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

Yesterday's mixed fish soup, made with small fish and shrimp, was delicious, but it was also very oily. Chen Xiaohe sipped his morning porridge, thinking, "Yesterday's fish soup was flavorful, but it was too oily. Today I need to go to the river and set out a few more fish baskets. If I can catch more small fish and shrimp, I'll dry them and store them. Later, when I make soup or stew, I can just throw a handful in; it'll enhance the flavor without wasting oil, which will definitely be good."

As Chen's mother was distributing pickled vegetables to everyone, she heard this and asked, "Are you three going to the fields today?"

Father Chen swallowed the porridge in his mouth and nodded. "Yes, we have to go. This rain is good; the crops are growing taller, and the weeds in the fields are growing like crazy too. We need to hurry and pull the weeds, otherwise they'll compete with the seedlings for fertilizer and water, and the autumn harvest will be less." He paused, then looked at his youngest son. "Xiaohe, if you have time when you come back tonight, weave a few more bamboo mats. Today, your mother, your sister-in-law, and Xiaoqing went up the mountain to pick mushrooms again. The beans, eggplants, and cucumbers in the fields have all come off the market these past few days. We can't eat them all, so your mother said she wants to dry some vegetables to save for winter. We're afraid we won't have enough mats."

Chen Xiaohe readily agreed: "Okay, Dad! I'll weave them as soon as I get back tonight, enough for our needs. I'll think about it some more and build you a few lightweight drying racks, specifically for drying mushrooms and vegetables. They'll save space and provide good ventilation."

Chen Dashan chimed in, "Xiaoyin, when you go up the mountain, keep an eye out for trees with good grain and that are thick and straight enough. I need to have some timber ready for the jobs I'm taking on."

"Okay, Brother Dashan!" Su Xiaoyin nodded to indicate that she understood.

After breakfast, the family split into two groups. Father Chen, with Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe, carrying hoes and wearing straw hats, trudged along the still-damp paddy field ridges towards the fields. Mother Chen, along with Su Xiaoyin and her daughter-in-law Su Xiaoqing, carried the largest basket on their backs, along with a small basket for mushrooms and a small hoe for digging bamboo shoots, and set off again towards the back mountain.

The mountain forest after the rain was indeed a treasure trove. From the decaying leaves and damp soil, all sorts of mushrooms eagerly poked their heads out, plump and juicy. Hazel mushrooms, straw mushrooms, pine mushrooms, and even a few rare chanterelles, their bright yellow color was irresistible. The three women, experienced as they were, carefully selected those that were intact and of normal color. Occasionally, they would pluck a handful of particularly tender wild vegetables, intending to pickle them into a refreshing side dish later.

"Mom, when we go down the mountain later, shall we go around to the bamboo forest and take a look?" Su Xiaoqing suggested while picking mushrooms. "What if we run into bamboo fungus? Even if we don't, it would be good to dig up some tender bamboo shoots. We can pickle them and make sour bamboo shoots. They're the most appetizing and delicious food to eat in the summer."

Chen's mother straightened up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and laughed, "Sure, it's on the way anyway. Bamboo fungus is a rare find, but there's plenty of tender bamboo shoots. Dig up more, dry some bamboo shoots, and pickle two big jars of sour bamboo shoots. Everyone in the family loves this now."

The three women worked swiftly, and before noon, their baskets were filled with plump, fresh mushrooms, weighing heavily on their shoulders. They went home first, unloaded the mushrooms onto a clean bamboo mat they had prepared beforehand, and separated the damaged ones to be cooked for dinner. Without stopping, they put down their empty baskets, drank some cool boiled water, picked up their tools, and headed towards the bamboo grove.

The bamboo grove was even quieter and more damp than the mountainside, the air filled with the fresh scent of bamboo leaves. The three of them treaded lightly, heads bowed, searching carefully. Bamboo fungus was indeed scarce, only five or six scattered here and there, but their quality was excellent—white and plump. They weren't greedy, carefully picking them. Their greater harvest consisted of tender bamboo shoots sprouting after the rain, their husks still covered in fuzz, revealing a jade-like, tender interior. They carefully dug up quite a few, selecting those of suitable thickness, until their baskets were heavy again.

