Courtyard Houses: Starting with Li Yunlong's Comrades-in-Arms

The Liang family of three got into the jeep. Xiao Sun started the engine, made a U-turn at the end of the alley, and drove out of Nanluoguxiang amidst the curious gazes of the neighbors. Several teenagers chased after the car for a few steps, shouting "Car, car," before being called back by their parents.

Liu Yuheng and his family stood at the door, watching the jeep disappear into the alley before turning back into the house.

Now only the five members of the Liu family remain in the house.

"Boss," Liu Shuanzhu began, still a little unaccustomed to calling him "Liu Yuheng," tentatively choosing a compromise, "Where are you living now? Has the army arranged anything for you?"

"I'm currently staying at the Military Commission Guesthouse in the Xicheng District. It was arranged by the organization, and the conditions are quite good. In a couple of days, I'll be going to take up my post in the Garrison Command, and from then on, I'll be living in the barracks."

"A garrison command?" Liu Shuanzhu frowned, not quite understanding these things. "What does that do? What's their responsibility?"

"I'm in charge of the security and defense of the capital," Liu Yuheng said casually, not wanting to discuss too much official business at home. "To put it bluntly, it's about protecting the safety of the capital."

Liu Shuanzhu said "Oh," seemingly understanding but not quite, but one thing he understood: his eldest son was an official in charge of protecting the capital, so he must be someone important.

Wang Xiuhe interjected at this moment, with a hint of expectation and probing: "Yuheng, are you staying at home tonight? Although the house is small, we can squeeze in."

Liu Yuheng looked around the room. Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe shared one room, while Liu Erhe and Liu Tingting each had their own small, partitioned rooms. With him added to the mix, it was indeed difficult to arrange a room for them.

He shook his head: "Mom, forget it. The house is too small, it's not comfortable to be cramped. I'll go back to the guesthouse tonight and come back tomorrow morning. Anyway, there's a car, it's very convenient."

Wang Xiuhe hesitated for a moment. Although she was reluctant, she knew that what her son said was true.

She nodded and simply said, "Then come early tomorrow, and Mom will make dumplings for you."

"Okay, I'll come first thing tomorrow morning," Liu Yuheng replied with a smile.

"Erhe, how's it going at Lou's Steel Rolling Mill? Have you thought about going to join Dangdangbing?"

After Liu Yuheng asked the question, he realized it was somewhat inappropriate, but the words were already out and couldn't be taken back.

Liu Erhe was taken aback, clearly not expecting his older brother to ask this. He lowered his head, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke: "Brother, to be honest, I've thought about joining the army. What man hasn't dreamed of being a soldier? Wearing a uniform, carrying a gun, protecting the country—how impressive!"

"But brother, I'm getting married soon. Fangfang's engagement is all set, the date is chosen, and the wedding is next Saturday. What will happen to Fangfang if I go to join the army? She's with me, I can't just abandon her, can I?"

At this point, Liu Erhe's voice lowered: "Besides, if I go to the army, when will I ever be back? Can Fangfang wait that long? Will her family agree?"

Looking at his younger brother's dark red face, Liu Yuheng suddenly laughed and patted him on the head: "Well done, Erhe, you know how to cherish your wife now, that's promising."

Liu Erhe was embarrassed by the photos, lowered his head and chuckled twice, his ear tips turning red.

Liu Yuheng withdrew his hand, his tone becoming serious: "You're right. It's really inappropriate for someone to run off to join the army right after getting married. Besides, you've learned a trade at the factory. The fitter trade is very lucrative in the future, no worse than being in the army. Just work hard at the factory for now, master your skills, and we can talk about it later when the opportunity arises."

Wang Xiuhe, who had been listening to her two sons finish their business, suddenly interjected.

"Yuheng, are you married or not?"

"No. We've been so focused on fighting all these years, we haven't had time to think about this. From north to south, we're here today and there tomorrow. The girl we just met today might be transferred hundreds of miles away tomorrow. How are we supposed to deal with that?"

"That won't do. You're already twenty-five, and your younger brother is only twenty and already getting married. You, as the older brother, are falling behind. Let me tell you, there's an Aunt Wang in our neighborhood who specializes in matchmaking. She has several good girls in her line of work, including a teacher and a nurse at the hospital. They're very pretty. I'll ask Aunt Wang to keep an eye out for you..."

"Mother!" Liu Yuheng quickly interrupted Wang Xiuhe, his voice tinged with helplessness, "Can you please stop worrying about this? I'll handle my own affairs."

