Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin looked at him; the moonlight shone on his face, making even the fine hairs on his skin clearly visible. "Okay. Dad will wait for you."

Yuan Ping ran off, the sound of his slippers fading into the distance. He Damin stood on the balcony, the wind carrying the fragrance of pomegranate blossoms even stronger. Chen Xueru leaned against his back, her body heat seeping through his thin shirt, warm and comforting.

"Brother Da Min".

"Um?"

"Can we really fly to the stars?" Her voice was soft, like a dream.

He Damin gazed at the Milky Way, the stars seeming to wink at him. "Yes. Once the children reach the Golden Core stage, we'll fly there in a flying saucer."

"Where to go first?"

"The moon." He Damin's voice was tinged with laughter. "Let's go see if Chang'e's rabbit is still there."

"and then?"

"Mars. I heard the sand there is red, and walking on it must feel like walking on chili powder."

Chen Xueru smiled, her shoulders trembling slightly. "How long will it take to fly?"

"A few decades, I suppose." He Damin turned around and pulled her into his arms. "But we cultivators have a long life ahead of us, so don't worry."

She leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, thumping like a drum. The stars in the sky twinkled, as if they were truly guiding them.

The next morning, before He Damin was fully awake, he heard heavy footsteps downstairs, like a pile driver. He jumped up and ran to the living room, where he saw six children sitting in a circle around the table, their eyes shining like newly fired glass beads. Yuan An wasn't even wearing slippers, his bare feet on the floor, a pomegranate petal still clinging to his heel; Yuan Qing's hair was sticky like a bird's nest, with a blade of grass hanging from it; Yuan Ping was the neatest, but he was clutching a small notebook tightly in his hand, the pencil tip almost bitten off.

He Damin spread a large sheet of white paper on the table, and the pencil scratched across the paper. Chen Xueru brought out a bowl of steaming porridge, the aroma of rice mixed with the saltiness of pickled vegetables wafting over, making Yuan Kang swallow hard. "You're in such a hurry, the porridge is going to get cold."

"Listen to Dad first!" Yuan An slammed his hand on the table, and the spoon in the bowl fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Let's talk while we eat." He Damin drew a large circle. "This is the sun, ten thousand times bigger than our villa."

The steamed bun in Yuan An's mouth fell "plop" onto the paper, leaving a large smear of oil. "Ten thousand times? That's a huge amount!"

"It's big enough to fit 1.3 million Earths inside." He Damin took a bite of a steamed bun, filled with chives and spicy. "But it's far away from us, so it only looks as big as a plate."

"How far?" Yuanping poked a hole in the paper with his pencil.

"It would take more than twenty years to fly by plane." He Damin took a sip of porridge, the hot porridge sliding down his throat, warm and comforting. "But light only takes eight minutes. Light can circle the earth seven and a half times in one second, faster than a tram."

Yuan Kang placed the bowl of porridge on his head, and the porridge dripped down his hair, making it sticky. "Dad, what's light made of?"

"It's the sun's breath." He Damin helped him take the bowl of porridge down. "Without light, the earth would be pitch black, and you wouldn't be able to see anything."

"Where did the sun go that night?" Yuan Ning asked, a piece of bread crumb stuck to her braid.

"It's moved to the other side of the earth." He Damin pointed to the circle of the earth. "It's dark here, but it's bright in America."

Yuan Jing suddenly stood up, her skirt rustling as it swept across the floor: "Daddy, is the moon a child of the sun?"

He Damin drew a small circle next to the Earth: "It's a child of the Earth, called a satellite. It doesn't emit its own light; it steals the sun's light."

"What's on the moon?" Yuan An leaned closer, his nose almost touching the paper.

"There are mountains, pits, and lots and lots of dust." He Damin poked several small dots on the paper with his pencil. "No air, no water, not even grass grows."

"Is anyone living there?" Yuanping's eyes gleamed.

"Not now." He Damin looked at him, his pencil hovering over the paper. "But it will come in the future."

Yuan Jing suddenly jumped up, her socks slipping down to her ankles: "Dad, can you take us there?"

"Yes." He Damin picked her up and put her on his lap. Her little feet kicked his stomach, tickling him. "Once you all become cultivators, we'll go in a flying saucer."

"Really?" The voices of the six children nearly lifted the roof off.

"Really." He Damin's voice was tinged with laughter. "Yuan An will be in charge of piloting the UFO, Yuan Qing will be in charge of reading the map, and Yuan Ping will be in charge of studying the stars..."

The children chattered excitedly as they divided up the tasks. Yuan Kang insisted on being the "Mars Governor," Yuan Ning wanted to plant pomegranate trees on the moon, and Yuan Jing said she would pluck stars and string them into a necklace. Chen Xueru leaned against the doorframe, the porridge spoon in her hand swaying gently, tears falling into the porridge bowl, splashing up tiny ripples.

"Brother Damin, are you really going to take them?" Her voice trembled slightly.

