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

After another twelve or thirteen days, the Chen family's spring planting finally came to an end.

As the last seed was sown, the sun was already setting. Father Chen straightened up, planted his hoe on the ground, rested his hand on the handle, and gazed at the neat rows of ridges, letting out a long sigh. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also put down their farm tools and sat on the ridge, none of them speaking, just watching the setting sun dye the newly turned soil a golden-red. All three were soaked in sweat, their faces sunburnt, and the mud on their trousers had dried and then soaked again, forming a hard crust.

Father Chen squatted down, took out his pipe from his pocket, filled it with tobacco, slowly lit it, took a puff, then another, and after a while said, "Alright, this year's spring planting is finished." He stood up, rubbed his lower back, and picked up his hoe. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe packed up their farm tools and followed behind, the three of them walking home in the twilight.

They met several villagers on the road, all of whom had just finished work, and greeted each other. Someone asked Chen's father how much he had planted this year, and Chen's father said it was about the same as last year. The man sighed and said that the soil moisture was good this year, so the seedlings would definitely sprout evenly, unlike last year when the drought was severe. Chen's father nodded, without stopping.

When they got home, Su Xiaoyin had already set the table. The savory aroma of bone broth mingled with the smoky smell of stir-fried bamboo shoots and cured pork, wafting from the kitchen doorway all the way to the main room. Chen's mother had also returned from the county town with the children. The children gathered around the table, and Afu tried to reach it on tiptoe, but Qingqing pulled him back.

Mr. Chen washed his hands, sat down at the table, looked at the dishes laid out on the table, and then at the people in the room, a smile appearing on his face. He picked up a piece of pickled vegetable with his chopsticks, chewed it, and said to Su Xiaoyin, "Xiaoyin, when you go to the county town tomorrow, buy two pounds of pork belly. Spring planting is over, let's have a good meal as a family. Everyone has been exhausted lately, we need to replenish our strength."

Su Xiaoyin nodded: "Okay, Dad. I'll go early tomorrow and pick out a good piece of meat from the butcher's stall."

Chen's mother chimed in from the side, "Don't stew all the pork belly, save a piece for braised pork. Shitou loves braised pork, he's been talking about it for days."

When Shi Tou heard his grandmother mention his name, he immediately looked up from his bowl, rice grains still clinging to his lips, and exclaimed with bright eyes, "Grandma is the best!" Everyone at the table laughed.

Chen Dashan took a sip of porridge, put down the bowl, and asked his father, "Dad, when Brother De's family holds their banquet, do Xiaohe and I need to give a gift?"

Father Chen put down his chopsticks, thought for a moment, and slowly said, "Normally, it's not necessary. Our family hasn't completely separated yet, so one share from the common treasury is enough. But—" He paused, lit his pipe, and took a puff, "Our family has maintained close ties with Brother De's family these past few years. Brother De has also succeeded as the village head, and he's in charge of all matters inside and outside the village. If we get along well with him, we can discuss anything in the future. You and Xiaohe, your families should each contribute one share. After all, you've both started your own families and are now two independent households."

Mr. Chen exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone calm but with an undeniable certainty: "It's never a bad thing to be overly polite. De-ge will understand if we give an extra gift. When something happens to our family, De-ge will return the favor. Social interactions are about reciprocity; you can't just give and not receive."

Chen Dashan nodded: "Dad, I understand. Xiaohe and I will give a separate gift later. Xiaohe, are things alright on your end?"

Chen Xiaohe was eating a steamed bun when he heard this. He nodded vigorously and said indistinctly, "No problem, brother. I'll contribute the same amount as you. It'll be fine if both of us contribute the same amount."

Chen's mother, who was listening nearby, interjected, "Don't give too much or too little as a gift; just a little less than the amount from the public fund. The point of De's family's celebration is the lively atmosphere, not the money."

Chen Dashan agreed and continued eating with his head down.

Early the next morning, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing drove a mule cart to the county town. The cart was loaded with wild vegetables, bamboo shoots, a few pieces of tofu, and a few crucian carp that Chen Xiaohe had caught from the river the day before, all in a wooden bucket, water splashing out along the way. When they arrived at the general store, the two sisters unloaded the goods, arranged them, and opened the store, working until the sun was high in the sky.

Chen's father was also busy at home.

Spring sowing was finished, but the vegetable garden in the yard hadn't been tidied up yet. He carried a bucket and watered each row. The chives were just sprouting, a tender yellow, and in a few days they would be ready for the first harvest; the bok choy had also sprouted, growing densely, and needed thinning; the spinach was growing fast, its leaves already unfolded, a lush green. After watering, Mr. Chen squatted down to weed, tidying up the vegetable rows neatly.

"Old man, I've brought the chickens and ducks back." Mother Chen came in from outside the yard, carrying two large bamboo cages. The cages were crammed with chicks and ducklings, all yellow and chirping incessantly.

Father Chen stood up, dusted off his hands, took the bamboo cage, and carried it to the backyard. The chicken and duck coops had already been cleaned up, lined with clean straw, and the feeding and water troughs were spotless. He picked out the chicks and ducklings one by one and put them into the coops. The little guys were a bit scared in their new place, huddling together in a corner.

Chen Dashan came out of the carpentry workshop and frowned when he saw the group of furry little creatures: "Dad, there are so many, can we keep up with them? There must be more than fifty chickens and ducks."

Father Chen squatted by the pen, watching the little creatures slowly disperse and begin pecking at the food. His tone was calm: "The general store needs a lot of chicken and duck eggs. We should produce as many as possible ourselves to avoid buying from outside, which is expensive and not fresh. Then we won't have to worry about raw materials for braised eggs, tea eggs, or salted duck eggs. As for the roosters and ducks, we can keep them to make roast chicken and duck when they're grown up. Xiaoyin's roast duck sells very well at the general store, doesn't it? Making it occasionally is fine; our regular customers appreciate it. Besides, we can eat the unsold ones ourselves."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment and nodded: "Then this year, besides chickens, ducks, and pigs, we won't raise anything else. Otherwise, we won't be able to handle it. We have cows, and we still have mules, that's enough."

Father Chen stood up, brushed the straw off his knees, and walked over to the pigpen. The sow was lying in the pen, with three piglets nestled under her belly, having nursed their fill and sleeping soundly.