Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

As you approach the main street entrance of Yongfeng Town, the scene suddenly becomes bustling. Stalls line both sides of the road, bamboo baskets overflowing with bright red candied hawthorns, sesame candy coated in white sesame seeds, and locally grown green beans, red tomatoes, and golden pears. The shouts of vendors rise and fall: "Candied hawthorns, sweet and sour, so appetizing!" "Freshly picked fruit, so fresh!" Further in, the street is lined with shops. Grain shops display signs proclaiming "Abundant Harvests," cloth shops hang with samples of various cotton fabrics, general stores have needles and thread, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar on their counters, and many shops display signs for "XX Restaurant." Shop assistants in clean short shirts warmly greet passersby: "Please come in, sir/madam! We just had some meat soup, it's very comforting!"

Xingbao plopped down on the sack, his large eyes wide and darting around like saucers, as if trying to memorize everything. He saw a beautifully decorated carriage slowly pass by, carrying several wealthy people dressed in flowing silks and satins. The carriage was painted in vibrant colors, with exquisite carvings on the shafts and sides of the carriage. Even the small, delicate copper bells hanging from the roof jingled melodiously from the bumpy ride. The coachman, standing at the front, held a long whip, cracking it occasionally and shouting for the horses to go faster.

Just then, Xingbao caught sight of a ragged little beggar squatting in a corner in front of a shop not far away. The poor child was filthy, his face covered in dirt, and his hair a tangled mess like a bird's nest. He held a broken bowl, chipped in several places, in his hands, gazing longingly at passersby, hoping someone would give him some money or food. Sometimes, kind people would indeed toss a few copper coins into the bowl, and whenever this happened, the little beggar would immediately stand up, bowing repeatedly to express his gratitude.

Besides this, Xingbao also noticed that many shops had yellowed, old-looking pieces of paper pasted above their doors or on their walls. These papers were covered with densely packed small characters, but because of the distance, it was impossible to read what was written on them. Full of curiosity, he tugged at his father's sleeve and looked up, asking, "Daddy, look over there! What does that paper say?"

The father looked in the direction his son was pointing, his gaze falling on the colorful and varied slips of paper. These slips, some pasted on the walls, others hung under the eaves, stood out conspicuously. The father slowed his pace, explaining to his son as they walked, "See? These are notices posted by the shopkeepers! Some list the prices for grain; some explain the rules and requirements for selling goods; and some even advertise for helpers. We should first go to the 'Fengdeng Grain Shop' next to the general store to check out today's rice prices. After we've taken care of things, we'll visit Uncle Zhang." Before he finished speaking, the father had already pushed the handcart, carefully weaving through the bustling crowd, slowly moving forward.

After walking for a short while, they saw a shop with a black signboard and gold lettering that read "Fengdeng Grain Store." The shop was quite spacious, with a dozen sacks full of grain piled up at the entrance, the golden rice grains peeking out from the openings. Several shop assistants in coarse cloth shirts were busy loading the sacks into a delivery cart, their foreheads covered in sweat. The father stopped, took a deep breath, and turned to Xingbao, saying, "Xingbao, you wait here obediently. I'll go in and ask about the grain price, and I'll be right back. Don't wander off." Xingbao nodded vigorously, "Dad, I know, I'll wait for you here."

As soon as Father stepped through the slightly quaint door, a shop assistant with a goatee and wearing a blue shirt hurried up to him with a broad smile, saying, "Hello, sir! Are you here to sell your harvest or to buy some food to take home? To be honest, our shop has all kinds of grains, and the prices are absolutely fair to everyone!"

Upon hearing this, the father nodded slightly in response, then bowed with his hands clasped and replied with a smile, "Thank you for the invitation, young man, but my visit today is not simply about buying and selling grain. To be honest, I specifically came to inquire about the price of rice. I wonder what the current trend of the rice market is?"

Upon hearing this, the waiter quickly stepped aside to make way and greeted him warmly, "I see! Please forgive my rudeness! In that case, please come inside and discuss the details. Our manager is currently checking the accounts inside. After I inform him, I will respectfully invite him out to discuss the relevant matters with you. Don't worry, the price is definitely negotiable!"

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Xingbao quietly took out a packet of wolf head meat from his spatial storage, quickly stuffed it into the gaps in a burlap sack, and then gently covered it with other burlap sack pieces, afraid of being seen. Not long after, his father came out of the grain store, the worry on his face lessening. Xingbao hurriedly went up to him and asked, "Dad, how is it? What's the price of grain today?"

