Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Not long after Mother returned with Wei Bao, snowflakes began to fall. A cold wind carried fine snowflakes, sweeping across the rooftops and fields of the mountain village, turning the world into a pristine white expanse, adding to the biting chill. During this time, memorials for soldiers from the front lines began to arrive in the village, each piece of tragic news tugging at the hearts of the entire village. The family's tofu workshop remained open for almost every day. Each time they delivered tofu, Father would take my second brother and Xing Bao, prepare tea and incense, and silently go to the deceased's home to kowtow and offer incense, sending their clothes and belongings up the mountain for burial, to comfort their loyal souls.

This morning, the wind and snow intensified, with heavy snowflakes blurring the mountain paths. Just then, Brother Qianjin braved the blizzard, wearing a raincoat and a straw hat, his body covered in snow, his face flushed, and pushed open the door of the bamboo house. Behind him, he led a donkey laden with goods, the sound of its hooves shattering the silence of the courtyard.

Inside, Xingbao was sitting around the charcoal fire with his second brother and a few friends, chatting and warming themselves. The cozy warmth dispelled the chill. Hearing the door open, everyone looked towards the entrance. Seeing Qianjin covered in snow and looking serious, Xingbao quickly stood up and greeted him with a smile, "Qianjin, come in and warm yourself by the fire. I'll pour you a cup of hot water to warm you up."

"I have urgent business to attend to today, so I won't stay any longer." Qianjin waved his hand, his voice hoarse from the wind and snow, and his gaze fell on his second brother. "Yanguo, come out for a moment, I have something to say to you."

Upon hearing this, the second brother laughed and stood up jokingly, saying as he walked towards the door, "Brother Qianjin, what's the matter that you have to say outside? You're not upset that I'm enjoying myself at home while you're out in the wind, are you?"

As Xingbao carried a bowl of steaming hot water outside, he saw Qianjin and his second brother standing in the middle of the road, talking in hushed tones, their expressions unusually serious and their brows heavy. Just as he approached, their conversation ended. Qianjin took the hot water, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. He handed the empty bowl back to Xingbao, gently patted his head, sighed heavily, then mounted his donkey and galloped off into the snow towards the village, his figure quickly disappearing into the white expanse of the mountain road.

Seeing this, Xingbao had a bad feeling and secretly guessed that this must be the day his uncle and his family arrived in mourning. Clinging to a sliver of hope, unwilling to believe the worst, he still quietly asked his second brother, "Second brother, what did Qianjin say to you?"

The second brother looked in the direction Qianjin had left, his throat choked with emotion, his voice trembling uncontrollably, and slowly replied, "It's Uncle's memorial service... In this cold weather, how will Grandpa and Grandma, who are getting old, endure it! Xingbao, I'll go tell Dad to wear more clothes too, we might have to go out later."

As soon as he finished speaking, the second brother turned and strode quickly into the house, his steps heavy, filled with anxiety and grief. Xingbao quickly followed, greeted his companions in the bamboo house, asked them to look after the house, and then ran to the backyard to put on more clothes.

Within moments, suppressed sobs echoed from the main room, heart-wrenching and filled with grief. Xingbao quickly pushed open the door and squeezed inside. He saw his father, his face somber, sternly instructing his second brother, "Yanguo, you ride Black Charcoal now to fetch your eldest brother. Don't delay on the way, or we won't be able to cross Tiger Slope before dark!"

"Yes, Father!" the second brother replied, turning to rummage for warm clothes. Though heartbroken, Mother forced herself to get up and prepared a raincoat and straw hat for her second brother. She then hurriedly packed provisions for the journey, fearing he might suffer from cold or hunger. Xingbao also quickly ran to the livestock pen in the backyard, fetched Black Charcoal, carefully added hay to it, and even filled two containers with water mixed with spiritual spring water, hanging them on its body in case of emergency on the road.

As Mother helped Second Brother put on his raincoat and tighten the rope of his straw hat, Father handed him a heavy money bag, saying solemnly, "When you're out and about, carry some money with you for emergencies. Keep it safe and don't lose it. Be careful on the road."

Everyone watched as their second brother rode away on his black charcoal bike until his figure disappeared around the bend in the mountain road. Only then did their father turn away and instruct Xingbao, "Xingbao, go put on a warmer coat, then go and invite your master down. Also, go and call your eldest uncle over to the house; we have something to discuss."

"Okay, Dad, I'll go right away!" Xingbao turned around and was about to leave when Guixiang grabbed his clothes.

"Dad, what about me? What can I do?" Gui Xiang looked up with her little face full of expectation, hoping to be able to help the family.

Father gently stroked Guixiang's head, his tone tender and comforting: "Guixiang, be good. Your mother is feeling sad right now. Stay with her, and with Xiao Weibao, we'll take care of the house together. Don't let your mother be too lonely."

"Yes! Okay, Dad!" Gui Xiang nodded vigorously, obediently walked to her mother's side, took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her mother's tears. She imitated how adults usually comforted Wei Bao, and coaxed her mother in a soft voice. Her clumsy but thoughtful actions almost made her mother choke with grief, and her heart was filled with both sorrow and warmth.

Xingbao didn't delay any longer. He quickly wrapped his coarse cotton-padded coat tighter, tied the leg straps on his cotton-padded trousers, and braved the swirling snow with his oil-paper umbrella. The snowstorm intensified, with goose-feather snowflakes whipping against the umbrella with a crackling sound, making the ribs tremble slightly. His maternal grandfather's house wasn't far; it was just a few steps along the eaves. There wasn't much snow on the ground, so he hurried over, hunching his shoulders. He relayed his father's message to his uncle, saying there was something important to discuss at home. Then, he politely declined his grandmother's warm invitation, saying that a guest had caught a cold and they needed to go up the mountain to ask his master for a home visit. He turned and trudged towards his master's house, his steps uneven with the snow.

The mountain path was covered in snow, muddy and slippery. He had to hold onto the tree trunks by the roadside frequently to steady himself, walking very slowly. Fortunately, he had set out early and had plenty of time, but his coarse cloth shoes were already soaked through with snow water. His shoes and socks were wet, cold, and sticky, and the chill crept up from the soles of his feet, making them numb. Every step was piercingly cold, making him involuntarily pull his feet away. Luckily, Xingbao was physically strong; any other child would have definitely fallen ill from the cold.

Xingbao trudged through the snow and mud to his master's house. He folded his oil-paper umbrella under the eaves by the door, stomped on his shoes to shake off the snow and mud, and then gently pushed open the door a crack, peeking his little head inside. To his surprise, his master and mistress were sitting by the brazier, one engrossed in a medical book, the other sewing a small baby garment. The sound of the door opening startled them, and they both looked up. Xingbao immediately smiled and called out in a clear voice, "Master, Mistress, I've come to see you!" He then squeezed through the crack in the door, gently closing it behind him to keep out the cold wind and snow.