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

When the fish stew with tofu was served for dinner, the lingering aroma of bone broth still filled the kitchen. Su Xiaoyin carried the clay pot to the table in the main room. As soon as she lifted the lid, steam rose up, and the milky white fish soup shimmered under the light. She first ladled a bowl for Mr. Chen, then one for Mrs. Chen, selecting only the meat from the fish's belly, as that part of the fish was the most tender and had fewer bones.

"Dad, Mom, try this fish and see if it's good. The tofu is well-cooked and flavorful, and the fish is tender. Since your teeth aren't very strong, eat more tofu."

Chen's mother took the fish, picked up a piece with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, squinted her eyes, and nodded, saying, "It tastes good. Your stewed fish is the best you've ever made. The tofu is also very flavorful. It's just as good as the ones in the restaurants in town." Chen's father also picked up a piece, didn't say much, took a sip of the soup, and silently nodded in approval.

When Chen's mother asked about Qingqing, Su Xiaoqing took over the conversation, recounting how the two children in Qingqing's yard ate peach blossom cakes by the wall. She added that the two children were robust and healthy; Song'er resembled Yang Wenhu, while Lu'er's features resembled Qingqing's. She also mentioned that Qingqing and Wenhu had a good relationship, and the family lived a comfortable life. Hearing this, Chen's father put down his chopsticks and said, "That's good. Qingqing is our only granddaughter. Remember to visit her often and let the Yang family know that Qingqing has a strong family to rely on." Chen Dashan, standing beside him, replied, "Dad, we know."

After finishing their meal, the dishes were cleared away, the kitchen light was turned off, and Chen Dashan and Su Xiaoyin returned to their room. Moonlight filtered through the window paper, casting indistinct shadows on the room's outline. Su Xiaoyin recounted everything she had heard from Qingqing that day. After listening, Chen Dashan remained silent for a moment, then reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head. His voice was soft, but each word seemed to rise slowly from his chest: "We supported their three children through school, learning a trade, getting married and having children, and establishing their own businesses. We even gave them money after the family division. That's enough. From now on, we'll live for ourselves. I still want to grow old with you. From now on, we two will continue living the same life with Xiaohe and Xiaoqing as before."

Su Xiaoyin leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat, muffled and heavy, as if it came from a very far place. She said she understood; they would live together from now on, just like before. Their role as parents was complete. From now on, they should prioritize their own eggs; if Shitou and the others wanted eggs, they could buy them themselves, instead of going back home and buying things from the county town every time.

Chen Dashan patted her on the back and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you." From now on, the eggs and duck eggs will be mainly for the six of us. He and Xiaohe have also discussed the remaining land; next year, they'll hire someone to farm it, and they'll just lend a hand. The general store will continue to operate, enough to cover daily expenses, and they can even save a considerable amount over the year. He paused, then added, "You and Xiaoqing shouldn't embroider so many pieces like before; your eyes need to be careful." Su Xiaoyin said she would rest after finishing this piece, and from now on, she would only embroider one piece a year, no more. Her eyesight couldn't compare to when she was younger.

Back in the county town, Shi Tou and A Ji were still awake. The light was still on, and Shi Tou sat at his desk, no book in his hand, just sitting there. A Ji sat opposite him, the teacup in front of him already cold. They were silent for a long time before Shi Tou spoke: "Give A Fu a quarter of the school's profits." A Fu shook his head: "The school was built by the two of you; I only lend a hand occasionally. Why should I get a share? Besides, I have to tend the herbs and the fields, and the grocery store. I'm too busy; I wouldn't have time to spend the money." Shi Tou looked at him and said, "Then let's not divide it. The fields will be divided as agreed before. I'll try to go back to the village more often and spend more time with my parents and grandparents. I've really neglected them these past two years, and even the children aren't very close to them anymore." A Fu opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally only saying, "Call me if you need anything," before standing up and leaving.

After Afu left, Shitou closed the door and turned to look at Zhang Qiuming and Zhang Yuming. He spread the account books of the dessert shop and the school on the table, turning them page by page, and asked them why they embezzled the money meant for the public school, and why they secretly took the dried vegetables, eggs, and duck eggs they brought back from home to sell. Aji, standing beside them, turned pale upon hearing these words. Only then did he understand why his father and uncle had suddenly decided to separate the family property.

The Zhang sisters sat to one side, heads bowed. Zhang Qiuming clutched the hem of her dress, while Zhang Yuming's nails dug into her palms. After a long while, Zhang Qiuming finally spoke, her voice low and hoarse, saying she had acted impulsively. An aunt who frequented the dessert shop would often gossip in their ears—saying that the three of them, the sisters-in-law, earned money in the county town while they enjoyed a life of luxury in the village; that the family was unfair, favoring Afu. They heard this so often that they felt resentful. The first time they underpaid, they were nervous for days, afraid of being discovered. Later, finding no one questioning them, they became bolder, eventually even selling dried vegetables and eggs to supplement their income. Later, when they visited Qingqing at the Yang family's house in town, Qingqing invited them to visit Madam Yang. Madam Yang told them that a family's life wasn't about who contributed more or less, but about whether they could be of one mind. It was true they earned money in the county town, but who was taking care of the elderly at home? Who did the work in the fields? Who planted, harvested, and dried the things you brought back each time? After hearing those words, they realized they had done something wrong.

Shi Tou closed the ledger, his voice low, but each word seemed to come from a cold wind. "You were wrong to do this. This money must be repaid and returned to the public treasury. This incident has also damaged their brotherly bond with Afu. They rarely go back to the county town; Afu and Qinghuan take care of their parents and grandparents. They've benefited from this. Afu didn't say a word when so much money was spent on setting up the school." The Zhang sisters lowered their heads, remaining silent. The wick of the lamp on the kang (heated brick bed) flickered, then stabilized. Shi Tou stood up, said nothing more, and turned to go to the study. Aji followed behind him, the door closing softly behind him.

"Brother, all these years we've been so focused on studying for the imperial examinations. After finally finishing them, we were busy getting married and opening schools. We've hardly contributed anything to the family, barely worked in the fields with them. In the end, even our wives embezzled public funds, and we only found out then. Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Uncle, and Aunt must be disappointed in us." Looking at Aji's pale face, Shitou slowly said, "I'm the eldest brother, and I'm also at fault. I haven't set a good example. All these years, Afu has been taking care of the family. In the end, Qiuming and Yuming even misunderstood them. We're brothers, the closest of family, but we haven't contributed much to the family at all. It's always the family helping us. From now on, we'll go back to the village more often and help Dad and Uncle work in the fields. We'll check the accounts every month." After saying this, he didn't look at Aji anymore, but looked out the window, his heart filled with turmoil.