up the threshing ground, and it was already broad daylight.

Su Xiaoyin carried a basket and trudged into the field, her steps uneven. The basket contained freshly cooked multigrain pancakes, a bowl of hot millet porridge, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a few boiled eggs—specially for those who worked to nourish themselves.

When they arrived at the field, Chen's father was leading a group of people to harvest rice. The sickles swung, and the rice stalks fell in neat rows, spreading across the field. The men worked silently, no one speaking, only the "swish, swish" of the sickles cutting through the rice stalks.

"Dinner's ready!" Su Xiaoyin called out from the edge of the field.