He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The autumn sun warmed the alleyway, and He Yuyang squatted in the corner of the courtyard, turning over dried sweet potatoes to dry, the sweet aroma filling his nostrils. These were late-ripening sweet potatoes harvested from his space, high in sugar, and could be stored until winter. He occasionally looked up at He Yuzhu, who was helping his mother pick vegetables, and a sudden wave of déjà vu washed over him—it felt like his younger brother's apprenticeship had happened just yesterday.

At that time, my mother was not yet showing any signs of pregnancy, and she didn't even realize she was pregnant. She could still go to the morning market with my father to help out every day. When she came home, she would say, "Zhu Zi's crazy running around needs to be put to rest."

It was the Ghost Festival (July 15th of the lunar calendar). Grandpa Zhang's family in the alley was moving their new millstone. The millstone weighed a good three hundred jin (approximately 150 kg), and even the two strong laborers they hired struggled to lift it; it got stuck on the threshold, unable to move forward or backward. He Yuzhu, on his way home from school, squeezed into the crowd to watch the commotion, only to be shoved by Grandpa Zhang's grandson: "What do you know, little brat? Get out of here!"

He Yuzhu was only seven years old then, a competitive age, and he stubbornly said, "How could I not understand? This millstone looks heavy, but it can actually be moved!"

"If you can do it, then you do it!" Grandpa Zhang's grandson sneered. "If you can move it, I'll give you my iron ring!"

The neighbors all laughed, no one taking the child seriously. But He Yuzhu was earnest. He rolled up his sleeves, walked to the stone mill, circled it twice, then suddenly squatted down, gripped the groove in the base of the millstone with one hand, and took a deep breath—

"Hey!"

Before anyone could react, he actually lifted the 300-pound stone roller by half a foot! Although it was only for a moment, his face turned red, and when he let go, the roller fell back to the ground with a dull thud. But this moment stunned everyone in the alley.

"My goodness! What did this child eat to grow up like this?" Aunt Zhang exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise, and the winnowing basket in her hand fell to the ground.

"That's stronger than an adult man!"

"Is the second son of the He family somehow possessing some kind of supernatural power?"

Amidst the murmurs, He Yuzhu rubbed his reddened wrist, a smug smile on his face. He Yuyang pushed through the crowd and ran over, grabbing his hand to check: "Are you alright? Who told you to be so reckless!"

"Brother, I'm fine!" He Yuzhu shook his arm. "Look, I can move it!"

Just then, an elderly man dressed in a dark blue short-sleeved shirt pushed through the crowd. He was about fifty years old, with gray hair but a vigorous spirit. His eyes, like those of a hawk, landed on He Yuzhu with a scrutinizing gaze. He walked to the stone mill, tapped it with his fingers, looked at He Yuzhu's arms and legs, and suddenly said, "This child, I want him."

He Daqing and Liu Yan had just returned from the morning market when they witnessed this scene. They quickly stepped forward and asked, "Grandpa, what did you say?"

"I am Zhou Zhengguo," the old man said, clasping his hands in a fist salute. "I run a small martial arts school, teaching some basic skills. This child has exceptional talent and extraordinary strength; he's got the makings of a martial arts student. I'd like to take him on as my apprentice. Would you be willing?"

The older generation in the alley had all heard of Zhou Zhengguo – it is said that he was a martial arts instructor in a security escort agency when he was young, and his martial arts skills were superb. Later, when the situation became chaotic, he opened a small martial arts school in the city. He was very strict in accepting students and never took on people easily.

He Daqing hesitated for a moment, then instinctively wanted to refuse: "Grandpa, thank you for your kindness, but this kid is too wild, I'm afraid he can't learn..." He had a knot in his heart; a couple of years ago, He Yuzhu got into a fight with the neighbor's kid and punched him until he cried, and he had reprimanded him quite a bit. "Besides, what's the point of learning martial arts? Can you put food on the table?"

"Dad! I want to learn!" He Yuzhu cried out anxiously, tugging at He Daqing's sleeve. "I want to learn martial arts! If I learn, I can protect Mom and my brother!"

Liu Yan hesitated: "Master Zhou, isn't learning martial arts too hard? He's still so young."

Zhou Zhengguo smiled and said in a loud voice, "A doting mother spoils her son, while a strict teacher produces outstanding students. When I teach my apprentice, I teach him the rules first, then the skills. I guarantee that I'll mold him into a reliable person. As for food—" He looked at He Yuzhu, "With his strength, once he learns the skills, he'll never go hungry, no matter where he goes in the future."

