Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

Until the evening of August 30th—the 25th day of the seventh lunar month—as the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the bamboo tent at the village entrance in a warm yellow hue, a peddler from the direction of Hengshan, carrying a heavy load of goods, staggered into the shop and said wearily, "Shopkeeper, could you do me the favor of staying the night? I'm leaving early tomorrow morning."

Seeing his travel-worn appearance, the father quickly agreed, "Of course, I'll tidy up the empty bed in the inner room right away." The peddler put down his load, let out a long sigh, and began tidying up his needlework, buttons, and small general merchandise while chatting with the passersby around him. As they talked, he casually mentioned the news of the "36th Division's entry into the war," his tone tinged with emotion: "Speaking of which, I've heard quite a bit about the front lines along the way," he said, his fingers lightly fiddling with his sewing kit, "I heard that the German-equipped 36th Division was deployed to the Shanghai battlefield as early as August 17th, fighting fiercely with the Japanese, and I heard the casualties were considerable!"

These words struck like a thunderbolt, instantly freezing the previously relaxed atmosphere in the ears of Xingbao's family. The eldest brother, wiping the table, suddenly lost his grip on the rag, his arm slamming against the table corner with a thud. He seemed oblivious to the pain, staring blankly at the peddler. The second brother, helping to set out the dinner tables, let go of his grip, and a chair crashed to the floor with a thud, nearly hitting his foot. He didn't even bother to pick it up, his eyes fixed on the peddler. Xingbao, clutching a medical book, dropped it with a clatter. Without even bending down to pick it up, he rushed to the peddler, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency, even his tone higher than usual: "You mean the 36th Division? They joined the battle on August 17th?"

The peddler was startled by this sudden reaction. He quickly put down his needle and thread, nodded, and asked with a hint of doubt in his eyes, "Yes, I overheard two customers talking about it a few days ago when I was resting at a teahouse in Hengshan. So, does someone in your family serve in this unit?"

Xingbao stood frozen in place, his heart aching as if gripped by an invisible hand. He knew beforehand that his uncle's 36th Regiment was heading to Shanghai, and he had specifically asked his father to send a letter to their garrison in Jiangsu. But it seemed his uncle and his men hadn't even stayed in Jiangsu; they had gone straight to the Shanghai battlefield! More than ten days had passed since then! Just how brutal had the Shanghai battlefield become? Had his uncle been injured? Had he received the letter he'd sent? Had the defensive strategies against the Japanese described in the letter been effective? Countless questions flooded his mind, making his lips tremble uncontrollably, rendering him speechless.

"And then what happened? What happened next? Is the 36th Division still in Shanghai?" The second brother didn't care about the stool on the ground. He quickly moved closer to the peddler, staring intently at him. His tone was full of urgency, and even his breathing was more rapid than usual, as if he was afraid of missing any news.

The peddler frowned and pondered for a moment before slowly speaking, "I don't know the specifics either. I only heard from those two customers that after a few days of fighting, in order to reduce losses, the 36th Division was transferred to the Jiangwan area to hold its ground." Seeing the family staring at him with wide eyes, full of expectation, he quickly added, "That's really all! I only heard a few words, I don't know anything more, so please don't ask any more questions."

The brothers seemed to have all their strength drained away instantly; their previously tense bodies collapsed. The eldest brother silently bent down to pick up the rag from the floor and began wiping the table again, but his movements were noticeably slower, and the surface was still damp. The second brother, head drooping, slowly walked back to the table, picked up the stool from the floor, but had no intention of rearranging it, simply sitting there blankly. Xingbao finally came to his senses, bending down to pick up the medical book from the floor, but his fingertips were trembling slightly—he suddenly remembered that the letter he had written to his uncle was full of methods for digging hidden trenches and setting up simple defensive fortifications, without mentioning a single word about attack strategies. "Defense isn't bad either," he quietly comforted himself, "at least it can reduce casualties. My uncle and the others are guarding Jiangwan; they might be safer there. Although I don't know where Jiangwan is, at least it's not that 'meat grinder' of Luodian! Maybe... maybe they can come back alive."

Seeing his children's disappointed and worried expressions, the father felt a pang of sadness, but he forced himself to remain calm and said to the peddler, "Thank you for telling us this. At least we have some news to put our minds at ease. Dinner will be ready soon. You rest for a while, and we'll eat something hot together later." The peddler thanked him profusely. The father then turned to his sons and whispered, "Cheer up, all of you. Control your emotions. Don't let your mother find out—she's pregnant with your younger siblings. We can't let her worry."

The brothers nodded hastily, trying to suppress the surging worry in their hearts, and pretended to be nonchalant as they continued with their work—the eldest brother wiped the table again; the second brother arranged the stools neatly and even adjusted the positions of the bowls and chopsticks; Xingbao continued reading, but he couldn't calm his mind. The usual smiles were gone from their faces; their hearts felt heavy, burdened by worry for their uncle.

Soon, the mother brought out the food from the kitchen: steaming sweet potato porridge, stir-fried vegetables, and a plate of pickled radishes, all laid out on the table. The peddler politely thanked the mother, and the family sat down around the table, but no one touched their chopsticks first. The news the peddler had brought earlier hung over the table like a thin fog, making the atmosphere uncomfortably heavy.

The father glanced at his silent children, then at his mother beside him who seemed hesitant to speak, knowing they were still concerned about their youngest brother. He coughed lightly, breaking the silence, his gaze falling on his eldest brother: "Yanbang, I went to Yongfeng to buy goods a few days ago, and I heard from the Zhang family, the father and son at the general store, that Shuangfeng Academy has already started. When do you plan to take the entrance exam?"

