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

The shop had been tidied up long ago. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe had painted it inside and out, paved the floor with blue bricks, built a wide and flat stove, made a sturdy and heavy cutting board, and arranged a row of shelves against the wall, just the right size to display things. Zhao Qinghuan displayed her samples on the shelves, colorful and vibrant, looking quite lively.

Three days later, Chen's Grocery Store officially opened for business.

There were no firecrackers, no banquet; Chen Xiaohe and Su Xiaoqing handed the shop over completely to the young couple. Chen Xiaohe pulled Afu aside and said, "The shop is yours. If there are any profits, you'll get half. If there are any losses, the public fund will cover them, so don't worry. If you need any help, just say so, and your uncle and I will come lend a hand. The rest of the management and sales will be yours to handle."

Afu nodded and said, "Dad, I understand." Zhao Qinghuan stood in front of the stove, wearing an apron and her hair wrapped in a cloth, already busy at work. The first batch of food to be sold was not much—scallion pancakes, red bean buns, baked flatbreads, sesame seed cakes, and flower-shaped steamed buns—only twenty or thirty of each. At first, they didn't dare to make too many, afraid they wouldn't be able to sell them all.

There weren't many customers on the first day. A few scattered people would pass by, glance at the shop, ask a question, and then leave. Some said the shop was newly opened, others said the items looked good and bought a couple to try. Afu stood behind the counter, a little nervous, while Zhao Qinghuan busied herself at the stove, fine beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Chen Dashan heard about it at the general store and took advantage of a quiet time to come over, buying two scallion pancakes and four red bean buns. He didn't say much and just left. The next day, when Su Xiaoyin came to the county town to deliver goods, she deliberately went around to the entrance of the general store, stood there for a while, and only left after seeing a customer go in.

Shi Tou told his colleagues at the county school, and A Ji told the clerks at the yamen, that Chen's Grocery Store had just opened, and that the food was delicious and the prices were fair. Gradually, more and more customers came.

An old man bought scallion pancakes on the first day and came back the next day, saying that these pancakes were even more delicious than the ones he used to eat in the prefectural city. A young woman came with her child, and the child was immediately captivated by the bunny-shaped steamed buns and insisted on buying them. Zhao Qinghuan gave her one for free, and the child clapped his hands with joy. Feeling bad about it, the woman bought a few more pancakes.

In less than half a month, the things prepared every morning were sold out before the afternoon.

While tidying up the cutting board, Zhao Qinghuan discussed with Afu whether they should prepare more, as there wasn't enough to sell until the evening. Afu leaned against the doorframe, flipped through the ledger in his hand, thought for a moment, and shook his head.

"This is enough. Those who didn't get to eat it will definitely come early tomorrow to buy more. If we prepare too much, and people see that there's still so much left unsold, they'll automatically think that our food isn't good and that we're selling slowly, which is why there's leftovers. It's best when demand exceeds supply; that way, people will remember it, come, buy, and leave without hesitation."

Zhao Qinghuan listened and thought it made sense. Without stopping her work, she asked another question.

"And that way, once you're skilled, I can manage the medicinal herbs on the mountain next spring. Otherwise, there are too many, and it'll be too tiring for you to do it all by yourself. When I'm done with my work on the mountain, I'll come back and help you with the grocery store. It's better for two people to help each other than for you to struggle alone."

Afu came over, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said, "That's all we do each day. Once we're done selling, we'll go home. You get up too early every morning. You can rest more when you get home. It's the off-season for farming now, and there's not much to do at home. Get some rest, and you'll be busy next spring."

Zhao Qinghuan looked up at him and smiled.

The shop closed, and the two drove the mule cart back. The setting sun painted the sky orange-red, and the wheat fields on both sides of the road were lush and green. Zhao Qinghuan leaned against the side of the cart, her eyes closed. She was tired all day, but a smile graced her face. Afu drove the cart, glancing at her every now and then, a slight curve to his lips.

Zhao Qinghuan thought to herself that married life would be much better than she had imagined. Her in-laws were easy to get along with; her grandparents were kind, and her parents-in-law and uncles and aunts were all easygoing. Everyone helped with the chores; no one shirked their duties, and no one was forced to do extra work. What reassured her most was that of the money she and Afu earned, the family only took half, leaving the other half for their own use. This was unthinkable in other families—a new bride was lucky if she could save even a few taels of silver in the first few years. Zhao Qinghuan had her dowry, a shop, a skill, and this extra income, making her feel very secure.

Afu suddenly spoke, his voice very soft.

"Qinghuan, what do you think of our family?"

Zhao Qinghuan opened her eyes, looked at the sunset on the horizon, and said, "Very good, better than I expected." Afu smiled and said, "That's good."

----

Qingqing got married, and Afu also got married, leaving the Chen family with two fewer people, making the courtyard seem empty. Chen's mother was sewing shoe soles in the yard when she sighed, saying that Shitou and Aji's marriage couldn't be delayed any longer. Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were even more anxious upon hearing this. The two mothers kept her words in mind, repeating them after every meal.

After dinner that day, the dishes had just been cleared away when the whole family, who were rarely together, arrived. Even Afu and Zhao Qinghuan had come from the new house. Su Xiaoyin put down the insoles she was sewing, wiped her hands, and looked at Shitou and Aji sitting opposite her, her tone serious and leaving no room for argument.

"What kind of wives do you two brothers want to marry? Look at Qingqing and Afu, they got married this year and are living happily ever after. You two still don't have a place. Even if you don't get married, you should at least get engaged. You keep putting it off, when will it ever end? Shitou, you're eighteen this year, and Aji is eighteen too. In the village, their children are already running around. You're not worried, but we, as their mother, are."

Shi Tou sat in a chair, holding a book. Hearing this, he closed the book, thought for a moment, and said, "If there's no suitable person, we can't just marry anyone, can we? At least they have to get along with us and our families. Marriage isn't a matter of a day or two, it's a lifetime commitment, so we can't be hasty." Aji leaned back in his chair, took a sip of his tea, nodded, and agreed, "Brother is right. When the time is right, it will come naturally. There's no use rushing it."

Su Xiaoqing panicked upon hearing this, shoved the needle and thread in her hand into the basket, and raised her voice by half an octave.

"Fate, fate, is fate something you wait for? You have to seek it out! You're at the county school and the yamen every day, what kind of people do you associate with? Shi Tou, you teach students, A Ji, you deal with colleagues, where are you going to find girls? I'll find a matchmaker to continue finding suitable girls for you, you can't refuse. This time, whether you like it or not, you have to go for the meetings. If you like them, we'll continue, if not, that's it, it's not like I'm forcing you into a bridal sedan chair."