Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Uncle Meiguang also specially sent a letter home to inform us that Uncle Meiyao's sock workshop was already set up, but due to the current situation and poor transportation, the supply of silk thread was often in short supply, barely enough for him to operate socks alone, making it difficult to expand the business. Uncle knew that his children had been looking forward to going to the city to work, and fearing that they would be anxious, he specially wrote to comfort them, informing them that the Hunan-Guizhou Highway would be open to traffic in the spring, and that once the silk thread supply chain stabilized after the New Year, he would immediately write to inform his second brother and the others to come to the county town to join him. This news instantly lifted the spirits of his second brother, who had been silent for a long time, and his eyes regained their light.

Xingbao knew perfectly well that his second brother's heart had long since left the small mountain village. Ever since he heard about the opportunity to work in the city, he had been looking forward to it day and night. Almost a year had passed, and he was already filled with anxiety as the opportunity remained elusive. He had even boasted to his fellow villagers that he could make it in the county town, but now that he hadn't set off, he was ashamed to go out, afraid of being teased. His heart was filled with frustration and anticipation, but now that he finally had confirmation, he could brag to his friends again!

On New Year's Eve, the family was tidying up the house, arranging sweets, and wiping tables and chairs in preparation for welcoming New Year's visitors. Just then, the door of the shop was gently pushed open, and Liu Anping and Liu Xiping, along with their mother, Aunt Fu, carrying a bag of carefully prepared gifts, walked in through the snow. Everyone in the house stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes to the door. When they saw that it was Aunt Fu and her two sons, the mother quickly put down the plate of sweets she was carrying and hurried to greet them, her tone filled with concern: "Sister-in-law, is there something urgent that you've come so late?"

Aunt Fu's face showed a mixture of gratitude and unease. She quickly replied with a smile, "Third Aunt, over the past year or so, my two boys have learned a lot of skills from your Yanbang and Yanguo siblings. They've earned quite a bit of money from the base's business, and our lives finally have hope. I came here today specifically to thank you all for your care, and also because I know you're busy preparing for the New Year, so I had them come and lend a hand."

Hearing this, Mother felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and took Aunt Fu's hand, her tone particularly affectionate and considerate: "Alright, let the children be busy first. We two can have a good chat. It's been a long time since we sat down together to talk." As she spoke, she gently pulled Aunt Fu to sit down at the counter with her, their postures exceptionally intimate.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Fu's eyes instantly filled with a faint sadness, and her tone was full of heartache and helplessness as she softly said, "Since your cousin left, I've been raising two children on my own, barely making ends meet. I have no mood or time to chat with others; my days are filled with the children and making a living."

"Sister-in-law, you've gone to so much trouble!" Mother had barely finished speaking when she noticed that Brother Anping had gently placed the gifts he brought on the counter. Turning to help tidy the house, she quickly stopped him, "Sister-in-law Fu, why did you bring gifts? We're all neighbors, we can't accept this small token. Please take it back with you when you leave!"

Seeing this, Aunt Fu quickly waved her hand, a hint of embarrassment on her face, and said softly, "Third Aunt, don't be so quick to refuse. I came here today not only to thank you, but also to ask for your help. Anping is an adult now, and I'm thinking of finding him a job at the mine. Although Manager Xiong comes every year to send holiday gifts, I'm a widow, and it's inconvenient for me to ask him directly. I know your Dawei has connections with Manager Xiong, so I thought I'd come and ask you to put in a good word for me."

Mother quickly patted Aunt Fu's hand, her tone exceptionally earnest: "Sister-in-law, we're all family, don't be so formal. I'll talk to Dawei later, don't worry, he'll definitely do his best to help. But Anping isn't even married yet, isn't it a bit too hasty to send him down to the mine? Why don't you think about it some more?"

Aunt Fu quickly shook her head, her eyes filled with lingering fear and determination: "Third Aunt, I'm not asking Anping to go down into the mine. I've already lost Brother Fu, and I'll never let my children suffer in the mine again. If they were going down into the mine, I wouldn't have needed to come looking for Dawei. I heard that the mine is short of odd jobs, so they don't have to go down into the mine. The pay isn't as high as it is for working in the mine, but it's enough to supplement the family income and make it easier for Anping to find a wife in the future."