These words were like a key, instantly breaking the frozen atmosphere. The elder brother paused, his hand holding chopsticks pausing, then put them down. He frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly replied, "I originally wanted to understand the books more thoroughly and solidify my foundation in 'New Learning' before going later. However, I've already studied all the books that Brother Qianjin brought before, word by word, and now I'm lacking someone to guide me in applying them. Since you said the academy has already started, I'll organize my writing materials these next two days. When do you have some free time? I'll give the school two days off, and then you can take me to Yongfeng City."

Before her father could reply, Gui Xiang suddenly slammed down her rough porcelain bowl and exclaimed, "Dad! You don't need to go to Yongfeng to buy goods this time, so you must take me with you! Xing Bao went with you once before, but Mom and I are the only ones who haven't seen what the city looks like!" As she spoke, she reached out and tugged at her father's sleeve, her body swaying from side to side, her watery eyes filled with longing, her tone urgent and tinged with a hint of grievance: "I also want to see what Yongfeng City looks like, and I want to go with my older brother to see the entrance of Shuangfeng Academy, to see what a place for studying really looks like!"

Upon hearing this, Xingbao quickly put down his bowl and chimed in, "Dad, Guixiang has indeed never been to Yongfeng City. Let's take her there this time. Second Brother and Brother Ding are helping Mother manage the shop. Besides, the road from the village to Yongfeng is almost finished, except for a few sections where bridges were built. It'll be convenient for you to travel back and forth, so don't worry too much about home." Second Brother nodded in agreement, still holding half a sweet potato in his hand, and mumbled, "Yes, Dad, I can help carry water, chop firewood, and look after the experimental fields by the door. It would be great to let Guixiang see what it's like in the city."

Looking at Gui Xiang's expectant eyes and then at the children's unusually relaxed expressions, the father breathed a sigh of relief and patted Gui Xiang's hand with a smile: "Alright, I'll take you this time. But you have to be good when you get to Yongfeng City and not run around, understand?"

Gui Xiang immediately smiled, revealing her dimples, and nodded vigorously, her head bobbing like a chick pecking at rice: "I know! I'll definitely follow you obediently and won't run away!" The atmosphere at the dinner table completely eased, and her mother also smiled, picking up her chopsticks to put a piece of stir-fried vegetables on Gui Xiang's plate, and said softly, "Eat quickly, don't just be happy, you'll have the energy to prepare for going to Yongfeng City."

Gui Xiang replied "Okay" while shoveling sweet potato porridge into her mouth. Xing Bao suddenly remembered the wildly growing sweet potato vines in the space and the pile of straw in the corner—he had been thinking of using the sweet potato vines and straw to feed the livestock, so he looked up at his father and said, "Dad, this time when you go to Yongfeng City, besides accompanying my eldest brother to the exam, you should also see if you can buy a donkey and bees."

Upon hearing this, the father paused in his act of picking up food, his eyes filled with doubt: "I've already asked the Zhang family to inquire about the bees. They've made arrangements with beekeepers in the suburbs, and they'll let me know when the bees swarm in the spring. But why buy a donkey? We don't need a donkey right now, and it's not worth spending that much money."

Xingbao quickly explained, glancing furtively at his mother, "Dad, look, all of us siblings can go everywhere with you, but Mom has been stuck at the shop all year round and has never been anywhere. Once the road at the village entrance is repaired, if you get a cart and a donkey, you can take Mom to Yongfeng City for a stroll. She can also bring more goods when she goes shopping, which is much easier and faster than you pushing your wheelbarrow." Seeing a flicker of interest in his mother's eyes, he quickly added, bringing up his grandfather as well: "Besides, the donkey can help Grandpa plow the fields! You know, Grandpa doesn't have an ox, and during busy farming seasons he has to beg for help, waiting in line to borrow one. If he misses the planting season, the harvest will be affected. With a donkey, Grandpa and Uncle can plow the fields themselves, making things easier."

The father frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, clearly deep in thought—buying a donkey wouldn't cost much, and Xingbao's words made sense; it would allow his wife to go out and about, and also help out his in-laws, which seemed like a good deal. Before he could figure it out, his mother spoke first, her tone filled with anticipation: "Husband, we really can't afford an ox right now, but buying a donkey would be a good idea. If we don't have a donkey, a mule will do. You usually push a wheelbarrow so far to buy goods, it looks tiring. With a donkey pulling the cart, you'll suffer less."

Hearing his wife say this, the father's heart began to turn, and he nodded: "Alright, then I'll keep an eye out when I go to Yongfeng City this time, to see the price of donkeys and what their quality is like. If it's suitable, I'll buy one." Xingbao and Guixiang couldn't help but smile—one hoped the donkey could help support the family, and the other was thinking about taking a donkey cart to the city in the future. The atmosphere at the dinner table was completely filled with this small expectation.

Seeing this, the peddler smiled and said, "Your child is so lively. Yongfeng Township is indeed more lively than the village. It's good to go and see for yourself." While eating, everyone chatted about the sights of Yongfeng Township. The steam rising from the table reflected the smiling faces of everyone.

After dinner, the peddler offered to help clear the table, but the father quickly declined, saying, "You're a guest, how can we let you do this? We can do it ourselves." He then had his eldest and second eldest brothers clear the table while he led the peddler to the inner room to rest. Xingbao and Guixiang sat on the doorstep, quietly discussing their plans for Yongfeng City—Guixiang said they wanted to buy candied hawthorns first, then look at sugar paintings; Xingbao thought their father should take their eldest brother to his exam first, then they could choose a strong donkey. As night deepened, the mountain village quieted down, broken only by the occasional bark of a dog, which, along with the family's small hopes for the future, blended into the deep night.