Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Shanshan's wedding was successfully concluded, and the festive atmosphere in the village lingered for a long time. Within a few days, another series of happy events followed in the neighborhood. The new houses of Uncle Deng and Uncle Long, which had been under construction, were successively prepared for the raising of the roof beams on auspicious days. In the countryside, raising the roof beams of a house is a major event, symbolizing a stable home and a prosperous family. It is considered the second most lively and joyous event in the village after weddings, and everyone is happy to come and join in the fun, help out, and wish for good luck.

On the day the roof beam was raised, the sky was clear and the weather was perfect. The two houses were surrounded by villagers who came to watch the excitement early in the morning. Adhering to the custom of mutual help, the young and strong men took the initiative to lend a hand to hand materials and straighten the roof beams, while the women helped to boil water, do chores, and prepare celebratory food. The children gathered in groups in front of the houses, standing on tiptoe and looking up, waiting to grab the wedding candies and cakes thrown down during the roof beam raising and share in the joy.

Because it was right next door, Mom held Xiao Weibao, Dad brought Guixiang, and Xingbao and his second brother went to join the fun. The two new houses were completed one after another, and the ceremonies were equally grand and lively. The craftsmen burned incense to pray for blessings and set off firecrackers to wish for good fortune. As the firecrackers resounded through the clear sky, the thick and well-proportioned main beam rose and fell steadily and was placed in its correct position, firmly supporting the roof beams. The foundation was solid and the house was square and well-proportioned, which drew cheers from the onlookers.

Once the main beam is in place and the blessing ceremony is complete, the most lively part begins: the distribution of festive treats. Craftsmen stand on high ground and scatter handfuls of prepared candies, pastries, and puffed rice down. The colorful treats fly everywhere, landing among the crowd. Children laugh and scramble for them, creating a lively and joyful atmosphere that fills the entire courtyard.

Unlike his friends who were only focused on grabbing the wedding candy, the second brother, along with Xingbao and Guixiang, stood respectfully below, sincerely congratulating the newly erected beam with auspicious words. "May the raising of the beam bring good fortune and peace to the family!" "May the beam be stable and the house secure, and may prosperity increase year after year!" "May the family be prosperous and the harvest abundant!" These simple and auspicious words landed clearly, bringing smiles to the faces of Uncle Deng and Uncle Long, who were in charge of the ceremony, and making them feel particularly comfortable.

The two families were already grateful for the Song family's usual help, and seeing that the three children were well-behaved, sensible, sweet-talking, and polite without fighting or making a fuss, they were even happier. After the excitement subsided, Uncle Deng and Uncle Long specially called the three siblings over and each took out a few brand-new copper coins to hand over as a lucky charm.

Gui Xiang happily accepted the copper coins, carefully clutching them in her palm, her eyes crinkling with joy. Her second brother also politely thanked her and carefully put the coins away. Xing Bao looked at the heavy copper coins in his hand, his heart filled with warmth. Rural people are always simple and honest; a few kind words and a sincere heart are enough to earn the kindness and hospitality of neighbors.

As the lively celebrations came to an end and autumn deepened, the mountain village, no longer bustling with weddings and housewarming ceremonies, returned to its peaceful tranquility. Xingbao also resumed his daily routine, his body becoming increasingly supple and robust through day-to-day breathing exercises. To his greatest surprise, a warm and lingering qi gradually formed in his dantian, settling steadily in his abdomen. He hadn't expected that his rudimentary qi cultivation methods from his previous life would actually be effective. With time and the qi cluster growing stronger, he would be able to guide this qi to flow slowly along his meridians, nourishing his entire body. Each time he drank the spiritual spring water, the warmth emanating from it could be somewhat controlled by his increasingly powerful mental strength, managing its direction within his body.

The autumn grains in the fields are gradually becoming fuller, with heavy ears of rice bending the green stalks, and a bountiful harvest is brewing in the mountains and fields. A gentle breeze ripples through the rice paddies, carrying the faint sweetness of the grains, and the village is peaceful and serene, as if the turmoil and storms of the outside world have been completely blocked by the continuous mountains.

But in times of chaos, the peace of the mountain village is ultimately short-lived. Recently, many travelers who were rushing to escape the chaos or stopping to do business passed through this place, and in their casual conversations, they brought news of the current situation from the outside world. While Xingbao was studying in the shop, he heard bits and pieces of news about a major event that shocked the whole country: the Nationalist government published a factual book entitled "Japanese Atrocities Witnessed by Outsiders".

This book rejects unsubstantiated rumors and presents firsthand accounts from foreigners, written in black and white, every word a fact. It meticulously records the heinous atrocities committed by the Japanese army after capturing Nanjing, including massacres, looting, and the brutal treatment of civilians—each atrocious act utterly horrific. It also documents the devastation in Japanese-occupied North China, where the enemy relentlessly oppressed the people and seized land, plunging the inhabitants into misery and living in constant fear and suffering.

Before this, the villagers had only heard of the Japanese army's ferocity and warlike nature, but they had never known that their atrocities were so horrific. The scattered news of the war in the past had always been vague and general, but the publication of this book completely tore off the hypocritical mask of the Japanese army, exposing its brutal and bloodthirsty true face nakedly to the Chinese people.

When the news first reached his father's ears, he was engrossed in keeping accounts. Upon hearing the horrific details of the tragedy described in the book, a surge of anger ignited within him. With nowhere to vent his pent-up resentment, he suddenly exerted force with his fingertips, and with a sharp crack, the bamboo brush handle snapped in two. The brush bristles scattered, and ink splattered, blackening the neatly written accounts and instantly casting a somber and oppressive atmosphere over the room.

Fellow Chinese, sharing the same bloodline, felt a deep sense of empathy and compassion upon witnessing the suffering and displacement of people in other lands. The news spread rapidly throughout the mountain village through neighborhood gossip and word-of-mouth, instantly shrouding the peaceful village in profound grief and indignation.

For a time, the mountain village was filled with somber sighs and suppressed indignation, and everyone felt heavy-hearted and sorrowful. Everyone knew that this book, compiled by foreign journalist Timberlake and published by the Nationalist government in 1938, was a verifiable record of blood and tears, truthfully restoring the endless suffering of the Nanjing Massacre and the occupied areas of North China, a story that was deeply painful and piercing.

The village elders, leaning on their worn canes, their bodies hunched and faces solemn, shook their heads and sighed repeatedly, lamenting the ruthlessness of the chaotic world and the suffering of the common people. In the fields, young and strong men stopped their work, their brows furrowed, fists clenched, their eyes blazing with anger and resentment at the fall of their homeland, hating the brutality of the Japanese invaders and the devastation of their land. The village women listened, their noses stinging with tears, wiping them frequently, feeling both pity for the plight of the fallen people and fear that the flames of war would spread and shatter their hard-won peace. Even the innocent children in the village, unaware of the complexities of the world, couldn't comprehend the grand themes of national duty and the rise and fall of the times, but were overwhelmed by the solemn expressions of the adults and the horrifying descriptions of the atrocities in the books. Each child looked panicked, clinging helplessly to their elders, their little faces filled with bewilderment and fear, too afraid to utter a word.

No one gossiped about family matters anymore; everyone's thoughts were preoccupied with the suffering in the distance. Past petty squabbles and quarrels between neighbors vanished in the face of national and personal vendettas. This event solidified the unity of the entire village, and everyone was fully awakened to the fact that the devastation of their homeland and the displacement of their people were not distant rumors; the storms of war had already engulfed the land of China, and no one could remain unscathed.