Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Early in the morning, Xingbao was awakened by an enticing aroma, and in his groggy state, he unconsciously smacked his lips. Guixiang, who was beside him, had already sat up, rubbing her eyes, and said softly, "It smells so good, it's the smell of meat!" The two of them didn't even have time to put on their shoes properly, and ran to the backyard in their slippers.

Before they even stepped through the backyard gate, the sizzling sound of stir-frying filled the air, followed by a wave of hot, spicy aroma that washed over their faces—the fragrance of garlic, ginger, and chili peppers, infused with the unique savory scent of animal offal. It instantly banished any lingering drowsiness they felt. Gui Xiang grabbed Xing Bao's hand and quickened their pace. As soon as they entered the backyard, they saw a large group of people gathered around the stove, creating a festive atmosphere.

Chef Li from the village was standing in front of a large iron wok, his spatula flying up and down as he muttered, "Add more chili peppers to make it more flavorful." Brother Dashan, squatting beside the stove, had just stuffed firewood into the firebox when he was choked by the spicy fumes emanating from the wok, wiping away tears. Coughing, he said, "Uncle Li, you've added way too much chili pepper! I can barely open my eyes!" This remark made everyone around laugh.

Xingbao's mother and several aunts were busy under the eaves, chopping sauerkraut with their cleavers, chatting about how to distribute the meat for the day: how much each family would get, whether to take it when visiting relatives and friends, or to keep it for their own consumption. On the table in front of them was a large bowl of chopped large intestines.

The eldest and second eldest brothers were busy at another stove, where sweet potato porridge was simmering in a pot, steaming hot, with a sweet aroma mixed with the fragrance of rice wafting over. The eldest brother was stirring the porridge with a spoon, while the second eldest brother was tending the fire. When he saw Xingbao and Guixiang arrive, the second eldest brother smiled and waved, "When the porridge is ready, I'll serve you two bowls to tide you over."

"No way, Second Brother, I want to save room for meat." Gui Xiang looked at her second brother's slightly stiff face and felt a little sorry for him. "Second Brother, I'll drink the porridge after it cools down."

"Okay, let's put all our porridge in the cupboard to cool down, and go eat the meat first, hehe!" Second Brother's face changed so quickly. He was like a cat that had stolen some fish, chuckling and secretly exchanging glances with Brother Ding, who was simmering bone broth next to him.

On several tables near the side door, large bowls of cooked sliced ​​lung with scallions were already laid out. The lung slices were sprinkled with bright green scallions and drizzled with chili oil, looking incredibly tempting. Several large bowls containing pale reddish blood were scattered haphazardly on the damp floor. Xingbao approached the table, his mouth watering as he stared at the sliced ​​lung with scallions. The fragrant, spicy aroma wafted from the large iron pot—Chef Zhang had already ladled stir-fried wolf liver into a bowl, glistening with oil and steaming. Brother Dashan had stopped coughing and was helping to carry the bowls, his face full of smiles. Morning light streamed through the eaves, falling warmly on the busy people. The tension and fear of the previous night seemed to have been blown away by this warm, homey atmosphere.

From a distance, Guixiang shouted, "Mom, is it a feast today? There's so much delicious food!"

"Silly girl, this is a special treat the village made after we killed the wolves—the uncles and elders who worked hard last night, and the travelers who stayed overnight, are all eating here today so everyone can taste the wolf meat and share in the joy." Mother looked up at the slippery, messy ground. "Guixiang's mother, this is too messy. You shouldn't come over. You take Xingbao to wash his face, then go to the washing well; Fugui and the others are there!"

"Okay, Mother," Gui Xiang replied, pulling Xing Bao and turning to walk towards the kitchen. In recent days, under Xing Bao's influence, Gui Xiang has been able to wash her face and eat by herself, becoming more and more independent.

The siblings came out of the kitchen. Ten tables were already set up in the main room, and Fugui and the others were busy arranging chairs. Xingbao quickly walked up and asked, "Fugui, weren't you by the well? What are you doing here?"

Fu Gui looked up and saw Gui Xiang and Xing Bao. He quickly smiled and said, "Gui Xiang, Xing Bao, you're awake! We were watching the uncles weigh meat by the well. The meat in several large winnowing baskets was piled up like small mountains. If it were all given to our family, it would be enough to eat for a lifetime!" His slightly chubby face was full of intoxication, as if he was already immersed in the aroma of meat.

