Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

After finishing his peanuts, Xingbao suddenly remembered something he had been thinking about. He turned to his father, his eyes full of anticipation: "Dad, when can you take me to the district? I heard from my brother Qianjin that the medicine street in the district is very lively. You can find medicinal herbs from all over the country, even rare varieties that are hard to find in the mountains of Yunnan and Guizhou. Pharmacies all go there to get their supplies. I want to go and see if I can buy some seeds of rare medicinal herbs."

The father, who was drinking from a bowl of cool tea, put down the bowl after hearing this, pondered for a moment, gently stroking the rim of the bowl with his fingertips, and slowly replied, "Let's wait until next year. The Xiangqian Road isn't finished yet this year, and the road to the district is difficult to travel. Heitan is still too young to carry people. When the road is finished next year, Heitan will be stronger and more robust. Then he can carry you, and I'll accompany you to the medicine street in the district. We can also see how the Sanmin Middle School is being built."

"Really?" Xingbao's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward involuntarily, his hands unconsciously clenching the hem of his clothes. But after a few seconds of excitement, his brows furrowed slightly, and his tone became more worried: "Then it's a promise, you must take me next year! But, Dad, the war is fierce outside right now, and I'm a little worried that the government might control those rare medicinal herbs, and we won't even be able to buy the seeds?"

Dad reached out and gently patted Xingbao's head. His palm, calloused yet warm, spoke with a steady tone, carrying a reassuring strength: "Don't rush. We don't necessarily have to wait until next year to look. When Qianjin passes through on his way back to the district from the village tomorrow, I'll mention it to him and ask him to keep an eye out for you in the district. He lives in the district and often passes through the medicine street when delivering mail. He knows which shops have fresh herbs and which sell seeds, so it's easier for him than for us. You can also use this time to think about it and make a list of the herbs and seeds you want to buy. That way, he can look for them according to the list and avoid missing anything."

The mother, who was tidying up the peanut dish, smiled and chimed in, "Your father's idea is good. Qianjin is a reliable boy, so having him keep an eye out will put our minds at ease. You shouldn't worry unnecessarily. First, take a good look at the medical book that Doctor Yang gave you and learn what the medicinal herbs look like, so you won't be unable to recognize them when you actually see them."

Xingbao listened to his mother's instructions and nodded obediently, "Yes! Okay, Mom, I will definitely study the medical books carefully and remember what the medicinal herbs look like, not even missing the veins on the leaves." As he spoke, he turned to his father, his eyes showing more understanding, and his voice softened, "Dad, Brother Qianjin is already busy enough delivering messages and running all over the villages. Let's not trouble him too much with his help. We don't need to find so many medicinal herbs, just ginseng seeds and Panax notoginseng. Especially Panax notoginseng, I heard from my master that the front lines need a lot of hemostatic herbs, and it will definitely be strictly controlled soon. Then we won't be able to buy it even if we want to. This time we must get a fresh, unprocessed one. Only fresh roots and stems can be planted. Processed ones can only be used for medicine and cannot be used for seed. Of course, if we come across any other fresh medicinal herbs or seeds, we can buy them as well."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in the father's eyes. He patted Xingbao's shoulder, full of approval: "My Xingbao has grown up. He knows how to be considerate now, and he's even thinking about the control of medicinal herbs. He's more thoughtful than your father. Okay, I'll listen to you. Let's not trouble Qianjin to make unnecessary trips. The focus should be on finding ginseng seeds and fresh Panax notoginseng. When he comes tomorrow, I'll explain it to him and tell him to keep an eye out for the shops on the medicinal herb street."

His mother smiled and agreed, wiping the table with a rag, leaving the wood grain clean. "You're right. Qianjin is a busy boy, so we should avoid causing him trouble as much as possible. We should know our limits. These two things are indeed the most important. Let's find these two first. The other things, like angelica and astragalus, can be bought at the pharmacy, so there's no rush." ​​Xingbao nodded vigorously, hoping that Qianjin would come early tomorrow, but also thinking to himself: I must make it clear to Qianjin tomorrow that if it's hard to find, we shouldn't force it, so as not to delay his important task of delivering the letter.

At this moment, the older brother, who had been sitting in the corner reading a book, suddenly put down his old book and interjected with a smile: "If the road is repaired next year and we go to the district, I'll go with you. We can go to Sanmin Middle School to see if we can find out in advance about the scope of the entrance exam and the curriculum for the middle school classes, so we can prepare in advance."

"Okay, okay!" Before Xingbao could speak, Guixiang, who was holding Xueqiu, suddenly perked up. She put the puppy on the chair, came over and tugged at her father's clothes, her eyes full of excitement. "Dad, I want to go with you too! I can help identify medicinal herbs. Last time, my master taught me how to recognize dandelions, and I can identify them at a glance!"

Seeing Guixiang's anxious look, and unable to refuse to take her, the father put down his teacup, reached out and patted her head, patiently coaxing, "Guixiang, be good. Heitan is still too young. He was just weaned this year. Even if he grows stronger next year, he can only carry Xingbao alone. How can he carry both of you? Wait another year, and Heitan will be able to pull a cart. Then our whole family can ride together to the district, going to both the medicine street and Sanmin Middle School. Wouldn't that be great? If there's a chance in the meantime, Dad can take you on a trip to the district by yourself and buy you some candied hawthorns, okay?"

When Guixiang heard the words "candied hawthorn," her eyes lit up instantly. She immediately loosened her grip on her father's clothes, clapped her hands, and said, "Okay! It's a deal then. We'll go together in another year. If we have the chance, Daddy, you have to take me to buy candied hawthorn first!" As she spoke, she ran back to the chair, picked up Snowball, and whispered to the dog, "Snowball, did you hear that? We can go to the district together in the future!"