Courtyard House: Home Alone

A little while later, the mother came out carrying her younger sister, who had eaten and fallen asleep. She gently placed Xiaoyu back in the cradle and carefully tucked her blanket in.

She sat down again opposite Lin Yifan, picked up a slice of apple from the table and handed him one, her eyes full of love and worry: "Xiaofan, how long do you plan to stay this time? Fog City is not like Beiping. The situation is very chaotic right now. You must be careful."

Lin Yifan took the apple, took a bite, and the sweet juice filled his mouth. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Mom, I have a lot of things to do this time, so I can't say exactly how long I'll stay. Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."

By the way, what exactly is Dad's responsibility at the military hospital? Is there anything dangerous there...?

Meng Zhuolin sighed, her eyes dimming slightly: "Your dad is still in the same old profession, vice president, head of surgery. What dangers could there be in a military hospital? It's just that there are a lot of wounded, and he's so busy he barely has time to breathe."

Sometimes, when they couldn't keep up, they'd send the wounded to our church hospital. Seeing those young soldiers, missing limbs and broken bones, brought in felt like needles piercing my heart.

She paused, then, as if remembering something, her tone tinged with relief, "But your father said that saving one more person means one more force in the fight against the Japanese. That's just how stubborn he is."

Lin Yifan listened silently, his respect for his father deepening. He knew his father was an upright and resilient man with an almost obsessive faith in medicine.

"Mom, is there enough money at home? I brought some back with me this time, please take it."

As Lin Yifan spoke, he reached for his backpack, which was placed to the side. Meng Zhuolin quickly waved her hand to stop him: "Hey, you child, you just got back and you're already talking about money. Mom has money, and although your dad's salary isn't high, it's enough if he's frugal. You need money more when you're out there, so keep it for yourself."

"Mom, please don't stand on ceremony with me."

Lin Yifan insisted, "You know what's mine. What belongs to the Japanese is mine. Besides, I also own a pharmaceutical factory in Beiping, mainly producing penicillin and sulfonamides. The business is doing well, and I'm not short of money."

"Take this money, improve your meals, buy something nice for your sister, and don't go to work at the hospital anymore, it's too tiring."

As he spoke, he opened his backpack, took out several stacks of Chinese currency wrapped in newspaper, and placed them on the table.

Meng Zhuolin stared wide-eyed at the thick stacks of money on the table, then quickly pushed it back, saying, "Xiao Fan, where did you get so much money? This won't do, it's too much, Mom can't accept it."

"Mom, don't worry about taking it."

Lin Yifan pushed the money back in front of his mother, his tone firm, "Dad gave all his salary to the Communist Party, and this family relies on your salary to survive. Look at yourself in the mirror; you've become quite haggard. This is my way of showing filial piety. Please accept it, otherwise I won't feel at ease."

Looking into her son's sincere eyes, Meng Zhuolin's eyes reddened again. In this world, only two people knew that Lin Yifan was a 'ghost': one was her, and the other was Chen Gongshu.

She knew her son's abilities and his temperament; once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.

Moreover, what her son said was true; the family had indeed been struggling financially over the years. She worked at a church hospital, which wasn't tiring, but she still had to worry about daily necessities.

Looking at the heavy stack of Chinese currency on the table, and then at her son's travel-worn but determined face, she felt a mix of emotions—a mixture of gratitude and bittersweetness.

She reached out her slightly trembling hand and gently stroked the stacks of money, as if she could feel the hardship her son was going through, dancing on the edge of a knife.

After a long while, she sniffed and choked out, "Okay, Mom... Mom will accept it. Xiao Fan, you've really grown up, you know how to care for your mother now."

She picked up a wad of cash, carefully counted out a few bills, and pushed the rest back to Lin Yifan, saying, "Take these for the journey. This is enough for the family, so Mom should be careful with the money."

Seeing this, Lin Yifan smiled helplessly and pushed the money back: "Mom, just take it all. Do you think I'd be short of money? Don't worry about me."

Let me tell you, even with the Red Party, I've given them tens of millions or hundreds of millions. You're in Chongqing, but even if you wanted tens of millions or hundreds of millions, I could give you that much.

I can only rest easy as long as you, Dad, and my sister are all well.

Meng Zhuolin chuckled at her son's words, tears still glistening in her eyes, but a genuine smile spread across her face: "You silly child, the older you get, the more nonsense you spout. Tens of millions, hundreds of millions? Do you think money falls from the sky?"

She said this, but her heart was filled with sweetness. Her son's thoughtfulness was more important than anything else. She stopped refusing and carefully put the money on the table back in her room, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world.

"Alright, alright, Mom knows what you mean. Eat the apple now, or it'll oxidize and turn brown."

She picked up a piece of apple and stuffed it into Lin Yifan's hand, changing the subject, "By the way, besides seeing us, what else did you come back for this time? If there's anything your mom and dad can help with, don't hide it from us."

"Mom, I'll take care of this. You two don't need to get involved, to avoid causing any complications. The situation is complicated right now, and the fewer people who know about it, the better. You and Dad, just focus on living your own lives and taking good care of my sister. That's the biggest support you can give me."

Lin Yifan took a bite of his apple, his tone calm yet unwavering. He didn't want his parents involved in what he was about to do; some dangers were his responsibility alone.

Seeing the fleeting seriousness in his son's eyes, Meng Zhuolin felt a mix of curiosity and worry, but he also knew his son's personality; there was no point in asking if he didn't want to talk about it.

She could only nod and sigh, "Alright, it's good that you understand. But promise me you'll be careful in everything you do, and you can't be as impulsive as you were in Beiping and Tianjin."

"I understand, Mom."

Lin Yifan smiled and agreed, placing the apple core on a plate. "By the way, Mom, Dad won't be home tonight, so what are we having for dinner? I brought some things with me, do you want me to cook them with you?"

He pointed to the packages he had placed by the door, which contained a few changes of clothes, as well as cured meat and sausages that he had put in when he got to the door.

Meng Zhuolin then remembered that Wang Ma had gone to buy braised vegetables, so she said, "Wang Ma went to buy braised vegetables. For lunch, we'll just stir-fry a couple of vegetables and make a soup. We'll just have something simple to eat. You must be tired from your journey. Get some rest after lunch."

"Okay," Lin Yifan replied, his gaze falling once again on his sleeping sister in the cradle, a gentle smile unconsciously appearing on his lips.

During lunch, he secretly added some spiritual spring water to his mother's rice bowl and also added some to An Chong's milk powder. Seeing the mother and daughter eating with relish, Lin Yifan felt much more at ease.

This sacred spring not only strengthens the body but also calms the mind and aids sleep; I hope it will improve the health of my mother and sister.