Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

The late autumn sun dappled the blue brick ground through the sparse branches of the old locust tree in the courtyard. Around nine o'clock in the morning, most of the men in the courtyard had already gone to work, leaving only some women and the elderly at home, washing, mending, or gathering in twos and threes under the eaves, chatting while doing their work.

Inside the Yi family's house in the middle courtyard, Li Yun sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), carefully mending a work uniform belonging to Yi Zhonghai, using the light streaming in from the window. The needle and thread moved nimbly between her rough yet nimble fingers, and she would occasionally run the needle through her hair. She was just over forty, but years of hard work, coupled with Yi Zhonghai's impotence (which she always attributed to her own infertility), always left her with a worried and cautious air about her. At that moment, she was thinking about lunch—leftover cabbage from yesterday, mixed with some cornmeal pancakes, barely enough for the two of them. Old Yi was one of the most skilled men in the factory, earning a higher salary, but he often helped the deaf old woman in the backyard and also had to save money for his old age; their lives weren't exactly comfortable.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by an unfamiliar, panting male voice: "Excuse me, is this Master Yi Zhonghai's house?"

His voice betrayed his panic.

The women chatting in the courtyard stopped talking and looked towards the gate. There stood a young worker in his early twenties, wearing steel mill work clothes, his face pale, his forehead covered in sweat, and his eyes looking around anxiously.

Yan Bugui's wife, who lived in the back room, was the first to react. She put down the shoe sole she was holding, stood up, and asked, "Comrade, are you looking for Lao Yi? He went to the factory early this morning. And you are...?"

Upon hearing this, the young worker's face paled further, and his lips trembled as he stammered, "I...I'm Xiao Chen, an apprentice in the third workshop of the steel rolling mill. Master Yi...he..." He stammered for a long time, unable to utter the rest of his words, which seemed stuck in his throat. He stamped his feet in frustration.

Li Yun heard everything clearly inside the room. Her heart skipped a beat, and she put down her needlework and went outside. She pushed open the door, looked at the unfamiliar young worker, and, forcing herself to remain calm, asked, "Comrade, I'm Yi Zhonghai's wife. Old Yi... what happened to him?"

Seeing Li Yun, Xiao Chen seemed to have found a pillar of support, yet also felt even more frightened. He staggered forward two steps, his voice trembling with tears, "Mrs. Yi... please go to the factory quickly! Master Yi... he had an accident in the workshop! A part... a part flew out... hit his head... he bled a lot... he's... he's gone!"

The last three words seemed to be squeezed out with all his might. After speaking, tears streamed down Xiao Chen's face. He had only joined the factory this year, learning from Master Yi Zhonghai. Although Master Yi was strict, he taught diligently, and Xiao Chen respected him from the bottom of his heart. Who could have imagined that this person, who was perfectly fine this morning, would be...

"boom--!!"

Li Yun felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in her mind! All sounds around her vanished instantly, leaving only a buzzing roar. Her eyes were fixed on Xiao Chen's opening and closing mouth, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Everything before her eyes—the blue brick ground, the old locust tree, the dappled sunlight, the astonished faces of the women around her—began to spin, distort, and fade.

"Gone... Old Yi... gone..." These words echoed repeatedly in her blank mind, yet they couldn't settle into reality. How could this be? He was perfectly fine when he left this morning; he even said he wanted something hot for dinner and asked her to stew the leftover cabbage until it was soft...

"Yunzi! Yunzi, what's wrong?!" Liu Haizhong's wife, who was closest to him, was the first to notice something was wrong. She saw that Li Yun's face was as pale as paper, her lips were trembling, her eyes were empty, her body swayed twice, and then she fell straight backward like a piece of wood!

"Oh dear!" Sister-in-law Liu exclaimed and rushed forward to help her up, but Li Yun had already completely lost consciousness and was falling heavily downwards.

"Help! Sister-in-law Yi has fainted!" Yan's wife also realized what was happening and shouted in a shrill voice.

This caused a commotion throughout the entire courtyard. Jia Zhangshi, who was hanging clothes to dry in the backyard, Xu's wife, who was picking vegetables at her doorstep, and even several tenants from the west wing who rarely came out, all rushed over upon hearing the commotion. Everyone hurriedly helped Li Yun up and carried her to a reclining chair under the eaves (not daring to move her rashly), pinching her philtrum, patting her face, and fetching water.

"What kind of terrible thing has this happened..." Madam Jia slapped her thigh and muttered, her eyes involuntarily glancing towards the Yi family's house. Old Yi was a top-notch master craftsman in the factory; his family must have been well-off. Now he's gone...

"Comrade Xiao Chen, what exactly happened? Tell me in detail!" Sister Liu asked the terrified young worker while helping Li Yun catch her breath.

