Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows in the room. Xingbao and Guixiang slowly woke up, stretched groggily, and felt refreshed, as if all their fatigue had been swept away.

Xingbao rubbed his eyes, looked at Guixiang beside him, and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Sister, the bump on your face has shrunk a lot!" As he spoke, he carefully reached out his finger and gently touched the swollen bump on Guixiang's cheek.

Upon hearing this, Gui Xiang quickly touched her face and asked in confusion, "Really? I can't see it myself." Her delicate fingers rubbed her cheek, trying to feel the size and changes of the swelling.

"It really has shrunk!" Xingbao nodded affirmatively. "It must be the menthol ointment that's working."

Gui Xiang was overjoyed and quickly jumped off the bed, saying hurriedly, "I'll go find my mother to fetch some water so I can see my reflection." Before she finished speaking, she dashed out of the room like a happy little bird.

"Mother—Mother—" A clear, childlike voice echoed in the courtyard, filled with barely suppressed excitement. Gui Xiang rushed briskly towards the kitchen.

The tea in the house seems to be going out particularly fast today; the tea barrel in the main room and the teapot in the kitchen are already empty. My second brother and mother are busy boiling water to make tea, and the flames in the stove are licking the bottom of the pot, making a crackling sound.

Hearing Gui Xiang's shouts, the second brother turned around and saw the little girl rushing towards him recklessly. He quickly called out, "Be careful, don't fall!"

Hearing the sound, her mother looked up and saw Guixiang running so fast. She quickly reached out and steadily supported her. "Running so fast, aren't you afraid of falling?" her mother said, patting her back reproachfully.

Gui Xiang didn't care about any of that. She eagerly moved closer to her mother, tilting her little face up so her mother could see her more clearly. "Mother, please take a look. Have the bumps on my face gotten smaller?"

The mother gently cupped her daughter's face in her hands, examining her closely. Her gaze lingered on her daughter's cheeks, as if trying to see through the delicate skin to the changes within. After a while, a smile gradually appeared in the mother's eyes. She nodded with satisfaction and said, "Hmm, it really has gone down a lot. Maybe it will be completely healed by tomorrow."

However, the mother was somewhat puzzled. She remembered that in the past, when her little girl was bitten by mosquitoes, the redness and swelling would always take several days to subside. But this time, it healed so quickly, which was quite unexpected. However, seeing her daughter's condition improve was a happy thing after all, so the mother didn't think about it too much.

"Mother, can you fetch me a basin of water so I can see my reflection?" Gui Xiang looked at her mother expectantly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and excitement.

"Alright, alright, Mother will fetch you some water right away." Mother smiled, gently brushing Gui Xiang's nose with her finger, and said tenderly, "Such a little girl, and she already knows how to care about her appearance!"

After her mother finished speaking, she turned and quickly walked to the water vat, picked up the wooden basin, and scooped out half a basin of clear water. When she placed the basin on the ground, Guixiang couldn't wait to squat down and look at it from left to right. However, because the light in the room was somewhat dim, she felt that she couldn't see very clearly, and she was a little dissatisfied, her little mouth unconsciously pouting slightly.

"Xingbao, come help me quickly, let's carry the water to the backyard." Guixiang hurriedly called to Xingbao, who was adding spring water to the teapot.

"Xingbao, the teapot is empty. I'll boil some water later and let it cool for you. You can play for a while and then come and drink it." The second brother saw Xingbao's actions and thought he was thirsty and wanted to drink water, so he said casually.

"Thank you, Second Brother," Xingbao replied casually, then used both hands and feet to slowly climb down from the stool like a little monkey. Although his movements were a bit clumsy, he was very careful, afraid that he might fall flat on his face.

Xingbao finally breathed a sigh of relief when his feet touched the ground. He patted his chest, then turned to look at Guixiang standing beside him, flashing her a bright smile. Guixiang returned the smile, and after exchanging a smile, they lifted the wooden basin that had been placed on the ground, one after the other.

The wooden tub was clearly quite heavy for the two children. But they didn't complain; instead, they worked together to slowly move the tub towards the back of the yard.

