Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year, the mountain village shed its silence from the previous night, with the occasional sound of children playing breaking the dawn. Even amidst the chaos and national gloom, nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of the village children as they formed groups to offer New Year's greetings. Their youthful vibrancy and enthusiasm easily pierced the gloom of the times. Early that morning, Dad led his five children to visit several elderly people in the village, offering New Year's greetings with meticulous and respectful manners. After paying their respects to the village elders, the group made a special trip to their maternal grandfather's house to burn incense and pay respects to their deceased uncle, expressing their deepest sorrow.

After the memorial service, the eldest brother stayed at his maternal grandfather's house to help write the eulogy, organize various chores, and take care of everything inside and outside the village. The father, with reverence, went to pay respects to the village elders who had passed away in previous years, as well as the village heroes who had died on the battlefield for their country, to remember their ancestors and comfort their loyal souls. The children's New Year's greetings were naturally led by the second brother and Fugui.

The children gathered early to plan their New Year's greetings route. Their first stop this year was the Liu family's new house next to Uncle Lü's. This was the first time the new house had welcomed guests since its completion, and according to village custom, the new house was always generous with its guests, preparing soft, sweet glutinous rice cakes to treat the younger generation. If you arrived late, they would be all gone. Fearing they might miss out on this treat, everyone carefully planned their route: first, they would visit all the newly built houses in the village to ensure a good start to the new year, then they would go door-to-door along the village streets to offer New Year's greetings. The lively and joyous atmosphere added a touch of warmth and celebration to the otherwise quiet New Year season.

On the Lantern Festival, Uncle Xiong came over specifically to finalize the mine's reopening arrangements. They ate lunch at the canteen, and after a few pleasantries, Dad casually asked, "Brother Xiong, is the mine currently short of handymen?"

Uncle Xiong replied frankly, "The young men who used to operate the bellows are going to work underground, and I'm planning to hire people to fill the gaps. Do you know anyone who wants to work there? How old are they? Operating the bellows doesn't seem like hard work; it's done in shifts of two people, and the pay is slightly lower than working underground. But it concerns the safety of dozens of people underground, so there's no room for carelessness. They must be honest, hardworking, and reliable; they absolutely cannot be slackers or opportunists."

Upon hearing this, Father quickly explained, "You know this man too; he's Liu Anping, the eldest son of Sister Fu in the village. Sister Fu is a widow and doesn't want to ask anyone directly, so knowing our close friendship, she asked me to inquire. I've watched this boy grow up; he's honest, filial, hardworking, strong, and never lazy. In the breeding base that the children used to manage, he always ranked first in the annual evaluations; his character and abilities are reliable. Now that he's an adult, Sister Fu wants to find him a stable job so he can have a proper livelihood and it will be easier for matchmakers to come and propose marriage in the future."

Uncle Xiong immediately understood and nodded slightly, saying with emotion, "So it's Anping. I know his character well; he's truly a reliable and good kid. It's just a pity that Lao Fu passed away early, leaving the family without a pillar of support, which has hindered the boy's development quite a bit. In that case, when work starts tomorrow, have him come directly to the mine to find me."

"Okay, I'll go and inform him later." Dad immediately agreed.

As they spoke, the eldest and second eldest brothers brought over steaming hot food and set it on the table, ready to eat. Uncle Xiong always ordered only vegetarian dishes when he ate at the Song family's restaurant. In his eyes, the vegetables grown there had an unparalleled flavor and taste, incomparable to anything else. His father had previously given him many excellent vegetable seeds to take home and plant, but the vegetables he cultivated at home, in terms of both appearance and sweet taste, could never compare to those grown by the Song family. His father had specifically explained the reason to him: these vegetable varieties were still in the generational breeding stage, and their characteristics were not yet stable enough to produce the exceptional taste of the Song family's produce.

Year after year, winter turns to spring. After the Lantern Festival, this year, filled with sorrow and hardship, comes to a complete end. The village boys gather their thoughts and embark on their own paths, growing and bearing their own futures amidst the chaos of the world. Fugui is the first to set off. He packs a simple bag, bids farewell to his family, and travels to the medicine capital to attend primary school. The new-style school has strict rules and does not accept casual transfers. To avoid starting from the first grade, one must pass the school's rigorous entrance examination. Ultimately, which grade and class one can enter depends entirely on one's accumulated knowledge and performance on the day. For this rare opportunity to study, long before the New Year, Aunt Bai has strictly confined him to the house to study diligently. Every morning he rises to recite texts and practices calligraphy under the lamp, not daring to slack off in the slightest, all to seize this opportunity to escape the mountain village and learn the ways of the world.

After seeing their eldest brother off to study at the academy, Xingbao and Guixiang also officially ended their leisurely days and embarked on their medical training. From then on, they would follow Master Yang every day to diagnose patients, identify herbs, and study medical principles, diligently honing their medical skills, hoping to acquire the necessary expertise to heal the sick, save lives, and establish themselves in society. Their second brother, who had been waiting for a whole year, finally received definite news: he could leave for the county town in the spring to work at Uncle Meiyao's sock workshop. From then on, most of the daily management of the breeding base, planting duties, and harvest accounting fell on Brother Dashan's shoulders. In the turbulent times, the village youths each sought their own paths and pursued their own futures, each with a clear direction, steadily moving forward on their own paths, slowly transforming and growing.

As spring deepened, the chill in the mountains completely faded, and the warming winds swept through the village streets, bringing the good news of the newly opened road. For days, trucks had been rumbling along the gravel road at the village entrance, each loaded with supplies for military operations and daily life, speeding steadily towards the provincial capital. Seeing the endless stream of trucks, everyone in the village knew that the long-delayed Hunan-Guizhou highway was finally open, a road they had longed for for a whole year had finally become a reality, and the day when their second brother would leave home to work in the county town was just around the corner.

Knowing his departure was imminent, the second brother had become unusually quiet and reserved these past few days. His usual liveliness had vanished; he rarely went out to play with his village friends, and his usual chatter and laughter had dwindled considerably. He hid all his emotions and reluctance in his daily work, burying himself in the household chores, quietly managing everything and trying his best to share the burden with his family. In his spare time, he would quietly play with his one-year-old, innocent and adorable younger brother, Wei Bao, his eyes filled with an unspeakable reluctance as he looked at his little brother's innocent and carefree appearance. In just a few days, he had neatly chopped and piled up the firewood in the backyard, enough for the family to use for a long time, arranging everything for the family in the simplest way possible.

Gui Xiang was still the most lively little girl in the family. Every day, after returning from her medical studies at her master's house, the first thing she did was cling to her second brother, chattering excitedly around him, listing all her hopes and dreams, repeatedly reminding him that once he earned money in the county town, he must remember to buy her all sorts of novel little trinkets and bring back nice things from the city. The child's pure expectations eased some of the somber mood of parting and softened the tension in her second brother's brows.