He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The north wind, carrying the last vestiges of snow, howled through the alley all night. As dawn approached, He Yuyang was awakened by a suppressed cry of pain—it was his mother, Liu Yan's voice. He jumped up and rushed into the inner room, where he saw Liu Yan curled up on the kang (a heated brick bed), her face deathly pale, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and her fingers gripping the blankets white from the force.

"Mother!" He Yuyang's heart tightened, and he reached out to touch her forehead, which was frighteningly hot.

"Yangyang... my stomach hurts..." Liu Yan's voice trembled, her breathing rapid, "I'm afraid... I'm afraid I'm going into labor..."

He Yuyang's mind went blank. There were still two weeks until his due date, how could he suddenly be in labor? He turned and ran outside, wanting to call He Daqing—his father had been called to keep watch at the grain shop last night and hadn't returned yet. Just as he reached the courtyard gate, he bumped into He Daqing, who was rushing back, his face still weathered.

"Dad! Mom is going into labor!"

The cloth bag in He Daqing's hand fell to the ground with a "thud," spilling out two cornbread buns. Without bothering to pick them up, he rushed into the house and immediately panicked: "What...what do we do? Where's the midwife? We didn't hire one!"

In chaotic times, midwives are hard to find, and reliable ones are even rarer. When Liu Yan was pregnant, He Daqing asked around several times, but they were either taken in by the Japanese or refused to come because of the chaos in the world, so the matter was delayed.

"Father, you stay home and watch over Mother, I'll go outside the city to look for her!" He Yuyang made a quick decision, grabbed a cotton-padded coat from the wall and ran outside.

"Outside the city?" He Daqing stamped his feet anxiously. "It's so chaotic outside the city! Scattered soldiers and bandits are everywhere, and you're all alone..."

"No time!" He Yuyang had already rushed out of the courtyard, her voice carrying far, "I'll be right back!"

The alley was eerily quiet, save for the rapid echoes of his footsteps on the snow. He didn't dare go through the city gate—the checks there were the strictest, and just queuing there would take half a day. He remembered Zhou Zhengguo saying there was an abandoned sluice gate in the east of the city that could lead out of the city, but the road was difficult to travel.

When they arrived at the sluice gate, the sky was just beginning to lighten. The ice was frozen solid, with icy water seeping through the cracks, reflecting a blinding light. He Yuyang gritted his teeth and rushed forward, stepping on the ice shards. His cotton shoes were quickly soaked through, and the cold seeped up from the soles of his feet, making his bones ache.

The villages outside the city lay sparsely in the snow, most of the houses were empty, and fragments of "good citizen certificates" were pasted on the doors. He Yuyang remembered his father mentioning that there was a midwife named Wang in Lijiazhuang, three miles from the city. She used to work for a wealthy family in the city. She was very skilled, but stubborn. After the war, she returned to the countryside.

He trudged towards the village, stumbling along the way, when he bumped into several stragglers carrying guns, searching a villager. He Yuyang quickly hid behind a woodpile, holding his breath as he watched—the men were wearing tattered uniforms, their faces reeking of alcohol, and they pulled out half a sack of coarse grain before striding away, cursing under their breath.

"This world..." His heart sank, and he quickened his pace.

At the entrance of Lijiazhuang Village, an old woman was leaning against the doorframe sewing shoe soles. Seeing him barge in, she looked up warily and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Auntie, could you tell me where Wang the midwife lives?" He Yuyang asked breathlessly, the sweat on her forehead freezing in the cold wind.

The old woman looked him up and down: "What do you want with Granny Wang? She stopped taking jobs a long time ago."

"My mother is about to give birth, and we can't find a midwife in the city. Please, please show me the way!" He Yuyang knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the frozen ground with a dull thud. "I'm kowtowing to you!"

The old woman was startled by his action and sighed, "Get up. Go west, the third mud-brick house is it. But it's settled then, whether she agrees or not is up to your luck."

The door to Wang the Midwife's house was made of broken wooden planks nailed together. He Yuyang knocked for a long time before someone inside answered, "Who is it?"