Xiao Chen wiped away her tears and recounted the events in the workshop in broken sentences—the fixture suddenly snapped, and parts flew out, hitting Master Yi on the back of the head and between his eyebrows. He died on the spot… before he could even be taken to the infirmary. She then added, “The factory leaders told Master Yi’s wife to go there immediately… to handle… to handle the aftermath.”

At this moment, Li Yun slowly regained consciousness thanks to the help of others. She first opened her eyes blankly, looking at the gray sky above and the withered branches of the old locust tree, as if she didn't know where she was. A few seconds later, memories flooded back like a cold tide, and Xiao Chen's words, "The person is gone," were like a knife, stabbing hard into her heart.

"Ah—!!!" A piercing, inhuman wail burst from her throat, and tears welled up like a burst dam, streaming down her aged and haggard face. She didn't cry or scream, but instead clutched her clothes tightly to her chest, her body curled up, trembling uncontrollably, and a suppressed sob escaped her throat, like that of a dying beast.

"My dear Yi... how could you leave like this... what am I going to do..." she murmured repeatedly, her voice hoarse and broken.

The women in the courtyard watched, their eyes also reddening. Regardless of their usual opinions about the Yi family or Yi Zhonghai, a living, breathing person was gone just like that, leaving behind a middle-aged widow with no children. How would she live from now on? Just thinking about it sent chills down their spines.

Sister-in-law Liu wiped her eyes and held Li Yun's arm: "Yunzi, now is not the time to cry. The factory wants you to go there, we have to hurry. Old Yi... Old Yi's funeral arrangements still need you to take care of them."

Li Yun seemed not to hear, still immersed in her grief and confusion.

"Sister-in-law Liu, why don't you go to the factory with Sister-in-law Yi?" Yan's wife said to Sister-in-law Liu. "We'll stay here and look after the house."

Sister-in-law Liu nodded. Her husband, Liu Haizhong, was the second most skilled worker in the factory after Yi Zhonghai. The two families weren't usually close, but at this crucial moment, she had to step up. Firstly, it was out of neighborly affection, and secondly… with Old Yi gone, the neighborhood committee would be coming to the compound to select liaison officers soon, wouldn't they? There had been rumors a few days ago that each compound would be selecting a liaison officer to help guard against enemy agents and mediate minor disputes. At this critical juncture, she had to put on a good show of being a "helpful neighbor."

"Comrade Xiao Chen, please lead the way." Sister-in-law Liu helped the almost limp Li Yun up and said to the young worker.

Xiao Chen nodded hurriedly and led the way. Li Yun, half-supported and half-carried by Sister-in-law Liu, walked unsteadily, her eyes vacant, tears streaming down her face, as she stumbled out of the courtyard and headed towards the steel mill.

Those left in the courtyard watched their departing figures, and for a moment, all fell silent. Only the autumn wind swirled a few withered leaves, sending them twirling down.

"Alas, what a bolt from the blue," sighed Mrs. Xu. "Master Yi's skills were so good, and now they're gone just like that."

"Who says otherwise?" Jia Zhangshi interjected, her eyes darting around. "I just don't know how much compensation the factory will give. The Yi couple has no children, this money..."

"Sister Zhang, it's not appropriate to talk about this now," Yan's wife frowned and interrupted her. "What's the use of having a lot of money when the person is gone? Sister Yi's life will be much harder from now on."

The crowd sighed a few more times and dispersed, but a heavy, uneasy atmosphere lingered in the air. The tranquility of the courtyard seemed to have been shattered by Yi Zhonghai's sudden death.

Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, small conference room in the administration building.

Li Yun sat on a hard wooden chair, her hands gripping the now-cold enamel mug tightly, her knuckles white. Liu's wife sat beside her, gently patting her back. Opposite her sat Deputy Director Yang (in charge of production safety), the union chairman, the workshop director, and the factory's personnel officer responsible for labor protection and human resources.

The deputy factory director, in his forties, with a serious expression, spoke first, his tone heavy: "Comrade Li Yun, first of all, on behalf of the factory's Party Committee and all employees, I would like to express our deepest condolences on the unfortunate passing of Comrade Yi Zhonghai. Master Yi was a top-notch master craftsman in our factory, with superb skills and an upright character. His departure is a great loss to our factory."

Li Yun lowered her head, and tears fell again, dripping onto the enamel mug.

The union chairwoman, a kind middle-aged woman, took over the conversation, her voice gentle: "Comrade Li Yun, please accept our deepest condolences. The most important thing now is to handle Master Yi's funeral arrangements and make sure you have a comfortable life from now on. The factory takes this...unfortunate production safety accident very seriously. After preliminary research, and in accordance with relevant labor protection regulations, we have drafted a compensation and resettlement plan for the family. Please listen to it."

