Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

In this era, it was common for a couple to have two children in three years. However, due to poor medical and health conditions, the survival rate of infants and young children was not high. If children delayed treatment, their lives would be in danger. Therefore, adults could be ruthless when it came to their children refusing to take medicine. Behind this ruthlessness lay their anxiety and love for their children.

After the children drank some water to wash away the taste of medicine, the teacher's wife brought out some candied fruit from the house and handed it to each child. The sweet candied fruit instantly dispelled the bitterness in their mouths. The children, with candied fruit in their mouths and tears still on their faces, couldn't help but laugh, their childlike innocence returning. Perhaps they were exhausted from crying, or perhaps the medicine was taking effect, because before long, the children, with candied fruit in their mouths, nestled in their mother's arms and fell into a deep sleep.

These four families all lived quite far away, and the mountain roads were difficult to travel. In addition, the children had just taken their medicine and needed to rest, so the mothers decided to take their babies to sleep at the master's house for a while, and then go back home when the children woke up and felt better. The fathers gave their wives a few words of advice, thanked the master and his wife repeatedly, and then hurriedly got up and went home with their older siblings. Before leaving, they did not forget to say goodbye to Xingbao and his two companions.

Seeing that everything at home was arranged, Master turned to Xingbao and Guixiang with a gentle smile and asked, "Xingbao, Guixiang, Master is going out to see patients. Would you like to come along? You can take this opportunity to learn how to diagnose and gain some experience."

Xingbao was about to nod in agreement, wanting to go out with his master to explore and learn more, when his master's wife quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Old man, don't be silly! Xingbao and Guixiang are still young. It's so cold, and the mountain path is difficult to walk. Aren't you afraid they'll get cold? If you want to teach your disciples, there's no rush. Wait a few years until they're older and stronger, and I won't stop you." In fact, his master's wife knew that with Xingbao and Guixiang's physical condition far beyond their peers, this mountain path was no problem for them at all. However, given their age, they were still children who needed to be loved in her eyes, which made her unable to help but protect them and worry about them in every way.

Seeing his master's wife's protective manner, the master couldn't help but smile helplessly. He said to Xingbao and Guixiang, "Then you two stay at home with your master's wife for now. I'll come back this afternoon and test your studies." After saying that, he turned around, picked up the medicine box from the corner of the wall, put it on his back, and prepared to go out.

Xingbao, Guixiang, and their second brother quickly followed and saw their master to the gate. When they reached the courtyard gate, Xingbao immediately saw the black charcoal tied to the eaves pillar. He ran over and, while untying the rope, said to his master, "Master, why don't you ride the black charcoal? That way you'll save some energy and get there faster."

Upon hearing this, the master waved his hand and said with a smile, "Xingbao, you'd better not make things difficult for Heitan. I'm going to that mountain over there, it's not far. There are a few particularly difficult sections on it, all uneven and bumpy, Heitan can't get across at all. I can walk across, it won't be a problem." After saying that, he waved his hand, turned around and walked towards the mountain path, gradually disappearing around the corner.

Seeing that everything was done, the second brother also took the opportunity to say goodbye to his master's wife, saying, "Master's wife, the shop has been a bit busy these days, so I'll head back now. I'll leave Black Charcoal here so it can carry Guixiang and Xingbao back this afternoon."

Seeing that her second brother was sincere, the mistress did not insist on keeping him. She smiled and waved her hand, saying, "I know your shop has been busy lately, so I won't keep you for dinner. I'll have Xingbao and Guixiang go home early, so don't worry about them."

The second brother quickly thanked her, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master's wife."

"What nonsense are you spouting, child?" The master's wife gently patted her second brother's arm, her tone affectionate. "We're all family, what's the trouble?" In this era, disciples could be treated like sons, especially since none of the master's descendants had the talent to study medicine. The master and his wife treated Xingbao and Guixiang, the siblings, no differently than their own children, with hearts full of love and expectations.

After their second brother left, Xingbao and Guixiang followed their master's wife back to the kitchen. Guixiang couldn't help but peek into the inner room, where the little ones were being cared for by their respective mothers. Recalling how she had fed them medicine earlier, she still felt lingering fear, and her little hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her master's wife's clothes. The master's wife saw all this, smiled, and pulled the two siblings to sit down on the stools by the wood-fired stove. She said earnestly, "Guixiang, Xingbao, these words should have been spoken to you by your master, but you two have a talent for medicine and will have to experience these things sooner or later. The children's crying today is nothing. In the future, as you learn medicine from your master, you will see many more patients and encounter all kinds of illnesses. You must not let the patients' cries, wails, or miserable conditions disturb your peace of mind and affect your judgment of the illness. What you must do is to maintain a calm mind, do your best to reduce their suffering, and try your best to cure them. This is the duty of a medical student."

Upon hearing this, Gui Xiang nodded earnestly and said solemnly, "Yes, Master's wife, we remember! We're not afraid. We will study medicine diligently in the future and strive to cure every patient so they no longer suffer. Xing Bao, don't you agree?" Before, when she was asked to learn medicine, she didn't really understand why she needed to. She just felt that whatever Xing Bao learned, she would learn—she was the older sister and had to take good care of her younger brother. But now, her master's wife's words were like a seed planted in her heart, and a heavy responsibility quietly sprouted.

Xingbao was very pleased to see that Guixiang finally had a goal and determination to study medicine. In order to deepen the influence of his master's wife's words, he deliberately tilted his head and said to her with expectant eyes, "Master's wife, can you tell us about Master's medical practice back then? We want to hear it and learn more from him."

Seeing how sensible the siblings were, the teacher's wife was overjoyed. She put her arms around their shoulders and replied with a smile, "Alright, alright, since you want to hear it, your teacher's wife will tell you. Back then, your master studied medicine under my father, who was also your grandmaster. At that time, my brother and I, who were your uncles, also studied under my father. The three of us learned to read, recognize herbs, and memorize medical principles together. However, your master was much more talented than us; he grasped things quickly and progressed much faster. Later, we got married and together we carried our medicine boxes, going from village to village to treat the villagers..." As the teacher's wife spoke, time seemed to turn back. Various interesting, heart-wrenching, and heartwarming medical cases were told by the teacher's wife in a storytelling style. Xingbao and Guixiang listened with great interest, occasionally huddling together to quietly applaud. Sometimes they were amazed by the patients' experiences, and sometimes they eagerly asked for details. The kitchen was filled with the siblings' questions and the teacher's wife's laughter.