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

Chen Xiaohe pressed for details about the shops, and Su Xiaoyin chimed in, counting on her fingers: "A small restaurant, a pastry shop, and a tea and teaware shop—they're quite grandly decorated, the storefronts are spotless. The small restaurant also sells braised pork, and it's much cheaper than ours, two coins cheaper per pound, and quite a few people buy it. Many regular customers have tried it there; some say it's alright, some say it's not as fragrant as ours, but the price is irresistible." She paused, a hint of defiance in her voice, "But our braised pork uses an old broth, something those newly opened shops can't compare to. The braising broth has been aged for two years, getting richer and richer with each simmer; they can't replicate that."

Chen Dashan pondered for a moment, placed the bowl on his lap, and thought for a moment before saying, "Then let's try improving the recipe. We can't just stick to the old recipe. Since it's cheaper elsewhere, we need to put more effort into the flavor. I'll have to trouble you and Xiaoqing to try it a few more times, adjusting the proportions of the spices, adding what needs to be added and subtracting what needs to be subtracted." He suddenly remembered the matter of feeding the ducks, and changed the subject, "Those ducks and chickens we've been feeding for so long, shouldn't we try roasting one? They've been fed for over ten days, the herbs and seasonings should have seeped into the meat by now."

Su Xiaoyin stood up, patted the crumbs off her apron, and said confidently, "No problem. We'll kill a chicken first, marinate it simply, and try it out in our oven to see how it tastes. We'll feed the duck for a few more days until it's well-seasoned before roasting it." As she spoke, she walked to the backyard to catch the rooster that had been separated from the rest of the house.

Chen Xiaohe squatted by the well, whittling a bamboo strip without looking up. "Sister-in-law, roast the one that's been fed herbs first. The aroma of those herbs smells really good. What do you think, brother?" Chen Dashan nodded and said okay.

Just as the family was making plans for tomorrow, the courtyard gate was pushed open from the outside.

Brother De walked in. He was wearing a dark gray cotton-padded coat, the collar and cuffs worn white, his hat pulled low, and a smile on his face, but there was always something missing in that smile. Chen Dashan quickly stood up, put the bowl he was holding on the stone table, patted the dust off his trousers, and went to greet him.

"Brother De is here? Come in and have a seat." Chen Dashan ushered him into the main room. Su Xiaoqing quickly brought out a bowl of hot tea from the kitchen, handed it to him with both hands, and then moved a stool over.

Brother De sat down on the stool, took off his hat and placed it on his lap, took a sip of tea, and explained his purpose. His eldest son was getting married on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, and since it was the bride's first marriage, they were holding a banquet. He paused, then said that although the bride's family was from the countryside, they were well-off, her parents were honest people, and the girl was hardworking and capable; this was a respectable family. He invited Chen Dashan's family to attend the wedding banquet. His tone was more polite than before, but there was a sense of distance in that politeness, as if there was something separating them.

Chen Dashan took the invitation, looked at it carefully, and nodded in agreement: "Don't worry, Brother De, we'll definitely be there. Congratulations on finding a good girl for your eldest son. A stable life is better than anything else." He didn't ask any more questions, and his congratulations were neither too enthusiastic nor too cold, just right.

Brother De sat for a while longer, chatted for a bit, asked about the furniture making and the fruit trees on the mountain, then got up to take his leave. Chen Dashan saw him off at the gate, and only turned back after watching him walk away.

Inside the main room, the family sat down again. Su Xiaoyin took away the teacup that De Ge had used, cleaned it in the kitchen, and then said, "When the time comes, you all want to go over there. Xiaoqing and I will go to the general store. If we all go, there will be no one to watch the store. Business is busy at the end of the year, and we can't close it."

Chen Xiaohe sat on the threshold, whittling a bamboo strip in his hand, but after a long time, he still couldn't get it to take shape. He sighed, put the bamboo strip aside, and said with an indescribable awkwardness in his tone, "The relationship is so awkward now, I don't even know what to say when I see Brother De. We used to be able to exchange a few jokes when we met, but now we have to be so polite, and it just makes me uncomfortable."

Chen Dashan walked over, sat down next to him, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a steady tone, "Let's just be like before, neither too close nor too distant, treat each other the same way we always have. If he treats us well, we'll treat him even better. Don't overthink it." He paused, then remembered the New Year's gifts, "Oh, right, remember to prepare the New Year's gifts for Master Lao in advance, so you don't end up scrambling. In a few days, go ask Brother De if he's going. If he is, you can go together, have company on the journey; if he's not going, I'll go with you. Master Lao has taught you so much, you can't let this gift-giving stop."

Chen Xiaohe nodded, picked up the bamboo strips, and started whittling again, this time much more carefully.

In the kitchen, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were already busy. Su Xiaoyin slaughtered the rooster that had been fed herbs, plucked its feathers, gutted it, and cleaned it thoroughly. She then simply marinated it with salt, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, and cinnamon. Su Xiaoqing prepared a bowl of honey water, intending to brush it onto the chicken skin during roasting to enhance its color and flavor.

The sky outside the window gradually darkened, but the fire in the stove burned brightly, illuminating the kitchen. The aroma of chicken marinade mingled with the smoke from the firewood.

----

"The roast chicken is ready! Come and try it, what do you think?"

Su Xiaoyin emerged from the kitchen carrying a large wooden platter containing a freshly roasted chicken. Steaming hot, the golden-red skin glistened under the light, and the aroma of the meat, mingled with a faint scent of herbs, wafted from the kitchen doorway, even tempting Chen Xiaohe, who was chopping wood in the yard, to put down his axe. Chen Dashan peeked out from the carpentry shed, his hands still covered in sawdust, and quickly walked over.

Su Xiaoyin placed the plate on the table in the main room, then turned and went to the kitchen to get bowls and chopsticks. Su Xiaoqing followed behind, carrying a dish of minced garlic and a dish of salt and pepper, placing them next to the roast chicken. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe sat down at the table, and Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing each pulled up a stool. The family gathered around the table, all four pairs of eyes fixed on the golden-brown roast chicken.

Before the chopsticks were handed to him, Chen Xiaohe tore off a piece of chicken leg meat with his hands and stuffed it into his mouth. After chewing it, his eyes lit up, and he tore off another piece. He swallowed it, licked his lips, gave a thumbs up, and said with delight, "Sister-in-law, the taste is much better than before! There's a faint herbal flavor, but it's not strong, just right. It doesn't overpower the meat flavor; instead, it brings out the freshness of the chicken. The skin is crispy, and the meat isn't dry. It's much better than the last one." He then broke off a piece of wing and gnawed on it, his mouth glistening with oil.