Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Suppressing the grief surging in his heart, the father composed himself and lowered his voice to instruct the children, his tone steady and unyielding: "You all get ready quickly, keep your composure, and make sure your mother and Guixiang don't notice anything amiss later."

The second brother felt a pang of sorrow in his heart, his eyes filled with grief. He couldn't help but retort, "Father, this can't be kept secret at all. News of the successive falls of Wuhan and Guangzhou has already spread. People will talk about the Battle of Fujinshan sooner or later, and the villagers will know about it sooner or later. There's no way to hide it."

"In these chaotic times, bad news is everywhere." Father's eyes held a deep sense of vicissitude as he slowly spoke, "The only rumors circulating outside are that Wuhan has fallen, Guangzhou has fallen, and the flames of war are about to reach Hunan. Every household is preoccupied with autumn taxes and making a living; everyone is too busy to care for themselves. No one will bother to delve into a war that is so far away. As long as we don't bring it up, no one in the village will have the time to ask or inquire."

He looked up at his elder brother and carefully instructed him on the follow-up arrangements: "Yan Guo, when are you going back to the academy? When you go back, quietly inquire about it. If your sister Shan Shan already knows about this, tell her to keep it a secret for now and not to make a fuss. If she still doesn't know, when the charity performance in Yongfeng Town is held in a couple of days, have your brother-in-law find a way to keep her at the grocery store so she doesn't hear any rumors. Your maternal grandparents are getting old and their hearts can't withstand repeated blows. We'll suppress the news for now and wait until your uncle's memorial is issued before slowly informing them."

The eldest brother wiped away the remaining tears, suppressed a sob in his voice, and respectfully agreed to the instructions. Then he said softly, "Father, the academy only has a one-day break. I'll be heading back to school after lunch. There's also something else, the charity performance in town to raise funds..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the difficulty and expectation in his voice were already evident. Silence fell again in the cellar, the damp air carrying a silent weighing of emotions and a heavy weight. Father remained silent for a long time.

After a long silence, Father finally spoke, his tone filled with helplessness and determination: "The bonuses we earned from making rice transplanters have all been converted into grain reserves. This year, the autumn tax has suddenly increased several times over, making it difficult for every household to make ends meet. We simply don't have any extra money. This time, we're donating to the country, doing what we can, and we'll donate five silver dollars."

With prices soaring and food and money scarce, five silver dollars could no longer buy a bushel of grain. Ordinary farmers had to sell their food and borrow from all sides to pay the heavy autumn tax. Every household was struggling to make ends meet. Very few families in the village could afford to come up with five silver dollars. This donation was already the Song family's best effort to raise the money.

After tidying themselves up, the group left the cellar, deliberately concealing their grief. Upon hearing that her eldest brother would be returning to the academy that afternoon, Mother suppressed her longing and loneliness, turned and went into the kitchen to bustle about, carefully preparing lunch, wanting only for him to have a hot meal before continuing his journey.

The perceptive Gui Xiang had already noticed the somber expressions and unusual atmosphere among the father and sons, but being too young to understand the deep sorrow and grief they carried, she assumed they were simply worried about the money they were raising. She silently ran back to her room, carefully retrieved the copper coins she had treasured for so long, saving them up for half a year, clutched them tightly in her hand, and hurried to her elder brother, her eyes filled with pure and sincere expectation.

"Big brother, if we donate money, will we be able to buy an airplane?" Gui Xiang looked up at her with clear, innocent eyes and asked softly, "If we have an airplane, will we no longer be afraid of being bombed by the Japanese planes? Then... when will I be able to see an airplane with my own eyes?"

The older brother looked down at his younger sister's innocent and pure face, his heart churning with emotion. He gently raised his hand to stroke her head, suppressing the sob in his throat, and softened his voice to soothe her: "Guixiang, be good. Once we've completely driven the Japanese devils away and the world is at peace, we'll go see the airplanes. These days, airplanes are too busy protecting our country and its people; let's not disturb them for now."

Seeing Gui Xiang earnestly present her hard-earned savings of copper coins, her sincerity and purity touching Xing Bao and his second brother, they exchanged a glance, both deeply moved. They decided to stop hiding their own savings. Each returned to their room, took out their painstakingly accumulated copper coins, and gently placed them in their eldest brother's hand, hoping to contribute their small share to the frontline soldiers and to raise funds for national salvation.

Clutching the meager amount of copper coins in his hand, Xingbao felt a surge of emotion and helplessness, sighing inwardly. If he were in a bustling city, with his knowledge and experience, even without the aid of his spatial abilities, he could easily find various ways to make a living, steadily earning a considerable sum of money to donate to the country, instead of living in such dire straits. But now, trapped in a remote and isolated mountain valley, relying on agriculture for a meager livelihood, every household struggled to make ends meet, truly demonstrating the harsh reality that even a hero can be brought down by a meager sum of money. His heart was filled with patriotic fervor, yet he was ultimately bound by small sums of money; this sense of powerlessness only strengthened his resolve to go to the city.

The breeding base had already planted cabbages, using the same superior varieties cultivated in Xingbao Space. Every household in the village followed suit, planting a considerable amount of cabbage. After all, last year's cabbages from the base had sold for a good price of one cent per seed, a fact that had already spread throughout the surrounding villages. Everyone was envious, hoping to make more money. The Song family, however, received a limited amount of superior seeds, which were quickly snapped up by the villagers, leaving them with nothing.

In the fields in front of the shop, Xingbao and his second brother planted newly cultivated winter wheat, hoping that the village would have another high-yield crop next year. He silently hoped that everyone could earn more money selling cabbage this year, and that next year every household could raise a few pigs, accumulate more farmyard manure, and properly nourish the fields, so as not to waste these hard-won, excellent seeds.

October arrived quickly, autumn deepened, and the air grew increasingly cool. My second and third aunts were nearing their due dates. According to the mountain village custom of postpartum confinement at home, new mothers needed to rest indoors, avoid wind and cold, and refrain from meeting strangers. So, my father hitched up a wheelbarrow and took my mother and young Wei Bao to the old house to take care of my aunts during their confinement. This trip lasted for over a month. Fortunately, as the weather turned colder, the number of customers at the shop gradually decreased, and with my maternal grandfather's family actively helping out, the shop's business wasn't significantly affected.

Xingbao's dictation project was finally completed, and with Weibao away, he could finally relax and follow Guixiang around like a little helper, doing whatever she asked and always going along with her wishes, showing off her authority as an older sister while also getting a little free. During this time, he knew that Guixiang was secretly plotting something, feeling that her younger brother was becoming increasingly mischievous and almost uncontrollable. She was secretly planning to replace Weibao with her little helper when Weibao was a bit older, someone who would be easier to manage and more obedient.