Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The family was chatting and laughing when the food was already on the table from the kitchen—steaming sweet potato porridge, vibrant green stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of loofah soup made with ingredients Xingbao had provided. Just as they were about to pick up their chopsticks, Qianjin's familiar voice, slightly out of breath, came from outside the gate: "What luck! I didn't expect to make it in time for your dinner!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Qianjin pushed open the door and came in. His shirt was soaked with sweat, clinging tightly to his back, and beads of sweat streamed down his face, even the ends of his hair were damp. Seeing it was him, Mother quickly put down her chopsticks and called into the house, "Eldest son! Go to the kitchen and fetch a basin of cool water to wipe Qianjin's sweat; Second son, quickly get a bowl of hot porridge so Qianjin can have something to eat!"

Brother Ding quickly moved a wooden stool from the corner, wiped the surface with his sleeve, and said with a smile, "Brother Qianjin, sit down and rest for a while before eating." Brother Qianjin thanked him and sat down. Guixiang immediately ran back to her room, took out the Jigong fan, and handed it to him on tiptoe: "Brother Qianjin, use this fan to cool down." Brother Qianjin took the fan, patted Guixiang's head, and said with a smile in his eyes, "Guixiang is so thoughtful."

After Qianjin fanned himself a few times and his breathing stabilized a bit, his father finally asked, "Qianjin, didn't you say at noon that you wouldn't be returning to the district from the village until tomorrow morning? Why are you here now? Is something urgent?"

Qianjin took a sip of the herbal tea his mother handed him before explaining with a smile, "There's nothing urgent, it's just my own business. I was so busy talking to you about the relocation of Sanmin Middle School at lunch that I forgot about the important matter—I haven't asked Yanbang about the details of the exam at Shuangfeng Academy! I only remembered it halfway through my journey after leaving Jinxianpu, and it's been on my mind ever since. After finishing my mail-delivery job in the village, I saw it was still early and I figured I'd make it across Tiger Slope, so I didn't stay overnight and rushed over. It's only because all the wolves in your mountains were hunted down last time, otherwise I really wouldn't dare walk this late at night!"

Upon hearing this, the eldest brother quickly put down the bowl in his hand and said with a smile, "Brother Qianjin, you've gone to a lot of trouble. The exam went quite smoothly this time. The teacher even praised me for my solid foundation and said that I have a chance to go directly to the middle school class. I was just about to find an opportunity to tell you about the exam in detail." As he spoke, he got up and went to the kitchen to fetch water. The second brother also got up to help Brother Qianjin prepare the things for washing.

After Qianjin washed his face and hands with cold water and sat back down at the table, his mother had already reheated the food and placed it in front of him. "Don't talk about exams now, eat quickly. You must be starving after running for so long." Qianjin didn't refuse. He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of stir-fried vegetables, chewed it, and said with a smile, "Auntie's cooking is the best. It's much better than what the food from the local restaurants makes!" The whole family couldn't help but laugh at this—they couldn't really respond, since everything was different from what they were made in this space. They could only laugh along, and the atmosphere in the main room became even more lively.

After the meal, the older brother pulled Qianjin to sit at the octagonal table and recounted in detail the exam at Shuangfeng Academy: which subjects were tested, what questions the teacher asked, and how he answered them. He added at the end, "The teacher said he cherishes talent and intends to let me enter the middle school class, but he's worried that I'm not proficient enough in applying what I've learned. He told me to study the upper elementary school curriculum at home first, and then take the exam at the academy again in the spring. If I pass, I can go directly to the middle school class." Qianjin listened attentively, nodding from time to time, and told his older brother not to worry if he encountered anything he didn't understand, and that he could go to the academy to ask the teacher for help if he really couldn't figure it out.

Xingbao sat to the side, watching the two of them finish their conversation, but his father still hadn't mentioned the medicinal herbs. He grew increasingly anxious—he was still hoping Qianjin would help him find ginseng seeds and fresh Panax notoginseng. So he quietly reached out and gently tugged at his father's sleeve, mouthing "Father, please tell me quickly," his eyes full of urgency. His mother, sitting opposite him, couldn't help but laugh at this, covering her mouth with her handkerchief.

This situation was noticed by Qianjin, who stopped talking, looked at his father and Xingbao, and asked with a smile, "Uncle Song, is there something else you want to tell me? Judging from Xingbao's expression, it seems like you have something to say."

Xingbao was caught red-handed, his cheeks instantly turning red. He lowered his head awkwardly, then couldn't help but look up at his father pleadingly for help—it was best if his father spoke up. His father smiled helplessly and said, "Qianjin, there is indeed something I'd like to trouble you with. Xingbao and Guixiang are studying medicine with Yang Lang, right? With the war going on outside, we're worried that some medicinal herbs will be controlled and we won't be able to buy them. So we're thinking of growing some ourselves, and we'd like you to help us see if we can find ginseng seeds and fresh Panax notoginseng in Yaodu Town."

After hearing what his father said, Qianjin immediately perked up and sat up straight. "Uncle Song, you've come to the right person! A few days ago, I delivered a message to Wang's Pharmacy in Yaodu Town. I heard from their manager's clerk that the manager and his men went to Yunnan and Guizhou to collect medicinal herbs, but they had a rough time. It seems that various places have started to implement controls on medicinal herbs, especially hemostatic herbs like Panax notoginseng, which are subject to stricter regulations. They had no choice but to take advantage of the current relatively mild inspections and hurriedly collect some fresh herbs. They said they would be returning to Yaodu Town in the next few days. I'll keep an eye out for you these next few days. When Manager Wang and his group return, I'll go to the pharmacy and ask if they have any Panax notoginseng among the fresh herbs they collected. I'll also look for ginseng seeds for you. If there are any other seeds, I'll buy you a little of each. Is that enough?" After saying that, he specifically looked at Xingbao, his eyes questioning.

Upon hearing this, Xingbao immediately raised his head and nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice, his face full of joy: "That's enough! Then I'll trouble you, Brother Qianjin. Thank you so much, Brother Qianjin!" A weight was finally lifted from his heart—with Brother Qianjin's help, the chances of finding fresh Panax notoginseng and ginseng seeds were much greater.