Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and the night was still lingering, Father shouldered his axe and headed towards the bamboo grove west of the village, his steps shrouded in morning dew. His eldest and second eldest brothers, along with the other brothers, wanted to help cut the bamboo, but Father stopped them: "You should all go to the school to teach, or attend classes. That's the important thing right now. I can handle the bamboo cutting myself; you don't need to worry about it." Although the brothers were still reluctant, they knew how much their father valued education, so they had no choice but to abandon their plans and stay home to prepare for their classes at the primary school.

Before long, it was noon. Under the blazing sun, dozens of neatly trimmed bamboo stalks, each about the thickness of a bowl, were stacked tidy by the roadside at the village entrance, their stalks gleaming with fresh green. The bamboo branches that had been cut down were left behind in the bamboo grove and not yet transported back. After lunch, Father arranged for his eldest and second eldest brothers to go to the bamboo grove, securely tie the bamboo branches, and drag them back to the village to be used as fuel for fires. He himself returned to the courtyard and began preparing the tools and materials needed to build the bamboo shelter. He rummaged through the storage room and found hemp ropes, wooden wedges, and other items, carefully counting and arranging them neatly.

Meanwhile, the eldest uncle went to the road construction site ahead of time to explain the matter of building a bamboo shed to the foreman in charge of the construction. When the foreman heard that the bamboo shed would provide the villagers with shade, drinking water, and a place to rest after it was completed, he readily agreed and even assigned two quick-witted villagers to help. When Xingbao woke up from his afternoon nap and ran quickly to the door of the shop, he saw several thick bamboo poles tied together to form pillars on the opposite side of the road, standing firmly on the ground. His father and eldest uncle were standing on the bamboo frame, busy laying the bamboo strips for the interlayer, their movements methodical and orderly.

Although the bamboo canopy currently under construction isn't particularly high and doesn't yet require additional safety ropes, my father, just to be on the safe side, went back home to retrieve the ropes he had prepared beforehand and called my eldest and second eldest brothers to help. They first carefully checked the ropes to ensure they were sturdy and reliable, and then began securing safety ropes to everyone present—including my father, my eldest uncle, and two other villagers who came to assist. Each person had one or two ropes of suitable thickness tied around their waist, hips, and shoulders, and these ropes were interwoven to form a very strong yet flexible safety system.

Finally, the father patiently and thoroughly explained to everyone how to properly use these safety ropes and their specific functions: "First, tightly wrap the main rope around your waist twice and tie a knot to ensure it's securely fixed. Then, use two thinner auxiliary ropes to tie to your hips and shoulders as supplementary support points. Finally, remember to secure all the rope ends firmly to the sturdy and stable crossbars! This way, if someone accidentally slips and loses their balance while working at height, they will be immediately pulled firmly by the taut safety rope behind them, preventing them from falling headfirst from the scaffold and causing serious injury or even death. It's practically foolproof!"

After listening to his father's detailed explanation of the safety rope, the eldest uncle looked down at his two older brothers, who were carefully inspecting the rope around their bodies, and couldn't help but sigh, "In the past, when working at heights, due to a lack of protection, countless falls occurred, resulting in injuries and deaths. Why didn't anyone think of such a life-saving method sooner! Now, with this safety rope, I feel much more at ease working at heights. I wonder how Xingbao managed to come up with this method, and Third Aunt's skills have become increasingly refined; the knots are tied so firmly and neatly, without the slightest sloppiness!"

Two villagers helping nearby nodded in approval, even tugging at the two rope ends pre-attached to each other's vests to test the rope's sturdiness. Then, the two climbed onto the bamboo frame first, securing the rope ends tightly to the fixed crossbar. They even deliberately swayed the frame slightly, causing it to creak softly. This noise attracted the attention of the villagers working on the road nearby. Some, quick-witted and aware of the safety rope's intricacies, stopped their work and gathered around, curiously asking the father about the details.

The father patiently explained the function and manufacturing method of the safety rope to everyone again in detail. Even the usually shrewd and cautious foreman came forward to try out the safety rope himself. After experiencing the practicality of the safety rope, the foreman immediately arranged for his apprentices to go to the construction sites for bridge repair and mountain opening to notify the masters there to come and learn how to use the safety rope.

The work of setting up the bamboo scaffold was temporarily suspended. At the request of everyone present, the father sat on the laid-out bamboo strips and recounted the whole story of making the safety rope in detail—from Xingbao's accidental realization of the safety rope's purpose to the mother and son working together to figure out the knot design and repeatedly trying and adjusting it, he told everyone every detail. In no time at all, the news that "the Song family's safety rope can ensure the safety of working at heights" spread throughout the construction site, and dozens of villagers came from both the east and west sides of the road, all wanting to learn how to make and use the safety rope.

Upon hearing the news, Wang Jiazhang rushed to the scene. After understanding the situation, he immediately arranged for his entourage to go to each household in the village to collect unused ropes, preparing materials for the promotion of safety ropes. The father, along with his two older brothers, demonstrated on the roadside, teaching everyone how to tie knots, adjust rope length according to body shape, and secure rope ends, ensuring everyone grasped the essentials. By the time everyone had basically learned how to make and use safety ropes, half the afternoon had passed, and the setting sun cast a warm glow on the ground.

Afterwards, several experienced and enthusiastic craftsmen nimbly climbed up the bamboo frame, laughing and saying they wanted to "test the effectiveness of the safety ropes in practice," and helped to continue building the bamboo canopy. Seeing this, the other craftsmen present also stepped forward to lend a hand, and with their skillful techniques, they completed the main frame of the bamboo canopy in less than an hour—such professional craftsmanship was far superior to my father's "half-baked" amateur builder skills.

Xingbao, Guixiang, and the other children from the village sat on the roadside porch, watching the scene unfold before them with delight. Their own suggestion to build a bamboo shed, the purchase of bamboo, and the project had barely begun when so many villagers had volunteered to help, quickly completing the main structure. This neighborly warmth touched him deeply. However, Xingbao secretly thought to himself: If these workers could also help replace the straw roof of his porch with durable bamboo, it would be even more perfect!

"Old Wang! Chief Wang! An army is coming from the west of the village—"

A sharp shout suddenly pierced through the previous hustle and bustle. At first, it was somewhat distant and indistinct, but as the hurried footsteps drew closer, the sound became clearer and louder, like a pebble thrown into the crowd that had just calmed down, instantly breaking the tranquility of the village.