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

Su Xiaoyin went out with a basket slung over her shoulder, Su Xiaoqing following behind. They walked slowly, as if visiting a neighbor or taking a stroll. The basket contained freshly collected chicken and duck eggs from the backyard, neatly stacked on a bed of grain husks. A blue cloth covered the eggs, its corners tucked tightly to prevent them from tearing on the journey. They also carried a bag of dried mushrooms, sun-dried last autumn, wrapped in two layers of oil paper and tied with hemp rope.

Su Xiaoqing followed beside her sister and said she also wanted to see Qingqing; it had been a long time since she'd seen her, and she wondered how Qingqing was doing. Su Xiaoyin nodded and said they would go together, so they could keep each other company on the journey. The two walked all the way to the town and turned into the alley where the Yang family lived. The walls of the courtyard on both sides of the bluestone path were covered with loofah vines, the leaves of which were already somewhat withered and yellow. Several chickens were pawing at the base of the walls.

The gate to the Yang family's courtyard was ajar. Qingqing was sitting on a low stool in the yard, picking vegetables, twisting two long green beans in her hands. Beside her was a small bamboo basket, already half full of green beans. Two children were chasing a tabby cat in the yard. The cat was chased onto the wall and squatted on the tiled roof, licking its paws. Seeing Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing push open the gate and come in, Qingqing quickly stood up, casually placing the green beans on the edge of the basket and wiping her hands on her apron. She said, "Mom, Aunt, you're here. Please sit down. Song'er and Lu'er greeted us."

Two children ran over, each calling out "Grandma, hello!" and then "Great-Auntie, hello!" Their voices were crisp and clear, like freshly pulled cucumbers from the well, juicy and sweet. Su Xiaoyin opened the package of peach blossom cakes and handed them over. The two children each took a piece and then ran to the corner to squat and eat. Qingqing picked up the teapot on the stone table, poured two bowls of tea, and pushed them in front of them. She then went to the kitchen and brought out a plate of osmanthus cakes, placed it in the middle of the table, and then sat down.

Qingqing's gaze lingered on Su Xiaoyin's face for a moment before she asked if something had happened at home. Su Xiaoyin explained about the family division. Qingqing wasn't surprised and nodded, saying that it's normal for a large tree to branch out; otherwise, forcing the division would inevitably lead to trouble sooner or later, so it's better to separate sooner rather than later. Su Xiaoqing chimed in, saying that they weren't against the division, but it felt sudden, and Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe wouldn't say anything, giving vague answers when pressed.

Qingqing smiled faintly. She leaned back in her chair, twirling a string bean in her hand, then snapped off both ends and placed it on the table. She paused, then said, "That's because my father and uncle didn't want you to worry. You already work hard enough managing the household, and besides, talking about it wouldn't help; it would only create distance between you and Qinghuan and the others. Actually, it's nothing much—it's just that Qinghuan has some friction with her sisters-in-law. Her father found out and wanted to separate the family as soon as possible to avoid affecting the brothers' relationship."

Su Xiaoyin pressed for details. Qingqing glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke frankly—it was that her eldest brother and Aji lived in the county town, and along with the Qiu Ming and Yu Ming sisters, they rarely returned to the village. Every time they came back, they took a lot of things from the county town—rice, flour, cooking oil, eggs, dried vegetables, cured meat, everything they could carry. Qinghuan felt a little resentful, thinking that they were always in the county town, only coming back to take things and neglecting the family's affairs. Besides, Qinghuan and Afu did indeed take care of the family more, serving Grandpa, Grandma, and everyone else, putting in a lot of effort, so it was normal for them to have complaints. Furthermore, the accounts for the money handed over to the public school by the dessert shop and the school didn't match, making the relationship increasingly tense.

After listening, Su Xiaoyin remained silent for a while. Su Xiaoqing sat beside her, not responding, picking up the osmanthus cake and then putting it down again. The two of them had been sisters and sisters-in-law their entire lives, living together since they married into the family, never arguing, and never considering that there might be problems with the accounts. They overlooked the fact that not all sisters-in-law can live a lifetime of harmony like they did.

Su Xiaoyin then asked Qingqing how she knew about these things. Qingqing said that once, when she went to a dessert shop in the county town, she overheard Qiu Ming and Yu Ming talking inside. They were discussing how the dessert shop and the school had been short several taels of silver from the public funds over the past few months. They had kept it as their private savings. She didn't go in at the time, but stood there for a while before leaving. Later, she told her father and uncle about it, and somehow Qinghuan found out and started making a scene. It was from that time that her father finally decided to divide the family property.

The courtyard was quiet for a while. Song'er and Lu'er finished eating the peach blossom cakes in the corner, then ran after the tabby cat. The cat jumped down from the wall and ran far away along the base of the wall. The two children chased it to the door and then ran back, panting, and squatted down beside the stone table. Qingqing reached out and patted Song'er's head, looked up at Su Xiaoyin, and spoke softly, but every word was clear.

"Mother, I'm telling you all this just to let you know that separating the family is inevitable. Don't worry about whether you did something wrong. You've done much better than most in-laws. When you go back, don't make it too obvious. The rest is up to your eldest brother and his two brothers. I think Father and Uncle will talk to your eldest brother and Aji about this, so you don't need to worry about it."

Su Xiaoyin nodded, picked up her teacup, and took a sip; the tea had gone cold. Su Xiaoqing sat beside her, silent, her gaze fixed on the sunlight streaming through the corner of the wall, dazzlingly bright, yet she didn't look away. After a while, Qingqing brought up the topic of embroidery again, asking Su Xiaoyin what she was embroidering lately. Su Xiaoyin followed suit, and the two chatted about needlework techniques. Qingqing mentioned that she had recently acquired a new batch of silk thread, the colors were perfect, and she had reserved two spools for Su Xiaoyin. Su Xiaoqing listened from the side, occasionally interjecting, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

The sun rose higher, and Su Xiaoyin stood up, saying she had to go home; her family was waiting for her to cook. Qingqing said, "Stay for dinner! Afu's family sent a huge fish yesterday, and they were worried about who would come over to eat with us." Su Xiaoyin smiled and shook her head, saying, "Maybe next time. I really have to go today." Qingqing saw them to the gate, reminding them to drive carefully. Su Xiaoyin glanced back at her; Qingqing stood at the gate, watching their departing figures.

Su Xiaoyin didn't ask, she just nodded and turned to leave. Su Xiaoqing followed, and as they passed the alley entrance, she said, "Let's split up then, anyway, we're not splitting up." Su Xiaoyin said, "Okay, we're not splitting up."

The two men, carrying empty baskets, walked towards Nanshan Village.