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

Sister-in-law Zhao grabbed the letter of divorce, glanced at it, tucked it into her bosom, and took it away. She stood up, went into the inner room to pack a few clothes, slammed the door, and left, telling Zhao Qinghuan not to beg her. Zhao Qinghuan followed her to the door, watching her disappear into the alley before turning back and asking, "Brother, does it really have to come to this?"

Zhao Qinghuan's nephew came over and recounted the whole story. A few days ago, his father wanted to buy a shop for his two brothers in the county town, saying they were fifteen or sixteen years old now and wanted them to have their own business to gain experience. He added that if they lost money, he and their grandfather would cover it. However, when they went to collect the money, they found that 150 or 60 taels were missing. That money was originally intended for the brothers to buy a shop, but his mother took it without even asking and used it to subsidize his uncle. His uncle then invested the money in a losing business, making no profit whatsoever. If things continued like this, the entire Zhao family wouldn't be enough to support her. They had no other choice but to resort to this drastic measure, to show her who her true family was. No matter what happened to her in the future, they would at least provide for her in her old age and take care of her until her death.

Zhao Qinghuan sighed, placed the flower-shaped steamed buns and pastries she had brought on the table, saying they were freshly made and wanted her parents and nephews to try them. She stood up and said she was going to the alley entrance to find Afu and the children. Her mother saw her to the courtyard gate, telling her to go back and rest, not to worry too much, and that life had to go on. Her mother nodded, adding a final reminder to drive carefully. Zhao Qinghuan responded and walked out of the alley.

----

The wonton stall stood under the locust tree at the alley entrance, with a low table and several long benches, steam rising from the pots. Afu sat on one of the benches, holding her child, a bowl of wontons in front of her. She blew on one to cool it, about to feed it to the child, when she caught a glimpse of Zhao Qinghuan emerging from the alley, her steps slower than when she went in. Afu put the wonton back in the bowl, and when she got closer, without asking any questions, simply moved her stool aside for her to sit. Zhao Qinghuan sat down, leaning on Afu's shoulder, and after a long while spoke, "Sister-in-law is gone." Afu didn't say anything more, but pushed the bowl of wontons towards her, saying it wouldn't taste good cold.

The aroma of wontons, mingled with the scents of vinegar and pepper, filled the autumn air, gentle and soothing, as if it could silencing unspoken words. Zhao Qinghuan stirred slowly with a spoon, the wontons sinking and floating in the bowl, finely chopped scallions and dried shrimp floating on the surface. She stirred for a while before scooping one up and putting it in her mouth, swallowing slowly. The child sitting opposite her reached out his little hand towards the spoon in her hand, mumbling something indistinctly. Zhao Qinghuan looked down at him and suddenly smiled.

Afu picked up the child and let him sit on his lap, saying, "Your mother is tired, let her have something warm." The child seemed to understand, sitting obediently on Afu's lap, his fingers clutching Afu's collar. Zhao Qinghuan finished her wontons and drank most of the soup. When she put down the bowl, there was a little oil on the corner of her mouth. Afu reached out and wiped it for her. She didn't say thank you, but sat up straight, becoming the efficient Zhao Qinghuan she always was. The wonton stall owner, a woman in her forties wearing a faded apron, came over with a bowl of freshly cooked wontons, saying she would give her a bowl, as she didn't come back often. Zhao Qinghuan said it wasn't necessary, one bowl was enough. The owner said, "Then I'll pack a bowl for you to take home and let your family try it." Zhao Qinghuan couldn't refuse, so she accepted it, wrapped it in oil paper, and put it in her basket.

Afu stood up, shifted her grip on the child, and glanced back at the Zhao family's gate at the alley entrance. The gate was already closed. Zhao Qinghuan stood beside the stall, took the bowl of wontons, rearranged them in the basket, and took a couple of steps toward Afu. "Let's go," she said, "if we go back late, those five will make a scene." Afu lifted the child up slightly, freeing one hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear. "Okay," she said, "let's go home." The two walked one after the other down the alley, the autumn sunlight casting long shadows. The child nestled on Afu's shoulder, eyes half-closed, as if about to fall asleep.

As Zhao Qinghuan walked, she suddenly slowed her pace and said something she hadn't expected: "This time, my eldest brother has really hardened his heart." Afu didn't turn around, his voice somewhat muffled in the wind: "Sometimes, being ruthless is the best way for the whole family."

Back home in the alley, lying in bed that night, Zhao Qinghuan said to Afu, "Can we just have one child?" Afu was taken aback by Zhao Qinghuan's words. "Didn't you want a daughter before? Why the sudden change?" Zhao Qinghuan paused for a few minutes and sighed. "This trip back to my parents' home made me really afraid that our son will marry someone like my sister-in-law, someone who only cares about her own family and doesn't care about the well-being of her own family. The main thing is, she wasn't like this before. I don't know when she changed." Afu hugged Zhao Qinghuan and said, "Don't worry, our son definitely won't marry a troublemaker. Besides, we have your parents. They'll help us choose. And how old is our son? He still has more than ten years before he can get married. You're overthinking it. If you don't want to have any more children, this one is fine too. We have a lot of people in our family, and he won't lack brothers or sisters. We're all very close."

Hearing Afu's words, Zhao Qinghuan felt a little calmer and was no longer as flustered as she had been during the day.

A few days later, Zhao's mother came to the grocery store to find Zhao Qinghuan. When Zhao Qinghuan saw that it was her mother, she asked her to sit down, poured her a bowl of tea, and asked, "Mother, why have you come here? Is something wrong at home?" Zhao Qinghuan knew that her mother had not come to her grocery store many times since they got married, for fear that others would gossip and say that her family had come to her house to freeload again.

Mother Zhao said in a deep voice, "Your eldest brother and sister-in-law have completely divorced. The 150 or 160 taels that your sister-in-law gave to her brother were divided between her and her. The two children are staying with us. And as long as she doesn't remarry, the two children will take care of her in her old age." "Didn't your sister-in-law's family make a scene? They're always so unreasonable." "Of course they made a scene, but later when they did, your eldest brother said that if they made a scene again, he would report them to the authorities. They also had to return the money they had given her, and your sister-in-law signed a document stating that even if the two children take care of her in her old age, they will only be responsible for her food and clothing, not for any money. She can only use her own food and drink. If her brother takes her retirement money..." "Then we won't give any more to the two children. Consider it a guarantee for your sister-in-law, so she won't be blown up and bleed to death by her family again. Oh, and this is what your parents won't give you," she said, taking out fifty taels of silver from her bosom. Seeing the money, Zhao Qinghuan tried to push it away, "I've been married for so many years, I can't take any more of the family's money. Besides, you gave me quite a dowry when I got married." "Take it," Zhao Qinghuan said. "We always felt it wasn't enough when we gave it to you, but because of your sister-in-law, for the sake of the family's peace, we had to make do with you. This is also your brother's wish. Just take it, live a good life with Afu. The Chen family is a kind family. Mother is leaving."