He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The countryside nights are exceptionally quiet, save for the chirping of insects and the occasional bark of a dog. Zhou Zhengguo's old house is a small courtyard house with low walls, exuding a down-to-earth, warm atmosphere. He Yuyang lay on the kang (heated brick bed) in the west wing, listening to the even breathing of her parents and younger brother next door, but she couldn't fall asleep no matter what.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper, casting dappled shadows on the ground. He touched the jade pendant in his pocket; its cool touch brought him some peace. The image of his injured father, Manager Huang's fawning face, and Matsui's cold gaze flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, making his heart ache.

"Brother, you're not asleep?" He Yuzhu, on the other side of the kang (heated brick bed), turned over, his voice still sleepy. "I heard you turn over."

"Go to sleep, we have to get up early tomorrow." He Yuyang lowered her voice, "The roosters crow early here, don't get woken up."

He Yuzhu hummed in response, then soon began snoring again. He Yuyang, however, kept his eyes open, staring at the roof beam. He felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen. Was he worried about Grandpa Wang? Or afraid that Huang Laosan would cause trouble again? He couldn't say for sure, but he felt that unease, like a vine, quietly coiled around his heart.

As dawn broke, he finally drifted off to sleep. He hadn't been asleep long when he was startled awake by a series of urgent knocks on the door.

"Yu Yang! Yu Yang! Something's happened!" It was Old Zhou, the village head whom Zhou Zhengguo had entrusted to look after his house, his voice filled with panic.

He Yuyang's heart skipped a beat. He jumped up, threw on his clothes, and rushed out: "Uncle Zhou, what's wrong?"

Old Zhou's face was deathly pale, clutching a tattered straw hat in his hand, his voice trembling as he said, "News has come from the city... the alley where you live... has been bombed!"

"Huh?" He Yuyang felt a buzzing in his head, as if he'd been hit by a heavy hammer. "Say that again?"

"It's been bombed! It's really been bombed!" Old Zhou stamped his feet anxiously. "Erzhuzi, who went to the market in town, came back with the news that the Japanese dropped bombs in the city at dawn. Your alley was hit by one, and many houses collapsed. I heard... I heard a lot of people died..."

He Yuyang barely heard what was said after that. He only felt all the blood rush to his head, then recede instantly, his hands and feet as cold as if they were filled with ice. It was bombed? That alley where he'd lived for over ten years? Grandpa Wang! And the neighbors in the courtyard! How are they?

"Father! Mother!" He turned around abruptly and rushed into the east wing. He Daqing and Liu Yan had already been woken up and were looking at him with blank expressions.

"Yu Yang, what's wrong? What happened?" Liu Yan held his arm and felt his hand was icy cold, and she panicked.

"Our alley...it was bombed." He Yuyang's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against wood. "The Japanese dropped bombs..."

"What?!" He Daqing dropped his pipe to the ground with a "thud," his face turning deathly pale. "Then... what about Grandpa Wang? And the people in the courtyard..."

Liu Yan's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground, muttering, "God... what terrible things have I done..."

"Mother, don't worry, we don't know the specifics yet." He Yuyang steadied himself and supported his mother. "I have to go back and check."

"You can't go!" He Daqing grabbed him, his eyes red. "The Japanese just bombed the city; it's in complete chaos. Going back now is suicide!"

"Dad, Uncle Wang is still there!" He Yuyang's eyes reddened with anxiety. "He's watching over the yard for us. If... if..."

He dared not think any further. Grandpa Wang's wrinkled face, his words "Go ahead and rest assured," and the light in his eyes when he handed him the map—all these images flashed before his eyes. If something happened to Grandpa Wang while he was watching over their yard, he would never have peace of mind for the rest of his life.

"Brother, I'll go with you!" He Yuzhu rushed out, clutching the gleaming wooden stick tightly in his hand. "I can protect you!"

"Nonsense!" He Daqing roared, "None of you can go! I'll go!"

"Stop arguing!" Liu Yan suddenly spoke, her voice trembling but carrying a fierce edge. "Yu Yang is right, we have to go back and check. Grandpa Wang did this for us... We can't ignore it. But we can't all go, it's too dangerous. Yu Yang, you go, be careful on the way, find out the situation and come back, don't be reckless."

She wiped away her tears, took a cloth bag from her bosom, and handed it to He Yuyang: "There are a few silver dollars in here. Take this. Remember, no matter what, take care of yourself first. We're here to support you."

