Courtyard Check-in: Starting with a Small World of Cultivation

March 12th, the seventh day after the Awakening of Insects.

In the small courtyard in front of the gate, the signs of spring can no longer be hidden. The pomegranate tree has sprouted tender green buds, the roses in the corner of the wall have also sprouted red branches, and in the open space by the hand pump well, the rapeseed that Qin Huairu sowed has already sprouted from the soil, forming a fine and dense layer of green.

Nian'an took off her heavy cotton-padded coat and put on a light jacket. She felt much lighter and ran around in the yard like a happy little dog.

"Dad, Nian'an caught a bug!" He ran over holding a small glass bottle, and sure enough, there was a green grasshopper inside, still hopping around.

"Where did you catch it?"

"By the corner of the wall!" Nian'an pointed. "It was hopping around, and Nian'an caught it in no time!"

Chen Yu took the bottle and looked at it. It was a small grasshopper, not yet fully grown. He squatted down and asked Nian'an, "Nian'an, are grasshoppers beneficial or harmful insects?"

Nian'an tilted her head and thought for a moment: "A pest! It eats crops!"

"Yes, so what should we do?"

"Should we...kill it?" Nian'an hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "But it's so small, I can't bear to."

Chen Yu laughed: "Then let's release it, let it go somewhere else, and not eat our food, okay?"

Nian'an nodded, opened the bottle cap, and the little grasshopper jumped out, disappearing in a few leaps. Nian'an watched it vanish, then waved, "Little grasshopper, don't eat our vegetables, go eat somewhere else!"

Chen Yu patted his head, feeling a warm glow in his heart.

In the east wing, Ding Qiunan was organizing the medicine cabinet. She had been living here for half a month and was gradually getting used to life there. In the morning, she would first go to the main room to make breakfast with Qin Huairu, then go to the pharmacy after breakfast. She would return in the evening to help Qin Huairu make dinner, then play with Nian'an for a while before studying medicine until late at night.

Life is ordinary, but fulfilling.

"Qiu Nan, dinner's ready!" Qin Huairu called from the stove.

"They're here!" Ding Qiunan put down the medicinal herbs in her hand and walked out of the house.

Nian'an was already sitting at the table, chopsticks in her little hands, staring longingly at the dishes on the table—scrambled eggs, stir-fried vegetables, a bowl of minced meat and tofu, and a bowl of millet porridge.

"Mom, Nian'an wants to eat minced meat and tofu."

"Wait a minute, your dad hasn't arrived yet."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yu came in, washed his hands, and sat down. The family sat together and ate a warm breakfast.

"Qiu Nan, how's business at the pharmacy lately?" Qin Huairu asked.

"It's all good." Ding Qiunan picked up a piece of food. "Yesterday I saw about ten patients and prescribed more than twenty doses of medicine. Some people even came all the way from afar, saying they came specifically to see me after being recommended by others."

"Your reputation has spread," Chen Yu said. "Keep up the good work, and things will get even better in the future."

Ding Qiunan nodded, a smile on her face.

Nian'an rummaged through the porridge in her bowl, then suddenly looked up and said, "Auntie, when I grow up, I want to help out at the pharmacy too."

"Okay, Auntie will wait for you."

"Nian'an will help you get your medicine, sweep the floor, and collect the money."

Ding Qiunan smiled: "Nian'an is such a good girl."

After dinner, Chen Yu took Nian'an to the daycare. Nian'an is three and a half years old. She was sent to the daycare after the New Year. She cried for two days at first, but then she stopped crying and went happily every day with her little backpack.

"Dad, the teacher said we have to draw today."

"What will Nian'an draw?"

"Draw Dad, Mom, Aunt, and a pomegranate tree."

"I'll show it to my dad when I'm done drawing."

"Um!"

Upon arriving at the nursery entrance, Nian'an waved to Chen Yu and ran inside. Chen Yu stood for a moment, then turned and walked back.

As I passed by Qiu Nan's pharmacy, there were already people waiting inside. Ding Qiu Nan was taking the pulse of an old woman, her expression focused and meticulous.

Chen Yu didn't go in to disturb them and went straight back to the courtyard.

Qin Huairu was washing clothes in the yard when she saw him return. She said, "Chen Yu, could you pour out the water for me?"

Chen Yu picked up the bucket and poured the water into the vegetable garden next to him. The seedlings in the garden had grown taller, lush and green, and looked very pleasing.

"We'll grow more this year; any leftovers can be pickled," Qin Huairu said.

"Okay, I'll develop another plot of land later."

After working for a while, the two sat down to take a break.

"Chen Yu," Qin Huairu suddenly said, "after Qiu Nan moved in, did you notice that she smiles more often?"

Chen Yu nodded: "Yes, I used to always keep to myself, but now that I have people to talk to, I feel better."

"Nian'an likes her too," Qin Huairu said. "The first thing he does when he comes home every day is to look for his aunt."

"This child is close to everyone."

Qin Huairu glanced at him, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Qin Huairu shook her head. "I just feel that things are fine as they are now."

Chen Yu held her hand: "Yes, it's fine."

At noon, Chen Yu went to pick up Nian'an from the daycare. Nian'an was holding a drawing in her hand, and when she saw him, she held it up: "Daddy, look! Nian'an drew this!"

The drawing depicted several crooked human figures and a tree. Chen Yu examined it closely, pointing to the largest one: "Is this Dad?"

"Yes! This is Mom, this is Aunt, this is Nian'an, and this is the pomegranate tree."

"That's a really good drawing," Chen Yu praised. "Nian An is truly amazing."