Carrying baskets full of bamboo shoots and a few precious bamboo fungus, the three descended the mountain along the familiar path. Sunlight dappled through the forest, and their footsteps rustled on the soft fallen leaves. Suddenly, the bushes ahead shook violently, and a grayish-brown shadow darted out, brushing past Su Xiaoyin's feet as it fled down the slope!

Caught off guard, Su Xiaoyin was startled and instinctively raised her foot to block. The shadow struck her calf with considerable force, rebounding back with a muffled thud as it slammed into the trunk of an old pine tree beside her. It twitched twice and then lay still.

The three looked closely and realized it was a plump wild rabbit! It had probably come out to forage after the rain and was startled by them.

"It's a rabbit!" Su Xiaoqing exclaimed in surprise.

Chen's mother reacted the fastest, rushing forward to check. The rabbit's neck was twisted at an unnatural angle, and it was already lifeless. A smile appeared on her face, and she quickly looked around before picking up the still-warm rabbit, stuffing it into Su Xiaoyin's basket, and covering it tightly with the pig feed and bamboo leaves on top.

"What great luck! Now we can have a big meal tonight!" Mrs. Chen said in a low voice, her eyes gleaming. "Hurry up, don't let anyone see us."

Just as I hid the rabbit and turned a corner, I ran into a woman from the same village who was also coming down the mountain, carrying a half-basket of wild vegetables.

"Grandma, up the mountain again? Oh, and your two nieces-in-law are here too, you're so diligent!" The woman greeted them with a smile, her gaze sweeping over their heavy baskets.

Chen's mother put on her usual slightly shy smile and patted the basket on her back: "Yes, it's his aunt. There are lots of mushrooms on the mountain after the rain, so I picked some. I also dug up a few tender bamboo shoots in the bamboo forest; we'll pickle them to eat in the summer."

"That's right, the bamboo shoots are at their most tender right now. Your family is always busy, either working in the fields or going up the mountain. I heard they often go to the county town to sell exquisite wooden and bamboo crafts. Their lives are getting better and better!" The woman's tone was filled with envy.

"Farmers just need to be hardworking to make a living," Chen's mother said modestly. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, she led her two daughters-in-law and quickened their pace home.

Only after entering their own yard and closing the gate did the three women—mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—breathe a sigh of relief and exchange smiles. Mother Chen picked up the rabbit, weighed it in her hand, and found it to be at least three or four pounds. "What a lucky day! This rabbit is plump, and its skin is intact. Once it's tanned, we can make a hand warmer for winter."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were overjoyed. Su Xiaoyin recalled the kick from earlier, still feeling a mix of fear and amusement: "I didn't see it clearly, I was startled and just lifted my foot, I didn't expect..."

"This is a lucky treat that the silly rabbit stumbled upon!" Mother Chen laughed. "Hurry up and get ready. The rabbit will wait for Dashan to come back to peel them. Spread the mushrooms out to dry, peel the bamboo shoots, stir-fry the tender ones for dinner, and slice and dry the older ones. Continue to air-dry the bamboo fungus. Xiaohe will weave the mat frame tonight, which will come in handy."

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name 1110 ...

The courtyard immediately bustled with activity. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing processed bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Chen's mother went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, pondering whether to braise rabbit or stir-fry it with dried chili peppers for dinner.

The sun grew intense, but the jujube tree in the yard cast a cool shade. Mushrooms spread out on the bamboo mat gradually lost their moisture, the fresh scent of the mountains slowly settling. Freshly peeled bamboo shoots gleamed with a jade-white luster on another bamboo sieve. That unexpected wild rabbit would soon become the most anticipated delicacy on the dinner table. Summer labor, though arduous, was filled with a sense of fulfilling joy and sweet anticipation thanks to these unexpected gifts from the forest and the harvest from the family's united efforts. The flavors of life, in these busy fingertips and amidst the cooking smoke, were gradually pickled, dried, and stored, brewing a richness and warmth sufficient to withstand the cold winter.