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

After a long pause, Chen's mother sighed deeply, her face full of regret. "Five hundred coins... two camphor wood chests alone would cost an ounce and a half. How much did she originally intend to give her daughter as a dowry? That Aunt Li... she's so foolish, so incredibly foolish." She shook her head. "Doesn't she realize that once her daughter is married, she belongs to another family? No matter how good they are, will they be there to take her in for her old age and care for her in her final days? In the end, won't it be her two sons and daughters-in-law who will be there to serve her tea and water and attend to her at her bedside? Now that things have turned out like this, how can her sons and daughters-in-law not harbor resentment? It seems unlikely that she'll have a peaceful old age. I heard that her daughter is also incapable of lifting a finger; she's been spoiled at home. It's uncertain whether she'll be able to establish herself in her husband's family."

Mr. Chen tapped his empty pipe and said in a deep voice, "Favoritism isn't wrong, but it has to be within limits. If you don't have much money, but want to give all the good things to one child, regardless of the lives of the other children, that's not love, that's harm. It will harm your daughter, making her look down on in her husband's family because of her small dowry, and she might also be implicated because of the mess her own family is in; it will also harm yourself, making it difficult for you to have a stable home when you get old."

Chen Dashan had been listening in silence until now, when he finally spoke, his voice steady yet thoughtful: "Mother was right to decide not to take this job. Otherwise, it would have been our family that was blocked at the door and ruined our reputation today. Earning a little money with our skills is a small matter; getting involved in this kind of trouble and getting tainted is not worth it."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing exchanged a glance, a wave of fear washing over them. They had only acted out of caution and consideration for their family, never imagining such a vortex would unfold behind their backs.

Chen Xiaohe added the last bit of information: "I heard that after the family split up, Aunt Li cried several times. Now she lives in the east wing of the old house by herself, and she usually cooks and eats separately from her son and daughter-in-law. Her daughter's wedding day is approaching, but the atmosphere at home... sigh."

Mother Chen stood up, brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes, and her tone returned to its usual crispness: "Alright, we can listen to other people's affairs and learn from them. Everyone has their own life to live. Xiaohe, take the fish to the kitchen and stew them for lunch. Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, continue with your embroidery. Dashan and the old man, go do what you need to do. Our family should work together, not engage in any biased dealings, and keep our eyes open to avoid trouble we shouldn't get involved in. That's better than anything else."

Chen Xiaohe carried the fish towards the kitchen, the ripples in his heart caused by the gossip gradually subsiding. Yes, living his own life well is more important than anything else.

-------

"This watermelon is so sweet!"

Chen Xiaohe ate the last piece of red flesh cleanly, even sucking the rind clean, before reluctantly tossing it into the chicken feeder at his feet, attracting several hens to peck at it curiously. He wiped the juice from his mouth and looked at his father with bright eyes: "Dad, the watermelons in our valley are even sweeter than the ones we grew last year! They're so sandy! Shall I go sell watermelons with my older brother tomorrow? They're sure to sell well!"

An oil lamp burned in the main room, casting a dim, yellow glow over the family. A few pieces of half-eaten watermelon rind lay scattered on the table, the air filled with the sweet aroma of melon. Father Chen, picking melon seeds from between his teeth with a small bamboo skewer, nodded upon hearing this: "Alright, you two brothers can decide for yourselves. Anyway, the crops in the fields are growing well lately, so don't worry too much. I'll do the weeding."

Chen Dashan calmly replied, "Tomorrow isn't market day, so there might be fewer people on the streets of the county town. I'll go with you to the valley to pick the watermelons and load them onto the cart. You can drive to the county town to sell them yourself. While you're at it, have your sister-in-law make some tea eggs and salted duck eggs from the eggs she's collected these past few days, and you can take those with you to try. I'll stay home and organize the semi-finished timber in the warehouse, and make a few simple stools and small tables to keep on hand. In case someone else, like Master Han or Master Qin, urgently needs furniture, we'll have ready-made pieces, or we can make slight modifications to deliver them, saving us a lot of time."

