Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

After sending Yushui to school, He Damin did not immediately return to the courtyard house. The autumn air was crisp and clear, and he had a rare moment of leisure, so he decided to take a stroll and familiarize himself with the new look of the city after eight years.

He first went to the Summer Palace. Kunming Lake shimmered, and Longevity Hill was ablaze with autumn colors. Although there weren't many tourists, the grandeur and tranquil autumn atmosphere of this imperial garden soothed He Damin's heart, who was accustomed to the ruggedness of mountains and the cruelty of battlefields. Strolling along the long corridor, admiring the carved beams and painted rafters, he reflected that the rise and fall of a century was but a ripple in the long river of time. He lingered there for a long time, his aura subtly harmonizing with the surrounding landscape, his nascent soul becoming more refined, and his consciousness becoming increasingly concentrated.

In the afternoon, he went to the more distant ruins of the Old Summer Palace. Compared to the completeness of the Summer Palace, only broken walls and overgrown weeds remained. The stone sculptures of the Great Fountain stood alone in the setting sun, silently telling of the past humiliation and calamity. He Damin stood before the ruins, his eyes calm. Before his seclusion, he had witnessed firsthand the devastation of the land under the iron heel of the Japanese invaders, and he had long harbored a deep understanding of this. These ruins were less a source of pain than a wake-up call—the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak, has remained unchanged since ancient times. No matter how high one's personal cultivation, if the country is weak and the people are poor, it is difficult to guarantee peace in the region. This further strengthened his resolve to do something.

Leaving the Old Summer Palace, he followed his memory and the directions known to posterity, heading towards the northwest suburbs. The further he walked, the more desolate the area became; farmland and villages gradually thinned out, and large tracts of open land, wasteland, and reed marshes began to appear. This is the location of the later renowned Zhongguancun. But in the autumn of 1951, it was just a somewhat desolate suburb far from the city center, with relatively flat and open terrain, and the outline of the Western Hills visible in the distance.

He Damin stood atop a high slope, gazing into the distance. The autumn wind rustled through the withered yellow grass. All around was quiet, save for the occasional bird flitting by. This was it. The location was excellent, not far from the future city center, with convenient transportation (though currently undeveloped, planned roads would easily extend it), ample space, and the land price was bound to be low. Thirty acres of land was more than enough to build a fully functional, comprehensive auto sales and repair center, complete with a repair workshop, showroom, warehouse, and even staff dormitories.

The blueprint became increasingly clear in his mind. Without further hesitation, he turned and walked towards the direction of the city's military control commission.

The afternoon meeting of the Military Control Commission was still busy. He was received by Director Yang Chengdong, whom he had dealt with several times before. When He Damin proposed to buy about 30 acres of wasteland in the northwest suburbs (the location was roughly described) to establish a private car repair and sales shop, Yang Chengdong was really stunned for a moment. He adjusted his glasses and looked He Damin up and down a few times.

"Comrade He Damin, your idea... is quite novel." Yang Chengdong carefully chose his words. "Purchasing land use rights is not entirely unfeasible in terms of policy, especially for uncultivated wasteland in the suburbs, where the state encourages reclamation and construction. However, establishing privately owned car repair and sales shops... is a rather special case. Automobiles are important means of production and strategic materials, and private operation, especially involving sales, currently lacks clear policies and precedents. I need to consult with my superiors; it will probably require collaborative research from multiple departments such as industry and commerce, and transportation."

He Damin remained expressionless; this was within his expectations. In the early days of the new society, the boundaries of many economic sectors were still being explored.

"I understand. Please ask Director Yang to inquire on my behalf." He Damin's tone was calm. "Regarding the land fee, I can pay with gold. I don't have time to go to the bank to exchange it for RMB at the moment, but the purity and weight of the gold can be appraised by an authoritative department."

Paying directly with gold? Yang Chengdong glanced at He Damin again, his curiosity about his background and wealth growing stronger. This second son of the He family, after eight years of seclusion, had not only solved his nephew's future and his niece's schooling, but now he was talking about buying dozens of acres of land, paying with gold, and opening a car dealership... This kind of spending and ambition was unlike that of an ordinary cook or a mountain dweller.

"Gold payment... also requires a specific assessment and conversion. How about this, I'll immediately compile a report outlining your situation and needs and submit it to my superiors. We should have a preliminary response in three days at the earliest. What do you think?"

"Okay. I'll come back in three days." He Damin nodded, not lingering. He knew that some things couldn't be rushed, especially under the current system.

Leaving the Military Control Commission, he checked the time and realized it was still early before school let out for the rainy season. He remembered the several more fashionable outfits he had ordered from "Xue Ru Silk Shop," a long-established silk shop near Zhengyangmen (his previous old-fashioned and Japanese-style clothes were rather conspicuous). He still had the receipts on him, so he strolled towards Zhengyangmen.

Xue Ru Silk Shop had a small but antique-style storefront, with various brightly colored silk fabrics displayed in the window. He Damin pushed open the door and entered, the clear sound of wind chimes ringing out.