He Yuyang listened from the side, his mind racing. He knew that He Yuzhu was born with superhuman strength; in the original story, he relied on this strength to gain a foothold in the steel mill's canteen, but he also suffered a lot because he lacked proper techniques. Now that a proper martial arts master was willing to teach him, he could both hone his skills and temper his temper—it was a good thing.

"Father, Mother," he tugged at his parents' clothes and whispered, "Master Zhou is a respectable man. It would be good for Zhuzi to learn from him. At least he can improve his health and learn manners."

Liu Yan looked at her son's expectant eyes, then at Zhou Zhengguo's sincere expression, and her heart softened: "Honey, how about... we give it a try?"

He Daqing was still worried, so he pulled Zhou Zhengguo aside and whispered a lot of questions—Will it cost money to learn martial arts? Is food provided? Will I get beaten? Zhou Zhengguo answered them one by one: "Tuition is flexible, food and lodging are provided. Mistakes will be punished, but I will never beat you indiscriminately." He patted his chest and guaranteed, "When I, Zhou Zhengguo, teach my disciples, I teach 'virtue' first, then 'martial arts.' If they go astray, come find me!"

Having said that, He Daqing didn't refuse anymore. He pulled He Yuzhu aside, his face stern: "Since you've become my apprentice, you have to listen to me. No slacking off, and absolutely no bullying others just because you know kung fu, understand? Otherwise, I'll break your legs!"

"I heard you!" He Yuzhu responded loudly, his eyes shining like stars.

The apprenticeship ceremony was simple, held in Zhou Zhengguo's small martial arts school. An altar with a statue of Guan Yu was set up. He Yuzhu kowtowed three times, offered tea, and that was considered his formal entry into the school. Zhou Zhengguo gave him a new set of training clothes and taught him a few basic stances before having him practice horse stance with his fellow disciples.

On the day she sent He Yuzhu to the martial arts school, Liu Yan secretly wiped away her tears: "He's such a young child, and he's going to live outside..." She stuffed a lot of food into He Yuzhu's bundle, including boiled eggs, freshly baked pancakes, and knee pads that she had sewn overnight.

"Mom, it's not like I'm never coming back!" He Yuzhu held her hand. "Master said I can come home once a month!"

He Yuyang helped him carry his bag, giving him instructions along the way: "When you get there, respect your master and get along well with your fellow disciples. Don't be afraid of hardship when learning martial arts; you must build a solid foundation. And..." He lowered his voice, "Don't always try to outmuscle others; keep it to yourself, understand?"

"I understand, brother." He Yuzhu nodded, then suddenly hugged He Yuyang's arm, his eyes reddening. "Brother, I'll miss you."

"Silly boy." He Yuyang ruffled his hair. "Study hard, and when you come back, I'll cook you something delicious."

Watching He Yuzhu follow Zhou Zhengguo into the martial arts school, He Yuyang felt a mix of emotions. He knew he had made the right move. In chaotic times, having skills was always better than being powerless. He just hadn't expected that his mother was already secretly carrying a child at that time—now that he thought about it, Liu Yan's constant dizziness under the sun that day was probably a sign of pregnancy, but everyone's attention was drawn to He Yuzhu's apprenticeship, and no one thought of that.

"Yangyang, what are you daydreaming about?" Liu Yan's voice pulled him back from his reverie. She placed a bowl of freshly cooked millet porridge on the stone table. "Come and have some, this is for you."

He Yuyang walked over and sat down. Looking at his mother's slightly protruding belly, and recalling how she could still help Grandpa Zhang carry things with ease, he couldn't help but say, "Mom, you can't do heavy work anymore. Wait for me to come back and do everything."

"I know, you're even more nagging than your dad." Liu Yan patted his hand with a smile. "By the way, Zhu Zi should be back this month, right? I made him a new pair of shoes. See if they fit."

She brought out a pair of cloth shoes from the house; the stitches were fine and the soles were thick. He Yuyang took them and looked at them; the size was just right. "Mom, your craftsmanship is excellent. Zhuzi will definitely be happy when he comes back."

Just then, He Daqing's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Honey, Yangyang, Master Zhou sent someone to say that Zhuzi has been behaving well this month, and we should go pick him up tomorrow to stay at home for a couple of days!"

"Really?" Liu Yan's eyes lit up, and she quickly wiped her hands. "Then I'll go knead the dough and make Zhu Zi his favorite vegetable dumplings!"

Watching his mother's busy figure, He Yuyang couldn't help but smile. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, much like the feelings in his heart at that moment—a mix of nostalgia for the past, appreciation for the present, and anticipation for the future.

He knew that his younger brother's journey had just begun, his younger sister's journey was still being conceived in their mother's womb, and his own journey was to protect this family and, in these turbulent years, to walk steadily, step by step.