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

Now Qingqing is to marry the young master of the Yang family's cloth shop in town—he's wealthy and a good person, so it's not their turn anymore. Of course, there will be some sour remarks, like "climbing the social ladder" or "not caring about the villagers," but no one dares to say it in front of the Chen family.

When the betrothal gifts were brought in, the entire Chen family was present. Twenty taels of silver, wrapped in red paper, were neatly stacked on a tray; gold earrings and bracelets were placed in red velvet jewelry boxes, which glittered when opened. Qingqing stood in the inner room, secretly glancing at them through the curtain, and blushed.

Chen's mother accepted the betrothal gifts and invited the Yang family to have a sumptuous meal at her home. The Yang family then went back to consult a fortune teller to determine the auspicious date for their wedding.

After dinner that evening, Chen's mother announced on the spot that the dowry the Chen family would give Qingqing would consist of the shop she bought in the county town, ten taels of silver from Su Xiaoyin and Chen Dashan's family, and another ten taels from the family coffers, for a total of twenty taels of cash.

Hearing this from inside the room, Qingqing quickly lifted the curtain and came out, saying she couldn't accept it. Over the years, her brothers had spent so much money on their education; the family had already struggled to provide for her, and she couldn't take any more of their money. Mother Chen stopped her, her tone leaving no room for argument. "You've been at home for so many years. While they were in school, you always helped with chores, managed the shop, and took care of the children. After your embroidery started earning money, you always gave half of the proceeds to the public treasury. This money is rightfully yours, not a reward from the family." Qingqing was about to refuse again when Su Xiaoyin nodded beside her, took Qingqing's hand, and spoke softly but firmly, urging her not to refuse any longer. "In the future, the majority of the family's land, houses, and shops will be inherited by your brothers. You're a girl, so you'll definitely suffer some losses. Take these twenty taels of silver; don't refuse."

Sitting in his armchair, Chen's father tapped his pipe on the edge of the table and added, "The family will also give Qingqing five mu of high-quality farmland as a dowry. This land will be temporarily registered under Shi Tou's name, so she won't have to perform corvée labor. Da Shan will temporarily manage the land, and your father will deliver the harvest to the Yang family each year. With a shop and land, even if something unexpected happens in the future, you'll be able to support yourself."

Shi Tou, A Ji, and A Fu all said they had no objections. This was what their younger sister deserved, and as her older brothers, they wouldn't fuss over it. Mother Chen's face darkened, her gaze sweeping from Shi Tou to A Ji, then from A Ji to A Fu. "You keep the dowry a secret to yourselves. Don't tell anyone. Even after you're married, you mustn't tell your wives, lest they feel resentful and cause trouble in the household." The three grandsons all nodded.

Qingqing's marriage was arranged. The wedding day was set after the autumn harvest, when the weather was neither too hot nor too cold, perfect for a joyous occasion. Qingqing lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips, her fingers unconsciously tracing the pattern on her cuffs. Yang Wenhu came to propose that day, wearing a newly made dark blue long gown, his hair neatly combed. Standing in the main room, he respectfully kowtowed three times to Mr. and Mrs. Chen, his face flushed red when he rose. He stole a glance at Qingqing, who was also looking at him. Their eyes met, and they both quickly looked away.

Shi Tou and A Ji are not engaged yet, and A Fu has never mentioned having a girl he likes. Chen's mother turned the topic to them, saying that Qing Qing's marriage is settled, and now it's the three of you next, so you need to hurry up. Shi Tou and A Ji both lowered their heads and ate their rice, neither of them responding.

Afu put down his chopsticks and said something quietly. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone at the table heard him.

"Mother, I've taken a liking to a girl and would like the family to help me propose marriage."

Su Xiaoqing was drinking soup when she heard this and choked, coughing a few times until tears welled up in her eyes. Without wiping them away, she quickly pressed for an answer. Su Xiaoqing's eyes widened, and her voice rose a half-octave.

Afu's face was as red as a steamed crab, his head bowed, the tips of his ears bright red. He said she was the daughter of Shopkeeper Zhao—Shopkeeper Zhao's family ran a medicinal herb business, owning a sizable shop in the county town, the business inherited by her eldest brother. This girl was the youngest in the family, quite a few years younger than her brother. There were only two children in the family, and she usually helped out at the herb shop, handling medicine, organizing goods, and greeting customers—she could do everything. Afu had been an apprentice at the clinic for years, frequently going to the herb shop to buy supplies, and had met her many times. She knew the herbs well, was quick at accounting, and was very kind, treating the elderly and patients who came to get medicine with exceptional kindness. Afu had a good impression of her and wanted his family to help him inquire about her. She was a year younger than Afu and not yet engaged.

Su Xiaoqing was so happy she almost jumped off her stool. She slammed her chopsticks on the table and said repeatedly, "Okay, okay, I'll ask a matchmaker for you tomorrow. Such a good girl, if we don't hurry, she'll be taken."

Su Xiaoyin smiled beside them and asked if Shi Tou and A Ji had any girls they liked, offering to help them find a matchmaker if they did. Shi Tou shook his head, saying he was currently teaching at the county school and wanted to establish himself before making a move. A Ji also shook his head, saying he was just getting started with his work at the government office and there was no rush; they could talk about it in a couple of years.

Looking at her three grandsons, Chen's mother was both happy and worried. At least Afu was showing some promise, but Shitou and Aji were still nowhere in sight. The two older brothers had actually been overtaken by their younger brothers.

----

After Qingqing's marriage was settled, the Chen family's life returned to its usual rhythm. Shitou went to teach at the county school, Aji went to the yamen to copy documents, and Afu returned to the clinic as an apprentice. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing continued to sell goods at the county town's general store, leaving early and returning late every day, busy as bees. But everyone in the family had one more thing on their minds—would the girl Afu had his eye on actually work out?

Su Xiaoqing was an impatient person, so she went to see Matchmaker Zhang the next day. When Matchmaker Zhang heard that it was Chen's Afu who wanted to propose marriage, her face lit up with a smile. She said this year was a year of joyous occasions for the Chen family, with good things happening one after another. She took the note Afu had written, which had the girl's name and the address of the herbal medicine shop on it. After glancing at it, she said she knew the Zhao family well, and she had met the girl herself; she was pretty and had a good temperament. She would handle the marriage and guarantee it would be arranged perfectly. Su Xiaoqing repeatedly instructed Matchmaker Zhang not to spread the word yet, but to sound out the situation first.

Two days later, Matchmaker Zhang brought a message. Manager Zhao's family also remembered Afu, saying that the young man had been an apprentice at the clinic for several years, was well-behaved and reliable, and his medicinal herb processing skills were among the best of the younger generation. They were interested in the marriage and suggested they meet. Su Xiaoqing was so happy that she ran around the kitchen three times, almost knocking over the washbasin.