After finally reaching the backyard, Xingbao and Guixiang placed the wooden basin under the eaves, then stood aside, panting as they looked at each other.

"I'm so tired!" Xingbao said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, but at least we've finally moved in," Gui Xiang replied with a smile.

After saying that, Guixiang couldn't wait to walk to the wooden basin, squat down, and carefully observe the water inside. Sunlight shone on the water's surface, creating shimmering waves that reflected golden rays. Guixiang's eyes curved into crescent moons, and her face beamed with a joyful smile.

Seeing this, Xingbao curiously joined in, imitating Guixiang as she looked at her reflection in the water. He was very pleased to find that the red spots on his face had faded to almost invisible. So, he straightened up and smiled happily.

Just then, Xingbao's gaze inadvertently swept across a corner of the backyard. He saw his father and older brother still busy tidying up the small classroom. His father was wiping the table while quietly explaining principles of conduct to his older brother. His older brother listened attentively, nodding occasionally.

Xingbao's gaze continued to move, and he saw the rooster standing proudly by the wall, its head held high. Its feathers shone even brighter in the sunlight, as if showing off its beauty. Several hens were leisurely pecking at the fence, looking more lively than usual.

Xingbao was looking around when suddenly, through the crack in the side door, he saw several small figures moving about by the path. The figures were indistinct, seemingly doing something furtively.

He carefully pushed open the side door, afraid of making the slightest sound. The door opened, revealing his usual playmates, Fugui, Xuewen, and Xiwu. They were gathered under the grapevines by the pond, pointing and gesturing at the vines, seemingly discussing something interesting.

Xingbao looked closely and saw several broken grapevines scattered on the ground, their tender green leaves drooping listlessly, as if telling the story of what had just happened.

When the children saw Xingbao, they immediately called out enthusiastically, "Xingbao, Xingbao, come here quickly!" As they called out, they ran over like happy little birds, grabbed Xingbao's hand, and led him to the side of the road.

Before Xingbao could even catch his breath, he was bombarded with questions: "Why isn't Guixiang here?" "Xingbao, do you know what? We just saw several passersby picking grapes from Uncle Lü's vines!" "They not only picked a lot, but they even broke the vines!" "Those grapes are so sweet, we're all drooling!" "Uncle Lü is picking grapes down the slope; he said he'd share some with us!" "Just wait here, Uncle Lü will bring the grapes over in a bit!"

The children chattered away, and Xingbao's mind gradually conjured up the scene from earlier: several passersby were unceremoniously picking grapes from Uncle Lü's house, the sound of grapevines being broken echoing in the air, and those tempting bunches of grapes were being stuffed into bags.

Just then, Uncle Lü slowly walked up the slope, carrying several bunches of crystal-clear grapes in his arms, which looked like strings of purple gems, shining with an alluring light in the sunlight.

With a smile, Uncle Lü said kindly to the children, "Here, one bunch for each of you. Thank you for watching over the grapes for me."

Hearing Uncle Lü's words, the children's faces lit up with happy smiles. Fugui and the others couldn't wait to take the grapes. Some of them immediately began to eat them with great relish; others hugged the grapes, thanked Uncle Lü, and ran home like the wind, wanting to share this sweetness with their families.

Xingbao also received a bunch of grapes. His big eyes blinked as he looked at the grapes in his hand, his heart brimming with joy. However, when he looked up, he saw Uncle Lü smiling at him, so he quickly said to Uncle Lü, "Uncle, I wasn't here when someone stole your grapes; I just arrived."

Hearing Xingbao's words, Uncle Lü was not angry at all. Instead, he patted Xingbao's head and praised him, "Xingbao is such an honest and good child! Uncle will reward you with another bunch." As he spoke, Uncle Lü took out a bunch of grapes from his pocket and handed it to Xingbao.

Well, Xingbao happily received two bunches of grapes, his heart filled with sweetness. He looked at the grapes in his hands with delight, as if they were the most precious treasure in the world. However, when his gaze fell on a few grapevines on the ground, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, thinking, "These grapevines might still survive!" So, without hesitation, he bent down and picked up the grapevines.

