Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Uncle Deng and his family arrived at the shop early to help, with clear division of labor and quick, efficient work. Aunt Deng, along with her two sons, Xuewen and Xiwu, stayed in the kitchen, tending the fire, boiling water, washing and chopping vegetables, and cooking porridge, keeping the stove burning constantly so they could receive customers at any time. Uncle Deng helped in the front of the shop, greeting customers, clearing tables, washing dishes, and moving supplies, keeping himself busy. With the family's help, the shop operated smoothly and efficiently.

As tensions rose in the south and war loomed, the number of travelers, those visiting relatives, and those conducting business surged. Before noon, the shop was already bustling with customers stopping for a meal. The second elder brother, who had previously only helped out his parents, now managed the shop himself. His initial awkwardness and nervousness were palpable; his greetings and pricing were somewhat stiff, and a hint of tension lingered in his eyes. However, having grown up observing his parents' hospitality, he knew that the key to running a business was enthusiasm, attentiveness, and honesty. With a little practice, he gradually became more composed.

When customers enter the shop, the second brother immediately greets them, guides them to their seats, clearly states the price, and patiently inquires about their taste preferences. He is warm, courteous, and attentive to everyone. When encountering passersby in a hurry, he instructs the kitchen to speed up the preparation of the food. He is especially gentle, respectful, and tactful towards older villagers. Diners praise him, saying that the second son of the Song family has grown up and become sensible, resembling a seasoned young manager.

The front of the restaurant was bustling with customers, while the kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking. Aunt Deng's skillful cooking, with its refreshing and flavorful home-style dishes, kept the customers coming back for more. Every time a table of guests paid their bill, the second brother would carefully check the charges before reporting them to Xingbao for bookkeeping and cashiering. The two brothers worked together more and more seamlessly, gradually transforming from initial awkwardness and confusion into a smooth and methodical process.

At midday, when the sun was at its zenith, the restaurant was packed with customers, a cacophony of voices filling the air. Uncle Deng bustled about in the front, constantly tidying up and washing dishes; in the kitchen, the stoves blazed, and food was being served continuously. Second Brother ran back and forth, greeting customers, taking orders, and keeping an eye on the food preparation process, while also helping to clear away dishes. He was sweating profusely, but remained diligent and responsible, never daring to slack off for a moment.

Xingbao sat upright behind the counter, diligently keeping accounts and handling cashier duties while also quietly observing the activity inside the store. Even when the store was packed with customers and noisy, his accounts remained neat and his income and expenditure were clear, without a single mistake. In his spare moments, he looked at his busy and steady second brother, and saw that his once mischievous and playful older brother had become capable and independent. He felt a deep sense of emotion, realizing that the children in the family were quietly growing up in the everyday life of the family, slowly taking on responsibilities.

As the situation grew increasingly tense, more and more people were traveling to escape the chaos and do business, making the shop busier than ever. Just when Second Brother was overwhelmed with work, Mother arrived with Brother Dashan to help. Seeing their reinforcements, Second Brother and Uncle Deng, who had been on edge, immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Taking advantage of a lull in the shop, Brother Dashan quietly told Xingbao that he had specially prepared pickled cabbage and pork intestine soup and lung slice soup in the kitchen so they could enjoy them once they finished their work.

As the afternoon customer flow gradually subsided, the shop finally quieted down. Mother told her second brother and Xingbao to take Uncle Deng's family to eat and rest, while she and Dashan stayed behind to watch the shop. The second brother wiped the sweat from his brow, looking at the neat and orderly shop and the clear and accurate accounts, a relieved smile spreading across his face. Although his first time fully managing the shop was tiring and busy, it allowed him to truly appreciate the hard work his parents put into running it, and to understand responsibility and commitment. Amidst the hustle and bustle, he completed a precious and somewhat awkward period of growth.

The eighth day of the eighth lunar month, which happened to be the first day of the tenth lunar month, was the auspicious day for Sister Shanshan's wedding. Early in the morning, after seeing off the last group of early-morning customers, Mother carefully locked the shop door and, along with Second Brother, Xingbao, Guixiang, and the gentle and obedient Xueqiu, headed to Grandma's house to attend Sister Shanshan's farewell banquet before her wedding. The siblings also got a fun job—blocking the door to welcome the bride, hoping to annoy the wedding procession and get some lucky red envelopes.

Although the wedding wasn't a grand affair, the Liu family was large and had many relatives and friends. Twelve tables were set up inside and outside the courtyard for the banquet, creating a lively atmosphere. This was after declining invitations from most of the more distant relatives and friends. Rural banquets are never short of gossip and idle chatter; family matters and old stories intertwined, always offering plenty of interesting tales. Xingbao then learned that his honest and hardworking uncle, who spent his days farming, had worked odd jobs in a traveling opera troupe in his youth, saving a considerable amount of money through diligence and hard work, thus supporting his family early on and laying a solid foundation for their livelihood.

These old stories were rarely mentioned by the villagers, and Xingbao listened with great curiosity, secretly wondering why his uncle had given up a stable job in the opera troupe to return to the countryside to farm. With the wedding time fast approaching and the task of blocking the door urgent, he had planned to give up and go wait at the gate. But suddenly he heard a sigh, "What a pity," the tone filled with endless regret, clearly concealing a hidden past. With a moment still before the wedding procession arrived, Xingbao paused, quietly listening to the rest of the conversation.

Scattered conversations slowly pieced together a long-forgotten story. In the old days, my eldest uncle's family had arranged a marriage with a family from a neighboring village who performed operas. This was a common practice among poor families in the countryside, where two marriages could be arranged without paying a dowry. My eldest uncle's cousin was the one who got married. When the marriage was first arranged, it was the envy of everyone in the surrounding area.

After my cousin married into an actor's family, she lived a wealthy and respectable life, truly enjoying a life of comfort and ease. Not only did her own circumstances change dramatically, but she also used her husband's family connections to secure stable employment for her brothers and cousins, and the whole family benefited. However, life is unpredictable, and good times don't last long. Several years into her marriage, my cousin was unable to conceive. Rumors began to circulate, and the family consulted several doctors, but none could find the cause of her illness. Ultimately, the reason was attributed to her husband's frequent travels for performing and his infrequent visits home.

Gossip is a powerful force. Years of loneliness and depression, along with the pointing fingers of others, eventually took a toll on my cousin's health. She fell seriously ill and was bedridden, but her husband, who was away from home for many years, never returned to visit her. In the end, this once glamorous woman passed away, ending her life in a tragic way.

After hearing this story, Xingbao suddenly understood why his uncle had resolutely left the opera troupe and returned to his hometown. He also understood his grandfather's frequent lament about the "heartlessness of actors"—all lessons learned from personal experience. During the meal, the aunts and uncles sighed, praising Shanshan for her good fortune in marrying a stable and reliable husband who was family-oriented, ensuring a smooth and worry-free life. They also lamented the tragic fate of their cousin, who, despite her wealth and status, died alone and miserable, a truly regrettable end.

After the initial sighs, Xingbao heard a lot more juicy gossip from the countryside. Someone mentioned Uncle Long's younger brother, who had worked as a raftsman in Huaihua for years, accumulating a substantial savings through hard work and perseverance. This year, he planned to return home to get married and start a family. Although he was a bit older, his family was well-off, and he was hardworking and reliable; any girl who married into his family would be blessed. The people chatted idly, recounting the different marriages and circumstances of various families. Some had found good partners and lived stable lives, while others had married unfortunate men and toiled away, wasting half their lives. Every word spoke of the joys and sorrows of ordinary families.