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

Early that morning, a crowd gathered under the old locust tree in the village. Brother De stood on the stone mill, his face serious. Beside him stood several elderly people with gray hair, all respected elders in the village. Er Laizi shrank back in the crowd, his face ashen. His wife kept her head down, her eyes red-rimmed, and dared not look at anyone.

Brother De cleared his throat, his gaze sweeping over the entire village. His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear: "I've called everyone here today to talk about Er Laizi's family."

The crowd quieted down, and even the children had their mouths covered by adults.

Brother De briefly recounted what had happened, concluding, "Er Laizi and his wife, in an attempt to extort money, jumped into the river themselves and tried to frame Li Hu. This has corrupted the morals of our Nanshan Village. I've discussed it with the elders, and the punishment is as follows—"

He paused, then looked at Erlaizi: "You two are to be punished by cleaning up all the silt, weeds, and garbage in the river from the bridge to the ferry crossing. This is the first and last time. If you do it again, you'll be kicked out of the village and never live in Nanshan Village again."

Erlaizi opened his mouth as if to say something, but was glared at by the old man next to him and shut his mouth again. His wife tugged at his sleeve, and neither of them dared to utter a sound.

Brother De continued, "In our Nanshan Village, generations have valued honesty, integrity, and harmonious neighborly relations. These past few years, everyone's life has improved, but we mustn't forget our roots. This kind of morally corrupting behavior must never be allowed to happen again. If word gets out, how will the village's children choose their spouses? Who would want to marry their daughter into our village? Who would dare to marry a girl from our village?"

Some people in the crowd nodded and began to whisper among themselves. An old woman shouted, "Brother De is right! This can't get out; my grandson isn't even engaged yet!"

Several women nearby chimed in, chattering amongst themselves. Brother De raised his hand to quiet them down, and once it was quiet, he continued, "So, all the old ladies and young wives in every household, shut your mouths and don't go around gossiping. This isn't just for Er Laizi's family, it's for the reputation of our whole village. A good reputation for our village will make it easier to find matchmakers later. If anyone goes around gossiping and ruins the village's reputation, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Several women who usually loved to visit each other and gossip quickly nodded and patted their chests to promise not to say anything out of line.

Brother De then said, "Since everyone is here today, I have a few more things to announce. In recent years, life has become better, but some bad habits have emerged in the village. I've discussed this with some of the elders and we've decided on a few village rules. Everyone, please listen carefully."

He took a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and read aloud:

"First rule: no one in the village is allowed to gamble. There are no winners at the gambling table. If you win, you want to win more; if you lose, you want to win back your losses. In the end, you'll be bankrupt and your family will be torn apart. If anyone gets involved in gambling, don't blame the village for being ruthless."

"Secondly, visiting brothels is forbidden. Those places are places where money is spent like water and they ruin one's reputation. The men of Nanshan Village should live with integrity and not go to such filthy places."

"Thirdly, no mistreatment of the daughter-in-law is allowed. Once a daughter-in-law enters the family, she becomes family, and we should treat her well. At the same time, children should be filial to their parents; this is a matter of course."

"The fourth rule is that it is forbidden to corrupt the atmosphere of Nanshan Village. If you envy someone's good life, then you should work hard and earn money yourself. Being envious is useless, and harming others is even worse. Only what you earn with your own hands is truly secure."

After reading it aloud, Brother De folded the paper, put it in his pocket, and glanced at the entire room: "That's all. Everyone, remember this, so you don't make mistakes and then regret it."

Someone in the crowd started clapping, and the applause grew louder and louder. An old man shouted at the top of his lungs, "Brother De is right! This rule is well set!"

Another young man said, "That's right. Our village has been doing much better these past few years, so we can't let people corrupt our morals."

Erlaizi lowered his head, his face flushing red and then turning pale. His wife was wiping away tears beside him, it was hard to tell whether it was from grievance or regret.

Brother De jumped down from the stone roller, walked up to Er Laizi, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a gentler tone, "Er Laizi, don't think the punishment is too harsh. Go back and think it over carefully. Your wife has had a hard time with you. Clean up the river, live a good life from now on, and don't have any more crooked thoughts. The villagers won't keep bringing this up forever."

Erlaizi nodded, his voice hoarse: "Brother De, I understand. I was foolish, I won't do it again."

The crowd gradually dispersed. A few elderly people stayed behind, exchanged a few more words with Brother De, and then went home.

Chen Dashan stood in the crowd, listening to the whole thing, secretly admiring Brother De. In recent years, Brother De had taken over his father's job and was becoming more and more experienced in handling affairs. He had punished people, established rules, and hadn't made things too difficult for Er Laizi.

When they got home, Chen's father had already prepared lunch. The family sat around the table, eating and talking about the day's events.

Chen's father took a sip of porridge and said slowly, "Brother De handled this matter well. The village rules are good, especially the one about not mistreating daughters-in-law; no one has ever mentioned that before."

Mother Chen nodded: "That's right. In the past, some families in the village would torment their daughters-in-law, and then the daughters-in-law would torment the next generation after becoming mothers-in-law themselves. This could lead to a miserable life for generations. This rule is good. If any family bullies their daughter-in-law in the future, Brother De can take care of it."

Su Xiaoyin served food to the children and said with a smile, "Mom, you've never mistreated Xiaoqing or me. You're even kinder than a biological mother."

Mother Chen waved her hand: "We're family, no need for formalities. Now that you've married into the family, you're family."

While munching on a flatbread, Chen Xiaohe said, "Brother De also said that gambling and going to brothels are forbidden. If you get involved with either of those things, you're finished. Nobody cared about that in our village before, but now that there are rules, let's see who dares to do it."

Chen Dashan put down his bowl and said, "The village rules have been set, but the key is still everyone's self-discipline. Brother De can manage for a while, but not forever. Let's just live our own lives well and not cause trouble for others."

Father Chen nodded: "Dashan is right. Everyone should mind their own business and mind their own doorstep. Don't meddle in other people's affairs."

After the family finished eating, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing cleared away the dishes. Chen Dashan sat on the porch, smoking his pipe, thinking about the day's events. Although the matter with Er Laizi was over, it had served as a reminder. In this day and age, people's hearts are unpredictable; one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must always be wary of others.

Su Xiaoyin came out and sat down next to him.

"Dashan, what are you thinking about?" she asked softly.

Chen Dashan shook his head and tapped his pipe: "It's nothing. I just feel that our family's life is getting better and better, and we have to hold on to it."

Su Xiaoyin smiled and leaned on his shoulder: "Yeah, we held on."

The wind blows through the yard, bringing the scent of crops and green grass. Tomorrow will be another day. But as long as the family is together, we fear no storm.