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

The first rays of dawn shone through the newly pasted paper windows, bathing the room in a warm and bright light. Su Xiaoyin opened her eyes and instinctively touched her still flat stomach, where a tiny life was quietly growing. Filled with indescribable joy, she got up, dressed, and went out of the room. She saw that her younger sister, Su Xiaoqing, had also woken up and was ready. The two sisters smiled at each other, their eyes filled with the shyness of first-time mothers.

At this moment, Chen's mother entered the house carrying a rough earthenware tray, her face beaming with undisguised smiles and affection: "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, hurry up and eat the eggs while they're hot. Now that the chickens and ducks in the house have started laying eggs, from now on, you must each eat a boiled egg every morning! It's nutritious and good for the children." On the tray, two smooth-peeled hard-boiled eggs were still steaming, next to two bowls of golden, fragrant chicken soup, with a few plump mountain mushrooms floating on the surface, their aroma irresistible.

"Mom, this is too precious..." Su Xiaoyin said with some unease. In farming families, eggs were a valuable commodity that could be traded for salt and needles and thread. In the past, apart from children and the sick, who would be willing to eat them every day?

"What do you mean by precious!" Chen's mother shoved the eggs into their hands without giving them a chance to argue. "Your health is the most precious thing right now! I won't exchange any of the eggs at home; I'll save them all to nourish you. I've already pickled the duck eggs; I'll give them to you when the yolks are oily—that'll be so delicious! Quick, drink this chicken soup first. I've been simmering it all morning; it's cooked perfectly, and the mushrooms are fresh. Try it."

The two sisters couldn't refuse their mother-in-law's insistence, so they accepted the soup. The chicken soup was indeed exceptionally delicious, and the warm broth slid comfortably down their throats. Su Xiaoqing, eating a small bite of egg, said gratefully, "Mother, you should drink some too. It's better for everyone to eat together."

At this moment, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe also finished washing up and entered the main room. Chen Dashan carried a bowl of stew, which he placed on the table. It contained the remaining rabbit meat (actually not much meat) and a large amount of green vegetables and radishes. "Mother stewed the rabbit, this is enough for us. You are eating alone now, but you need to supplement your nutrition as two people. Eggs and chicken soup should be reserved for you." His tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable concern.

Su Xiaoyin glanced at the bowl of stew; there were hardly any pieces of meat in it. She understood that her mother-in-law must have picked out all the good meat and saved it for her father-in-law who was going to do corvée labor. The mother and daughters were saving the meat for the hardest-working people and children. This silent thoughtfulness brought a slight lump to her throat.

"Xiaohe," Chen's mother said, serving food to her two daughters-in-law as she instructed, "After dinner, take that pot of stewed rabbit meat to your father. Secretly tell him the good news, so he can be happy too and have more energy to work! But remember, it's just for family to know. Don't tell outsiders until it's been three months. That's the old rule."

Chen Dashan chimed in, "There's a big market day in the county town today. Xiaohe, after you finish delivering the goods, take the wood carvings and bamboo weaving we've been making these past few days and sell them too. We'll sell whatever we can, so it won't be a wasted trip. Right now, Mom and I can manage the work in the fields."

Chen's mother thought it was a good idea: "Okay, this arrangement is appropriate. Xiaohe, after you finish selling your goods, buy a pound of pork belly. If you find any cheap pork bones, bring them back too. We'll make dumplings tonight and also make a pot of bone broth. I feel that since the beginning of spring, our family has been drinking bone broth regularly, and both adults and children have become much healthier and more robust."

Su Xiaoyin recalled what her mother had said before and said softly, "In our hometown in the south, they also say that bone broth is the most nourishing. If a child is growing slowly, or if someone has a bone injury, they tell them to drink more bone broth so that they can recover faster."

Mother Chen nodded repeatedly, "That makes sense! Health is the most important thing. From now on, when we go to the market, we'd rather buy less of other things, but we should always buy a couple of big bones to make soup. If the whole family is healthy and gets sick less often, that's better than anything else! We can buy so much meat with the money we save on medicine!"

Breakfast concluded amidst lively planning and the warm aroma of chicken soup. The family immediately got to work.

Chen Xiaohe carefully wrapped the jar containing rabbit meat and the things he was worried about at home, put it into his basket, and then, together with Chen Dashan, loaded the prepared wooden carvings, bamboo baskets, and boxes onto the cart and tied them securely. He pushed the cart, and it creaked and groaned as it drove out of the village, heading first towards the river works area.

Chen Dashan picked up a hoe and went to tend to the fourteen mu of wasteland that was beginning to show signs of green. He weeded, applied fertilizer (using freshly composted livestock manure from his home), and checked the growth of the rice seedlings. He thought to himself that when his father returned and saw how well the crops were growing, he would surely be pleased.

Chen's mother slung a large basket over her shoulder, picked up a small hoe, and waved to her daughter-in-law who wanted to follow her, saying, "Neither of you are allowed to go anywhere today. Just stay home and rest, and do some embroidery. I'll take care of things on the mountain." With that, she walked briskly towards the back of the mountain, thinking about picking more mushrooms and digging up some tender ferns to add more fresh mountain flavors to the family.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were "ordered" to stay home, but their hearts were warmed. They knew this was the most genuine care from their family. The two sisters cleaned the main room, then took out their embroidery frames and colored threads, and sat down by the bright window. Their fingers brushed across the smooth fabric, threading the needle, and two small embroidery designs, "Magpies on Plum Blossoms" and "Lotus Giving Birth to a Noble Child," gradually took shape at their fingertips. They agreed that while they were still relatively healthy, they should finish these two auspicious designs as soon as possible and take them to an embroidery shop to exchange for money. Then, before giving birth, they would work together to embroider two more medium-sized, more intricate pieces, mainly for their own family, but also to build up some financial security for their soon-to-be-born child.

In the courtyard, chicks chirped and pecked at the ground, while ducks and geese frolicked in a makeshift puddle. The jujube tree in the corner, its leaves growing ever more lush and verdant, swayed gently in the early summer breeze. This morning, the Chen family's life flowed quietly amidst worry, labor, and silent anticipation. Far away, Chen's father, working on the river, would soon receive meat and good news from home; Chen's son, Chen Xiaohe, at the market, would earn a few coins for his family; Chen's mother, nestled in the mountains, was searching for nature's bounty; Chen Dashan, sweating profusely in the fields, was cultivating the land for the future harvest; and at home, two embroidered patterns, imbued with love and hope, were slowly taking shape under skillful hands. All of this converged into a solid and warm force, supporting this family, propelling them steadily towards a more prosperous and fulfilling tomorrow.