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

The aroma of dinner mingled with the smoke from a wood fire, filling the main room with a warm fragrance. A large pot of pheasant stew with mushrooms sat in the center of the table, the broth golden, the chicken tender, and the mushrooms soaked in the flavorful liquid, exuding a delicious aroma. Around it were crispy cornbread, a dish of cold radish salad, and leftover stir-fried mushrooms from lunch. The men, weary from a long day, ate with extra relish, barely uttering a word, the only sounds the gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks and the satisfied chewing.

After a few mouthfuls of hot soup, Chen Xiaohe recovered and, while still eating, mumbled, "Mom, there's a market tomorrow. When are we leaving? We should go early, right? I'm afraid we won't get good seats if we go too late."

Chen's mother was adding a chicken wing to Chen's father's bowl when she heard this and nodded, "We should go early. After the autumn harvest, there will definitely be many people at the market, and many vendors. Let's go early and get a good spot. I asked the village head about the oxcart; he said it will leave at the crack of dawn."

Chen Dashan finished eating, put down his bowl, and said, "Anyway, we're going to the market tomorrow. Xiaohe and I will gather all the small items we made but didn't sell—wood carvings, bamboo ware, and the hair ties Mom and Xiaoyin made—and take them with us. We'll sell as many as we can, and if we don't, they won't take up any space at home." He looked at his parents, "Dad, Mom, tomorrow Xiaohe and I will push the wheelbarrow with the goods and walk there first. You two can take Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing in the village head's oxcart so they don't have to endure the bumpy ride."

After a moment's thought, Chen's mother agreed with the arrangement: "Alright, that's good. You two are young and strong, pushing the cart won't be a problem, and you can get to the market earlier to secure a good stall. We'll take the oxcart; it'll be more stable, and Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing can't handle the bumpy ride right now." She paused, then added, "When we get to the market tomorrow and the stall is set up, your father and I will oversee the sales. Dashan and Xiaohe, you two don't need to worry about the stall; accompany Xiaoyin and Xiaoqing to the clinic. Let the old doctor take a good look at their pulses, check if the pregnancy is stable, estimate when they'll give birth, and what precautions they should take. This is extremely important."

Upon hearing that they were going to the clinic, both Su Xiaoyin and Su Xiaoqing unconsciously touched their prominent bellies, feeling a mix of anticipation and slight nervousness. Su Xiaoqing whispered, "Won't it interfere with selling things if Big Brother and Brother Xiaohe come with us? My sister and I can go by ourselves..."

"No way!" Chen Xiaohe immediately shook his head. "The market is crowded and chaotic. You two are heavily pregnant, how can you manage without someone to accompany you? Your parents are here to help you sell things. They know how to take care of people much better than I do. Besides, your parents know the prices of those little trinkets, don't worry."

Mr. Chen also said in a low voice, "Listen to Xiaohe. Seeing a doctor is the most important thing."

And so the matter was settled. After the meal, Chen's mother wouldn't let her two daughters-in-law lift a finger, and she and Chen's father cleaned up the dishes themselves. Chen Dashan and Chen Xiaohe went to the storage room and, by the light of the oil lamp, began to take stock of the food they had prepared earlier.

The little wooden horses, cats, and dogs that Chen Dashan made were all adorable. They were wiped clean with soft cloths, carefully tied with straw ropes, and placed in baskets lined with dry straw. The wooden combs and hairpins were wrapped in a clean piece of coarse cloth. The bamboo baskets, small wicker baskets, and sewing boxes woven by Chen Xiaohe were also inspected, and the rough edges were smoothed out before being neatly stacked. The colorful hair ties that Chen's mother made had been rolled up by Su Xiaoyin earlier with small wooden sticks, separated by color, and placed in a small bamboo box for easy access.

"Brother, a kid really liked this little wooden horse last time, but his mother thought it was too expensive and didn't buy it. Maybe we'll run into it again tomorrow," Chen Xiaohe said proudly, picking up a small horse carved from jujube wood.

"Okay, take them all." Chen Dashan's hands worked non-stop to put away the last few items. "If we can't sell them, we'll keep them for our kids to play with when they grow up."

The two brothers finished tidying up; it was already late at night. The moonlight in the courtyard was like water, and the chirping of autumn insects was exceptionally clear. Lights were gradually turned off in each house.

Su Xiaoyin lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), unable to fall asleep. She was going to the clinic tomorrow, and her heart was filled with unease. She could feel the baby moving strongly inside her, which reassured her, but the thought of childbirth also filled her with an instinctive fear and anxieties about the unknown. Chen Dashan, beside her, seemed to sense her unease and reached out in the darkness, gently placing his hand on her belly.

"Don't be afraid," he said softly, his voice unusually steady in the silence. "Dr. Li is a renowned gynecologist in the county. Let him take a good look at us tomorrow. Our family is not like it used to be. We have prepared everything we need to. Everything will be alright."

The warmth and rough touch of his palm strangely soothed Su Xiaoyin. She softly hummed in agreement and grasped his fingers in return. Yes, now she had a home, a husband to rely on, and caring in-laws and family who loved her. She was no longer a lonely and helpless sister on a famine-stricken journey. Thinking this, the anxiety in her heart gradually subsided, and drowsiness crept in.

In another room, Su Xiaoqing was in a similar state, both excited about going to the county town the next day and worried about the results of the pulse diagnosis at the clinic. Chen Xiaohe wasn't so thoughtful; he just chattered on and on about what delicious food might be available at the market tomorrow, promising to buy her the most famous sesame candy if he made money selling goods. This made Su Xiaoqing laugh out loud, and her nervousness dissipated.

In the stillness of the night, the entire Nanshan Village was fast asleep.