Oblivious to the domestic chit-chat, granddad Guyong Song has serious matters on his mind. Spring is a start of the rice growing season. The success of the crop will determine how well the family will eat next year, so planting at the right time is critical. The ideal date depends on what the weather will do this year, never easy to predict. But there is some surprising help at hand. On the ceiling of the Songs' living room, a pair of red-rumped swallows, newly arrived from their winter migration, is busy fixing up last year's nest. In China, animals are valued as much for their symbolic meaning as for any good they may do. Miao people believe that swallow pairs remain faithful for life, so their presence is a favour and a blessing, bringing happiness to a marriage and good luck to a home.


老祖父宋古永置身于天伦之乐外，寻思着重要的事情。春季是稻禾生长的伊始时节，庄稼的长势决定了来年宋家人的生计，因而选择合适的时机进行耕作是至关重要的。时机的选择取决于当年的天气情况，而这些却是永难估料的。但是身边就存在着贴心小帮手：宋家厅堂房梁上的是一对刚从冬季迁徙中归来的金腰燕。他们正在为装潢新一年度的宅邸而忙碌。在中国，动物们被赋予独特的象征意义并被细心呵护。苗族人笃信成双燕终身相伴不离不弃。因此他们的存在被视为幸福生活与美满婚姻的象征。