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

Mother Chen put down the shoe sole, pulled Qingqing over, and held her hand, her rough palm pressing against Qingqing's delicate fingers. Mother Chen looked into Qingqing's eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately, her voice not loud, but each word was like a nail driven into a wooden board, firm and powerful.

"Qingqing, don't be afraid. Even if you get married, there will always be a room for you at home. Whenever you come back, there will always be a place to stay, and there will always be a hot meal for you in the kitchen. Your older brother and younger brother are both scholars, so with them backing you up, the Yang family won't dare to bully you. Remember, no matter what, this will always be your home."

Qingqing's nose tingled, and her eyes reddened. She bit her lip, held back her tears, nodded, and said, "Grandma, I remember."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing watched from the side, their eyes also reddening. Father Chen tapped his pipe on the sole of his shoe, stood up, said, "Alright, you should all get some rest," and went back into the house with his hands behind his back. Mother Chen took Qingqing back to the house, tucked her in, sat by the bed for a while, watched her close her eyes, and then gently closed the door and came out.

The kitchen light was still on. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were packing things to take to the shop tomorrow under the light, each lost in their own thoughts, neither of them speaking.

The matchmaker should be visiting tomorrow. If the Yang family is satisfied, we should hear news tomorrow.

----

As expected, Zhang the matchmaker came again early the next morning.

As soon as the courtyard gate opened, she walked in with a smile, carrying a bamboo basket covered with a blue cloth. Su Xiaoyin was feeding the chickens in the yard. Seeing her, she quickly clapped the bran off her hands and welcomed her into the main room. Chen's mother put down the shoe soles she was carrying and asked Su Xiaoqing to pour tea. This time, Zhang the matchmaker's tone was even more enthusiastic than before, praising Qingqing from head to toe—good looks, good character, good needlework, good at accounting, good temperament, calm and generous, not arrogant or impatient. Such a good girl is hard to find another like her in the surrounding villages. The Yang family was very satisfied with her. After seeing them off yesterday, Madam Yang talked about Qingqing all afternoon at home, saying that the child was so likable and she couldn't wait to bring her into the family.

After listening, Su Xiaoyin took a sip of tea and spoke slowly. She didn't agree directly, nor did she beat around the bush. She first made her family's attitude clear—they were also satisfied with the Yang family. Although Yang Wenhu wasn't talkative, he was honest, down-to-earth, and reliable.

The matchmaker's smile deepened, and she quickly replied that she would go back and tell the Yang family to arrange the exchange of betrothal gifts as soon as possible. She paused, then leaned forward and asked, "What are the Chen family's requirements for the betrothal gifts?"

Su Xiaoyin placed the teacup on the table, looked at Zhang the matchmaker, and spoke in a calm and unhurried tone, but every word was steady and clear, as if she were talking about something she had thought about long ago.

"We only have one daughter, so no matter what kind of betrothal gifts the Yang family offers, we won't keep them. Qingqing will take them all back with her. We'll also provide a corresponding dowry." She paused, glanced at Chen's mother, who nodded. "Qingqing has saved some money selling embroidery over the years and bought a small shop in the county town, which she rents out year-round, receiving monthly rent. This shop will also go with Qingqing."

After listening, Zhang the matchmaker's smile transformed from polite to genuine—she'd been a matchmaker for over twenty years, and what kind of families hadn't she seen? Some wanted to withhold half the dowry, others promised generous dowries, but on the wedding day, it was nothing more than a few quilts. She understood Su Xiaoyin's meaning. It wasn't about the Yang family's wealth; she simply wanted her daughter to have a smooth and happy life. Qingqing had her own shop, with rental income, enough to support herself, and she wouldn't have to depend on her husband's family. The Chen family had given everything they were entitled to; if the Yang family was smart, they would know what to do next.

Matchmaker Zhang stood up, carrying her basket, and repeatedly said yes. She said she would go back to the Yang family now to convey the Chen family's message, and then come back when the time for the formal marriage proposal was set. Su Xiaoyin saw her off at the courtyard gate. Matchmaker Zhang waved her hand, her steps light, the basket swaying in her arms, and disappeared into the alley.

Without delay, Zhang the matchmaker left the Chen family's courtyard and headed straight for town. Upon arriving at the Yang family's cloth shop, she didn't even have time for a drink of water before relaying everything she'd overheard at the Chen family's house to Manager Yang and his wife. Manager Yang listened, remained silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "The Chen family is a kind and honest family; we can't treat them poorly." Madam Yang, standing beside her, nodded in agreement, saying that Qingqing seemed like a good child, and the Chen family was so understanding; they must treat them well.

The matchmaker, Zhang, pressed her advantage, saying, "Then you should quickly prepare the birth chart. I'll go find a fortune teller to check it. If everything is alright, we can choose a date to propose marriage." Madam Yang hurriedly went into the inner room, found the red paper with Yang Wenhu's birth date and time written on it, and handed it to her with both hands. The matchmaker took the birth chart and carefully put it into her basket.

Shopkeeper Yang spoke up, his tone calm and collected, as if he had planned it all out beforehand, laying out the conditions for the betrothal gifts one by one. The betrothal gifts were twenty taels of silver, a pair of gold earrings, and a pair of gold bracelets, all made at the best jewelry store in the prefectural city, of excellent quality and the most fashionable style at the time. After the marriage, they wouldn't have to live with the elderly couple; they would be given another house not far from the Yang family's current residence, a small two-courtyard house, so that Qingqing could be in charge of the household after the wedding and wouldn't have to live at the mercy of her mother-in-law. Wenhu would continue to manage the shop behind his father, with the shop's income divided into two parts—one for the public and one for their small family. Once Wenhu was able to fully support the shop in the future, he would be in charge, and the elderly couple would retire to the background.

The matchmaker, Zhang, nodded repeatedly, saying that the Yang family had shown great sincerity and that Qingqing was very fortunate. She carefully put away the birth chart on the spot, saying that she would find someone to match it when she got back, and she would come back to announce the good news once it was matched.

Soon, the two families exchanged birth charts, and a fortune teller determined that it was an auspicious marriage, with compatible horoscopes and no clashes. The Yang family chose an auspicious day and brought betrothal gifts to propose marriage. That day, the Chen family's gate was wide open, and firecrackers were set off from the alleyway into the courtyard. The smell of gunpowder and sulfur mingled, making people cough, but the atmosphere was incredibly lively. Only then did the villagers realize that the Chen family's precious daughter—Qingqing, who was skilled in embroidery, accounting, and was also beautiful—was going to marry into the Yang family in town.

When the news spread, many families in the village looked rather grim. Qingqing was pretty and capable; she could earn a considerable amount of money a year just from embroidery. Moreover, the Chen family had been prospering in recent years, producing two scholars, and her parents and aunts and uncles were all capable. Marrying her would be a perfect match for their in-laws. Several families sent matchmakers to propose marriage, but the Chen family politely but firmly turned them down. Some said their sons were doing business in the county town, others said they owned dozens of acres of land, but the Chen family shook their heads, saying the child was still young and they would wait a few more years.