"The selling price is only 1.8 yuan per shi (a unit of dry measure), but if you want to buy it, it will cost 2.3 yuan. It's dropped quite a bit since the last time we came." The father wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone becoming more relaxed. "I doubt many farmers will be willing to sell at 1.8 yuan. If we can get 2 yuan, we should be able to collect quite a bit. Come on, let's go to your Uncle Zhang's house first and talk to him about the grain price."

Xingbao silently calculated in his mind: the difference between selling and buying a load of rice was half a silver dollar, and this was in a grain-producing area like Xiangxiang. The grain merchants must be making a lot of money in this difference! Just as he was thinking, his father had already pushed the cart to the door of a general store not far away. A wooden sign that read "Zhang's General Store" was hanging above the store's door. This was the place they were looking for.

"Brother Dawei, didn't you just get your goods? Why are you back so soon? Looks like your shop is doing well!" A loud voice came from the general store. A middle-aged man in a blue robe with a shrewd face walked around the counter and quickly came out to greet him, his face full of smiles.

The father quickly lifted Xingbao off the wheelbarrow, waving his hand with a smile: "Not at all, not at all. You know how my little shop is doing, Brother Zhang, right? It's barely enough to make ends meet. I'm not here to buy more goods today, but because we're short of food at home. I'm buying some before the busy farming season so I don't run out of time later."

As soon as Xingbao steadied himself, he quickly bowed to the middle-aged man and greeted him in a clear voice, "Hello, Uncle Zhang!"

"Oh, Xingbao, you're such a good boy. Come inside with Uncle Zhang, it's so hot outside." Uncle Zhang smiled, took Xingbao's hand, and called out loudly into the shop, "Jiande! Go to Wang's Fruit Shop at the street corner and buy a watermelon for Dawei and Xingbao to cool them down!" After calling out, he turned to his father, his tone full of concern, "Dawei, why did you bring Xingbao here on such a hot day? The road ahead is under construction, it's full of potholes, the child is suffering!"

"Brother Zhang, no need to go to so much trouble. Why buy watermelons? We'll rest for a bit and then we'll leave." As he spoke, his father took out a package of wolf head meat wrapped in oil paper from the sack and handed it to Uncle Zhang. "This is from the wolf hunt we organized the day before yesterday. We got a wolf head, and I braised some at home. I brought some over for you to try."

Uncle Zhang took the oil paper package, his eyes lighting up. He smiled and said, "Oh my, this is so rare! The day before yesterday, my in-laws came over with Dashan to sell pork and mentioned this to me—they said you led the able-bodied men of the village and killed thirty-seven wolves in one go, and only three of them were scratched by the wolves, but they were all fine. It's truly remarkable! These past few days, people in Yongfeng Town have been talking about it. Knowing that I've formed a kinship ties with your village, some people have even come to my shop specifically to inquire about the details! Today, thanks to you, my family has the opportunity to taste this wolf head meat. I must savor it properly!"

As he spoke, Uncle Zhang led the father and son into the shop. Several square tables and benches were set up on the side of the shop. Uncle Zhang warmly greeted them, "Dawei, sit here. Xingbao, come sit closer to Uncle Zhang." The father and son obeyed and sat down as host and guest. Just as they settled in, footsteps came from the inner room. A woman dressed in a plain cloth shirt with a gentle face came out carrying a tray with two rough porcelain teacups on it, steaming gently. "This is your Aunt Zhang, quickly greet her," the father softly reminded Xingbao.

"Hello, Aunt Zhang!" Xingbao quickly stood up to greet her. Aunt Zhang smiled and handed the teacups to the father and son. "You must be tired from your journey. Have some cool tea to cool off." The father and son quickly stood up to thank her and accepted the teacups with both hands. The cups were slightly cool to the touch, and the tea was sweet and refreshing with a faint herbal aroma, instantly dispelling much of the summer heat.

After the father and son sat down, Aunt Zhang said with a smile, "Dawei, you and Xingbao don't have to leave today. Have lunch here before going back. I'll go to the kitchen to prepare something, like killing a chicken and stir-frying two vegetables. Just something simple to eat."

"Sister-in-law, you really don't need to go to so much trouble!" The father quickly waved his hand to decline, "We have other things to do and won't be staying long. We'll just buy some grain from the farmers and eat the dry food we brought. We can't trouble you any further."

