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

Three years isn't a long time, but it's not short either. For the Chen family, those three years felt like they were on fast-forward, the days flying by. Five little ones joined the Chen family's household—Zhao Qinghuan and Afu had a son, strong as a little calf, always smiling; Shitou and Zhang Yuming had twins, a boy and a girl, both with Shitou-like features, quiet and pretty; Aji and Zhang Qiuming also had twins, two chubby little boys, at the age where they crawled all over the place. Mr. and Mrs. Chen no longer went to the county town to set up their stall. They spent their days looking after the five little ones, feeding the chickens and ducks, sitting on the porch basking in the sun, living a comfortable and peaceful life.

The Chen family's general store, grocery store, and dessert shop were thriving. Street vending in the county town had long since ceased; Mr. and Mrs. Chen were getting old, and everyone in the Chen family had their own jobs, so they simply couldn't spare the time to run a stall anymore. Shi Tou's school was also doing well, with more and more students. Later, he and Aji were so busy that they hired an old scholar to teach, finally catching their breath. Afu's grocery store also added new items; Zhao Qinghuan devised several new snacks that sold well, with long queues often forming outside the shop.

Zhao Qinghuan got up early that day, steamed two trays of flower-shaped steamed buns, wrapped them in oil paper, and also packed a jar of freshly brewed red date and longan soup, intending to go back to her parents' home to visit them. Afu followed behind, carrying her son, the child munching on a piece of pastry in Afu's arms, his eyes darting around. When they reached the Zhao family's courtyard gate, before even pushing the door open, they heard the sound of something being smashed inside, a loud crash like a teapot being thrown to the ground. Zhao Qinghuan paused, her expression slightly changing. She didn't immediately push the door open, but listened intently. From inside came her sister-in-law's shrill cries, mixed with her brother's suppressed growls and her parents' heavy sighs.

Zhao Qinghuan turned to look at Afu, took the steamed buns and soup pot from Afu's hands, and said he would take the child to eat a bowl of wontons and not go far. Afu stood at the gate of the courtyard with the child in his arms, didn't ask any questions, only said "Be careful," and turned to walk towards the wonton stall at the alley entrance. The child turned his head on Afu's shoulder, stretched out his little hand in Zhao Qinghuan's direction, and made a muffled call, but Afu straightened him up and turned his head away.

The courtyard was a mess. Shards of broken porcelain were scattered everywhere, a puddle of water hadn't dried completely, and a straw rope lay beside the well. Mother Zhao sat on the threshold of the kitchen, wiping away tears, while Father Zhao squatted on the steps, smoking a pipe, his head bowed, smoke billowing around him. Brother Zhao stood at the entrance to the main room, his face ashen. Sister-in-law Zhao sat on the ground in the middle of the courtyard, half her hair disheveled, muttering something to herself. Two teenagers stood under the eaves, heads bowed, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhao Qinghuan didn't speak, but squatted down next to her mother and handed her her handkerchief. Her mother took it, wiped her eyes, and shook her head without saying a word. Zhao Qinghuan stood up, looked at her sister-in-law, her gaze calm, as if she were looking at something that didn't belong to her, and her tone even, without anger: "Mother, what happened? Breaking things and arguing, making a spectacle of yourselves for the neighbors."

Mother Zhao wiped away her tears, her voice trembling. Before she could finish speaking, her sister-in-law interrupted her. Sitting on the ground, Sister-in-law Zhao glanced at her, then lowered her head again, saying, "Stop pretending to be a good person. Your married daughter is like water spilled from a cup; you have no right to speak here." Brother Zhao snapped at her, telling her to shut up.

Mother Zhao wiped away her tears, her voice low but each word clearly choked with suppressed emotion: "What a misfortune for our family! Your sister-in-law is asking your eldest brother to teach her younger brother how to process medicinal herbs. Isn't that trying to destroy our livelihood? Who would hand over their most valuable skill? That's our Zhao family's bread and butter, passed down for generations. Your eldest brother spent half his life learning before he dared to say he'd mastered it. She just casually tells him to let her younger brother learn, and after three years he goes out to work independently, competing with our business. What will the Zhao family eat then?"

Sister-in-law Zhao sat cross-legged on the ground, and said something veiled in her voice, not loud, but every word was sharp. "You all don't treat me like family, you treat me like an outsider. What's wrong with handing me over to my brother? He's my own brother. If he gets better, won't I be proud too? Besides, you can hand me over to your daughter. Your daughter's surname is Zhao, isn't it? You can teach her now, so why can't my brother learn? You just don't want to treat me like family."

Brother Zhao, unable to contain himself any longer, pointed at Sister-in-law Zhao's nose, his voice trembling: "Shut up! Because of your brother, you've turned this family upside down. I always turned a blind eye to your subsidies to your family before, out of consideration for you. What, are you going to try and take over our family's livelihood today?" His voice grew louder and louder, even the dogs outside the courtyard wall barked twice. Sister-in-law Zhao opened her mouth, but Brother Zhao's voice, like it had been pulled from the bottom of a deep well, was heavy and oppressive: "If you don't want to live like this, I'll write you a letter of divorce. You can take it and go back to your parents' home, go wherever you want." Brother Zhao did indeed write a letter of divorce, black and white, and placed it in front of Sister-in-law Zhao.

Sister-in-law Zhao remained seated on the ground, refusing to get up. Her two children couldn't bear it any longer; the older one tugged at her sleeve, while the younger one stood in front of their father to block him. Zhao Qinghuan's eldest nephew spoke up for his father, his voice filled with frustration, grievance, and helplessness.

"Mother, we're family. Even if you don't think about our family, you should at least think about us. Uncle is just your brother, not your son. Besides, Uncle is an outsider. Do you think we don't know how much money you've secretly given him over the years? Father doesn't say anything because he doesn't want to argue with you. Grandma doesn't say anything because she's afraid you'll lose face." Hearing that her son wasn't taking her side, Zhao's sister-in-law became furious. Pointing at her youngest son, she said that if he didn't teach her this skill, she would divorce his father and that she couldn't live like this anymore. She then sat down on the ground, about to cry and make a scene.

Brother Zhao placed the letter of divorce on the table in front of her, his tone turning cold: "Since we can't live together anymore, then take this letter and leave. Forget about a divorce. Besides your dowry, you won't be able to take a single penny with you." Sister-in-law Zhao said, "Why should I? She's done her part in marrying into the Zhao family, even if she didn't do anything special, she's still worked hard and borne children for the Zhao family. Should she get half of the family property?" Brother Zhao's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like a nail: "Don't even think about it. If I give you half, you'll be swindled away by your bloodsucking brother. Only with this letter of divorce will my family property be left to the two children. It's also a way out for you in the future, at least the children can take care of you in your old age. You've been married into this family for so many years, and besides giving birth to two children, my mother and Qinghuan have managed everything at home. Do you want me to calculate how much money you've given your brother? That all belongs to the Zhao family."