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

The afternoon sun was quite intense, and the Chen family courtyard was quiet except for the cicadas chirping tirelessly in the trees. Chen Dashan was intently planing a wooden board under the open shed, sawdust dancing in the sunlight. Inside the main room, the Su sisters were keeping an eye on the children napping on the kang (a heated brick bed) while sorting through scraps of cloth, the tiny pieces rustling softly in their hands.

Suddenly, the courtyard gate was pushed open with a "bang," and Chen Xiaohe ran in, covered in sweat, panting heavily, and looking anxious.

"Father! Mother! Eldest brother! Something terrible has happened!" The voices arrived before he even stood still.

Chen's father, who was squatting by the vegetable patch catching insects, straightened up, frowned, and said, "Slow down! You're in such a panic, I didn't hear anything clearly!"

Chen's mother, who was drying vegetables by the kitchen door, came out upon hearing the noise, wiping her hands with her apron: "Xiaohe, what's wrong? What happened?"

Chen Xiaohe ran to the water vat, scooped up half a ladle of cold water and gulped it down. He wiped his mouth, calming his breathing slightly, and said urgently, "I just ran back from the big locust tree in the village! The village headman banged the gong to announce that the government's corvée labor order for this year has been issued! They're going to conscript men!"

"Conscription?" Mr. Chen frowned even more deeply. "So early this year?"

Chen's mother's expression also turned serious: "What did the village head say? Does each household have to contribute someone, or can we pay silver in lieu of service?"

Chen Xiaohe hurriedly said, "They said we can pay silver in lieu of corvée labor! If any able-bodied men in the family don't go, we have to pay two taels of silver! Father, let's pay this year! Or... or I can go!" He looked at his father's graying temples, then at his eldest brother's leg under the open shed, which, although much recovered, still ached on rainy days. His tone was resolute, "My brother's legs can't handle heavy work, and Father, you're getting old. Last year when you went to do corvée labor, you came back thinner and coughed for almost half a month. It was too much suffering for you! I'm young, I'll go!"

"Two taels of silver?!" Chen's mother gasped. This was no small sum. For farming families, saving two or three taels of silver a year after deducting food, drink, and other expenses was already quite difficult.

Chen's father remained silent for a moment, his rough fingers unconsciously twisting his pipe, a look of struggle on his face. Two taels of silver could buy a good amount of grain and a lot of things for the family. He gritted his teeth: "I'll go after all. Two taels of silver... is too expensive. I'm still healthy; I'll be back in a month."

"No way!" This time, Mrs. Chen's voice was resolute. She walked up to Mr. Chen, looking at the deep wrinkles on his dark face. "Old man, don't be stubborn. How did I feel seeing you come back like that last year? Things have gotten better at home this year; we're not as strapped for cash as we used to be. We can afford those two taels of silver!"

She glanced around the yard, speaking quickly but clearly: "Besides, with everything at home, can you manage without me? The piglets are just starting to fatten up, the chickens, ducks, and geese all need careful tending, and then there are the cows and sheep. Dashan has to rush to work for the Fu family in the county town; he promised them that, and he can't delay. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing have to take care of four children and do embroidery to supplement the family income; they're already incredibly busy. The fields need fertilizing and weeding soon; how can anyone leave them alone? Even if I had three heads and six arms, I couldn't manage it all! This year, we must pay the money!"

Before Chen's father could object further, she turned and headed towards the main room: "I'll go get the money right now! Xiaohe, have you found out? Is it just a matter of paying the fee and registering at the village head's office?"

"Yes! The village head said that the register needs to be compiled and reported today and tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow!" Chen Xiaohe said hurriedly.

"Then we must hurry!" Mother Chen rushed into the house. A moment later, she came out with an old money bag containing two taels of silver.

"I'll go with you." Seeing that his wife had made up her mind, Chen's father knew that there was no point in saying anything more, so he put down his pipe and dusted himself off.

