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

Once the agreement was reached, Chen Danian took off the old, well-worn felt hat from the wall and put it on his head. He then beckoned to Chen Xiaohe: "Come on, Xiaohe, let's go to the village head's house with your father first."

Chen Xiaohe responded, stuffed the last bite of the pancake into his mouth, wiped his hands haphazardly, and followed his father out of the courtyard.

In the early morning in Nanshan Village, the mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was crisp and clear. The dirt roads in the village lanes were damp, and occasionally villagers who had gotten up early to fetch water would meet each other, nodding to each other as a greeting. Father and son walked one after the other on the familiar village road, their footsteps making a soft rustling sound.

Just as they rounded the old locust tree, they ran into Aunt Chen from the same village. Aunt Chen was a notoriously gossipy and inquisitive woman in her forties, wearing a slightly worn maroon jacket, her hair slicked back and shiny. She was standing at the gate of her yard, craning her neck to look around, seemingly looking at something. Upon seeing Chen Danian and his son, especially Chen Xiaohe's undisguised joy, her eyes lit up, and she immediately greeted them with a beaming smile.

"Hey, isn't this Brother Da Nian and Xiao He? Where are you rushing off to so early in the morning?" Aunt Chen's voice was quite loud, attracting people from several neighboring households to peek out.

Chen Danian paused, then replied in a low voice, "I have something to discuss with the village head."

"Oh—going to the village head's house!" Aunt Chen San drawled, her eyes sweeping over the father and son. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she slapped her thigh. "Look at my memory! I heard yesterday you had a big celebration, marrying two new brides! Congratulations!" While she offered her congratulations, her tone carried a hint of unease. "But, Brother Danian, not to be nosy…" She leaned closer, lowering her voice, just enough for anyone peeking nearby to hear, "Your family's taste… after all that searching, you only picked two? Tsk tsk, I saw them from afar yesterday, skinny as sticks, like they could be blown away by the wind, their faces sallow and pale—clearly worn down from the hardships of fleeing famine. Can such bodies be of any use? Can they bear children for your Chen family, work in the fields?"

As she spoke, she straightened her back a little, a clear sense of superiority on her face: "I'm not trying to be rude, but look at my daughter-in-law. Although she married into the family from the next village, not as a refugee, we know her background, she's strong, and she gave birth to a big, healthy grandson for me in her second year! When it comes to women, you have to choose one who can bear children and is strong! Your family's..."

Chen Danian's face darkened, his already dark skin appearing even more taut. He didn't reply, but simply pulled his old felt hat down further, obscuring most of his eyebrows and eyes.

Chen Xiaohe, standing nearby, couldn't hold back any longer. The young man was full of vigor, and listening to Aunt Chen's words, which were veiled criticisms and pierced his heart, his face turned red, and his fists clenched. But before he could speak, Chen Danian reached out his rough hand and pressed lightly on his arm.

Chen Xiaohe held his breath, forcibly suppressing it, but glared fiercely at Aunt Chen before turning his head away.

Seeing that neither the father nor son responded, especially Chen Danian's stubborn and sullen demeanor, Aunt Chen felt bored and pouted, wanting to say something more.

At this moment, a man who had been chopping wood early in the morning stood up, wiping his sweat, and interjected in a deep voice, "Third Aunt, what are you saying? In our Nanshan Village, going back two generations, which family didn't migrate from elsewhere? In these chaotic years of war, to have survived to this place and live a peaceful life is a good family. Besides," he glanced around at the heads peeking out from the surrounding houses, "seven or eight out of ten of the wives we've married in recent years are from the north or south who fled famine, right? My wife is one, so what? She gave me two sons, and she's good at both farming and housework. I think Brother Danian's two wives have bright eyes; they're capable of managing a household."

Upon hearing this, several other families nearby began to echo his sentiments.

"Exactly, so what if they're refugees? Who would willingly leave their homeland unless they absolutely had no other choice?"

"Chen San's wife, didn't you also marry into this family from the next county? It wasn't that close."

"Brother Danian, Xiaohe, hurry up and get on with your business, don't delay important matters."

Aunt Chen was embarrassed by all the chatter and muttered awkwardly, "I was just trying to give you a friendly reminder... Alright, alright, forget I said anything." With that, she turned and went back to her own yard, slamming the door shut.

Chen Danian then raised the brim of his hat, nodded to the man who had spoken earlier and the other neighbors, and whispered, "Thanks." He then said no more and led Chen Xiaohe to continue walking into the village.

Chen Xiaohe followed behind, still feeling uneasy, and whispered, "Dad, she..."

