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

Chen's mother was taken aback for a moment, then scolded, "Xiaoyin, you came all this way just to bring a bowl of noodles? Don't bring any next time. It's hot at noon, and you'll be covered in sweat. What if you get heatstroke? It's not like I'm starving. I've had pancakes and pickled vegetables for most of my life."

Su Xiaoyin handed the chopsticks to her, smiling as she said, "It's alright, Mom. We'll pack some for you when we cook lunch, it's just a convenient thing. Don't always eat cold, dry food, it's not good for your stomach. Just put the bowls and chopsticks in the basket after you finish eating, I'll pick them up when I go back this afternoon."

Chen's mother took the chopsticks, lowered her head, and took a bite of the cold noodles. The aroma of garlic and vinegar melted in her mouth. The noodles were chewy and refreshing, and the cucumber shreds were crisp and crunchy—much tastier than the pancakes. She didn't say anything more and continued eating, bite by bite.

After taking a couple of bites, she suddenly remembered something, put down her chopsticks, and reached out to tug at Su Xiaoyin's sleeve: "By the way, Xiaoyin, I heard from your Aunt Ermu that Dege's eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant. Think about taking some eggs to Dege's house. It's a happy occasion for the neighbors, we can't go empty-handed."

Su Xiaoyin was stunned for a moment, her eyes widening slightly: "How long have they been married? A little over a month at most, right? They just had their wedding banquet last month, and they're already expecting a baby this month? That's too fast." She counted the days in her mind, somewhat incredulous.

Mother Chen nodded, her smile deepening her wrinkles: "Yes, De-ge's family is going to have another member. A large family is a good thing. Go back and tell Xiao-qing to take thirty eggs tomorrow morning, put them in a basket, cover them with a red cloth, and send them over."

Su Xiaoyin thought for a moment and felt it was somewhat inappropriate, so she asked, "Mom, should we send these eggs directly to De Ge's house, or to his eldest son in town? After all, it's a matter for the young couple. If we send them directly to his parents' house, won't people think we're impolite?"

Mother Chen waved her hand, her tone firm: "Deliver it directly to Brother De's house. Just say that you're not familiar with his eldest daughter-in-law and are afraid of disturbing her by going to her house rashly, so you're sending it to Brother De's house for him to pass on. Whether Brother De delivers it or not is their business, not ours. We're only doing this out of respect for Brother De, and it has no direct connection with his eldest son and daughter-in-law. This way, we're being polite without making it seem like we're currying favor with the young couple."

Su Xiaoyin sensed something was amiss and asked in a low voice, "Mom, from what you're saying, is it possible that Brother De won't send it? It's just an egg, it's not a big deal."

Mother Chen sighed, lowering her voice as she looked around before speaking, "It seems that after the wedding, his eldest daughter-in-law and De's wife haven't gotten along very well, and they've had several conflicts. Now, basically, whenever something happens, De goes to his son himself; his wife doesn't get involved. Outsiders don't know the specifics, only that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law don't get along. So, when you deliver the eggs, make sure you deliver them to the right place, deliver them to De, and let him handle it himself. We've done our part; we won't interfere in their family matters. Otherwise, if you deliver them to his eldest son, his daughter-in-law might say we're meddling, making us look bad to everyone."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, understanding in her heart: "Okay, Mom, I understand. I'll tell Xiaoqing when I get back to prepare the eggs first thing tomorrow morning. Mom, you should eat first, otherwise the noodles won't taste good if they get soggy."

Chen's mother hummed in agreement and continued eating her noodles. Su Xiaoyin stood beside her for a while, tidying up the hair ties on her mother-in-law's stall, straightening the crooked silk flowers, and picking up the sachets that had been blown to the ground by the wind. Seeing that everything was alright, she picked up her empty basket and walked back.

Back at the grocery store, Su Xiaoqing was sitting behind the counter with two bowls of cold noodles in front of her, covered with plates to keep them warm. Next to her were sliced ​​salted duck eggs and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

"Sister, you're back? Has Mother eaten?" Su Xiaoqing stood up, took the empty basket, and placed it under the counter.

Su Xiaoyin washed her hands, sat down on the stool, and lifted the plate off the bowl. "I ate. When I arrived, my mother was taking out some flatbread to eat. I gave her the noodles, and she kept saying not to bring me any more next time, afraid I'd get heatstroke." She said, her tone helpless yet full of heartache.

Su Xiaoqing smiled: "My mother is just someone who hates to trouble others. She's worked hard her whole life and can endure any hardship. When we younger generations are nice to her, she gets uncomfortable. We should continue to give her gifts as usual and not listen to her."

Su Xiaoyin nodded and said, "By the way, Xiaoqing, Mom just told me something—De Ge's eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant. She wants us to take thirty eggs to De Ge's house tomorrow."

Su Xiaoqing paused, her chopsticks still in her hand, and her eyes widened, mirroring Su Xiaoyin's reaction: "So fast? They've only been married for a little over a month, right? They just had their wedding banquet last month." She counted on her fingers, "She's already pregnant after just one month? That's too fast, is she carrying Nezha?" Su Xiaoyin repeated what Chen's mother had said, including the discord between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the fact that Dege's wife didn't interfere in her son's family affairs.

After listening, Su Xiaoqing remained silent for a while, stirred the noodles in her bowl with her chopsticks, sighed, and said in a low voice, "That girl is really something. She's already having conflicts with her mother-in-law right after getting married. How will she live her life in the future? We all know what kind of person Dege's wife is. She's not the kind of mean-spirited mother-in-law. When we went to help her before, she served tea and water to everyone and was kind to everyone. If she can't even get along with a mother-in-law like that, then that girl is probably not easy to get along with either."

Su Xiaoyin shook her head: "Every family has its own problems, we won't get involved. We'll just deliver the eggs to Brother De, and let them handle the rest behind closed doors. We can't interfere, and we can't control it."

Su Xiaoqing nodded, stopped talking about it, picked up her bowl, took a mouthful of noodles, chewed it, and said, "Sister, this cold noodle dish is a bit too salty today. Next time, use less soy sauce. It's hot, and eating too much salt can make your mouth dry."

Su Xiaoyin also took a bite and thought it was indeed a bit too salty. She replied, "Okay, put less in tomorrow. Mother is getting old, and she can't eat too much salt; it's bad for her health."

The two sisters lowered their heads and ate their noodles, no longer speaking.

The sun rose higher, its rays streaming in through the doorway, casting a blinding white light on the concrete floor. A tabby cat walked past, crouched on the threshold, licked its paws, and squinted inside. Su Xiaoqing picked up a piece of broken egg from her bowl and tossed it over. The cat sniffed it, picked it up, and slowly walked away.