He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The spring breeze of 1958 carried a light dust storm, blowing through the poplar trees of the military compound in Baoding. He Yuyang stood by the office window, clutching his newly issued appointment letter—he had been promoted to deputy commander, and another star had been added to his shoulder insignia. Outside, the training ground echoed with the sound of synchronized slogans; young soldiers marched in formation, the sunlight gleaming on their rifles.

"Report!" the guard shouted at the door. "Deputy Commander, there's a call from home saying that Mrs. Xu is about to give birth!"

He Yuyang's heart tightened, and he grabbed his military cap and ran outside. The jeep bumped along the alley, and as he watched the poplar trees rushing past the window, he recalled the harrowing moment when Jian Guo was born two years ago, and his palms began to sweat again. In the past two years, he had repeatedly distinguished himself in the operations department, cracking several major espionage cases and participating in the formulation of border defense plans. His promotion was expected, but more than any of that, he cared about Xu Xiuli and their unborn child.

When Zhou Lan opened the door, she saw He Yuyang pacing anxiously in the yard. Seeing him return, she rushed to greet him: "Yuyang, you're finally back! Xiuli was just taken to the hospital; she's in terrible labor pains!"

"Mom, don't worry, I'm coming right now." He Yuyang reassured his mother-in-law and turned to rush back to the hospital. The corridor outside the delivery room was more crowded than it had been two years ago. Slogans like "More, Faster, Better, Cheaper" were posted on the walls. Several pregnant military dependents sat on benches, clutching coarse cloth maternity bags they had exchanged for with cloth coupons.

He Yuyang was well-prepared this time. Half a month in advance, he filled the spiritual spring water into sterilized glass bottles and handed them to Zhou Lan: "Mother, if Xiuli has a hard time giving birth, give her some of this to drink. It can help her regain her strength." Although Zhou Lan still did not understand the origin of this "special nutrient solution," she had more faith in her son-in-law's words after experiencing the smooth birth of Jianguo.

Three hours later, a loud cry rang out from the delivery room, even louder than Jianguo's cry back then. He Yuyang had just breathed a sigh of relief when Zhou Lan came out smiling: "It's a boy! Even stronger than Jianguo, weighing six pounds and eight ounces! Xiuli had a smooth delivery this time too, without much suffering."

When he rushed into the delivery room, Xu Xiuli was leaning against the headboard, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, holding a bright red baby in her arms. Seeing He Yuyang, she smiled weakly: "Yuyang, look at him, his eyes are open."

The little guy indeed opened his bright, dark eyes, surveying the world, his little hands clenched tightly. He Yuyang leaned over and carefully touched his cheek, her heart melting completely. "Have you thought of a name yet?" Xu Xiuli asked softly.

Looking into his son's eyes, He Yuyang recalled the soldiers chanting "Defend the country" on the training field and said in a deep voice, "Let's name him He Yuanchao. Our peaceful life now was fought for by our predecessors on the Korean battlefield. Let him remember how hard it was."

"He Yuanchao..." Xu Xiuli murmured softly, kissing her son's forehead. "A good name."

When the news of her second son's birth reached Beijing, Liu Yan was so happy that she couldn't sleep all night. She made two pairs of tiger-head shoes and asked He Yuzhu to take them to her. He Yuzhu was now a senior chef in the steel rolling mill's kitchen and had some real power. Hearing that his sister-in-law had given birth, he specially asked a friend at the meat processing plant to get two jin of pork ribs, packed them in a thermos, and sent them to Baoding by train.

"Brother, look what I brought you!" He Yuzhu exclaimed as soon as he entered the ward, placing the thermos on the table. "Our mother said to tell my sister-in-law to drink more pork rib soup to nourish her body." As he spoke, he lifted the lid, and the rich aroma of meat instantly filled the air, causing the new mother in the next bed to smack her lips.

Xu Xiuli smiled and said, "Zhu Zi, you're so thoughtful. It's not easy to get ribs at a time like this, is it?"

