Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Lying on the bed, Xingbao's thoughts raced like wild horses. Strange images kept flashing through his mind, making him increasingly restless and uneasy. Just then, a faint cry for help seemed to pierce through the walls and reach his ears.

The sound carried an indescribable despair, like a person's final cry on the brink of death, chilling and making one's scalp tingle. Xingbao's body trembled violently; he immediately sat up in bed, straining his ears to hear the source of the sound.

Immediately afterward, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from the backyard, growing clearer and clearer as they approached. Xingbao's heart raced; his intuition told him it was his father's footsteps!

Sure enough, Father's voice came quickly: "Third Sister, I'm going out to take a look." Father's voice was very low, as if he was afraid of waking the others, but it contained an unquestionable determination, like a taut bowstring that could break at any moment.

"Don't come out. The voice sounds a bit like that young postman. They must have encountered a pack of wolves!" His father's words revealed a hint of tension, and Xingbao's heart jumped into his throat.

"Husband, be careful!" Mother's voice trembled sharply, clearly startled by the sudden turn of events.

"I know!" Dad replied briefly, followed by a series of hurried groping sounds. Xingbao could imagine that his father was quickly grabbing his hunting rifle in the darkness, preparing to deal with any potential danger.

With a creaking sound as the door hinges turned, his father's figure disappeared outside, and the entire room fell into a deathly silence. Xingbao felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, as if it were about to burst out of his chest cavity.

He glanced at Gui Xiang, who was still fast asleep beside him, and hesitated. But in the end, he gently climbed out of bed, his legs feeling weak from nervousness. Relying on his memory, he groped his way through the room and quietly slipped into the backyard.

In the corner of the backyard, in the tofu shop, the dim oil lamp flickered in the breeze, as if it might go out at any moment. Yet, it stubbornly burned, illuminating the side door. Mother, eldest brother, and second brother huddled close to the side door, their eyes, as if drawn by a magnet, pressed against the crack in the door, peering out.

Xingbao tiptoed to his second brother's side, carefully imitating them, and peered through the crack in the door. Moonlight, like water, spilled onto the ground, forming silvery patches. By this faint moonlight, Xingbao caught a glimpse of his father's retreating figure, gun in hand. His father's silhouette blurred rapidly in the darkness, eventually merging completely into the darkness and disappearing without a trace.

Mother's body trembled slightly, her hands unconsciously gripping the doorframe, as if it gave her some strength. The eldest brother's body was tense, like a fully drawn bow, ready to face any potential danger. The second brother stood on tiptoe, trying to see more clearly; his face was etched with tension, and a fine layer of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, each second stretched infinitely, creating an unbearable sense of stagnation. From the shadows of the distant mountains and forests, the occasional chirping of unknown summer insects echoed, their sounds particularly jarring in the silent night, adding to the deathly stillness and eeriness.

Suddenly, a dull, abrupt gunshot rang out, striking everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer. The sound shattered the night's tranquility and the suffocating silence. Immediately afterward, several mournful wolf howls tore through the night, echoing through the empty backyard, sending chills down everyone's spine. However, it was all just a fleeting explosion; then, everything returned to deathly silence, leaving only the dim oil lamp burning alone in the darkness.

Time seemed to freeze, each second stretching endlessly, almost unbearable. After what felt like an eternity, finally, a figure appeared in the distance under the moonlight. The figure swayed, as if it might collapse at any moment. Gradually, the figure drew closer, and Xingbao finally recognized it—it was his father! He was practically carrying a person on his back, staggering along the moonlit path.

Seeing that their father was safe and sound, everyone finally relaxed. Mother hurriedly opened the door and went out to greet them. The eldest brother rushed out first, followed closely by the second brother. Xingbao, on the other hand, ran back into the house like a gust of wind, brought out a stool and placed it in the yard, and then ran off like an arrow to pour tea.

When Xingbao returned with the tea, his father had already helped the postman sit on a stool, with his older brother standing behind him carefully supporting him. His father took the bowl Xingbao handed him and gently fed the postman water, as if that bowl of water were the most precious thing in the world.

By the bright moonlight, Xingbao carefully examined the postman. He was covered in mud and bits of grass, as if he had just rolled in the mud. His face was deathly pale, devoid of color, and his eyes were lifeless, staring blankly ahead. His hat was nowhere to be seen, and several bloodstains remained on his face, a gruesome sight. His sleeves were tattered, almost mere strips of cloth, and his arms were crisscrossed with bloodstains, some still seeping blood. His trousers were also torn in many places, with blood seeping from the tears, staining the fabric a dark red. Only his satchel was relatively intact, with only a few shallow scratches on it.

"Thank goodness, it looks terrible, but it's all just superficial scratches from tree branches. No bones or tendons are broken." Dad looked at the postman in front of him and secretly breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to himself. Although the postman had many scrapes and cuts, thankfully none of them were serious, and no bones or tendons were broken. This was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Father's gaze fell on the postman's still shaken face, and a wave of sympathy welled up in his heart. He turned to his second brother and instructed, "Second brother, go fetch a basin of hot water and wash him. Also, take the ointment with you." Upon hearing this, the second brother turned and left quickly without saying a word.

