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

Madam Yang was simmering soup in the kitchen when she heard Qingqing's voice. She put down the spatula and came out to greet her. After hearing Qingqing's words, her expression changed. She didn't even bother to put down the spatula, wiped her hands on her apron, and turned to go inside to get a bundle. She said, "The old doctor at Jishetang has the most accurate pulse diagnosis. Let's go now." The three locked the courtyard gate and drove the mule cart towards the county town. Qingqing sat on the cart, her hand resting on her stomach, her face somewhat pale. Su Xiaoyin sat beside her, her arm around her, saying nothing, only gently patting the back of her hand.

The resident doctor at Jishetang was surnamed Shen. He had gray hair and a goatee. When taking Qingqing's pulse, he closed his eyes, his fingers gently twirling as he placed them on her pulse point. The room was quiet. Madam Yang stood beside Su Xiaoyin, wringing a handkerchief in her hands, while Su Xiaoyin held Qingqing's shoulder. Doctor Shen opened his eyes, stroked his beard, examined Qingqing's complexion and health, and then asked her to extend her other hand. After examining her, a smile appeared on his face.

"This lady is carrying twins. Both babies are developing very well, with strong heartbeats and stable pulses. Let me tell you some things to keep in mind—twins are more prone to premature birth, so you should prepare in advance. Based on the timeline, you should start preparing around eight months. Find a midwife in advance, and have the delivery room ready so you won't be caught off guard if labor starts suddenly. Also, don't eat too much; if the babies are too big, it will be difficult for the mother to deliver. Start controlling your diet now, eat smaller, more frequent meals, eat less sweet and oily food, and move around more; don't just lie down all the time."

Qingqing froze on the spot. Su Xiaoyin, who was holding her hand, suddenly loosened her grip and blurted out—two? She was pregnant with twins in the Chen family, and now Qingqing, after marrying into the Yang family, was also pregnant with twins. Madam Yang was the first to react, pulling Dr. Shen aside to thank him repeatedly, and then carefully inquired about dietary restrictions and prenatal preparations. Qingqing sat on the stool, gently stroking her belly, and suddenly laughed. As she laughed, her eyes reddened, and she wiped her eyes, saying, "How come I can be pregnant with twins too?" Her voice trembled slightly, it was hard to tell whether it was from joy or nervousness.

Back home, Mr. Yang and Yang Wenhu were already waiting in the yard. Mr. Yang paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, while Yang Wenhu squatted under the pomegranate tree, unconsciously twisting a blade of grass in his hand, breaking it and replacing it with another. Mrs. Yang entered and exclaimed, "Twins!" Mr. Yang nearly dropped his teacup, spilling half a bowl of water on his shoes. Without bothering to wipe it away, he exclaimed repeatedly, "Good, good, this is joyous news!" Yang Wenhu stood up, took two steps forward, then stopped, looking at Qingqing's belly, then at her face, and after a long pause, managed to stammer, "Two?"

Qingqing was amused by his dazed expression, and her initial nervousness dissipated. Yang Wenhu slowly walked to her side, carefully supporting her arm as if handling a fragile piece of porcelain. Yang's father was already instructing his wife to find a midwife, saying it would be best to have her stay at their home beforehand, in case they couldn't find one on the due date, and they would also need to make arrangements with Jishetang so that a doctor could arrive promptly in case of any unexpected events. Mrs. Yang nodded repeatedly, counting on her fingers the things that needed to be prepared—two swaddling clothes, two sets of baby clothes, double the number of diapers, and double the amount of food for the postpartum period. Su Xiaoyin, listening nearby, felt much more at ease—with her mother-in-law taking care of things, Qingqing wouldn't panic.

She helped Qingqing sit down, poured her a bowl of warm water, and sat down next to her. Qingqing held the bowl to warm her hands, and Su Xiaoyin held her hand, her gaze gentle and calm, her tone very soft and steady, as if she were saying something certain.

"Don't worry, it'll be alright. Look at your aunt and me, we both had twins, and we both had safe and sound births. When your aunt was pregnant with Afu and Aji, her belly was even bigger than yours, but she still gave birth smoothly, and both mother and babies were safe. Your task now is to calm down and not scare yourself. But you have to be careful not to overeat like before—the doctor said that if the baby is too big, it will be difficult to give birth. Eat less sweet and greasy food, and don't eat too much at each meal. If you're hungry, have a snack, and eat smaller meals more frequently. After each meal, have Wenhu take you for a walk. Don't just lie on the bed right after eating. Walking around will help the baby descend into the pelvis, making delivery easier."

Hearing Su Xiaoyin's words, Qingqing gradually calmed down. When she first learned she was pregnant with twins, she was initially happy, but then she became incredibly anxious—afraid of premature birth, breech presentation, complications during delivery, and the possibility of a difficult labor resulting in the deaths of all three. But Su Xiaoyin sat beside her, her hand firmly in hers, a hand that had given birth to twins before, warm and resolute. Qingqing, holding those hands, slowly loosened her grip on her clothes.

Su Xiaoyin stood up and said she would go back and tell her family the good news, to put their minds at ease. They would help prepare everything that needed to be prepared, including extra clothes for the baby and several spare sets. She would also wash and dry all the swaddling clothes thoroughly. Madam Yang chimed in, "Yes, and we should also prepare extra diapers." She added, "If Qingqing feels unwell later, just let us know, and we'll go to the clinic right away. Don't worry about the trouble. If it weren't for my mother-in-law, they wouldn't have thought of all this." Madam Yang gripped Su Xiaoyin's hand, her voice slightly strained, and repeatedly said, "Thank goodness you were here."

Su Xiaoyin patted her hand and said, "It's mainly because Xiaoqing and I have both had experience with twins. Qingqing's belly isn't just from gaining weight; something just doesn't look right to me. Okay, Qingqing, take good care of yourself. I'll come see you again in a while. I'll also tell your father and your older brother when I get back, so they can be happy too." She slung her empty basket over her shoulder and glanced back at Qingqing. Qingqing was leaning back in her chair, her hand on her belly, looking much better than before she left.

Su Xiaoyin reached the courtyard gate, and Yang Wenhu caught up with her. He stood in front of her, opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally managing to say, "Mother, thank you." Su Xiaoyin looked at him, patted his shoulder, and said, "Qingqing marrying you is her blessing. You must be tired too, get some rest tonight." Yang Wenhu stood at the courtyard gate, watching Su Xiaoyin's figure disappear into the distance.

In the courtyard, Qingqing stood up, and Yang Wenhu quickly went over to help her. Qingqing suddenly said, "Wenhu, do you think it will be two sons, two daughters, or one son and one daughter?" Yang Wenhu thought for a moment and said, "Anything is fine, as long as they are your children." Qingqing smiled and put her hand in his palm.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows. Inside, Mr. Yang was flipping through the Book of Songs, saying that this time they had to choose a good name, not something as casual as Wenhu's. Mrs. Yang was busy in the kitchen, thinking about getting more fine cotton cloth from the shop tomorrow. The green pomegranates on the tree gleamed in the twilight; Qingqing looked up at them for a while, a smile playing on her lips. This evening was no different from usual, yet everything was different. The Chen family was about to have four great-grandchildren; the Yang family's courtyard was about to become lively.