"Hey, it's nothing." He Yuzhu scratched his head and lowered his voice. "I have a good relationship with Old Li from the meat processing plant. He always saves me a good piece of meat every time he slaughters a pig. I exchanged it with grain coupons, so it's legal!" As he spoke, he secretly winked at He Yuyang. Those two pounds of ribs were actually bought with his extra bonus this month, without using any grain coupons.

He Yuyang knew that supplies were becoming increasingly scarce recently. Grain coupons, cloth coupons, and oil coupons were all rationed, and ordinary families might not even be able to afford meat once a month. He patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "Make sure to get the grain coupons back for Old Li later, so people don't gossip."

"I know, I know." He Yuzhu nodded repeatedly, then leaned closer to the swaddled baby to look at the child. "This little guy is just like me when I was a kid, all chubby and adorable!"

He Yuyang didn't keep his younger brother any longer, telling him to hurry back to Beijing and take the twenty catties of fine grains and several bolts of cotton cloth produced in his space with him. "Take them to Mother and Yushui, and tell them they are welfare benefits from the army," he instructed. "Cloth coupons are scarce, so have Mother make some new clothes. Yushui will be going to middle school soon, and it's not appropriate for her to always wear old clothes."

Before leaving, He Yuzhu said mysteriously to He Yuyang, "Brother, there's something I need to tell you. Sister Qin and I... are dating."

He Yuyang was taken aback for a moment, then smiled: "That's great! Sister Qin is a reliable person, you two are a good match."

"Our mother agrees too. She said that after Yuan Chao's one-month celebration, we'll find a date to hold a wedding banquet." He Yuzhu's face was glowing. "You'll have to come back to Beijing then."

"I'll definitely go back." He Yuyang nodded in agreement. He knew that Qin Huairu had had a tough time all these years. After her divorce, she raised her child alone (according to the logic of the previous text, Qin Huairu did not mention having a child before, so "living alone" is more appropriate). She worked diligently at the factory, and she and He Yuzhu took care of each other. It was indeed a good match.

A month after Yuanchao's death, He Yuyang took his wife and children back to Beijing. The courtyard house was even more crowded than two years ago, with slogans about the Great Leap Forward painted on the walls, and piles of salvaged scrap metal in each courtyard. He Yuzhu was busy tidying up the east wing, preparing it for their new home. Seeing He Yuyang's family return, he quickly went to greet them: "Brother, sister-in-law, come in quickly! I bought rattles for Jianguo and Yuanchao, and I specially chose red ones!"

Liu Yan held Yuanchao in her arms, admiring him dearly, and kept muttering, "This little guy is so handsome! He's much better than Yu Yang was when he was little." She secretly slipped a cloth bag to Xu Xiuli, who opened it to find more than ten feet of blue cloth inside. "This is what I saved up with my cloth coupons. I'm going to make new jackets for the children."

Xu Xiuli felt a warmth in her heart and handed the fine grains and cloth she had brought to her mother-in-law: "Mother, this was issued by the army. Keep it for your consumption, and use the cloth to make clothes for you and Yushui." She didn't mention that these were actually products from the spiritual spring space—the rice in the space could be harvested eight times a year, and the cotton grew white and fluffy, enough for the whole family to have enough to eat and wear.

Just then, Qin Huairu brought over a bowl of freshly steamed egg custard. When she saw Xu Xiuli, her face flushed. "Sister-in-law, I heard you're back. I steamed some eggs for the kids." She was now a team leader at the factory, wearing a faded blue cotton jacket and her hair was neatly combed. She looked more energetic than before.

"Come in and sit down," Xu Xiuli said with a smile, pulling her into the house. "I heard from Zhu Zi that you two are having a wedding banquet? Have you set a date yet?"

"It's scheduled for the third day of next month." Qin Huairu nodded, a smile in her eyes. "It won't be a big affair, just a simple meal with the neighbors in the courtyard and a few close colleagues from the factory."

