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

In the afternoon, the children came home from school, and Su Xiaoyin picked them up and took them back to the house. Chen Dashan was already able to sit up on his own and was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed) watching the children write. Shitou was lying on the small table, writing stroke by stroke, while Aji and Afu watched from the side. Qingqing was also writing, her handwriting was neat and much better than Shitou's and the others.

"Dad, look at the words I wrote!" Shi Tou held up the notebook and showed it to Chen Dashan.

Chen Dashan took it, looked at it, and nodded: "You've improved, better than last time. Keep practicing."

Stone was pleased and lowered his head to write again.

In the evening, Su Xiaoqing returned from packing up her stall and helped Su Xiaoyin prepare dinner. The two sisters busied themselves in the kitchen, the fire in the stove burning brightly, and the bone broth in the pot bubbling away. Su Xiaoqing sliced ​​a plate of braised pork, stir-fried two kinds of green vegetables, and steamed a pot of buns.

"Sis, how's big brother today?" Su Xiaoqing asked while chopping vegetables.

Su Xiaoyin said, "I'm much better. I was able to sit up by myself today, and I didn't complain of dizziness. Dr. Li said that I'll be able to get out of bed and walk around in a few days."

Su Xiaoqing breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. You must have been exhausted these past few days."

Su Xiaoyin smiled but didn't say anything.

In the village, Chen's father was tidying up his farm tools in the yard when the gate was suddenly pushed open. The village head walked in, looking better than a few days ago, carrying a jug of wine.

"Brother Chen, busy?" Old Li put the wine on the stone table and sat down on the stool.

Mr. Chen put down his work, wiped his hands, and sat down. "Village head, what brings you here? Is there news?"

Old Li nodded and said in a low voice, "I have a lead. I suspect it's Er Laizi."

Mr. Chen frowned: "Er Laizi? Him?"

The village head sighed and recounted the investigation he had conducted over the past few days. It turned out that Er Laizi had developed a gambling addiction sometime during the day. He started with small bets, but gradually increased the stakes, losing more and more money. When the family's savings were gone, he began stealing chickens and dogs. The village head privately questioned several households in the village, and they all said they had had things stolen from their homes, but they hadn't made a fuss, so no one knew anything about it.

"It was probably him who tried to steal from your house before," the old village head said. "He failed and got injured, so he's holding a grudge. He was probably the one who did the incident in Dashan too."

Mr. Chen clenched his fists, his face ashen: "That beast! He'd kill someone for a bet!"

Old Li patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry. We plan to stake out the place tonight and interrogate him directly once we catch him. This can't be delayed any longer; who knows what might happen if we drag this out any longer."

As the two were talking, the courtyard gate rang again. Chen Xiaohe walked in carrying a bundle, looking travel-worn and tired, but still in good spirits.

"Dad, I'm back!" Chen Xiaohe called out, then paused for a moment when he saw the old village head. "Uncle Village Head, what are you doing here?"

When the old village chief saw Chen Xiaohe, a smile appeared on his face: "Xiaohe's back? Brother De's back too?"

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "We're back. We came back together. Brother De went straight home; you'll see him when you get back."

Old Li stood up and said, "Then I'll head back now. Brother Chen, proceed as planned tonight." He winked at Chen's father, picked up the wine jug, and left.

Watching the old village head's retreating figure, Chen Xiaohe felt uneasy and asked his father, "Dad, what did Uncle Village Head say? What plan?"

Mr. Chen sighed and recounted the whole story of Chen Dashan's injury. Chen Xiaohe's face turned pale after listening, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Chen Xiaohe lowered his head, his voice hoarse. "If De-ge and I hadn't been in such a hurry to deliver the New Year's gifts, my eldest brother wouldn't have had this accident. If I had come back a few days earlier, maybe..."

Chen's father patted him on the shoulder, interrupting him: "It's not your fault. You can't guard against thieves for a thousand days straight. They're in the shadows, and we're in the open. There will always be times when we have to work alone. Nobody expected this. Now it depends on whether the village head can catch the thief. If he really is Erlaizi, we can't let him off easily."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, his eyes a little red: "Dad, I'll definitely be more careful in the future. As for my older brother... I'll go to the county town to see him."

Mr. Chen said, "Go ahead. Your mother is inside. Go see her first, then go to the county town. Xiaoyin is taking care of things over there in the mountains. Go and help her out, let Xiaoyin rest."

Chen Xiaohe responded and turned to go inside. Chen's mother was doing needlework on the kang (a heated brick bed). When she saw her youngest son come in, her eyes immediately reddened.

"Mom, I'm back." Chen Xiaohe walked over and sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

Chen's mother took his hand, looked him up and down, and said, "You've lost weight. The journey must have been tiring. Are you hungry? I'll go make you something nice to eat."

Chen Xiaohe shook his head: "Mom, I'm not hungry. As for my older brother..."

Chen's mother wiped her eyes and said, "Your eldest brother is fine, he's recovering. You should go and see him, help your sister-in-law. She's taking care of your brother all by herself, and she also has to watch the shop and look after the children. She's exhausted."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Mom, don't worry. I'll go to the county town first thing tomorrow morning."

Chen's mother stood up, wiped her hands, and said, "You rest first, I'll go make you something to eat. Your father hasn't been eating properly these past few days either, so you two can eat together."

Chen Xiaohe followed his mother into the kitchen to help her light the fire and wash the vegetables. Soon, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen. Chen's father sat in the yard, smoking his pipe, watching the sky gradually darken, thinking about the evening's events.

If they could catch Er Laizi, everything would be clear. If they couldn't... he dared not think further.

Mrs. Chen brought out a steaming bowl of noodles and placed it in front of Mr. Chen: "Old man, eat first. We have things to do tonight, so don't go hungry."

Mr. Chen picked up the bowl and began to eat heartily. The noodles were chewy, and the broth was delicious—it tasted like home.

After dinner, Chen Xiaohe helped clear the dishes. Chen's father checked the gate again, secured the gateposts, and placed the hoe within easy reach.

"Dad, I'll keep watch with you tonight," Chen Xiaohe said.

Mr. Chen shook his head: "You just got back, you must be tired after a long day, go to sleep. I can manage on my own."

Chen Xiaohe refused: "Dad, I'm not tired. Let's keep each other company."

Looking at his youngest son, Mr. Chen felt a warmth in his heart and did not refuse again.

It was late at night. Chen's father and Chen Xiaohe sat in the main room, the oil lamp dimmed so that they could barely see each other. Neither of them spoke, their ears perked up, listening to the sounds outside.

The wind rustled through the courtyard wall, and the brambles whispered. A few occasional barks of dogs drifted from afar, then silence returned.

Chen Xiaohe asked in a low voice, "Dad, do you think Erlaizi will come?"

Mr. Chen thought for a moment and said, "It's hard to say. But since the village head said he'd be keeping watch tonight, he must be confident. Let's just wait and see."

Chen Xiaohe nodded and gripped the hoe in his hand tightly.

The night was long. But the father and son knew that dawn would eventually break.