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

When Chen Xiaohe and Chen Dashan returned from the mountain, it was already completely dark.

Their clothes were soaked with dew, their shoes were caked with mud, and their trousers were rolled up above their knees, revealing several red scratches on their calves from crawling through the bushes. Chen Xiaohe carried a string of wild mushrooms strung together with straw rope, which he had picked up in the pine forest on the way back; the caps were not yet fully open, and they were very tender. Chen Dashan carried the last basket of peaches on his back. They were not large, but their color was a bright red, picked that day on the sunny slope. The basket was heavy, bending the carrying pole. He walked slowly but steadily, afraid of damaging the fruit.

The kitchen light was on, its warm orange glow streaming through the window and casting a cozy, square shadow in the yard. Chen Dashan placed the peach basket at the kitchen door and went with Chen Xiaohe to the well to fetch water to wash their hands. The cool well water washed away the day's heat and fatigue. Su Xiaoyin poked her head out of the kitchen and called out, "We've been waiting for you! Come in and eat, the food's been ready for ages, it'll get cold if you don't eat soon!" Then she ducked back inside, and the sound of a spatula stirring came from the kitchen.

The table was laden with food. Large, soft steamed buns, steaming hot, revealed countless tiny air pockets when broken open. The radish and pork bone broth, simmering all day, was milky white; the meat on the bones fell off with a gentle touch. A large plate of braised offal, including pork heart, liver, and stomach, was neatly arranged, a glossy, dark reddish-brown. The stir-fried vegetables were freshly picked from the yard, their tender green leaves piled high on a plate, still steaming slightly. The kitchen was filled with the savory aroma of the bone broth and the pungent fragrance of the braising spices, all mingled together.

Mr. Chen was already sitting at the table, with a bowl of soup in front of him. He was slowly drinking it; it was hot, so he blew on it and took a small sip.

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe washed their hands, sat down at the table, picked up their bowls and drank a few mouthfuls of soup to fill their stomachs before letting out a long sigh of relief. They then picked up a steamed bun, broke it open, put in two slices of braised pork liver, and took a big bite.

After eating a few bites, Chen Xiaohe put down his chopsticks and began to talk about what had happened during the day. His tone was casual, as if he were talking about something insignificant, but he chewed more slowly and his eyes darted around, as if he were recalling something.

"Dad, I ran into Brother De today. I was thinking of asking him how his fruit trees were doing this year and exchanging experiences—I wanted to see how well he was using the methods my master taught me. But he was vague and didn't say anything, and it seemed like he didn't want to talk to me much. So I didn't press him and made an excuse to leave."

A moment of silence fell over the table. Chen's father also stopped eating, put down the radish he had picked up, rested his chopsticks on the edge of his bowl, and then slowly began to speak. His voice was not loud, but every word seemed to have been retrieved from a deep place, carrying a profound and weighty understanding that comes from someone who has been through it all.

"De-ge will probably drift further and further away from our family in the future. Just keep that in mind, and we'll keep things on the surface."

Chen Xiaohe paused, his chopsticks hovering in mid-air, his face full of confusion, his brows furrowed. "Why? What happened to Brother De's family that we didn't help with? When the old village chief passed away, our whole family went to help—setting up the mourning tent, borrowing tables and chairs, washing dishes, serving food—we didn't miss a single task. Whether it was his eldest son's wedding or divorce, whenever he asked us for help, we went. Our family has never wronged him in any way."

Chen Dashan didn't speak, but kept his head down and slowly drank his soup, listening intently. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing also came over from the kitchen and sat down at the table, each holding a bowl, but neither of them touched their chopsticks.

Mr. Chen remained silent for a while, finished the soup in his bowl, put the bowl down, and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He did not answer his youngest son's question directly, but instead took a roundabout approach, starting from a more distant topic.

"It's precisely because we haven't done anything to wrong him that his family can't get over this." Mr. Chen's tone was calm, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself, but every word hit the nail on the head. "Ever since the old village head passed away, his prestige in the village has diminished considerably because of his eldest son's affair. Before, when people talked about Brother De, they all said he was fair, steady, and a capable leader. Now, there's all sorts of gossip behind his back—saying he didn't raise his son well, that he spoiled him, that he can't even manage his own family affairs, how can he manage village affairs? Plus, his eldest son's divorce has caused quite a stir; everyone within a ten-mile radius knows about it. Compared to our family—look at you two brothers, and then look at his son, how could he not have some reservations?"

Mr. Chen paused, took the pipe from his waist, but didn't light it; he just held it in his hand.

"Do you remember when he was competing for the position of village head, he specifically asked our family if we were interested? At that time, he was afraid that our family would get in his way. Now that his family has gone through these things, he is even more uneasy. You can't see into someone's heart. Some things don't need to be said outright. You can tell from the little things. So you should be careful in the future and just be polite to Brother De on the surface."

Chen Xiaohe sighed, picked up the bowl and put it down again, and said in a low voice, "When we deliver New Year's gifts to the old master, should we ask Brother De and the others? In the past, both families would go together, so we could keep each other company on the way and look after each other."

Chen Dashan broke the steamed bun into small pieces, soaked them in the bone broth, and stirred them slowly with chopsticks until they softened before speaking. He glanced at his younger brother, his tone unhurried, adding another layer of truth to his father's words.

"Just asking normally. What Dad meant by 'keeping things on a good level' doesn't mean cutting ties with their family forever. We should still keep in touch normally." He chewed a piece of soggy steamed bun, swallowed it, and continued, "It's just that we can't interact like before. We have to keep things within limits. I reckon that when we go to the next county to buy seeds next year, Brother De's family won't be able to come with us. Look at his attitude today; he wouldn't even talk about fruit trees, let alone go out together. Luckily, we've gone with Brother De a few times over the past few years, so we're familiar with the next county. We know the way, where to buy seeds, and roughly how much they cost. Dad, you and Xiaohe can go ahead and keep each other company, so it won't cause any problems."

Mr. Chen lit his pipe, took a puff, and exhaled smoke from his nostrils, which slowly dissipated under the lamplight, obscuring his face. He neither nodded nor shook his head, but continued speaking, his tone as if he were recounting something important but not something to worry about excessively.