Gui Xiang stared at him with wide eyes: "Fu Gui, do you like to eat meat that has gone bad? My mother said that meat will go bad as soon as it's put in the refrigerator. If it's put in the refrigerator for a lifetime, how bad will it be! Uh..." As soon as she finished speaking, Fu Gui's expression froze. Gui Xiang's words seemed to have bluntly shattered his fantasy.

"No wonder you always smell like that!" Xuewen added aptly from the side, his words carrying a hint of teasing.

"I was sweating a lot last night!" Fugui hurriedly explained. "Last night, a pack of wolves was stealing meat right outside my door. Everyone who was peeping at the scene was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. One child even peed his pants!" Looking at Fugui's face, which was slowly turning pale, it was clear that he had been quite frightened last night.

"Who is it?" "Who's so scared?" Hearing that someone had wet themselves, everyone curiously surrounded Fugui and asked.

"I won't tell. I promised to keep it a secret." Fugui's eyes darted around, but his tone was firm. "Anyway, it's from our village. You can guess for yourselves."

"Hurry up and move some chairs, it's almost time to eat!" At that moment, Brother Wang carried a table over and placed it outside the door.

Fu Gui's eyes lit up. He took out a piece of chalk from his pocket, which he didn't know where he got it from, and stuffed it into Xing Bao's hand. He said, "Gui Xiang, Xing Bao, you two write well, so please write your names on the stools as a mark. We'll go get some other stools." As he spoke, he gave Xue Wen a wink.

Well, the siblings originally wanted to go out and see what was going on, but they were conscripted before they even left the house! The group went from house to house carrying tables and chairs and borrowing bowls and chopsticks. Along the way, there was heated discussion about the thrilling wolf hunt last night and anticipation for today's "mountain of meat". The scene was very lively.

Two rows of tables were set up along the street, plus ten in the kitchen, making nearly a hundred in total. Three temporary stoves were also set up. By midday, all the tables and chairs were in place, but the adults were nowhere to be seen. The children couldn't wait any longer and went together to check on them in the direction of the washing well.

From afar, they could see that the old site of the banyan tree was once again surrounded by people. The group quickly walked forward and asked Uncle Liu, whom they knew well, "Uncle Liu, why isn't dinner served yet? We've already set the tables and chairs! Are we going to distribute the meat first?"

"Look, the township head and his people just arrived, so we'll have to wait a while before we can eat." Uncle Liu didn't turn around, but craned his neck to look into the crowd, his tone filled with curiosity.

"We haven't gone to the township to inform them yet, so how did the township head know about this and even make a special trip over here?"

"Last night we were skinning wolves and cleaning their entrails by the river, and the water turned the river in front of the township government building red," Uncle Liu explained. "The township head didn't even need us to give him a special notice; he rushed to our village with his men before work hours even started!"

A moment later, the crowd gradually quieted down. Then, a faint voice could be heard from ahead. Because Xingbao was far away, he couldn't hear the exact words, but he gleaned the general situation from the whispered conversation: the township head congratulated the village's wolf-hunting team; they had succeeded in their wolf hunt with only half a pig and a few minor injuries. Because the event was sudden, the township head and his entourage had come to confirm the results, and preparations were not yet complete. The township would issue a reward to the wolf-hunting team in a few days. The village head then offered a few words of encouragement and announced that dinner was served.

The street was instantly bustling with noise. Xingbao, Guixiang, Xuewen, Xiwu, and six other children grabbed a table. Several uncles and aunts wanted to sit down, but luckily, Second Brother pulled Dashan along, and Ding Ge and Fugui squeezed in as well. As soon as the meal started, the dishes at other tables were emptied! As the people at the other tables gradually left, a few teenagers carried their bowls over. Seeing this, Second Brother immediately shouted, "Quickly distribute the food!" Before he finished speaking, Dashan and Ding Ge had already picked up their bowls and were dividing the remaining food into everyone's bowls, one with chopsticks and the other with a spoon. The group of people, bowls in hand, hurried home.

When the siblings returned to the restaurant, they found the main table and the second table still occupied, with their eldest brother and brother Xiangqian pouring wine at their respective tables. The siblings quickly found a table near the main table and sat down, enjoying their meal while eavesdropping on the adults' conversation. It turned out that the district was also considering forming a wolf-hunting team, and having learned about their village's success in wolf hunting, they had specifically sounded out their father's opinion, asking if he would be interested in serving as an instructor for the team.

