Courtyard House: A Veteran Returns Home and Becomes a Father

At No. 95 Tongluo Lane in the southern part of Beijing, just as dawn broke and the morning mist had not yet dissipated, the group of middle-aged women who did not have to go to work gathered under the locust tree as usual, carrying small stools and chatting. Their needlework continued without pause, and their gossip never stopped. It was the day Su Mo got married the day before and had just left that morning.

"Hey everyone, have you heard? The Su family's son from house number 96 across the street had a grand wedding yesterday!" Aunt Zhang, who had been chatting casually, stopped sewing shoe soles and raised her voice, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

"How could I not have heard! The wedding was so lavish, the whole street smelled delicious. I sneaked a peek yesterday when there were a lot of people, and wow! The dishes on the table were absolutely amazing, roast chicken, roast duck, braised pork knuckle, fresh fish and tender meat piled up on the table, the portions were so big that the plates could hardly hold them all, it looked so tempting!" Aunt Li clicked her tongue, her face full of envy as she talked about yesterday's wedding banquet, and she almost made a mistake while knitting.

No sooner had these words been spoken than a middle-aged woman nearby, munching on sunflower seeds, immediately curled her lip in annoyance, spitting out the seed shells and speaking with utter disdain: "What good is being open and bright! So what if the food is tough? What's the point! They just finished the wedding ceremony and entered the bridal chamber, and this morning they've already packed up and run away. This wedding is like a joke!"

The moment these words were spoken, the area under the locust tree fell silent. Several middle-aged women exchanged glances, their interest piqued. Especially intrigued was the middle-aged Wang, who immediately sidled up to the third woman, grabbing her arm and eagerly pressing for details: "Oh my! Third woman, tell us quickly, what happened? Why did she leave right after her wedding? Tell us, don't keep us in suspense!"

The old woman was pulled to the side by the woman, but immediately put on an air of knowing everything, slowly cracking a sunflower seed, clearing her throat before speaking: "Would I lie to you about this? My husband Yan was squatting at the door smoking before dawn this morning, and he saw Su Mo carrying bulging luggage, hurrying towards the street corner. It looked like he was going back to the army, or maybe even going to the front lines to fight!"

"Huh? It's been so long since liberation, how come there's still fighting?" A younger woman looked surprised and stopped what she was doing.

"What do you know! You little brat, you're so ignorant!" The third aunt rolled her eyes at her, her tone certain. "Many remote areas haven't been completely pacified yet, there's bound to be fighting! Soldiers are just following orders, they have to go whenever they're told!"

"Oh my! War is so scary, with gunfire and bullets everywhere. I heard a lot of people die!"

"Exactly! That new bride of the Su family, she's only been married for a day, still a delicate young woman. If her husband really dies on the battlefield, won't she be left a widow at such a young age? That would be so pitiful!"

The older women chatted away, their conversation becoming increasingly absurd. The third woman grew more and more panicked as she listened, cold sweat breaking out on her back.

This morning, Yan Bugui went up to ask for steamed buns because he was craving them. Without saying a word, Su Mo pulled out a gun. She was really scared by how fierce he was!

If this group keeps spouting nonsense, she'll be in deep trouble when Su Mozhen comes back and they start investigating!

Thinking this through, the third aunt dared not interfere any further. She immediately patted her bottom, stood up, and muttered, "There's still food stewing at home." She hurriedly rushed back into the house, forgetting even to take her small stool, and dared not show her face again.

But rumors, once they start, are like weeds, impossible to stop. Even though Auntie San went into hiding, the gossip about Su Mo in the courtyard only grew more and more rampant, changing every day, becoming increasingly outrageous.

For the next few days, the older women continued to gather under the locust tree every day, but the third aunt stayed indoors and never went out. She even waited until dark to go grocery shopping, afraid of getting involved and being held accountable by Su Moqiu later.

Early that morning, the casual chat under the locust tree began on time again, and the topic still revolved around the Su family in the courtyard at No. 96 across the street.

"I have some big news to tell you! Yesterday I heard from the woman on the street that Su Mo across the street died in battle! He couldn't be saved!" Aunt Zhang lowered her voice, looking mysterious, which instantly drew a crowd to her.

"Really? This is no small matter; you can't spread rumors about it!"

"How can it be just rumors! Lots of people are saying it, it must be true! That new bride of the Su family is so pitiful, she's only been married a couple of days and she's already a widow, so young, how will she manage in the future!"

