Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

"Weren't you a cook in Beijing before?" He Damin looked into his eyes. "You haven't forgotten your skill in stir-frying, have you? That's your old profession."

He Daqing opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed his words. Of course he hadn't forgotten. That was the only thing he could be proud of in his life, the foundation of his livelihood. From his apprenticeship, chopping vegetables, preparing ingredients, tossing woks—how many blisters had he suffered, how much humiliation had he endured—to hone that skill. But…

"Do the people here get used to the northern food?" he asked hesitantly, his tone full of uncertainty. "I heard from Xue Ru that people here like to eat sweet food and seafood, and their tastes are very light."

He Damin's lips curled up slightly, as if he had heard an interesting question.

"What kind of place is Hong Kong?" he countered. "An international port, people from all over the world. Northern cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Cantonese cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine, Southeast Asian cuisine... everyone eats their own. As long as you cook authentically and deliciously, you won't have to worry about finding customers." He paused, his tone becoming serious. "Brother, as long as you haven't lost your skills and cook well, you'll definitely have a market."

As he spoke, he took out a neatly folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to He Daqing.

He Daqing took the paper with a puzzled look and carefully unfolded it. When he saw what was on the paper, his eyes widened instantly, his pupils seemed to be sucked in by something, and his mouth opened slightly, with an expression of disbelief.

It was a HSBC check.

He didn't recognize most of the patterns and text, but in the prominent amount column, a number he had never seen before was written in standard Chinese capital letters—One Million Yuan. Next to it was the Arabic numeral "1,000,000.00".

"This...this is..." He Daqing's voice began to tremble, and his hand holding the check shook more and more violently.

"One million Hong Kong dollars." He Damin's tone was as calm as if he were saying that the weather was nice today. "Take it and find a good location in Tsim Sha Tsui or Causeway Bay, buy a building or rent a large shop, and open a restaurant. Just cook your specialty, Northern Chinese cuisine."

He Daqing's hands trembled violently, the check making a soft rustling sound. One million! This number exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt! The most money he had ever seen in his life was the few thousand Hong Kong dollars He Damin had given him, which he already considered an astronomical figure. In Beijing, his monthly salary was only a few dozen yuan; even if he saved every penny for a lifetime, he couldn't save up to ten thousand yuan! And his brother, just like that, casually pulled out a million from his pocket! It was more unreal than a dream!

"Da...Damin..." His voice trembled so much that he could barely speak a complete sentence, and his face turned ashen. "This...this is too much...I can't accept it...I really can't accept it..." He tried to shove the check back to He Damin, but his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't even hand it over.

"This isn't for you," He Damin interrupted him, his tone still calm but carrying an undeniable force. "This is your start-up capital for opening a restaurant. Consider it my investment. If we lose money, it's on me. If we make money, it's yours."

He stood up, a head taller than He Daqing, looking down at him. The morning light shone from behind him, gilding his figure with a golden outline, obscuring his expression, but his voice struck He Daqing's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Brother, I brought you to Hong Kong. You're my brother, and I can't let you just sink into despair and become a useless person." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "Find something to do, live an honest life in Hong Kong with your own abilities. Don't let your sister-in-law suffer because of you, and don't let Yu Liang ask about it when he grows up and say that his father was a good-for-nothing who just sits in the yard and stares blankly."

The word "useless" pierced He Daqing's heart like a needle. His eyes instantly reddened, as if something scalding was surging within them. For so many years, he had lived in a daze, shirking responsibility, being criticized and insulted behind his back, but he had never felt this pain. But at this moment, his brother's words were like a sharp knife, cutting through his numb shell and revealing the most vulnerable and unbearable part inside.

He lowered his head, staring intently at the check in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the pressure, his shoulders trembling violently. He wanted to say sorry for his past foolishness; he wanted to say thank you for this weighty trust and help. But a thousand words stuck in his throat, as if something was tightly blocking it, and he couldn't utter a single word, only suppressed sobs squeezed out from deep within his throat.

He Damin didn't say anything more, nor did he try to comfort him. Some things he needed to process and face on his own. He turned and walked into the house.

