Suddenly, a breeze blew, the chestnut forest rustled, and the broken sunlight sprinkled through the gaps between the leaves, shining on the sweaty but extremely happy faces of the people. Yang Qingyan stood up, took a deep breath of the sweet air, and felt this rare warm moment. In the last days, how could there be such leisure and comfort in the daily rush for survival? Now she can share the joy of harvest with these kind and enthusiastic sisters-in-law, and she is full of gratitude.

After picking chestnuts, everyone walked along the winding road back to their homes, chatting and laughing.

Once they entered the yard, everyone put their chestnut baskets in the open space, sat together, and began to discuss how to deal with these "trophies". Liang Tao was the first to speak. She patted the dust off her body and said with a smile: "Sisters, I think we have a good harvest today. There are so many chestnuts. They are very sweet whether boiled or fried. My son Hu Zi loves to eat sugar-fried chestnuts. Every time he smells the smell, his little mouth is full of greed."

"Yes, yes, sugar-fried chestnuts are indeed the best!" Wang's wife agreed, "But you need to be skillful in frying them. If they are too big, they will burn easily, and if they are too small, they will not be tasty. I have tried it several times before, and I am quite good at it. Do you want me to take the lead and show you my skills?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this time, Yang Qingyan also put forward her own idea: "Sisters-in-law, I think some chestnuts can be made into chestnut cakes, which are soft, sweet, and taste especially good." As soon as she said this, the sisters-in-law all looked at her with approval.

"Sister Yang, this is a good idea!" Sister Li praised.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden hue on the courtyard. After a busy afternoon, everyone chatted contentedly and said goodbye to each other and went home. Yang Qingyan hummed a tuneful little song and walked into the house with brisk steps. She had a basket of chestnuts on her back and was thinking about the delicious food for the evening - chestnut roasted chicken.

As soon as she entered the house, she placed the chestnuts on the kitchen chopping board and saw the chicken she bought yesterday lying quietly by the sink, as if waiting for this gorgeous transformation. Yang Qingyan rolled up her sleeves and cleaned the chicken first, deftly removing the feathers and guts, then cutting the chicken into even-sized pieces and soaking it in clean water to remove the blood and make the meat more tender.

Taking advantage of this break, she began to process the chestnuts. She picked up a chestnut and gently cut a cross on the top with a knife, then poured it into boiling water and simmered it for a few minutes. After being baptized by hot water, the chestnut's shell opened slightly, like a grin, making it easier for her to peel off the hard shell and take out the golden and plump chestnuts.

After the preparations were completed, Yang Qingyan heated up the oil pan, added ginger slices and scallions and stir-fried until fragrant, and then poured the drained chicken into the pan. With a "crackling" sound, the chicken quickly changed color in the hot oil, and the skin became golden and crispy. She added white wine at the right time and stir-fried evenly. In an instant, the kitchen was filled with fragrance.

After the chicken was stewed for a while and was basically cooked, Yang Qingyan poured the peeled chestnuts into the pot and stewed them slowly with the chicken. The chestnuts absorbed the freshness of the chicken, and their own sweetness also permeated into the chicken, and the two blended with each other, complementing each other even more. The soup was bubbling in the pot, the color became more mellow, and the fragrance in the air became more tempting.

Yang Qingyan occasionally opened the lid of the pot to check the progress of the stewing, and gently turned it over with a spoon to ensure that every piece of chicken and chestnut was evenly heated. Watching the ingredients in the pot gradually become soft and tasty, she smiled with satisfaction.

Finally, a dish of chestnut roasted chicken with good color, aroma and flavor was ready. Yang Qingyan took it out of the pot, put it on a plate, and sprinkled some chopped green onions on it as a garnish. The chicken was bright red, the chestnuts were soft and sweet, and the soup was thick and tempting. Just looking at it would make people's appetite increase.

She had just served the dishes on the table and was about to sit down to enjoy the meal when she heard a familiar sound of footsteps. She turned around and saw that Mu Nanhe had finished his busy work in the army and returned home on time. As soon as Mu Nanhe entered the door, his sensitive nose caught the alluring aroma in the air. He smiled and asked, "What delicious food have you made? It smells so good?" Yang Qingyan stood up and greeted him, smiling and saying, "Guess." Mu Nanhe walked to the dining table and saw the plate of chestnut roasted chicken. His eyes lit up, "I love this. What a good day it is today. I am so blessed." Yang Qingyan said that she went to pick chestnuts with her sisters-in-law today, and it was just right to roast this dish.

The two sat opposite each other and enjoyed the delicious chestnut roasted chicken with great satisfaction.

……………………

A few days later, with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine, Wei Wan finally returned safely from the guardhouse to her family compound, as expected by everyone. The news spread quickly throughout the compound like a spring breeze. The sisters-in-law in the compound put down their work, brought carefully prepared gifts, and agreed to visit Wei Wan's home together. Yang Qingyan was naturally among them, thinking of taking Wei Wan's pulse and seeing how she was recovering.

The group came to Wei Wan's house in a lively and noisy manner and knocked on the door gently. The moment the door opened, everyone's laughter and joy immediately poured in. Wei Wan's husband Liu Jianjun welcomed everyone into the house with a smile on his face, and kept saying words of gratitude.

Yang Qingyan followed the crowd into the inner room, and with a glance, she saw that the furnishings in the room were quite exquisite. The wooden furniture was polished to a shine, with a warm luster, and there were several old calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall. In the corner was a radio that was considered a rare item at the time. It was hard to tell that Wei Wan's family was well-off. Her father was the director of a commodity factory in the town, and his family was well-off.

Wei Wan, who was resting in bed, saw everyone coming in, especially Yang Qingyan, her eyes lit up, and she struggled to get up to greet them. Yang Qingyan stepped forward, gently pressed her shoulders, and said softly: "Sister-in-law, lie down, your body is not well yet, don't move."

Wei Wan's eyes were full of gratitude, and she shook her head slightly and said, "I'm much better now, sister Qingyan. I've been thinking about thanking you very much. If I need you, my child and I don't know what to do. I also said that my Liu Jianjun would come to thank you in the next two days, and you came. It's such a coincidence."

Yang Qingyan smiled and sat beside the bed. She took Wei Wan's hand and began to feel her pulse. While feeling her pulse, she said, "Sister-in-law, we are all neighbors. It is normal for us to help each other. How do you feel now? Does your wound still hurt? Is the discharge going smoothly?" Wei Wan answered one by one. The other sisters-in-law also sat around, talking to each other, caring about Wei Wan's health and asking about the child's condition. For a moment, the room was filled with deep warmth.

Liu Jianjun was all smiles, and he carefully carried the baby from the inner room, as if he was holding a rare treasure. The baby was wrapped in a soft swaddle, sleeping soundly, with a rosy little face like a ripe apple, and a tender little mouth that moved from time to time, as if he was having a sweet dream.