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

"Come on, Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, eat the steamed egg custard while it's hot. After breakfast, we'll take the oxcart to the county town." Mother Chen placed two bowls of tender, fragrant egg custard in front of her two daughters-in-law, and then gave each of them a warm multigrain pancake.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing thanked her and began to eat in small bites. The steamed egg custard was smooth and tender, with only two drops of sesame oil and a little soy sauce, yet it was a rare nourishing dish for a farming family.

I boarded the familiar old oxcart belonging to the village head, and the ride was a leisurely one. The autumn air was crisp and clear, the sky was crystal clear, and most of the fields on both sides of the road had already been harvested, leaving behind neat stubble. The air was filled with the slightly desolate yet incredibly reassuring scent of the earth after the harvest.

Looking at the increasing number of fellow villagers along the way, Su Xiaoqing sighed, "Luckily, our village isn't too far from the county town. If it were as far as Xiahegou Village, we'd have to set off before dawn to catch a market!"

Sitting by the cart shaft, Chen's mother laughed upon hearing this, "That's right. Villages like Xiaohegou and Dashiwa are far from the county seat, and people usually go to the town to buy and sell things. If they really want to come to the county seat, they have to get up before dawn and travel until the middle of the night. But it's only in recent years, when the county magistrate has governed well, that the roads are peaceful and there are no bandits. In the early years, when bandits were rampant, who dared to set out before dawn to travel a long distance? If things went wrong, being robbed was a minor matter; one might not even come back."

These words made the young wives on the bus sigh. These days, being able to go to the market peacefully is truly hard-won.

As more people from the same or neighboring villages filled the oxcart, they greeted each other, and the conversation naturally turned to the recently concluded autumn harvest. Some were relieved that the weather had been favorable this year, resulting in a good harvest; others murmured about whether the taxes on cultivated land would increase this year, feeling uncertain. Chen's father listened from the side, occasionally interjecting a word or two, mentioning that his newly cultivated wasteland was exempt from taxes for five years, his tone filled with relief, which drew many envious glances.

Many of the older women's gazes fell on the Su sisters' noticeably protruding bellies. Envious, they couldn't help but ask Chen's mother, "Auntie Dashan, your two daughters-in-law are so lucky! They got pregnant so soon after entering the family. Looking at their bellies, they must be carrying twins! What kind of good food do you feed them? How do you take care of them? My daughter-in-law has been here for three years, and she still hasn't gotten pregnant..." Someone else sighed, "She did get pregnant, but she miscarried. It's so worrying."

With a humble and sincere smile, Chen's mother replied, "Sisters, what special things could a peasant family like us possibly have? Besides, as you all know, our family isn't well-off. But one thing is certain: even if we don't have any work in the winter, we still eat three meals a day. Unlike some families who hibernate and only manage two or even one meal a day. How can that be acceptable? Food is essential for health; without food, how can one maintain a healthy body?"

She glanced at her two daughters-in-law, who were smiling with their heads down and had rosy complexions, and continued, "This year, our family has been quite lucky. We didn't sell a single egg from the chickens and ducks we raised; we ate them all ourselves. We also often have some meat from the mountains. The children are also hardworking, doing small businesses to supplement our income. That's probably how we've gradually recovered our health. It's also because these two sisters are blessed; since they came, our family's life has really improved day by day." She spoke sincerely, without boasting, while also giving them face, and subtly acknowledging her daughters-in-law. Those around her nodded repeatedly, and their gazes towards the Su sisters became even more benevolent.

Chatting idly along the way, the oxcart swayed and rocked until finally arriving in the county town. The first market day after the autumn harvest was indeed exceptionally lively. Even from some distance from the town gate, one could already hear the bustling voices and smell the mixed aromas of various foods and goods.

Chen's mother carefully helped her two daughters-in-law off the oxcart and instructed them, "Wait here in the shade for a while, don't wander around, the market is crowded. I'll go ahead and find out where Dashan and Xiaohe have set up their stalls."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing agreed and stood at the relatively quiet foot of the city wall, curiously observing the bustling crowd before them. Stalls selling farm tools, mountain products, cloth, food... all sorts of stalls stretched along the street, the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and greetings from acquaintances blending into a vibrant symphony.

Before long, Chen's father led Chen Dashan through the crowd. Chen Dashan had some sweat on his forehead, and his eyes searched for his wife and siblings in the crowd, then he visibly relaxed. He said to his mother, "Mom, the stall is set up, in the area on the east side, the space is quite spacious. Xiaohe is watching over there. You and Dad go over there, and let Xiaohe come over."

"Alright, then you take good care of them." Chen's mother readily agreed, then looked at her two daughters-in-law carefully. "Your father and I will go to the stall first. Dashan, take them to a place to rest, don't let them tire themselves out."

Chen's mother and father hurried eastward. Chen Dashan then walked up to Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing and whispered, "You must be hungry since you left early this morning. Come with me."

He led the two sisters through a short stretch of crowd to a relatively clean wonton stall across the street. The stall was run by an elderly couple, and the bone broth in the pot was bubbling away, emitting an enticing aroma.

"Sit here." Chen Dashan pulled out a bench, brushed away non-existent dust with his sleeve, and let Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing sit down. Then he said to the stall owner, "Shopkeeper, two small bowls of wontons, with plenty of soup."

Su Xiaoyin hurriedly asked, "Dashan, have you and Xiaohe eaten? Would you like a bowl too?"

Chen Dashan shook his head, his gaze falling on her face, which was rounder due to her pregnancy. His tone was calm but unquestionable: "No need. Xiaohe and I ate the pancakes we brought earlier, so we're not hungry. You two eat, warm yourselves up, and when Xiaohe arrives, we'll go to the clinic."

Two steaming bowls of wontons were quickly served. The clear broth was dotted with oil and scallions, and the thin-skinned, tender-filled wontons floated on the surface. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing picked up their spoons and ate in small bites. The hot soup dispelled the slight chill of their morning journey and relaxed their tense nerves.

Chen Dashan stood silently by the table, his tall figure acting as a barrier, blocking the occasional glances and noise from passersby. His gaze would occasionally sweep over his wife as she ate, then look towards the east end of the market, waiting for his younger brother to arrive.