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

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Xiaohe got up. He loaded the grain, cabbage, and radishes he had prepared the night before onto the oxcart, checked the wheels and ropes again to make sure there were no problems, and then harnessed the ox.

Chen's mother brought out a bowl of hot porridge and two flatbreads from the kitchen and stuffed them into his hands: "Eat before you go, it will be cold on the road."

Chen Xiaohe took the bowl, finished the porridge in a few gulps, stuffed the flatbread into his clothes, jumped onto the cart shaft, and said, "Mother, I'm leaving. You and Father, stay home and lock the door carefully, don't let your guard down."

Chen's mother nodded, stood at the gate of the courtyard, watched the oxcart drive away, and then turned back.

The fog was thick, a white blur, obscuring the view. Chen Xiaohe drove the cart slowly, his mind preoccupied with his elder brother's injury and the plan the village head had discussed the previous night, wondering if Erlaizi had been caught. The mule moved steadily, its hooves clattering on the empty dirt road. The crops on either side of the road had already been harvested, leaving a thin layer of frost on the bare fields.

When they arrived in the county town, it was already broad daylight. Chen Xiaohe parked the oxcart in front of the general store, jumped off, and carried the goods to the backyard.

"Sister-in-law!" he called out from the courtyard gate.

Su Xiaoyin was brewing medicine in the kitchen when she heard the sound and peeked out. Seeing Chen Xiaohe, her face lit up with surprise: "Xiaohe's back! Come in quickly!"

Chen Xiaohe placed the things at the kitchen doorway, wiped his sweat, and asked, "Sister-in-law, how is brother?"

While stirring the medicine pot, Su Xiaoyin said, "It's nothing, I'm resting in the backyard. Dr. Li came to change the dressing yesterday and said the wound is healing well, and I'll be able to walk around in a few days." She paused and then asked, "Have you gone home to see your parents? Are they alright? We've been in the county town for many days and haven't had time to go back. We're worried about them."

Chen Xiaohe said, "It's alright, sister-in-law. Mom and Dad are both fine. I'm just worried about my brother. I'll go to the backyard to check on him first." As he spoke, he strode towards the backyard.

Chen Dashan was leaning against the kang (a heated brick bed), holding an old book in his hand, which Shitou had brought back from school. He was flipping through it idly. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Chen Xiaohe coming in, a smile spreading across his face.

"Xiaohe, you're back!" Chen Dashan put down his book and tried to sit up.

Chen Xiaohe quickly went over and helped him up: "Brother, don't move, lie down. I'm back, how are you?"

Chen Dashan leaned against the quilt, looked his younger brother up and down, and said, "I'm fine, I'm recovering. It's good that you're back. Have you seen Mom and Dad? Are they alright?"

Chen Xiaohe sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and briefly explained the situation in the village. The village head was investigating and had found a lead; they suspected Erlai Ziqian. They staked out the village last night to make an arrest, but they didn't know the outcome. Chen Dashan frowned after listening.

"Er Laizi?" He thought for a moment and said, "He might steal chickens and dogs, but pushing me down the mountain... does he have the guts?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "I don't know yet. The village head took some men to stake out the area last night, and there was still no news when I arrived. Don't worry, brother, I'll send someone to let you know when there are any results from the village."

Chen Dashan nodded, then asked, "How are Mom and Dad doing at home? Mom wasn't scared, was she?"

Chen Xiaohe said, "Mom is alright, but I'm worried about you. Dad has been busy the whole time; he dug the traps again and reinforced the thorns. Just focus on recovering; Dad and I are here for you."

Chen Dashan hummed in agreement, then suddenly remembered something: "Xiaohe, go check on Xiaoqing. She's been so worried about you lately, talking about you every day. Go see her, and she'll feel at ease."

Chen Xiaohe nodded: "Okay, big brother, I'll go right now. You take good care of yourself and don't worry about us. I'll go back to the village in a little while; I'm worried about Mom and Dad."

Chen Dashan said, "Tell them I'm fine, I'll go back after a few more days of rest. Tell Xiaoqing to buy lots of good food, don't skimp on the money."

Chen Xiaohe agreed, said a few more words, and then got up and walked out.

After leaving the house, Chen Xiaohe headed towards the market. From afar, he saw Su Xiaoqing's stall, where she was busy arranging her goods, neatly placing hair ties, silk flowers, and tiger-head shoes one by one.

"Xiao Qing!" Chen Xiaohe called out.

Su Xiaoqing looked up and saw Chen Xiaohe standing a few steps away. She paused for a moment, then her eyes reddened. She put down what she was holding, ran over, took Chen Xiaohe's hand, and looked him up and down several times.

"You're back? You've lost weight. Did something happen on the way?" Su Xiaoqing's voice trembled slightly.

Chen Xiaohe patted her hand and said with a smile, "It's okay, I'm fine. I was just worried about you. You've worked so hard in the county town. I'll come in your place after this busy period is over."

Su Xiaoqing shook her head and wiped her eyes. "It's not hard work. My older sister is taking care of my brother, so I'm just watching the stall. It's not tiring." She took out a small cloth bag from her bosom and stuffed it into Chen Xiaohe's hand. "This is some money. Go buy some meat later and take it back to our parents to celebrate your safe return. We're doing well in the county town, so tell them not to worry."

Chen Xiaohe took the cloth bag, squeezed it, and said, "Okay, I'll go buy it in a bit. Take care of yourself too, don't overwork yourself."

Su Xiaoqing nodded, gave a few more instructions, and then returned to her stall. Chen Xiaohe stood by and watched for a while before turning and walking towards the meat stall. He bought several pounds of pork belly and two large bones, wrapped them in oil paper, and carried them back home.

The overnight stakeout in the village was not in vain.

In the early hours of the morning, Er Laizi sneaked into the yard of Widow Wang at the east end of the village and stole two laying hens. Just as he pulled them from the coop, he was caught red-handed by the village head and several young men who had been lying in wait. Caught red-handed, Er Laizi turned pale, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.

"Take him away!" The old village head waved his hand, and several men escorted Er Laizi to the mill at the village entrance. The door was closed tightly, the oil lamp was lit, and the old village head sat in a grand chair with several young men standing on either side. The atmosphere was very tense.

Erlaizi squatted on the ground, head down, not daring to look at anyone.

The old village head tapped the table, his voice low but deep: "You scoundrel, tell me yourself, what have you done?"

Erlaizi trembled as he stammered out his story of stealing chickens and dogs. He confessed to every single one of their petty thefts: which family had lost a few chickens, a basket of eggs, or vegetables from someone's garden. When he talked about the time he went to steal from the Chen family, he gave a particularly detailed account—he climbed over the wall, but before he even got close to the livestock shed, he fell into a trap, his foot pierced by a bamboo splinter. It took him ages to crawl out, leaving a pool of blood at the base of the wall.

"I admit to all of that," Er Laizi raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, "but it's my fault for gambling and stealing, but I wouldn't hurt anyone! I still need to live in the village, how could I possibly kill someone in the village? Wouldn't that be putting myself in a dead end?"

Old Li stared at him and asked, "Did you do Chen Dashan's fall from the mountain?"