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

"Big Mountain, Little River, you're back! Quick, don't rush around, come wash your faces and have some cool tea to cool down! Don't catch a heatstroke in this sweltering heat."

Chen's mother's voice came from the doorway of the main room, hoarse with the heat of summer, yet still clear and strong. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe had just returned from the fields under the scorching midday sun. Both were soaked in sweat, their hair dripping wet, their faces and arms sunburned, and their lips chapped.

Hearing their mother's call, the two brothers responded and first drew several buckets of cool well water from the well platform. They then thoroughly washed themselves from head to toe, changed out of their wet and dirty clothes, and only then did they feel that most of the heat on their bodies had subsided.

As you enter the main room, a cool breeze carrying the scent of mint wafts through the air. On the table sits a large, rough-hewn pottery jug, its surface still glistening with fine water droplets, clearly freshly drawn from the well. Beside it are several clean, rough-hewn pottery bowls.

"Your wife and the others brewed this herbal tea with freshly picked mint this morning," Chen's mother said, picking up the teapot and pouring a large bowl for each of her two sons. "They spent half the day in the well, so it's perfect to drink now, refreshingly cool. Try it and see how it tastes."

Chen Xiaohe was already parched, and he picked up the bowl and gulped down more than half of it. The cool, sweet liquid with a strong minty aroma slid down his throat and into his chest and abdomen, washing away the heat accumulated in his internal organs. He felt as if he had been cleansed from the inside out, and he breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Mom, this herbal tea is so delicious! It quenches my thirst and refreshes me!" Chen Xiaohe wiped the water from the corner of his mouth, his eyes shining. "When we go to the fields this afternoon, please bring a pot for me and my older brother too. This sun is scorching hot!"

Chen's mother nodded with a smile: "Okay, I cooked a big pot, enough to drink. Your sister-in-law and Xiaoqing were free this morning, so I specially cooked more, just in case you couldn't stand it in the fields." She looked at Chen Dashan, who had been silently drinking his herbal tea, but whose brows had relaxed considerably, and then at her sons' sunburnt cheeks and arms, and said with heartache, "The weather is getting more and more unpredictable. We have to work in the fields as early as possible in the morning and evening, and avoid the midday heat if we can."

Chen Dashan finished the last bit of cold tea in his bowl before speaking, his voice a little hoarse from dehydration: "Yeah, I watered it once this morning, and I'll water it again before sunset this afternoon. It should hold up. The corn seedlings and sweet potato vines in the field wilt quickly when they're dehydrated."

Su Xiaoyin came out of the inner room at this moment, carrying a sewing basket. Seeing her husband and brother-in-law return, a relieved smile appeared on her face. She looked at Chen's mother and asked softly, "Mother, are we still waiting for Father to come back for lunch?"

Chen's mother glanced at the sun outside the window, then looked towards the courtyard gate, and pondered for a moment: "Normally, when dividing the family property, the head of the household should invite the witnesses to a farewell meal, meaning that even though the family has separated, the blood ties remain, and the bloodline is still connected. However..." She shook her head, recalling the chaotic situation at Chen Wufu's house, "With your Uncle Wufu's family in such a mess now, it's hard to say whether we can even have this meal. Let's set the table first, and leave a portion for your father to keep warm in the pot. You've been busy all morning, you must be hungry, let's not wait any longer."

Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing helped Chen's mother bring the food to the table. It was all refreshing summer food: a large bowl of buckwheat noodles rinsed in cold water, topped with cucumber strips blanched in well water, blanched green bean strips, and finely chopped pickled vegetables; a side dish of freshly steamed pumpkin with sugar; and a small bowl of chili oil. Although simple, it looked incredibly appetizing on a hot summer day.

The group had just picked up their chopsticks and hadn't even taken a few bites when familiar footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. Father Chen pushed open the door and walked in, his face showing signs of fatigue, but his eyes were still clear.

"You're back? Have you eaten?" Chen's mother quickly got up and asked.

"I haven't eaten." Chen's father sat down at the table, took the damp cloth that Su Xiaoqing handed him, and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. "Wufu did stay, though, saying he had to have a simple meal no matter what. The village head, Ermu, and I all declined, saying that everything was prepared at home and we'd do it another day, so we came back." He picked up the bowl of cold tea that Chen Xiaohe had quickly poured for him, drank half of it in one go, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Xiaohe had been holding back his curiosity for a long time. Seeing that his father seemed to have recovered, he immediately asked, "Dad, how exactly did Uncle Wufu's family divide the property? Tell us quickly!"

When Mr. Chen looked up, he saw that not only his son, but also his wife and two daughters-in-law had stopped eating and were staring at him expectantly, clearly concerned about the matter. The Chen family had always been harmonious, and their division of property was always amicable and discussed. It was understandable that they were curious and somewhat saddened by the fact that Chen Wufu's family had such a chaotic division that almost ruined their third son's marriage.

Father Chen sighed, put down his teacup, picked up a cornbread, took a bite, and slowly said, "Your Uncle Wufu is determined this time. He's officially separating the eldest and second sons' families to live independently."

"Huh? What about the third brother?" Su Xiaoqing asked.

"Third son," Chen's father paused, "the third son will stay at the old house and live with your Uncle Wufu and his wife."

Chen's mother couldn't help but interject, "Dividing it like this? Do you think the eldest and second sons will be happy? Wasn't their previous commotion just to squeeze out the third son so they could get more of the family fortune?"

"You have no choice but to agree." Father Chen shook his head, his tone carrying both approval and a hint of helplessness regarding Chen Wufu's decision. "Your Uncle Wufu has made his word. The eldest and second sons can find suitable land themselves; the village will approve it, and the family won't contribute any money to the construction. Each family will receive three taels of silver as a share of the inheritance, which will serve as initial capital. Everything currently in the house—pots, pans, bedding, clothes—can be taken. But…" He emphasized, "the few chickens and ducks, and the donkey that pulls the millstone, will be considered the private property of your Uncle Wufu and his wife, and will not be divided. Later, when they get old and can no longer work, the eldest and second sons' families will receive annual rations as retirement funds. The specific amounts were all determined when the village head helped write the division documents."

"What about the third brother's legs..." This was what Chen Dashan was concerned about.

"The doctor examined the third son's leg and said that with proper care, it can heal and he won't become lame, but it will definitely affect his ability to do heavy work in the future," said Chen's father. "This division of the family property is considered compensation for your third uncle. Your fifth uncle said that after he and his wife pass away, this old house, the remaining belongings, and the livestock will all belong to the third son as long as he is still alive. This is to make up for his injury and to compensate him for the hardship he will have to endure in supporting his parents in the future."

Su Xiaoyin listened carefully and asked softly, "Regarding the marriage... is there any money left for dividing the family property?"

"Yes," Father Chen nodded. "The third son will also receive three taels of silver as a share of the family property, for his wedding. After the wedding, he will separate from your Uncle Wufu and the others, but they will live separately, though in the same courtyard, so it will be convenient for them to take care of each other. This is also one of the conditions that the third son's future in-laws agreed to."