Xingbao stood up, a satisfied smile on his face. He turned to Fugui and the other children and said, "Thank you, Uncle Lü!" Then he said to Fugui and the others, "Thank you for calling me over too. I'm going back to share these delicious grapes with my dad, mom, and older brothers and sisters. You guys keep playing!" With that, he hurried home.

Along the way, Xingbao could feel the envious glances from his friends. He knew that if he stayed any longer, it would probably arouse jealousy. After all, he hadn't done anything; he had just been called over by his friends and received two bunches of grapes—it was simply too enviable.

Xingbao quickened his pace and soon returned home. He went straight into the kitchen and immediately saw Guixiang sitting on a small stool. Guixiang seemed to be sulking; when she saw Xingbao come in, she gave a soft "humph" and quickly turned her face away, as if she didn't want to see him at all. However, Xingbao noticed that Guixiang's eyes were still secretly glancing at him, clearly implying, "I'm unhappy, come and coax me!"

Looking at that expression, Xingbao knew perfectly well that the "coal miner" incident from that morning had been exposed, and the little girl had overheard it, which was why she was throwing a tantrum at him.

Xingbao looked down at the grapes in his hand, and suddenly an idea struck him. A slight smile played on his lips, and he raised his voice, saying, "Mom, Uncle Lü just praised me as a 'good boy,' and he even gave me two bunches of grapes as a reward!"

After saying that, Xingbao walked up to his mother, then raised the grapes in his hand high, as if they were the most precious treasures in the world. As for the grapevines, he had already secretly stored them in his spatial storage, where they had made their home.

"Oh? Really? Then Mom will wash them for you, take them and eat them." Upon hearing this, Mom's face lit up with a happy smile. She reached out and took the grapes Xingbao handed her, and even glanced at Guixiang, who was hiding in the corner and secretly peeking over.

When her mother looked at her like that, the little girl turned her head away immediately, just like a frightened little rabbit, pretending that nothing had happened.

Mother naturally saw all of this, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned around and went to the kitchen to wash the grapes carefully, then put them in a small bamboo sieve and handed them to Xingbao.

Xingbao took the bamboo sieve, picked two small bunches of grapes from it, and then respectfully handed them to his mother, saying, "Mother, please eat." Next, he took another small bunch of grapes and handed it to his second brother. Finally, he popped a few grapes into his own mouth, then, carrying the bamboo sieve, he hopped and skipped away like a happy little bird.

When Gui Xiang saw Xing Bao carrying the grapes away, she immediately became anxious. She quickly stood up and chased after him, calling out, "Xing Bao, Xing Bao, where are mine? You haven't given them to me yet!" As she called out, she reached out to grab the bamboo sieve, trying to snatch back the bunch of grapes that belonged to her.

Finally, Gui Xiang successfully grabbed the bamboo sieve, and with a strong pull, she ripped off a small bunch of grapes. She proudly raised her head, a triumphant smile on her face, and looked at Xing Bao defiantly.

Xingbao shook his head helplessly, but didn't argue with Guixiang. The two of them carried the grapes to the backyard, preparing to let their father and older brother taste the fresh grapes.

Upon reaching the backyard, Xingbao placed the grapes on the table and then sat down in the small classroom, leisurely eating them. As he ate, he pondered to himself: these grapes can be propagated by cuttings. Although it's not the season for planting grapes now, with the help of the spiritual spring water, they might still survive.

Thinking about this, Xingbao suddenly had a thought: Could vegetables with long vines, such as loofah, pumpkin, and green beans, be planted directly in the space by cutting the vines, just like grapes? That way, there would be no need to go through the trouble of finding seeds.

Without further ado, Xingbao thought the idea was perfect. While Guixiang was engrossed in eating grapes, he quietly slipped back into the house, found his mother's sewing box, and pulled out a pair of scissors. Then, like a thief, he tiptoed towards the vegetable garden.

The vegetables in the garden were growing ever greener and more lush, but unfortunately, there weren't many varieties. Xingbao didn't care about that. He walked up to the vines of the pumpkin, loofah, and green beans without any hesitation, cut off a section from the tip of each vine, and then carefully planted these vine sections into his space.