"Grandma Wang, please save my mother!" he cried, explaining the situation. "My mother is dying. If you don't come, both her lives will be lost!"

The door creaked open, and a thin, elderly woman stood in the doorway, her hair white but her eyes bright, clutching a cane. "In these chaotic times," she said, "human life is cheap as grass. Why should I risk entering the city?"

"I'll give you the money!" He Yuyang, quick-witted, pulled out two silver dollars from his spatial storage—these were the ones he'd exchanged with Old Wang, intending to keep them for emergencies. "This is a deposit; I'll give you two more after it's done!"

The silver dollars gleamed brightly in the morning light. The midwife's eyes twitched; in these chaotic times, silver dollars were far more useful than paper money. She stared at He Yuyang for a long while: "Is your baby in the correct position? Is there any bleeding?"

"I don't know... she had terrible stomach pains and was sweating profusely..."

"Fine." The midwife turned and went inside, pulling out a cloth bundle. "Since you're a filial son, let's go!"

The journey back was even more difficult. Old Mrs. Wang was frail and couldn't walk fast, so He Yuyang helped her, wading through the snow with uneven steps. Just as they reached the sluice gate, three stragglers suddenly sprang out of the nearby woods, guns in hand, and blocked their path.

"Stop! What are you doing?" The scarred man at the head of the group brandished his gun, his eyes darting over Wang the midwife's cloth bag.

"Boss, I'm from the city. This is my mother-in-law. We're visiting relatives." He Yuyang shielded Wang Wenpo behind him, his palms sweaty.

"Visiting relatives?" Scarface grinned maliciously. "A quick search will tell you!"

A short soldier reached out to grab He Yuyang's arm. He Yuyang was prepared, dodged to the side, and grabbed the soldier's wrist, twisting it downwards—the soldier cried out in pain, and his gun clattered to the ground.

"You little brat, you dare to lay a hand on me!" Scarface raised his gun to smash it. He Yuyang didn't take the hit head-on. Instead, he pulled the midwife Wang back two steps, took out the two silver dollars from his pocket, and threw them on the ground: "Boss, this is just a small token of my appreciation. Buy yourself a pack of cigarettes."

The silver coin rolled on the snow, making a crisp sound. Scarface's eyes were immediately drawn to it. He bent down, picked it up, weighed it in his hand, and his expression softened slightly: "You're smart. Get lost!"

He Yuyang helped Wang the midwife walk quickly, and only when the scattered soldiers were out of sight did he dare to catch his breath. Wang the midwife patted his arm: "Good lad, you've got some skills."

Back at the alley entrance, He Daqing was standing there rubbing his hands, his face red from the cold. Seeing them return, he almost burst into tears: "Finally back! Your mother…"

"Don't panic, let me see." Wang the midwife strode into the room, put down her cloth bag, and went to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). He Yuyang quickly boiled water, while He Daqing paced around in circles, even holding his pipe upside down.

The room was soon filled with the aroma of herbs. The midwife, Wang, had He Daqing brew something on the stove while she stood guard by the kang (a heated brick bed), occasionally giving instructions in a calm and steady voice, which calmed the flustered father and son somewhat.

He Yuyang stood guard outside the door, listening to his mother's suppressed cries of pain inside, his heart clenching. Leaning against the wall, his palms were sweaty, and he silently repeated in his heart: Mother, you must be safe.

After an unknown amount of time, the sun climbed high overhead, shining through the window and casting shimmering shadows on the floor. Suddenly, a loud cry of a baby shattered the stillness of the room, like a ray of light cleaving through all the anxiety.

"It's a girl! She's been born!" The midwife's voice rang out, a little tired but clear. "Mother and child are safe!"

He Yuyang and He Daqing exchanged a glance, both seeing tears in each other's eyes. He Daqing staggered into the house, while He Yuyang, leaning against the doorframe, let out a long sigh, her legs giving way, almost collapsing to the ground.