"I met that woman a few days ago. She's incredibly beautiful, with fair skin and bright eyes. She looks very dignified. I heard she has a stable job with a shockingly high salary—almost a hundred yuan a month, which is more than my deadbeat husband's wages for several months!"

"That's not all! The entire Su family is no ordinary family. Su Mo's master is even more impressive; he's the president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Just thinking about his salary and benefits is terrifying!"

"Oh right, I think I heard someone say that Su Mo is the only junior member of the Su family, right? He doesn't have any other brothers or sisters?"

Actually, Master Su Mo has children, but they've been in the military and haven't come back.

"That's right! It's just him! Do you think whoever marries that young widow will get their hands on the Su family's house and their entire fortune? That would be an incredible stroke of luck!"

A group of middle-aged women chatted more and more enthusiastically, spitting everywhere. No one noticed that under the wall of the courtyard, Jia Zhangshi was squatting there washing clothes. Her washing mallet pounded the clothes, but her ears were perked up like a rabbit's. Every word they said clearly fell into her ears.

Why didn't Jia Zhangshi join in gossiping with the old ladies? It's because Old Jia was there to keep an eye on her at home! Old Jia had a terrible temper and hated gossiping about family matters. If he found out she was hanging out with these old women, she'd get a good beating when she got home, and she didn't dare risk that.

But what she had just heard made Jia Zhangshi's heart flutter like grass. Especially when she heard that the Su family had a house, were well-off, and that the young wife had a high salary, her eyes lit up instantly. She forgot to put down the soap mallet, rubbed the soap in her hands, and quickly got up and rushed into the house, afraid that she would miss such a great opportunity if she was a step too late.

Inside the house, Old Jia was curled up on the kang (a heated brick bed), leaning against the wall, holding a chipped, rough porcelain bowl in his hand, slowly drinking cheap tea leaves without even frowning. This was the greatest enjoyment he had ever had in his life.

As soon as Jia Zhangshi entered the room, she closed the door, sneakily approached the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and whispered mysteriously to Old Jia, "Old Jia! I have some big news for you! The Su family boy from the courtyard across the street at number 96 died in battle! His newlywed wife is now a widow!"

Old Jia's hand, holding the bowl, suddenly paused, spilling a few drops of tea leaves. He frowned and glared at Jia Zhangshi: "Really? You can't just say things like that! If word gets out, we'll be in trouble, and our whole family can't afford the consequences!"

"Hey! Would I lie to you! The whole hospital is buzzing about it. I was washing clothes in the middle courtyard just now and I heard it clearly. So many people are saying it, it must be true!" Madam Jia waved her hand hurriedly, her tone very certain, afraid that Old Jia wouldn't believe her.

"You didn't join those old women in gossiping and spreading rumors, did you?" Old Jia put down his rough porcelain bowl, his eyes serious and his tone warning.

Just thinking about how Old Jia used to beat people made Jia Zhangshi shudder. Terrified of being beaten herself, she waved her hands repeatedly, shaking her head like a rattle-drum: "No, no, no! I wouldn't dare! How could I dare get involved with them? You know me, I'm the most law-abiding person!"

"That's right, just behave yourself and don't cause trouble!" Old Jia breathed a sigh of relief, picked up his bowl, took a sip of tea leaves, and slowly said, "You haven't even looked into it. The Su family is a legitimate family of doctors, and Master Su Mo is the president of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. They have a wide network of connections. We're just an ordinary family. Don't provoke them, or you'll only get yourself into trouble!"

But Jia Zhangshi didn't listen to Old Jia's advice at all. Her mind was full of the Su family's house and money. She leaned forward, almost whispering in Old Jia's ear, and said with ill intent, "Hey, Old Jia, our Dongxu is getting on in years. He's at the age to get married. Why don't we ask someone to put in a good word for him and let him marry that young woman from the Su family across the street?"

"What?" Old Jia was startled by these words, almost dropping the rough porcelain bowl in his hand. He stood there stunned for a long time before frowning and hesitatingly saying, "Our son is a decent young man, capable of anything. Isn't it inappropriate for him to marry a widow? People will laugh at us if word gets out!"

