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

The day their marriage application was approved, He Yushui ran three laps around the yard.

She ran from the hanging flower gate to the middle courtyard, and from the middle courtyard to the back courtyard, shouting as she ran, "It's approved! My brother is getting married!" Just then, Madam Jia Zhang came out carrying a basin of water. He Yushui couldn't stop herself and bumped straight into it. The basin overturned, and water spilled all over the ground.

Jia Zhangshi's trouser legs were half wet.

"You brat! What are you doing running around like that! I just changed your pants!"

He Yushui took two steps back, panting, and said, "Aunt Jia, I'm so sorry, my brother's marriage application was approved, I'm so happy—"

"So you can hit someone just because you're happy?" Jia Zhangshi twisted her trouser leg, her voice shrill. "What does your He family's business have to do with me?"

He Yushui's smile froze. She stood there without moving or saying anything back.

Madam Jia muttered a few more words, picked up the empty basin, and went back into the house. The door slammed shut behind her.

He Yushui stood still for two seconds, then turned and continued running towards the backyard. When she reached the moon gate, she raised her hand and wiped her face.

An elderly deaf woman sat on the doorstep, basking in the sun. When He Yushui ran over, she squinted at him, a slight upturn of her lips, but said nothing.

The wedding is scheduled for the Lantern Festival.

He Yushui started preparing three days in advance. She stood on a stool and pasted up the "double happiness" characters, first the main gate, then the bedroom doors, then the windows, covering the entire courtyard in red. Yan Bugui returned from grocery shopping, stood under the hanging flower gate, looked around, and adjusted his glasses.

"The rain has stopped. If you keep pasting, there won't even be any room to step."

He Yushui jumped off the stool and clapped her hands.

"Teacher Yan, my brother is getting married. It's a once-in-a-lifetime event."

Yan Bugui nodded, took two steps inside, then turned back: "Where's your brother?"

"Something came up in the neighborhood, so I went out early this morning."

Yan Bugui didn't ask any more questions and went back into the house with his vegetable basket.

On the day Qin Huairu tried on her wedding dress, He Yushui watched for a long time. The wedding dress was bright red, with gold thread embroidered on the neckline; it was something she and several neighbors had rushed to make. Qin Huairu stood in front of the mirror, her face even redder than the wedding dress.

He Yushui leaned closer and looked at her in the mirror.

"Sister Qin, you are so beautiful."

Qin Huairu didn't speak, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly. Her hand touched the cuff of her wedding dress, where a pair of small mandarin ducks were embroidered.

"Rain," she asked softly, "does your brother...like red?"

He Yushui paused for a moment, then laughed: "I like it, of course I like it. My brother isn't picky about anything, he's picky about people."

Qin Huairu smiled too.

The day before the wedding, someone delivered an envelope.

The envelope had no sender's name on it, only "To Qin Huairu". Qin Huairu opened it and found a money order for one hundred yuan. Attached to the bottom was a note with only one line: "Buy something for the child."

He Yuzhu took the remittance slip and glanced at it.

He recognized the handwriting. Even after more than twenty years, he still recognized it.

Qin Huairu looked at him.

"Is that your dad?"

He Yuzhu nodded. He folded the remittance slip, handed it to Qin Huairu, and paused his finger on it for a moment.

"Keep it."

Qin Huairu took it and didn't ask any more questions.

The sky cleared up on the Lantern Festival.

The courtyard was bustling from early morning. Yan Bugui and several men set up a table, Liu Haizhong and Aunt Erda brought in some chairs, and Aunt Zhang brought in a basin of dumpling filling, saying she had gotten up at five o'clock to chop it. Jia Zhangshi stood at her door, looked around for a long time, and finally brought out a plate of peanuts from inside the house and placed it on the table.

"I don't have anything fancy at home, so this will have to do."

Yan Bugui happened to be passing by and casually remarked, "Sister-in-law Jia is being generous today too."

Madam Jia's face darkened, and she stretched her hand towards the edge of the plate: "Eat it or don't, it's up to you! I'm only doing this because you're a new bride, so some people shouldn't take advantage of this."

The scene fell silent for a moment.

He Yushui stood to the side, her smile frozen. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say.

Qin Huairu walked over, picked up the plate of peanuts, and said with a smile, "I appreciate Aunt Jia's kindness. These peanuts look delicious."

Madam Jia paused, withdrew her hand, muttered "That's more like it," and turned to go back into the house. But everyone saw that she glanced in this direction again before going inside.

The auspicious time has arrived.

