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

July 23rd, the Great Heat.

It was the hottest time of the year. The sun beat down like fire, softening the asphalt road. In the small courtyard in front of the gate, the pomegranate tree leaves curled up from the heat, and the roses wilted. Only the green beans and cucumbers in the vegetable garden were still vibrant, their leaves shining green.

Nian'an hid inside the house, refusing to come out. He lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a palm-leaf fan in his hand, fanning himself idly, his little face still flushed.

"Mom, it's so hot," he muttered.

"A calm mind brings coolness." Qin Huairu was sewing shoe soles to the side, without looking up.

What is inner peace?

"If you don't want to be hot, then it won't be hot."

Nian'an tried not to feel hot, but sweat still poured down his face. He gave up, got up, ran to the kitchen, scooped up a ladle of cold water, and gulped it down.

"Nian'an, don't drink unboiled water, you'll get diarrhea," Qin Huairu shouted.

"I'm not drinking anymore." Nian'an put down the water ladle and ran back into the house.

Ding Qiunan came out of the east wing, carrying several washed towels, which she hung to dry on a line in the yard. Lin Zhiyuan followed behind, carrying a basin.

"Master, when will Uncle Lin arrive?" Lin Zhiyuan asked, his tone filled with anticipation.

"Chen Ge picked me up from the afternoon train," Ding Qiunan said. "You should tidy up the room in the east wing and air out the bedding."

"Alright!" Lin Zhiyuan put down the basin and ran into the east wing.

Today is a big day—Lin Zhiyuan's father, Lin Demao, is coming from Tongzhou to Beijing and will be staying in the small courtyard. This was arranged by Ding Qiunan last month; the empty room behind the pharmacy was cleaned up and used as a decoction room, and another empty room in the east wing was given to Lin Demao to live in.

Upon hearing that guests were coming, Nian'an ran out of the house and grabbed Ding Qiunan's hand: "Auntie, Zhiyuan's father is here. What did Nian'an call him?"

"Call him Uncle Lin."

"Uncle Lin." Nian'an repeated it once and remembered it.

Around four o'clock in the afternoon, under the still scorching sun, Chen Yu returned, followed by a middle-aged man in his fifties with dark skin and calloused hands, clearly a farmer. He wore a worn blue cloth jacket, carried a bundle on his back, and walked into the courtyard somewhat awkwardly.

"Father!" Lin Zhiyuan rushed out of the east wing and threw himself in front of the middle-aged man, his eyes red.

"Zhiyuan." Lin Demao stroked his son's head, his eyes also reddening.

The father and son hadn't seen each other for over two years. Since Lin Zhiyuan came to Beijing to study medicine, he had only gone back once, during the Spring Festival last year.

"Brother Lin, please come in and sit down." Qin Huairu came out to greet him, taking the bundle from his hands. "You must be tired from your journey."

"It's no trouble at all," Lin Demao said repeatedly. "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

"It's no trouble at all, we're all family," Qin Huairu said with a smile.

Nian'an ran out of the house, looked up at Lin Demao, and called out in a childish voice, "Hello, Uncle Lin!"

Lin Demao looked down at the little one, paused for a moment, then smiled: "This is..."

"My son, Nian'an," Chen Yu said.

"Good boy, good boy." Lin Demao took out a few pieces of candy from his pocket and stuffed them into Nian'an's hand. "Uncle didn't prepare anything, so take these pieces of candy."

Nian'an took the candy and looked at Chen Yu. Chen Yu nodded, and Nian'an accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Uncle Lin."

Lin Demao laughed, his eyes narrowing into slits.

The group entered the main room, where Qin Huairu served mung bean soup and several side dishes that she had prepared beforehand. Lin Demao drank a bowl of mung bean soup and let out a long sigh: "That feels so good, it was so hot on the way here."

"Brother Lin, stay here from now on and don't go back," Qin Huairu said.

"That won't do. We still have land back home." Lin Demao shook his head. "I'll stay for a few days and then go back. The land can't be left to lie fallow."

"Dad, we can let others farm the land first," Lin Zhiyuan said. "You can stay here; I'm all alone..."

"What's wrong with you being alone? You're sixteen now, not a child anymore." Lin Demao glared at him, but his eyes were full of affection.

Nian'an leaned over the table, watching them talk. She couldn't understand what they were saying, but she found it lively.

That evening, Qin Huairu prepared a feast to welcome Lin Demao back. There was braised pork, stewed chicken, scrambled eggs, cucumber salad, eggplant with garlic sauce, and a large bowl of mung bean porridge. Looking at the table full of food, Lin Demao's eyes reddened again.

"This is too lavish, too expensive."

"It's no trouble at all, these are all homegrown and raised by ourselves," Qin Huairu said with a smile. "Brother Lin, please don't be shy, have more."

Nian'an sat on Chen Yu's lap, holding a chicken leg in her little hand, her mouth full of oil.

"Nian'an, is it delicious?" Lin Demao asked him.

"Delicious!" Nian'an nodded vigorously. "Uncle Lin ate some too!"

Lin Demao smiled, picked up a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, and nodded repeatedly, admiring its delicious aroma.

After dinner, Lin Zhiyuan took his father to the east wing to see their living quarters. The room was small but clean, with a new mattress on the kang (a heated brick bed), a teapot and teacups on the table, and a potted plant on the windowsill, which was grown by Ding Qiunan.

"Dad, look, isn't this house wonderful?" Lin Zhiyuan said.

Lin Demao sat on the kang for a while, touched the mattress, looked out the window, and nodded: "Good, very good. Zhiyuan, your master's family has been so good to us. You must study hard and repay them in the future."

"I know, Father."

Night fell, and the courtyard grew quiet. The cicadas were still chirping, but the people inside had grown accustomed to it.

Nian'an lay in her small bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. She whispered, "Daddy, Nian'an can't sleep."

Chen Yu walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and gently patted him: "Close your eyes and count sheep."

Nian'an closed her eyes and counted: "One sheep, two sheep, three sheep..." She counted to a dozen or so and then fell asleep.

Chen Yu covered him with a light blanket and then left the room.

In the courtyard, Qin Huairu was still sitting under the pomegranate tree, enjoying the cool shade. Seeing him come out, she said softly, "Asleep?"

"Going to sleep."

"How about Brother Lin?"

"I'm going to sleep now. I'm tired after traveling all day."

After a moment of silence, Qin Huairu suddenly said, "Chen Yu, do you think our family is getting bigger and bigger?"

Chen Yu laughed: "Yes, first Qiu Nan, then Zhi Yuan, and now Brother Lin has arrived. It will only get bigger in the future."

"Then we need to move to a bigger house."

"No rush, this courtyard is still habitable."

Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder and didn't say anything more.

In the east wing, Lin Demao lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), listening to the cicadas chirping outside the window, unable to fall asleep. He thought of his son, and of how kind his son's master and his family had been to him, and his heart warmed.

"Zhiyuan has made something of himself," he said softly.

Outside the window, the moon is full again.

The courtyard was peaceful and serene.