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

Chen's father followed behind her, thinking about going to the county town tomorrow to see his eldest son and grandchildren. Life had to go on; he couldn't let one thing ruin everything.

After dinner, Chen Xiaohe helped clear the dishes. Chen's mother packed a basket of eggs, some cured meat, and several packets of dried mushrooms, all to take back to the county town. Chen's father inspected the mule cart, oiled the wheels, and replaced the ropes.

"Xiaohe, you'll be home alone tomorrow. Make sure the livestock are well fed and don't let them go hungry. Be careful not to step on the traps in the backyard," Chen's father instructed.

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Dad, don't worry. I'll feed the livestock and then go up the mountain to chop firewood. I won't be idle."

Chen's father patted him on the shoulder and said nothing more.

As night deepened, the family went to their respective rooms to rest. Mother Chen lay on the kang (heated brick bed), tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Father Chen asked her, "What's wrong?"

Chen's mother sighed, "I'm thinking, Da Shan has never enjoyed any happiness since he was a child. He injured his leg, and just when things were finally getting a little better, this happened. He's really unlucky."

After a moment of silence, Chen's father said, "Life is something you have to make yourself. Da Shan is tough; he'll get through it. With us supporting him, he won't be afraid."

Chen's mother hummed in agreement and then fell silent.

----

The next morning, before dawn, Mr. Chen had already hitched up the mule cart. Mrs. Chen loaded the prepared eggs, cured meat, and dried mushrooms onto the cart, one basket at a time, checking them again to make sure nothing was left behind.

"Old man, let's go." Chen's mother got into the car, glanced back at her youngest son standing at the gate, and said, "Xiaohe, stay home and take good care of yourself, don't go hungry."

Chen Xiaohe waved his hand: "Mom, don't worry. I won't go hungry. My sister-in-law gave me some flatbread and braised meat earlier, I can just heat it up and eat it."

With a crack of his whip, Father Chen sent the mule cart creaking and groaning out of the courtyard. The morning breeze was cool, and Mother Chen wrapped her cotton-padded coat tighter around herself. Looking at the barren fields on both sides of the road, she thought of her eldest son's injury and the smiling faces of her grandchildren, wishing she could get to the county town in no time.

By the time they arrived in the county town, it was already broad daylight. Father Chen parked the mule cart in front of the general store, and Mother Chen carried a basket to the backyard. Su Xiaoyin was brewing medicine in the kitchen when she heard footsteps. She peeked out, saw her parents-in-law, and smiled.

"Father, Mother, you're here! Come in quickly, Dashan is inside."

Chen's mother entered the room and saw Chen Dashan leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed). His complexion was much better than last time, but he was still somewhat pale. Her eyes immediately reddened. She went over and sat down on the edge of the kang, taking her eldest son's hand and saying, "Dashan, you've lost weight."

Chen Dashan smiled and patted his mother's hand. "Mom, I'm fine. I'll be alright in a few days. Don't worry, see how well I am?"

Chen's father stood to the side, looked his eldest son up and down, and felt a little more at ease, but he didn't say anything, he just nodded.

Chen's mother took out the things she had brought one by one: eggs, cured meat, dried mushrooms, and laid them out on the table. "Xiaoyin, these are all from home. You can cook them for Dashan. Boil two eggs for him every day to help him recover."

Su Xiaoyin took the items and smiled in agreement.

After sitting in the house for a while, Mr. Chen couldn't stand it any longer. He stood up and said, "I'll go check on the stall. Xiaoqing is over there all by herself and can't manage." He turned to leave, but then turned back to Su Xiaoyin and said, "Xiaoyin, you've had a hard time these past few days. Your mother will stay in the county town for a few days to help you out."

Su Xiaoyin quickly said, "Dad, I'm not tired. It's fine for Mom to be in the county town; she can spend time with the children."

Mr. Chen nodded and strode out.

Chen's mother also stood up and said to Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin, you stay here and take care of Dashan. I'll go to the stall to pick up Xiaoqing. She's been working hard these past few days, let her rest." She then said to Chen Dashan, "Dashan, take good care of yourself and don't worry about things at home."

Chen Dashan agreed and watched his mother leave.

When Chen's mother arrived at the stall, Su Xiaoqing was busy weighing tofu for a customer. Seeing her mother-in-law, she paused for a moment, then smiled, "Mother, what brings you here?"

Chen's mother took the scale from her hand and said, "I'll take yours. You go back now. Xiaohe is back. You two should have a good talk. Xiaohe said yesterday that you've lost weight and he's been worried about you."

Su Xiaoqing's face flushed slightly, and she felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She really missed Chen Xiaohe; they hadn't had a proper conversation since he came back.

"Mom, thank you for your trouble. I'll come over early this afternoon to relieve you." Su Xiaoqing took off her apron, handed it to Chen's mother, and walked towards the grocery store with her basket.

Back in the shop, Su Xiaoyin was arranging goods behind the counter. Qingqing sat on a small stool next to her, holding a book and reading it carefully. When she saw Su Xiaoqing come in, Qingqing looked up and sweetly called out, "Auntie."

Su Xiaoqing smiled and patted her head, then said to Su Xiaoyin, "Sister, Mom told me to come back and rest. Dad and Mom are at the stall; I'll go relieve them in a bit."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, "Alright. You've really been exhausted these past few days, it's good for you to rest." She put down what she was holding, took out the embroidered "Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity" painting from under the counter, unfolded it for Su Xiaoqing to see, "Take a look, is there anything else that needs to be changed?"

Su Xiaoqing leaned closer and examined it carefully. The embroidery of "Five Blessings Surrounding Longevity" was completely finished. The five bats, each with a different posture, surrounded the glittering golden character "寿" (longevity) in the center. The lotus flowers and auspicious clouds on the sides were embroidered with meticulous detail, and the color scheme was elegant and sophisticated. Su Xiaoqing looked at it for a while and nodded in satisfaction.

"Sister, it's all set. You can send it to Manager Liu tomorrow; he'll definitely be satisfied," Su Xiaoqing said.

Su Xiaoyin carefully rolled up the embroidery, wrapped it in cloth, and put it in the cupboard. She sighed and said, "This embroidery is finally finished. Next, we need to hurry up and mend the winter clothes and make two more pairs of cotton shoes. It's getting colder and colder, and the children can't get cold going to school."

Su Xiaoqing nodded: "Sister, we still need to prepare things to sell at the general store and stalls. We need to make a batch of hair ties, silk flowers, and sachets. We've been so busy lately, and we've almost sold out of everything."

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and said, "Then let's not start any new embroidery designs for now, and wait until after the New Year. Let's finish what we're doing right now."

Su Xiaoqing agreed, picked up the scraps of fabric from the basket, and began sorting them. Su Xiaoyin also sat down, picked up her needle and thread, and started making silk flowers. The two sisters chatted as they worked, while Qingqing diligently wrote words beside them. The shop was quiet, with only the soft sound of needle and thread cutting through the fabric.