"Really." He Damin lifted Yuan An up, the child's laughter like silver bells. "We'll leave once they reach the Golden Core stage."

"How long will it take?"

"A few decades, I guess." He Damin put Yuan An down; the child's face was flushed. "To us, it's just a blink of an eye."

Chen Xueru laughed and wiped her eyes with her apron: "Decades in the blink of an eye?"

"Isn't this how a cultivator lives?" He Damin put his arm around her shoulder, and the sunlight shone in through the window, making it warm and cozy.

The pomegranate tree outside the window swayed in the wind, its petals falling to the ground like a red carpet. He Damin looked at the tree and suddenly remembered what it was like when he first arrived in this era—back then, he wore coarse cloth clothes, stood among the crowds at the dock, and couldn't even afford a bowl of hot porridge. Now he had a wife, six noisy children, and a balcony where he could see the stars. He looked down at the children: Yuanping was drawing spaceships on paper with a pencil, Yuanan was snatching Yuankang's steamed buns, and Yuanning and Yuanjing were secretly exchanging candies—this was what happiness was like, like the Longjing tea on the balcony, warm and fragrant, making your heart feel warm when you drink it.

"Dad, are there volcanoes on Mars?" Yuanping suddenly looked up, his pencil tip stained with ink.

"Yes, it's bigger than anything on Earth." He Damin squatted down and looked at the painting with him. "You can study it sometime."

Yuanping's eyes shone like stars: "I want to be the first person to go to Mars!"

He Damin smiled and ruffled his hair: "Okay, Dad will wait for you."

Yuan Ping continued drawing the spaceship, his pencil scratching on the paper. He Damin watched his small figure and suddenly felt something fill his heart. It was a strange feeling, unlike the excitement of a cultivation breakthrough or the satisfaction of making a lot of money; it was warm and soft, like holding a hot, roasted sweet potato in his arms.

"Brother Damin, the porridge is getting cold." Chen Xueru pushed the bowl of porridge towards him, and the rim of the bowl burned her fingers.

"Coming." He Damin sat down next to Yuanping and scooped up a spoonful of porridge. The porridge was cooked until it was sticky and thick, the aroma of rice mixed with the crispness of pickled vegetables, slowly spreading in his mouth. The children also quieted down, slurping their porridge, their little mouths stuffed full, like a group of little squirrels.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the dining table. A pomegranate petal clung to Yuan An's shadow, swaying with his movements. Looking at these shadows, He Damin suddenly remembered his master's words from his childhood: "A person's life is like the stars in the sky; some shine, some dim, but as long as you've shone, your life hasn't been in vain." He hadn't understood then, but now, looking at the children before him, he suddenly understood.

After breakfast, Yuan An pulled Yuan Qing to the yard to pick pomegranate blossoms. The two children chased after the petals, their laughter like scattered silver. Yuan Kang lay on the ground watching ants move house, muttering, "When I get to Mars, I'll raise Martian ants." Yuan Ning and Yuan Jing sat on the steps, stringing flower petals into necklaces, pink petals falling all over the ground. Yuan Ping was still sitting at the table drawing a spaceship; the spaceship on the paper was already quite realistic, with the words "Earth" written on its hull.

He Damin leaned against the doorframe, watching all of this. Chen Xueru walked over and handed him a cup of hot tea. "Look at them, how happy they are."

"Yes." He Damin took the teacup, his fingertips touching the warm rim. "I used to always think about cultivation and making money, but now I think it's pretty good this way too."

"Will you go back to the mainland in the future?" Chen Xueru asked softly, as if afraid of disturbing something.

He Damin gazed at Victoria Harbour in the distance, the ships on the water looking like tiny toys. "Let's go back. When the children are a little older, we'll go back and visit. We'll take them to the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the place where I lived as a child."

"Okay." Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his ear, tickling him. "We'll take the pomegranate saplings back and plant them in the yard."

"Yes." He Damin nodded, "Let it bloom in the north too."

In the yard, Yuan'an suddenly shouted, "Dad! Come quick! I found the biggest pomegranate flower!"

He Damin walked over with a smile. Yuan An was holding up a bright red pomegranate flower, its petals still glistening with dew. "It's so beautiful," he said, taking the flower and pinning it to Yuan An's clothes. "You look like a little hero."

Yuan An puffed out his chest smugly and ran off to show off to Yuan Qing. Watching his retreating figure, He Damin suddenly felt that the wind atop Victoria Peak, the lights of Victoria Harbour, the fragrance of pomegranate blossoms filling the courtyard, and his wife and children beside him were the best gifts he could receive from across time.

In the afternoon, He Damin took the children to the planetarium. The hall was dark, but the stars on the dome twinkled, like a real night sky. The guide pointed to the Milky Way, his voice muffled as it came through the loudspeaker: "...The Milky Way is about 100,000 light-years in diameter and contains approximately 100 billion stars..."

The children all looked up, their eyes wide open. Yuan Ping gripped He Damin's hand tightly, his palms sweaty. He Damin looked down at him; his eyes reflected the starry sky, shining brilliantly.

