Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

At this point, Xingbao's voice couldn't help but carry a hint of worry: "Mother is pregnant now, so she's already delicate, and she's always worried about my uncle; Grandma is old, and her heart isn't very good either. If they find out that my uncle is in danger on the front lines, and then hear news of the defeats, I'm afraid that Mother and Grandma's bodies won't be able to take it."

After speaking, he stood up and bowed deeply to his master: "Master, you are a doctor, and you have seen much. I came today to ask if you could prepare some calming and soothing medicines in advance. In case Mother and Grandmother become emotionally agitated or unwell after hearing the news, we can deal with it promptly. Also, I would like to ask you, in the current situation, what should our family pay more attention to in order to minimize the stress on Mother and Grandmother?"

After listening, the master paused, looked towards the distant mountains, and said slowly, "Xingbao, you've thought it through very well. In this chaotic world, the safety of your family is the most important thing. Once news of the defeat at the front spreads, the village will definitely be filled with panic. Your mother is pregnant, and your grandmother is old; they really can't withstand any shock."

He got up and walked to the medicine shelf, rummaging through the herbs, saying, "I'll prepare two calming and soothing prescriptions for you, one for your mother and one for your grandmother. Take them home and decoct them for them to drink, just in case. I'll also give you some emergency pills. If they suddenly feel emotional, have heart palpitations, or shortness of breath, let them take one; it will help them calm down faster."

"As for things to be careful about," the master turned around and handed the wrapped medicine to Xingbao, instructing him, "First, don't let outsiders discuss the front lines in front of your mother and grandmother; second, spend more time with them and make them happy, and don't let them overthink things; third, you siblings should keep a close eye on them, and if you find that they have insomnia or are anxious, come and tell me immediately."

Xingbao took the medicinal herbs and hugged them tightly to his chest. He then bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Master! With these medicines and your instructions, I feel much more at ease."

The master's wife chimed in with a smile, "Silly child, why are you being so polite with your master? Your mother is pregnant and it's not easy for her, so go back and help out at home. If there's anything you can't handle, just come back to us."

"Yes, I understand, Master's wife." Xingbao nodded, thanked his master and mistress a few more times, and then got up to take his leave. Seeing this, his master took the initiative to help him securely tie the medicine bag to Heitan's back, then bent down to lift him onto the donkey's back, and instructed, "Walk slowly on the road and be careful." Only after watching Xingbao ride Heitan down the mountain did his master and mistress turn around and go into the house.

On the way back, Xingbao saw the villagers heading towards the threshing ground in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. He suddenly remembered that today was the day he had arranged to share tips on harvesting rice flowers with everyone. The stone-paved road was not wide to begin with, and now that there were more and more people, plus he had already obtained the medicinal herbs and his earlier impatience had subsided, Xingbao gently tugged on the reins, letting Heitan follow the crowd slowly.

In the crowd, an acquaintance recognized Xingbao. Seeing that he had rushed into the mountains earlier and was now returning with a medicine bag on his donkey, he stepped forward and asked, "Xingbao, you rushed into the mountains earlier and now you're carrying medicine. Is someone at home feeling unwell? If you're in a hurry, I'll ask everyone to make way for you."

Xingbao's heart skipped a beat, and without blushing or skipping a beat, he made up a lie: "Uncle, thank you! I'm not in a hurry, no one at home is feeling unwell. It's just that I was looking at a medical book earlier, and I couldn't figure out what several of the herbs looked like, so I rushed to get some samples from my master to compare." The uncle listened, glanced at the medicine packet a few more times, and felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it, so he didn't ask any more questions and turned to follow the crowd forward.

Xingbao rode his black charcoal bike slowly to his front door. Just as he was about to dismount, Guixiang caught him red-handed. The little girl stood at the door with her hands on her hips, her face tense, her cheeks puffed out like a round little ball.

Seeing this, Xingbao quickly jumped off the donkey's back, grabbed the medicine bag from Heitan's back, and hurried over to Guixiang. With a fawning smile, he handed the medicine bag to her: "Sister, look, I saw that Mother's feet were a little swollen, and I was worried that she was uncomfortable, so I specially went to the mountains to find a master to prescribe medicine for her, specifically for treating edema." There was no other way; in order to appease this little girl, Xingbao had to tell another little lie.

Gui Xiang peeked at the medicine packet, snorted softly, her anger subsiding considerably, but she still kept a straight face, staring at Xing Bao with her big, round eyes, and said in a slightly accusatory tone, "Then why didn't you call me? You secretly went to find Master by yourself, leaving me at home. I couldn't find you anywhere!"

Xingbao immediately put on a pitiful look, pouted, and whispered, "Sister, I really didn't mean not to call you. It was only after you left that I noticed Mother's foot was swollen. I was so anxious that I just wanted to find Master to get some medicine as soon as possible, afraid that if I delayed, Mother would feel even worse, so I hurriedly rode Black Charcoal to Master's house." He secretly glanced at Guixiang's face, and seeing that she wasn't so gloomy anymore, he quickly raised his hand and promised, "Sister, I swear, from now on, no matter where I go, I'll call you in advance, and I'll never run off alone again."

Gui Xiang gave a haughty "humph," her expression finally softening. She stepped aside to make way for the doorway, leaving behind a slightly spoiled remark: "That's more like it. You have to make up for it with something delicious!" With that, she skipped and hopped into the kitchen to ask her mother for food.

Xingbao, carrying the medicine bag, hurried to the counter of the shop. Seeing his father tidying up the clutter, he handed the medicine bag to him and whispered in his father's ear, "Dad, I was afraid that if Mom and Grandma knew that Uncle was fighting on the front lines and heard news of the defeats, they wouldn't be able to handle it. So I specially went to Master to get some emergency medicine." As he spoke, he opened the medicine bag, separated the two doses of herbs and a small bottle of pills, and carefully explained to his father the uses of each medicine, how to take it, and what to pay attention to.

Dad quickly took the medicine packet, carefully placed it in the cupboard drawer, locked it, let out a long sigh of relief, reached out and patted Xingbao's head, saying with eyes full of satisfaction, "Good boy, you're so thoughtful. With these medicines, Dad feels much more at ease. Your older brothers are on the threshing floor greeting the villagers right now, would you like to go and lend a hand?"

Xingbao nodded emphatically, then turned and led Heitan towards the donkey shed in the backyard. As they passed the kitchen door, he stopped and called inside, "Sister, I'll lock Heitan in the donkey shed first, then I'll go find Big Brother and Second Brother. Do you want to come to the threshing floor and watch the fun?"

"Then hurry up!" came the crisp, sweet fragrance of osmanthus from the kitchen.