He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The train clattered along the tracks, and the fields outside the window rushed past. He Yuyang sat by the window, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the button on the collar of his military uniform—a brass button, worn smooth and shiny, with faint marks from shrapnel still visible on its edge.

He was already sixteen, much taller than he had been three years ago, with broad shoulders and a sturdy posture. Only his features still held a hint of youthful innocence; his eyes, however, were as calm as a deep pool, concealing a maturity beyond his years. Before he left, the political commissar patted him on the shoulder and smiled, "Go back and spend some time with your family. At your age, you should be able to be pampered by your parents."

He simply smiled and remained silent. Acting coquettishly? That word was too distant from him. From the moment he transmigrated to this era at the age of eight, from the moment he picked up a gun, he knew he could never go back to the days of an ordinary teenager. But now, as the train drew closer to the county town, his heart felt like it was being gripped by something, beating faster and faster.

The platform in the county town was small, and the dirt ground was uneven, with dust rising up whenever the wind blew. He Yuyang got off the train carrying a military canvas bag. The bag was heavy and contained things he had brought for his family—refined grains he had taken from his spatial storage, cloth issued by the army, and a flower hair tie he had bought for his younger sister, Yushui.

As soon as I stepped off the platform, I saw a familiar figure standing on tiptoe, peering into the crowd. It was my father, He Daqing, wearing a faded coarse cloth jacket. His hair was thinner than it had been three years ago, and his back was slightly hunched, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw me.

"Yu Yang!" He Daqing called out, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. He rushed over, but stopped a few steps away, staring at him intently, his eyes slowly reddening. "You...you're back."

"Dad," He Yuyang called out, his throat tightening. The father he remembered was still the man who chopped firewood in the yard with a loud voice, but now his face was covered with fine lines, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were so deep that they could trap mosquitoes.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." He Daqing rubbed his hands together and chuckled. He reached out to pat his shoulder, but then withdrew his hand as if afraid of hurting him. In the end, he just took the canvas bag from his hand. "Come on, your mother is waiting at home. She killed an old hen and stewed it all morning."

The road home was a dirt road, full of potholes. He Daqing walked ahead, his steps light and quick, unlike someone in his forties, constantly muttering about things at home: "Your mother's health has improved a lot these past two years, and Yushui is such a sensible girl, helping with chores every day... That kid Yuzhu, he's always waving his sword around, saying he'll wait for you to come back and have a match with you..."

He Yuyang followed behind, listening to her father's rambling words, feeling a warmth in her heart. As they neared their house, they saw several figures standing under the old locust tree at the gate.

At the front was his mother, Liu Yan, dressed in a newly made blue cotton dress, her hair neatly combed, and a handkerchief clutched in her hand. The moment she saw him, the handkerchief fell to the ground. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but tears fell first. She walked over in a few steps, grabbed his hand, and stroked it repeatedly.

"Mother," He Yuyang called softly.

"Oh, oh..." Liu Yan responded, tears falling even more heavily. "You've lost weight and grown taller... Let Mother see if you're hurt?" Her hand gently traced his body, and when she touched the scar on his arm, her fingertips trembled violently. "This is..."

"It's nothing, Mom, it's just a minor injury," He Yuyang reassured her with a smile. "It's all healed now."

"What minor injury? Was that from a gunshot wound?" Liu Yan's tears flowed even more freely, and she choked out, "I knew it, being a soldier isn't easy... Your father always says you're doing well in the army, but my heart is always on my mind..."

"Mom, look at my brother's military uniform!" A sudden, excited voice rang out from the side. It was He Yuzhu. He had grown considerably taller than three years ago, now a young man in his late teens. He wore short-sleeved shirts, his arm muscles bulging, and his eyes sparkled as he stared at He Yuyang's uniform. "Brother, you're a regimental commander now? I heard from people in town that you're the youngest regimental commander in our county!"

"You talk too much." He Daqing smacked him on the back of the head. "Can't you see your mother is crying?"

He Yuzhu chuckled, scratched his head, leaned closer to He Yuyang, and whispered, "Brother, let me tell you, I haven't neglected my kung fu these past few years. Shall we have a little sparring later?"

Seeing his eager expression, He Yuyang couldn't help but laugh, remembering how this kid used to follow her around and try to steal her wooden knife when they were kids: "Alright, let me see what you're capable of."

Just then, he felt a timid gaze. Turning around, he saw a little girl hiding behind his mother, with two braids and wearing a floral-patterned jacket, secretly observing him. It was Yushui, five years old this year, with a round face and eyes that looked just like her mother's, big and bright.

"Rain, call him Big Brother." Liu Yan wiped away her tears and pushed her daughter forward.

The raindrops timidly shrank back and whispered, "Big Brother."

