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

Standing by the counter, watching her head down calculating accounts, Yang Wenhu felt a sudden warmth in his heart. All the messy things happening outside had nothing to do with them. His life was simple: the cloth shop, home, his parents, his wife, and their unborn child. His mother had said yesterday that Qingqing looked well, and her belly was pointed, so it was most likely a boy. His father hadn't said anything, but he'd already started flipping through dictionaries, thinking about what to name the child. Even while pregnant, Qingqing had helped him sell that expensive brocade, and had even sold her embroidered "Qilin Bringing a Child" painting for a good price. She was still thinking about her brothers and sisters-in-law, and her younger brother and sister-in-law.

Isn't that what life is all about? It doesn't have to be dramatic; a peaceful and uneventful life is already quite good. Yang Wenhu took the packet of silver from the drawer and placed it in front of Qingqing. Qingqing looked up at him and said, "This is what's left after paying for Mother's things. You can put it away." Qingqing asked if he wanted some pocket money, but Yang Wenhu shook his head, chuckled, and didn't say anything before turning to unload the goods. Qingqing opened the paper packet; the silver ingots were gleaming white. She counted them and found there was one more ingot than she had expected. She looked at Yang Wenhu's back; his shoulders weren't broad, and his steps weren't very steady, but he was trying his best to support his family. Qingqing rewrapped the paper packet and put it in her small box.

----

Yang Wenhu lifted the curtain of "Chen's Sweet Soup Shop," and the copper bell hanging on it jingled once. The sweet aroma of red bean paste and the rich scent of fermented rice wine mingled together, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. There weren't many customers in the afternoon; two or three women sat at a table by the window, drinking sweet soup and chatting quietly. Zhang Qiuming was organizing account books behind the counter, while Zhang Yuming was stirring a pot of freshly cooked black sesame paste by the stove, the rising steam making her face look like it was covered with a fine layer of frost. Shi Tou sat in a seat further inside, a book open in front of him, but he wasn't reading it; he held a bowl of warm fermented rice wine in his hand, sipping it slowly.

Yang Wenhu pushed open the door. Zhang Qiuming looked up and, seeing that he was alone, leaned forward to peek behind him and asked, "Why are you alone? Didn't Qingqing come?" Yang Wenhu stopped in front of the counter, placed several dozen copper coins on it, and said he had come to the county town to inquire about something and was also buying a few bowls of sweet soup to take home. Qingqing was feeling bored and wanted to eat sweet fermented rice, but his mother said that she couldn't drink too much because she was pregnant. Qingqing had been pleading with her mother-in-law at home, and he couldn't refuse, so he bought a bowl to take home, along with some other sweet soups to satisfy her craving.

Zhang Qiuming smiled upon hearing this, but instead of taking the copper coins from the counter, she turned and went to the stove to get a clean earthenware pot. She used a wooden spoon to fill it with freshly cooked sweet rice wine, then scooped a spoonful of red bean paste on top, sprinkled a small pinch of dried osmanthus flowers, tightened the lid, wrapped it in a cloth, and handed it to Yang Wenhu. She said there was no need for money; it was just a treat. She added that Qingqing was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to come back and forth, so he should take good care of her. Yang Wenhu quickly waved his hand, saying that he couldn't refuse money every time he came; if he did, he would feel embarrassed to come back for more next time. Shi Tou came out from the inner room, just in time to hear this, and reached out to gather the copper coins from the counter and put them back in Zhang Qiuming's hand, saying, "Take it. Relatives are relatives, but business is business. You all pay with money when you buy things at the cloth shop, so you should accept it; we can't break the rules."

Shi Tou asked again, "What brings you here? Let's see if we know anything about it, so you don't have to run all over the county."

Yang Wenhu sat down on the stool next to him, sighed, and said, "It's all about Li An. Qingqing found out and just wants to know what happened next, she keeps talking about it at home. He came to the county town to deliver goods, and while he was there, he stopped by the teahouses and shops to hear any new information." Shi Tou, hearing this, immediately laughed in exasperation, slamming her book on the table. She said, "She should just stay at the cloth shop, why is she worrying about Li An? I'll talk to her when she comes back next time. She's pregnant and shouldn't be eating and taking care of her pregnancy, instead she's meddling in other people's business." Yang Wenhu quickly waved his hand, saying, "Qingqing is just bored at home. Her embroidery has stopped, and her mother and aunt have bought all the baby clothes. At the cloth shop, she just does some abacus work and sorts the goods, only half a day a day. She has nothing to do the rest of the time, and she's cooped up in the house all day with no one to talk to. So when she heard about Li An's troubles, she just wanted to know what happened next, to gossip and have some excitement."

After listening, Shi Tou remained silent for a while, put down the sweet rice wine in front of him, and lowered his voice, saying he knew some things and could tell him. What Uncle Li Hu later said to Li An is unknown to outsiders, but he made it clear to the girl's family at the grain shop that the things they had given before would be returned to them at double the price. The girl's family was initially unforgiving, but Uncle Li Hu personally went to their home to apologize and said many kind words, finally managing to get the matter settled. Then the Li family went to the betrothed family, bringing generous gifts, explaining the situation, and saying many kind words, finally agreeing to let their daughter marry as planned. However, according to the townspeople, the girl seemed unwilling, but couldn't go against her family's wishes. No one knew what life would be like after the marriage; Uncle Li Hu had worried his whole life, and in his old age, he still had to clean up his son's mess.

After listening, Yang Wenhu picked up the tea Zhang Qiuming had just poured and took a sip. He said he had thought the marriage was doomed, but unexpectedly, in the end, they pushed the girl from the grain shop away and then persuaded the girl from the silk shop to come back. Shi Tou picked up his teacup and put it down again, saying he also found it strange. Logically speaking, given how things had turned out, the marriage should have been off long ago. But Uncle Li Hu was determined to make the marriage happen, asking around for favors and connections, even Brother De spoke up for him. Zhang Qiuming, wiping the bowls by the stove, overheard this and interjected. Her voice wasn't loud, but her meaning was clear—she felt someone was behind it all, wanting to teach Li An a lesson and then back off in time. That girl never intended to marry Li An; from beginning to end, she just wanted to ruin his reputation, making him lose face in the surrounding villages. Otherwise, what normal girl would publicly recount the secret gift-giving at the engagement banquet? After the deed was done, he didn't linger; he turned and left decisively, as if he had been prepared all along.

Shi Tou nodded, saying he also felt something was amiss, but what's done is done. The Li family had returned the money and apologized, and the girl hadn't made any more trouble, so it was considered over. Yang Wenhu stood up, carefully carrying the earthenware pot, and said it was getting late and he had to go back; Qingqing was still waiting at home for this bowl of fermented rice wine. Shi Tou saw him to the door, reminding him to be careful and not spill it. Yang Wenhu waved and lifted the curtain to go out.