He Yuyang gripped the cloth bag tightly and nodded emphatically: "Mother, I know. You wait here, I will definitely come back as soon as possible."

He didn't dare delay. He quickly packed his things, tucked his short knife into his pocket, and stuffed the first-aid kit from his spatial storage into his bag. He then followed Old Zhou to the village entrance to find a vehicle that could take him into the city. Old Zhou remained relatively calm and helped him find a horse-drawn carriage that went to the city to pick up goods. He repeatedly instructed the driver to make sure to take him to the street corner closest to the alley.

The carriage bumped along the potholed dirt road, and He Yuyang's heart pounded with anxiety. He prayed repeatedly in his heart, hoping that Grandpa Wang was alright and that all the neighbors were safe. But the image of the alley being bombed and collapsed, the broken walls and billowing smoke, kept flashing through his mind, making it hard for him to breathe.

As they approached the city gate, the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. The gate was under extremely tight security; heavily armed Japanese soldiers stood on both sides, checking everyone entering and leaving, and beating and kicking anyone who displeased them. The driver was terrified, his face pale, and he made He Yuyang get off at the grove outside the city, refusing to take him any further.

He Yuyang didn't make things difficult for him. He paid the fare and ventured into the city alone. He circled around to the abandoned sluice gate where he had left the city last time, carefully slipped inside, and walked along the familiar alleyways towards the hutongs. The closer he got, the stronger the smell of gunpowder became, mixed with the acrid smell, making his heart tighten.

As I passed through several streets, I saw panicked people everywhere. Some were crying and searching for their relatives, some were cleaning up their bombed-out belongings, and Japanese patrols were rampaging through the streets, shouting and driving away the crowds.

Finally, he saw the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley. The tree was still there, but its bark was charred black from smoke, and several branches were broken. Further in, He Yuyang's steps felt like they were made of lead; he couldn't move an inch.

The once familiar alleyway is now a ruin. Most of the courtyard walls have collapsed, revealing broken beams and rubble inside. Several houses have been razed to the ground, with piles of broken bricks and tiles resembling small mountains. The air is filled with dust, the smell of burning, and a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood.

"Is anyone there?" He Yuyang's voice echoed through the ruins, sounding particularly desolate. "Uncle Wang! Are you there?"

No one responded. Only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the broken tiles sounded like weeping.

He took a deep breath and stepped through the broken bricks. Every now and then, he kicked at broken wooden beams, charred clothes, and shattered dishes. When he reached the gate of his own yard, his heart sank completely—half of the yard wall had collapsed, and the roof of the main house was gone, revealing the blackened beams, clearly hit directly by a bomb.

Thank goodness they left. If they were still here, they'd probably be buried underneath by now. The thought had barely crossed my mind when it was overwhelmed by a wave of fear, and my back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Uncle Wang! Uncle Wang!" He didn't even bother to look at the terrible state of his own house before turning around and running towards Uncle Wang's house next door. Uncle Wang's house also had a corner collapsed, and the door had been blown off and was stuck at an angle in the pile of rubble.

"Grandpa! Please answer me!" He Yuyang rushed into the yard and saw that the place where Grandpa Wang usually chopped firewood had been blown into a large crater, with a charred carrying pole lying next to it.

His heart was in his throat as he frantically searched through the rubble, calling out, "Grandpa! Where are you? It's me, Yu Yang!"

His finger was cut by shards of glass, and blood seeped out, but he was completely unaware. Just when he was about to despair, he heard a faint cough coming from behind a pile of broken wood.

"Cough cough... Is it... is it Yu Yang?"

"Uncle Wang!" He Yuyang's eyes lit up, and he rushed over like a madman. He moved the broken wood that was pressing down on it and saw Uncle Wang curled up in the corner. His face was covered in dust, blood was flowing from his forehead, his leg was pressed down by a crossbeam, and his face was pale.

"Grandpa! How are you?" He Yuyang quickly tried to move the beam, but it was too heavy and he couldn't move it after several attempts.

"Don't strain yourself... You're an old man, just let it sit there." Grandpa Wang gasped for breath, grabbing his hand. "Are your family... alright? I was so worried when I saw your house collapse..."

"We're alright! We left early!" He Yuyang's eyes welled up with tears, almost spilling over. "Grandpa, hang in there, I'll get someone to rescue you right away!"

