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

Chen's mother deftly scooped the freshly stewed fish sauce into a clean, sturdy wooden box, sealed the lid tightly, wrapped it in a clean, damp cloth, and handed it to Chen Xiaohe, who was already waiting nearby: "Take this to your father while it's still hot. Don't delay on the way. Go early and come back early. The sun is strong, so be careful yourself."

"Okay, Mom!" Chen Xiaohe took the still-hot wooden box, carefully placed it into the dry grass lining his basket, checked the herbal tea and several grain cakes in the bamboo tube next to him, and then hurriedly left with his basket on his back.

Chen's mother didn't waste the remaining small shrimp. She cracked two eggs into a bowl and whisked them, rinsed the shrimp briefly to remove some of the fishy smell, boiled water in a pot, and slowly poured in the egg mixture, simmering it into tender yellow egg flowers. Then she sprinkled in the shrimp and a pinch of salt, and a simple yet flavorful shrimp and egg drop soup was ready. Served with the pickled vegetable pancakes she had made that morning, this was the family's lunch.

Sitting around the small square table in the main room, Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing picked up their soup bowls. They had barely taken a sip when their brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. The fishy smell of the shrimp in the soup, which they usually didn't notice, was particularly pungent today, sending an indescribable wave of nausea straight to their throats. They forced themselves to suppress it and tried another sip, but the fishy smell became even more pronounced. Their stomachs churned, and they couldn't help but turn their heads and dry heave twice.

"What's wrong? The soup doesn't taste right?" Chen's mother was holding a pancake when she saw this and immediately put it down, looking at her two daughters-in-law with concern.

Su Xiaoyin put down the bowl, her face a little pale, and forced a smile: "It's nothing, Mother, it's just that... I feel the soup is a bit fishy today, so I can't drink it."

Su Xiaoqing nodded, clutching her chest: "Yeah, it smells very fishy."

Chen's mother's gaze swept over the two sisters' faces, then glanced at the ordinary pot of soup. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. Without asking any further questions, she immediately got up and went to the kitchen. She scooped out a small spoonful of the family's treasured brown sugar, which they only used sparingly during the New Year. She poured boiling water over it to make two bowls of reddish-brown sugar water and brought them to the two sisters: "Drink some sugar water first to calm your nerves and settle your mind."

Watching the two sip their sugar water, their complexions softening slightly, Chen's mother's suspicions grew clearer. Suppressing her excitement, she urged, "Xiaohe has already brought the food. You two rest and don't move around. Dashan," she said, looking at her son who had finished eating and was about to get up, "this afternoon, go to the fields and weed the newly sprouted weeds over there again, be careful."

"Okay." Chen Dashan agreed, picked up his hoe, and went out the door.

After Chen Dashan had walked away, Chen's mother sat down next to the two sisters, lowering her voice and asking with cautious expectation, "Xiaoyin, Xiaoqing, tell me the truth, have you two... gotten your periods this month?"

Su Xiaoyin's face flushed red. She and Su Xiaoqing exchanged a glance, both feeling a little embarrassed. Su Xiaoyin whispered, "Mom, Xiaoqing and I... our periods have always been irregular since we were little. Sometimes it only comes once every two or three months, and we can't even remember the exact dates. We've been busy lately and haven't been paying attention..."

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother felt even more confident. She immediately decided, "Come on, I'll take you to see Doctor Li in the village. We'll tell him... we're going to buy some herbs to prevent heatstroke for your father." She found a suitable excuse to avoid spreading rumors throughout the village before anything was confirmed.

The three women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, tidied themselves up and went out. On the way, they met some familiar village women who greeted them. As expected, Chen's mother told them her prepared story: she was going to Dr. Li's to get some medicine to relieve the heat and deliver it to her old man who was doing corvée labor. The woman didn't suspect anything and even praised the Chen family for their thoughtfulness.

Upon arriving at the small herbal medicine shop of Doctor Li at the east end of the village, they found Doctor Li to be a kind-faced old man with white hair and beard. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen's mother tactfully explained their purpose. Doctor Li understood and had Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing sit down one after the other. He then placed three fingers on each of their wrists and closed his eyes to examine their pulses carefully.

The main room was so quiet that the chirping of cicadas could be heard outside the window. Chen's mother stood to the side, her palms sweating with nervousness.

After a moment, Doctor Li withdrew his hand, stroked his graying beard, and smiled. He cupped his hands to Chen's mother and said, "Congratulations, Sister-in-law Chen! Both of your young ladies are pregnant! This one," he pointed to Su Xiaoyin, "her pulse is steady and strong, she's about two and a half months pregnant. This one," he then pointed to Su Xiaoqing, "her pulse is slightly floating but still clear, she's about two months pregnant. This is a double blessing for your family, a joyous occasion with the addition of a new member to your family!"