Nian'an was extremely proud of himself and talked about his painting process the whole way.

Back home, Nian'an pasted the painting on the wall of the main room and then ran to show it to Ding Qiunan.

"Auntie, Nian'an drew you!"

Ding Qiunan was in the pharmacy when she saw Nian'an run in. She put down what she was doing, took the painting, looked at it, and smiled: "Nian'an painted Auntie so beautifully."

"Auntie is beautiful!" Nian'an exclaimed.

Ding Qiunan blushed slightly, picked him up, and kissed him on the cheek.

In the afternoon, there weren't many patients left in the pharmacy, so Ding Qiunan closed the shop early and took Nian'an to stroll through the alleyways.

Nian'an held her hand and skipped along, finding everything new and exciting.

"Auntie, what kind of flower is that?"

"That's a forsythia, the earliest flower to bloom in spring."

"Beautiful! Nian'an wants to pick one."

"You can't pick them, otherwise no one else will be able to see them."

Nian'an nodded, squatted down to look for a while, then stood up and continued walking.

The two walked to the entrance of the alley and saw He Yuzhu chopping firewood in front of his house.

"Uncle Zhuzi!" Nian'an ran over.

He Yuzhu put down his axe and picked him up: "Nian'an, did you miss your uncle?"

"think!"

"Uncle misses you too." He Yuzhu took a piece of candy out of his pocket. "Here, have some candy."

Nian'an took it, but didn't eat it. She put it in her pocket and said, "I'll save it for my aunt."

Ding Qiunan walked over and said with a smile, "Nian'an, your aunt isn't eating, so you can eat it yourself."

"Auntie, have some. Nian'an has some too." Nian'an took out a piece of candy from another pocket—it was given to her by Qin Huairu that morning.

Watching this scene, He Yuzhu smiled and said, "This child, just like his father, knows how to care for people."

Ding Qiunan smiled but didn't say anything.

In the evening, after dinner, the family sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool air. The days were getting longer; it was still light past seven o'clock. Nian'an chased a butterfly in the yard, but after chasing it for a long time without catching it, she ran back and lay panting on Chen Yu's lap.

"Dad, the butterfly is flying too fast."

"You'll be able to catch up when you grow up."

Nian'an retorted, "Nian'an is all grown up now!"

Chen Yu laughed: "Good, good, Nian'an has grown up."

Ding Qiunan sat to the side, holding a book in her hand, reading "Compendium of Materia Medica," and had already turned to the thirtieth volume.

"Qiu Nan, stop looking, your eyes are tired," Qin Huairu said.

"Let's watch for a little longer," Ding Qiunan said without looking up.

Nian'an climbed onto her lap and covered the book with her little hands: "Auntie, don't look, play with Nian'an."

Ding Qiunan sighed, put down her book, and picked him up: "Okay, play with Nian'an. What should we play?"

Nian'an wants to hear a story.

"What story should I tell?"

"Tell me... a story about my aunt when she was a child."

Ding Qiunan paused for a moment, then said softly, "When I was little, my aunt, just like Nian'an, would run around in the yard, chasing butterflies and picking flowers..."

"Where are Auntie's parents?" Nian'an suddenly asked.

Ding Qiunan was stunned.

Chen Yu and Qin Huairu were also stunned.

Nian'an, being young and naive, asked again, "Where are Auntie's parents?"

Ding Qiunan's eyes reddened, but she didn't cry. She said softly, "They... went to a very far place."

"Why don't you come back?"

"Because...it's too far."

Nian'an thought for a moment and said seriously, "Nian'an is all grown up now, I'll go and bring them back."

Ding Qiunan finally burst into tears, hugged Nian An, and buried her face in his small shoulder.

"Nian'an, my dear... Auntie's parents are never coming back..."

Nian'an didn't understand what "can't come back" meant, but when she saw Ding Qiunan crying, she started crying too, patting her back with her little hands: "Auntie, don't cry, Nian'an is here, Nian'an is with Auntie."

Qin Huairu walked over and gently hugged Ding Qiunan and Nian'an, her eyes also reddening.

Chen Yu stood aside, watching this scene, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

It took Ding Qiunan a long time to stop crying. She looked up at Chen Yu and Qin Huairu and whispered, "Brother Chen, Sister Qin, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" Qin Huairu wiped away her tears. "We're family, no need for formalities."

Ding Qiunan nodded, hugged Nian'an, and whispered, "Nian'an, Auntie won't cry anymore. Nian'an, don't cry either."

Nian'an wiped away her tears and whispered, "Auntie, Nian'an won't ask anymore."

Ding Qiunan smiled and kissed him on the cheek: "Nian'an, be good."

It was late at night, and Nian'an had fallen asleep. Ding Qiunan also returned to the east wing.

Chen Yu and Qin Huairu sat in the courtyard, neither of them speaking.

"Chen Yu," Qin Huairu suddenly said, "Qiu Nan has suffered so much."

"Yes." Chen Yu nodded.

"We have to be good to her."

"Um."

After a moment of silence, Qin Huairu continued, "Chen Yu, have you considered what I mentioned last time?"

Chen Yu knew what she meant. After a long silence, he slowly said, "Huai Ru, this matter... depends on Qiu Nan's own decision."

Qin Huairu nodded and said nothing more.

The light was still on in the east wing.

Ding Qiunan sat at the table, holding the painting Nian An had drawn that day, and looked at it for a long time.

The painting depicts a family of four, holding hands, standing under a pomegranate tree.

She gently placed the painting on the headboard, turned off the light, and lay down.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

Her heart was warm.