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

Su Xiaoyin nodded and moved a basket from the end of the kang (a heated brick bed). Inside were scraps of fabric of various colors, thread, scissors, and a thimble. She picked out a few brightly colored scraps and began to make silk flowers. First, she cut the fabric into circles of different sizes, heated the edges with a candle flame, then layered them, securing them with needle and thread, and adding a small bead or a small tassel in the center. Making silk flowers wasn't complicated, but it required a lot of patience; if one layer was folded crookedly, the whole flower would be crooked. Su Xiaoyin worked quickly, her hands never stopping, and in no time she had gathered about ten flowers. The peach blossoms were delicate pink, the plum blossoms elegant, and the peonies magnificent; piled in a small dish, they looked just like real flowers.

Mother Chen also moved a stool over and sat down, holding several red ropes in her hands, making knots. She was skillful; although she couldn't embroider, she was adept at making knots, quickly and neatly tying swastika knots, ruyi knots, and double coin knots. As she wove, she looked up at her two daughters-in-law, then suddenly remembered something, and her movements slowed down.

"I was washing clothes by the river the other day and I saw a lot of pretty stones on the riverbank," Chen's mother said, holding up a half-finished tassel that was still missing a pendant. "They were white with red threads, and some were a bright green, all round and smooth, just as good as the beads sold in shops. What do you think if we picked some up and strung them on hair ties or attached them to silk flowers, wouldn't they look nice?"

Su Xiaoyin stopped what she was doing, thought about it seriously for a moment, and then her eyes lit up: "Mom, this is a great idea! Natural stones have a better feel than fake beads, and they're free. We can just pick them up, wash them, and use them. When the ice melts in the spring, we can go to the river and collect some to try."

Su Xiaoqing also looked up, excitedly saying, "When I was a child, I saw people in my hometown making earrings from river pebbles. They were so pretty. We don't need to make anything that intricate. We can just pick some that are round and have nice colors, punch a hole in them, string them together, and hang them on a hair tie or a net. I'm sure someone will like them."

Chen's mother was delighted by her two daughters-in-law's flattery, and she quickly made a knot: "Alright, let's go pick them together when spring comes."

The three women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were chatting and laughing when Chen's mother changed the subject, lowering her voice and speaking with the characteristic interest of gossip: "By the way, I ran into someone from the village in the county town yesterday. Guess what? De-ge's eldest son has found a match!"

Su Xiaoyin was sewing the last few stitches of a silk flower when she heard this and paused. "So fast? Before the New Year, when Brother De came to chat with Dashan, he was worried about this too. He said he didn't know where to find a suitable girl, and he was worried that he couldn't treat his eldest and youngest sons equally. He was so worried that he couldn't sleep." She tilted her head and thought for a moment. "It's only been a few days, and not only is the marriage arranged, but they've also bought a house? His eldest son is also of marriageable age. If he doesn't get engaged soon, it will be a waste of time."

Su Xiaoqing also put down the embroidery pattern in her hand and leaned over to listen.

Mother Chen placed the tassel on her lap and explained in detail: "I heard it's from a girl in town, surnamed Zhou. Her family runs a general store, and she's their only daughter, with no brothers. Her parents are getting old and want to find a son-in-law to live with them in their old age, but De Ge's family refuses to let their son marry into the family. After much discussion, the two families finally agreed—it wouldn't be considered a son-in-law marriage, but De Ge's eldest son would be responsible for taking care of the daughter's parents in their old age. He'd have to visit them during holidays and take care of them when they're old and sick. The bride's family brought a substantial dowry: a shop in town and several dozen taels of silver they had saved, all of which she took with her."

Su Xiaoyin listened attentively, her hand unconsciously stopping the silk flowers she was making. She nodded, her tone tinged with emotion: "That's good too. De Ge has two sons, the elder one went to town, and the younger one stayed in the village, so he has people on both sides. De Ge's pressure will be much less, and he won't have to take out two savings at once."

Su Xiaoqing, however, was somewhat worried, her brows furrowing slightly: "But this kind of marriage, while easy to talk about, might not be easy to manage. The groom's family is practically like half a son, having to support the bride's family. If the bride's family is understanding, it'll be fine, but if they're difficult to get along with, De Ge's eldest son will be caught in the middle, putting him in a difficult position. Besides, De Ge's family isn't bad off; it's not like they can't find a wife. Why go through all this trouble?"

Mother Chen waved her hand and lowered her voice, saying, "Brother De has his own considerations. Although the Zhou family in town has only one daughter, they own a shop and have savings. I've heard their daughter is also quite pretty and literate. If Brother De's eldest son marries a girl from the village, she'll at most know how to farm and raise pigs; she won't be able to run a shop. If this Zhou family's daughter is a good match, they can easily take over the shop in the county town. With the help of his father-in-law's experience, it's much better than starting from scratch. Brother De is shrewd; he won't suffer any losses."

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and slowly said, "That's true. Brother De thinks three steps ahead for every step he takes, and he won't do a losing business. This marriage may seem like he's helping the woman support herself in her old age, but the shop and business skills he'll get in return are worth it." She lowered her head and continued making silk flowers, sewing on the last petal, attaching the tassel, picking it up to examine it, and then placed it on the plate with satisfaction.

Chen's mother glanced at the sun; it was almost noon. She put the netting into the basket, stood up, and said, "Alright, I'll go cook. We'll have a simple lunch, and then reheat yesterday's leftovers for dinner. It's the New Year, don't be so fussy." She tied on her apron and headed to the kitchen.

Su Xiaoqing spread out the embroidery pattern paper again and carefully traced it with a charcoal pencil. She drew slowly, deliberating over each stroke, erasing and starting over if she wasn't satisfied. The eyes of the phoenix were the most difficult to draw; they needed to be spirited but not too fierce, gentle but not too soft. She drew three or four times before finally creating a pair of phoenix eyes that satisfied her. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and lean back in her chair to rest.

Outside the window, the sun shone brightly, and the quilts drying in the yard billowed slightly in the breeze. A few firecrackers echoed from the distant alley, and children chased and played in the street, their laughter drifting in, mingling with the sounds of spatulas in the kitchen and the rustling of Su Xiaoqing's drawing paper.

Su Xiaoyin stacked the finished silk flowers into a small box, closed the lid, and then picked up a scrap of cloth to start making baby clothes. She made monk's robes, of fine cotton fabric, with soft edges sewn onto the collar and cuffs to prevent chafing. The stitches were fine and even, with no loose threads visible from the outside. As she sewed, she mentally planned that when Shi Tou and the others were older, if the imperial examinations didn't work out, she would have them help out at the shop or learn a trade, so they wouldn't go hungry. De Ge's eldest son was engaged, but her own children were still young; there was plenty of time, she could take it slow.

Chen's mother called out from the kitchen, "Xiaoyin, set the table, the food is ready!"

Su Xiaoyin responded, put down what she was doing, and got up to go to the kitchen to help.

The sunlight in the courtyard warmed up a bit, and the breeze carried a faint but unmistakable hint of early spring. The year wasn't over yet, the ice on the ground hadn't melted, but some things were already quietly stirring. Seeds waited in the soil to sprout, embroidery patterns on paper awaited their needlework, and the days rushed by, waiting for no one.