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

And so the matter was settled. The next day, as dawn broke, Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe hitched up the oxcart, loaded it with the sorted and bundled goods, and set off for the county town in the morning light.

Although the household was missing two main breadwinners, it didn't feel deserted. Mother Chen quickly fed the chickens, ducks, pigs, and sheep, then turned over the dried mountain produce in the yard. Seeing the sun rising higher, she wiped her hands and said to Father Chen, who was mending farm tools, "Old man, we've almost finished the work. Shall we take the children for a walk under the big locust tree in the village? They're cooped up at home all day; it's time to let them see some people."

Father Chen put down his work, looked at his four grandchildren who were toddling and babbling in the yard under the care of Su Xiaoyin and her sister, and a kind smile appeared on his face: "Alright, it's time to take them out and show them off. Otherwise, those old folks in the village will keep saying that we treasure them like they're something special and can't bear to take them out."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing quickly changed the children into clean little jackets and put on sun hats woven by Chen Xiaohe. Mr. and Mrs. Chen each pushed a lightweight bamboo stroller—a modified version by Chen Dashan based on their previous experience, making it lighter and more stable. It was lined with soft padding, just enough for two little ones to lie on each side. The four children seemed to know they were going out, excitedly waving their arms and legs, their bright black eyes looking around.

The old locust tree stands in the center of the village, its canopy casting a large, cool shade. This place has always been a hub for village gossip and information exchange. A considerable number of people have already gathered here: elderly men fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans while playing chess, women doing needlework and chatting, and children chasing and playing around – a lively, bustling scene of everyday life.

Mr. Chen parked the cart in the shade and was quickly surrounded by several familiar old friends. The conversation naturally revolved around crops, the weather, and their children and grandchildren. Mrs. Chen, on the other hand, was pulled into a group by several women of similar age.

"Grandma, it's been a while since we've seen you come out for a visit! Oh, are these your four precious grandsons? Look at them, they're so strong and handsome!" Aunt Zhao, always quick to speak, reached out to tease the children in the stroller.

"That's right, there are so many things to do at home, and I also have to take care of them, I can't find the time." Chen's mother replied with a smile, her eyes filled with undisguised affection.

The conversation quickly shifted from the children. The women chatted about this family and that, about whose daughter-in-law was capable, whose mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were at odds, whose chickens and ducks had laid double-yolk eggs… trivial yet vivid. Chen's mother mostly listened, occasionally chiming in with a few words. She was steady and didn't like to gossip, but listening to these things gave her something to tell her two daughters-in-law when they got home, letting them know about the social interactions in the village.

Just then, Granny Wang, who was sitting in the corner, lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "Hey, have you heard? That Xiu girl... is back."

"Xiuya?" Aunt Li, who was standing next to her, was taken aback. "Didn't she say she ran off with a peddler from the county town the year before last? I heard that the peddler's family had some money, and her parents were quite well-off back then."

"What's so glorious about it!" Granny Wang curled her lip, her face showing a mixture of pity and "I knew it!" "She got dumped! She slunk back home. It's said that the peddler already had a wife, but he tricked her into going with him by saying he was single. But when they got there, his first wife was very fierce, treating her like a servant, beating and scolding her at the drop of a hat. That heartless man didn't protect her either. She couldn't take it anymore and ran back home on her own."

"Oh dear, what a tragedy!" Several women sighed at the same time.

"And the worst was yet to come!" Granny Wang lowered her voice even further. "She came back in a sorry state, and when she finally arrived at her parents' house, her parents... they thought she was a disgrace and had ruined the family's reputation, so they wouldn't even let her in! They just cursed her at the door, saying she should just die out there and never come back to tarnish the family name. Xiu'er knelt at the door, crying and begging for a long time, but they just wouldn't open the door. Later... later, nobody knows where she went. Someone said they saw her heading towards the neighboring county, I'm afraid... sigh."

A silence enveloped the small corner. The cicadas chirped noisily overhead, and the locust leaves rustled in the breeze, only serving to accentuate the desolation of the news.

"That old couple is so heartless..." Aunt Zhao murmured. "She's their own daughter, after all. She came back in trouble, and instead of taking her in, they won't even give her a meal?"

"Of course! Reputation? More important than her daughter's life?" Aunt Li shook her head. "How will this girl live in the future?"

Chen's mother listened silently, her heart heavy and chilled, as if something was blocking it. She remembered Xiu'er's former appearance—a pretty and diligent girl who always greeted people quietly with her head down. How could she... have ended up like this? She also knew her parents; they seemed like honest and upright people. How could they be so heartless to their own flesh and blood?