After a long silence, the father slowly spoke, "Thank you for your high regard for me, township head and district leaders, but my abilities are limited, and I am afraid I am not up to the task." Although his words were humble, the determination they revealed was undeniable.

The air at the table paused for a moment after these words, but the township head didn't press further. Instead, he turned to his eldest brother standing to the side, a smile appearing in his eyes: "This must be your eldest son, Yanbang! The teacher at the school often tells me that you've surpassed him, a promising young man. He was even mentioning the other day that you're preparing to take the entrance exam for the county's middle school next month. Are you teaching at home to help with the exam?"

The elder brother paused for a moment, about to speak, when the township head continued, "I've been busy with construction work these past few days and haven't been able to spare the time, so I've brought the letter of recommendation to you today." As he spoke, a servant dressed in shorts at the next table immediately stood up, took a brown paper envelope from his canvas bag, presented it to the township head with both hands, and then, at the township head's signal, turned and walked towards the elder brother.

The eldest brother stood there, forgetting to raise his hand, his face full of bewilderment. The atmosphere, which had eased slightly, froze again. Xingbao tightened his grip on his chopsticks and secretly glanced at his father—his father's brows relaxed a little, but he didn't speak immediately.

After a brief pause, Father finally spoke, his voice gentler than before: "Yanbang, since the township head is willing to grant your request, then you should accept it."

The eldest brother seemed to suddenly come to his senses, and quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply to the township head: "Thank you for your kindness, township head!" After saying that, he took the envelope with both hands, carefully put it into his inner pocket, and pressed it down before he felt at ease.

Seeing the eldest brother carefully put the envelope away, everyone at the table quietly breathed a sigh of relief. The previously tense atmosphere finally eased, like ice melting in water. The village head picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and as he put it down, his gaze returned to his father, his tone tentative: "Brother, what do you think?"

Although he didn't say it all, everyone understood what he meant—the village head wanted to ask again about the matter of his father refusing the instructor earlier, now using his elder brother's letter of recommendation.

After a moment of contemplation, Dad looked up at the township head and said with a more earnest tone, "As you all have seen, it's not that I'm trying to refuse, but the battle formations we use to fight wolves in our village are simple methods put together based on the village's terrain and manpower. They are easy to learn, but I'm really not confident in being the instructor of the district's wolf-fighting team based on this, and I'm afraid I won't be able to convince the people."

He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the edge of the table, then said, "Mayor, how about this? You can arrange for the wolf-hunting team from the district to come to our village. I'll share our village's wolf-hunting experience and tactics with them. If they have any good methods, we can exchange them with us. But we don't need many people, just a few experts. I really can't accommodate everyone else here. Is that alright?"

The village head's hand, holding the wine glass, paused in mid-air. He hesitated for a moment, then smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes smoothing out. "Since you have such concerns, I won't force you. You're still the same as always—steadfast and not impulsive." He put down the glass, leaning slightly forward, his voice carrying a familiar, wistful tone. "I'll arrange for a reliable person to contact you. I know a thing or two about your abilities. Back then, you risked your life alongside the general, and none of those who returned alive were simpletons. Only you are willing to return to the village and guard this land."

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table fell silent for a moment. Then the village head quickly smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Oh, it's all for the good of the villagers! Come on, let's continue eating. The food won't taste good if it gets cold!" As he spoke, he picked up the serving chopsticks and put a piece of stewed meat on the plate for everyone around him, and the atmosphere instantly became lively again.

The lingering worries in their hearts seemed to have been blown away by a gentle breeze. Everyone's faces were filled with relaxed and cheerful smiles, holding wine glasses, toasting each other, and chatting amiably. Their conversation consisted of nothing more than the village's harvest and the district's current situation—just ordinary, everyday talk.

Occasionally, someone would mention the wolf hunt, but they would just laugh and say, "With the district backing us up, we don't have to worry about wolves anymore!" This remark drew agreement from everyone, and for a moment, laughter and cheerful chatter filled the air, creating a very harmonious atmosphere.

Before their departure, they agreed that the wolf pelts would be soaked in wood ash by the village for a day, and then sent to the district the next day with the people sent by the township. Not only that, the village head also specially sent someone to bring two already processed wolves to accompany them to the township, as a sign of sincerity.