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

Old Zhou stood there, listening to these words, his back bending even more, as if something heavy was pressing down on it. He knew it was all because of his daughter. Otherwise, how could someone's son be so filial as not to come back even after his own grandfather's passing? He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but his lips trembled a few times, and in the end, he said nothing. He put down what he had brought, turned around, and left.

On the way back, no one spoke. The oxcart creaked and groaned along the dirt road, kicking up clouds of dust. Old Zhou sat on the shaft, his back ramrod straight, but his hand holding the whip trembled slightly.

Back home, Old Zhou tied up the ox, went into the main room, closed the door, and threw a tantrum. His voice carried from inside, even scaring the chickens in the yard into retreating to their nests.

"Your father is also an old man, and he'll die someday too. What? When I die, are you going to wrap me in a straw mat and throw me into a mass grave too?" Old Zhou stomped his feet in anger, and the teacups on the coffee table jumped up.

His daughter stood opposite him, her hand on her belly, her eyes red-rimmed, but she still retorted defiantly, "That old geezer is gone, why should we go back? Besides, it's not my fault he was sick. He's not in good health, who else can he blame? I'm pregnant, I can't take the journey. What if something happens on the way, who will be responsible?"

Old Zhou pointed at her, his finger trembling, unable to speak for a long time. He suddenly turned around, slammed the door open, and walked out.

Later, the villagers learned that De Ge's eldest daughter-in-law had used her unborn child to threaten her husband. "If you don't listen to me, I'll die with the child. Two lives lost, you decide what to do." De Ge's eldest son couldn't afford to gamble. It wasn't that he didn't want to come back, it was that he was afraid to.

Loving someone shouldn't be like this. Even the deepest feelings can't withstand such torment. De Ge's daughter-in-law has truly turned that once dutiful son into an unfilial son who doesn't even return home when his own grandfather passes away. Who wouldn't sigh upon hearing such a story? But after the sighs, life goes on. The Chen family's life continues. It's time to harvest the crops, the children need to go to school, and De Ge's family's troubles are gradually forgotten.

----

Before dawn, Mr. Chen got up. Instead of his usual walk around the yard, he went straight to the kitchen, poured himself a bowl of leftover chilled tea, and stood by the stove, sipping it slowly, his brow furrowed, as if deep in thought. Su Xiaoyin came in from the backyard after feeding the chickens and saw him standing there alone, the teacup in his hands, not putting it down for a long time. She couldn't help but ask, "Dad, why are you up so early today?" Mr. Chen put down the bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing, you two go to the general store in the county town today. I have to take Dashan and Xiaohe to town."

Chen Xiaohe was just coming out of the house, his hair still sticking up and his eyes not fully open, when he heard this he was stunned. He pulled the towel off his shoulder and wiped his face, then asked, "Dad, what's wrong? Didn't we agree that my older brother and I would take turns going to the general store before the autumn harvest? The melons on the mountain are almost ripe and I have to keep an eye on them, and my older brother hasn't finished his furniture work yet. Why do we suddenly have to go to town?"

Father Chen sighed, put the bowl on the stove, and said in a low but weary voice, "Brother De sent me, along with Uncle Er from the village. Something happened to Brother De's son." Chen Dashan poked his head out of the carpentry shed, still holding a plane in his hand. He walked out, sat down on the threshold, and asked, "What happened? Didn't Brother De cut ties with his son? I ran into him at the village entrance last time, and he said he'd go his own way and pretend he didn't have a son."

Mr. Chen sat down on the stool, lit his pipe, took a drag, and slowly exhaled, the smoke dissipating in the morning light. He didn't answer directly, remaining silent for a while before speaking, his voice carrying the helplessness of someone who had been through it all: "It's my own son, coming to me for help. How can I just cut off contact? Blood is thicker than water; you can't truly sever all ties. He says he doesn't care, but he can't let go. The hearts of parents are truly pitiful."

Chen Xiaohe rushed over, squatted down in front of his father, and looked up at him, asking urgently, "Dad, what happened? Tell me quickly, I'm so worried!"

Mr. Chen took another drag of his pipe, tapped it on the sole of his shoe, and a spark flew to the ground before it quickly went out. He looked at his youngest son and spoke slowly, his tone as calm as if he were talking about someone else's business, but the weight in his words was heavy and imposing.

"De-ge's daughter-in-law is having an affair. It's his cousin—the man Er-mu's family met in town before, remember? At the time, we thought he was a relative, but now it seems they've been hooking up for a long time. And the child isn't De-ge's son's; she was pregnant before they got married." Chen's father's voice was low and slow, as if each word was retrieved from a deep well. "De-ge's son is also confused, being manipulated for so long. If he hadn't found out this time, who knows how much longer he would have been kept in the dark."

The courtyard fell silent. Chen Xiaohe squatted there, his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. Chen Dashan's plane rested motionless on his knees. Su Xiaoyin stood at the kitchen doorway, still holding a gourd ladle for scooping water, forgetting to put it down.

Su Xiaoyin was the first to come to her senses. She placed the gourd ladle she was holding on the water vat lid, walked over, and asked softly, "Dad, what does Brother De plan to do now? This matter can't just be left like this; there has to be an explanation."

Mr. Chen put away his pipe, stood up, dusted off his clothes, and said in a steady voice, "The woman still wants the house that Brother De's son owns in town. She says she's worked hard these past few months of marriage, and shouldn't have given up for nothing. Brother De disagrees. He wants them to divorce, to save the woman some face. Otherwise, he'll have his eldest son write a divorce decree, leaving her with nothing. If that happens, the neighbors will gossip, and she'll be a laughingstock. Her reputation will be ruined. Brother De doesn't want to push things too far; after all, they were once family."

Chen Dashan stood up, put the plane back in the woodworking shop, and walked out. His tone was firm: "Then let's hurry up and eat, leave early, and finish this as soon as possible. The longer this kind of thing drags on, the more torturous it becomes. I didn't expect so many things to happen to Brother De's family recently, one problem after another." Chen's father nodded, patted his eldest son's shoulder, and said nothing more.

After breakfast, Chen's father took Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe out the door. Second Uncle, De Ge, and his younger brother sat on the oxcart. Their faces were all solemn, and no one spoke; only the creaking of the wheels over the dirt road was particularly clear in the morning silence.