"Dad, look! That's Orion!" Yuanping suddenly pointed to a spot, his voice filled with excitement.

"Yes." He Damin nodded. "Those three stars are Orion's belt."

"I'm going to Orion!" Yuan Ping's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm.

He Damin smiled and patted his head: "Okay, Dad will go with you."

It was already dark when we came out of the planetarium. The neon lights on the street lit up, illuminating the children's faces in a kaleidoscope of colors. Yuan An licked his ice cream, chocolate sauce dripping onto his sticky hands. Yuan Qing chased after a balloon vendor; the balloons, painted with Sun Wukong, floated in the wind.

He Damin held Chen Xueru's hand and walked slowly. The evening breeze carried the salty smell of the sea and the aroma of street food stalls. Watching the children's happy figures, he suddenly felt that no matter how vast the universe or how far away the stars were, nothing could compare to the warmth of human life around him.

Back home, the pomegranate tree's shadow was exceptionally clear in the moonlight. He Damin took the children onto the balcony; the stars were even brighter tonight than last night.

"Dad, look! That star is moving!" Yuan Jing pointed to the sky, her voice filled with surprise.

He Damin looked up and saw a shooting star streak across the night sky, leaving a long trail. "That's a shooting star," he said. "Make a wish upon it, and your wish will come true."

The six children immediately closed their eyes, clasped their hands together, and murmured something. He Damin looked at them and made a wish in his heart: he hoped that these children could always be this happy, and that they could really fly to the stars.

Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Do you think their wish will come true?"

"Yes, they will." He Damin looked at the stars in the sky. "If they want to, there's nothing they can't do."

A gentle night breeze rustled the pomegranate tree leaves, as if cheering them on. He Damin knew there was still a long road ahead and many stars to see, but as long as these people were by his side, he was fearless.

The next morning, Yuanping showed the drawn spaceship to He Damin. The spaceship in the drawing was much larger, with stars painted all over its hull, and several little people wearing helmets floating outside the spaceship.

"Dad, this is me, this is Yuan An, this is Yuan Qing..." Yuan Ping pointed to the little figures and introduced them one by one, "We're going to Mars, to Jupiter, to the center of the Milky Way!"

He Damin looked at the painting, his eyes welling up with tears. He remembered his own youth, when he had also had such a dream. Back then, he thought that by cultivating to the highest level, he could touch the stars. Now he knew that the real stars were actually all around him.

"It's a really good drawing." He Damin put the drawing on the wall. "When we actually set off, we'll build the spaceship based on your drawing."

Yuan Ping's eyes shone like two stars: "Really?"

"Really." He Damin nodded. "Then you'll be the chief designer."

Yuanping jumped up with joy and ran to tell his younger siblings. Watching his retreating figure, He Damin suddenly felt that the pomegranate blossoms on the summit of Victoria Peak were blooming even more vibrantly than in previous years. The bright red flowers adorned the branches, shimmering in the sunlight like countless tiny stars fallen to earth.

Yuanping was hunched over the table, doodling on the spaceship's porthole, the crayons scratching softly on the paper. He Damin approached with a fruit platter and saw that he had drawn the Milky Way as colorful silk, and the Earth as a pearl embedded in blue velvet. "Dad, look," Yuanping pointed to the crooked signature on the corner of the paper, "from now on, this spaceship will be called 'Pomegranate'."

Suddenly, Yuan An's scream came from outside the balcony. He Damin ran out with Yuan Ping in his arms and saw Yuan Qing holding a net and cheering. A firefly was fluttering in the net. "The stars have fallen!" Yuan Kang clapped his hands and jumped. The green light of the firefly flickered in the net, making the children's eyes shine.

Chen Xueru brought over a bamboo sieve, and He Damin poured the fireflies into it. Six small hands gently gathered around, watching the insects dart in and out of the sieve's mesh. "Do they want to go back to heaven too?" Yuan Jing's voice was as soft as cotton. He Damin squatted down, his fingertips lightly touching the bottom of the sieve. The fireflies' wings brushed against his skin, a cool, ticklish sensation.

"Let them go," Yuanping suddenly said. The children looked at each other and slowly released their grip. Fireflies flew out of the sieve in a line, their green light like flowing stars, skimming over the pomegranate blossoms and merging into the darkening twilight. Yuan'an chased after the lights, petals kicked up by his shoes sticking to his trouser legs like scattered red petals.

He Damin leaned against the railing as Chen Xueru handed him a freshly brewed cup of Longjing tea. The aroma of tea mingled with the fragrance of flowers, and as he gazed at the starry sky, he suddenly felt that those distant lights were now shining on the smiling faces of his children. Yuanping tugged at his sleeve, holding the drawing paper above his head. The Milky Way shimmered with colorful light in the twilight. "Dad, when do we leave?"

The night breeze lifted the edges of the drawing paper, and He Damin smiled as he hugged his son.