"Don't bother looking... the Japanese are patrolling outside..." Old Wang shook his head, took out something wrapped in oilcloth from his pocket, and handed it to him. "This is... my son's military medal... I've never been willing to let anyone see it... You take it... after we drive the Japanese away... offer him some incense for me..."

"Sir, don't talk nonsense! You'll be alright!" He Yuyang choked back tears. "I'll get you out of here right away and find a doctor to treat your injuries!"

He glanced at the beam pressing down on Grandpa Wang's legs and had an idea. He pretended to move a stone next to him, and secretly used his mind to take out a sturdy wooden stick from his spatial storage, inserted it under the beam, and pried it open with force.

"Lift!" he shouted, and the crossbeam was pried open a crack.

"Quick...quickly pull your leg out..." Grandpa Wang gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and slowly pulled his leg out. As soon as it left the beam, he cried out in pain, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

He Yuyang quickly helped him up, tore off a piece of her own clothing, and hastily bandaged his bleeding forehead: "Grandpa, I'll carry you on my back and we'll find a safe place."

"No...no need..." Grandpa Wang waved his hand, pointing to the depths of the alley, "Jia...Jia Dongxu's house...was also bombed...his mother...didn't escape..."

He Yuyang was stunned. Jia Zhangshi? That woman who always gossiped and targeted them at every turn, actually…

"And... Yan Bugui's family... I heard they're buried down there... and haven't come out..." Grandpa Wang gasped for breath. "Yi Zhonghai... apparently ran away with his family... before the bombing... I heard him say he was going to hide at a relative's house..."

He Yuyang felt a mix of emotions. The once noisy courtyard house was now deserted, with some dead, some injured, and some fleeing. All the past conflicts, schemes, and arguments seemed so insignificant in the face of the bomb.

"Never mind them...you should leave..." Old Wang nudged him. "The Japanese might...come back to search...it's too dangerous for you here..."

"I'll take you with me!" He Yuyang squatted down. "Grandpa, get on my back, I'll carry you out to the countryside to recover from your injuries."

Grandpa Wang looked at him, a hint of warmth flashing in his cloudy eyes. He shook his head: "I'm old... I can't walk anymore... I've lived here my whole life... I'll die here..." He took out a small cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to He Yuyang, "Inside... are a few silver dollars I've saved... Take this... to buy some nutritional supplements for your mother..."

"uncle!"

"Listen to me!" Grandpa Wang's voice suddenly turned stern. "You have to live! Live well with your family! Watch the Japanese devils be driven away... watch us live a peaceful life... that's more important than anything else..."

His voice grew softer and softer, and his eyes began to glaze over. He Yuyang knew he couldn't hold on any longer.

"Grandpa, don't worry, I will definitely live to see that day!" He Yuyang held his hand tightly. "I will remember you, remember your son, and remember all those who sacrificed for this day!"

Grandpa Wang smiled, a peaceful smile, and his hand slowly fell to his sides.

He Yuyang finally couldn't hold back his tears, which fell onto Grandpa Wang's wrinkled face. He gently put the old man down, respectfully kowtowed three times to him, and then carefully put away the military medal and the cloth bag.

He took one last look at the ruins, at his own collapsed house, at Grandpa Wang's quiet face, then turned and resolutely left.

He couldn't delay any longer; he had to hurry back to his hometown to let everyone know he was safe and sound, and also tell Master Zhou about Grandpa Wang's situation so that the old man could be laid to rest in peace.

The way back seemed shorter than the way there. He Yuyang walked quickly, but his heart was heavy. He thought of Grandpa Wang's instructions, the neighbors who died in the explosion, and his family who had miraculously escaped. A strength he had never felt before rose within him.

Living is not just for himself, but also for those who did not survive. For Grandpa Wang, for his son who sacrificed his life, for all those who lost their lives in the war, he must live well and fight the Japanese to the end.

Reaching the grove of trees at the city gate, he glanced back at the city shrouded in smoke, his eyes hardening with unwavering resolve.

From ruins, new life always emerges. He believed that one day, this place would be rebuilt, laughter and joy would return, and true peace would prevail. And he would do everything in his power to make that day come.

As the sun set, it cast a long, long shadow over him. He Yuyang clutched his military medals tightly and strode towards the countryside. There lay his family, waiting for news of him, and the future he had to protect.