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

That afternoon, news of De Ge stepping down as village chief spread throughout Nanshan Village. Several old men sunbathing under the old locust tree discussed it all afternoon, saying that De Ge had worked hard these past few years; although the old village head had left a solid foundation, he himself had also had a lot to worry about. The leading candidate for the new village chief seemed to be the eldest grandson of the old clan uncle, a young man who had supposedly received a few years of schooling, but whom the villagers didn't know very well. Chen Dashan, returning from the fields, overheard a bit while washing his hands at the well, but didn't say much. After dinner, after the dishes were cleared away, the family sat in the main room drinking tea, and he brought up the topic.

"Dad, now that Brother De has stepped down as village chief, should our family run for re-election?"

Mr. Chen was leaning back in his chair, resting with his eyes closed. His pipe sat on the corner of the table beside him, but the tobacco hadn't been filled yet. Hearing his eldest son's words, he opened his eyes, slowly sat up, picked up the pipe, and leisurely filled it with tobacco, lit it, took a puff, and waited for the smoke to escape from his nostrils before taking a drag.

"No, we're not going. If it weren't for the fact that our land and mountains are all in the village, we could live in the county town without any problem. Over the years, our connection with the village has become increasingly distant. Apart from De Ge's family, Li Hu's family, and Er Mu's family, we hardly have any contact with other families. They live their lives, and we live ours. We don't interfere. It doesn't matter who the village chief is; we don't rely on that."

Chen Dashan nodded. Chen Xiaohe poured his father another bowl of tea, saying he also felt it was best not to get involved. Village affairs were complicated and intertwined; getting involved would only lead to trouble. Their family's focus was now on the county town, and there was no need to waste their energy on such matters. Chen's father tapped his pipe on the corner of the table, saying it was good that De Ge was stepping down; he should rest. He had aged considerably in recent years, his hair had turned mostly white, and he was hunched over, having worried himself sick over village affairs. The new village chief was young and energetic; let him handle things.

After a moment of silence, Chen Dashan spoke again. He put down his teacup, his voice low but earnest. Shi Tou and A Ji were preparing to take the provincial examination again, to become Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). They had already told him that the money and travel expenses wouldn't be covered by the public funds; their family would pay for it themselves. They had saved some money over the years at the county school and the government office, enough to cover the trip. Chen's father listened but didn't immediately respond. He put down his pipe and tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if he were pondering something.

"It's good that they have the will and energy. The public funds can't be withheld. They are both scholars, and the next step is to become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations). Once they cross that threshold, the difference between being a commoner and not being one is like heaven and earth. The difference between having an official title and not having one is not small. When they have children in the future, it will be much better for the son of a Juren to be married than the son of a scholar. The public funds are bringing honor to the family."

Chen Xiaohe chimed in, his tone thoughtful. He shared the same thought, but it was indeed unfair to Afu and Qinghuan's family. The public funds were used to pay for Shitou and Aji's imperial examinations, while Afu had given up early and hadn't spent any of that money. If he kept it to himself, it would sow discord later. Chen's father waved his hand, saying he'd already considered this. Although Afu hadn't continued his studies and hadn't spent that money, he was still a beneficiary—Shitou and Aji had achieved official rank, the Chen family didn't have to pay corvée labor or taxes, and having their land registered under the scholars' names saved them a lot of money; Afu hadn't missed out on any of these benefits. He'd have Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing talk to Afu and Qinghuan after dinner to make things clear and prevent them from feeling unhappy.

Mr. Chen paused, his gaze falling on Shi Tou and Aji. Shi Tou sat on the doorstep, holding a book in his hands, the pages turning slightly in the night breeze. Aji stood by the window, holding a bowl of tea, which had gone cold but he hadn't drunk it. Mr. Chen looked at them, his voice low, but every word clear, as if he were giving an important instruction.

"Shitou, Aji, listen carefully. This is the last time the family will pay for your examinations. The public funds will cover your travel expenses and other costs for this provincial examination. If you don't pass this time, you'll have to rely on yourselves if you want to take the exams again. The family can't keep paying for you indefinitely. You're married now, with wives and children in the future. You can't just focus on studying like before. Give it your all this time. If you pass, great; if not, just settle down and live a peaceful life."

Shi Tou closed the book, turned to look at his grandfather, and nodded. Aji put down his teacup and nodded as well. Chen's father picked up his pipe, but didn't light it; he just held it in his hand, his expression calm and resolute.

That evening, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing knocked on Afu and Zhao Qinghuan's door. Afu was squatting by the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) massaging Zhao Qinghuan's feet. Her feet had been swollen since she became pregnant, and he massaged them for her for fifteen minutes every day without fail. Hearing the knock, Afu put down his hands, slipped on his shoes, and went to open the door. He was taken aback when he saw his aunt and mother standing at the door, but let them in.

Su Xiaoyin sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and, without beating around the bush, explained how the public treasury had given Shi Tou Aji the money for his exams, and then explained their own considerations. Her words were clear and straightforward: the public treasury had given money, but Afu hadn't, yet he hadn't missed out on any of the benefits of exemption from corvée labor and land taxes. It was a fair calculation; no one had lost out. Afu listened and smiled. He squatted back down on the edge of the kang, placing Zhao Qinghuan's feet back on his knees, continuing to massage them as he spoke. He understood that even if his aunt hadn't come, he wouldn't have thought about it that way. He hoped his two older brothers could pass the imperial examinations and become Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). He had heard that some county magistrates were Juren, and that one didn't necessarily need to be a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) to become an official. If his two older brothers could really pass the Juren exams and open a school in the county town, children from all around would come to study—that would be a great honor for the family, and he would be overjoyed.

Zhao Qinghuan leaned against the quilt and smiled as she spoke. She counted the family's benefits on her fingers—if it weren't for her eldest and second brothers' academic achievements, their family would have had to perform corvée labor every year and pay all sorts of exorbitant taxes. Last year, when the county mandated corvée labor, she saw how many people from the village went and what they looked like when they returned. If it weren't for her eldest and second brothers taking the lead, Afu would have had to go too, and she shuddered at the thought. How much money had the family saved now? The expenses her eldest and second brothers incurred for their imperial examinations wouldn't have even covered the corvée labor costs in the past. Her family was now the beneficiaries, and the whole family benefited.