"Okay." He Yuyang responded, took the bag of flower hair ties from his canvas bag, walked over and handed it to her, "Here, do you like it?"

The hair tie was red, wrapped with gold thread, and shimmered in the sunlight. Raindrop's eyes lit up. She looked at her mother, and seeing her nod, she reached out her little hand to take it, clutching it tightly, and whispered, "Thank you, big brother."

"Come inside, let's talk inside," He Daqing called out, leading everyone into the courtyard. The courtyard was the same as before, only cleaner. Several sunflowers were planted in the corner, growing taller than a person, smiling directly at the sun.

A new quilt was laid on the kang (a heated brick bed) inside the room, and a table was laden with dishes, with a large bowl of chicken soup in the center, oil floating on top, and a fragrant aroma. As soon as He Yuyang sat down, Liu Yan ladled him a bowl of chicken soup: "Drink up, it'll nourish you. Your father specially went to the back mountain to catch this old hen; he's raised it for three years and usually can't bear to kill it."

The chicken soup was stewed until very tender, melting in your mouth with a rich aroma. He Yuyang took a sip, and a warm feeling spread from his stomach throughout his body. He took out the fine grains he had brought from his canvas bag: wheat flour, rice, and a few pieces of brown sugar. "Mom, keep these. Make more good food for yourself. Don't always be so stingy."

Looking at the fine grains, Liu Yan's eyes reddened again: "Be careful with your money while you're in the army, don't always worry about home. We're doing fine at home, your father has two acres of land, and the harvest is enough for us."

"Mom, these were all issued by the army, they didn't cost any money," He Yuyang said with a smile, then took out the piece of fabric, "This is for making clothes for you and Dad, the color won't get dirty."

He didn't say that the grains and cloth were actually taken from his spatial storage. With the accelerated time flow, the fields in his spatial storage had long since been filled with granaries; he could easily produce more than just this much grain. He just didn't want his family to worry, so he made up the excuse that it was from the army.

During the meal, He Yuzhu kept pestering him with questions about the military: "Brother, did you really fight a lot of battles? Did you kill any enemies?"

"Yuzhu!" He Daqing stopped him, "We're eating, why are you talking about this?"

"It's alright, Dad," He Yuyang said with a smile, picking up a piece of chicken for his younger brother. "We fight to protect our country. You'll understand when you grow up."

"I want to join the army too!" He Yuzhu patted his chest. "I want to be a hero like my brother!"

"Okay, then you need to hone your skills first." He Yuyang looked at him, "When you're a little older, if you still want to go, I'll help you."

Liu Yan listened without saying a word, but kept putting food on He Yuyang's plate, giving him all the chicken legs.

After dinner, He Yuzhu dragged He Yuyang to the yard for a "sparring match." He got into position and practiced a set of long fist techniques, striking with great force and skill. He Yuyang could tell that the kid had worked hard; his punches and kicks had a fierce edge.

"Not bad." After he finished practicing, He Yuyang nodded. "You have the strength, but your technique is still lacking. When you punch, you need to lower your shoulders and retract your fist quickly to save energy." As he spoke, he demonstrated a few movements, the wind from his punches carrying the sound of air being cut.

He Yuzhu's eyes widened in amazement: "Brother, your skills are amazing! Teach me!"

"Okay, I'll teach you a few tricks in the next few days," He Yuyang said with a smile.

That night, He Yuyang lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), with He Yuzhu sleeping soundly beside him, snoring softly. He quietly got up and went to the outer room. His mother was still awake, sewing shoe soles under the lamp. The lamplight illuminated her profile, revealing a few gray hairs at her temples.

"Mother, are you still awake?" He walked over.

"I'm going to sleep, I'm going to sleep." Liu Yan put down her shoe. "How many days are you staying this time?"

"I can stay for half a month," He Yuyang said, sitting down next to her. "Mom, let me massage your shoulders."

His fingers, imbued with inner strength, gently pressed against his mother's shoulder. Liu Yan sighed contentedly, "My son is the best; he knows how to care for people."

As He Yuyang pressed the massage button, he secretly channeled a wisp of the spiritual spring water's energy into his mother's body. The spiritual spring water nourished the body, and for the past few years, every time he sent a letter home, he would secretly slip a small packet of it into the envelope for his mother to drink. Seeing that his mother's complexion was much better than before, he figured the spiritual spring water was working.

"Mother, how are you feeling? Is there anything that's bothering you?" he asked.

"No, I'm perfectly fine," Liu Yan said with a smile. "Thanks to the 'medicinal powder' you sent back, I drank it with water and felt energetic all over. Your Aunt Wang even asked me where I bought it, and I told her it was issued by your unit. She was very envious."

He Yuyang smiled but didn't say anything. He knew that his mother's health was weak. Although she had survived the Yushui birth without serious injury, it had still damaged her vital energy, and she needed to be properly cared for.

