Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

It was getting dark when the train pulled into the station.

He Yuzhu looked out the train window. There weren't many people on the platform; a few people in uniforms were walking around, and the rest were people picking up passengers. He scanned the area but didn't see his mother or He Yushui.

My mother has difficulty walking, and the roads are slippery after dark, so I'm afraid she didn't come.

The train door opened, and he stepped off carrying his suitcase. The moment his foot touched the concrete of the platform, he heard someone call his name.

"elder brother!"

He Yushui squeezed out of the crowd. Her braids were undone, her face was flushed from running, and she ran up to him and grabbed his sleeve.

"Brother, you're back!"

He Yuzhu was jolted by her tug.

"Um."

He Yushui turned her head and shouted behind her.

"Sister Qin, over here!"

Qin Huairu walked over from the crowd. She wore a blue cotton-padded jacket and a gray scarf, and walked slowly, but her eyes remained fixed on him. She stopped in front of him without saying a word.

He Yuzhu looked at her. She had lost weight. There were dark circles under her eyes; he didn't know how many nights she had stayed up.

He Yushui looked at this and that, loosened He Yuzhu's sleeve, and took a step back.

He Yuzhu took a step forward.

"How long have you been waiting?"

Qin Huairu shook her head.

"Just arrived."

He Yushui couldn't hold back any longer.

"What do you mean 'just arrived'? We've been waiting for over an hour. Brother, you have no idea, Sister Qin has been calculating the days, saying your train should be here..."

Qin Huairu's face flushed red.

"rainwater!"

He Yuzhu put the box down.

Three years ago, in the snow at Changjin Lake, the last thing he thought of was her. In the tunnels of Shangganling, the last thing he uttered was her. On that rainy night in Jincheng, when he thought he was going to die there, she was still the image that flashed through his mind.

He didn't say anything, but reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Qin Huairu's body stiffened for a moment, then went limp, burying her face in his chest. She was trembling. It was unclear whether it was from the cold or something else.

He lowered his head, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"I'm back."

Just those three words.

But Qin Huairu could tell that those three words contained the elements of snow, earth, and rain.

She didn't look up, but simply hugged him tighter.

He Yushui covered her eyes, but her fingers were wide open.

"I didn't see it, I didn't see it."

The day Yang Xiaobing returned, a string of firecrackers was set off at the entrance of the research institute.

He jumped out of the car, his left arm still in a sling, but he had a big smile on his face. Old Lu walked over and punched him on the uninjured shoulder.

"Kid, you're lucky to be alive."

Yang Xiaobing grinned.

"Be gentle."

Ma Yuejin, Lin Jianguo, and Sun Xiaomei all ran out and surrounded Yang Xiaobing. One touched the bandage, another asked about the wound.

He Yuzhu stood at the door, looking at those people.

Yang Xiaobing squeezed through and stood in front of him.

"Commander, I'm back in the unit."

He Yuzhu glanced at his arm. The bandage was thick and frayed at the edges, clearly indicating that it had been worn for many days without being changed.

"alright?"

Yang Xiaobing patted the bandage.

"Not quite. But he can still work."

He Yuzhu stared at him for a few seconds.

Yang Xiaobing felt uneasy under his gaze.

"Commander?"

He Yuzhu suddenly reached out and pressed on his uninjured shoulder. He used a bit of force.

"Xiao Bing," he said, "back in Korea, I had only one thought—to bring you all back."

Yang Xiaobing was stunned.

"Now that you're back," He Yuzhu released his grip, "live well."

Yang Xiaobing's eyes reddened. He straightened his back, his voice choked with emotion.

"Commander, I've got it."

The celebration was held in the cafeteria.

The table was pushed together into a long strip, on which were placed peanuts, melon seeds, and several bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Ma Yuejin was busy pouring the liquor, Lin Jianguo was helping him, and Sun Xiaomei and a few girls were cutting fruit.

He Yuzhu sat in the corner, watching those people.

Ma Yuejin walked over with a wine glass in his hand, his face already flushed.

"Dean, I'd like to propose a toast to you."

He Yuzhu took the wine and took a sip.

Ma Yuejin didn't leave; he stood there, watching him.

"Dean, I've been following you for five years. From high-speed steel to tanks, from tanks to semiconductors. You've been at the forefront of every project."

He Yuzhu didn't say anything.

Ma Yuejin continued.

"I used to be just a factory worker, I didn't know anything. Now..."

He paused.

"I feel like I'm doing alright right now."

He Yuzhu looked at him.

"It's not just okay. It's good."

Ma Yuejin paused for a moment, then laughed.

People nearby started making a fuss.

"Team Leader Ma, don't just stand there, sing one!"

Lin Jianguo was pushed forward. His face was flushed red, and he stood there, at a loss for what to do.

Sun Xiaomei shouted.

"Team Leader Lin, sing 'The East Is Red'!"

The cafeteria fell silent for a moment.

Lin Jianguo glanced at He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu nodded to him.

Lin Jianguo took a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was soft but steady.

"The East is Red, the sun rises..."

In the second sentence, Ma Yuejin followed up.

Sun Xiaomei followed up with the third sentence.

In the fourth sentence, everyone stood up.

More than twenty people stood in the simple canteen, facing the portrait on the wall, singing in unison. No one sang off-key, no one laughed. Everyone's eyes shone with an astonishing light.

Lin Jianguo's eyes reddened, but he didn't stop singing.

Ma Yuejin's voice choked, but he didn't stop singing.

Sun Xiaomei's tears flowed down her cheeks, but the singing continued.

He Yuzhu also stood up.

He looked at these people. Some had just returned from the battlefield, some had stayed up countless nights, and some hadn't even had time to go home. Their eyes shone as they sang this song.

That is the light of faith.

When the music ended, no one spoke.

After a long while, Ma Yuejin wiped his face.

"Finished singing? Time for peanuts!"

The crowd burst into laughter. As they laughed, some people secretly wiped their eyes.

After the celebration party ended, He Yuzhu walked out of the laboratory alone.

The moon hung brightly in the sky. The research institute building was dark, with only a few windows lit up. A mountain breeze blew in, carrying the scent of grass.

He stood there, looking up at the sky.

Seven years have passed.

Three years on the Korean battlefield, four years here.

From the snow at Changjin Lake to the scorched earth of Shangganling, to the rainy night in Jincheng. From high-speed steel to tanks, from tanks to semiconductors. Those people, those events, one by one, swirl in my mind.

When Lin Jianguo first arrived, he asked him a question.

"Dean, what exactly are we doing all this for?"

He did not answer.

Now he knows.

That's what we'll do. Lead this group of people and do what the country needs.

We need to develop tanks, we need to develop chips, and there will be even more difficult things to do in the future.

Someone asked him if it was worth it.

He didn't answer.

But looking at this group of people, seeing the light in their eyes as they sang "The East Is Red," seeing their tears of laughter—

Worth it.

A breeze was blowing, and it was a bit chilly.

The moon is very bright.

He stood there for a long time.