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

"I also want to separate from the family. I want to separate from my eldest son."

Father Chen glanced at him but didn't interrupt. Second Uncle tapped his cane on the ground but remained silent.

Brother De continued, speaking slowly, as if he had been rehearsing his lines for a long time: "The house in town that he bought for his eldest son is his. In the future, when we are old, he can give us something if he wants, or nothing at all. From now on, the family property has nothing to do with him. After I die, he doesn't need to care. I'll be buried wherever I want, I don't expect him to break the pot."

The main room was so quiet that you could hear the kettle bubbling on the stove. The second uncle was silent for a moment, then asked, "Your eldest son isn't here today. Is this division of the family property alright? When it comes to dividing the family property, if the parties involved aren't present, it's easy for disputes to arise later."

Brother De shook his head, his tone resolute: "No problem. Just write it down, and I'll send it to him in a bit. He has to agree whether he likes it or not. I'm not dead yet; I can still be in charge of this family for a few more days."

Second Uncle sighed and asked no more questions. Father Chen also sighed, but his sigh was very soft, as if he was afraid of startling something.

The family division agreement was quickly drafted. Chen's father and second uncle signed and pressed their fingerprints on it. Dege folded the agreement and put it in his pocket.

Brother De invited them to stay for dinner, but Mr. and Mrs. Chen declined. Brother De saw them to the gate of the courtyard and said, "Alright, I'll treat you again in a couple of days once things are settled at home." Mr. Chen agreed and walked home with Mrs. Chen. Neither of them spoke on the way.

When he got home, Chen's father told him what had happened to De's family.

After listening, Chen's mother remained silent for a long while before speaking in a low voice: "It's a good thing our Dashan and Xiaohe aren't like Dege's eldest son. Otherwise, I would be furious. He didn't even come to see his own grandfather one last time. How old is Dege's second son? He's still in school, and he even took leave to come home, but he didn't even show his face. It's such a waste of raising him. He's forgotten his parents after getting married, and he doesn't even want his own grandfather anymore."

Mr. Chen lit his pipe, took a puff, and didn't say anything. Smoke billowed from his nostrils and slowly dissipated in the dim light.

Night had fallen, and the fire in the stove had gone out. The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its gentle light spilling into the courtyard, casting the shadow of the old locust tree that swayed softly on the ground. The village quieted down, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog from afar, which quickly faded into silence.

The mess at Brother De's house has finally been settled for now. Life goes on, and those who are alive must live well.

----

More than half a month passed, and the matter of De Ge's family gradually faded from the village's memory. The crops in the fields were watered and fertilized as needed, and life went on as usual. The gloom on De Ge's face had also dissipated somewhat, though he had lost a lot of weight, his clothes hanging loosely on him, as if on a rack. Occasionally, Chen's father would bump into him at the village entrance, and the two would exchange a few words, but De Ge wouldn't bring it up, and Chen's father wouldn't ask.

That afternoon, Su Xiaoyin was hanging clothes to dry in the yard, while Chen Dashan was squatting by the well, sharpening his sickle. The autumn harvest was approaching, and all the necessary farm tools needed to be prepared. Su Xiaoyin unfolded a faded coarse cloth jacket, draped it over a bamboo pole, tugged at the hem, and turned to ask Chen Dashan a question.

"Dashan, was Dege's eldest son always like this? I mean, before he got married, was he always so away from home and so irresponsible?" Her tone was casual, as if she were talking about something unrelated, but she stopped what she was doing and waited to hear.

Chen Dashan pushed the sickle back and forth on the whetstone a few times, making a whooshing sound. He stopped, flipped the sickle over, thought for a moment, and shook his head: "No. He used to be a very good person. Every time he was home, he would follow De Ge to the fields, carrying the hoe, carrying manure, harvesting—he did everything, never slacking off. De Ge would also consult him about anything at home, treating him like an adult. That kid was also sweet-talking, greeting everyone he met, never speaking without smiling. Who knew he would change after getting married? He didn't even come back to see his own grandfather when he passed away. Once a person's heart changes, not even nine oxen can pull them back."

Su Xiaoyin finished hanging up the last piece of clothing, picked up the wash basin, and splashed water onto the stone slabs in the yard, creating a spray that shimmered in the sunlight. She sighed, her tone a mixture of lingering fear and relief: "The saying 'marry a virtuous wife' is absolutely true. In the future, when our children get married, we must choose carefully. We can't bring home a daughter-in-law like this. She's caused chaos and disorder in the household, and even severed the bond between father and son."

Chen Dashan put down the sickle, tested the blade with his thumb, and nodded in satisfaction. He stood up, put the whetstone away at the warehouse door, and turned to Su Xiaoyin, saying, "Don't worry, we'll keep a close eye on things, there won't be any problems. Those three boys, Shitou and the others, won't be of marriageable age for several more years, no rush."

Su Xiaoyin glanced at him, her lips curved slightly, and she didn't say anything more.

A few days later, two people came to De Ge's house.

The old man herding sheep at the village entrance was the first to see it. An oxcart came from the direction of the town, carrying an elderly couple. The man had gray hair and wore a gray-blue jacket, while the woman's hair was also mostly white, and her face was tanned dark red. The oxcart stopped in front of Dege's house, and the elderly couple got off, carrying large and small bags, and hesitantly knocked on the door.

They are the maternal relatives of De Ge's eldest daughter-in-law. Old Zhou is his father-in-law.

Dege was chopping wood in the yard when he heard a knock at the door. He put down his axe and unlatched the door. He paused for a moment when he saw the person standing at the door, then stepped aside to let the person into the yard.

Old Zhou placed the items he was carrying on the stone table: a pastry wrapped in oiled paper and two bottles of wine in a basket. He rubbed his hands, stood there, hesitating several times before finally speaking, his voice filled with guilt and unease. It turned out that he and his wife had only just learned of the old village head's passing. Neither their daughter nor son-in-law had told them. They had only found out about it today from overhearing the young couple arguing.

"My dear in-laws, we're so sorry. We only have this one daughter in our lives, and I've spoiled her rotten since she was little. I, as her father, haven't raised her well; I've spoiled her rotten." Old Zhou's back hunched deeply, his voice strained. "Such a big thing happened to the village head, and they kept it a secret from me, their in-laws. If I had known, I would have come to pay my respects no matter what."

Dege stood in the courtyard, looking at his in-law, who was a few years older than him, and remained silent for a long while. He bent down to pick up the split firewood from the ground and stacked it against the wall, his movements slow. Finally, he spoke, his voice soft but calm, as if he had already come to terms with it: "It's alright, it's all in the past. He's been gone for so long, those who are alive have to move on. From now on, he can live his own life. We've separated our households; we're two separate families now. He got the house in town, and from now on, my assets have nothing to do with him. If he wants to stay in touch, great; if not, then forget it."