Courtyard House: Home Alone

As night deepened, the alley was quiet, save for the occasional bark of a dog. Lin Yifan told the woman to take the children to rest early, while he sat down on a chair in the main room, took out a map, and, by the light of the oil lamp, began to study the route to Xinqiao Town for tomorrow.

Xinqiao Town, Shen Jingbo's family... Lin Yifan recalled Shen Jingbo's entrusting gaze before his departure. He knew that the responsibility on his shoulders had become even heavier.

Outside the window, the moonlight, like water, quietly spilled onto the old locust tree in the courtyard. Lin Yifan put down the map, rubbed his slightly sore eyes, and silently prayed that everything would go smoothly tomorrow and that everyone would be safe.

At eight o'clock the next morning, Master Yao parked the car at the entrance of the alley on time. Lin Yifan greeted Qi Haishan's wife and then ran towards the entrance of the alley.

There were also several bulging canvas bags in the carriage, containing water, dry food, and some repair tools.

"Mr. Lin, everything is ready. Shall we set off now?" Master Yao patted the steering wheel, his expression much calmer than yesterday.

"Okay, let's go." Lin Yifan nodded, opened the car door, and got in. The truck slowly drove out of Jingya Alley and headed towards the North Gate.

Once outside the city, the roads became increasingly bumpy, and the houses on both sides became sparser, replaced by fields and wastelands. The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the fields were filled with the scent of earth and grass.

Mr. Yao slowed down the car and kept an eye on the road conditions while driving.

"Mr. Lin, I only traveled this road to Xinqiao Town once many years ago with a caravan. I don't remember the exact forks in the road very well, so I can only rely on my general impression. Please forgive me if I take the wrong turn."

"You're too kind, Master Yao. I'm already very grateful to have troubled you to make this trip. Drive slowly, no rush, safety first." Lin Yifan looked out the window, silently making plans in his mind.

The car traveled for about three hours, encountering almost no pedestrians on the road, only occasionally seeing a few refugees carrying bundles and hurrying along.

Mr. Yao parked his car at a fork in the road, frowning as he carefully tried to determine the direction. "Logically, it should go this way..."

He pointed to a narrower dirt road on the left, "That Qingshui River, I remember it's near the end of this road."

Lin Yifan peeked out and saw that the road on the left was indeed more remote, with ruts and gravel scattered on the surface. "Let's go this way then," he said.

The truck turned onto a dirt road, and the bumps became even more severe, causing the canvas bags in the cargo bed to rattle loudly. After about half an hour, a winding river finally appeared ahead, its water a bluish-green color—the very Qingshui River that Master Yao had described.

"We've reached the Qingshui River. Xinqiao Town should be not far across the river." Master Yao breathed a sigh of relief and pointed to the faint outline of houses on the opposite bank.

They drove along the riverbank for a while and found a simple ferry crossing with only a small wooden boat moored on the shore. Master Yao parked the car and got out with Lin Yifan.

The ferryman at the ferry crossing was a dark-skinned old man who looked at them warily.

"Fellow villager, we need to go to Xinqiao Town on the other side of the river. Could you please take us there? Here's the boat fare." Lin Yifan stepped forward and handed over a few copper coins.

The old man took the coin, weighed it in his hand, and nodded: "Get on, the car can't get through, only people can."

Lin Yifan and Master Yao exchanged a glance, and Lin Yifan said, "Master Yao, you stay here and watch the car. I can go by myself."

"Okay, Mr. Lin, please be careful," Master Yao advised. Lin Yifan nodded and stepped onto the wooden boat.

The small boat glided slowly across the calm river. The Qingshui River was so clear that the pebbles at the bottom were visible. A cool breeze caressed Lin Yifan's face. He gazed at Xinqiao Town, which was drawing ever closer to the opposite bank, feeling a pang of anxiety, wondering if Shen Jingbo's family was alright.

Soon, the small boat reached the shore. Lin Yifan paid the fare, disembarked, and headed towards Xinqiao Town. Just as Master Yao had said, Xinqiao Town was indeed very small, with only one main street lined with low adobe and wooden houses on both sides.

The streets were nearly deserted, with only a few elderly people sitting in their doorways basking in the sun, staring blankly into the distance. Lin Yifan walked along the main street, asking for directions as he went.

After searching for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally found Shen Jingbo's house at the end of the street. The door was ajar. Lin Yifan took a deep breath, walked over, and gently knocked on the door. "Is anyone home?"

After a while, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman dressed in coarse cloth, with a haggard face, poked her head out, looking at Lin Yifan warily: "Who are you looking for?"

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Shen Jingbo's home?" Lin Yifan asked.

Upon hearing the name "Shen Jingbo," the woman's body trembled slightly, and her eyes instantly reddened. She carefully examined Lin Yifan, her voice trembling as she asked, "You...who are you? Do you know my Jingbo?"

"I'm Lin Yifan, a friend of Brother Shen. Brother Shen asked me to pick you up from the front lines," Lin Yifan said quickly.

Upon hearing this, the woman could no longer hold back her tears. She opened the door, pulled Lin Yifan inside, and choked out, "Please come in, please come in... Jingbo... is he alright?"

The house was very simple, with a yard in the back. A little boy, about three or four years old, was sitting in the corner, looking timidly at Lin Yifan.

"Jingbo... he's doing well at the front, but he's worried about his family and you two. He asked me to make sure you both come to Beiping, where it's relatively safer."

"Oh, and what about his younger brother, sister, and parents?" Lin Yifan asked, trying to use a gentle tone so as not to worry her too much.

The woman wiped away her tears, pointed behind her, and said, "They're all in the backyard. These days, everyone's starving, so they'll stay put if they can."

"Sister-in-law, go and wake them up. Pack your luggage, have a good meal, and then we'll leave. There's a car waiting for us at the ferry."

"Oh, right, I brought some food. Can you cook it for me?" After saying that, he took out a small cloth bag from his backpack, which contained six or seven pounds of rice, which he had just transferred from his spatial storage.

When the woman saw the bag of white rice, her eyes lit up. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back and just kept wiping away her tears.

She turned and quickly walked to the corner, gently patting the little boy's shoulder: "Little Stone, get up quickly, your father's friend is here, and he's going to take us to see his father."

The little boy stood up timidly, his small hands tightly gripping the woman's clothes, his big eyes looking at Lin Yifan with curiosity and a hint of unease.

The woman walked to the backyard, and soon after, a few low coughs and rustling sounds came from the yard.