"Oh, I see. I thought you were going to send Anping to that dark and hopeless place!" Upon hearing this, Mother breathed a sigh of relief, then raised her voice and shouted loudly towards the guest room, "Master, you heard what Aunt Fu said, right? Come out and say something!"

Soon, her father's calm voice came from the guest room, tinged with a hint of caution: "Sister-in-law Fu, I understand what you mean. Next time Brother Xiong comes, I'll ask him for you. But ultimately, the job at the mine isn't something I can decide. I can't guarantee anything, but I can do my best to help you get it."

Upon hearing this, Aunt Fu's face instantly lit up with a relieved smile. She quickly bowed slightly towards the guest room, her tone full of gratitude: "Brother Dawei, it's enough that you put in a good word for me with Manager Xiong. Whether it works out or not, I will remember this favor."

With her worries resolved, Aunt Fu finally felt at ease. She took her mother's hand and began to chat casually, talking about village gossip and the children's recent situations. Her tone gradually became more relaxed. Anping and Xiping, the two brothers, were also busy. They quickly tidied up the main room, wiping the table, arranging candies, and organizing odds and ends. In no time, they had the main room in perfect order.

As dusk approached, Aunt Fu got up to take her leave. Mother quickly rose to see her off, grabbing a gift bag meant for relatives the next day and shoving it into Xiping's hand without a word. She said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I'll accept your gift, but please take this bag with you. It's the New Year; how can we let our guests go home empty-handed? People will laugh at me for being impolite!"

Seeing this, Aunt Fu quickly waved her hand to decline, but her mother was adamant and insisted on stuffing the gift bag into Xiping's hands. Aunt Fu couldn't persuade her mother otherwise, so she had no choice but to accept it. After thanking her mother repeatedly, she took Anping and Xiping and left the shop through the snow, their figures gradually disappearing into the night.

After seeing Aunt Fu and her family off, the house gradually quieted down. The five siblings, unable to contain their joy, got up to fetch water and took turns bathing and changing clothes. This year, for the New Year, the whole family finally had new clothes and shoes, and the warm atmosphere slightly eased the grief of the past few days. The happiest of all was Gui Xiang. Although the siblings were all wearing the same color of coarse cloth clothes, simple and plain in style, the little girl was overjoyed. One moment she would snuggle into her mother's arms, tilt her little face up, and sweetly ask, "Mom, am I pretty?" The next moment she would run to her father, hug his leg and shake it, asking expectantly, "Dad, am I pretty?" The conditions in the mountain village were limited, and no one had taught her these things, but her innocent and carefree joy could not be hidden. If she had the opportunity, this girl would probably have danced on the spot, showing the vibrancy and cuteness of a child.

This was Xingbao's first time wearing new clothes and shoes, though the clothes were a little too big. His grandmother explained that making the clothes a bit large meant the child could wear them again next year, so nothing would be wasted. Wearing his slightly oversized new clothes, Xingbao played wildly with Guixiang for a while, their laughter echoing in the house, temporarily dispelling the gloom in their hearts. After they had played enough, the family sat around the brazier, quietly keeping vigil over the charcoal fire, the warmth enveloping everyone, a rare sense of peace amidst the chaos of the world.

The eldest brother was again instilling new ideas he'd heard at school into the family. Of course, apart from Xingbao, no one in the family knew that these "red" ideas were actually proposed by the "bandits" as portrayed by the Nationalist government. In fact, at that time, this army didn't have a good reputation due to the Nationalist government's propaganda; they had indeed gone too far in some aspects of Ruijin. Of course, this was the early stage of land reform, and there were many imperfections, but the predecessors gradually improved them during the Long March. Everything has a growth process, and these flaws were used as propaganda! However, the eldest brother's explanations were somewhat fragmented, like a series of small stories, not a coherent system. It seemed that no "red" ideology was actually being used against him, and Xingbao felt a little disappointed. But it was good for the family to understand, lest they go astray in the future!