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

The next morning, Su Xiaoyin got up and went to the chicken coop in the backyard to collect thirty eggs. Each egg was round and plump, some still warm from the hen's body heat. She lined a basket with clean straw and stacked the eggs one by one; their straw-yellow shells gleamed softly in the sunlight. A red cloth was placed on top of the basket; Chen's mother said that red should be used for happy occasions, for good luck.

"Xiaoqing, do you think these eggs are enough? Should we pick a few more?" Su Xiaoyin carried the basket to the kitchen door for Su Xiaoqing to see.

Su Xiaoqing counted them and nodded: "That's enough, thirty is just right. Giving too many would put pressure on people, giving too few would seem stingy. Thirty is neither too many nor too few, it's not a gift, it's just a token of our appreciation. We're neighbors, it's about sharing what we have, it's not about the quantity, it's about the sentiment."

After breakfast, Su Xiaoyin handed the basket to Su Xiaoqing. Su Xiaoqing changed into clean clothes, slung the basket over her shoulder, and headed towards Dege's house. Su Xiaoyin stayed home and fed the livestock again; they would go to the county town after Su Xiaoqing returned.

When Su Xiaoqing arrived at De Ge's house, De Ge's wife was feeding the chickens in the yard. Seeing Su Xiaoqing arrive, she quickly put down the winnowing basket she was holding and came to greet her. She wiped her hands on her apron, and although her smile was warm, there was some fatigue in her eyes, and dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept well.

"Little River Maiden, what brings you here? Come in and sit down."

Su Xiaoqing handed over the basket, smiling as she said, "I heard that your eldest daughter-in-law is pregnant, which is wonderful news. I brought you some eggs that I had saved up at home. Please don't mind them. They're from our own chickens, very fresh. The ones they buy in the city might not be as good."

Dege's wife took the basket, lifted the red cloth, and looked inside. There were thirty red-skinned eggs, each one plump and full, not a single one small or broken. Her eyes immediately reddened, and her voice became hoarse. Holding Su Xiaoqing's hand, she couldn't speak for a long time.

"Xiaoqing, I'm so sorry to have troubled you." She took a deep breath, led Su Xiaoqing into the main room, poured her a bowl of sweet soup, and added a lot of sugar, making it so sweet it was cloying.

Su Xiaoqing sat down, took a sip of sweet soup, and didn't ask many questions. She simply offered some congratulations and inquired about De Ge's health and the work in the fields. De Ge's wife responded absentmindedly, not saying much and much quieter than usual.

Su Xiaoqing understood, and after sitting for a while, she got up to say goodbye.

Dege's wife saw Su Xiaoqing to the courtyard gate, holding her hand tightly several times, hesitating to speak, but ultimately saying nothing.

Every family has its own troubles. Only they know whether life is good or bad. All outsiders can do is send a basket of eggs and say a few words of comfort.

There's nothing else I can or should help with.

----

The mule cart creaked and groaned along the dirt road leading to the county town. The poplar trees on both sides were already full of leaves, rustling in the wind and casting shimmering shadows on the ground. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the ground like shattered gold. Su Xiaoqing sat on the cart, holding a bundle in her arms containing the newly made sachets and colorful ropes she was taking to the shop that day. Leaning against the side of the cart, swinging her legs, she thought about what had happened at Brother De's house that morning, her heart filled with unease.

"Sister, when I went to De's house today, I noticed that De's wife looked much worse than before." Su Xiaoqing lowered her voice, even though there was no one else on the road. "She looks several years older, and the wrinkles around her eyes are much deeper. Before, her face was considered well-maintained in the village, fair and clean, making her look younger than her actual age. Now it's different; it's sallow, with dark circles under her eyes, like she hasn't slept well for days."

Su Xiaoyin drove the cart, flicking the whip lightly in her hand, without saying a word.

Su Xiaoqing continued, "And when she saw the eggs I took, she seemed to want to say something, but she was too embarrassed to say it. I still remember that expression—the words were on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them back. Her lips moved several times, and in the end she only said, 'Sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble for me.' I could tell that she had something on her mind, something she was holding back, something she couldn't tell outsiders."

Su Xiaoyin was silent for a moment, then gently shook the reins in her hand, guiding the mule to avoid a pothole in the road. The sun rose higher, making her back feel hot, but she didn't sweat.

"I feel that Mrs. De is quite troubled," Su Xiaoyin finally spoke, her voice soft but her tone firm. "Everyone says to marry a virtuous wife, but the one his eldest son married is clearly not what they wanted. Before the marriage, everything was good; whatever the matchmaker said, whatever the woman did, she only showed you the good side. But after the marriage, living together every day, the flaws can't be hidden anymore, and everything is exposed. Mrs. De isn't a mean-spirited mother-in-law, so for her to be this worried, that daughter-in-law must be really difficult to get along with."

Su Xiaoqing frowned, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Sister, how do you know they haven't come back? You're with me every day, and you haven't gone to the village entrance. Where did you hear that from?"

Su Xiaoyin laughed, glancing at her younger sister with a slight smile. Her tone carried the wisdom of someone with more experience: "Silly girl, don't you see those old ladies under the big locust tree at the village entrance? If anything happens in someone's family, they know, and the whole village knows by the next day. They're the village's gossip trees; nothing escapes their notice. They stand guard at the village entrance every day, from morning till night, more dedicated than the gatekeepers. If De Ge's eldest son and daughter-in-law were back, wouldn't everyone in the village know? It would be the talk of the village. You haven't heard anyone say anything, so they haven't come back."

Su Xiaoqing was stunned for a moment, then slapped her thigh, suddenly realizing, "That really makes sense! How come I didn't think of that? Those old ladies have sharper eyes than eagles in the sky; nothing can be hidden from them."

Su Xiaoyin smiled, said nothing more, and focused on driving.

By the time they arrived in the county town, the sun was already high in the sky. The two sisters quickly unloaded their belongings and arranged them one by one on the counter. Tofu, bean sprouts, braised meat, sachets, colorful ropes, clay animal figurines, and several freshly made pastries were displayed in abundance.

I had just wiped the counter clean when I lifted the curtain and a middle-aged woman came in. She was carrying a basket and immediately raised her voice, her tone tinged with displeasure: "You're open a bit late today. I came here before, and you weren't open. I thought you were closed for the day, and I almost left."

Su Xiaoqing quickly came out from behind the counter, smiling apologetically, her voice as soft as cotton: "Auntie, I'm so sorry, I went to the neighbor's house to deliver a gift today, so I'm a little late. I'm sorry you had to make a wasted trip. Here's some scallion for you to take home and stir-fry with eggs, as an apology."

The aunt's expression softened a bit. She picked out two bunches of green vegetables, bought a pound of tofu, took some scallions, and happily left with her basket.