Just as she reached the doorway, it opened from the inside. Qin Huairu, holding the sleeping Yu Liang, leaned against the doorframe, her face streaked with tears, her eyes swollen and red like walnuts. Clearly, she had heard everything that had happened outside.

He Damin walked up to her, his gaze falling on Yu Liang's serene little face. The little one was sleeping soundly, her mouth slightly open, a glistening drool at the corner of her lips. He Damin reached out and gently touched her little face. Her skin was soft, warm, and carried the unique milky scent of a baby.

"Sister-in-law," he withdrew his hand and looked at Qin Huairu, "In the future, when my brother gets busy, please take care of the restaurant. As for the family and Yuliang, I'll trouble you to take good care of them. If you need any help or encounter any difficulties, don't hesitate to tell Xueru, or come directly to me."

Qin Huai nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face like broken beads, landing on the small quilt covering her under the rain beam, leaving a small damp patch. She choked back sobs, wanting to say thank you, but couldn't utter the words, only able to keep wiping away her tears.

He Damin nodded, then turned and left the small courtyard filled with complex emotions.

He stopped at the courtyard gate, not turning around, but with his back to He Daqing, and said clearly, "Brother, you come up with a name for the restaurant yourself. Let me know when you've decided. Remember, don't disgrace the He family."

After saying that, he strode out, his figure quickly disappearing around the corner of the alley.

In the courtyard, He Daqing still stood by the wicker chair, clutching the check tightly in his hand as if it were his entire life. He raised his head, looking in the direction his brother had gone, and tears finally burst forth like a flood, rolling down his stubble-covered cheeks and dripping onto his clothes, soaking a patch.

"Damin..." he murmured to himself in a voice only he could hear, over and over again, "Brother... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Back at her villa, Chen Xueru was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper. Sunlight streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow on her. She was dressed in simple, elegant home clothes, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her smooth forehead and graceful neck. Seeing He Damin return, she put down the newspaper, looked up, and her eyes held a hint of inquiry and concern.

"Is it over?" she asked softly.

"Hmm," He Damin responded and sat down on the sofa.

"How is my brother?" Chen Xueru sat down next to him and naturally straightened his slightly disheveled collar.

He Damin leaned back on the sofa, took the glass of warm water she handed him, and took a sip. The water was warm, just right for relieving his throat. "I gave him a million to open a restaurant and go back to his old profession."

Chen Xueru paused slightly, then nodded knowingly, asking no further questions. She understood He Damin's character; his decisions naturally had their reasons. Besides, He Daqing was, after all, his older brother, and it was always good to lend a hand. "Then...is his older brother... willing?"

"He was a little confused at first, but later... he probably figured it out." He Damin recalled He Daqing's reddened eyes and trembling shoulders. "He had to have something to do, to regain some sense of being alive."

"Mmm," Chen Xueru responded softly, leaning on his shoulder, feeling the warmth and security emanating from him. "Where's your sister-in-law? Does she know?"

"I heard her, she's crying inside." He Damin smiled slightly. "It's just tears of joy. Yu Liang is quite handsome, chubby and cute."

Chen Xueru laughed, took his arm, and leaned closer. "You're just stubborn and soft-hearted. You clearly care about me, but your words are always so cold."

He Damin didn't deny it, but simply reached out and gently pulled her into his arms. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing them both in warmth and tranquility. The living room was quiet, save for the ticking of the wall clock and the occasional chirping of birds from outside.

The two nestled together quietly for a while, enjoying the rare tranquility. After a while, He Damin put down his water glass and sat up slightly straighter.

"Xue Ru, there's something I'd like to discuss with you." His tone became serious.

Chen Xueru immediately sat up straight, looking at him intently: "Go on, I'm listening."

He Damin took a document from the drawer under the coffee table and handed it to her. The document was in a thick kraft paper folder and looked very formal.

Chen Xueru took the folder, opened it, and saw a company registration application form and some accompanying draft articles of association. Her gaze quickly fell on the company name section, where four characters were neatly written: "Global Bank Management Limited".

"This is..." Chen Xueru raised her head, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt and surprise.