Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

The two quickly got ready, and Xingbao, holding Guixiang's little hand, hurried briskly towards the threshing ground. As soon as they reached the entrance, the lively sounds of the village greeted them, filled with the cheerful laughter of the villagers. People sat or stood in small groups on the haystacks, chatting about this year's harvest, their words brimming with anticipation. The eldest and second eldest brothers, clutching slips of paper they had written a few days earlier on about haymaking techniques, were explaining the techniques to several village elders, pointing at the slips and providing detailed instructions.

Xingbao, holding Guixiang's hand, searched through the crowd for a few familiar friends. They sat down near the front. A little while later, Wang Jiazhang, seeing that everyone was almost there, got up and walked to the high platform in the center of the threshing ground. He cleared his throat and raised his voice, "Everyone, quiet down! Quiet down! I've called you all here today to share some good news—the Song family's children will tell us how to thresh rice to increase the yield. This year, the rice from Grandpa Liu Laogen's family in the Song family has grown exceptionally well, yielding nearly 400 jin per mu, 20% more than in previous years, all thanks to the threshing method these children devised! Now, let Yanbang explain it to you in detail!"

The eldest brother, Yanbang, stood up, first bowing to the villagers in greeting, then picked up the slip of paper in his hand and began to explain in detail the timing, method, and precautions for pollination that he and his siblings had compiled together: "To pollinate rice, you must choose a morning when the rice flowers are fully open and there is no wind. It's best to wait until the sun has come out and the dew on the rice leaves has dried completely. Pollination at this time ensures that the pollen is evenly distributed..." He spoke clearly and in plain language, which the villagers could all understand. They listened very attentively, and every now and then someone would raise their hand to ask a question, which Yanbang would then stop to answer carefully. When he couldn't explain something clearly, Xingbao and the second brother would take turns stepping forward to add a few words, explaining each key step thoroughly to ensure that everyone understood.

As soon as Yanbang finished speaking, enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted in the threshing ground. The villagers beamed with joy, discussing among themselves: "So it's that simple! If we had known, we would have tried it this year and harvested more grain!" "Thank you so much to the Song family children, they've really helped us a lot! With this method, we won't go hungry so much next year!" Everyone's words were full of gratitude towards the Song siblings.

Wang Jiazhang also stepped forward with a smile and said to everyone, "Did you all hear and remember clearly? Next year when planting early and late rice, just follow Yanbang's method. I'll also ask Yanbang to pay more attention, keep an eye on things, and provide guidance, so that every household in our village can harvest more rice and live a more comfortable life!"

After the explanation, many villagers surrounded the Song siblings, asking all sorts of questions, mostly about the details of rice flowering, such as whether different varieties of rice flower at the same time, and what to do on rainy days. The four siblings patiently answered each question, and only dispersed when everyone had no more questions. By the time Xingbao and his siblings returned home, it was already completely dark, the sun had long since set behind the mountains, and every household in the village had lit a dim oil lamp, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere.

At dinner time, the oil lamp in the main room was lit, its dim yellow light enveloping the small room, making it exceptionally warm. Mother served the last bowl of steaming vegetable and tofu soup, smiling as she called to everyone, "Come on, sit down and eat. You must be starving after a long day." Xingbao looked at the simple meal on the table, recalling the lively scene of the day, and quietly made up his mind that he would stay put and keep his mother company for the next two days.

The peaceful days passed slowly, like a mountain stream, for two days, only to be shattered by a sudden commotion. On the afternoon of the third day, the sun blazed down, warming the village's stone paths. The elderly sat on small stools by the roadside, basking in the sun. Suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed through the tranquil village. Xingbao, sitting on a small stool by the shop, engrossed in studying a newly copied medical book, was startled by the unusual noise. He looked up sharply—the village head was leading the way in a small sedan chair, followed by the township head in another sedan chair, and then several uniformed village guards. Qianjin rode a donkey at the very end of the procession. The group hurried along the stone path into the village. Each of them had a serious expression, their brows furrowed, and their steps were hurried; they didn't stop at any of the roadside shops, heading straight deeper into the village.

There's nothing unusual in the countryside, so this serious scene immediately drew everyone's attention. Many villagers put down their work, farmers on the field ridges shouldered their hoes and rushed to the roadside, women in their courtyards leaned against doorframes with their children in their arms, and children excitedly shouted, following the procession in groups, eager to join in the fun. Second Brother Yan Guo couldn't contain his curiosity either, quietly telling Xing Bao, "I'll go take a look," and then mingled in the crowd to follow. Xing Bao stood at the shop door, watching the group's departing figures, his heart skipping a beat—judging from this, it certainly wasn't an ordinary inspection; they were probably delivering this year's tax notice to Chief Wang, or bringing bad news from the front lines. He had no interest in joining the commotion, so he stood quietly at the door, his eyes fixed on the scene ahead, a vague sense of unease creeping into his heart.

But less than half an incense stick's time later, Xingbao sensed something was wrong. At the end of the stone path ahead, a suppressed sob suddenly rose. At first, it was soft, but it quickly grew louder and louder, heart-wrenching and agonizing. The crowd that had been surging forward gradually stopped, and they began pushing and shoving each other to push back, soon completely blocking the narrow stone path. Xingbao tried to move forward to see what was happening, but the crowd was too dense. Being young and short, he was blocked from the outside and couldn't squeeze in. He could only stand on tiptoe, craning his neck, anxiously peering out. After a while, the congested crowd slowly moved forward a little, but the sobbing didn't lessen at all; it was now mixed with more sobs and the woman's heart-wrenching cries, weighing heavily on one's heart.

Xingbao's heart sank to the bottom. A terrible thought, like a dark cloud, enveloped him: this news had come in such a distressing way! His uncle Youming and Uncle Youde's affair could no longer be kept secret! Just then, his father and elder brother, who were busy in the bamboo house in the front yard, heard the commotion outside. They quickly came out and saw a crowd gathered at the door, filled with an atmosphere of sorrow. They hurried to Xingbao's side and asked, "Xingbao, what's wrong? Who's crying so hard?"