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

Chen Dashan nodded: "Dad, I'm going to the county town with Xiaohe to sell goods. Business is good these few days before the New Year, so we need to stock up on more supplies."

Mr. Chen continued, "Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, are you going to start any new embroidery projects before the New Year?"

Su Xiaoyin put down her chopsticks and said, "Father, we won't be opening before the New Year. The last embroidery design was sent to Steward Liu a few days ago, and his cousin was very satisfied. He paid fifty taels of silver on the spot. Xiaoqing and I plan to open a new embroidery design after the New Year. These days, we'll focus on making more things to sell before the New Year, such as hair ties, silk flowers, sachets, and cloth dolls."

Su Xiaoqing chimed in from the side, "Dad, the demand for pastries, braised dishes, and roast duck at the general store is huge during the New Year. My sister and I have come up with a few new recipes for pastries, and we're going to try them out tomorrow. If they taste good, we can sell them at the store before the New Year."

Mother Chen laughed: "You two sisters are really good at thinking about food. Alright, you two go about your business, I'll stay home and look after the kids. Shi Tou and the others are on holiday from school, they'll go back after the New Year. I'm afraid I can't keep an eye on these little rascals by myself, so I'll have your dad help me out."

Mother Chen then got down to business: "Oh, right, we need to prepare the New Year's gift for Steward Liu in advance. Also, Manager Sun has been quite kind to us, should we send him some pork or something else as well? What about the old village head? He's put in a lot of effort this time."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen said, "When slaughtering the pig, leave a good piece of meat for both Steward Liu and Manager Sun. Send Steward Liu plenty of dried mushrooms and dried wood ear fungus, choosing the best quality ones. Send Manager Sun a portion as well, along with two packets of dried fruit. Don't forget the New Year's gift for the village head. Xiao Yin and Xiao Qing, when you go to the county town, buy some decent things, like tea and pastries, and pack them up to send over. Don't forget Brother De either; he's helped us a lot."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Dad, I understand. These past few days, Dashan and Xiaohe have been going to the county town to sell goods, and we've gone with them to help out. We'll also take care of arranging our own New Year's goods, such as couplets, the character '福' (good fortune), and firecrackers. Then we'll look around the market to buy some gifts."

Mr. Chen nodded in satisfaction, finished his soup, and stood up: "Alright, everyone get some rest. We'll be busy again starting tomorrow."

As night deepened, everyone returned to their rooms. Chen Dashan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring blankly at the rafters. Su Xiaoyin spread out the quilt and lay down beside him.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Chen Dashan shook his head and pulled her into his arms: "It's nothing. I just feel so good to be home."

Su Xiaoyin leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and felt very at ease.

----

After the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere grew stronger day by day. Every household in the village was busy preparing for the New Year, sweeping dust, steaming buns, slaughtering pigs, and making tofu. Smoke from the chimneys drifted from morning till night. The Chen family's courtyard was especially lively, with clotheslines hanging full of cured meat, cured fish, and sausages. The kitchen was either stewing meat or steaming cakes, and the aroma could be smelled halfway down the alley.

That afternoon, Chen's mother returned from visiting Er Mu's family, looking rather unwell. When she entered, Chen's father was squatting in the yard chopping firewood. The axe rose and fell, the firewood crackling and splitting, piling up in a heap. Chen's mother placed her basket on the stone table, stood beside him for a while, and said nothing.

Mr. Chen looked up, wiped his sweat, and asked, "What's wrong? You went out for a while and came back unhappy."

Chen's mother sighed, sat down on the wooden stool next to him, and said in a low voice, "Old man, I went to Er Mu's house today and heard them say that there are a lot of rumors going around in the village about our jujubes."

Chen's father paused for a moment with the axe in his hand, then continued chopping. With one swing, the firewood split in the middle, revealing the white wood shavings. He tossed the chopped wood aside, picked up another piece, and said in a flat voice, "People can say whatever they want."

Chen's mother grew anxious and raised her voice: "I feel uncomfortable hearing this! They said our jujubes were ripened with chemicals, and that we added something to the candied fruit, otherwise how could it last so long? They also said that the money we used to buy the house in the county town was ill-gotten..."

Mr. Chen put down the axe, stood up, and brushed the sawdust off his clothes. He walked to the stone table, poured a bowl of water, and handed it to Mrs. Chen: "Have some water and calm down."

Chen's mother took the bowl, took a sip, and was still indignant.

Mr. Chen sat down opposite her, took out his pipe, slowly filled it with tobacco, lit it, and took a puff. Through the swirling smoke, he squinted at the bare old locust tree in the yard, and after a long while said, "Don't think we don't know. They're all secretly hoping our family's life will get worse and worse. They smile on the surface, but they're all jealous inside."

Chen's mother gripped the bowl tightly, her fingers tightening.

Father Chen continued, "Think about it, how hard our family used to live, we were dirt poor. Now we have land, mountains, two houses in the county town, and a shop. The children go to school in the county town, and we have more carpentry jobs than we can handle. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing's embroidery can sell for dozens of taels of silver a piece. Who wouldn't be envious? Let them talk. As long as our lives continue to be this good, they won't say anything to us. They're all just jealous that our family is doing well."

Chen's mother sighed, "I understand the logic, but it still makes me unhappy. They've made me not want to stay at home at all. I'd rather be in the county town; at least there's peace and quiet there."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe and said, "How about this, we'll spend the New Year in the county town. I'll hire someone to come and feed the livestock for a few days. There'll also be a lantern festival on the fifteenth of the lunar month, and our whole family can go and enjoy it together."

Chen's mother was taken aback: "Really going to the county town for the New Year?"

Father Chen nodded: "We're really going. Anyway, the house is just sitting empty. We can tidy it up and move in. Dashan and Xiaohe are also going to sell goods in the county town. If we go there, the whole family can be together, and it'll be lively and fun. It'll save us from hearing all the gossip in the village and getting upset."

Chen's mother's complexion improved somewhat, but she still hesitated: "What about the livestock? Pigs, cows, mules, chickens, ducks—we can't possibly take them all to the county town, can we?"

Mr. Chen said, "Find someone to feed them. I'll talk to Brother Li; he has a large family and won't miss a few days' wages. Give him a few taels of silver and have him come over twice a day to feed them; it won't interfere with his work."

After thinking about it, Chen's mother thought it was feasible and nodded: "Okay. You can discuss it with Brother Li later."

Father Chen waved his hand: "No rush, let's get through the New Year first. By the way, we dried a lot of jujubes this year. Keep some of the good ones for our own consumption, and ask Er Mu's family to help sell the rest. She said if someone wants them, just give them a fair price. Don't worry about what others say; you'll know whether the produce is good or bad once you taste it."

Chen's mother hummed in agreement, her mood improving somewhat.