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

Before the spring planting was even finished, construction began on Shi Tou and A Ji's new house. The two houses stood side-by-side next to A Fu's, sharing a courtyard wall with a small gate for easy access. Father Chen said that living close by meant the brothers could easily discuss things, and the sisters-in-law could look after each other, ensuring that even though they were separate households, their hearts remained connected. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe, along with several hired bricklayers and carpenters, started work before dawn and didn't finish until dark. After finishing work, Shi Tou and A Ji didn't rest; they changed into old clothes and rushed to the construction site, carrying bricks, mixing mortar, and delivering timber—doing all sorts of work. The sisters Zhang Qiuming and Zhang Yuming sometimes helped, bringing water and tea to the craftsmen, squatting on the ground to pick up broken bricks and gather timber. Zhang Yuming was quick and efficient; while picking up bricks, she even competed with Shi Tou to see who could do it faster. Shi Tou picked up three baskets, she picked up four. Shi Tou glanced at her, said nothing, but smiled slightly.

The new house was completed half a month before the wedding. It had three main rooms and two wing rooms on the east and west sides, all made of blue bricks and gray tiles. The doors and windows were all handmade by Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe. The courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, and a pomegranate tree, which Chen's father had moved from the mountain, was planted in each corner of the wall. The kitchen was spacious, with a large and flat stove and a thick cutting board. The firewood stacks in the backyard were neatly arranged, and even vegetables were planted in the yard. Chen's mother, along with Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing, cleaned the house inside and out three times, pasted new paper on the windows, laid newly woven bamboo mats on the kang (a heated brick bed), and folded the quilts neatly.

On their wedding day, the Chen family was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Firecrackers were set off from one end of the alley to the other, the smell of gunpowder mingling with the aroma of food filling half the street. It was the first time in Nanshan Village that Shi Tou and A Ji had married on the same day. Shi Tou, dressed in a bright red wedding robe, rode a mule in front, with A Ji following behind. Both brothers wore smiles; Shi Tou's smile was reserved, while A Ji's was hearty and cheerful. The bridal sedan chairs were carried into the courtyard one after the other. The two brides, dressed in bright red wedding gowns and with veils covering their faces, stepped over a brazier and onto roof tiles with the help of the matchmaker. During the wedding ceremony, Mr. and Mrs. Chen sat in armchairs. Mr. Chen stood ramrod straight, while Mrs. Chen's eyes reddened repeatedly. Chen Dashan and Su Xiaoyin sat beside them, and Chen Xiaohe and Su Xiaoqing sat opposite them. Mrs. Chen watched Shi Tou and A Ji bow and kowtow, then turned away to wipe her eyes. Mr. Chen patted her hand, saying nothing, but his hand was steady.

The new house had two rooms; the east room was for Shi Tou and Zhang Yuming, and the west room for Aji and Zhang Qiuming. After the guests had left, the courtyard quieted down, and the light of red candles shone through the paper windows, bathing the courtyard in a warm red glow. Zhang Yuming sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her veil already lifted, her head bowed, her fingers twisting the hem of her dress. Shi Tou sat beside her, silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Let's live a good life together from now on," his voice soft but each word clear. Zhang Yuming looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, and smiled. In the next room, Aji sat beside Zhang Qiuming. Neither of them spoke; the candlelight flickered a few times, then Aji reached out and took Zhang Qiuming's hand, which she didn't pull away.

Not long after Shi Tou and A Ji got married, good news came from Qing Qing's side—she was pregnant. When Yang Wenhu rode his mule to deliver the news, he smiled at everyone he met along the way. When he arrived at the Chen family's courtyard, he jumped off the mule before it had even come to a complete stop. Chen's mother was feeding the chickens in the yard when Yang Wenhu ran up to her, panting, and shouted, "Grandma, Qing Qing is pregnant!" Chen's mother almost dropped the chicken feeder in her hands. The news spread, and the entire Yang family was as happy as if it were New Year's Day. Madam Yang pressed Qing Qing into a chair and said, "From now on, you don't need to do any more embroidery. Take good care of yourself during your pregnancy. If you want anything to eat, just tell me, and I'll arrange it for you." Qing Qing said she wasn't that delicate; she was in good health. She was almost finished with the embroidery she was working on, and she would stop after that. Madam Yang couldn't persuade her otherwise, saying, "Then you just need to be careful and embroider less each day." Qing Qing nodded.

After the Chen family heard the news, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing quickly raised ten more chickens, enclosing a large area in the backyard, and feeding them cornmeal mixed with wild vegetables twice a day. Su Xiaoqing said that Qingqing needed to eat well during her postpartum period, with eggs a constant supply and chicken soup to be made every day. Su Xiaoyin had already selected an old hen to raise for now.

After Shi Tou and A Ji got married, they still shuttled between the county town and the village. Shi Tou went to the county school early every morning and returned in the evening; A Ji followed the schedule of the yamen (government office), leaving early and returning late. The sisters Zhang Qiu Ming and Zhang Yu Ming quickly integrated into the Chen family, getting along like real sisters. Zhang Yu Ming was sweet-talking, calling Su Xiao Yin "Auntie" and Su Xiao Qing "Mother," her voice clear and bright. Su Xiao Qing was always beaming at her calls. Zhang Qiu Ming didn't talk much, but she was always ready to help. She would help Chen's mother when she saw her preparing vegetables, and she would fetch a bundle of firewood from the backyard when she saw the firewood in the kitchen was low. Chen's mother secretly told Su Xiao Yin that she had married a good granddaughter-in-law, someone reliable.

The shop was allocated to the sisters, and after discussing it, they rented out the less centrally located section for 500 cash a month, settled monthly. They kept the better-located section for themselves, but they couldn't decide what kind of business to start. Zhang Yuming wanted to open a pastry shop, but Zhang Qiuming felt it was too close to Afu's grocery store; Zhang Yuming then suggested selling fabric, but Zhang Qiuming said they didn't have a source of goods. The two discussed it several times but still couldn't decide.

That evening, after dinner, the whole family, unusually, was together. They moved stools and sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air. The moon hadn't risen yet, and a faint red glow lingered on the horizon. The evening breeze carried the scent of crops and grass. Su Xiaoyin asked about the dessert shop, and Zhang Qiuming shared the idea the two sisters had been pondering for days—a dessert shop. She and Yuming had inquired and found that there weren't many shops in the county that specialized in desserts; those that did were usually just a side business in restaurants and eateries, not dedicated to them. They could make sweet fermented rice, sweet fermented rice balls, red bean paste, mung bean paste, as well as black sesame paste and walnut paste. In autumn, they would cook rock sugar pears, and in summer, they would make fruit drinks with honey water. The ingredients weren't expensive, and the preparation wasn't complicated. The two sisters could handle it; one could run the shop while the other prepared the desserts. Zhang Yuming added that they could also sell dried fruits and candied fruits, setting up two tables at the entrance so customers could sit and eat or take away. After listening, Su Xiaoyin turned to look at Chen Dashan. Chen Dashan thought for a moment and said it was a good idea; the county town needed a shop like that. He asked for a name for the dessert shop, but Zhang Qiuming said she hadn't decided yet. Chen Xiaohe suggested "Chen's Dessert Shop," simple and easy to remember, and in line with the previous "Chen's Grocery Store." The whole family thought it was a good idea.