Chen Xiaohe readily agreed: "Okay! Big brother, then you help me pick out some melons tomorrow, the ripe ones that make a dull sound!"

Su Xiaoqing was tidying up melon rinds when she remembered something and hurriedly said to Chen Xiaohe, "Xiaohe, if you're going to the county town tomorrow, could you take a detour and buy two more bundles of fabric scraps from Tao's Cloth Shop? Last Dragon Boat Festival market, all the hair ties, sachets, and little clothes we'd saved up sold out completely; we have no stock left. My sister and I can use the time we're resting our eyes while we're doing embroidery during the day to make another batch. I've already thought of several new patterns."

As Chen's mother was wiping her third son Aji's face, which was covered in watermelon juice, with a damp cloth, she looked up at the sound of the voice and said with concern, "You two are still thinking about those odd jobs? That 'Koi Welcoming Fortune' embroidery, isn't it just the beginning? Don't strain your eyes. Our family isn't relying on those small change jobs to make a living now, take it slow."

Su Xiaoyin gently placed the sleeping fourth child, Afu, into the cradle and said softly, "Mother, don't worry. We'll do two hours of embroidery every day without fail. If our eyes get tired, we'll get up and walk around, check on the vegetables in the yard, or do some small needlework. It won't interfere with either. Xiaoqing and I have already decided to stock up on goods while the days are long in summer, so we can keep up with demand during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the New Year's market."

Listening to his daughters-in-law's thoughtful arrangements and looking at his two hardworking sons, Mr. Chen felt incredibly relieved. He tapped his pipe and slowly began, "Our family is like this oxcart on the road now, steadily moving forward. Saving more money is a good thing. It's not just for immediate food and drink." His gaze swept over his grandchildren, some sleeping haphazardly on the kang (heated brick bed), others playing with blocks of wood and mud, especially Shitou, who was already running wildly around the yard, and the well-behaved Qingqing. His tone carried a deeper expectation, "When Shitou, Aji, and Afu are a few years older and stronger, we need to send them to school to learn to read and write. We don't need them to pass any exams or achieve any official titles, but at least they should be able to understand contracts and do accounting, so they won't be illiterate. In the future, whether they continue farming, learn a trade, or achieve some other success, having some education will always broaden their path."

These words struck a chord with Chen's mother, who nodded repeatedly, "The old man is right! Education and understanding are of utmost importance. Now that our family has some foundation, we must support our children's education in the future."

As night deepened and the summer heat subsided, a cool breeze blew through the window screen. The family chatted for a while longer before returning to their rooms to rest.

In the east wing, Su Xiaoyin laid her two sleeping sons side by side, covered their bellies, and then lay down beside Chen Dashan. Moonlight, like water, streamed through the window onto the kang mat. Looking at the man's profile, still clearly defined in the darkness, she spoke softly, "Dashan, the children are growing up. Qingqing is a girl; she needs her own room. Shitou, Aji, and Afu, the three boys, can squeeze in now, but it might be inconvenient when they get older. I'm thinking, in a couple of years, perhaps we should expand this house by adding two more rooms to the west?"

Chen Dashan opened his eyes in the darkness and grasped his wife's slightly cool hand. Her hand, calloused from years of needlework, was still slender. He pondered for a moment, then said in a low, steady voice, "Yes, you've thought it through. I've been considering that too. With our current situation, as long as we're blessed with good weather and work hard, we can save enough money in a year to build a few brick houses. No rush. After we finish and sell the 'Koi Welcoming Fortune' embroidery, we can look into the income from furniture orders after the autumn harvest. Then we'll plan it out properly, giving each of the children a bright room, and also getting you a spacious embroidery room."

His words were simple, yet they were like a reassuring pill, settling heavily in Su Xiaoyin's heart. She seemed to already see a few years later, in a new house with blue bricks and gray tiles, children reading or playing by their respective windows, and sunlight filling the courtyard. She gently squeezed her husband's rough but warm hand, gave a soft "hmm," and closed her eyes in peace.