Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

Early summer of 1983, Hong Kong.

In the villa atop Victoria Peak, the pomegranate trees were laden with unripe fruit. He Damin stood on the second-floor balcony, a cup of Longjing tea in his hand, gazing at Victoria Harbour in the distance. On the sea, several cargo ships were slowly leaving the harbor, leaving trails of white wakes. He had been standing by the window for a long time, from sunrise until late morning.

"Brother Damin, it's time to go." Chen Xueru came out of the house, wearing a light blue cheongsam, her hair in a bun, and white magnolia earrings given to her by He Damin. Her cultivation at the Golden Core stage made her look no more than thirty years old, but her eyes were gentler than when she was young, a gentleness that only came after becoming a mother.

He Damin turned around and looked at her. "Is everything ready?"

"Everything's ready. My older brother and sister-in-law have arrived at the airport, and Yuzhu and Yushui have also set off." Chen Xueru walked to his side and straightened his collar. "Yuanjing is waiting downstairs, just waiting for you."

He Damin nodded, took one last look at the sea, and turned to walk downstairs.

In the living room, Yuan Jing was sitting on the sofa flipping through a magazine. She was wearing a white dress, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, and her features bore a resemblance to Chen Xueru in her youth. She was the youngest of the six children, and also the one who resembled her mother the most. She was fifteen years old this year, at the fourth level of Qi Refining, with good talent, but she was also playful.

"Dad, you're finally down!" Yuan Jing stood up and skipped over. "I've been waiting for you for ages!"

He Damin smiled and patted her head. "What's the rush? The plane isn't going anywhere."

"I'm just in a hurry! It's my first time going back to the mainland, and I've heard there are lots of delicious foods there, like roast duck, hot pot, fermented mung bean juice and fried dough rings..." Yuan Jing counted on her fingers, her eyes sparkling.

Chen Xueru laughed. "Your dad can handle douzhi and jiaoquan, but you can't."

"I'll give it a try!"

Looking at his daughter's excited expression, He Damin suddenly remembered many years ago when He Yushui had also leaned against the car window and asked him, "Are there any good things to eat in Hong Kong?" Time flies. The little girl from back then has become the president of a media group, and his daughters are growing up one by one.

"Let's go." He Damin took Yuan Jing's hand and Chen Xueru's hand with his other hand, and walked out of the villa.

In the courtyard, three black Rolls-Royces had been waiting for some time. A-Qiang opened the car door, and He Damin let Chen Xueru and Yuan Jing get in first, then got in himself last. The cars slowly drove out of the villa gate and headed down the winding mountain road.

"Dad, what's the mainland like?" Yuan Jing leaned against the car window, looking at the scenery outside.

He Damin thought for a moment. "Very large. Very old. With many stories."

Is it bigger than Hong Kong?

"Much bigger."

"Is it as big as our villa?"

He Damin laughed. "Ten thousand times bigger than a villa."

Yuan Jing's eyes widened. "Ten thousand times? That's an incredible amount!"

Chen Xueru smiled and patted her head. "You'll know when you get there."

The car arrived at Kai Tak Airport. Three Gulfstream private jets were parked side-by-side on the tarmac, their white fuselages gleaming brightly in the sunlight. He Daqing and Qin Huairu were already there, waiting by the gangway. He Daqing was over seventy, his hair completely white, but he was in good spirits, his back ramrod straight. Qin Huairu was younger than him, smiling, and holding He Yuliang's hand. He Yuliang was in his early twenties, having just returned from studying in England; he was tall and robust, resembling his father in his youth.

"Brother, sister-in-law." He Damin walked over.

"Damin!" He Daqing grasped his hand, his eyes slightly red. "It's been decades, and we're finally going back."

He Damin patted him on the shoulder. "Go back and visit, stay for a few days."

He Yuzhu and He Yushui arrived as well. He Yuzhu was in his forties, married with two children. His wife was actually a celebrity, introduced to him by his sister, Yushui. He had gained some weight but was in good spirits, carrying a thermos. "Uncle, this is some soup I made for the journey," He Yushui said, dressed in a smart suit, her hair in a bun, holding a document. She was in her thirties and still unmarried, but He Damin didn't pressure her. She knew that some things were beyond her control.

"Uncle, Aunt." He Yushui walked over and hugged Chen Xueru. "I've made all the arrangements. Someone in Beijing will pick you up."

He Damin nodded. "Let's go, get on the plane."

To meet the needs of the rainwater harvesting operation, all three private planes were put into use. He Damin, Chen Xueru, and Yuan Jing rode in one plane; He Daqing, Qin Huairu, and He Yuliang rode in another; and He Yuzhu and He Yushui rode in the third. The gangway retracted, the engines roared, and the planes slowly taxied to the runway.

Yuan Jing pressed her face against the window, watching Hong Kong grow smaller and smaller. "Dad, when are we coming back?"

"Come back whenever you want." He Damin leaned back in his seat. "Your older brothers and sisters are still in school. Let them decide for themselves when they have their holidays."