"Perfect! What's wrong with it!" Madam Jia immediately became anxious and quickly persuaded, "What do you know! The Su family is so well-off! Apart from the deceased Su Mo, the Su family has no other younger members of the same generation. If our Dongxu can marry that young wife, then the Su family's house will become ours! Then our whole family won't have to squeeze into these two west wing rooms anymore!"

She swallowed hard and continued to persuade him, her tone full of enticement: "Besides, how powerful are the Su family! One was a martial arts champion, and even though he retired due to injury, he's still a prominent figure; the other is the director of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, with a shockingly high monthly salary, more than you could earn in half a year! And that young wife of his, her salary isn't low either, almost a hundred yuan a month!"

"Just think about it, once Dongxu marries her, all the Su family's money and houses will be ours! What will we have to worry about then?"

Seeing that Old Jia's expression softened and he no longer refused outright, Jia Zhangshi immediately pressed her advantage, leaning forward and saying, "Think about it again. You've worked hard your whole life, from dawn till dusk, and now you've only managed to become a mid-level fitter. What can you do with that little bit of money you earn a month? You can't even afford a decent meal of meat, and you drink this worthless tea dregs every day!"

"Once Dongxu marries a woman from the Su family, we won't have to work anymore. The Su family will support us, and we'll drink and eat meat every day, with meat dishes at every meal. We won't have to drink this bland tea anymore. How comfortable will that be!"

These words struck a chord with Old Jia! He looked down at the rough porcelain bowl in his hand, and the tea leaves in the bowl suddenly lost their aroma. The thought of being able to eat and drink well every day without having to work hard from dawn till dusk instantly dispelled any hesitation in his heart, and he was immediately tempted.

Old Jia pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "This matter can't be publicized. If the news is false, we'll lose face big time! Go back to the yard and confirm the news. If it's true, I'll get Old Yi, Old Yan, and Old Liu over tonight to discuss it carefully!"

When Jia Zhangshi heard that Old Jia had given his word, she was overjoyed, as if she had found a gold ingot. Her face lit up with a smile, and she didn't have time to think about anything else. She turned around and rushed out, afraid that if she was a step too late, the news would change. She was so eager that she couldn't wait to confirm the news.

She jogged along and plunged into the group of middle-aged women under the locust tree, pushing through the crowd as she anxiously asked, "You guys say that the Su family boy over there really died on the battlefield? Is that news accurate?"

"Of course it's true! It's been circulating for days, everyone on the street knows it, it must be true!" Aunt Zhang patted her chest, her tone absolutely certain.

Aunt Li, standing nearby, chimed in, speaking with great detail: "That's right! I also heard from my distant nephew that the fighting over there is fierce, and Su Mo died a horrible death, not even leaving behind a complete body. The Su family hasn't dared to make a sound!"

The women talked one after another, describing their experiences vividly, as if they had witnessed them firsthand. Jia Zhangshi listened without a doubt, and the weight in her heart was completely lifted. She didn't have time to chat with them any longer and rushed back, wanting to tell Old Jia the absolutely true news as soon as possible.

Watching Jia Zhangshi's hurried figure disappear into the distance, the old women under the locust tree started gossiping again.

"Hey, what's wrong with Madam Jia Zhang today? She usually avoids us like the plague, but why is she so eager today, asking about the Su family again and again?"

"Who knows? She looks so sneaky, she's definitely up to no good, probably plotting something!"

"That's right! She's always been greedy and can't stand seeing others do well. She's probably just seeing how well the Su family is doing and wants to benefit from it!"

Meanwhile, Jia Zhangshi rushed back to the house. Before entering, she cautiously peeked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping before quietly closing the door. She quickly went to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), whispered urgently in Old Jia's ear, "It's confirmed! Old Jia, the news is absolutely true! Those old women were talking about it so vividly, Su Mo is definitely gone!"

Old Jia nodded, his eyes becoming resolute, and immediately made the decision: "Alright! It's settled then! Go and inform Old Yi, Old Yan, and Old Liu to come over to our house for a get-together tonight. I'll go out and buy some good wine and food, and we'll have a good discussion about Dongxu and the Su family's daughter-in-law tonight!"

"Okay! No problem!" Jia Zhangshi's voice trembled with excitement, her face full of joy. She turned around and ran out in a hurry, her steps becoming much lighter. She went from house to house to inform the Yan family in the front yard, the Yi family in the middle yard, and the Liu family in the back yard. She had already started planning for the good life she would enjoy in the future.