"Dawei, don't worry about your sister-in-law, she just loves a lively atmosphere." Uncle Zhang smiled and pressed down on his father, who was about to get up. He then changed the subject, "You just said you wanted to buy grain. If you don't need much, we have some stored in our backyard. You don't need to go to the farmers."

Upon hearing this, the father sat up straight and looked at Uncle Zhang earnestly: "Brother Zhang, keep your grain for your own use for now. I heard that grain prices will fluctuate, and you might need it later. I don't have much money on hand, at most enough to buy ten bushels of grain. I just don't know what the current market price is for buying it from farmers."

Hearing his father's words, Uncle Zhang's eyes showed understanding. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly said, "If you want to buy some, you don't need to go far. The farmers near Shuangfeng Academy all have grain on hand. In previous years, they would sell it to the students studying at the academy for two yuan per shi (a unit of dry measure). The quantity is plentiful, and the grains are plump." Just then, footsteps came from outside the door, and a young man in a short-sleeved shirt ran in carrying a round watermelon. It was Jiande, whom Uncle Zhang had just called to buy the watermelon. "Dad, the watermelon is back. It was just fished out of the well, and it's very cool! I even patted it to make a 'bang bang' sound. It's a red envelope." Jiande placed the watermelon on the table and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Uncle Zhang patted Jiande on the shoulder with a smile: "You've come at the right time! Cut the watermelon first. After we finish eating the watermelon, you can take Brother Dawei and Xingbao to the academy to find the farmers and help them negotiate the price." Jiande readily agreed and turned to get the kitchen knife. Xingbao looked at the watermelon on the table. The rind was emerald green with dark stripes, and he couldn't help but feel excited.

Uncle Zhang chuckled and patted Jiande on the shoulder, "Perfect timing! Jiande, cut the watermelon first. After we finish eating, you can take Brother Dawei and Xingbao to the academy to find the farmers and help negotiate the price." Jiande readily agreed and turned to fetch a cleaver. Xingbao stared at the watermelon on the table; its emerald green rind with dark brown stripes, round and refreshing, filled him with anticipation.

Jian De gently placed the cleaver on top of the watermelon, and with a slight flick of his wrist, the watermelon split open with a crisp "crack." The bright red, plump flesh was revealed, and glistening juice seeped down the stripes, releasing a sweet aroma that made one's mouth water. He then quickly sliced ​​the watermelon into several even segments, picked up a segment, and offered it to his father: "Uncle Song, please eat first."

"Jiande is becoming more and more capable. Brother Zhang, you'll be able to enjoy your retirement from now on!" The father took the watermelon, his fingertips touching the cool rind, and praised him with a smile.

"Hey, that's all the kid can do, always causing me trouble!" Uncle Zhang scolded, but his eyes were full of laughter. He then changed the subject and joked, "When your niece marries into the family, let her keep this brat in check. And when she gives birth to a big, fat grandson for me to take care of, that'll be real bliss!" He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Jian De's ears turned red. He picked up the biggest slice of watermelon and walked up to Xing Bao, deliberately making a stern face to tease him: "Xing Bao, you've seen me for ages, and you still haven't called me?"

Xingbao stared at the bright red melon flesh before him, its sweet aroma filling his nostrils, his mouth practically watering. He knew exactly what Jiande was thinking, and without hesitation, he "sold out" Sister Shanshan, cheerfully calling out, "Hello, brother-in-law!"

"Hey!" Brother Jiande's face lit up instantly. He quickly agreed and thoughtfully found a clean porcelain plate, cut the watermelon into small pieces, and placed them in front of Xingbao: "Eat quickly, be careful not to get the juice on your clothes."

Xingbao picked up a small piece and popped it into his mouth. The cool, sweet juice melted on his tongue, instantly dispelling the heat of the journey. As he ate, he put the watermelon seeds he had separated into his spatial storage space—this watermelon was so sweet that it would only take ten days to ripen if planted in his space.

While Jiande was eating watermelon, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Xingbao was only chewing and not spitting out the seeds. He quickly put down his watermelon and reminded Xingbao, "Xingbao, you have to spit out the watermelon seeds. You can't digest them, and they'll make you feel uncomfortable if you eat them!"

Upon hearing this, Xingbao almost choked on the watermelon flesh in his mouth. He quickly stopped chewing, spat out the watermelon seeds that had just separated from his mouth and hadn't yet been put into his spatial storage into the porcelain plate, and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly: "I know, brother-in-law."

Seeing this, Uncle Zhang and his father couldn't help but laugh, and the atmosphere in the shop became even warmer and more lively.