"Aren't they coming?"

"It will come. But not now."

Yuan Jing nodded and asked no more questions. The plane soared into the sky, the thick clouds outside the window resembling a white ocean. He Damin gazed at the sea of ​​clouds, his thoughts drifting far away.

Thirty years. He's been away from that land for a full thirty years. Thirty years ago, he took his entire family and smuggled themselves from a fishing village in the south to Hong Kong. Back then, he had nothing but his cultivation and a wealth of memories. Now, he has a wife, children, and countless riches. He's going back. Not as a smuggler, but as an overseas Chinese, as an investor.

"Brother Damin," Chen Xueru grasped his hand, "what are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about that courtyard. The east wing where we lived for three years."

"Are you still there?"

"Yes. I've had someone keep an eye on it."

Chen Xueru leaned on his shoulder. "Let's go back and take a look."

The plane pierced through the clouds, and sunlight streamed in through the porthole, warming the two of them. Yuan Jing was already asleep, leaning on Chen Xueru's shoulder with a smile on her lips.

At 3 PM, the plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport. Several black cars had been waiting on the tarmac for some time. The person picking them up was a middle-aged man surnamed Wang, an employee of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, who was very polite.

"Mr. He, Mrs. He, welcome back to China." Mr. Wang handed over his business card with both hands. "You must be tired from your journey. The hotel has been arranged in Wangfujing. There will be a welcome banquet tonight; several leaders would like to meet with you."

He Damin took the business card and glanced at it. "I don't need the hotel. I have a house in Beijing."

Mr. Wang was taken aback. "You own a house?"

"Yes. No. 95, Nanluoguxiang."

Mr. Wang's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal. "Okay, Mr. He. I'll take you there."

The convoy drove out of the airport and headed towards the city center along the highway. The scenery outside the window changed from fields to buildings, and then to alleyways. Yuan Jing leaned against the car window, looking at the low bungalows and narrow lanes, and asked curiously, "Dad, is this what Beijing is like?"

"right."

"It's so old."

"Old things have character."

The car stopped at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang. The alley was too narrow for the car to pass through. He Damin got out of the car and stood at the entrance, looking at the familiar alley. Thirty years had passed, and it remained the same. Gray bricks and tiles, shady locust trees, and occasionally a few sparrows would fly by. Only the people had changed; some of those familiar faces had grown old, some had left, and some were no longer there.

"Let's go." He took Chen Xueru's hand and walked into the alley.

The gate to courtyard number 95 was ajar. He Damin pushed it open; everything in the courtyard was the same as before. Several strangers lived in the front yard, and they looked at them curiously as they entered. The middle yard was empty; He Daqing's house was locked. The back yard, the east wing.

He Damin stood before the moon gate, gazing at the tightly closed door. Thirty years ago, he used to pass through here every day. Back then, Yushui was still young, Zhuzi was learning to cook at Hongbinlou Restaurant, and his elder brother lived in the west wing of the backyard. Now, Yushui has become a media tycoon, Zhuzi is the head of a catering group, his elder brother has grown old, and the children have all grown up.

He pushed open the door.

The pomegranate tree in the courtyard is still there, several times thicker than it was thirty years ago, its branches and leaves lush and covering half the courtyard. Under the tree is a stone table and four stone stools, just as they were before. The door to the main house is open, showing signs that someone has lived there.

"Who is it?" an old voice came from inside the house.

An elderly man with a hunched back came out, saw He Damin, and was stunned.

"Who are you……"

"I am the owner of this house," He Damin said.

The old man's eyes widened, his mouth agape, unable to utter a word for a long time. "Mr...Mr. He? You...you're back?"

"Who are you?"

"My surname is Li. The neighborhood committee arranged for me to look after the house. When you left, you entrusted it to District Chief Yang. Later, District Chief Yang retired, and he asked me to look after it." The old man was a little nervous. "Don't worry, I've always kept the house clean and tidy."

He Damin nodded. "Thank you for your hard work."

"It's no trouble at all," the old man said, rubbing his hands together. "Are you coming back to stay? I'll pack up right away."

"Stay for a few days."

"Okay, okay, I'll go get ready right away!"

The old man turned and ran into the house, faster than the young man. He Damin stood in the courtyard, looking at the pomegranate tree, at the main house where he had lived for three years, and at the moon door that he had pushed open and closed countless times.

"Brother Damin," Chen Xueru walked to his side, "is this the place?"

"This is it."

"Smaller than I thought."

He Damin laughed. "I already felt like I was getting old back then."

Yuan Jing strolled around the courtyard, touched the pomegranate tree, sat on the stone bench, and pushed open the door of the main house to take a look. "Dad, you used to live here? It's so small."

"Back then, it was just the two of us, and that was enough."

"And now?"

"It's not enough now. So we bought a big house in Hong Kong."

Yuan Jing smiled and ran to look at the other rooms. Chen Xueru stood beside He Damin, looking at the small courtyard.

