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

Just as Chen's mother, Zhao, put the last jar of millet into the low cabinet in the main room, she straightened up, dusted off her hands, and saw Chen Danian and his son returning from outside. She greeted them at the door, her gaze sweeping over their faces with a questioning look.

"Did his father speak with the village head?"

"Yes, it's settled." Chen Danian took off his old felt hat and hung it on a nail by the door. His face was dusty from his walk, but his expression was more relaxed. "The village head is very supportive and said he'll lend a hand. I also visited a few other families I know, and they all agreed to help. We can start laying the foundation first thing tomorrow morning."

"That's good, that's good." Chen's mother breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face. Building a house is a big deal, and having someone to help makes her feel much more at ease. She turned to look at the yard, where Chen Dashan was gently tapping the edge of a mud brick with a smooth wooden stick, seemingly checking its dryness and for any cracks. The Su sisters were squatting at the kitchen door, washing several dusty earthenware bowls in a wooden basin, preparing lunch.

"Dashan," Chen's father walked to his son's side, looking at the neatly stacked adobe walls, "are these adobe bricks enough?"

Chen Dashan stopped hammering, nodded, and said in a steady voice, "Enough. It's been sun-dried for two years, it's ready, and it's sturdy."

"Alright, let's have someone lay the foundation stones tomorrow, and we can start building the walls the day after tomorrow," Mr. Chen planned.

At this moment, Chen Dashan turned around, his gaze passing over his father and landing on the two sisters at the kitchen door. He hesitated for a moment, then walked over, leaning on his cane.

Su Xiaoyin was washing dishes when she noticed a shadow fall in front of her. She looked up and saw Chen Dashan. She quickly wiped her hands on her apron and stood up: "Husband?"

Su Xiaoqing also stopped what she was doing and looked at the taciturn older brother with some nervousness.

Chen Dashan looked at them, his eyes still calm as usual, but his tone held a more consultative tone: "The house is going to be built. Do you... have any requirements for the house? For example, how should the interior be divided, where should the windows be located, or... any other ideas?"

Su Xiaoyin was taken aback. Demands? They had just arrived at this home; having even a roof over their heads was a blessing. How could they dare make demands on their new house? She quickly waved her hand, her voice soft but tinged with fear: "No, no demands. Just let my husband and parents build it as they see fit. We...we don't know anything about these things. As long as it's habitable, that's fine."

Su Xiaoqing chimed in softly, "Yes, it's fine as long as Big Brother and Father make the decision."

Chen Dashan looked at their fearful and apprehensive expressions, saying nothing, but his gaze seemed to soften for a fleeting moment. He paused, then asked, "So... what are your thoughts on separating the family, or living together in the future?"

This question made both sisters' hearts leap into their throats. They exchanged a glance, both seeing the unwavering determination in each other's eyes. Su Xiaoyin mustered her courage, raised her clear eyes, and looked at Chen Dashan. Her voice was soft, yet clear and firm: "Husband, we sisters... we don't have much vision. We only ask for one thing, if possible... could we keep our house and Xiaohe's house in the same courtyard? We... we want to live together in the future, without separating the household, okay?" When she said "without separating the household," her voice trembled slightly, filled with a cautious expectation, but her eyes did not waver. This was their deepest obsession, and the fundamental reason why they had chosen the Chen family in the first place.

"Of course! Why not!" Before Chen Dashan could answer, Chen Xiaohe, who had been listening intently, jumped over, a bright smile on her face, her tone resolute, "We never planned to separate! My brother and I have agreed that we'll never be apart! Sister-in-law, Xiaoqing, don't worry, we'll build one big courtyard and all live together!"

Chen Dashan glanced at his younger brother, didn't object, but simply nodded to Su Xiaoyin, which was considered an agreement. This reaction completely put the Su sisters' minds at ease, and a relieved smile unconsciously appeared on their faces.

With his brother's tacit approval, Chen Xiaohe became even more enthusiastic. He scratched the back of his head, his eyes sparkling as he began to calculate: "Brother, I'm thinking, are all these mud bricks we have enough to build... um, seven rooms?"

"Seven rooms?" Chen Dashan frowned slightly, glanced at the pile of adobe bricks, and quickly estimated in his mind, "About... enough. But why build so many? Five main rooms are enough." He thought his younger brother was being greedy.

