Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Time flies like an arrow, and the sweltering summer has quietly come to an end. In the blink of an eye, it's time for my eldest brother to return to school. Compared to the immense reluctance and tearful farewells he experienced the first time he left home to study, this time the siblings are much more at ease with the comings and goings. As always, Dad packed his bags early, prepared plenty of food and personal belongings, and surrounded by the family, he took my eldest brother on his journey back to the academy. There wasn't much lingering reluctance, only a heart full of anticipation, hoping that my eldest brother would devote himself to his studies and achieve great success.

After my eldest brother left home for school, the most exciting and anticipated event in the village was Sister Shanshan's wedding. As the wedding date of the eighth day of the eighth lunar month drew closer, the whole village was filled with a festive and lively atmosphere. My father and eldest uncle began preparing for the wedding well in advance. To ensure that Sister Shanshan would have a dignified and grand wedding, the two of them specially repaired and modified the family's four-wheeled cart, which had served them so well. They slightly reduced the size of the cart, made the lines more regular and harmonious, and carefully polished it, then painted it with a bright and clear red paint.

The bright red car body was brand new and eye-catching, with a smooth and even paint finish, festive and grand, perfect for Shanshan's wedding car. According to local tradition, the wedding car is always prepared by the groom's family, and there is a saying that "aunts don't pick up the bride, and uncles don't send her off," meaning that the uncle is not allowed to participate in the wedding procession. However, this marriage was arranged by her father, who, although not officially a professional matchmaker, truly brought the two families together and was already tacitly recognized by both sides as the groom's elder to receive the bride.

The eldest uncle was eager for his daughter's wedding. He didn't seek extravagance, but only a dignified and impressive affair, not to be outdone by others. So, he took the initiative to lead the discussion, bringing together the groom's family and the matchmaker to carefully plan the wedding. After much deliberation, they finally decided to use this newly modified four-wheeled cart as the wedding car. This cart had once transported rice transplanters, making great contributions to the village's autumn harvest and spring planting. It had a special history and auspicious meaning. Now, it had been completely renovated and refurbished, with a neat and presentable appearance. Compared to any horse-drawn carriage rented from outside, it was sturdy, durable, clean, and brand new, making it far more impressive.

Besides modifying the wedding car, another major preparation in the family has quietly come to fruition. A newly made rice transplanter, repeatedly coated with tung oil and meticulously maintained, was not originally on Sister Shanshan's dowry list. However, with the county's resource allocation and agricultural promotion situation now clear, the reputation of this new type of farm tool from the Song family has already spread. This kind of item, which can not only showcase the bride's family's wealth and status but also benefit the groom's family's agricultural production and help with the autumn harvest and spring planting, is truly an excellent addition to the dowry and should not be missed.

After discussing it with her eldest uncle, her father officially included the brand-new, intact rice transplanter in her dowry. Firstly, it would allow Sister Shanshan to gain a firm foothold in her husband's family after marriage, giving her confidence and preventing others from looking down on her; secondly, the new farm tool would effectively help her husband's family with their farming, genuinely increasing production and saving labor. It was the most practical and thoughtful dowry, far more substantial and sincere than ordinary items.

With the wedding date approaching and many things to do, Father drove his newly repaired red-painted four-wheeled cart to the groom's house a day early to coordinate the wedding arrangements. Mother took Guixiang to Grandpa's house to help carefully count and organize the dowry, busying herself with tidying up inside and out. In the end, only Second Brother, Xingbao, and young Weibao were left to look after the huge Song family's shop.

Wei Bao is currently at the age where he's lively and active, crawling all over the place. His little cradle can no longer contain his energy and simply cannot satisfy the little guy's active nature. When no one is there to play with him, he pesters his two older brothers to make a ruckus. He especially loves throwing things and listening to the sound of them hitting the ground, finding it novel and interesting. The rattle drum that his father bought for him earlier has long been tossed and smashed by him so many times that it's almost broken. Much of the paint on the drum body has been worn away, and the drumsticks are loose and flimsy.

The two older brothers, exasperated by the little guy's antics, deliberately teased him. Several times, after Wei Bao threw the rattle drum, the two brothers pretended not to see it and refused to bend down to pick it up. The little guy would immediately pout and start wailing loudly, his cries soft yet surprisingly strong. But as soon as his second brother or Xing Bao reached out and handed the rattle drum back to him, he would instantly stop crying, grin, revealing two tiny, baby teeth, his eyes crinkling with laughter, and glistening drool dripping from the corners of his mouth, wetting his chin. Then, with a vigorous shake of his small, white, lotus-root-like hands, he would toss the rattle drum out again, giggling at the sound of it hitting the ground, endlessly entertained and tireless in his repetition.

Xingbao and his second brother were exhausted from his constant fussing, their patience worn thin, and they had no temper left. The two of them slumped on the bamboo stools next to the cradle, like two completely flattened salted fish, leaning against the cradle listlessly, mechanically bending over, picking up, and handing over the drum, repeating the monotonous actions, their faces filled with utter despair.

Just as the two brothers were getting exhausted from the little one's antics, their mother, who had gone out to help, suddenly returned to get something. As soon as she entered, she saw this amusing scene and couldn't help but laugh and tease them, "You two half-grown boys, even combined, aren't as good as Gui Xiang. Gui Xiang is always so organized when it comes to taking care of children, unlike you two who are so flustered and helpless."

After saying that, Mother gently picked up the fussy Wei Bao, helping the two of them out of their predicament. She then quickly packed up the necessary items and hurried back to Grandpa's house to continue her work. Watching Mother's departing figure carrying Wei Bao, the empty house was finally quiet, free from the little one's crying and playing. Xing Bao and his second brother exchanged a glance, both letting out a long sigh of relief as their tense nerves instantly relaxed, finally able to have some peace and quiet.

Today, for the first time, the Song family shop was handed over to the younger generation for full management. The second brother took over as manager, responsible for greeting customers, taking orders, serving food, and settling accounts. Xingbao sat at the counter as the accountant, in charge of bookkeeping, cashiering, and checking accounts. The father was worried that the two children would not be enough to help, so he invited Uncle Deng next door to come and help. The main structure of his house had been completed, and they were just waiting for the day to raise the roof beam. Uncle Deng was able to come and help in advance, taking care of kitchen chores, front-of-house cleaning, and washing dishes, steadily supporting the daily operation of the shop.

This was the second brother's first time independently managing the shop. Gone was his playful, childish nature; he now exuded a serious and focused demeanor. With noon still a long way off, he and Xingbao busied themselves, cleaning the shop inside and out, wiping down tables, chairs, and stoves, and neatly arranging grains, oils, dried goods, and side dishes for Uncle and Aunt Deng's convenience. His usual impulsive nature was completely suppressed; every word and action mirrored his father's composed manner when entertaining guests. Only occasionally did he glance towards the door, his gaze revealing a mixture of trepidation and anticipation at his first time managing the business alone.

Xingbao was steady and meticulous in his work. He moved a high stool to sit at the counter, neatly arranged the account books, pens, ink, and money box, and diligently performed his accounting duties. He was meticulous and had an excellent memory. He remembered every income and expenditure, and every expense at every table, clearly and without the slightest error.