"That won't do!" Liu Yan interjected. "You only get married once in a lifetime, so it has to be a big celebration. I'll have Yuzhu get some extra meat, and we'll set up a tent in the yard and have a proper feast."

He Yuzhu chuckled and said, "Mom's right! I've already talked to Old Li at the meat processing plant. He'll save me ten pounds of meat and some fish, I promise everyone will eat and drink well!"

He Yuyang knew that getting ten catties of meat at this time was not easy, and it was probably because He Yuzhu had used a lot of connections. He patted his younger brother on the shoulder: "If you don't have enough money, just tell me. Don't make Sister Qin suffer."

"That's enough!" He Yuzhu patted his chest. "I've saved up some money in the past two years, enough to cover the cost of the wedding banquet."

In the evening, He Yuyang went to visit He Daqing. The old man was still in relatively good health, but the food in the canteen was getting worse and worse; every meal consisted of sweet potato noodle buns with pickled vegetables, and he had lost a lot of weight. He Yuyang handed his father the cured meat and refined grains he had brought: "Dad, this was issued by the army. Keep it for yourself. Don't eat buns all the time; it's bad for your stomach."

He Daqing sighed, "The factory is also facing a shortage now. Food is rationed, and meat is a rare commodity. Only your unit can still get some benefits. Life is getting harder and harder for ordinary people." He paused, lowered his voice, and said, "I heard that there was a disaster in the south, resulting in reduced grain production. I'm afraid things will get even tighter in the future."

He Yuyang's heart sank. He had heard about the natural disaster while he was in the army, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. "Dad, don't worry, I'm here, you won't go hungry." He took out a few more national food coupons from his bag. "Keep these. If the canteen really doesn't have anything to eat, just go outside and buy some."

He Daqing looked at the grain coupons, his eyes reddening slightly: "You yourself have it tough, raising two children on your own..."

"I'm fine." He Yuyang smiled. "The army has supplies, much better than the civilians." He didn't say that the food in the spiritual spring space was enough for his family to eat for decades, but this secret could not be known to anyone.

When I returned to the courtyard, Yan Bugui was distributing grain in the yard. He now works odd jobs in the steel mill canteen, responsible for collecting grain for the neighbors in the yard. He was holding a small notebook and writing down the details: "Uncle, your family has 27 jin of grain this month, 15 jin of sweet potato flour, and 12 jin of corn flour."

Yi Zhonghai took the ration book and sighed, "Three more jin gone? How are we going to survive?"

"It's not just our institute, it's the same all over the city." Yan Bugui lowered his voice. "I heard that the grain station's inventory is almost empty. We're lucky to get this much." He glanced at He Yuyang and quickly walked over, his face beaming. "Yuyang's back? I've saved some grain for your family. It's the fine grain supplied by the army; it's really something else."

He Yuyang nodded without saying much. He knew that the fine grains his family received were actually from his spatial storage; the military supplies had long ago been replaced with coarse grains and distributed to his family to avoid drawing attention to them.

That night, He Yuzhu quietly came to find He Yuyang and handed him an oil paper package. Inside were several pieces of cured meat and a bottle of liquor. "Brother, this is for you. You've worked hard in the army, so take care of yourself." He lowered his voice. "Sister Qin knew I was bringing you something, so she specifically asked me to bring more, saying it's not easy for you to take care of two children."

He Yuyang felt a warmth in his heart: "Please thank Sister Qin for me. Don't be too frugal, you need energy to prepare for the wedding banquet, eat more." He took out two bolts of floral fabric from his bag and handed them to his younger brother, "These are for Sister Qin, to make a new dress for her wedding."

He Yuzhu's eyes lit up: "Brother, where did you get this fabric? You can't find this pattern anywhere else on the market!"

"It's a benefit issued by the military, specifically for military dependents," He Yuyang said vaguely. "Take it quickly, don't let anyone see it."

