He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The summer of 1976 was scorching hot; the July sun baked Baoding like a giant steamer. Dogs in the military compound lay panting against the walls, and the cement ground of the threshing ground was so hot it could fry an egg. Only the peach tree at He Yuyang's house offered a refreshing respite—its dense foliage provided shade for half the courtyard, and on the stone table beneath it always sat a pot of sour plum juice, chilled by Xu Xiuli using water from her spatial well. It was so sour it made your teeth ache, but it relieved the oppressive heat.

That afternoon, He Shouye was hunched over a stone table solving arithmetic problems, his pencil scribbling rapidly on the draft paper. He had just been admitted to a prestigious junior high school and had spent his summer vacation running around the old academician's laboratory every day, his skin tanned dark, with copper shavings still clinging to his arms. Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps outside the courtyard gate, mixed with the loud shouts of Staff Officer Wang's wife: "Xiuli, my dear! Great news!"

Xu Xiuli was drawing a bucket of water from the well, with freshly picked tomatoes soaking in it. Hearing the voice, her hand trembled, and the bucket almost slipped from her grasp. "What happened?" she asked, shaking the water off her hands. There was still flour on her apron—she had just steamed two batches of buns, intending to give them to the sewing group's sisters for lunch.

"Your son, Jianguo! He's received a first-class merit!" Staff Officer Wang's wife, her face flushed and her army-green polyester shirt soaked with sweat, held up a piece of paper wrapped in red silk. "The good news has been delivered to the troops! Chief of Staff Li personally led a team to deliver the good news! They're at the door now!"

"What?" Xu Xiuli felt a buzzing in her ears, and the rag in her hand fell to the ground. She steadied herself by holding onto the well platform, and the image of Jian Guo before he left flashed before her eyes—wearing a faded military uniform, carrying a canvas bag, saying, "Mother, don't worry, I'll definitely do a good job over there." It's only been a little over a year, and it really has…

"Mom! Big brother did a good deed?" Xiaoxuan ran out of the house, the red ribbon on her braid askew, and she was clutching a piece of dried peach that she hadn't finished eating—it was dried by Xu Xiuli using peaches from her spatial storage, and it was as sweet as honey. He Yuanchao also poked his head out of the kitchen, holding a kitchen knife in his hand, having just helped cut the pickled radish.

As they spoke, the sound of gongs and drums rang out at the courtyard gate, attracting the attention of people from half the street. He Yuyang, dressed in a crisp military uniform, walked ahead with Chief of Staff Li, the medals on his chest gleaming in the sunlight. Chief of Staff Li, holding a red lacquered wooden box, beamed with joy: "Comrade Xiuli, congratulations! Jianguo has rendered great service on the border, bringing glory to our military!"

Xu Xiuli finally snapped out of her daze, wiping her hands on her apron repeatedly, unsure of what to do with them. He Yuyang walked over and gently patted her back: "What are you standing there for? Receive the good news." His voice was tinged with laughter, but his eyes were a little red.

Chief of Staff Li opened the wooden box, inside which was a gold-embossed commendation certificate that read, "Comrade He Jianguo has displayed bravery in the border counter-espionage operation and has been awarded a first-class merit," signed "A certain border defense unit of the Chinese People's Liberation Army." Next to it was a gleaming gold medal, its edges worn smooth, as if it had been through a hail of bullets.

"Read it aloud! Let everyone hear it!" someone shouted from the surrounding neighbors. Aunt Zhang squeezed to the front, still holding the unfinished trouser hem in her hand, the thread hanging from the needle dangling: "Our compound has finally produced a great hero!"

He Shouye took the good news report, cleared his throat, and read it aloud. His voice still carried the clear, youthful tone. When he read, "Successfully thwarted foreign infiltration, captured three spies, and seized a quantity of weapons," cheers erupted from the courtyard. Xiaoxuan didn't understand what "infiltration" meant, but she knew her older brother had received a gold plaque, and she clapped her hands, shouting, "Big brother is awesome!"

The sound of gongs and drums rang out again, and the children ran back and forth following the soldiers who were banging the gongs, crowding around the He family's door. Xu Xiuli distributed sour plum juice to everyone, but her eyes were constantly moist—she remembered how Jianguo used to love to sneak a sip of the spring water when he was a child, saying, "Mother, this water is sweet, it gives me strength." Now, that strength was truly being used for something worthwhile.

