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

The moon peeked out from behind the clouds, its gentle light spilling into the courtyard. The kitchen light was still on; Zhang Qiuming and Zhang Yuming were cooking red bean paste for tomorrow, the beans bubbling and releasing a sweet aroma from the kitchen doorway. Zhao Qinghuan kneaded dough nearby; the dough for tomorrow morning was quietly rising in a basin, waiting to become soft and fluffy overnight. The fire in the stove burned brightly, illuminating the kitchen. The three sisters-in-law finished their work, carrying their respective basins and jars out of the kitchen. Seeing the light still on in the main room, they peeked in and asked why they weren't asleep yet. Shi Tou replied, "They're asleep."

The farce at Li An's engagement banquet spread throughout Nanshan Village the very next day. The villagers gossiped for days; some said Li An was dishonest, others said the girl was too shrewish, and still others said the marriage was doomed to fail. The Chen family, however, remained silent, keeping to themselves.

Before going to the county school the next day, Shi Tou stood at the gate of the courtyard for a while, then glanced back at the kitchen window. Zhang Yuming was busy at the stove, her figure indistinct on the window paper. She turned around, carrying a basin of water, and as if sensing something, looked out the window. Shi Tou walked away quickly. Zhang Yuming, holding the basin of water, stood there for a moment, then lowered her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

----

Qingqing closed the account book, then opened it again, then closed it again, her fingers unconsciously tracing circles on the table. Yang Wenhu was arranging fabrics behind the counter, neatly stacking the newly arrived silks one by one. He caught a glimpse of his wife's listless expression out of the corner of his eye, suppressing a laugh and remaining silent. Qingqing finally couldn't resist any longer, leaning against the counter and tilting her head to look at him.

"Wenhu, do you think Ang Lee's marriage can continue?"

Yang Wenhu stopped his work, turned around to look at her, a smile in his eyes, but deliberately teased her, "Why do you love gossip so much? Didn't you hear enough when you were at your parents' house?" Qingqing's eyes sparkled, and she nodded, speaking with conviction—ever since she finished embroidering that Qilin bringing a child, her mother-in-law wouldn't let her do any more embroidery. Staying home every day, eating and sleeping, even drinking three large bowls of her mother-in-law's nourishing soup a day, she felt like she was about to become a steamed bun. Coming to the fabric shop to help with accounting and bookkeeping was something she had begged for three days before her mother-in-law finally relented.

Yang Wenhu walked over and sat down opposite her, moving the account book closer to him as he flipped through it. "Your parents are just worried about you. My mother has had several miscarriages, and I'm her only adult child, so it's understandable that she's more worried. If you think my mother has done anything wrong, or made you unhappy, tell me, and I'll talk to her. I'm her son; she won't really be angry with me." Qingqing quickly waved her hand, saying it wasn't unpleasantness. She knew her mother-in-law was doing it for her own good; she didn't have to do anything during her pregnancy, just focus on the pregnancy, and her mother-in-law truly loved her. "But it's so boring," she said, "being cooped up in the room all day, with no one to talk to. Her mother and aunt have taken care of the baby's clothes; I can't even touch a needle. When I'm idle, I can only make knots and silk flowers, but even that gets boring after a while, and my hands are almost calloused." She paused, then steered the conversation back—"You still haven't told me what's going to happen with Li An's upcoming marriage."

Yang Wenhu closed the ledger, thought for a moment, and said he didn't know either. The scene at the engagement banquet that day had been utterly humiliating for Li An. The girl from the grain and oil shop, in front of a room full of guests, had recounted every single thing Li An had received from her—when he delivered oil, when he delivered rice, when he delivered shoes—even repeating what Li An had said. The entire room fell silent. Li An's face was as red as a boiled shrimp. His father, Li Hu, slammed his fist on the table in anger, and the girl's father was equally defiant. The two families started arguing on the spot. What should have been a joyous occasion had turned into chaos. Everyone left after the banquet, and no one dared to approach and inquire further. However, in his opinion, this matter was likely to be difficult to resolve. The girl's family had suffered such a great loss; they wouldn't let it go easily.

Qingqing nodded, leaned back in her chair, and unconsciously touched her slightly protruding belly with her fingers. Suddenly, she sighed and said something that surprised Yang Wenhu.

"Li An stayed with us for a while when he was little. His father went out with a merchant caravan for several months at a time, leaving him in our care. He, my older brother, and Aji and Afu would go to school together every day and come back together after school, doing their homework, playing shuttlecock, and playing hide-and-seek in the yard. He only went home after Uncle Li Hu returned with the caravan. Later, I don't know why, but while our family and Uncle Li Hu's family had a good relationship, Li An grew increasingly distant from us. When we met, we didn't talk much, just politely but distantly. Later, Li An failed the imperial examination once and went home to help Uncle Li Hu. At that time, Brother Shi Tou said that Li An had a good foundation and might pass the exam if he took it again, but he gave up. I never expected him to turn out like this, accepting gifts from a girl and then denying them, causing a scene at the engagement banquet where he was exposed in public. How embarrassing!"

Yang Wenhu placed his hand on the back of her hand, patted it gently, and said earnestly, "You can know a person's face but not their heart. You grew up together, and you inevitably view people through the lens of childhood friendship, seeing them as perfect. But now you're all adults, each with your own path to walk, and your true nature has gradually revealed itself over the years. Some people drift apart as time goes by; it's not anyone's fault, just that their paths diverge." Qingqing nodded, saying it was possible. She looked up at Yang Wenhu, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Remember to find out what happened next for me; I'm really curious."

Just as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded at the entrance of the cloth shop. A well-dressed woman entered, followed by a maid. Yang Wenhu quickly stood up and went to greet her—it was Madam Zhao, the wife of Manager Zhao of the grain shop in town. Yang Wenhu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, asking Madam Zhao what color of cloth she would like today. He said that the shop had just received a new fabric, the most popular Yun brocade in the prefectural city, with a new pattern and fine workmanship. Would she like to take a look? Madam Zhao became interested and said she would bring it over. Yang Wenhu quickly took out several bolts of Yun brocade from the back cabinet and arranged them on the counter. One bolt had a lotus-root pink background embroidered with intertwined lotus branches, another had a royal blue background woven with subtle cloud patterns, and a third had a pale yellow background adorned with small flowers, all gleaming with a delicate and soft luster under the light. Madam Zhao reached out and touched them, then leaned closer to examine the patterns, nodding repeatedly. She said the colors and patterns were really nice, and the fabric felt comfortable to the touch. "Give me two bolts of this pattern," she said.

Yang Wenhu responded and turned to cut the cloth. Madam Zhao's gaze fell on Qingqing, then looked at her slightly protruding belly, and asked with a smile, "Madam Yang, do you still take on embroidery work? I heard that your embroidery is quite famous in the county town, and many ladies want some."