Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Just as everyone was resting after the busy harvest season, a traveler brought news that road construction was about to begin in Jieling Township, and that many laborers would be conscripted. This news was like a stone thrown into a calm lake; the village, which had been enjoying a period of tranquility, was suddenly thrown into a state of panic. Villagers dropped what they were doing and rushed around trying to find out more, each face etched with anxiety.

Two days later, the official edict for conscripting laborers to build roads was delivered to the headman's house. The fact that the township head personally delivered the edict demonstrates its importance. According to the township head, this edict for conscripting laborers was formulated uniformly by the national government and then passed down through the levels of provinces and counties, ultimately being implemented in each township and village. It was not a temporary matter decided by the local authorities.

The decree clearly stipulated that laborers participating in road construction would be provided with one meal a day by the construction company, and in addition, they would receive three catties of coarse rice as compensation each month. Although this compensation was not generous, and was a drop in the ocean compared to the laborers' efforts, it was a significant improvement compared to the past when laborers were often conscripted without pay. At least it allowed the laborers to receive some material reward for their hard work and eased the food burden on their families.

In addition, the decree offered another option: if a male member of the household was unable to participate in the conscription due to special circumstances, or was unwilling to go, he or she could pay a certain amount of money as a substitute to be exempted from the conscription obligation. However, although the amount of this money was not explicitly mentioned, the villagers' faces showed even more worry when they thought about their already meager circumstances—whether it was contributing manpower or money, it was a considerable burden for ordinary farmers.

After the township head explained the contents of the decree to the village headman, he instructed the village headman to quickly count the number of eligible men in each village and report the count to the township so that laborers could be assigned to work in a unified manner. The news quickly spread throughout the village from the village headman's house. The villagers, who had been inquiring about the news, were now caught in a dilemma: some were thinking that they could earn some coarse rice to supplement their family income by repairing the road, which was hard work but still worthwhile; others were worried that their fields would be left unattended, and if they went to repair the road, their subsequent farm work would be delayed; still others were worried that they could not afford the exemption from conscription and had no choice but to prepare to send their men to serve... The entire village was once again shrouded in an atmosphere of anxiety, with everyone worrying about their own livelihood and how to cope with this sudden conscription decree.

After Father returned home, he and Mother huddled together to discuss the conscription. In the end, they decided to enlist—the family only had a few copper coins left, and the grain they had just bought was for future livelihood, so they couldn't afford to use it lightly. In fact, anyone with eyes could see that this conscription, which required either manpower or money and grain, was essentially a disguised form of grain requisition to support the road construction project. Ordinary farmers didn't have many choices at all.

Just as the two finished their discussion, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate. It was Township Head Liu, leading several people, who entered. The parents quickly rose to greet him, their faces beaming with polite smiles: "Township Head Liu, your presence is an honor to our humble establishment! We apologize for not having had a chance to welcome you properly earlier!"

Township Head Liu waved his hand with a smile, his tone casual: "Not at all, not at all. I came uninvited. I came here to announce the decree for conscripting laborers, and I just happened to be passing by your house—I remember your tea is special, so I came to try it again. Dawei, you won't be reluctant to part with it, will you?"

"They've arrived!" The family's hearts sank simultaneously; they all understood that Township Head Liu's visit was definitely not just for tea. The father remained outwardly calm, politely replying, "Township Head, you're too kind! If you needed tea, you only needed to send word, and I would have it prepared and delivered. There's no need for you to make the trip yourself." With that, he turned to his mother and instructed, "Third Aunt, go and brew some good tea for Township Head Liu and his party."

The mother immediately understood, called over her second brother, and then pulled Xingbao and Guixiang towards the kitchen, quietly reminding the children not to talk nonsense while boiling water. The father invited Township Head Liu and others to sit in the seats of honor, asked his eldest brother to stay aside to keep them company, and stood by himself, ready to answer Township Head Liu's questions at any time.

After sitting down, Mayor Liu glanced around the room and started making some irrelevant remarks: "Dawei, the district's wolf-hunting team has killed dozens of wolves in the past two days, and only a few of the team members have suffered minor injuries. The tactics you taught us before were very effective, so you deserve some credit for this."

The father quickly declined, speaking humbly: "It was all thanks to the full support of the district and township, plus the valiant efforts of Captain Li and his team. I only offered some minor tips, which are hardly worthy of such praise from the township head."

As the two chatted, the water in the kitchen boiled. Mother carefully took out several clean, rough porcelain bowls and placed them on the table not far from Mayor Liu and the others. She then carefully took out the tea leaves Father had recently roasted—tender leaves from the tea tree cultivated using the branches of the space tea tree. She placed three tea leaves in each bowl, then lifted the scalding kettle and slowly poured boiling water into them. Instantly, a refreshing aroma of tea filled the room, invigorating and refreshing, even making the air seem a little warmer. Second Brother carried the tea bowls, offering them to Mayor Liu and his entourage in turn.

The father spoke up at the right moment, his tone tinged with apology: "The conditions in the mountain village are simple, and we don't have much to offer you. Please have some tea, Township Chief."

Township Head Liu took a sip of tea, the aroma instantly spreading in his mouth, penetrating his very being and bringing him a sense of comfort. He put down his teacup, abruptly changing the subject to get straight to the point: "Dawei, with this conscription of laborers, does your family have any plans in place?"

The father's face showed a bitter expression, and he sighed, "What can we do? My family is poor and doesn't have much land. We really can't afford the money and grain to exempt us from conscription, so we can only send family members to apply for the conscription."

"Dawei, I have a way to exempt your family from conscription, it just depends on whether you're willing to give it up." As he spoke, Mayor Liu's eyes became meaningful, and an inscrutable smile appeared on his lips.

A glimmer of hope instantly appeared in the father's eyes, and he quickly pressed, "What solution does the township head have? Please tell me directly!"

"It's very simple. As long as you offer up the 'thing' that makes the tea special, I guarantee your family won't have to participate in this conscription." Township Chief Liu finally stopped hiding his true intentions, revealing a cunning smile like a fox, his eyes subtly glancing towards the direction outside the house.

The father was silent for a moment, knowing that the township head was referring to that special tea tree. He took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision: "The 'thing' the township head is talking about is something the shop uses to entertain guests. Fine, things are inanimate, but people are alive. It's in the vegetable garden behind the house. If you want it, feel free to take it."