"Really?!" Chen's mother was overjoyed, tightly grasping her two daughters-in-law's hands, her eyes welling up with tears. "Doctor Li, do you think... they're both alright? Should we prescribe some medicine to help with the pregnancy? Is there anything they should pay special attention to?"

Doctor Li waved his hand and smiled, "Don't worry, auntie. Both ladies are in good health and have been taking good care of themselves lately. Their pulses are stable, so there's no need for medicine. All medicines have some toxicity, and since the fetus is healthy now, there's no need for special supplements. Just rest when you get home, don't overwork yourself, and eat a balanced diet. Be careful during the first three months, but after that, once the pregnancy is stable, there won't be any major problems. Come back in two months for me to take a look."

"Oh! Oh! Thank you, Doctor Li! Thank you!" Chen's mother thanked her repeatedly, paid the consultation fee, and even got some herbs to clear heat and relieve summer heat as a cover. Then, she led her two daughters-in-law, who were still somewhat bewildered and shy, home with her feet barely touching the ground. On the way back, all three of them were beaming with uncontainable joy, and even the summer heat seemed to have lessened a bit.

In the evening, Chen Xiaohe returned after delivering dinner, and Chen Dashan also came back from the fields carrying a hoe. Both of them were covered in sweat. The family sat around the table to eat dinner. The dishes on the table were more plentiful than usual. In addition to pickled vegetables, there was leftover shrimp and egg drop soup from lunch (Chen's mother specially served clear soup for the two sisters), and a plate of stir-fried greens.

After finishing her meal, Chen's mother put down her chopsticks, cleared her throat, and looked at her two sons with unprecedented solemnity and joy: "Dashan, Xiaohe, I have some very good news to tell you."

Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe both looked up, staring at their mother with a puzzled expression.

"This afternoon, I took Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to see Doctor Li," Chen's mother said with a smile. "Doctor Li took their pulses and said—Xiaoyin is two and a half months pregnant, and Xiaoqing is about two months pregnant. You two are going to be fathers!"

With a clatter, Chen Xiaohe's chopsticks fell to the table. His mouth gaped open, his eyes widened, and he seemed frozen in place. Chen Dashan was also stunned; his bowl froze in mid-air. He abruptly turned to look at Su Xiaoyin beside him. She had her head down, her ears flushed, but she nodded slightly. He then looked at Su Xiaoqing and Chen Xiaohe across the table. Chen Xiaohe finally snapped out of his daze, grabbed Su Xiaoqing's hand, and stammered excitedly, "Xiaoqing! Really? I... I'm going to be a father?!"

Overwhelming joy washed over them, breaking their brief moment of stunned silence. Incredulous and ecstatic smiles bloomed on the brothers' faces. Chen Dashan, though not as overtly expressive as his brother, had slightly white knuckles as he gripped the chopsticks, and his eyes shone with an astonishing light. His gaze toward Su Xiaoyin was filled with the tenderness and helpless reverence of a new father.

"Great! Great! That's wonderful!" Although Mr. Chen was not present, the house was filled with an unprecedented atmosphere of joy.

Chen Dashan took a deep breath, steadied himself, and said to Chen Xiaohe, "Xiaohe, when you go to deliver the chicken soup to Dad tomorrow, tell him about this, so he can be happy too!"

Mother Chen said, "Keep the chicken soup for Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing; they need to nourish themselves. Just send your father some rabbit meat. There's an old saying, 'If a pregnant woman eats rabbit meat, her child will be born with a cleft lip,' but we'd rather believe it than not. From now on, those two shouldn't eat any more rabbit meat at home." She looked at her two daughters-in-law, her tone becoming incredibly gentle, "From today onwards, neither of you is allowed to do any heavy or strenuous work around the house. Let Dashan and Xiaohe do the laundry and carrying heavy things. Just take good care of yourselves, and tell your mother what you want to eat."

Chen Dashan nodded immediately and said in a deep voice, "Mother is right. From now on, Xiaohe and I will go up the mountain more often every day, set traps and retrieve fish baskets more frequently, and bring back more wild game, fish and shrimp. Xiaohe, keep your fish baskets full. If they can't eat fresh fish now, dry them into dried fish and store them for later. Also, save up the eggs and duck eggs."

Chen Xiaohe nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice: "Yes! Brother, I understand! I'll go and set a few more fish baskets first thing tomorrow morning!"

As night fell, the Chen family courtyard was warmly lit. Although Mr. Chen was not home, the immense joy of this double celebration overshadowed the family's worries and anxieties about him, replacing them with a more solid expectation for the future and the continuation of their family line. Looking at the two young couples about to become parents, seeing the hope in their eyes and the unwavering support in their hearts, Mrs. Chen's worries about her husband's military service were largely dispelled by the overwhelming joy. Life always has its ups and downs, but as long as the family is united, even the most difficult days can be overcome with hope, let alone the joyous occasion of welcoming a new member.