The commotion didn't subside until the sun was almost setting. He Yuyang carefully placed his military medals into the drawer, placing them next to his old medals. Xu Xiuli brought over a bowl of steamed egg custard, made with free-range eggs from her spatial storage. It was as tender as tofu, sprinkled with chopped scallions: "Jianguo said in his letter that the winters there are terribly cold. I wonder if this time..."

"Don't worry," He Yuyang scooped a spoonful of steamed egg custard, "He's entitled to leave to visit his family for his first-class merit award, so he's probably on his way back right now." He put down the spoon, took out a letter from his briefcase, and said, "This is something he had someone bring back for him. Take a look."

The letter was written on military green paper, the handwriting strong and vigorous, yet the pen tip trembled slightly. Jian Guo said that a brilliant battle had been fought on the border, but the herders had suffered—many of their cattle and sheep had been scattered by the spies, and most of their winter clothes had been burned; now they couldn't sleep at night because of the cold. "Mother, if it's convenient, could you get some winter clothes? They don't need to be too nice, just enough to keep out the wind."

After reading the letter, Xu Xiuli crumpled the paper in her hand: "This child, not only did she do a good deed herself, but she's also thinking about others." She wiped away her tears, "No, I have to think of a way."

The next morning, Xu Xiuli went to the sewing group. Under the canvas shed, six sewing machines clattered away, and Aunt Zhang was leading the women in making work clothes for the factory. Seeing her come in, Sister Li looked up, almost pricking her hand with the sewing needle: "Sister, we've all heard the good news from last night! Your Jianguo is doing a great job!"

"Let's not talk about that for now," Xu Xiuli handed the letter to Aunt Zhang, "Take a look at this."

Aunt Zhang put on the reading glasses Xu Xiuli had given her, and after reading the letter, she sighed, "These herders are suffering so much." She passed the letter to her sisters, "Let's suspend our sewing work for two days and make cotton-padded clothes for the herders first!"

"But what about the orders from the foreign trade factory?" Sister Wang was troubled. "They're pressing us hard, saying this batch of pants for export needs to be shipped out before the Autumn Trade Fair."

Xu Xiuli had already made a plan: "We won't delay the orders, we can just work overtime. I'll figure out how to get the cotton-padded clothes. Let's work a little harder so that the herders can have warm clothes to get through the winter." She went into her space last night and found a lot of thick dark blue cotton cloth piled up in the warehouse. It was originally intended to make winter clothes for the army, and it came in handy.

"Don't worry about the cloth," Aunt Zhang slapped her thigh. "My nephew works at a cotton mill and can get some discounted thick cotton cloth, but..." She hesitated, "...the cotton isn't enough, so it won't be good if it's too thin."

"I have a solution for the cotton." Xu Xiuli already had a plan. The cotton in her space had just been harvested; it was snow-white and fluffy, grown with spiritual spring water, and its warmth retention was much better than ordinary cotton. Her eyes lit up. "My family sent some new cotton, saying it's an improved variety, lightweight and warm. I'll bring it for everyone to use."

What she didn't say was that the cotton also contained some insulating fibers from the space—fineer than a strand of hair, invisible when mixed in with the cotton wadding, yet capable of locking in warmth. He Yuyang said these were "little gadgets" from the space lab, perfect for making cotton-padded clothes.

In the days that followed, the sewing group's lights stayed on until the wee hours of the morning. They rushed to finish trousers for export orders during the day and sewed cotton-padded coats at night. Xu Xiuli secretly brought over cotton fabric and cotton from her storage space, and Aunt Zhang led the women in cutting and sewing. When their fingers were pricked by the needle, they would just wipe them with saliva, and no one complained of being tired.

Sister Li has the most skillful hands, sewing the cotton-padded coat with dense and even stitches: "Our cotton-padded coats can last the herdsmen for three years without tearing!" Her husband used to herd sheep, so he knows how hard it is to endure winter without cotton-padded coats.

Sister-in-law Wang then considered modifying the design: "Add some pockets, so I can carry some dry food or something." She sewed an elastic band around the cuffs, "so the wind can't get in."