"What's wrong with him now?" Mother's voice was full of worry. She walked quickly to the postman and carefully examined his condition.

"You're exhausted," Dad comforted him. "You'll recover after a rest." As he spoke, he turned around, gently stroking Xingbao's head with his large hand, and asked with concern, "Xingbao, were you frightened?"

Xingbao looked up at his father, the fear in his eyes lessening slightly. He hugged his father's leg tightly, as if that would make him feel safer, and said, "With Dad here, Xingbao isn't afraid."

Just then, the second brother came over carrying a basin of warm water. He placed the basin on the ground, then soaked a coarse cloth in it and began to carefully clean the postman's wound. The water was just the right temperature, warm and comforting, but perhaps the friction of the coarse cloth stung the wound, and the postman's eyes gradually regained their light.

The postman slowly opened his eyes and looked around. When his gaze fell on his father, he seemed to want to stand up, but his weakness prevented him from doing so. His father, quick-witted and agile, pressed him down and said softly, "Don't move yet, here, have some more water." As he spoke, his father held a bowl of water to the postman's lips.

He picked up his water glass, took several large gulps, and then let out a long sigh, as if that could ease the tension he had just felt. After resting for a moment, he composed himself and said, "Thank you so much for saving my life, shopkeeper. If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would already be dead..."

However, before he could finish speaking, his father interrupted him. His father waved his hand and said with a smile, "When you're out in the world, everyone inevitably encounters difficulties and dangers. If you can help, you should naturally lend a hand. Besides, you were in such danger while helping everyone deliver a message, so it's only right and proper that I save you. Therefore, you don't need to thank me! However, I am a little curious, how did you get targeted by the wolves?"

Upon hearing this, a look of guilt crossed his face. He sighed and slowly said, "It's all my fault. If I had listened to you, none of this would have happened. At first, the journey was going smoothly, but when I was almost at Tiger Slope, which you mentioned, I suddenly heard a deafening roar of a tiger. Immediately afterward, I saw a huge tiger charging towards me. I was terrified and completely lost my mind, rushing into the nearby woods without thinking. Luckily, I found a relatively thick tree and managed to climb it with great effort, barely escaping the tiger's attack."

He paused, then continued, "I stayed in the tree for quite a while, and the tiger never reappeared. I finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it would be safer to get back to you as soon as possible. But who would have thought that, just when we were almost there, we encountered a pack of hungry wolves! You already know what happened next..." After saying this, a look of desolation and helplessness appeared on his face, and he seemed somewhat depressed.

Although his second brother carefully wiped his wounds, he didn't seem to react much, only occasionally trembling slightly from the pain.

"You still lack experience! Once you've climbed the tree, you should have waited until dawn to come down. The wolves were attracted by the smell of blood on you." Dad paused. "Learn from your mistakes. You often deliver messages alone; in the future, avoid walking at night if possible!"

"The tiger cubs have grown up, and their original territory can no longer satisfy their food needs, so they have to seize the territory of other animals. This time, they seized the wolf's territory. This forced the wolves to come down the mountain in search of food, which led to the wolves coming down from the mountains! Although we killed one wolf and injured two today, no one knows what will happen next! I have to tell the villagers about this as soon as possible tomorrow." Dad stood in the yard, gazing into the distance, his face full of worry, as if countless unknowns and dangers were hidden in that distant place.

Hearing her father's words, the mother became even more worried. She quickly walked to his side and asked with a worried expression, "Husband, didn't you never hunt wolves before? How come you not only killed one but also injured two this time?" Her voice clearly revealed her fear and worry that the wolves might come back for revenge.

Father turned to look at Mother, his eyes revealing a mixture of helplessness and determination. He gently patted her shoulder, comforting her, "This time is different, Mother. These wolves have already come down from the mountain; they've broken the rules. If we don't teach them a lesson this time, they'll definitely come to harass our village frequently, and then the villagers won't have a peaceful life!"

At this moment, the second brother finished wiping the blood off the postman, and Dad took the ointment and carefully applied it to the postman's wound. As he applied it, Dad said, "This ointment is made from common herbs from the mountains. Although it looks unremarkable, it's very effective in preventing wound infection. Your injury isn't actually that serious; it just looks scary. Now, apply the ointment, sleep overnight, and the wound will scab over by tomorrow. It won't affect your normal movements."

Just as Father was applying medicine to Second Brother, footsteps suddenly came from the backyard. It turned out that a guest had heard the gunshot and had come over curiously to inquire about the situation. The guest asked anxiously, "Manager, what was that gunshot just now? Everyone in the lobby was talking about it, but we didn't see you come out. We saw the lights on in the backyard, so we came to check."

Father quickly got up and said to Third Sister, "Third Sister, I'll leave things here to you. I'll go to the main room in the front and explain to everyone what happened." After saying that, Father handed the ointment to Second Brother and then walked quickly towards the main room in the front.

After applying the medicine, the nurse arranged for the postman to sleep in the same bed as the eldest brother, while the second brother squeezed in with Xingbao and Guixiang.