Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

This seemingly ordinary question ignited the pent-up anger within the group. The young man in the lead, his eyes bloodshot and his voice filled with resentment and accusation, shouted, "Yanbang, you don't need to play dumb! My mother has come to your family countless times to borrow money, pleading and begging, but your family clearly has the means, yet you cruelly refused each time! Now, my brother is likely to be conscripted into the army and sent to his death. We will hold your Song family accountable for this debt, this grudge! I will never work for your Song family again!"

The young men nearby chimed in, their resentment rising and falling, all directed at the Song siblings: "That's right, we're all quitting! All these years we've worked tirelessly alongside you siblings, diligently tending the fields and cultivating rice varieties. We've done our part, if not meritorious, we've certainly put in the effort. But in this time of crisis, your family shows no gratitude whatsoever, refusing to lend a helping hand. It's truly disheartening!"

The commotion instantly attracted the attention of nearby villagers. Children from the base who had just finished distributing rice seeds and hadn't gone far, along with other villagers, all gathered around, quickly forming a large crowd. Almost all the base members stopped and stared at the three Song siblings. Xingbao, Guixiang, and their eldest brother immediately put down their work, stood up straight, their faces grim, their brows furrowed with undisguised ugliness and coldness. The youngest, Weibao, had never witnessed such a confrontation. Terrified by the angry expressions of the crowd, he turned and ran home, eager to find his father to come to his rescue.

Facing the enraged crowd, the eldest brother remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic. He stared intently at the group of boys who had once worked alongside him, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable resolve: "Have you all thought this through? Anyone who wants to leave the base today, step forward. This is the final reckoning, a clean break from now on. Also, if you have younger siblings working or studying at the base, take them with you as well, so that you won't later accuse us of bullying the younger generation."

As soon as the words were spoken, a commotion arose among the crowd, with people pulling and tugging, their hearts wavering. A moment later, most of the children at the base had moved to join the line of those leaving. In the past two years, the breeding base had expanded rapidly, with more and more children participating. The rice seed distribution each child received had become increasingly meager, no longer enough to keep everyone committed. Having to abide by the base's rules and be subject to supervision daily, some had already begun to slacken their resolve. Furthermore, the elder brother's recent reorganization of the group, breaking the old tradition of close-knit groups, had already fueled discontent among many. This incident, involving the Song family's refusal to lend money and the life-or-death situation of conscription, completely ignited everyone's pent-up resentment. The long-suppressed discontent finally erupted, and the children decided to use this opportunity to withdraw, deciding to leave the base.

The remaining forty-odd members of the base were mostly long-time associates who had grown up working alongside the Song siblings. The rest were reliable members of the Liu clan, known for their steadfastness and unwavering stance, standing silently in place without moving an inch. The eldest brother surveyed the clearly divided group before him, his expression calm and composed. He turned to Xingbao and instructed, "Xingbao, write down the names of those who have left. From now on, the base will no longer accept new members indiscriminately; we will maintain the current workforce. If anyone leaves in the future, we will fill the vacancies as appropriate. If no one is willing to join, we will leave rather than accept unqualified individuals."

"Understood, Big Brother." Xingbao stepped forward and calmly took out the base roster and charcoal pencil. He bent down and carefully marked and registered the names of the departing personnel. Guixiang stood by and helped to check and sort them out. His movements were methodical and orderly.

After the registration was completed, the eldest brother looked up at the group of teenagers who had decided to withdraw, his tone frank and fair, without a trace of blame: "You've worked hard with the base in the past, and this year's sweet potato harvest will still be paid to you according to your share. What's rightfully yours will be yours, not a penny less. Grudges are grudges, and merits are merits; we keep public and private matters separate." After speaking, his tone slightly lowered, and he raised his hand to indicate, "You can all disperse now. Go home, and don't block the road and affect the villagers' purchase of rice seeds."

Wei Bao had rushed home in a panic to report the incident, and his father, upon hearing the news, immediately brought him over. The two stood quietly at the courtyard gate, observing the entire standoff with detached indifference. Seeing that his elder brother had handled the situation calmly and clearly, separating public and private matters, and had swiftly resolved the crisis and stabilized the situation, his father finally took Wei Bao's small hand and calmly walked into the crowd. He looked around at the villagers present, and in a calm and fair tone, slowly began to judge: "The harvests have improved in the past two years, and everyone has enough to eat. There is indeed no need to keep the children confined to the base to work anymore. Yanbang, your handling of the situation today—a clean break, clearing both public and private matters—is very good."

Xingbao stood to the side, taking in the expressions of everyone present. Many of the teenagers who had just angrily threatened to leave instantly felt a deep shame wash over them, lowering their heads and avoiding eye contact. Everyone understood perfectly well what had happened in the early years of the breeding base. The village had suffered from meager harvests and food shortages year after year, and every household struggled to survive. Back then, even the elderly who couldn't do heavy work started drinking herbal teas to sustain themselves, and the children were all emaciated, skin and bones, constantly hungry, living a life of uncertainty. But in the last two years, thanks to the improved high-yield rice varieties from the base, the village had bountiful harvests year after year. Everyone was well-fed and clothed, their faces regained a healthy glow, and life visibly improved. All these dramatic changes were the result of the Song siblings' painstaking efforts in managing the breeding base, teaching everyone new planting methods, and leading them to work diligently. Now that everyone has no worries about food and clothing, they turn around and hold grudges, wantonly causing trouble. Their ungrateful behavior is truly embarrassing and irritating to see.

With the turmoil finally over, the three siblings composed themselves and prepared to reopen their stall to continue selling rice seeds to the villagers. Before the noisy crowd had dispersed, the sound of sedan chair bearers' footsteps suddenly echoed from the village entrance, instantly silencing the previously chaotic crowd. The village headman arrived hastily in his sedan chair. Seeing the entire village gathered at the stall, he immediately alighted and solemnly announced his decree to the crowd.

"Listen up, fellow villagers! We just received an urgent official document from the township. This year's land tax regulations have changed; land tax will now be levied in kind!" The village head, his face serious, deliberately raised his voice, conveying a sense of official authority as he spoke clearly and forcefully, "From now on, we will no longer accept legal tender or banknotes. All land taxes will be converted into rice, grains, or other grains and submitted in kind. This is a new regulation firmly set forth by the higher authorities; there is no room for discussion!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the entire scene erupted like a pot boiling over. The order that had been barely maintained collapsed completely, and the villagers were instantly plunged into extreme panic and anxiety. Everyone's face drained of color, and a mix of emotions—astonishment, panic, regret, and despair—were intertwined. The wailing, complaints, and chaotic discussions completely drowned out the surrounding noise.