"Brother Damin, do you think those Red Guards really came to cause trouble back then?"

He Damin's smile faded. "They've been here. Several times."

"How did you handle it?"

He Damin didn't answer. He recalled those years when, although he was in Hong Kong, his spirit had always been watching this courtyard. In 1966, the first wave of Red Guards arrived, saying they wanted to "destroy the Four Olds" and confiscate the "capitalists'" properties. He Damin didn't return in person; he simply used his spirit to disturb their minds. When those men reached the courtyard gate, they suddenly felt dizzy and cold all over, as if something unseen was choking them. They were terrified and ran away in a panic. The second wave was even more arrogant, bringing weapons and saying they wanted to "smash this feudal den." He Damin used the same method. This time it was even more ruthless. After the leader returned home, he had a high fever for three consecutive days, talking nonsense and dreaming that he was locked in a dark room, chased by countless vengeful ghosts. From then on, he never dared to approach this courtyard again. The third wave was in 1970. A few young Red Guards, not believing in superstitions, insisted on coming in to see for themselves. He Damin conjured a ghostly figure right in front of them—an old man dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes, pale-faced, bleeding from his seven orifices. Two of the men fainted on the spot, and the rest ran faster than rabbits.

Since then, no one has come back.

"Brother Da Min?" Chen Xueru called softly when she saw him lost in thought.

He Damin snapped out of his daze. "It's nothing. It's all in the past."

He didn't tell her the details. Some things, if said aloud, would only cause worry. He just wanted her to know that he would always protect this home. No matter where he was, this courtyard would always belong to the He family.

In the evening, He Yushui and He Yuzhu also arrived. He Yushui stood in the courtyard, looking at the pomegranate tree, her eyes reddening.

"Uncle, I remember you used to teach me boxing under this tree when I was little."

He Damin laughed. "Back then, you were always lazy, always complaining about being tired whenever you practiced."

"That's because you're too strict!"

He Yuzhu squatted down beside the stone table, touching the stone bench. "Uncle, I used to sit here when I was little, listening to your stories."

"You were even dumber than rainwater back then; you couldn't remember a story even after it was told three times."

He Yuzhu smiled sheepishly. "It's not that I'm stupid, it's that you're explaining things in too profound a way."

He Daqing stood before the moon gate, gazing at the courtyard, tears streaming down his face. He thought of his deceased wife, of the rain and pillars of his childhood, of those hard times. Qin Huairu stood beside him, holding his hand, silent.

He Yuliang, the youngest, didn't have much of an attachment to the place. He just walked around the courtyard and said, "It has a certain charm."

That evening, the family ate dinner in the main room of the east courtyard. The dishes were brought by He Yuzhu from Hong Kong and heated up on the earthen stove in the courtyard. Although not as refined as those in a restaurant, everyone ate with relish. He Damin sat in the head seat, looking at everyone in the room, and suddenly felt very happy. This courtyard was small, too small to hold so many people. But his heart was big, big enough to hold everyone.

"Dad," Yuan Jing put down her chopsticks, "Where are we going tomorrow?"

He Damin thought for a moment. "Tomorrow, let's go visit Teacher Yan's grave."

"Who is Teacher Yan?"

"He was a teacher. He used to live in the front yard and was very good at calculating."

"Is he dead?"

"He died. He passed away the year before last."

Yuan Jing nodded and stopped asking. Although she was young, she already understood that some things shouldn't be asked.

Night deepened, and everyone dispersed. He Damin stood alone in the courtyard, gazing at the pomegranate tree. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting dappled shadows on the ground. He recalled many years ago, when he first arrived in this era. Back then, he had nothing but his cultivation and a wealth of memories. He lived in this courtyard for three years before leaving. Now he had returned, with his wife, his daughter, and his entire family. He was still him, but he was no longer the same person he once was.

"Brother Damin." Chen Xueru came out of the house, wearing an overcoat. "Aren't you cold?"

"It's not cold."

She walked over to him and leaned on his shoulder. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking, time really flies."

"Yes, in the blink of an eye, thirty years have passed."

He Damin looked down at her. "We'll still be here for the next thirty years."

Chen Xueru smiled. "Of course. We agreed to go see the moon together."

He Damin smiled and pulled her into his arms.

Outside the window, the moon rose, casting a silvery glow. The wind rustled the pomegranate tree's leaves, as if whispering secrets. He Damin held Chen Xueru in his arms for a long, long time. He knew that from now on, he would come back often. To see this courtyard, to see this tree, to see those people he would never see again.

"Xue Ru".

"Um?"

"Thank you for coming back with me."

Chen Xueru looked up at him. "What nonsense are you talking about? Wherever you are, I'll be there."

He Damin smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

The moonlight bathed the two of them, warm and comforting. A few barks echoed from the distant alleyway, then silence returned. The ancient courtyard, shrouded in moonlight, appeared exceptionally gentle.