The shop was brightly lit, with a faint scent of silk and incense in the air. He had expected to see the old tailor from last time, but instead, a young woman in a light green embroidered cheongsam stood behind the counter.

The woman was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a slender figure, fair skin, and a striking oval face. Her phoenix eyes, in particular, possessed a natural allure and a sharp, intelligent quality. At that moment, she was working on an abacus when she heard the wind chimes and looked up.

Eyes facing each other.

He Damin remained calm, only noting that the shopkeeper was far too young and beautiful. The woman, Chen Xueru, paused her abacus-wielding the moment she saw He Damin; her phoenix eyes widened slightly, revealing undisguised amazement and disbelief.

The man before her stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his face strikingly handsome, almost otherworldly. His eyes, in particular, were deep and serene, seemingly able to reflect the depths of one's heart. He wore slightly old-fashioned clothes, yet they couldn't conceal his transcendent air. Chen Xueru considered herself to have seen many people—young masters of Beijing, wealthy merchants from the south, even some who had returned from studying abroad—but she had never seen anyone like him. He was like a celestial being who had stepped out of an ancient ink painting, suddenly appearing in this bustling silk shop.

In a few seconds, Chen Xueru's mind went blank, then a torrent of thoughts surged uncontrollably into her head—Who was he? What was he doing here? A customer ordering clothes? How come she'd never seen him before? This air of authority… For a few seconds, she even momentarily forgot the name of her future child…

Seeing that she was just staring at him blankly without saying a word, He Damin took the initiative to step forward, took out the order receipt from last time from his pocket, placed it on the counter, and said in a clear and gentle voice: "Hello, I'm here to pick up my clothes."

"Huh? Oh! Oh oh!" Chen Xueru suddenly snapped out of her daze, her face flushing. She quickly composed herself, picked up the receipt, and glanced at it. It was indeed from her own shop, and the date was from a few days ago. "Please wait a moment, sir, I'll go to the back to get it for you right away."

Holding the receipt, she almost stumbled as she turned and entered the back workshop. Her heart was pounding like a rabbit's. Reaching the shelf where finished clothes were piled up, she immediately spotted the already packed bundle with a label bearing He Damin's name.

Her hand had already touched the rope of the bundle, but suddenly stopped.

A bold and passionate thought instantly seized her—such an outstanding man, if she missed him, she might never meet him again! He didn't seem to be someone who frequented the Qianmen area. She picked up her clothes this time, and who knew when she would see him again! No, she had to create an opportunity!

Chen Xueru was a woman of strong emotions, decisive in her actions and passionate in her love and hate; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to single-handedly run a silk shop at such a young age. With this in mind, she steeled herself, resolutely put down the finished work, took a deep breath, adjusted her expression and breathing, and turned back to the front shop.

He Damin was standing with his hands behind his back, examining the Suzhou embroidery pieces hanging in the shop, but his divine sense had already clearly "seen" Chen Xueru's actions behind him. Seeing that she had finished dressing but came out empty-handed, he was slightly surprised, but remained calm.

"I'm so sorry, sir." Chen Xueru gave a perfectly timed apologetic smile, with a touch of girlish naiveté. "It's really unfortunate. My master just said that the buttons on your coat were still a little bit finished, and he was asked to help out with an urgent job next door, which caused the delay. The coat... might have to wait a while before it's completely finished." As she spoke, she looked earnestly at He Damin. "How about you leave your address? As soon as the coat is finished, I'll arrange for a worker to deliver it to your home, saving you the trouble of making another trip."

He Damin turned around, his gaze calmly landing on Chen Xueru's face. His divine sense was incredibly sharp; he could easily discern that her heartbeat was rapid and her breathing slightly erratic, and that her words were blatantly flawed. But he didn't point it out, nor did he care about her little scheme. To him, it was merely an interlude.

"Alright," he replied casually, without exposing the truth. "No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the main house in the middle courtyard, He Damin."

"95 Nanluoguxiang... He Damin..." Chen Xueru repeated softly, firmly engraving the name and address in her heart. Her smile widened. "I've got it, Mr. He. I promise to deliver it to you as soon as possible, without delaying your wearing it."

"Thank you for your trouble." He Damin nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to leave the silk shop.

The wind chimes rang again, and that tall figure disappeared into the crowd outside the door.

Chen Xueru remained standing behind the counter, staring at the empty doorway, motionless for a long time. Her face flushed slightly, but the flutter in her heart did not subside; instead, it spread like ripples across a lake where a pebble had been thrown in.

"He Damin... Nanluoguxiang..." she murmured to herself, a determined glint in her eyes. This man who had suddenly entered her field of vision was like a ray of light, stirring up unprecedented waves in her long-dormant heart.

He Damin, having left the silk shop, had already put the little incident behind him. He glanced at the sky and strolled leisurely toward Hongxing Primary School.

It's time to pick up Xiaoyushui from school. As for that piece of land, that shop, and that silk shopkeeper with those piercing eyes... there's still a long way to go, let's wait and see.