Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

From the moment the group of teachers and students sat down, Xingbao, under the guise of entertaining them, wandered between the tables with a teapot in hand, secretly eavesdropping on their conversation. He noticed that several students had bulges at their waists, as if they were hiding something, so he deliberately touched one of those bulges under the pretense of refilling their tea. The cold metallic touch transmitted through the fabric, and Xingbao's heart skipped a beat—it was a pistol! He suppressed his shock, silently retreating and forcing himself to calm down, carefully observing the students again. Although they looked tired, their demeanor was composed and proper, carrying an innate air of nobility; they were definitely not children of ordinary families. Xingbao thought to himself: Sanmin Middle School is the first school named after the Three Principles of the People; those who can study here must all be children from wealthy or influential families! What alarmed him even more was that although the group seemed to be chatting casually, their eyes kept glancing at the front and back doors of the shop. They were also secretly watching his parents' every move, showing a strong sense of vigilance. Clearly, they had experienced some kind of danger.

Just as Xingbao was secretly observing, Guixiang strode in through the back door and called out in a loud voice, "Second Brother, Xingbao, Auntie wants you to go to the kitchen to get the food!" (Since her mother was unwell, Auntie and Sister Shanshan had been cooking for her these past few days.)

Xingbao readily agreed, and just as he set the teapot down, his second brother rushed over upon hearing the commotion. The two walked side by side towards the kitchen. In the back kitchen, his aunt had already prepared the meal: stir-fried vegetables, stewed potatoes, steaming winter melon soup, and a bucket of rice—all simple yet hearty home-cooked dishes. The two carried trays, one after the other, and brought the food to the table. The teachers and students were already starving, and they picked up their bowls and chopsticks and began to wolf down the food. Their chopsticks moved so fast that in no time, the food on the table was completely devoured, and even the soup was drunk clean.

After finishing their meal, the teachers and students rested for a while in the kitchen, drinking tea to recharge. Several gentlemen huddled together, whispering for a moment, seemingly finalizing their itinerary, before getting up to go to the counter to pay. One of the gentlemen, dressed in a blue robe, spoke first, asking in a gentle tone, "Shopkeeper, may I ask you how far it is from here to the newly built school in Yaodu? We've come here because we've heard so much about it."

While deftly calculating on the abacus, Dad looked up and replied, "It's not far. Just go west along this newly built road, and when you reach Yaodu Town, turn south and go another four miles. The road is fairly easy to travel on, although a few bridges aren't fully completed yet, but that won't affect vehicles. As long as you don't stop for too long, you won't even have to wait until sunset to get there. As for which road to take to the south, just ask the locals when you get to Yaodu Town; they know it very well, and you'll find out easily."

Upon hearing this answer, the teachers and students all showed expressions of excitement, their fatigue from the past few days seemingly dissipating, and the weariness on their faces lessening. The teacher who had asked the question earlier then continued, "Shopkeeper, have you ever heard of the Xiong family? We have some connection with them."

Father stopped using the abacus, frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "The Xiong family? You mean the Xiong family who runs a coal mine in the mountains across the way? They are a prominent family in our area, with a great reputation, substantial wealth, and they are also quite kind, often helping the poor in the village."

The gentlemen exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with delight. They nodded quickly, "Yes, yes! Our principal's family owns a coal mine here, and Principal Xiong is our leader." Upon hearing this, the students around them completely relaxed, their tense expressions softening into relieved smiles. They even became more casual in their posture, no longer as guarded as before.

The bespectacled gentleman leaned forward and continued, "Shopkeeper, we're a scout from the school, checking out the route and arranging lodging for the main group. We find your tea and food quite good—clean, hearty, and tasty. In a while, over two hundred teachers and students from our school will be passing through here. We wonder if your shop has enough ingredients to accommodate them?"

This is a big business opportunity! Father's eyes lit up, and his face instantly lit up with joy. He hurriedly asked, "Sir, are these two hundred-plus people coming all at once, or in batches? When will they arrive? Do you need accommodation arranged? If so, I need to prepare bedding in advance."

"They'll come in batches, only twenty or thirty people at a time. No need to rush. The relocation notice from the Nationalist government hasn't been officially issued yet, so you can prepare at your own pace. We're just worried about the school's collection of books getting lost, so we escorted them over ahead of time to prepare!" the professor replied with a smile, his tone gentle. "The meals will be the same as today's standard—simple, clean, and enough to fill them up. As for accommodation, it depends on their schedule. It would be best to reserve it in advance so that the teachers and students can get a good night's rest and be well-rested before continuing their journey."

"Alright!" Dad readily agreed. "Although our inn only has five guest rooms, I can talk to the villagers and borrow a few clean rooms to accommodate you. I guarantee that the teachers and students will have a place to stay and get a good rest. We will also provide you with clean bedding."

"Manager, there's one more thing I need to trouble you with." The gentleman's tone shifted, becoming more sincere. "We've moved all the way from Nanjing, a long and complicated journey with many setbacks. We don't fully understand the situation of the later batches of teachers and students. If any teachers or students are short of money and can't pay for their food and lodging right now, could you please put it on their tab? The Xiong family will come and settle the accounts later. Is that alright?"

Father lowered his head and considered the family's resources. Then, thinking of the Xiong family's reputation and power in the area—the Xiong family's credit was always reliable, and they never defaulted on payments—he decisively said, "Alright! Just for the Xiong family's reputation, I agree! Don't worry, I will definitely treat the teachers and students well."

Seeing that Father readily agreed, the teachers' faces lit up with joy, and they quickly pulled out a small blue triangular flag from their pockets. Embroidered on the flag were the four white characters "Sanmin Middle School," the stitches fine and neat, clearly indicating careful craftsmanship. The teacher handed the flag to Father with both hands, saying solemnly, "Shopkeeper, thank you for keeping this flag at the shop's entrance these past few days. That way, our school's teachers and students will know which shop to stop in and won't go to the wrong place."

Dad took the little flag, carefully folded it, and put it away, afraid of getting it dirty or wrinkled. Seeing that Dad had put the flag away properly, the bespectacled gentleman took out a small dark blue notebook from his pocket, opened it, and then pulled out a black fountain pen from his coat. Xingbao was standing on a small stool next to the counter, helping to grind ink. The ink stick swirled in the inkstone, producing fine ink. Xingbao took the opportunity to peek over and saw that the notebook was densely filled with addresses and shop names, clearly reliable places he had noted down along the way.