He Yuzhu quickly hid the cloth, chuckling as he said, "My brother really loves me! I'll definitely toast you three big glasses on my wedding day!"

The next morning, He Yuyang took his wife and children to visit Xu Xiuli's parents. Xu Wenbin's health had been poor for the past two years, with a frequent cough, and Zhou Lan, the head nurse, was even busier with work, so the family's food supplies were also tight. Xu Xiuli handed her mother the fine grains and tea brewed with spiritual spring water she had brought: "Mother, please let Father drink this tea every day; it will soothe his throat."

Zhou Lan sighed, "Your unit is so much better off, you have supplies. Our hospital has recently started serving only thin porridge, and the patients don't have much food left. It's heartbreaking to see."

He Yuyang took out a small cloth bag from his bag, which contained several kilograms of dried sweet potatoes grown in his space. They were sweet and starchy. "Mom, these are snacks for you and Dad. Eat some if you get hungry." He didn't dare to take too much refined grain, for fear of arousing suspicion.

Xu Wenbin looked at his two grandsons with a look of relief in his eyes: "Yu Yang, you are now the deputy commander, and the burden on your shoulders is heavier. No matter how chaotic things are outside, remember to stay true to yourself and treat Xiuli and the children well. That's more important than anything else."

"Dad, I understand." He Yuyang nodded.

The day before returning to Baoding, He Yuyang visited each household in the courtyard. Yi Zhonghai was making steamed buns with sweet potato flour and wild vegetables. When he saw He Yuyang coming over, he quickly invited him to try them: "Yuyang, try this. It's good enough that we can eat this now."

He Yuyang picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, and the rough texture stung his throat. "Uncle, if you don't have enough food, just let me know," he said softly.

Yi Zhonghai waved his hand: "No need, I can manage. But you, with two children, are under a lot of pressure. Take care."

Liu Haizhong's family was still smelting steel, but the earthen furnace had long since been shut down, and the scrap iron piled up in the yard had rusted. Seeing He Yuyang approach, he looked somewhat embarrassed: "Yuyang, I was foolish before, messing around recklessly. Now I know, being able to eat is more important than anything else."

He Yuyang smiled and said, "Uncle Liu, just live a simple and honest life."

Yan Bugui was mending clothes for his child when he saw He Yuyang coming over. He quickly stood up and said, "Yuyang, thank you for helping me find this job. Although the canteen food isn't filling, it's at least half-full, which is much better than working at the cooperative."

He Yuyang nodded: "Work hard, and things will get better."

On the day they left Beijing, He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu went to the station to see them off. Qin Huairu made a small jacket for Jianguo and Yuanchao respectively, with fine stitches and small embroidered flowers. "Sister-in-law, my skills aren't very good, please don't mind," she said somewhat shyly.

"It's so well embroidered, even prettier than the ones you buy," Xu Xiuli said with a smile. "When you get married, I'll bring you two new quilts. They're made from cotton grown in the space; they're so soft and warm."

As the train pulled away, He Yuzhu and Qin Huairu were still waving goodbye on the platform. He Yuyang held Yuanchao in his arms, and Xu Xiuli held Jianguo in hers, watching the Beijing alleyways rushing past the window, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Although supplies were scarce and life was hard, their families were healthy, their neighbors were harmonious, and they had the support of the Lingquan Space. No matter how difficult the days were, they could always get through them.

"We'll definitely come back when Zhuzi gets married," Xu Xiuli said softly.

"Mm." He Yuyang nodded, looking at Yuanchao in his arms. The boy was staring at him with his big, dark eyes, clutching his fingers. He knew that the future might be even harder, but as long as the family was together and held onto this peace, there was no obstacle they couldn't overcome.

The train sped up, carrying them towards Baoding, towards the home with its small courtyard, vegetable garden, and waiting area. Outside the window, the poplar trees stretched into a green sea, like a symbol of hope, swaying gracefully in the wind.