The personnel officer opened his notebook and began to read: "First, the one-time death benefit. Based on Comrade Yi Zhonghai's basic salary, length of service, and other factors, it totals five million yuan (old currency)."

Five million yuan! Liu's wife, listening nearby, felt a jolt of surprise. That was no small sum! Although it was old currency, its purchasing power was not to be underestimated. It was enough for an ordinary family to live on for quite some time.

Li Yun didn't react much, seemingly numb to money.

"Secondly, job replacement." The personnel officer continued, "According to policy, one of Comrade Yi Zhonghai's immediate family members can take his place at the factory. Comrade Li Yun, if you are willing, you can come to work at the factory. Considering your age and health, the factory can arrange a relatively easy position for you, such as logistics, warehouse management, or cleaning."

This finally brought a flicker of emotion to Li Yun's empty eyes. Work... with work, there's a salary, and with a job, there's survival.

"Third, funeral allowance. The factory will cover all of Master Yi's funeral expenses and will assign someone to assist you with the relevant procedures."

The deputy factory director added, "Furthermore, since Master Yi died in the line of duty, the factory will apply to higher authorities to see if he can be posthumously awarded an honorary title. His coworkers and apprentices also spontaneously contributed some money as a token of their appreciation; although it's not much, it's a heartfelt gesture."

The union chairperson grasped Li Yun's cold hand: "Yunzi (she used a more intimate term of address), this is just what the factory can do. If you encounter any difficulties in life in the future, you can always come to the union or the factory. We working class are one family."

Li Yun finally raised her head, her eyes blurry with tears, and looked at the leaders in front of her. Her lips trembled for a long time before she choked out two words: "...Thank you."

Next came the specific procedures. She signed, pressed her fingerprints, and received a slip stamped with a red seal (which she used to collect her pension from the finance department). Li Yun was like a puppet throughout the process, supported by Liu's sister-in-law and the female union cadre, signing and pressing her fingerprints as instructed.

After finishing these tasks, it was nearly noon. The workshop foreman led them to the factory's temporary morgue—an empty bungalow behind the infirmary. Yi Zhonghai's body had already been simply cleaned and covered with a white sheet. When Li Yun saw the familiar yet unfamiliar silhouette under the white sheet, she broke down again, throwing herself at him and crying so hard she almost fainted. It took Liu's sister-in-law and the union members a lot of effort to pull her away.

"The body can be kept here for now. We'll move it over once we've contacted a funeral home or found a suitable place," the workshop foreman said in a low voice. "The factory has already sent someone to make contact, and we should have news by this afternoon at the earliest."

In the end, Li Yun was half-supported and half-carried back to the courtyard by Liu's sister-in-law. She clutched the receipt for the pension tightly in her hand, as if it were a lifeline, or as if she were holding onto the last warmth of her husband.

Back in the courtyard, another flurry of activity ensued, with Liu's wife becoming the center of attention. She directed several familiar women to boil water for Li Yun to wash her face and sent her own children to buy some food at the alley entrance. Li Yun neither ate nor drank, simply sitting blankly on her kang (heated brick bed), staring at everything familiar in the room—Yi Zhonghai's enamel mug for tea, the chair he often sat in, the model worker award certificate hanging on the wall… Each item, at that moment, felt like a knife cutting into her heart.

In the afternoon, the factory's union sent two female staff members to help tidy up the house and prepare the funeral supplies (black gauze, white flowers, etc.). They also brought news that the funeral home had been contacted and they could go there tomorrow; they had also looked at several cemeteries, and the prices were reasonable, so the family could make their decision.

Inside the courtyard house, discussions about the Yi family never ceased. Some sympathized with Li Yun, some schemed for the compensation money, and others began to ponder the changes in the courtyard's layout. In any case, a sudden death cast a heavy shadow over this ordinary courtyard house.

As dusk fell, He Damin leisurely returned to Nanluoguxiang. He carried two oil paper packages containing freshly bought sesame seed cakes and braised meat, as well as a small bag of candy. His divine sense had already taken in everything that had happened during the day.

He deliberately slowed his pace as he walked through the courtyard. The door to the Yi family's house was tightly shut, and suppressed sobs could be faintly heard from inside. Several neighbors gathered at the entrance of the Yan family's house, whispering among themselves. When they saw him pass by, they all cast curious and scrutinizing glances at him—the sudden return of the second son of the He family, appearing on the day the Yi family had their accident, seemed somewhat coincidental.

Ignoring all the gazes, He Damin walked straight towards the three main rooms left behind by He Daqing in the backyard.

His steps were steady, and his eyes were calm and undisturbed.