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

After dinner, the family didn't rush to clear the dishes but sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air. The moon rose, its clear light spilling onto the ground like a thin layer of frost. The evening breeze carried the scent of crops and grass, dispelling the daytime heat. Su Xiaoyin recounted how she had gathered bamboo leaves that day and then shared her plans for the Dragon Boat Festival.

After listening, Mr. Chen tapped his pipe and asked, "So, are you still sending mugwort today? Sending only zongzi leaves isn't enough for the Dragon Boat Festival, is it? Mugwort is also a seasonal item, for good luck, to ward off evil spirits and plagues."

Chen Dashan took over, speaking calmly: "As for mugwort, we'll give you a bunch for every fifty coins spent. We'll also give you free bamboo leaves when you buy anything in the shop, no minimum purchase amount. My mother should also stock up at the stall, so that if we give some to the shop but not to the stall, people will say we're being unfair."

Mr. Chen nodded and added, "During the Dragon Boat Festival, your mother and I will sell the goods together so she won't be overwhelmed by herself. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, there are many people at the stall, and she has to serve customers, collect money, and give change all by herself. She's always so busy that she can't even stand still. This year, I'll lend a hand."

Chen Dashan said, "Dad, I'll deliver the furniture tomorrow. Manager Li's furniture is finished, and I've let it air out for several days. I'll deliver it to him tomorrow and see if there's anything that needs to be changed."

Chen Xiaohe said from the side, "Then I'll go to the general store to sell goods tomorrow. Dad, do you want to go to the county town to see Mom? School won't be out for several more days, and Mom and the children won't be back for a while. You don't have much to do in the village by yourself, so why don't you go to the county town to stay with Mom for a few days and help her with the stall, so she won't be too busy by herself. The wind is strong in spring, and her eyes get bad in spring; they tear up if she looks at things for too long."

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Chen nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go to the county town with you tomorrow and stay with your mother for a few days. Then we'll come back together when the children have their holidays."

Su Xiaoyin stood up to clear the dishes and said to Chen's father, "Dad, you can go now. We'll continue our work at home, making summer clothes, sewing sachets, and preparing for the Dragon Boat Festival. We can do everything, so you don't need to worry about things at home."

After the dishes were cleared away, the light in the kitchen was still on. Su Xiaoqing squatted in front of the stove adding firewood and keeping the water warm in the pot for tomorrow morning.

----

"Sister, what do you think? It's the summer dress I made for Qingqing."

Su Xiaoqing's voice came from the doorway of the main room, tinged with pride and excitement. She held up a newly made blouse, made of light blue fine cotton, with a round collar and short sleeves. A small orchid was embroidered on the chest, outlined with light purple silk thread, the stitches fine and even. Next to the orchid was a tiny pearl button, a precious item she usually wouldn't use. The whole garment was simple yet elegant, perfectly matching Qingqing's quiet and gentle nature.

Su Xiaoyin was sewing her summer clothes by the window of the east wing when she heard her sister's words. She looked up, put down her needle and thread, and took the little jacket, unfolding it to examine it. She scrutinized it for a while, her fingers tracing the stitches on the collar and the small orchid. Her eyes lit up, and her tone was full of sincere admiration: "Your craftsmanship is excellent, and your ideas are wonderful too. This orchid is so beautifully embroidered. Qingqing will definitely be happy wearing it. That girl has never liked bright and colorful things; she only likes simple and clean styles. You've really captured her heart. I'll be finished soon, and then I'll make two more summer clothes for us, and then we'll be almost done."

Su Xiaoqing sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), folded the little jacket and put it aside. She picked up the clothes Su Xiaoyin was making, glanced at them, nodded, and praised her sister for her neat stitches. Su Xiaoyin stretched her stiff neck and arms, then gathered the scraps of fabric into a basket.

"We need to make more Dragon Boat Festival items in the remaining time. I want to make more colorful ropes and sachets this year. We didn't make enough last year, and they sold out before the festival even arrived. Many people came to ask about them, but we were out of stock. It's a shame to lose business like that." Su Xiaoyin counted the days on her fingers, knowing that if she didn't start now, it would be too late.

Su Xiaoqing nodded, her tone filled with excitement and eagerness: "Sure, sis. I've come up with a few new designs for silk flowers—peach blossom, apricot blossom, lotus blossom, and one with several layers of petals stacked together. They'll definitely look beautiful when they're finished. Once they're done, we can sell them at the shop and stall together; they're sure to sell well."

Su Xiaoyin stood up, walked to the window, rubbed her eyes, and stretched her neck. After doing needlework all morning, her neck and shoulders were stiff, and her eyes were a little sore.

"Let's go, we've been working all day, let's rest our eyes for a bit." She turned to Su Xiaoqing and said, "Let's go gather pig feed, I see there's not much left in the pile in the backyard, these pigs eat non-stop all day long, like a bottomless pit. While we're at it, let's gather some more zongzi leaves, the ones we picked yesterday weren't enough, we need to prepare some more. We'll deliver to the shop and the stalls, we can't stop."

Su Xiaoqing stood up in response, took two baskets from behind the door, handed one to her sister, and then took a small hoe from the wall. The two sisters left the courtyard and headed towards the back mountain.

The roadside weeds drooped under the sun, and even the dogs lay panting under the eaves. The sun was blazing, turning the soil white and kicking up dust with every step. Su Xiaoqing walked ahead, her basket swaying on her back, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Sis, let's have some cold noodles for lunch. It's getting hotter and hotter, and I can't eat anything. I feel full just looking at hot soup and rice."

Su Xiaoyin followed behind, carrying a basket in one hand and a small hoe in the other, and replied, "Okay, I'll make cold noodles for lunch. Add plenty of cucumber shreds to cool you down. Also, slice up a salted duck egg, the kind with a runny yolk, to eat with it."

Su Xiaoqing sighed and looked up at the sky. The sky was a clear, deep blue, without a single cloud, and the sun was blindingly bright, making one's scalp tingle.

"You bet it is. It feels even hotter this year than last year. At this time last year, it wasn't this hot, was it? There was a cool breeze in the morning and evening. This year, even the wind is hot. It feels like my face is burning." She fanned herself with her hand, but it didn't help. The heat stuck to her body and she couldn't shake it off.

Su Xiaoqing looked up at the sky, her brows furrowing slightly. "There's less rain than last year. In previous years, it would rain every ten days or so at this time, but this year there's barely been any rain, and the fields are all dry. Sister, do you think this year might see a severe drought?"

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment, still unsure, but tried to sound optimistic: "Let's see if there's more rain after the Dragon Boat Festival. Farmers depend on the weather; if it doesn't rain, there's nothing anyone can do. But we're lucky; we have a well in the fields to irrigate, so we won't have a complete crop failure. It's just those mushrooms and wood ear fungus on the mountain—"