He Yuzhu stood in the courtyard, dressed in his new military uniform. Qin Huairu came out of the house, wearing her bright red wedding dress. He Yushui supported her arm as they walked slowly.

The people in the courtyard formed a circle and watched them.

The deaf old lady sat in the seat of honor, leaning on her cane, her eyes fixed on Qin Huairu as she walked towards her step by step.

We pay our respects to Heaven and Earth.

Pay respects to one's parents.

The husband and wife bow to each other.

He Yuzhu paused as he bent down. He stood there with his head down, pausing for two or three seconds longer than usual. Someone whispered, "What's wrong?" He Yushui, standing to the side, saw her brother's shoulder twitch slightly. Suddenly, her nose stung with tears—her brother had never bowed his head in front of anyone in his life. Today, however, he bowed his head for longer than anyone else.

When He Yuzhu straightened up, nothing was visible on his face except that his eyes were slightly red.

The old lady took out a red envelope from her bosom and stuffed it into Qin Huairu's hand. The red envelope was wrapped in an old handkerchief, the edges were frayed, but it was very clean.

"Good boy, live a good life from now on."

Qin Huairu took the handkerchief and noticed a small plum blossom embroidered on it, the stitches crooked and uneven. She looked up at the old lady.

The old lady's eyes reddened, but she quickly turned her face away and waved her hand, saying, "Go on, go on, don't keep me from sunbathing."

He Yuzhu stood to the side, his Adam's apple bobbing.

People in the courtyard started clapping. Yan Bugui led the way with loud clapping, a smile on his face; Liu Haizhong clapped slowly, a knowing look in his eyes; Aunt Erda, holding her child, also clapped a few times, and the child babbled along.

Jia Zhangshi stood at the back of the crowd, neither taking pictures nor leaving.

In the evening, everyone left.

He Yuzhu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and Qin Huairu sat next to him. The room was dark, but moonlight shone in through the window, casting their shadows on the floor.

Qin Huairu leaned on his shoulder.

What were you thinking about today?

He Yuzhu thought for a moment.

"Thinking back to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir."

Qin Huairu was stunned for a moment.

"During war?"

He Yuzhu nodded.

"Back then, lying in the snow, I was thinking, if I could make it back alive, what would I do after that? I never imagined it would turn out like this."

Qin Huairu remained silent.

He Yuzhu took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Qin Huairu took it and opened it. Inside were several yellowed pieces of paper, neatly folded, with frayed edges.

"This is……"

He Yuzhu looked at the few sheets of paper.

"I've kept the letter you wrote."

Qin Huairu turned to the first page, which was written in her own handwriting about the field hospital incident that year—it was over thirty degrees below zero, and her hands were so cold she could barely hold the pen, so the writing was crooked and uneven. She read a few lines, and her fingers trembled slightly.

"I remember writing this letter... but my pen froze halfway through, and I didn't finish it."

He Yuzhu nodded: "I filled in the blank spaces myself."

Qin Huairu turned to the second page, and sure enough, the second half was written in a different handwriting: "I'll wait for her to finish writing it later."

Qin Huairu stared at the line of words, remaining motionless for a long time.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating her face and leaving a streak of light that slid down her cheek.

She folded the papers, put them back in the envelope, and handed them back to him.

He Yuzhu took it and put it in his arms.

The moonlight shone on the two of them, quietly.

The next morning, there was a knock on the door.

He Yushui ran to open the door, and Old Sun stood there holding a document. His face was expressionless, but he didn't come in immediately.

Is your brother home?

He Yushui nodded, then turned around and called out, "Brother, Uncle Sun is looking for you."

He Yuzhu came out of the house, took the document, and glanced at it.

His face remained expressionless, but his fingers tightened around the document.

Qin Huairu stood at the door and saw that action.

He folded the document and stuffed it into his pocket.

Qin Huairu looked at him.

"Leaving again?"

He Yuzhu remained silent for a while.

"Not necessarily."

Qin Huairu didn't ask any more questions. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then remained fixed.

Standing to the side, He Yushui suddenly remembered that when he was a child, his mother would look at him like this every time his father was about to leave, without asking any questions.

He Yuzhu walked up to Qin Huairu and took her hand. He held it tighter than usual.

"Wait for me to come back."

Qin Huairu nodded.

He Yuzhu let go and followed Old Sun.

He Yushui stood at the doorway, watching their figures disappear into the alley. The morning light shone on them, casting long shadows on the ground. She stood there for a long time, until she could see nothing at all, and still she stood there.