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

Chen Dashan was washing his hands in the yard when he heard this. He splashed water on his face, wiped it, and walked over, saying confidently, "That's a good idea. Tell me how big the wooden trough is. One foot wide, any length, it'll fit perfectly under the kang (heated brick bed). Find some black soil from the mountain and bring it home. Let it dry in the sun to kill any insects, so we don't bring any eggs into the house. I'll also replant a patch of chives tomorrow morning, specifically for transplanting in the fall. The current crop is still too small; even after transplanting, it won't be enough."

Hearing this, Chen Xiaohe joined in, his voice a little louder than usual: "In the fall, we'll chop more firewood and prepare more wooden troughs. If it works out, we can also sell fresh leeks and garlic sprouts in the winter, which would be unique in the county. A unique business is so easy to run!"

Chen Dashan looked at his younger brother, then at Su Xiaoyin, and a smile curved his lips. The whole family was thinking the same thing. That's how life is; a small matter can lead to a series of arrangements. With everyone talking, everything was put into practice.

Night has fallen, the fire in the stove has gone out, but the warmth still lingers in the cracks between the bricks. The moon has risen outside the window, its gentle light spilling into the courtyard, casting a swaying shadow on the ground of the old locust tree. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Delivering steamed buns, buying glutinous rice, making bamboo tubes, planting chives—life is mundane, but fulfilling, and full of hope.

----

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a bright, warm glow on the floor of the east wing. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing sat side by side by the window, several half-embroidered handkerchiefs and a pile of colorful silk threads laid out before them. Embroidery frames rested on their laps, and needles and threads moved through the fabric, making a soft rustling sound, like silkworms eating mulberry leaves.

Su Xiaoqing stopped her work, put the needle back into the thread, and stretched her neck. Her gaze fell on the half-finished peony embroidery. The petals were layered, made with different shades of red silk thread, gradation from deep red to light pink, with a touch of pale gold at the edges—colors she had spent an entire afternoon matching a few days ago. After looking at it for a while, she suddenly spoke up: "Sister, how about we embroider a flower and bird design next time? Flowers, birds, plants—peonies, plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, chrysanthemums, and even pheasants and egrets—they're all quite easy to embroider. They look vibrant and are pleasing to the eye when displayed indoors. They're both decorative and culturally symbolic; I'm sure many people will like them."

Su Xiaoyin raised her head, put down her needlework, and thought carefully. She turned the handkerchief over to look at the loose threads on the back, sorted out her thoughts, and slowly said, "That's fine too. Didn't Manager Sun say this time that it wasn't suitable for the main hall? The 'Phoenix and Luan' embroidery has a good meaning and is exquisitely embroidered, but it is indeed a bit too delicate and lacks presence; it won't be grand enough to command the front hall. The flower and bird painting is different; it's appreciated by all, and it's suitable for the living room, study, and bedroom." She paused, then added, "Then let's finish our current work these next two days and start drawing the embroidery patterns. Your skills are better than mine, so you draw them. I'll draw the patterns for these few cushions first, and then we can make the cushions and embroidery patterns together, so it won't delay anything."

Su Xiaoqing nodded in agreement, her tone light and confident: "Okay, sister, I'll listen to you. Let's hurry up and put the tofu out to dry; we have other things to do this afternoon." She stood up, put the embroidery frame aside, and straightened the hem of her clothes. "Oh, right, sister, I heard that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Hu family at the west end of the village is pregnant. It must be a happy occasion. Let's go and deliver some eggs over later. When we had our babies, they brought eggs with them; we can't forget that gift."

Su Xiaoyin was tidying up the scraps of cloth on the table, sorting them by similar colors and putting them into her sewing basket. Hearing her sister's words, she paused, counted the days on her fingers, and nodded: "Then we should take two sets. When they came, they gave you a set of eggs and me a set too. Back then, each family had ten eggs, so it wouldn't be right for us to return ten; it would seem stingy. How about we add a little more, sixteen for each of us? A few more won't seem like much, but it shows their kindness. We're all neighbors, isn't it all about giving and receiving?" Su Xiaoqing agreed and turned to collect eggs from the chicken coop in the backyard. They were all round and plump, some still warm, carrying the warmth of the hen. She picked out the ones that were evenly sized, wiped them clean with a soft cloth, and gently placed them in the basket.

On the bamboo mat in the courtyard, pieces of dried tofu were stacked one by one, white and tender in the sunlight, glistening with a delicate sheen, their edges slightly curled up. Su Xiaoyin walked over, squatted down, arranged the last few pieces, and moved the bamboo mat to ensure each piece could get some sun.

"Alright, the last piece is dried. Let's pack up and go." Su Xiaoyin stood up and patted the crumbs off her hands.

The two sisters, each carrying a bamboo basket covered with a clean white cloth, left the courtyard one after the other. They met several villagers along the way, who greeted them and asked where they were going. Su Xiaoyin smiled and replied, "Going to visit the Hu family." Some envied the Hu family's daughter-in-law for being so lucky to receive so many eggs after giving birth; others admired the Chen sisters for their kindness, remembering the eggs they had received. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing didn't respond, their steps unwavering.

Upon arriving at the Hu family home, the eldest daughter-in-law was sitting in the main room drinking porridge. Her belly was already showing, her complexion was rosy, and she seemed to be in good spirits. Seeing Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing enter, she quickly put down her bowl and tried to stand up, but Su Xiaoyin stopped her.

"Don't move, don't move, sit down." Su Xiaoyin placed the basket on the table, lifted the white cloth to reveal a bunch of round, red-shelled eggs. "We heard you were pregnant, so my sister and I came to see you. Keep these eggs to nourish yourself. They're from our own chickens, very fresh."

Looking at the basket full of eggs, Hu's eldest daughter-in-law's eyes reddened, and she held Su Xiaoyin's hand, unable to speak. Hu's mother-in-law came out of the kitchen with two bowls of brown sugar water, one for each of them, insisting they drink it. Su Xiaoyin couldn't refuse, so she picked up her bowl and drank a few sips, and Su Xiaoqing followed suit.

After sitting for a while, the two sisters got up to say goodbye. Grandma Hu saw them to the courtyard gate, held Su Xiaoyin's hand, and said a lot of words of gratitude. Su Xiaoyin smiled and said, "It's nothing," and turned to leave.

On the way home, Su Xiaoqing felt relieved seeing her basket was empty, and her steps became lighter. The two sisters walked and talked, Su Xiaoqing's voice light and cheerful: "Sister, the Hu family's daughter-in-law looks good, like she'll have a good fertility. Her belly is pointed, and the elders say a pointed belly means a son." Su Xiaoyin smiled and replied, "It doesn't matter if it's a son or a daughter, as long as they're healthy." Su Xiaoqing nodded.

From afar, Su Xiaoyin saw a person standing at the gate of her courtyard, raising his hand to knock. She quickened her pace and, upon closer inspection, saw it was Brother De. He was wearing a worn blue cloth jacket, a straw hat, and his face was tanned dark red.