"A dog's barking won't block the way." Chen Danian didn't even turn his head, his voice calm but carrying the stubbornness of a farmer. "Life is what you live, not what others say. Let her talk, that's all. Building a house is the important thing for us."

Chen Xiaohe hummed in agreement, feeling a little relieved. Yes, why waste words with someone like that? Building a new house and living a prosperous life with his brother, sister-in-law, and parents is far better than any words!

The village head's house was located in the center of the village. It was a slightly larger courtyard house with brick tiles, looking more impressive than the average family's. When Chen Danian and his son arrived, the village head, Chen Laogen, was feeding chickens in the courtyard.

"Uncle Village Head," Chen Danian called out.

Laogen Chen looked up, saw it was them, put down his winnowing basket, patted the husks off his hands, and smiled, "It's Da Nian and Xiao He! Come in and sit down. I heard you had a happy occasion yesterday? Congratulations! Two more people have joined your family, how lively!"

Chen Danian forced a smile: "Thanks to you. I'm here today to let you know that we plan to build new houses for Dashan and Xiaohe on the old house site to the east."

"Building a new house?!" Chen Laogen's eyes lit up, clearly delighted. "Great news! Excellent news! It should have been built a long time ago! I know your area; you've been preparing adobe and timber for years, haven't you? If you had built the house a couple of years earlier, maybe Dashan..." He paused, remembering Chen Dashan's situation, and swallowed back the part about "getting married sooner," instead sighing, "Ah, but it's all good now, finally everything's settled! Is construction about to begin?"

"Yes, I was thinking of taking advantage of the good weather these next few days to get the frame erected," Chen Danian said. "At that time, I'll have to ask a few familiar uncles and brothers to come and help."

"Of course, of course!" Chen Laogen nodded repeatedly. "Building a house is a big deal, and it's a tradition in the village to help each other out. Don't worry, I'll lend a hand too! Just tell me roughly how many people you need, and I'll help you spread the word. You can prepare your own meals. As for the labor, it's the old custom in our village: we just provide meals. You can repay us later if anyone in your family has the time."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Village Head!" Chen Danian said gratefully. With the Village Head taking care of things, it was much easier to arrange manpower.

"No need to thank me. I'm happy to see your family's life improving." Chen Laogen patted Chen Danian on the shoulder. "That boy from Dashan is honest and skilled, but his life has been a bit bumpy. Now that he's settled down and has his own house, his spirits are definitely different! Keep up the good work, and things will only get better!"

Leaving the village head's house, Chen Danian felt much more at ease. The father and son then detoured to several familiar households in the village—those where the Chen family had worked over the years or with whom they had frequent contact. Chen Danian was not good with words and didn't talk much, simply explaining that his family was building a house and asking them to come and help, offering to provide meals. All the families readily agreed.

"Don't worry, Brother Danian, I'll definitely be there!"

"Xiaohe is getting married and building a house—double happiness! We absolutely have to help!"

"Is Dashan home? With his carpentry skills, we'll need him to check out the doors and windows!"

After walking around the village, the sun was already high in the sky. The warm autumn sun shone on us, dispelling the chill of the morning and seemingly also dispelling the unpleasant gloom that had lingered at the village entrance earlier.

When they returned to their own courtyard, Chen Dashan was already leaning on a smooth wooden stick (which could be used as a walking stick or a tool if necessary), carefully inspecting the neatly stacked adobe bricks at the foot of the courtyard wall. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were following behind Chen's mother, carrying things up from the cellar—several sacks and several earthenware jars—it seemed they were checking the stored grain and preparing for the meals for the upcoming helpers.

Looking at the busy and vibrant courtyard, listening to Chen's mother quietly instructing her two daughters-in-law on how to estimate grain consumption, watching her eldest son intently inspecting the adobe bricks, and recalling the promise he had just received in the village, the heavy burden in his heart—the burden he had carried for his sons for so many years—seemed to finally see hope of being lifted.

He walked up to Chen Dashan and said in a deep voice, "The village head and several familiar households have all agreed, so there's no problem with manpower. We'll get the foundation laid in the next couple of days."

Chen Dashan raised his head, his gaze passing over his father and looking towards the empty plot of land to the east. Some withered yellow weeds grew there now, but in his mind, it seemed as if three sturdy, warm mud-brick houses had already risen from the ground, with brand-new doors and windows, a kitchen with smoke rising from it, and… out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a thin, but upright figure struggling to lift a small earthenware jar at the kitchen doorway.

He looked away and nodded to his father, a slight but firm nod.

"Hmm. Let's build the main frame first. Once we move in, we can do the finer details slowly during the winter when there's less work."

The foundation stones were already in place, and the adobe bricks and timber had been waiting for a long time.