Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Before long, a dozen or so boys gathered on the hillside, rubbing their frostbitten hands and looking on with curiosity. A few of them, with sharp eyes, suddenly spotted rabbit tracks on the other side of the hill and immediately perked up, shouting as they chased after them. The rest of them gathered around Xingbao and his brother, gazing at the snowy scenery below while chatting excitedly about the latest gossip in the village.

As they chatted, Xingbao learned that several young men in the village had signed up for the security team to save food for their families. Fortunately, the recruitment included a resettlement allowance, which would help supplement their household income. However, everyone understood that the security team was for those who had to go to the battlefield, and that was money earned by risking their lives! As they talked, someone mentioned that many elderly people in the village had been busy preparing nourishing tea.

Upon hearing the words "life-sustaining tea," Xingbao's previously warm heart instantly tightened, a heavy weight pressing down on him. He had heard his elders mention this life-sustaining tea in his previous life. It was a strong tea specially brewed by the elderly during years of famine to save their meager rations for the able-bodied men and children. It could be stored for many years, and they would barely survive on a small sip of that bitter, dark tea each day, often going days without a proper meal—a heartbreaking thought. He subconsciously looked towards the distant breeding base, at the field of cabbages covered in a thin layer of snow yet still brimming with life. Only then did the heaviness in his heart ease slightly, and his confidence rekindled—with these thriving cabbages, perhaps the village elders wouldn't have to brew that unpalatable life-sustaining tea anymore.

Looking at his friends gathered around him, and then at the cabbage field in the distance, Xingbao turned to his older brother and said, "Brother, the cabbages at our breeding base can be harvested now. If we don't harvest them soon, they'll definitely freeze and all our hard work will be wasted when a heavy snow comes."

Following Xingbao's gaze, the eldest brother looked at the neatly arranged cabbage field in the distance, nodded slowly, and said firmly, "Xingbao, you're right, but we're all waiting for this snow. You know, frozen cabbage is much sweeter and more refreshing than uncold cabbage. Of course, if it doesn't snow, we'll have to harvest it in about ten days at most. We absolutely can't let the cabbage freeze and let everyone's previous efforts go to waste. So, let's wait two days, until the roads are drier and less slippery, then we'll organize everyone to harvest the cabbage." The other boys around him nodded in agreement, chattering amongst themselves, saying they would tell everyone about harvesting the cabbage when they got back, so they could prepare in advance.

As they were talking, the eastern sky gradually brightened. The sun, which had been hiding for so long, finally peeked out, its soft rays spilling across the snow-covered landscape, reflecting a faint glow. The snow on the ground began to melt, and a light mist rose everywhere, like a soft white veil, enveloping the entire mountain village in a hazy glow. The distant mountains, the village, and the vegetable fields all became hazy and indistinct, adding a touch of charm to the scene, making it breathtakingly beautiful.

Gazing at the idyllic scenery, Xingbao suddenly remembered his poetry recitation and quickly turned to urge his older brothers, "Big brother, second brother, we should go down the mountain. I still need to go back and recite the poems; we can't be late." Everyone else felt they had been on the hillside for too long; the biting wind and numb hands and feet made it impossible to compare the beauty of the scenery to the winter chill. They all agreed to descend. The second brother smiled and stepped forward, crouching down again with his back to Xingbao. Xingbao gently climbed onto his brother's back, his arms tightly wrapped around his neck. The group then descended the mountain together. The descent was far more difficult than the ascent; the path was slippery. Fortunately, there were many of them, and they helped and reminded each other, making their way down safely without any major incidents. By the time they reached the bottom, everyone's hands and faces were red from the cold, and their shoes were soaked with melted snow, icy cold. When the second brother was going down the mountain, he accidentally slipped. Fortunately, his companions reacted quickly and reached out to support him, so he didn't fall. However, his cotton shoes were rubbed open, revealing the cotton inside. Xingbao felt a little warm inside.

As soon as the three children stepped into the house, their mother, who was busy at the stove, saw them. She quickly put down what she was doing and came to greet them. Seeing the three children's hands and faces red from the cold, and their wet shoes, her brows furrowed immediately. Her voice was full of heartache and urgency: "You three silly children, you've been on the mountain for so long, how can you get so cold! Quickly, go to the kitchen and get a basin of warm water, wash your faces and soak your feet, and change out of your wet shoes, so your hands and feet don't get frostbite."

Xingbao and the other two didn't dare to delay and quickly followed their mother's instructions to fetch warm water from the kitchen. When Xingbao carefully put his icy little feet into the warm water, a sensation that was both sour, numb, and warm instantly swept over his feet. Anyone who has ever had cold feet can deeply understand that kind of comfortable and sour feeling that seeped from the bone.

Just then, a blurry image flashed through his mind—a scene from the movie "The Battle at Lake Changjin" he had seen in his previous life. The soldiers were marching through the snow and ice, their feet severely frostbitten. When they took off their shoes to warm their feet, their feet were so swollen they couldn't even fit back into their shoes. Xingbao suddenly understood: soaking feet in hot water can indeed warm the body and improve blood circulation when they're cold, but if the feet are already frostbitten, soaking them in hot water will cause local congestion and swelling. In such cases, only gently rubbing the frostbitten areas with clean snow can prevent swelling and gradually relieve the pain. He secretly memorized this method, thinking he must write it down in his notebook so he could use it someday and help those around him.

After soaking their hands and feet in warm water and changing into clean shoes and socks, the chill gradually dissipated from the three of them, and they felt much warmer. Mother had already prepared breakfast and placed it on the table, but Guixiang was still not up. Mother glanced towards the inner room and said to Xingbao, "Xingbao, go wake your sister up. The breakfast is getting cold; let her get up and eat something."

Upon hearing this, Xingbao told his mother in detail how Guixiang hadn't slept well last night because she wanted him to get up early to memorize poems, and how she had fallen asleep again after waking him up this morning. His mother's face immediately showed a mixture of amusement and exasperation. She helplessly slapped her forehead, muttering, "That simple-minded silly girl, she was so worried about you copying the book that she's worn herself out." Despite her grumbling, she felt sorry for Guixiang's lack of sleep and didn't urge her to wake up again. She simply instructed Xingbao to set aside Guixiang's portion of food and keep it warm on the stove until she woke up.