Xu Xiuli felt a warm glow in her heart as she watched her sisters busily working. Every day, she delivered sour plum juice to the canvas shed, chilled with water from her spatial well, and also brought some biscuits from her spatial storage as snacks. Aunt Zhang would always say, "Sister, why do your biscuits smell so good?" She would smile and say, "It's a recipe passed down from my mother's family, with a little sesame added."

Half a month later, fifty cotton-padded coats were completed. The dark blue cotton cloth was crisp, and the cotton was fluffy like clouds, yet it didn't take up much space when folded together. He Yuyang looked at them, picked one up, and compared it to himself: "The craftsmanship is even better than what the quartermaster makes." He took some moisture-proof paper from his spatial storage and carefully wrapped the coats. "I'll have someone send them through military channels; I guarantee they'll reach the herders."

The day the cotton-padded coats were sent off, the factory workers came to pick up the goods. Upon opening the box, they found twenty pairs of dark blue work pants neatly stacked, the double stitches at the cuffs perfectly straight, the fabric crisp and durable. Manager Zhang, who was inspecting the goods, squatted down and ran his fingernail across the fabric: "How come the stitching is so strong?"

Unbeknownst to him, this was high-quality cotton thread that Xu Xiuli had taken from her spatial storage, blended with special fibers, making it three times stronger than ordinary cotton thread. Aunt Zhang smiled and said, "Our sisters put a lot of thought into it; we guarantee it won't wear out even after two years."

Manager Zhang picked up a pair of pants and held them up to his body, suddenly noticing the unusual stitching on the pockets: "The pocket fabric is sewn diagonally? That way, things won't fall out easily!"

"It was Xiuli's idea," said Sister Wang proudly. "Her family are tailors, and they passed on some clever tricks."

Xu Xiuli smiled without saying a word. She had actually seen this in a fashion magazine in her online space; it was described as "ergonomic design," and she never expected it to actually come in handy.

Manager Zhang immediately decided, "I'll take the whole batch! Add fifty more, still the same quality!" Before leaving, he slipped Aunt Zhang a note, "This is the Foreign Trade Bureau's phone number. Contact me directly if you have any good goods; price is negotiable!"

The women watched Manager Zhang's retreating figure, their faces beaming with joy. Sister Li, counting her newly received wages, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter, exclaimed, "We've really brought honor to our country!"

As Xu Xiuli finished work in the evening, she passed by her yard and saw He Yuyang standing under the peach tree. The setting sun shone through the branches and leaves, casting dappled light on his military uniform. "What are you thinking about?" she asked as she walked over and handed him a peach she had just picked from her spatial storage.

"I was wondering what Jianguo's expression would be when he received the cotton-padded coat," He Yuyang said, taking a bite of peach. "He always says that the clothes his mother makes are the warmest." He suddenly pulled an envelope out of his pocket. "This is a telegram we just received. Jianguo said that he received the cotton-padded coat, and the herders all said that it's even warmer than a sheepskin coat. He told us not to worry."

Xu Xiuli took the telegram, which contained only a few words: "The cotton clothes are very good, the herdsmen are well. Don't worry." She touched the telegram, as if she could touch the warm smiling faces of the herdsmen.

In the distance, the factory whistle blared, startling the sparrows in the peach trees. Aunt Zhang and her sisters walked past the courtyard, chatting and laughing, carrying freshly bought pork, saying they were celebrating the successful export order. Xu Xiuli watched their backs, then glanced at the gleaming gold medal on the wall, and suddenly felt that even the summer breeze carried a sweet scent.

He Yuyang tossed the peach pit into a flowerpot in the corner—several peach pits were already buried there, and they had all sprouted. "Look," he said, pointing to the peach tree, "it's not enough that it bears fruit; we also need to let the new seedlings grow."

Xu Xiuli understood what he meant. Whether it was Jian Guo guarding the border or the needle and thread in the sisters' hands, they were planting new seedlings. Just like this peach tree, taking root in the soil, blossoming and bearing fruit, and then scattering the seeds to farther places, one day, they will form a dense forest.

As night deepened, the sewing group's lights came on again, the "clack-clack" of the sewing machines mingling with the sisters' laughter, like a lighthearted song. Xu Xiuli walked towards the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for He Yuyang—using flour ground from the new wheat in her space, and adding two poached eggs, to add a touch of ordinary warmth to this meritorious family.