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Tan Sanyuan followed behind the others, carrying little Qiyue in his arms. His usually calm face now bore a rare smile.
Qiyue’s bright, black eyes sparkled with delight. She stretched out her tiny hands, swaying in excitement, trying to grab at the snow on the ground.
But as Qiyue had grown bigger, her weight had become a challenge for the small-framed Tan Sanyuan to carry.
Tan Yiliang noticed and quickly stepped in. “Here, Third Brother, let me take our little sister.”
Though Tan Sanyuan was reluctant, he handed Qiyue over to Tan Yiliang. He was also afraid of accidentally dropping his still-not-walking baby sister.
Tan Yiliang perched Qiyue on his shoulders, holding her tiny hands securely. He brought her over to a tree laden with snow and pointed upward. “Look, Qiyue! Grab some snow from the tree branches.”
Qiyue let out a series of soft, happy giggles. She reached out her chubby little hand and swiped at the snow on a branch.
The icy sensation startled her, and she shivered before reaching out again for another handful, giggling louder this time.
“Big Brother! Third Brother! Let’s make a snowman!” Two plump little boys in oversized gray coats waved their arms and called out enthusiastically.
Tan Yiliang immediately answered, “Alright! Big Brother is coming!”
Although Tan Sanyuan wasn’t one for playing, he couldn’t resist joining in as he watched the cheerful laughter echo around him.
Inside the house, Wan Chunmei ladled out steaming bowls of porridge while keeping an eye on the scene outside. “Husband, why do you think these kids love snow so much?”
Old Tan waved away the steam in front of him and placed a pot of cooked soft noodles on the table. “What kid doesn’t love snow? Besides, it hardly snows here in Fengping Village. This kind of heavy snowfall probably hasn’t happened since three years ago.”
Wan Chunmei paused at his words, lost in thought.
She remembered the snow from back then. It had been just as heavy, but the children hadn’t had warm padded jackets or soft noodles to eat. The family had huddled together in a barely weatherproof house, warming themselves by a fire and eating wild yams dug up from the mountains.
Life had been so hard back then, but the children had never complained. They had laughed and played, just as they were doing now, their maturity often bringing tears to her eyes.
Wan Chunmei felt a lump rise in her throat as the memories came rushing back. She set down the porridge and called out to the children outside:
“Yiliang! Erqian! Sanyuan! Siwen! Wuguan! Little Qiyue! Time for porridge!”
The children were joyfully playing in the snow, but at the sound of Wan Chunmei calling, they all turned around and answered in unison, “Yes, Mother, we’re coming!”
Old Tan chuckled as he got up and picked up the chubby Tan Liujin from the bed. “Wife, you always forget this one.”
Wan Chunmei looked at them both and laughed. “This child is so fortunate. Look at him, even when he’s forgotten, he’s still growing so healthy and full of meat.”
Though Tan Liujin was fat, he was undeniably cute. He always looked as though he hadn’t fully woken up, his little eyes half-open as he snuggled in Old Tan’s arms, pouting as if ready to eat.
Old Tan smiled, blowing gently on the soft noodles in his hand before feeding him.
Today’s noodles were topped with eggs and vegetables, and they looked delicious. Qiyue smelled them as she entered the room and quickly reached out her little hands toward Wan Chunmei.
Wan Chunmei scooped her up and sat her in a chair, starting to feed her.
The other Tan children each grabbed their bowls, sitting or squatting as they began eating.
Though the family’s meals were simple, they were the happiest moments of the day.
No one spoke; they were too focused on their food to stop eating.
Once everyone had finished, Old Tan finally spoke up. “Yiliang, today we’ll go pick some of the big radishes and cabbages from the garden. Snow-covered vegetables like that are bound to taste great.”
Tan Yiliang set his bowl down, sitting up straight. “Yes, Father!”
Wan Chunmei smiled. “Pick extra. I’ll make some pickled vegetables to send to Aunt Yu.”
“Alright, Mother.” Tan Yiliang poured himself a cup of hot water, drank it in one gulp, and then turned to Tan Siwen and Tan Wuguan. “Are you two going to school today?”
The two younger boys nodded eagerly. “Yes, we are!”
Tan Yiliang then turned to Tan Erqian. “Second Brother, the ground will be slippery with all this snow. After Father and I go to the garden, you can help take Third Brother and the others to school.”
Tan Erqian put down his chopsticks and smiled. “Don’t worry, Big Brother. I’ve got it covered.”