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

Chen Dashan nodded: "This is a good thing, what are you worried about?"

Brother De gave a wry smile, lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard: "I have two sons. There's quite a big age gap between them; the older one is eighteen, and the younger one is only eight. Whatever amount is given to the older one, the younger one should receive the same amount, otherwise it's unfair, and it could easily lead to family discord later. I'm a son myself, and I've seen too many brothers turn against each other because of unequal distribution of family property. I don't want my sons to go through that in the future."

Chen Dashan didn't reply, but handed him a plate of sunflower seeds.

Dege grabbed a handful of food, didn't knock it over, and held it tightly in his hand. He continued, "I want to find a girl from the town, or even better, from the county seat for my eldest son. But these days, which family's daughter is willing to marry into the village? As soon as they see we're farmers, they won't even meet us. If we want him to marry in the county seat or town, we'll have to buy him a house. We can't expect him to live in the village, can we? But you know better than me how much money it costs to buy a house. And there's the second son to look after. Whatever the eldest spends, the second son will have to spend just as much in the future, otherwise it won't make sense. I'm quite hesitant and don't know what to do."

Chen Dashan thought for a moment, draped the rag over the counter, and looked earnestly at De Ge: "De Ge, why don't you look at the girls in other villages? What if you find someone suitable? It doesn't have to be from the city. We farmers marry for virtue, not for looks. A virtuous and hardworking woman is better than those pampered city girls. You've been through this, you understand this better than I do." He paused, then added, "However, if you really want to buy a house, you can look for a cheap one. Buy one first, even if you don't let the eldest live there, renting it out is fine. There are more people than houses in the county town now, and rents rise every year, so buying one won't be a loss. When the second son grows up, you can buy a second one, or divide this one between them and let them discuss it themselves."

De Ge's eyes lit up, as if he'd been enlightened: "Renting it out...that's a good idea. Even if the eldest doesn't live there, there'll still be income every month. After I save up for a few years, I'll buy one for the second son." He stood up, dusted off the hem of his clothes, and his expression was much more relaxed than before. "Okay, I'll go to the brokerage firm to check it out. I'll find out the market rate first, and if there's a suitable one, I'll buy it. Thanks, Da Shan."

Chen Dashan waved his hand and smiled as he saw him to the door: "No need to thank me. Brother De, you have a good idea, you just haven't quite grasped it yet."

Brother De put on his hat, stepped out the door, and turned back to remind him, "There will be a lot of people around during the New Year holidays, so keep an eye on the shop and don't let anyone take advantage of the situation. I heard that some thieves have started moving around town, specifically targeting the New Year holidays."

Chen Dashan's heart tightened, but he didn't show it on his face. He nodded and replied, "Understood, Brother De. Take care."

After seeing Brother De off, Chen Dashan stood at the door for a while. People came and went on the street. An old man selling candied hawthorns passed by, carrying a straw target, and several children chased after him, their faces flushed. He turned back to his shop, pulled a lock from under the counter, tried it, and then put it back.

Water sat on the stove beside him, steam rising from the kettle spout, swirling and dispersing in the cold air. He rearranged the items on the counter, waiting for the next group of customers.

A short while later, Su Xiaoyin came out of the backyard carrying a plate of freshly baked pastries. Seeing Chen Dashan frowning, she asked what was wrong. Chen Dashan recounted the story of Brother De coming to chat and also mentioned the thief.

Su Xiaoyin placed the pastries in the counter, brushed the crumbs off her hands, and said in a soft but firm voice, "Then we'll be extra careful these next few days. Close the shop as soon as it gets dark, no delays. You and Dad will keep an eye on things in the shop, and Xiaoqing and I will stay at the house and watch the children. Keep the money box safe, don't leave it in plain sight." She paused, looked at Chen Dashan, and added, "We can't help with De Ge's family's affairs, we can only listen to his complaints. He's a sensible man, he'll understand."

Chen Dashan nodded, took the bowl of hawthorn water that Su Xiaoyin handed him, took a sip, and felt the sweet and sour taste melt on his tongue. He looked at the guests coming and going at the door and thought to himself, "That's life. Every family has its own troubles, but as long as the family is together, no matter how difficult things are, they can get through them."

The oil lamps in the shop lit up, their orange glow casting a warm glow on the shelves and the goods. Outside, a woman led her child in to buy eggs. The child tiptoed to look at the counter, and Su Xiaoyin smiled and handed him a piece of cake. The child took it, took a bite, his eyes sparkling, and exclaimed how sweet it was. That's how the New Year is, passing by little by little.

----

Night had fallen, and the house was quiet. The fire in the stove had gone out, but the residual warmth lingered in the cracks between the bricks, making the kitchen cozy. The wind outside the window had stopped, and occasionally a dog's bark would drift from the depths of the alley, quickly fading into silence.

Chen Dashan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), tossing and turning, unable to sleep. He stared at the dark beams of the room, the mattress beneath him rustling softly.

Su Xiaoyin was woken up by him. She turned to her side, put her hand on his arm, and said in a soft, sleepy voice, "Dashan, why aren't you asleep yet? Are you still thinking about Dege's family?"

Chen Dashan shook his head, stretched out his arm for her to rest her head on. He held her hand in his other hand under the covers, his rough thumb slowly stroking the back of her hand. "I'm not thinking about his family, I'm thinking about our own."

Su Xiaoyin looked up at him, using the moonlight streaming in from the window: "What's going on in our family?"

Chen Dashan was silent for a moment, his voice low, as if afraid of waking the children in the next room: "We have four children. Two of us, and Xiaohe and the other two. Qingqing is a girl, so we'll just give her a dowry. But what about Shitou, Aji, and Afu? They all need to get married and have children. There are three brothers, so it should be about the same for them. If we treat them differently, won't they complain in the future? As their parents, we can't let our children have any grudges over this."

Su Xiaoyin didn't reply immediately. She pulled her hand out of his palm, pulled the blanket up a bit, tucked his shoulders in, and said softly but firmly, "Of the three of them, whoever has the talent for studying should take the imperial examination. We'll do everything we can to support them. The farmland and fruit trees on the mountain will be divided into three parts, no more, no less, one part for each person. As for the shops in the county town, we currently only have two houses and two shops. If you calculate it, we're still short one more to divide equally. We'll try to buy another shop and another house next year. Once we've acquired all the assets we can, we can lay everything out on the table when we divide the property, clear and simple, so no one can complain."

Chen Dashan frowned, his voice still tinged with worry: "The assets are easy to divide, but what if none of them are destined for the imperial examinations?"