Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The next morning, Xingbao and Guixiang carefully packed half of the borneol, borneol essential oil, and hydrosol, preparing to send them to their master. They also prepared two jars of chili sauce, two jars of fermented black beans, and two smoked rabbits, hanging them all on Heitan's back for their senior brother to take back to the city. Supplies were scarce in the city, unlike in the countryside, and it was only a rare opportunity for their senior brother to return home, so it was wise for him to bring back plenty of food.

The siblings rode their donkey towards their master's residence. It was still early, and there were few travelers on the road. As they approached their master's house, they suddenly saw a disheveled figure carrying a cloth bundle on his back, hurriedly disappearing into the dense forest. Xingbao and Guixiang's hearts tightened, but it was too late to shout for help. The person moved swiftly and vanished into the depths of the woods in an instant.

Gui Xiang finally came to her senses, her heart still racing. She asked urgently in a low voice, "Xing Bao, should we shout 'Stop thief!'?"

"Sister, the thief has already disappeared into the mountains. Shouting won't help; it will only alert him. We can quietly inform Master later. This area is inhabited by members of the Yang family. If the thief dares to come again, he won't be able to escape. But we must not let Senior Brother know, lest he worry about it after returning to the city and lose sleep over it."

"Well, let's talk about it after my senior brother leaves."

Xingbao didn't need to turn around to guess that his older sister was looking guilty, her thoughts written all over her face, unable to hide anything. He would have to be careful later, trying to find ways to distract her and cover it up, making sure his senior brother didn't notice anything amiss.

As they approached the old osmanthus tree, they saw their master's wife and senior brother guarding the gate, tying several pickled vegetable jars together with straw rope, and a coarse cloth bag at their feet. Hearing the clatter of donkey hooves, the two of them looked up together.

The master's wife called out, "Guixiang, Xingbao, you've come at the right time. Give me a hand and tie these jars to Heitan's back, then carry them to the main road."

"Yes, Master's wife." Gui Xiang responded, but her expression was evasive, and her gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of the forest where the person had disappeared.

"Guixiang, you look strange today. Did something happen?" The master's wife noticed something was off and asked with a puzzled look.

Seeing this, Xingbao quickly stepped forward to change the subject: "Master's wife, this is the borneol, essential oil, and hydrosol that we distilled and purified yesterday. We specially sent half of it over so that Master and you can use it to prepare medicine." After saying that, he took the wooden box off the donkey's back and handed it to Guixiang, "Sister, please help Master's wife put these things away. Leave the work of binding the jars to me and my senior brother."

Xingbao's action of unpacking the wooden box drew his master's wife's attention to the jar hanging beside Heitan, and she said with a smile, "Look at him, he's brought chili sauce and fermented black beans for your senior brother again."

"Master's wife, as you know, these are the only decent foods we have at home. My senior brother and sister-in-law love these, and they're not easy to buy in the city. Besides, homemade food is always more reassuring. We also happen to have two smoked rabbits at home, so we'll bring those along for Changjian and Changxi to try."

At this moment, the senior brother spoke up, "Xingbao, Guixiang, your senior brother and I will accept this chili sauce and fermented black beans. We've been eating your gifts every year, and our palates have become too picky. But you should take this smoked rabbit back. We can't spoil Changjian and Changxi's palates too."

Xingbao's heart skipped a beat. Chang Jian and the others had mentioned before that their senior brother would bring meat home every now and then. Now, two smoked rabbits had spoiled his palate. Xingbao didn't believe it. There was only one possibility. So he asked, "Senior brother, are supplies in the city really that scarce?"

Without paying attention, the senior brother casually replied, "How could I not be nervous? These days, my monthly salary isn't even enough to feed my family."

Xingbao hesitated for a moment, then said after careful consideration, "Senior brother, if you have a driver you know and trust, my family has connections. We can help you buy some grains, grind them into rice, and have the driver bring it into the city for you. However, the checks are strict everywhere now, so we can't buy too much. Fortunately, the price is much more affordable. If you and your eldest brother buy some more in the city, you won't be short of food, and you'll have some extra money."

While the senior brother hesitated upon hearing this, the master's wife spoke up, "Yuze, your city is short of food. Why didn't you tell me and your father about such a big thing? It's not difficult for your father and me to find a way to get some food for you. What if Changjian and his siblings starve?"

"Mom, I know the situation in the village. This place isn't a grain-producing area, and the price of grain isn't much lower than in the city. We also have to pay the drivers who run errands, and we risk being caught. You're both getting old, and it's really not worth it for you to go around asking for favors. My brother and I didn't want you to worry, so we didn't mention it to the family."

Upon hearing this, the master's wife gave a soft hum, her eyes showing a hint of reproach mixed with tenderness: "Alright, since Xingbao's family can get grain, then you brothers should discuss it properly. Don't let my grandchildren go hungry, or I'll make you pay. Guixiang, come on, let's go inside and see how the quality of this purified borneol is."

The two brothers watched as their master's wife led Guixiang into the inner room, the door closing softly before continuing their conversation. Xingbao frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Senior brother, even our county has started inspecting grain?"

"That's right. The county has already set up a Land Tax and Grain Management Section, and is currently drawing personnel to prepare for inspections in various villages. Any surplus grain stored by each household will be converted into grain vouchers to support the frontline resistance against Japan."

"They sent people to the countryside to investigate so quickly." Xingbao's heart sank, and he couldn't help but worry. His family still had a lot of rice seeds that were intended to be promoted next year. Everyone in the village knew about this, and it was impossible to cover it up. In addition, he had a long-standing feud with the current head of the village. It was hard to guarantee that someone wouldn't take the opportunity to report him. Thinking of this, his brows furrowed tightly.

Seeing his worry, his senior brother comforted and reassured him: "Xingbao, you don't need to be too anxious. Our village has little land and a large population. When the government inspects, they mainly check whether the various regulations for collecting land taxes are being implemented. They are focusing on those large households with abundant land and ordering them to exchange their surplus grain for treasury bonds. Your family doesn't own any land, and you run a food shop to make a living by buying grain from outside. This won't attract the government's attention."

"If that's the case, then that's good." Xingbao's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, eased slightly. He then turned to ask, "Senior brother, do you still need me to help you arrange the food?" He was naturally happy to help his senior brother and ease the worries of his master and mistress. However, he had to be careful with the quantity. If they were caught, he could easily cover up the source of the food.

"Alright, it just so happens that the convoy that came to pick me up today is someone I know well. They have been transporting supplies for the county government for many years and often deal with me. We have a good relationship and they are reliable people." Without further hesitation, the senior brother immediately agreed to let Xingbao help procure the grain.