Chen Xiaohe, however, started counting on his fingers, quite seriously: "Look, brother, we need to think long-term! One room for eldest brother and sister-in-law, one room for me and Xiaoqing, that's two rooms, right? When we have children, boys and girls will have to be separated, right? We need to prepare at least two rooms, right? That's four rooms. Although Mom and Dad live in the old house now, we'll eventually bring them to live with us, so we need to leave one room, right? That's five main rooms. Also, the storage room needs to be separate, right? And the kitchen needs to be bigger than it is now, right? That makes seven rooms in total!"

He spoke with great confidence and the more he talked, the more perfect he felt his plan was, his face beaming with anticipation for the future.

Listening to his youngest son's rapid-fire calculations—including children, parents, and even counting the storeroom and kitchen as main rooms—Chen Danian was both amused and exasperated. He raised his hand and gave Chen Xiaohe a light slap on the back of the head: "You brat, you're really thinking ahead! Your mother and I have our own place to live; we don't need to squeeze in with you! If we really want to live together, it'll be when we're old and can't move around anymore! Besides, the storeroom and kitchen are outbuildings; how can you count them as main rooms? You're just making things up!"

Chen Xiaohe cried out "Ouch!" and covered her head, muttering aggrievedly, "I was just trying to be thorough..."

Looking at his younger brother, Chen Dashan's eyes flashed with a barely perceptible smile, but he quickly regained his composure. He glanced around at the pile of mud bricks again, then at the boundary of the house site to the east, and had already made up his mind.

"Father, Xiaohe's calculations were a bit off, but I understand the meaning," Chen Dashan said. His voice wasn't loud, but it carried the certainty of a future head of the family, making people involuntarily quiet down to listen to him. "According to my previous estimates, the adobe and timber should be enough to build five spacious main rooms, plus a sturdy storeroom and a large kitchen. There might even be some left over to build a courtyard wall."

He paused, then continued, "My idea is to build five main rooms, side by side, facing south. The middle one, the most spacious and brightest, will be for my parents, whether they live there now or not. The two rooms on the east side will be for me and Xiaoyin. The two rooms on the west side will be for Xiaohe and Xiaoqing. This way, we'll be in the same courtyard, making it convenient to look after each other, while each having relatively independent space. As for the children..." He glanced at Chen Xiaohe, who was looking at him expectantly, and Su Xiaoqing, whose face was slightly flushed beside him, and his tone remained calm, "We'll talk about the future later. If we do have children, we can temporarily adjust the two rooms on the west side, or we can add a side room to the courtyard later. For now, let's build five main rooms."

This arrangement takes into account the parents' status and future care, balances the independence of the two pairs of brothers (couples) with the overall reunion, and leaves room for future development. It is both prudent and practical.

Chen Danian and his mother exchanged a glance, both seeing approval in each other's eyes. Although their eldest son was a man of few words, he was thoughtful and methodical, far more reliable than their younger son's impulsive schemes.

Chen Xiaohe scratched his head, thought for a moment, and then grinned, "Brother, you're so thoughtful! Five rooms it is! We'll leave the middle one for Mom and Dad, that's perfect! Hehe, then Xiaoqing and I will live on the west side, and you and sister-in-law will live on the east side, all in one courtyard, it'll be lively!"

Hearing this arrangement, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing's last bit of anxiety vanished. Five rooms, the middle one for their parents-in-law, and two rooms each for their two brothers—they wouldn't be separated from the family, yet each would have their own space. This was even better than the best-case scenario they had originally imagined. The two sisters exchanged a quiet glance, both seeing reassurance and genuine anticipation for the future in each other's eyes.

"Then it's settled!" Father Chen declared decisively. "Five main rooms, a large kitchen, and a storeroom. We'll start construction tomorrow, and we'll begin with this layout! Dashan, since you have difficulty walking, please provide guidance, especially regarding the dimensions and placement of doors, windows, beams, and rafters. Xiaohe, you're young and strong, so please do your best! Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, you two help your mother prepare meals for the workers these next few days; this is a very important task!"

"Understood, Dad!" Chen Xiaohe replied loudly.

"Yes, Father," Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing replied softly.

Chen Dashan nodded slightly, his gaze once again falling on the plot of land where the house was about to break ground. The blueprint for the five rooms was already clearly outlined in his mind. This was not only a house to shelter from the wind and rain, but also the cornerstone of a brand-new family structure, carrying the wishes of his parents, the affection between his brothers, and the complete longing of the two women from out of town for a stable life.

The setting sun cast its warm glow on the courtyard, bathing the silent mud bricks and timber, as well as the hopeful faces of everyone present, in a gentle golden light. Tomorrow, the first sound of a hoe breaking ground will echo here, and the shared future of the Chen brothers and Su sisters will truly begin to be built.