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

The day after they returned to the shantytown, a yamen runner came to tell the Su sisters to pack their belongings and go with him to the county yamen to complete their household registration procedures.

It was still that same worn-out mule cart that carried them away from the shack area filled with despair and a foul odor. This time, they weren't going to Nanshan Village, but straight to the side gate of the county government office beneath the earthen-yellow city wall of Qinghe County.

The government office was simpler than I had imagined, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding the ruggedness and pragmatism characteristic of government offices in the Northwest. A wooden sign reading "Household Affairs" hung outside a side room near the entrance, from which came the clattering of abacus beads and the low conversation of clerks.

The yamen runner leading the way told them to wait under the eaves. It was late autumn, and the wind under the eaves carried a chill, stirring up dust from the ground. Su Xiaoyin held her younger sister Su Xiaoqing's icy hand tightly. Both of them wore faded, patched clothes, which were their most presentable garments—clothes that a kind old woman in the shack had altered from her own old jacket a few days ago. Although they were loose and ill-fitting, at least they were clean and covered the even more tattered clothes underneath. After learning yesterday that the marriage had been tentatively arranged, the two sisters finally used their treasured soap to carefully wash most of the dirt off their faces by the stream behind the shack, revealing their long-lost, thin but still pretty features. However, long-term malnutrition and the hardships of life had made their skin rough and sallow, and their eyes had dark circles under them.

After waiting for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, an old clerk wearing a blue official robe and sporting a goatee came out, carrying a register and a blank household registration book in his hand.

"Su Xiaoyin, Su Xiaoqing?" The old clerk adjusted his monocle on his nose, his sharp gaze sweeping over them.

"Yes, we are here," the two sisters replied hastily, bowing their heads.

"Hmm." The old clerk opened the register, found the record, and said, "The brothers Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe from Nanshan Village are seeking your marriage. They have been vouched for by the official matchmaker, Wang Li, and the Chen family has signed the agreement. Are you willing to accept this?"

"This woman is willing," the two answered in unison, their voices soft but clear.

"In that case, according to the 'Great Qi Anmin Ordinance' and the regulations of this county, you shall today register under the Chen family household in Nanshan Village." The old clerk picked up his pen and began to write on the blank household registration form. His handwriting was neat but somewhat stiff: "Head of household: Chen Danian (Chen's father). Wife: Zhao (Chen's mother). Eldest son: Chen Dashan, age 24. Eldest daughter-in-law: Su Xiaoyin, age 16, originally from Huanhua Prefecture, Jiangnan Circuit. Second son: Chen Xiaohe, age 22. Second daughter-in-law: Su Xiaoqing, age 16, originally from Huanhua Prefecture, Jiangnan Circuit..."

The scratching sound of the pen on the paper was especially clear in the quiet corridor. Su Xiaoyin watched the ink strokes fall, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. From this day forward, they were no longer the homeless Su sisters, but Su, wives of the Chen family in Nanshan Village. Their parents' surnames were now preceded by their husbands' names. Their roots, in a different way, were firmly anchored to this remote, arid northwest land.

"All done." The old clerk put down his pen, blew on the still-wet ink, and handed the household registration certificate to a younger clerk next to him for stamping. The bright red seal of the county government's household registration office was stamped down with a "snap," and the dust settled.

"This is a copy of your household registration certificate, to be kept by the Chen family. The original will be kept on file by the government." The old clerk handed Su Xiaoyin a thin piece of paper stamped with a red seal, then took out a slightly worn blue coarse cloth bag from a drawer, weighed it in his hand, and placed it on the table. "According to the county magistrate's decree to show compassion to those who have been displaced and are seeking marriage and settlement, any woman who settles down and whose marriage is guaranteed by an official matchmaker will receive a dowry of fifty copper coins from the government. I hope you will all be law-abiding citizens, diligent in managing your households, and soon have children to contribute to the stability of the area."

Fifty coins.

The small cloth bag was light and airy, the copper coins inside clinking softly yet clearly. Su Xiaoyin reached out and solemnly accepted the light yet incredibly heavy household registration paper, and the equally light bag of fifty copper coins that represented official recognition and a new beginning. Her fingertips touched the rough cloth and the cool copper coins, and her eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

This wasn't a betrothal gift, nor was it part of the bride's dowry; it wasn't even enough to buy a decent set of coarse cloth clothes. But these fifty coins were the first and only "assets" they had in this world, besides each other and the bundle of embroidery thread. It came from the government that had accepted them but also imposed harsh conditions on them, symbolizing that they had been incorporated into the order and had obtained the most basic "certificate" for survival.

"Thank you... thank you, sir." Su Xiaoyin's voice choked slightly as she pulled her younger sister and bowed deeply.

"Go. The auspicious day is in three days. The Chen family will come to fetch the bride. Although everything should be kept simple, don't forget the proper etiquette." The old clerk waved his hand and said no more.

Stepping out of the side gate of the county government office, the afternoon sun was rather dazzling. Su Xiaoqing clutched her sister's sleeve and whispered, "Sister, are we... really married?"

Su Xiaoyin carefully folded the household registration paper and stuffed it, along with the fifty coins, into her inner pocket, savoring the small but real warmth it brought. Looking at the sparse pedestrians on the county street and the faint outline of Nanshan Mountain in the distance, she nodded gently: "Yes, at least I have a place where I can truly let go."

Three days later, before dawn, the shantytown was still shrouded in the gloom and chill of the pre-dawn period. The Chen family's wedding party arrived.

There was no bridal sedan chair, no music, and not even a proper wedding procession. Only Chen's father drove the family's grain cart, with Chen Xiaohe following beside it, while Chen Dashan, due to his leg problems, stayed home to help with the arrangements. The cart was covered with a layer of clean straw and a slightly worn coarse linen cloth.

The official matchmaker also arrived, still dressed in dark red, fulfilling all the formalities and serving as a witness.

The two sisters had already packed their things. They were still wearing the same altered old clothes, their hair loosely tied up with the only wooden hairpin they had. Their faces were clean and dry, without any makeup, but their complexion had improved slightly because they had been eating slightly thicker porridge lately, revealing their originally delicate features. Their only luggage was that small bundle.