Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

After sitting for a while longer, the night grew deeper. Grandma and her eldest uncle's family, concerned about things at home, got up to leave. Dad and her eldest brother saw them to the door, repeatedly reminding them to get plenty of rest that night and to come find them immediately if anything happened, telling them not to try to tough it out. After seeing Grandpa's family off, Xingbao led his master to the guest room on the right. As soon as they entered the room, his master took Xingbao's hand, his eyes serious, and asked in a low voice, "Xingbao, tell your master honestly, do you know anything about the legal tender? Don't hide it from me."

Seeing that his master had seen through his thoughts at a glance, Xingbao knew he couldn't hide it anymore. So he leaned closer to his master, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear, "Master, I just heard my second brother say that the pension money issued this time is all brand new. I was thinking, if the government can print as much as they want without much effort, then this money is no different from ordinary paper and is completely useless. Silver dollars are much more valuable; they're real gold and silver, and it feels more secure to hold them in your hands. Master, I've only told you about this; I haven't told anyone else, not even my parents..."

Master gently patted Xingbao's head, nodding solemnly, "This matter is of utmost importance. Master understands the gravity of the situation and will not tell anyone. However, your senior brothers work in the prefectural city, and they use legal tender for daily expenses. I also have some saved up from medical treatment. Tomorrow I will go into the city and exchange all the legal tender I have for silver dollars. I will also write a few letters to your senior brothers, telling them to exchange their legal tender for silver dollars as soon as possible, so that tangible things like grain and cloth don't end up as a pile of worthless paper."

Xingbao glanced at the door again, making sure no one was coming, before whispering to his master, "Master, I heard that exchanging legal tender for silver dollars might not be easy now. The government seems to have restrictions; you need a special channel. And if you exchange too much, it might attract unwanted attention and cause trouble. I think exchanging only a small amount for emergencies is fine. It's best to exchange the legal tender for tangible goods like grain and medicine. I heard from Father that grain prices in Yongfeng Town have risen quite a bit, and many medicinal herbs in pharmacies have increased even more, some are even out of stock, and you won't be able to buy them if you wait too long!"

"Good child, your master understands what you mean. You've thought things through even more thoroughly than your master." The master's eyes were full of satisfaction, and he solemnly instructed, "You should only tell me and your father about this. Don't mention it to anyone else. After all, the villagers don't need much money on a daily basis. Most of them are self-sufficient. Telling them might cause panic and create unnecessary trouble. It might even bring disaster upon them."

Xingbao nodded heavily: "Master, I understand. I won't tell anyone else. I will keep this secret."

After speaking with his master, Xingbao tiptoed out of the guest room and headed towards the main room. He froze as soon as he reached the doorway—his mother was sitting in a chair by the counter, her face so dark it seemed to drip water, as if frozen solid. She held Guixiang tightly in one arm, and Guixiang nestled obediently in her mother's embrace, not daring to utter a sound. Their dog, Xueqiu, lay motionless at her feet, seemingly sensing the tense atmosphere, its tail barely wagging. His mother's other hand was outstretched towards his father, as if demanding something, her eyes sharp. His two older brothers stood side-by-side with their father before their mother, heads bowed, looking like three students who had made a mistake, not daring to breathe or even lift their heads.

This is... is it going to be a joint trial? Xingbao's heart skipped a beat. He instinctively wanted to retreat back into the guest room to avoid the storm and wait for his mother's anger to subside before coming out again.

"Xingbao, you come here too." Mother's voice was as cold as ice, devoid of any warmth, like a cold wind sweeping through in the dead of winter, chilling one to the bone. Xingbao froze, shivering involuntarily. Not daring to delay for a moment, he obediently lowered his head, staring at his toes, and quickly walked to stand next to his second brother. He then lined up with his eldest brother, second brother, and father, like a row of prisoners awaiting trial, waiting for their mother's "interrogation."

