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

The first New Year after the family split up came earlier than usual. On the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month, not long after the Kitchen God's image was pasted up, Shi Tou and A Ji returned with the Zhang sisters and their children. When the mule cart stopped at the gate of the courtyard, the cart was fully loaded with New Year's goods—two slices of pork belly, a basket of frozen pears, a jar of yellow wine, and several packets of pastries wrapped in oil paper, bought from an old shop in the county town. Shi Tou jumped off the cart and carried the items into the kitchen one by one, then turned around to help Zhang Qiuming unload the bundles from the cart. Zhang Qiuming was bending down to re-tie the scarf for the child when Shi Tou reached out and took the bundles from her hands. The movement was small, but it was natural and handed to her—as if he had practiced it beforehand. When Zhang Yuming got off the cart with the child in her arms, A Ji had already opened an umbrella to shield them from the wind. Zhang Yuming lowered her head and whispered "thank you." A Ji did not respond, but simply tilted the umbrella further towards her. Su Xiaoyin stood at the kitchen door watching this scene, clutching a bunch of scallions in her hand. She didn't say a word, then turned back into the kitchen to continue her work.

Shi Tou and A Ji returned earlier than usual, bringing back more things than ever before. They even voluntarily cleaned their house thoroughly, inside and out. They replaced the window paper, wiped the old dust off the doorframes, and even swept the fallen leaves in the yard twice. Chen's mother sat on the porch watching for a while, but didn't go over to help. She simply gave each of her two grandsons an extra piece of braised pork at dinner, without saying a word. A Fu and Zhao Qinghuan came over early to help prepare the New Year's goods. Zhao Qinghuan was still quick and efficient, sitting by the stove helping to pick vegetables, knead dough, and make dumplings, doing everything perfectly. A Fu squatted in the yard chopping firewood, stacking the chopped firewood neatly in piles at the kitchen door, enough to last until the Lantern Festival. Chen's mother glanced at it as she passed by, said nothing, and handed him a freshly steamed basket of buns to tide him over.

On New Year's Eve, two large tables were set in the main room, one for adults and one for children. The table was laden with dishes: braised fish, stewed chicken, braised pork belly, fried meatballs, eight-treasure rice, steamed dumplings, and cold dishes. Father Chen sat at the head of the table, raised his wine glass, looked at everyone at the table, then at the old locust tree swaying gently in the wind in the courtyard, and said that although the family had separated this year, they still spent the New Year together. He paused, then added—"It will be like this every year from now on." Shi Tou rose and raised his glass, saying that it was good that everyone was reunited. The family clinked their glasses, the rims tapping together with a crisp sound that echoed in the main room.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Qingqing and Yang Wenhu returned with Song'er and Lu'er. As soon as the mule cart stopped at the courtyard gate, Song'er jumped off and ran into the yard, Lu'er following behind, each faster than the other. The two children circled the yard, then ran into the kitchen to watch Su Xiaoyin steam cakes, then ran out to talk to Chen's mother, and then ran out to chase the dog. They had already gnawed on half a candied hawthorn, the red sugar coating sticking to their lips, making them look like two little New Year's picture dolls. Yang Wenhu unloaded a large pile of things from the cart: cloth, wine, dried fruit, and a basket of bright oranges, saying they were new arrivals from the shops in town. Yang Wenhu carried the last package into the kitchen, straightened up, glanced at Qingqing talking to Chen's mother, then walked to Chen Dashan and whispered, "Mother, Qingqing is pregnant again, three months along. The doctor checked her and said the pregnancy is stable, she'll probably give birth around the autumn harvest."

Chen Dashan paused for a moment, then smiled. Su Xiaoyin, who was untying her apron at the kitchen door, stopped what she was doing upon hearing this, quickly came out, took Qingqing's hand, and said repeatedly, "Great! With a bountiful autumn harvest, the children will never have to worry about food or drink again." She looked Qingqing up and down a few times, then asked if she had any discomfort during the pregnancy. Qingqing smiled and said she could eat and sleep well, but was just a bit lazy and didn't want to move. Su Xiaoqing peeked out from the kitchen and chimed in, saying that after the New Year, they would go to Jishetang to have the doctor check again to see if it was twins, and that she would make plans accordingly. Yang Wenhu said he had already made an appointment with the doctor and would go after the fifteenth of the lunar month. He and Qingqing had also discussed it; whether it was one or twins, they wouldn't have any more after the first birth. Qingqing wanted another daughter, but if it was another son, she would accept it; three sons would be fine too. After listening for a while, Chen's mother reached out and touched Qingqing's belly, saying, "Your belly is pointed like this; it's probably another boy." Qingqing laughed and said, "Then we don't have enough stools at home." Chen's mother replied, "If we don't have enough, we'll add two more."

When Qingqing's family left, the cart was crammed full of things again. Mother Chen carried the newly made sausages, smoked meat, dried mushrooms, cabbage, a jar of pickled radishes, and a vat of sauerkraut onto the cart one by one. Yang Wenhu wanted to say that it was too full, but Mother Chen glared at him, and he swallowed his words. Qingqing stood by the cart, looking at the overflowing load, and said, "Grandma, next time I come back, I'll have to get a bigger cart." Mother Chen patted the cart and said, "A big cart is good; a big cart can carry more." Qingqing smiled and got on the cart, saying, "Grandma, take care." The mule cart creaked and groaned as it started moving, and she waved from the cart. Mother Chen stood at the gate for a while, the wind blowing her hair wildly, and she didn't try to gather it back up.

After seeing Qingqing off, the courtyard quieted down. Zhao Qinghuan sat on the porch to rest. Afu handed her a bowl of warm water. She leaned against the bowl for a while, then looked up at Afu, her voice low, as if casually mentioning a small matter: "Should we have another child? Isn't one child a bit lonely?" Afu sat down beside her, thought for a moment, and shook his head seriously, saying that he felt one was enough. One child could receive all their love; another would definitely divide the attention, and besides, the family property would all be his, avoiding any sibling rivalry. He spoke softly but with great certainty. He paused, his voice softening as if afraid of being overheard: "Besides, I was terrified when you gave birth last time. I don't want you to go through that again."

Hearing this, Zhao Qinghuan looked away from his face, lowered her head, took a sip of warm water, and said nothing. Afu waited for her to finish, then took the empty bowl from her, stood up, dusted off his trousers, and said he needed to ask his uncle and father about the spring planting plans, telling her to rest first. Zhao Qinghuan nodded, leaned against a pillar, and watched Afu's back as he walked across the courtyard towards the kitchen.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe were squatting in the yard watching the two ewes. The goats were grazing on hay in their pen, taking their time, occasionally glancing up at the people. Afu went over and explained his purpose. Chen Dashan said that spring planting was proceeding as usual; the fertilizer had already been applied, and they would buy seeds in a neighboring county after the fifteenth of the lunar month, asking Afu to come along. Afu said he also planned to hire people for his land, just the same group of workers as him, as they were hardworking and wouldn't need to be hired elsewhere. Chen Xiaohe chimed in, asking what he planned to plant for medicinal herbs this year, so he could prepare the land in advance to avoid missing the planting season. Afu replied that the list of medicinal herbs was already prepared.

Chen Dashan asked about raising sheep again, and Chen Xiaohe said that the two ewes had already been bred and would give birth in the spring, at which time they could add a few more sheep. After listening, Afu stood for a while, brushed the bits of grass off his hands, and said that it was settled then.