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

The next morning, with only a sliver of gray on the horizon and the morning star hanging forlornly against the dark blue sky, slight movements arose within the Chen family compound. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe quietly moved the goods they had arranged the night before onto the cart outside—stacks of baskets of various sizes, smoothed wooden stakes, tightly joined bundles of grain, and several bundles of sturdy hemp rope twisted by Chen's father. The cart was loaded to the brim and secured firmly with hemp rope and old cloth.

The two men went back into the house to check on their wives, who were still fast asleep, and tucked them in. Then, they packed some dry food and water, pushed their heavy cart, and creaked along the dew-covered village road towards the county town. The morning mist gradually rose, gently enveloping their figures and the sound of their cart as it rolled away into the distance.

When Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing were awakened by the sunlight streaming through the window paper, the sun was already high in the sky, shining brightly on the neatly tidied courtyard. The two sisters slowly got up; their movements were inevitably clumsy and slow as their pregnancy progressed. After washing up, they went to the old house together. The main room was quiet; as expected, their parents were not home.

Inside the kitchen, a faint steam still wafted from the edge of the large iron pot's lid. Su Xiaoyin lifted the lid, revealing two bowls of warm breakfast: two bowls of golden, smooth egg custard topped with finely minced meat, several steamed buns made from a mixture of white and corn flour, a small dish of refreshing pickled cucumbers, and a dish of shredded pickled vegetables drizzled with sesame oil. The food was served at just the right temperature, clearly carefully timed for them.

Since the doctor advised them to rest and stop embroidery, the sisters' lives suddenly became "leisurely." For the first few days, they struggled to get up early to help, but were suppressed by their mother and the Chen family. Their mother bluntly stated, "Now that you're carrying four babies, you're the most precious 'job' in our family. Eating well and sleeping well is the greatest contribution." So, sleeping until late morning for "brunch" became the norm. Initially, the two sisters felt quite ashamed and uneasy, feeling like "idle people" in the family, but seeing their family's genuine care, that unease gradually transformed into a warm feeling of being cherished. However, the desire to do something for the family never faded.

The two sisters sat down at the square table in the main room and ate their meal quietly. The steamed egg custard melted in their mouths, and the savory flavor of the minced meat added even more deliciousness. Su Xiaoqing sighed contentedly and whispered, "Sister, Mother's skill in steaming this egg custard is getting better and better. It's so tender and smooth, without a single honeycomb-like texture. And the minced meat on top smells so good."

Su Xiaoyin gently stirred the tender yellow cake in her bowl with her chopsticks, and said in a low voice, "How could it not be good? Ever since we found out we were having twins, Mother hasn't been willing to sell any of the eggs laid by the chickens, ducks, or geese. She's found ways to feed them all. Look at this minced meat, every meal has had some meat. Father and husband have probably even been drinking less meat broth than usual." As she spoke, her brows furrowed slightly, and her hand unconsciously touched her swollen belly. Her clothes could no longer conceal the rounded curve, which was a size larger than that of an average pregnant woman.

Following her sister's gaze, Su Xiaoqing also touched her own rather large belly. The satisfaction on her face faded, replaced by a faint worry. She leaned closer, lowering her voice, and tentatively asked, "Sister, do you think... our bellies will really come true? Right now, I'm just hoping... that at least... we can each have a boy."

Su Xiaoyin paused, looking up at her younger sister. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating her sister's young face, which was equally filled with worry. Wasn't she also burdened by the same anxieties day and night? Four children—it sounded like an immense blessing, but what if they were all girls…? This thought was like a fine thorn, pricking her every now and then. She thought of her own parents, who had passed away early, and of her mother, who would sometimes hold her and her sister in the quiet of the night, letting out soft sighs.

"Four... surely one of them should be a boy, right?" Su Xiaoqing asked, her tone uncertain, as if trying to reassure herself, yet also seeking reassurance. "The Goddess Guanyin will surely bless us, won't she?"

Su Xiaoyin was silent for a moment, and the sponge cake in her bowl no longer seemed so tempting. She put down her chopsticks, her voice as soft as a sigh: "I hope so. I'm just afraid... afraid it'll end up like our mother." As soon as the words left her mouth, she shuddered.

Su Xiaoqing's face paled as well. The two sisters exchanged a glance, both seeing in each other's eyes that not-so-distant, hazy memory. Their mother was a renowned embroiderer in the surrounding villages, possessing both beauty and a kind heart, and she had a deep affection for their father. But tragically, after giving birth to twin daughters, her health deteriorated, and she could no longer conceive. Their father only had these two daughters. From then on, the word "extinct" became like an invisible shackle, constantly weighing on their family through the gossip of the villagers. Uncles and elders in the clan came to their door repeatedly, some wanting to adopt a boy from a collateral branch to their father, and some even urging him to divorce their mother and remarry. Fortunately, their father was resolute and deeply devoted to their mother, gritting his teeth and refusing, enduring the pressure to raise the sisters like precious jewels, until the devastating flood destroyed everything…

"I dreamt of my mother last night." Su Xiaoqing's voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were a little red. "I dreamt that my mother was touching my belly, but she just sighed and didn't say anything."

Su Xiaoyin grasped her younger sister's icy hand, squeezing it tightly as if trying to draw strength from each other. She took a deep breath, forcing back the tears welling in her eyes, and forced herself to speak, "Don't think like that. We're not like Mother was back then. The Chen family has two brothers, our in-laws are kind, and our husbands... they all love us. Even... even if we're both girls, would they kick us out?" These words were for her sister, but even more so for herself.

Su Xiaoqing sniffed, nodded, then shook her head: "I know... but I'm just scared. When we get back tonight, shall we offer a couple more incense sticks to Guanyin Bodhisattva? Everyone says Guanyin is most effective at granting children. We don't ask for all four to be boys, even if... even if we each have one, that would be fine." As she spoke, she clasped her hands together and bowed to the void, her expression devout and vulnerable.

"What do you mean, one for each person?" The light dimmed at the entrance to the main room, and Chen's mother walked in with a smile, carrying a half-full basket on her back and a small hoe. There was a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead, and her trouser legs and cloth shoes were covered with mud and bits of grass, clearly indicating that she had just returned from outside.