Only when the midwife, Wang, came out carrying the baby did He Yuyang dare to go in. Liu Yan lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), her face still pale, but she gave a weak smile, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes. The midwife handed her the swaddled baby: "Look, what a pretty little girl, her features are just like her mother's."

He Yuyang carefully took it. The little one had her eyes closed, her face flushed, her lips still pursed, her little hands clenched into fists, and her cries were quite loud. A warm current suddenly welled up in his heart, clearer than ever before—this was his sister, his family, the most precious treasure in this chaotic world.

"What name did you choose?" Granny Wang asked casually as she packed her things.

He Daqing rubbed his hands together and grinned, "We've already decided on the name: Rain Water. He Rain Water, today is the 27th of the first lunar month, a day when it rains and snows, easy to remember."

"Rain Water, a good name." Midwife Wang nodded. "This girl was born on this day; she's sure to have a blessed future."

When they saw Wang the midwife off, He Yuyang gave her two more silver dollars and an extra half-bag of cornmeal. Wang the midwife didn't refuse, but patted him on the shoulder: "Take good care of your mother and sister. In this world, it's not easy to live. As long as you have family, you have everything."

When the neighbors in the alley heard that Liu Yansheng had been born, they all came to offer their congratulations. Aunt Wang brought a piece of brown sugar, Uncle Zhang brought two eggs, and even Jia Zhangshi, who was usually quite critical, stood at the door and glanced at the baby without saying anything unpleasant. Yan Bugui, however, didn't come; it was said that his three sons were pestering him for food, and he was at home throwing a tantrum.

He Yuyang stayed by the kang (a heated brick bed), feeding Liu Yan water. Liu Yan touched his hand and whispered, "Yangyang, thank you so much today. If you hadn't found a midwife..."

"Mother, don't talk nonsense," He Yuyang interrupted her. "Your safety and my sister's safety are more important than anything else."

Looking at his baby sister in her swaddling clothes, he suddenly felt a heavier responsibility. Before, he only wanted to protect his parents and younger brother; now, there was another little one to protect. For their sake, he had to endure even the hardest days.

In the evening, Xiao Li came over quietly and handed him an oil paper package: "Brother Wang heard that your mother gave birth and asked me to bring some things." Inside were half a pound of brown sugar and a small bag of millet, both rare items.

"Thank Brother Wang for me." He Yuyang put the things away. "How's the base?"

"Everything's fine, we have enough food for a while," Xiao Li said in a low voice. "But they've been cracking down on Japanese chickens lately, is everything alright on your end?"

"It's alright," He Yuyang said. "I might not be able to take care of things over there for a while. If there's anything urgent, I'll have the liaison officer deliver a message to the martial arts school."

After Xiao Li left, He Yuyang poured millet into the pot and slowly simmered it. The aroma of the millet gradually filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of herbs in the room, creating a comforting warmth. He Yuzhu, lying on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), looked at his little sister's face and whispered, "Brother, when can my sister play with me?"

"When she grows up," He Yuyang said with a smile, ruffling his hair. "Then, as her older brother, you'll have to protect her."

"Yes!" He Yuzhu nodded vigorously. "If anyone bullies her, I'll beat them up!"

He Daqing sat by the stove, puffing on his pipe, looking at his two sons, then at his wife and daughter on the kang (a heated brick bed), his wrinkles smoothing out. In such chaotic times, there was so much suffering; this little bit of sweetness seemed all the more precious.

It was late at night, and He Yuyang stayed by his younger sister's side. The little one was asleep, breathing evenly, her little chest rising and falling. He remembered what the midwife Wang had said, "With family around, everything is fine," and suddenly felt much more at ease.

The wind was still blowing outside the window, but it was warm inside. The millet porridge on the stove was warm, emitting a faint fragrance. He Yuyang stroked his sister's soft hair and silently said in his heart: Yushui, from now on, your brother will protect you.

This day was the 2th day of the first lunar month, February 20, 1944. The snow had stopped, and a faint starlight appeared on the horizon. The He family had a new life, like a seed quietly planted in the frozen earth, waiting to sprout in spring.