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

Feeling guilty, Shi Tou would immediately roll up his sleeves and get to work every time he returned from the county school—chopping wood, carrying water, sweeping the yard, repairing farm tools—he would volunteer for every task. Aji was the same; on days off from the yamen, he would get up before dawn and go to the fields with Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe, weeding, fertilizing, and watering, working until dark before returning, his hands blistered but without a sound. When Chen Dashan told him to rest, he said he wasn't tired, and turned to carry a sack of grain into the granary.

Because of them, the Chen family hasn't had to worry about corvée labor for years. Shi Tou and A Ji were scholars, exempt from corvée labor, not even having to pay a penny—a unique case in the village. Last year, the county issued a strict mandate, requiring mandatory corvée labor, with no option to pay in kind; every household had to send someone. Those sent from the village spent the entire winter repairing river channels and building dikes. In the freezing cold, they returned emaciated, covered in bruises, some even suffering from chronic illnesses. Er Mu's son fell from scaffolding while repairing the dike, breaking his arm, which is still in a sling. De Ge's second son also went, returning much thinner, causing De Ge's wife to weep with heartache. De Ge himself didn't go, but he sat at the courtyard gate smoking a pipe all night without sleep, coughing—a cough exactly like his father's when he was alive. Only the Chen family remained quiet and peaceful. No one visited, no money was spent, and everyone went about their business as usual. The villagers didn't say anything, but they all envied and admired them—their child was successful, and this was what they deserved.

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing privately asked Shi Tou and A Ji if they would take the imperial examinations again. Shi Tou thought for a moment and said, "They're not naturally gifted. They've passed the county-level examinations to become scholars because of their diligence, not talent. So they'll try again for the provincial-level examinations to become scholars. If they fail again, they'll give up completely. Of course, they won't give up their current jobs. They like their teaching positions at the county school and can't bear to leave the children, so they'll continue doing it." He paused and then revealed his plans. If he passed the provincial-level examinations, he would open a school in the county town and teach there, earning much more money than he does now. He teaches at the county school not entirely for the salary, but mainly to learn more about the imperial examinations from the headmaster, who is a scholar who passed the provincial-level examinations and has taught him many tricks of the trade, from which he has benefited greatly.

Aji continued, "He discussed it with his elder brother. If his brother opened a school, he would also leave the yamen to help, teaching the children to write and read, or managing the school's miscellaneous affairs. The job in the yamen was easy, but it didn't offer much of a future; one would be a clerk for life. In that case, he could run between the school and the yamen, pleading with the clerks in the yamen, going to the school when things were quiet, and staying in the yamen when things were busy. If something went wrong at the school, he could go back, so he wouldn't be tied down between the two. Because in his view, there were still many advantages to Aji working in the county yamen; at least if anything happened to his family in the future, he would have connections to get things done."

After listening, Su Xiaoyin pondered for a moment and said, "It's good that you have a plan, but before doing anything, you should also think about the fact that you are already married, have a wife, and will have children in the future. Before making a decision, discuss it with your wife, and don't make decisions on your own."

Shi Tou sensed something was off about his mother's words. He put down his book, looked at her intently, and asked if something had happened, why she was suddenly telling them all this, and why she wasn't looking for A Fu. Su Xiaoqing chimed in, "A Fu basically either works at home or helps out at the grocery store in the county town. She lives a very simple life, going between those two places every day. She doesn't have any of those messy people or things around her, so she's not worried."

Aji frowned and said, "But things still went wrong, didn't they? Do you think there's something wrong with my brother and me working in the county town?" Su Xiaoyin waved her hand and said, "It's not that there's something wrong. We still trust you. You've never made a mistake in anything you've done all these years. But some things aren't just about not making mistakes yourself; you also have to guard against others coming to your door."

Su Xiaoyin put down the shoe sole, sighed, and said, "Have you heard what people in the village were saying about Li Hu's son, Li An, today?"

Shi Tou and Aji exchanged a glance and both shook their heads. They had been leaving early and returning late these days, so they didn't know much about what was happening in the village.

Su Xiaoqing recounted the whole story. Didn't Li An used to have a girl from a grain and oil shop who frequently brought him gifts? Every few days, the girl would come to Li An's shop with an oil jug and a cloth bag—one day a bottle of sesame oil, the next a bag of soybeans. Li An never refused; he always accepted them and spoke to her politely. Everyone in the village saw this and assumed the two would get married sooner or later. The girl's family thought so too, and they had secretly prepared her dowry. But then, the Li family suddenly arranged a marriage—not with the girl, but with the daughter of the owner of a silk shop in town, from a wealthy family, a perfect match for the Li family. When the news spread, the grain and oil shop girl was furious. On the day of the engagement banquet, she stormed in and berated Li An in front of all the guests, listing all the gifts he had received. Li An's face turned bright red, and he couldn't utter a word. Yang Wenhu said that if he hadn't stopped the girl, she would have overturned the table. Uncle Li was furious and started arguing with the girl's father on the spot, almost coming to blows.

After listening, Shi Tou remained silent for a while before saying, "It was Li An's fault in this matter. If you didn't like her, you shouldn't have accepted her gifts in the first place. By accepting them, you gave her something to look forward to. The girl waited for more than a year, only to end up with nothing. Anyone would be upset in that situation." His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, and the room fell silent for a moment.

Su Xiaoqing looked at Shitou and Aji and said earnestly, "So when you're working in the county town, think more about your families, think about your wives managing the household chores and earning money at the shop, think more about their good qualities. Don't do anything you'll regret. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that if this kind of thing gets out, it will hurt people's feelings and ruin your family's reputation. Our Chen family has been clean and honest in the village for so many years, we can't let people gossip about us." Shitou and Aji both nodded. Shitou said, "Mom, don't worry, we know what we're doing." Aji said, "Auntie, we won't."