"Okay, go and come back quickly." Chen's mother carefully tucked the money bag into her bosom, and then instructed Chen Dashan and the Su sisters, "Dashan, watch the house. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, if the children wake up and start crying, give them some water first."

The elderly couple hurried out of the courtyard gate and headed towards the village head's house.

In the courtyard, Chen Xiaohe watched his parents' departing figures, then suddenly covered his mouth and chuckled, his shoulders swaying.

Chen Dashan stopped planes, glanced at his younger brother, and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Chen Xiaohe lowered his hand, a sly smile still on his face: "I just saw how reluctant Dad was to spend the money. Mom's words are the best! She made the final decision! Otherwise, Dad would definitely have insisted on going anyway."

Chen Dashan shook his head, his tone filled with understanding for his parents: "Father isn't stingy with money, he just cares about Mother and this family. Two taels of silver used to be more than half a year's worth of food for our family. Father is worried that there will be more expenses in the future, so he wants to save it." He paused, looked at his younger brother, "Mother is right, the family really can't do without someone now. Father is getting old, and heavy corvée labor is bad for his health, so we should avoid it if possible. This money should be spent."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing also came out of the main room, their faces showing concern. Su Xiaoyin asked, "Xiaohe, the village head said this year's corvée labor will last for a long time? Where are we going?"

Chen Xiaohe thought for a moment: "The village head said it would take about a month. In previous years, they were either repairing the official road outside the county town or dredging the waterways. This year, I heard they're going to the mines in the north to haul stones, which is even more strenuous work."

"A month..." Su Xiaoyin murmured thoughtfully, her gaze drifting towards the backyard. Along the fence, five watermelon seedlings had already sprouted tall under the warm spring sun, their vines stretching out, blooming with tender yellow flowers, and some already bearing fuzzy little melons. "Our watermelons should be ripe in a little over a month, right?"

Chen Xiaohe's eyes lit up: "That's right! Sister-in-law, what came to mind?"

Su Xiaoyin said, "I was thinking, it's hot in the summer, and the places where people do corvée labor must be tiring and thirsty. If our watermelons are ripe, could we take them there to sell? Even if the price is a bit cheaper, they should sell well, right? It could also help Dad... or the people who are going to do corvée labor, to cool off in the heat."

After listening, Chen Dashan pondered and said, "In previous years, the government was strict in its management and generally did not allow vendors to approach the construction site, for fear of disrupting order and for fear that someone would take the opportunity to cause trouble. However... last year, Father came back and said that occasionally there were bold farmers who would carry melons, fruits and vegetables and sell them from afar during breaks in work. As long as they were not too conspicuous, the soldiers in charge would sometimes turn a blind eye."

He went to the backyard and carefully examined the thriving watermelon vines: "I've seen our watermelons this year; the vines are strong, and the flowers are blooming profusely. As long as the weather is favorable, we'll definitely get a good harvest. Besides keeping enough for our own consumption and giving some away, the rest... I originally planned to take them to the county town to sell. In previous years, there weren't many watermelon vendors in the county town; most were sporadic deliveries from nearby sandy villages, and the prices weren't low. Let's give it a try; maybe we can get a good price."

Chen Xiaohe rubbed his hands together excitedly, "This is great! Watermelons are thirst-quenching and filling, people who work hard will definitely love them! Brother, why don't we try both? When a batch is ripe, we can pick some of the best-looking ones and sell them in the county town. If they sell well, we'll focus on the county town. If they don't sell well there, or if we have too many watermelons, we can try to sell them to the construction sites."

Su Xiaoqing nodded in agreement: "I think it's a good idea. Anyway, the melons are grown on our own land, so as long as we sell them, we'll make a profit."

Looking at the tiny, fuzzy watermelons, each the size of a fingernail, hanging on the vine, Chen Dashan could almost see them growing up, round and emerald green. In the sweltering summer heat, a sweet, juicy watermelon could certainly bring comfort. Perhaps this would be another small source of income for the family.

"Then it's settled," Chen Dashan decided. "From now on, we'll take good care of these melon vines. Once the melons are ripe, we'll see what happens."