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

Father Chen softened his tone and continued, "When the school is on autumn break this year, you will come with us to work in the fields. You will experience firsthand the hardships your parents endure, and how grain grows from the soil, not just falling from the sky. If you don't work, you won't know how to cherish things."

Su Xiaoyin felt a little sorry for them, and spoke softly as if afraid of startling something: "Dad, aren't they a bit too young? Can they handle working in the fields? The sun is too strong, and the insects bite them. Don't make the children sick."

Father Chen shook his head, unusually firm in his tone towards his daughter-in-law: "It's alright. When Dashan and Xiaohe were their age, they were already helping with chores around the house. You don't want to raise an ungrateful child, do you? Someone who's lazy, doesn't know the difference between grains, and has no hope of passing the imperial examinations—how will they support themselves then? You can't support them forever, can you? How long can you support them? Until they get married and have children? Until you yourselves are old and can't move anymore?"

Su Xiaoyin remained silent for a while, then lowered her head and continued drinking her soup.

In mountain farmhouses, who didn't gather firewood at five and feed pigs at seven? She felt sorry for her child, but love is love, and reason is reason. Father Chen was right; a farmer's child shouldn't be idle and ignorant of basic farming. Education is for understanding principles, not for turning children into useless burdens. She said softly, "Dad, I understand. I hadn't thought that far ahead."

Seeing that she was listening, Mr. Chen's tone softened, and he placed a piece of food in her bowl: "You're right, the child is still young, take it slow. Start with collecting eggs and feeding the chickens, and then they can work in the fields when they're a little older. Just don't let them think that working is hard. If farmers don't work, are they still farmers?"

Su Xiaoyin nodded and said nothing more.

Su Xiaoqing, who was listening nearby, interjected with a hint of self-reflection: "Father is right. When we sent them to school, we wanted them to learn more characters, understand things, and recognize contracts so they wouldn't be deceived. It's the same now; getting into Class B doesn't mean anything. They still need to be down-to-earth."

Su Xiaoyin chimed in, her voice low, as if speaking to herself, "I told you, we can't just look at the present. The children are still young, and the road ahead is long; we must take it one step at a time." She looked at her three children, who were engrossed in their meal, her gaze softening as she patted Afu's head. "They don't think as far ahead as their father; they only see what's in front of them. They'll have to learn more from their father in the future."

Mr. Chen waved his hand, picked up the bowl of porridge, took a sip, and mumbled "Take your time," thus putting the matter behind him.

----

The next morning, before dawn, a bluish-white light shone through the paper windows of the east wing. The courtyard was quiet; the sparrows in the old locust tree hadn't started chirping yet, and dew clung to the blades of grass, glistening.

Su Xiaoyin quietly dressed, pushed open the door, and saw that the kitchen light was already on. Su Xiaoqing was squatting in front of the stove, adding firewood to the firebox, the firelight making her face look rosy.

"Sister, you're up? I wanted you to sleep a little longer." Su Xiaoqing looked up at her, her hand still holding the firewood stick.

Su Xiaoyin tied on her apron, scooped water from the vat to wash her face, and the cool water made her shiver. "I can't sleep, and my back hurts from lying down for too long. Are Shi Tou and the others up yet?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of turning pages came from the main room.

The two sisters peeked out and saw that the three boys, Shitou, Aji, and Afu, were already up and sitting side by side at the table in the main room, each with a book open in front of them. Shitou held his book and was reading aloud, his voice not loud but very focused. Aji was lying on the table, tracing lines on the surface with his finger, as if he were writing from memory. Afu held his book in both hands, his little brow furrowed, reading word by word, pausing to think when he got stuck, and turning to ask his brother how to read it if he couldn't remember.

Su Xiaoqing carried a bowl of hot water over and placed it on the corner of the table.

"Do you all get up this early to memorize your lessons in the county town too?"

Shi Tou looked up, his eyes sparkling: "Yes, Auntie. I feel my mind is clearest in the morning, so I can memorize quickly and remember well. As the teacher said, 'The early bird catches the worm,' and if you don't memorize in the morning, it's like wasting half the day."

Aji chimed in without even looking up: "Mom, when we see our eldest brother get up to recite his lessons, we get up too, so we can keep each other accountable. Sometimes we even have competitions to see who can recite the fastest."

Afu nodded in agreement, his little face full of seriousness: "Mom, I've memorized a lot too. I've memorized everything the teacher taught me yesterday."

Su Xiaoqing smiled and patted his head, her voice softening, "Okay, then you two study hard. How about I steam some minced meat and egg custard for you this morning? It'll be tender, with a few drops of sesame oil on top."

Afu's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, "Okay! Mom, drizzle a few more drops of sesame oil on the chicken cake!" Su Xiaoqing smiled and agreed, then turned to go to the kitchen to get eggs. Su Xiaoyin followed her in, and the two sisters-in-law, one cracking eggs and the other chopping minced meat, soon filled the kitchen with the aroma of chicken cake.

Mr. and Mrs. Chen also got up. Mr. Chen sat on the doorstep with his pipe in hand, listening to his three grandsons recite their lessons with a smile on his face, but he didn't say anything. Mrs. Chen went to the backyard to feed the chickens, and when she passed the door of the main room, she walked quietly so as not to disturb the children.

After breakfast, the family went about their own business. Su Xiaoyin took her three children to the backyard to feed the chickens. She scooped half a ladle of rice husks from the barn, poured it into a wooden basin, added water, and stirred it with a stick. Shitou squatted at the entrance of the chicken coop, scattering handfuls of food inside. The chickens flapped their wings and swarmed around, jostling and clucking incessantly. Aji and Afu, carrying small baskets, bent down to collect eggs from the henhouse. Afu pulled out a still-warm, red-shelled egg, held it high, and shouted, "Auntie, I found a big one!" Su Xiaoyin took it, looked at it, and praised, "Afu is great!" Afu smiled, revealing his gap-toothed smile.

"From now on, you'll be in charge of collecting eggs while you're at home. I'll call you when it's time to feed the chickens in the morning," Su Xiaoyin said, putting the eggs into the basket. Shi Tou took the lead in agreeing, and the three brothers each took on their tasks, then went back to their rooms to do their homework.

After finishing her work, Su Xiaoyin went into the east wing to continue embroidering with Su Xiaoqing. The "Phoenixes and Luan Birds" embroidery was already more than half complete. The phoenixes' tail feathers were embroidered with gradient silk threads, from vermilion to orange-yellow, layered upon layer, shimmering softly in the light. The lotus scroll pattern was also outlined with gold thread, instantly exuding an air of wealth and luxury. With only a few more days until completion, the two sisters were eager to push the project forward.

Qingqing was also inside, sitting by the window, practicing embroidery with a scrap of cloth in her hand. She learned very quickly; she mastered most of the basic stitches Su Xiaoyin taught her in just half a month. Now, Qingqing practices embroidery at home every other day and goes to the county town to sell goods every other day. She's quick and accurate at accounting, and the regular customers at the shop all praise her for being like a little housekeeper. Su Xiaoyin looked at her and thought to herself, in a few years, this girl will be able to stand on her own two feet.