1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

Chen Gaoshan returned safely from outside.

This was a joyous occasion, and Old Chen had been busy preparing with his family all morning.

The people who came to the courtyard were all prominent figures from the village, including elders.

Uncle Liu Chunlei, Ma Wanzhong, Second Uncle, Wang Changfa, Xu Quansheng, and Third Uncle and Uncle Chen Laoquan.

These days, the south is not a peaceful place. There is war and chaos outside, so no one dares to run away recklessly. Everyone stays in the village and will come as soon as they are called.

The banquet was set up directly in the spacious courtyard.

When Chen Guilan was serving the food, she was very thoughtful. While the men were having a feast, she would set aside a separate portion of each dish for the rest of the family.

Inside the house, the women either coaxed and looked after the children or did chores.

Everyone in the courtyard looked quite serious; no one was laughing or joking. Wang Changfa sat at the table, feeling a tightness in his chest.

His eldest son, Tiesuo, had gone with the group to work as a laborer for Eighth Master Hui. He disappeared without a trace, neither alive nor dead, and there was no news of him whatsoever.

For farmers, all they want in life is for their children to be safe and sound.

As long as he didn't receive news of Tie Suo's death, he held onto a sliver of hope, always feeling that his child was still alive and would come back sooner or later.

But what I fear most is that one day someone will bring back bad news about Tie Suo, and all my hopes will be shattered.

Everyone in the courtyard was mindful of his feelings, speaking carefully and keeping their words in check. They couldn't even eat or drink freely, afraid of saying something that might hurt his feelings.

Wang Changfa saw this, raised his hand to wipe away the tears he had held back from the corners of his eyes, and forced himself to cheer up.

He picked up the wine bowl.

"Old Nian, I know that you're holding a banquet today to celebrate the happy occasion of your family's safe return from Gaoshan, and that you're trying to comfort and reassure me."

"I feel exactly the same way you did when you longed for a child. This knot in my heart can't be untied or healed anytime soon."

"It's difficult to be both loyal to the country and filial to the people. My son Tiesuo went out to serve the country and for peace. This is the greatest filial piety and righteousness. My son Tiesuo is a man of integrity. I have nothing more to say."

"Don't let my actions hold you back; just live your lives as usual."

He turned his head and looked at Chen Gaoshan beside him.

"Gaoshan, your return is a good thing for our village. I believe my family's Tiesuo will also return safely sooner or later."

"You should be the captain of the patrol team in the village. You are capable and reliable. You can lead the young men in the village to guard the mountain and protect the village."

"Everyone, eat and drink as you please, don't worry about me. I'm going to drink my fill today, and nobody can stop me."

Old Chen was also worried that Shanzi would come back but Tiesuo wouldn't. Changfa had a grudge against Shanzi, and there was nowhere for him to turn. He wanted to use the alcohol to probe Shanzi's thoughts and give him some advice, since he himself had experienced the pain of a parent outliving their child.

He was holding a wine bowl.

"Then I'll drink with you to my heart's content today. Let's not say anything more. Long hair, you're better than me. You still have two sons. My eldest son is gone, and now my second son is gone too. I'm truly heartbroken. Let's not say anything more. It's all about the drinks. I'll keep you company."

Wang Changfa grabbed the wine jar again and refilled his bowl, chugging it down without touching any food, just drinking in silence.

The sorghum liquor was strong; after only a few bowls, his face turned bright red, and his eyes became red as well.

At first, he tried to maintain his composure and talked loudly with everyone, but after drinking for a while, his tongue became slurred and his speech became incoherent.

He slung his arm over the table, buried his head in his arm, and his shoulders trembled with each sob.

Uncle Erda's eyes were red as he reached out and patted his son's shoulder. During the days of dog-catching, all three of his sons had sacrificed their lives. How could he not know this feeling? Otherwise, how come there was only one Changfa in the family? Tiesuo was also his grandson.

"Our Tiesuo is a good boy. Longfa, think more positively. It's not just our children; other families have children who have all died."

Hearing his father's words, Wang Changfa couldn't hold back any longer. He didn't dare to cry at home, but now he was finally able to cry out loud.

"My iron lock! Dad squats at the village entrance every day, waiting, but there's still no news."

When Uncle Long Hair had finished crying.

Chen Gaoshan then spoke. "Uncle Changfa, don't worry, I'll go to town again in a while to ask if they know where Tiesuo is. If I get any news, I'll come back and tell you immediately. Tiesuo might have been conscripted by the militia like me, or maybe he's joined Eighth Master's gang. It's all uncertain."

Upon hearing this, Wang Changfa, with tears welling up in his eyes, grabbed Gao Shan's wrist.

"Gaoshan, it's alright! I felt much better after having a good cry today!"

Seeing his expression, Chen Gaoshan finally understood why his father had set up this feast.

It wasn't just to celebrate her own safe return home; she also noticed that Uncle Long Hair had nowhere to confide his troubles and was worried that he might get sick from holding it all in.

Using the happy occasion as an excuse, let him drink his fill, cry his heart out, and pour out his heart, so that he can finally release the pent-up anger in his heart.

After the banquet, everyone went home.

With a large family and quick work, she doesn't need to get involved; that's why they say the family is thriving.

Seeing that there was nothing much to do at home, Chen Liu picked up her basket and headed to Wang Er's house.

The gate to Wang Er's courtyard was ajar, without being bolted.

Chen Liu pushed him and went straight into the courtyard.

"Wang Ersao, are you home?"

"I'm here, come in."

As Chen Liu entered the house, she immediately spotted Wang Er's wife holding her chubby grandson, strolling back and forth on the floor, patting the baby's back to lull him to sleep while making soft "ooh ooh ooh" sounds.

"Oh, it's Old Nian's wife, what brings you here to visit me?"

"I'm here on a serious matter, to ask you for a favor. My son Shanzi is back and plans to take a third wife. I'm here to ask you to pick an auspicious day so the two boys can get married."

As she spoke, she reached into her hand, pulled out a red paper with the characters for "eight" (八字), and handed it over.

"These are the birth dates and times of the two children. Can you calculate their horoscopes?"

He also took five eggs out of the basket.

Wang Er's wife placed her sleeping, chubby grandson onto the small mattress on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Oh, look at you! We all live in the same village, we see each other all the time. Why bring anything for such a small thing? That's too much of a formality, old man."

While speaking politely, he was quite shrewd with his hands, casually gathering five eggs into a small basket next to the table.

I took the birth chart and began to examine it carefully.

He muttered to himself, counting and comparing zodiac signs on his ten fingers.

After calculating the birth charts, I pulled out a perpetual calendar from the cabinet.

"Alright, count three days from now, July 9th, an auspicious day, suitable for marriage, and the birth charts of the two children are compatible."

Chen Liushi sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), teasing the little boy who was already sprawled out asleep. "Look at this little guy," she said, "blah blah blah, he's just like a toad with no hair, just like Sha Qiangzi. His thing is pretty...unusual."

But as she looked at the child, she couldn't quite place who he resembled. His eyebrows and eyes didn't look like Sha Qiangzi's, nor did they look like Qiu Yanzi's, but his nose and mouth did resemble Qiu Yanzi's. Suddenly, she heard Wang Er's wife calling her name, and she immediately came back to her senses.

"Alright, then have Shanzi bring the person home in three days. I'll head back now if there's nothing else."