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

Another slightly older woman was kneading dough. Hearing this, she looked up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and said with a touch of emotion, "Sister Chen, you've managed the household for so many years, and you're just going to give it all up like this? I can't bear to. I don't trust my family to do anything; I always have to keep an eye on them myself."

After chopping the meat, Mrs. Chen put down the knife, stretched her wrists, and said earnestly, "How old am I? I'm getting old too. How many more years can Old Chen and I live? While we can still move and are still alive, we should help them out and ensure their future. If we suddenly pass away, they'll be completely overwhelmed taking over everything. Doing business, farming, managing social relationships—none of these are easy. If we don't let them practice now, what will they do when we're gone?"

The older man, having been overheard, slowed his kneading of the dough as if something had disturbed him. After a moment of silence, he put down the dough and sighed, "What you said is true. I'll have to go back and discuss it with my father-in-law, and let them gradually take over. My sons are all of marriageable age; if we don't separate the family soon, which girl will want to marry into our family? Too many sisters-in-law will make life difficult. Rather than waiting until things get chaotic later, it's better to divide the family property now and live separately."

Mrs. Chen nodded, patting the flour off her hands: "That makes sense. A tree grows big and branches out, just like people grow big and separate. The sooner they separate, the sooner they can establish themselves. We, as elders, can still lend a hand. Once they're settled, we can rest easy."

The people in the kitchen started chattering amongst themselves; some agreed, some hesitated, and some sighed. De Ge's wife came in carrying bowls and plates. Seeing everyone chatting so animatedly, she laughed and scolded, "You all have so much free time! I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe, and you still have time to chat. Hurry up and get to work! The wedding party will be back soon!"

The kitchen was bustling with activity again, the sounds of knives, spatulas, and laughter mingling together, creating a lively atmosphere like Chinese New Year.

Suddenly, a burst of firecrackers exploded at the courtyard gate, and someone shouted at the top of their lungs, "The wedding party is back! The bride has arrived!"

People rushed out of the kitchen, crowding the doorway to watch the spectacle. Mother Chen also stood on the steps, tiptoeing to peek out. The wedding procession entered the village, led by De Ge's eldest son, riding a mule adorned with red silk ribbons, a large red flower pinned to his chest, his face beaming with joy. Behind him was a bridal sedan chair, carried by four strong men, swaying gently. A corner of the curtain was lifted, revealing the bride's bright red wedding dress. Her face was obscured, but her hands, supporting the curtain, were fair and slender, with neatly manicured nails—clearly someone who had never done manual labor.

"The bride is getting out of the sedan chair!" the old man in charge shouted, and firecrackers went off again.

The bride was helped down from the sedan chair, stepped over the brazier, and entered the main hall. The ceremony of bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to the parents, and the couple bowing to each other proceeded smoothly. De Ge sat at the head of the table, beaming from ear to ear, while his wife stood beside him, her eyes slightly red, whether from joy or reluctance to part, it was unclear.

Standing in the crowd, watching the young couple's wedding ceremony, Chen's mother suddenly recalled the day Chen Dashan and Su Xiaoyin got married. Back then, their family was dirt poor, they had nothing, and even their wedding attire was borrowed. Life was hard, but they gritted their teeth and made it through. Now things are better; their children are grown up, and she and Old Chen can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"The feast is starting! The feast is starting!" Helpers carried trays between the tables, bringing out dish after dish. Braised pork, stewed chicken, fried fish, scrambled eggs, cold dishes, bone broth—the table was laden with food. The men drank, the women ate, and the children scrambled for meatballs; the noise was so loud it felt like the roof was about to fall off.

Chen's mother and father sat at one table, while Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe helped greet the guests at another table. Chen Dashan poured wine for the elders, and Chen Xiaohe handed out candy to the children. The two brothers were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground, but they both had smiles on their faces.

"Sister-in-law Chen, your two sons are really capable." An older woman at the table picked up a piece of food and gave Chen's mother a thumbs up.

Chen's mother waved her hand with a smile, "Not at all, not at all, he's just hardworking. What would farmers eat if they didn't work?"

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, the sun gradually began to set. The helpers started clearing the tables and washing the dishes. After helping to tidy up the kitchen, Chen's mother said goodbye to De Ge's wife before following Chen's father home.

Mother Chen rubbed her lower back and walked slowly, saying, "I've been busy all morning, and I'm quite tired. De Ge's family's wedding was a big success; everyone in the village came, which is very impressive." Father Chen walked ahead, carrying a bag of wedding candy that De Ge had given him, saying he was taking it back for the children.

Back home, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe changed their clothes and prepared to go up the mountain to take a look.

"Dad, Xiaohe and I are going up the mountain to check on the melon seedlings and the newly planted vegetables, and we'll also gather some pig feed. We've been so busy with Dege's family these past few days that we've neglected the work on the mountain. We'll also check on the bamboo shoots; they're almost out of season, and they'll get too old if we don't dig them up soon," Chen Dashan said as he put on his shoes.

Chen's father took a hoe from the house and followed behind, saying, "I'll go to the back mountain too, and dig up some wild vegetables. I've been busy with De Ge's family these past few days, but we also need to tend to our own vegetable garden. Xiao Yin and the others sell goods in the county town, so we can't run out of wild vegetables. We'll dig as much as we can, and sell it every day we can."

Chen's mother stood in the yard, watching the father and his two sons leave the house. She then turned and went into the kitchen. After resting for a while, she changed into old clothes and went to the garden to weed.

The weeds in the chive patch were sprouting, so she squatted down and pulled them out handful by handful. The spinach seedlings also needed thinning; they were too dense and wouldn't grow big. The bok choy had just sprouted and needed watering again.

The sun was setting, and the clouds on the horizon were tinged with orange-red. Mother Chen straightened up, rubbed her back, and looked at the neatly tended vegetable garden, letting out a satisfied sigh. In the kitchen, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing had returned from the county town; the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen—bone broth and scrambled eggs. The children chased and played in the yard, their laughter as clear and crisp as bells.

Chen's mother carried the hoe and walked back, her steps much lighter than when she came.

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