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

Shi Tou and Aji exchanged a glance, both knowing there was no escaping it this time. Shi Tou nodded first, saying he understood and would follow his family's arrangements. Aji echoed, "I'll follow your arrangements."

Zhao Qinghuan sat next to Afu, listening quietly without interrupting. Back at the new house, as she made the bed, she asked Afu, "My eldest brother and second brother haven't gotten engaged yet? I always thought they were. My eldest brother is a scholar, teaches at the county school, and is quite handsome; my second brother also works in the government office, and is very refined. How come they still don't have a daughter?" Afu took off her outer garment and hung it on the hanger, saying they weren't in a hurry, and besides, they had been busy with the imperial examinations, from the county exam to the prefectural exam to the provincial exam, taking one stage after another, year after year, which delayed them. "If you know any suitable girls, you can talk to my mother and aunt; they're worried about it." Zhao Qinghuan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll keep an eye out."

The next morning, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing went to town to find Zhang the matchmaker.

Matchmaker Zhang was airing out quilts at home when she saw the two sisters arrive. She quickly ushered them into the main room, poured them tea, and asked what brought them there. Su Xiaoyin didn't beat around the bush, saying that she had two unmarried children at home: the eldest, Shitou, taught at the county school, and the second, Aji, worked in the government office. Both were scholars and not young anymore, so she wanted to ask Matchmaker Zhang to help find them suitable girls. Matchmaker Zhang slapped her thigh and beamed, saying, "Two scholars! We must introduce them to good ones; we can't be careless." She readily agreed, saying she would go and inquire right away.

Within three days, Matchmaker Zhang arrived. This time she didn't come empty-handed; she brought a basket of fresh persimmons, saying they were made by a relative and wanted the Chen family to try them. She sat down, took a sip of tea, and pulled a piece of paper from her sleeve. It was covered with dense notes about several families. She cleared her throat and began to recount the details one by one.

The first family was the Huang landlord's family in town. They owned over a hundred acres of land and lived a comfortable life. Their youngest daughter, seventeen years old, was of marriageable age. Spoiled since childhood, she was beautiful and knew a little about music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The Huang landlord had been trying to find a good husband for his daughter, but he was dissatisfied with everyone he met, and so time passed. He looked down on ordinary families, and he considered those from poor families unworthy of him. Shi Tou was a scholar who taught at the county school; his position was respectable and stable, and the Huang landlord might not be unwilling to accept him.

Su Xiaoyin neither nodded nor shook her head, saying she would think about it some more.

Matchmaker Zhang turned the page and continued. In the neighboring village, the youngest daughter of Zheng Tongsheng was sixteen and unmarried. She had two older brothers who were taking the imperial examinations but hadn't yet achieved official rank. The girl herself was virtuous and skilled in needlework, but her family was of low social standing; her father was only a student in the lowest level of the imperial examinations, and her two brothers hadn't even passed that. They juggled farming and studying, and life wasn't easy for them. However, the girl was kind and gentle, and never argued with anyone.

Su Xiaoyin picked up the teacup, took a sip, and asked if there was any more.

Matchmaker Zhang turned another page and pushed the paper towards Su Xiaoyin. The eldest daughter of Old Zhou, who sold tofu in town, was eighteen years old. Because her mother had died early, she had raised her younger siblings single-handedly. She was afraid that no one would take care of her siblings after she got married, so she had been delaying marriage proposals. Now that her siblings were grown up—one helping out at the shop, the other studying at school—they could take care of themselves, and only then did she begin to consider marriage. This girl was hardworking and reliable; she had learned tofu-making from her father and was adept at managing household affairs. She was just a bit older; girls her age in the village already had children. However, the Chen family had never cared about such formalities in marriage, and Su Xiaoyin felt that this girl was more reliable than the previous two.

Matchmaker Zhang turned to the last page, paused, and said, "There's another pair of beautiful sisters." She laughed at herself. The two sisters were seventeen years old and neither was engaged. They were good-looking and capable, but their personalities were rather fiery; they spoke bluntly and directly, sometimes without mincing words, so matchmakers would shake their heads as soon as they heard it was them, causing delays. They had two older brothers who were already married and lived separately. Their parents were honest people, but when their grandparents were alive, they favored sons over daughters, neglecting their grandsons and giving them all the best things. The sisters grew up without anyone to care for them, which fostered their fiery and assertive personalities; they refused to suffer losses or be mistreated. Their grandparents had passed away a few years ago, and the family had separated; they were doing well now. However, the marriage of these two daughters weighed heavily on the family's mind, causing their parents great anxiety.

After listening, Su Xiaoyin didn't immediately express her opinion. She picked up her teacup, took another sip, put it down, thought for a moment, and turned the teacup around in her hand. In her mind, each of the families Zhang the matchmaker mentioned had some issues. The youngest daughter of the landlord Huang was well-off, but families like that demanded a grand wedding and high standards. The Chen family, while not poor, didn't want to marry above their station. The daughter of the scholar Zheng had a good personality, but her two older brothers were still preparing for the imperial examinations, and she would inevitably need to support them financially after their marriages. Shi Tou, being a scholar, needed someone of at least a similar social standing, if not of extremely high rank. The eldest daughter of the tofu maker was hardworking and reliable, and Su Xiaoyin was somewhat fond of her, but at eighteen and still unmarried, people in town were probably already gossiping. She wondered if there were any hidden reasons and needed to inquire further. As for the two sisters, with their fiery and assertive personalities, Su Xiaoyin wasn't sure if they could get along with her family after marriage. The Chen family lived together in harmony, and the sisters-in-law got along very well. If one of them had a fiery temper, there would be constant chaos. However, looking at it another way, the fact that these two sisters, despite being bullied as children, managed to carve out their own path shows they are independent and capable. Shi Tou and A Ji are respectively a quiet, reserved person and a man of few words; perhaps marrying someone eloquent and articulate would be a perfect complement.

Su Xiaoyin raised her head, looked at Zhang the matchmaker, and slowly explained her plan.

"Matchmaker Zhang, thank you for making so many trips. I've noted down the details of these families. I'll discuss it with the children later and see if they like any of them. Also, I'd like to trouble you to inquire further about the family traditions of these families, the temperament of the young lady herself, and whether she has any hidden illnesses or bad reputations. Marriage is a serious matter and cannot be taken lightly; it's always good to inquire a few more times."

Matchmaker Zhang nodded repeatedly, saying it was only right, and she would inquire further when she got back. She stood up, picked up her empty basket, and added, "The Chen family is now quite prominent in the county and town. Two scholars, a successful shop, and a prosperous life. They have plenty of suitors; they won't have trouble finding a good match." Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing saw her to the courtyard gate, watching her walk away before turning back.