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

Su Xiaoqing nodded in agreement, her tone tinged with lingering fear and relief. She said that she had previously thought Li An was a good person, but now that her mother had said this, she realized it was indeed inappropriate.

The mother-in-law and her two daughters-in-law were chatting in the main room when a crisp sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate.

Is anyone home?

Su Xiaoyin quickly stood up, wiped her hands on her apron, and hurried to the courtyard gate. Standing outside the gate was a woman in her forties, wearing a dark blue cotton jacket, her hair was combed slicked back, a dark red velvet flower was pinned to her temple, and she carried a bamboo basket covered with a blue cloth on her arm. She looked at Su Xiaoyin with a smile and a happy expression.

She was Zhang, the matchmaker from the neighboring village. In the surrounding villages, everyone spoke highly of her. She had been a matchmaker for over twenty years, and very few of the couples she arranged ended up unhappy. She didn't just consider family wealth and social standing; she also looked at character, family traditions, and the compatibility of the children's temperaments. The families she introduced were generally reliable, and most marriages resulted in harmonious relationships between husband and wife, and good relations between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. She had an excellent reputation in the town and several nearby villages.

Su Xiaoyin quickly ushered Zhang, the matchmaker, into the main room, poured her a bowl of hot tea, and asked her to sit down.

Matchmaker Zhang took the bowl, drank a sip, and without beating around the bush, stated her purpose directly. She was there to arrange a marriage for the Yang family's cloth shop in town. The Yang family's shop had been in town for decades, specializing in silk and fabric. It wasn't a large shop, but it had many regular customers and a good reputation. The shopkeeper's surname was Yang, and he had only one son, who was twenty-two years old this year. Because he had been rather frail since childhood, the doctor advised him to postpone marriage for a few years until he recovered, so they hadn't gotten engaged yet. The young man had seen Qingqing a few times in town—Qingqing passed through town on her way to the county store, sometimes buying needles and thread at the market. He had seen her from afar and remembered her. He thought the girl was pretty and dignified, unlike those flashy girls, and seemed like someone who could settle down and live a simple life. That's why he asked Matchmaker Zhang to come and arrange the marriage.

Su Xiaoyin, holding her teacup, didn't immediately agree. She placed the teacup on the table, sat down opposite Zhang the matchmaker, and asked in a slow and deliberate tone, "He only has one son, and he's frail. Won't that affect his future life and health? Marriage is a lifelong commitment. If he has any hidden illnesses, Qingqing will suffer. It's not that we don't trust you, but as a mother, I need to find out the truth."

Matchmaker Zhang put down her teacup, waved her hand, and her smile faded, replaced by a serious expression.

"Don't worry, Madam Chen, I've already inquired about this. He just can't do heavy work, can't carry water or grain, but otherwise he's no different from an ordinary person. His family has had only one son for three generations, and he's been raised very carefully. He's had herbal medicine and supplements since he was little, and over the years, the doctor has said that as long as he doesn't do heavy physical labor, he can live a normal life without any problems. Moreover, although the Yang family's cloth shop isn't extremely wealthy, it's still quite well-off. The shop has a small courtyard behind it, so the living space is spacious, and they live comfortably. His son doesn't need to do any physical labor; he just needs to manage the shop, collect money, and keep accounts. Don't worry, his health has recovered, and it won't affect his future life."

Su Xiaoyin glanced at Chen's mother, her gaze lingering on her mother-in-law's face for a moment. Chen's mother nodded slightly, tapping her fingers lightly twice on the armrest of the armchair.

Su Xiaoyin asked a few more questions—What is the Yang family's family tradition like? What are the Yang family's owners like? Does their son have any bad habits? Zhang the matchmaker answered them one by one, speaking sincerely, not as if she were exaggerating or concealing information in order to arrange the marriage.

"Mr. and Mrs. Yang are both honest and upright people. They've lived in this town for decades and have always maintained good relationships with their neighbors, never arguing with anyone. Mrs. Yang is also a kind person, skilled in needlework, and gives sachets to the neighbors every Dragon Boat Festival. Their son has no bad habits; he doesn't gamble, frequent brothels, or drink. He usually helps his father manage the business at the shop and occasionally goes to the prefectural city to buy goods. He's very proper. He's just a bit slow-paced and doesn't talk much, not the eloquent type, but he's honest and reliable. You'd be hard-pressed to find a family like that even with a lantern."

Chen's mother placed the half-finished shoe sole on her lap, took off her reading glasses, looked at Zhang the matchmaker, and spoke in a soft but firm voice.

"Alright, let's set the date for three days later at Yang's Cloth Shop in town. We'll bring Qingqing there so they can meet. If it's a good match, we can discuss further; if not, we won't hold them back."

The matchmaker, Zhang, was overjoyed. She stood up and thanked them repeatedly, saying that the Yang family had already made preparations and were just waiting for a reply. She took out two packets of pastries and a bolt of floral fabric from her basket, saying they were a gift for the Yang family and that she couldn't come empty-handed. Chen's mother declined, but the matchmaker insisted on staying, happily leaving with her empty basket.

After seeing off Matchmaker Zhang, Chen's mother closed the door to the main room and turned to her two daughters-in-law, saying, "These next few days, you two should carefully inquire about their family's character, whether the Yang family's son has any bad habits or hidden illnesses. You can only believe about 70-80% of what the matchmaker says; the remaining 20-30% you'll have to verify yourself. Go to town and ask around, take a stroll near the Yang family's shop, chat with the neighbors, and you can find out anything. Marriage is a serious matter, and we can't be careless about it."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing both nodded.

Su Xiaoyin went back to her room to change her clothes, saying she needed to go to town first, lest she be looking for a husband three days later and not even know which way the door faced. Su Xiaoqing followed behind, saying she would go with her sister so they could look after each other and ask more detailed questions. Chen's mother saw them to the gate and told them to come back early.

The two sisters carried baskets filled with some homemade pastries and, under the pretext of asking around, left the courtyard and headed towards the town.

----

When Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe returned from the fields, it was already completely dark. They washed their hands at the well, changed into dry clothes, and went into the main room. Su Xiaoyin had already set the table: stewed cabbage with vermicelli, scrambled eggs, a dish of pickled vegetables, and a bowl of radish soup, all steaming hot. The family sat around the table, and as Su Xiaoyin served the rice, she recounted the story of Zhang the matchmaker's visit during the day.

Chen Dashan, holding his bowl, didn't rush to express his opinion after listening. He ate a few mouthfuls of rice, swallowed, and then said, "I'll go to town tomorrow to inquire. You can't just listen to the matchmaker in this kind of thing; you're lucky if you can believe six or seven out of ten things she says." Chen Xiaohe nodded in agreement, saying that he and his older brother would go together tomorrow and ask separately to get more detailed information.

Mr. Chen lit his pipe, took a drag, and slowly exhaled. The smoke swirled in the lamplight, obscuring his face. He didn't touch his chopsticks, tapped the pipe on the edge of the table, and spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but each word was weighted down, neither too light nor too heavy, pressing precisely on one's heart.