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

The three walked along the dew-covered grass towards the fourteen acres of newly reclaimed land. There, the soybeans planted this spring were now a heavy, golden harvest. The pods were plump, some already slightly cracked open, revealing the round beans inside, waiting quietly for the harvest in the dim morning light.

Upon reaching the field, without a word, the three men—father, sons, and children—quietly dispersed, each responsible for a section. Father Chen was at the easternmost end, Chen Dashan in the middle, and Chen Xiaohe on the west side. They bent down, their left hands gathering a handful of soybean stalks, their right hands gripping the ground with sickles. With a soft "swish," the sharp blade cleanly and efficiently severed the stalks. Their movements were initially a little clumsy, as they hadn't done this kind of backbreaking work in a long time, but soon, the long-lost rhythm of farming returned. Only the swishing sound of sickles cutting through the soybean stalks and the rustling of the stalks being neatly laid down behind them could be heard. Dew quickly soaked their trousers and shoes, and sweat gradually dampened their thin clothes, but none of them stopped. Behind them, the golden bean fields receded into the ground, revealing the brown earth beneath, while the bundled beans, like silent soldiers, gradually lined up on the furrows.

---

At home, Chen's mother got up even earlier than her husband and two sons. The fire in the stove was already lit, and the flickering flames bathed the kitchen in a warm yellow light. She first quickly kneaded a large basin of mixed grain flour, preparing to make flatbreads, a staple food to stave off hunger during the autumn harvest. Then, she took down from the roof beam the game that Chen's father had brought back from the mountain the day before—two not-so-fat but very spirited pheasants, and a grayish-brown, rather robust wild rabbit.

The rabbit was quickly skinned, gutted, and chopped into evenly sized pieces. Chen's mother placed half the rabbit meat in an earthenware pot, added water, ginger slices, and a little precious yellow wine, and simmered it over a low flame on another stove. She carefully rubbed the remaining half with coarse salt, strung it with straw rope, and hung it in a cool, well-ventilated place in the kitchen. This was to be saved for later consumption.

The two pheasants were cleaned. Chen's mother decided to chop the slightly plumper-looking one in half for soup. After chopping it into pieces, she put it in another large earthenware pot along with a few semi-dried mushrooms from yesterday, added a full pot of water, and simmered it over low heat. She knew her twin daughters-in-law needed nutrition, and this pheasant soup was the most nourishing. She gently pounded the remaining half with the back of a knife, then carefully marinated it with salt, soy sauce, a little coarse sugar she had stored at home, dried chili flakes, and some homemade spices, preparing it as a spicy and appetizing roasted chicken for her two greedy daughters-in-law at noon. She decided to rub the other half with coarse salt and hang it in a shady place to keep for her daughters-in-law later.

The aroma in the kitchen grew stronger, and the pot was filled with flatbreads, their edges golden brown. Seeing that the sun had already risen outside the window, Chen's mother quickly ladled out most of the stewed rabbit meat and broth, then picked out about ten of the thickest flatbreads, along with a small jar of pickled vegetable shreds and a water bag filled with herbal tea, and packed them all into a large bamboo basket. She carefully covered the food and chicken soup she had left for her daughter-in-law, placing them on the still-warm stove to keep warm, before finally picking up the heavy basket, locking the courtyard gate, and heading towards the wasteland.

---

The father and his two sons had already cleared a large patch of land in the field. Sweat dripped from their foreheads and noses, leaving dark specks on the dry, dusty ground. Their arms and backs began to ache, but looking at the ever-growing bundles of beans behind them, they felt a sense of fulfillment. The sun was rising higher, and the temperature was climbing.

"Dad, Big Brother, Mom's here!" Chen Xiaohe, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot the familiar figure on the ridge of the field. He straightened up, wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve, and smiled.

As Chen's mother approached carrying a basket, Chen Xiaohe quickly went to greet her and took it. "Mom, you've finally come! My stomach has been growling with hunger!" Chen Xiaohe said, his eyes glancing intently into the basket.

Chen's mother laughed and slapped away his hand that was about to lift the blanket: "What's the rush? You'll get your share." She beckoned to Chen's father and Chen Dashan, "Come on over, rest for a while, and have something to eat."

The father and his two sons walked to the shade of an old locust tree by the field and sat down on the ground. Mother Chen took out the items from the basket one by one: glistening stewed wild rabbit meat, which smelled delicious; golden brown mixed grain cakes, which were thick and filling; and refreshing pickled vegetable shreds, which were perfect with rice.

Chen Dashan first handed his father some flatbread and rabbit meat, then took his own portion, but didn't eat it right away. Instead, he asked his mother, "Mom, did you bring all this rabbit meat for us? What are you, Xiaoyin, and Xiaoqing eating?"

Chen's mother was pouring her sons some herbal tea when she heard this and laughed, "How could I let your wife go hungry? Don't worry, I kept one pheasant. I made soup with half of it to nourish them, and I marinated the other half to make them spicy roasted chicken for lunch. Didn't you say yesterday you wanted something spicy to whet your appetite?"

Mr. Chen took a bite of the meat-juiced flatbread, sighed contentedly, and said to Mrs. Chen, "Old woman, don't bother, just eat here with us. When we get back, you'll probably prioritize them and just grab something quick for yourself."

Chen Xiaohe chewed on the fragrant rabbit meat and mumbled, "Yes, Mother, you can eat here. Xiaoqing is more pregnant now, and the baby is fussy at night, so she doesn't sleep well and gets up late in the morning. She's probably not awake yet. My sister-in-law is probably about the same."

Encouraged by the three men, Chen's mother sat down, picked up a flatbread, and slowly ate it with pickled vegetable shreds. Hearing her youngest son's words, a look of understanding and heartache appeared on her face: "Twins are much harder than single births. When the babies are further along in the pregnancy, they stretch and kick in the womb, how can a mother get a good night's sleep? When I was pregnant with you two brothers, I went through the same thing, especially in the later stages, tossing and turning all night long, no matter how I lay down, it was never comfortable. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing are pregnant with twins, it must be even more difficult for them."

Under the shade of a tree, the family sat sharing a simple meal, chatting intimately. The aroma of food, the salty taste of sweat, and the scent of earth and ripening crops mingled together, creating the most ordinary yet touching scene of the autumn harvest. In the distance, golden bean fields rippled in the breeze, awaiting the full harvest. The warmth and support of home flowed silently in these meals and words of care, giving the laborers the most solid strength. Listening to his mother's words, and thinking of his pregnant wife enduring hardship, Chen Dashan silently placed the best piece of rabbit leg meat from his bowl into his mother's bowl. Chen's father watched, a smile of relief flashing in his eyes, and he also gave some meat from his bowl to his wife. Chen Xiaohe glanced at them, then followed suit, exclaiming, "Mom, eat more so you have the strength to cook delicious food for us!" and pushed his own portion of meat toward his mother.

Looking at the pile of rabbit meat in the bowl, Chen's mother's eyes welled up with tears. She laughed and scolded, "Alright, alright, I can't eat this much! You three still have a lot of work to do, so eat your fill!" Although she said that, her simple and sincere concern made this simple meal from the fields taste especially sweet.