Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Days slipped away quietly amidst the mundane details of daily life and the stillness of winter, and before we knew it, it was the end of the tenth lunar month. The cold wind grew increasingly biting, always accompanied by a fine drizzle that felt sticky and clinging to the skin. The air in the mornings and evenings was especially chilly—southern winters are typically damp and cold like this. Blankets that had been soft and warm in the sun would quickly become heavy and cold from the dampness, offering no warmth whatsoever. The village scene also took on a bleak appearance. Several elderly people couldn't withstand the damp and cold winter and passed away one after another. Arguments and quarrels over food became more frequent and escalated, with every household struggling to make ends meet. Even the number of children going to the breeding base to use the outhouse has decreased significantly. Firstly, it's freezing cold, and no one wants to brave the cold wind and travel a long distance; secondly, everyone is struggling financially and eating less, so they try to avoid physical activity; moreover, the accumulated excrement from passersby alone is enough to supply the small plot of land at the breeding base, with no surplus at all. Looking at the thriving cabbages in the field, Xingbao is both looking forward to the harvest and secretly anxious about the subsequent management.

Seeing that the cabbages in the field were growing plump and firm, with their outer leaves spread out and upright, it was the crucial time to tie them up and shape them so that nutrients could be concentrated on the heart of the cabbage. However, there was still no straw rope available to tie the cabbages. Seeing this situation, the eldest brother did not dare to delay. He quickly gathered everyone from the breeding base to the threshing ground and explained the difficulty of the lack of straw rope clearly, his tone full of urgency.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Fugui slapped his chest and proudly declared, "What's so difficult about that! I'll take care of all the straw for making straw ropes!" Without hesitation, he called over a few quick-handed companions, and they dashed towards their own haystack like the wind, their steps so fast they seemed to fly, afraid that if they were late, the straw would be moved by someone else and they would miss their mission.

Making straw ropes looks simple and is indeed not difficult to learn, but to make them tight, durable, and of uniform thickness, so that they don't bend or break when lifted, requires real experience. Xingbao and his sister had never done this before, so they could only huddle around a few teenagers who knew how to make them, watching intently with wide eyes and learning diligently, barely daring to breathe.

The skilled workers deftly pulled out four straws, their fingers flying across the paper as they quickly tied a tight slipknot at the end, then divided the straws evenly into two strands. One strand was firmly held in place by the left palm on the thigh, while the other strand was gripped by the right hand and pressed against the left palm, rubbing it back and forth with perfect pressure, causing the two strands of straw to intertwine tightly, twisting ever tighter. Halfway through, they deftly added four more straws to continue the twisting, their fingers flying non-stop. In no time, a glossy, exceptionally sturdy straw rope was completed. Their movements were fluid and graceful, leaving Xingbao and Guixiang dazzled, unable to help but exclaim in admiration.

The eldest and second eldest brothers were quick-witted and fast-handed, and soon they got the hang of it. Although the straw ropes they twisted weren't as tight and smooth as those made by experienced hands, and were slightly uneven in thickness, they were more than enough to tie cabbages. Xingbao was even more clever; he grasped the basics at a glance and had enough strength in his hands. Unfortunately, he was too young and his hands were too small to hold too much straw, so the ropes he twisted were barely usable. They would easily fall apart with the slightest pull, and he had to tie a knot in the middle to make them usable.

As for Guixiang, she had long forgotten about learning to make straw ropes. She squatted on the open ground, holding a few golden straws in her hand, playing a game of straw knife with Xiaohua and the other little girls. She chattered and shouted, "My knife is longer than yours!" "I cut you!" Her eyes crinkled with laughter, and she was having a great time, not taking the work to heart at all.

The eldest brother couldn't bear to watch the girls playing and making noise, fearing it would disturb everyone's work. So he stopped Guixiang and asked her to take the other children who didn't know how to twist rope to count the number of straw ropes that had been twisted. He specifically instructed her, "For those ropes that look loose, tie an extra knot in the middle to reinforce them; they can still be used to tie vegetables." You see, apart from the necessary paths, all the arable land in the breeding base was planted with cabbages, totaling more than 1,400. If just a few people who knew how to twist rope were busy, their hands would probably be swollen and raw from twisting, and they might not even be able to prepare enough before evening.

The group worked in fits and starts, helping each other out, occasionally joking with those who were still clumsy. Before they knew it, evening had fallen. Gui Xiang and the children carefully counted the ropes, and the number they reported was over 1,500—more than enough to tie all the cabbages in the field. Only then did everyone stop, relieved. The eldest brother clapped his hands and assigned tasks: "Everyone, go back and ask your elders at home to learn the tricks of tying cabbages. Go to the breeding base first thing tomorrow morning and try to finish it in one day!" Everyone agreed, carrying their neatly tied bundles of straw rope, chatting and laughing as they walked home in the twilight, still talking about tying cabbages the next day.

As Xingbao and his three siblings entered the inn carrying their bundle of straw rope, they were enveloped in warmth. No guests had yet arrived for a meal or lodging; their grandparents had already come over for a visit and were chatting and warming themselves by the fire with their parents. They were talking about the fun the siblings had had making straw rope with others on the threshing floor, apparently having seen them passing by. Xingbao and Guixiang's eyes lit up. They casually tossed the straw rope aside by the door and called out cheerfully, "Grandpa! Grandma!" as they ran to the fire to huddle together for warmth.

Grandma quickly reached out her rough but warm hands and took the two children's small hands in hers. The moment her fingertips touched Xingbao's red and stiff palms, her eyes instantly filled with tenderness. She quickly tucked his hands into her clothes to warm them, while praising him with a smile, "Our Xingbao has grown up! Your grandpa and uncle said that the cabbages you planted are growing exceptionally well, even better than theirs! Now you've learned to make straw ropes with everyone else. You're such a capable and good child. Your parents are so lucky in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Guixiang immediately rushed forward to boast, her little voice chattering excitedly, afraid of being overlooked: "Grandma, Grandma, it wasn't just my brother who did the work! I led my friends to count all those straw ropes, one by one, and I even helped tie up the loose ropes!"

Grandma affectionately patted Guixiang's little head, gently smoothing her slightly messy hair with her fingertips, and said with a tender smile, "Our Guixiang is capable too. She's so young, yet she's already learning to help with chores. She's so thoughtful and considerate; she'll surely be able to help your mother manage the household affairs in the future." At this moment, the eldest and second eldest brothers had also finished tidying up the straw ropes and went to Grandpa and Dad, carefully asking for their advice on tying the cabbages, afraid of making a mistake the next day. Dad and Grandpa explained clearly, one after the other, the key points of tying the cabbages: the rope should be tied with the right tightness, avoiding the heart of the cabbage, and securing it according to the growth of the leaves. They even demonstrated the knotting technique several times, reminding them to be gentle and not damage the thriving cabbages. The charcoal fire in the brazier burned brighter and brighter, reflecting the smiling faces of the family, filling the house with a warm and peaceful atmosphere, dispelling the winter chill and the unease of a chaotic world.