The mother's gaze swept over the four men, father and sons, like a knife, her icy tone suffocating: "Now that everyone's here, Song Dawei, aren't you going to hand it over? Don't try to fool us." Seeing the father still trying to play dumb, the mother continued, her voice filled with disappointment: "The night Guixiang returned, all four of you went to the tofu shop. What were you doing there in the middle of the night? Don't tell me, even little Xingbao went to help make tofu? He can't even push the tofu grinder!" Her gaze suddenly shifted to Xingbao, filled with heartache: "Xingbao, you ungrateful little thing! I've always treated you so well, giving you the best things first, letting you eat the best food first, letting you play with the best toys first, and you've gone along with them to hide it from me!"

Mother actually called Father by his full name; her anger had clearly been building up for a long time and was on the verge of exploding. Xingbao was bewildered. How did this anger end up on him? He couldn't help but secretly raise his head and quickly glance at his mother. Seeing her sharp eyes, as if she wanted to devour him, he quickly lowered his head again, inwardly lamenting: "Oh no, oh no, Mother is really angry this time. I wonder how she's going to punish us."

"Xingbao, sweetie, do you have something to tell your mother?" His mother's tone suddenly softened, becoming somewhat coaxing, like she was coaxing a child. But this gentle tone only made Xingbao more uneasy, and he couldn't help but shiver again. His mind raced, trying to come up with a reason that would both appease his mother and not expose his uncle's affair.

Just then, Father quickly stepped forward, gently took Mother's outstretched hand, and said in a tender tone with a hint of coaxing, "Third Mother, don't be angry, and don't make things difficult for the child. Youming did write a letter. We didn't mean to hide it from you, nor did we refuse to let you see it. It's just that the letter mostly describes the fighting and bloodshed on the battlefield, with gunfire and the miserable state of wounded soldiers everywhere. I was afraid that reading it would frighten you and the baby in your womb, and it might disturb the pregnancy. I'll tell you the truth about Youming now—Guixiang's senior brother, Wang Ping'an, found Youming in the wounded soldiers' camp. At that time, he and Youde were both injured. Fortunately, the things they sent this time happened to include medicine that Xingbao had prepared. After using it, it worked very well, and they were able to get out of bed and walk around in just two days. When Ping'an left, he even went to the wounded soldiers' camp to see them and said that they were recovering well and in good spirits."

Upon hearing the words "Uncle is injured," Mother trembled violently, her eyes instantly reddening, and she nearly burst into tears. Thankfully, Father spoke quickly, preventing her from collapsing, mentioning that the medicine Xingbao had prescribed was working. Mother's expression softened slightly, and she hurriedly beckoned to Xingbao: "Xingbao, come here quickly. You've done a great job this time! Tomorrow, I'll make you something delicious to help you recover. But you mustn't mention your uncle's injury to anyone else, lest they worry." She then turned to Father, her tone much gentler: "Husband, that letter…"

Seeing this, the second brother quickly interjected, "Dad, why don't you tear out the part about Uncle's injury and recovery and show it to Mother? That way, Mother can rest assured and won't have to see those bloody scenes, lest she be traumatized."

No sooner had he finished speaking than his mother glared at his second brother like a knife, her tone stern: "Yan Guo, did I ever say I didn't believe your father? How dare you encourage him to tear up the letter! It was sent by You Ming; every word is precious. It's what he wanted to say to his family while risking his life on the battlefield. How could you just tear it up like that! No matter how bloody it is, I will keep it. It's a keepsake!"

The second brother lowered his head, his face flushed red like a boiled shrimp, and dared not say another word. It was the father who stepped in to defuse the situation: "Third Aunt, don't be angry with the child. Once you've finished your confinement and recovered, and your mind is at peace, I'll give you the letter to keep safe so you can read it carefully. But it's best if you don't read the contents; the scenes are too gruesome. Even I feel angry and sad after reading them, and I'm afraid you won't be able to sleep if you do."

Hearing his father's words, Xingbao gently rubbed his forehead. "Dad, don't you know that curiosity killed the cat? I hope you won't mention this again on the day you give the letter to Mom, otherwise it will really be hard to handle!"