Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

In the following days, villagers came to the shop to rest and inquire about news more often. Whenever my grandparents had free time, they would stay in the shop, their eyes always unconsciously looking towards the direction of the village entrance, hoping to hear news from the front. Uncle Youcai also often took advantage of his free time to come over and sit down, chat with my father about village affairs, and occasionally ask a few questions about the movements of the troops that had passed by.

In the past few days, besides the villagers resting there, the food stall has also seen an increase in injured people. Road repairs inevitably involve bumps and bruises; some get their feet hit by stones, others cut their hands while sawing bamboo. The villagers are all carried here to see Doctor Yang for treatment. Each time Doctor Yang comes, he carries his well-worn medicine box, filled with herbs, bandages, and medicinal wine. He sits down at the table and begins to methodically treat the wounds.

Every time Xingbao heard the announcement that "Doctor Yang is here," he would quietly pull Guixiang aside and find a quiet corner to watch. He stared intently at Doctor Yang's movements: how Doctor Yang cleaned the wound with warm water, how he applied the crushed herbs to the affected area, how he tightly wrapped the bandage around it, and he memorized every word of Doctor Yang's instructions to the injured person to "avoid getting it wet" and "change the dressing every day."

Seeing his father's focus, he suddenly remembered that Xingbao had mentioned wanting to study medicine, and an idea came to him.

That afternoon, after treating the last patient's wound, Dr. Yang was packing his medicine kit to leave when his father quickly poured him a cup of warm, coarse tea, smiling as he said, "Dr. Yang, you've been busy all day. Take a break before you go. Look at my son; every time you come to treat someone, he watches intently. What do you think of this child?"

Doctor Yang took the teacup, took a small sip, and turned his gaze to Xingbao, who was whispering with Guixiang about wound treatment not far away. He stroked his beard and smiled, "This kid is quite clever. At such a young age, he and his mother have figured out the 'Song Family Safety Rope,' which has helped many people. He's a thoughtful child."

Upon hearing this, the father immediately followed up, "I didn't expect that this child's meager skills had reached your ears. Since you find him agreeable, why not take him on as an apprentice and let him learn medicine from you?"

Looking in Xingbao's direction, Physician Yang sighed softly: "The child is a promising talent, but he is too young. He can't understand many medicinal herbs and medical principles yet."

The father quickly moved forward, his tone becoming more ingratiating, and he didn't forget to pull Guixiang along: "Old Yang, you may not know, but Xingbao and Guixiang have exceptionally good memories! You can pick any passage from the *Three Character Classic*, *Hundred Family Surnames*, or *Thousand Character Classic*, and they can recite it fluently. Their handwriting is also very neat. How about we give them some basic medical books to look at first, like herbal illustrations and simple prescriptions? In a few years, when they're older and their comprehension is stronger, they can formally learn medicine from you. What do you think?"

Doctor Yang lowered his head and pondered for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping the table as his gaze fell on the medicine box. He was getting old, and the younger generation in his family either found learning medicine too difficult or wanted to venture out into the world; none of them were willing to inherit his skills. He had always worried that no one would carry on his medical tradition. After a long while, he slowly nodded: "Yes, at my age, it's indeed time to find a successor, otherwise it would be a great pity if this skill were to die out. Alright, I'll agree for now, and we'll choose an auspicious day for the child to come to my house to become my apprentice."

The father's face lit up with joy. Seeing that there were still many villagers resting in the shop, he quickly took advantage of the crowd to finalize the titles and called out to Xingbao in a loud voice, "Xingbao, Guixiang, come and pay your respects to your master!"

Although Xingbao was talking to Guixiang, his ears were constantly perked up. He heard every word of his father's conversation with Doctor Yang, and his heart was already pounding with excitement; his hands were clenched tightly. Hearing his father's summons, he immediately grabbed Guixiang and ran quickly to Doctor Yang. Before Doctor Yang could react, they knelt down with a thud, and Xingbao cried out in a clear voice, "Greetings, Master!"

Doctor Yang had initially thought only Xingbao had come, but when he saw Guixiang kneel down as well and call out "Master," he suddenly realized what was going on and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Dawei, this isn't right! I only agreed to teach boys; it's too hard for girls to learn medicine. I never said I would accept them!"

At this point, the father stopped trying to please him and instead smiled and "played the rogue": "Old Yang, you're not in the right here. When I was talking to you just now, I kept mentioning 'the two of them,' saying that the two children had good memories and wanted to study medicine, and you nodded in agreement. Ask the villagers around here and see if I lied to you."

The villagers who were watching the commotion immediately chimed in. One of them, a loud-voiced man, put down his teacup and said loudly, "Old Yang, Dawei really didn't lie to you! He clearly said, 'Let Xingbao and Guixiang, the two children,' 'give them books to read first.' We all heard it clearly!" As he spoke, he recounted his father's conversation with Doctor Yang verbatim, including the detail that his father said, "The two children write neatly."

Upon hearing this, Physician Yang was so angry that he puffed out his beard and glared at his father, pointing a finger at him, speechless for a long time: "You, Song Dawei, so you were waiting for me all along! You... you set me up all along!"

But when he looked down at the two children in front of him—Xingbao with a determined look in his eyes, and Guixiang, though somewhat timid, with her round, innocent eyes staring at him—his anger instantly dissipated. He shook his head helplessly and reached out to help them up, saying, "Alright! Alright! They're both good children, and it's rare to see someone so eager to learn medicine. Girls are more meticulous, so perhaps they're more suited. Get up, both of you. Your master will accept you."

Upon hearing this, Xingbao and Guixiang's faces immediately lit up with bright smiles. They respectfully kowtowed again before standing up with their father's help. Their father, beaming from ear to ear, quickly poured Yang Langzhong another cup of hot tea: "Thank you so much, Elder Yang! Don't worry, these two children will definitely listen to you and learn diligently, ensuring your skills aren't wasted!"

As Dr. Yang sipped his tea, his gaze softened as he looked at Xingbao and Guixiang. He recalled his own youthful days studying medicine, filled with the same curiosity and enthusiasm. Perhaps these two children could truly carry on his medical skills. The villagers in the shop offered their congratulations, some saying, "Old Yang has a good eye; these two children are promising talents," others saying, "Now that our village has successors, seeing a doctor will be much easier." In an instant, the somber atmosphere caused by the war was dispelled by the lively apprenticeship ceremony, and even the grandparents' faces showed long-lost smiles.