"Mother, I want to discuss something with you and Father," he said carefully.

"What is it? Tell me."

"I want to take you to Beijing," He Yuyang said. "It's more stable there than in the county town. Yushui can go to a better school, and Yuzhu's martial arts school can expand. I know people there who can find you a good place to stay."

Liu Yan paused, her needlework stopping. "Go to Beijing? How much would that cost? We're used to living here and don't want to move."

"Mom, money isn't a problem," He Yuyang said. "Now that the whole country has been liberated, Beijing is the capital and it's developing well. Look how smart Yushui is, she can get a better education in Beijing. Yuzhu's talents will also have more room to be displayed. Besides, it's close to me, so I can come home to visit more often."

Liu Yan fell silent, her fingers unconsciously twisting the thread. She knew her son was right, but she couldn't bear to leave the place she had lived in for most of her life.

"Let your dad think about it," she said. "This is a huge deal."

For the next two days, He Yuyang didn't mention moving again, but instead spent time with his family. He taught He Yuzhu martial arts, played games with Yushui, and helped his father work in the fields. He used the farm tools from his spatial storage to improve his father's hoe, making it sharper and easier to use. He Daqing, using the new hoe, couldn't stop smiling: "This thing is really good! Much better than the old hoe!"

On the third night, He Daqing, smoking his pipe, tapped the pipe on the kang table: "Yuyang, about going to Beijing, your mother and I have discussed it, and we'll listen to you."

He Yuyang's eyes lit up: "Dad, you agree?"

"Agreed." He Daqing nodded. "Your mother is right. You young people are promising and should aim higher. Yushui is academically inclined and shouldn't be wasted in this small county. As for Yuzhu, he should also go out and see the world."

Liu Yan said from the side, "It's just that we're a little reluctant to leave our neighbors, especially Aunt Wang and the others, who have always taken good care of us."

"They can come back to visit later," He Yuyang said. "Once they've settled down, I'll take them to Beijing for a trip."

"Okay, okay," Liu Yan said with a smile, but a hint of reluctance flashed in her eyes.

He Yuyang knew that his mother was a sentimental person, and leaving the place she had lived for most of her life must have been painful for her. But he had to do it—he understood history and knew about the turmoil that was to come in the next few years. Although Beijing would also face its share of storms, it was still more stable than this small county town. Moreover, he wanted his family to have a better life, he wanted Yushui to receive the best education, and he wanted Yuzhu to have more opportunities to use his skills.

"Then I'll go and complete the formalities and arrange a car tomorrow," He Yuyang said. "Let's leave as soon as possible and try to get to Beijing by the end of the month."

"No rush, no rush," Liu Yan said. "We need to pack our things and say hello to the neighbors."

"Mmm," He Yuyang replied, a huge weight lifted from his heart. He looked at the moon outside the window, round and full, like a silver plate. Moonlight streamed through the window, falling softly on his mother's white hair.

He knew this was just the beginning. The road ahead was long, and there was still much for him to do. But as long as his family was by his side, as long as he could protect them, he could walk through even the most difficult path.

Night fell like a vast black curtain, enveloping the world, as deep and dark as spilled ink, with no light able to penetrate its endless darkness. All around was utter silence, as if time itself had stopped, save for the occasional faint breeze that brought a touch of coolness.

He Yuyang carefully sat up in bed, his movements as gentle as a cat's, afraid of making the slightest sound to disturb his sleeping family. He slowly put on his shoes, then tiptoed towards the door. Each step was so light and cautious, as if he were walking on thin ice, not hard ground, which would break at the slightest misstep.

Finally, he arrived at the middle of the courtyard. This was the most open space in his house, where he could look up at the sky without any obstruction. He Yuyang stopped, slowly raised his head, and gazed at the vast, boundless starry sky. The stars twinkled, like dazzling gems inlaid in the night sky, shining brightly; the bright moon hung high, as clear and flawless as a silver plate, casting its cool light across the earth.

The stars twinkled like brilliant jewels set against the sky, shining brightly. He Yuyang silently spoke her heart to the heavens: "Uncle Wang! Can you see that? I really did it! Over the years, no matter how many difficulties and hardships I encountered, I persevered, taking meticulous care of my family. Now, although our family lives a simple life, it is filled with warmth and peace. However, this is not the end; there is still a long road ahead..."

A gentle breeze rustled through the sunflower fields in the courtyard, the verdant leaves whispering and whispering, as if nature itself was offering its praise and encouragement. At that moment, He Yuyang felt a warm and powerful surge of strength welling up within him, reinforcing his belief that with hard work and perseverance, he could realize his dream of a better life—to leave this barren land with his beloved family and find a wider world to create a new chapter in his life.