Wang Xiuhe persisted, "You'll handle it yourself? If you could handle it yourself, would you still be single at twenty-five?"

Liu Yuheng was speechless.

He took a deep breath and changed his strategy: "Mom, I've just been transferred back to the capital, and I haven't settled into my job yet. There are so many things to deal with at the garrison, I need to get things set up first, I don't have time to think about this. Can we talk about it after I'm settled?"

Wang Xiuhe opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but Liu Shuanzhu coughed beside her and said, "Just say less."

Wang Xiuhe turned to look at him.

Liu Shuanzhu, holding his wine glass, glanced at Liu Yuheng, then at Wang Xiuhe: "Old... Boss is a high-ranking official now. Let him make his own decisions. Why are you meddling in his affairs?"

After Liu Shuanzhu said that, Wang Xiuhe, although still somewhat unwilling, did not insist any further.

"Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. But if you ever want to look for someone, just tell your mother, and I'll have Aunt Wang help you find one."

Liu Yuheng smiled and shook his head, not replying.

As the family was talking, they suddenly heard a commotion outside. At first, Liu Yuheng didn't pay much attention, but the noise grew louder and closer, as if a lot of people were gathering around them.

Liu Shuanzhu frowned, put down his wine glass, stood up, walked to the door and glanced outside. Then he turned back, his expression somewhat complicated: "A lot of people have come to the courtyard. It seems they've come to see what's going on."

Liu Yuheng stood up, walked to the door and looked outside. Good heavens, quite a few people had already gathered across the street.

People from the middle and front courtyards, having somehow heard the news, flocked over. A dozen or so people, young and old, stood in the open space opposite the east wing. Some were carrying teapots, some were fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, some were holding children's hands, and some were crossing their arms, all looking towards the Liu family's house.

Liu Yuheng's gaze swept across the crowd, and he secretly memorized those faces.

Yi Zhonghai. The future big boss, the big shot in the courtyard. On the surface, he is serious and dignified, but in reality, he is shrewd and calculating. His specialty is using "rules" and "reason" to intimidate people.

Liu Haizhong. The future second uncle, obsessed with officialdom, thinks about becoming an official all day long. He practices "feudal patriarchal system" at home, managing his three sons to be obedient, but none of the three sons are close to him.

He had already met Yan Bugui earlier; he was standing on the side of the crowd, talking to a man of similar age next to him.

Xu Damao's father, Lao Xu, Jia Dongxu, He Daqing.

He Yuzhu, Shazhu, Liu Guangqi.

There were also a few teenagers weaving in and out of the crowd.

Liu Shuanzhu came out of the house and was a little surprised to see so many people gathered in the yard. He had lived in this yard for three years and got along well with his neighbors, but he had never seen anything like this before.

He coughed lightly and nodded to Yi Zhonghai: "Master Yi, you've all arrived?"

Yi Zhonghai took two steps forward, looked at Liu Yuheng, then at Liu Shuanzhu, and asked, "Master Liu, who is this PLA comrade...?"

Liu Shuanzhu stood at the door, puffed out his chest, and said with an undisguised smugness in his voice, "This is my eldest son. He used to be in the army and just came back today."

"Wow!" A low gasp rippled through the crowd.

He Daqing tucked the shovel under his arm, tilted his head, glanced at Liu Yuheng, and asked with a smile, "Master Liu, how come I've never heard you mention before that you have a son serving in the army?"

Liu Shuanzhu was a little embarrassed by the question, his smile froze for a moment, and then he sighed: "It's been... many years since we've heard from you."

Upon hearing this, everyone present understood.

The Liu family probably assumed their eldest son had died somewhere, which is why they never mentioned it. Such things were all too common during times of war; which family didn't have a few missing relatives? Some people went out and never came back, without even a word, neither alive nor dead. Their families would wait and hope year after year, going from hope to despair.

Liu Yuheng stood at the door, watching the changing expressions of the people in the courtyard. He didn't say much, but simply took out two packs of cigarettes from his military uniform pocket and tossed them to Liu Erhe: "Erhe, take these and distribute them to the neighbors."

Liu Erhe took the cigarette, glanced at it, and saw it was Daqianmen, a good cigarette.

He responded and went into the courtyard, offering cigarettes to the neighbors who were watching the commotion.

"Uncle Yi, have a smoke."

"Uncle Liu, have a smoke."

"Teacher Yan, have a smoke."

"Uncle He, have a smoke."

"Uncle Xu, have a smoke."

As Liu Erhe offered cigarettes, he sweetly called out to everyone present, going through each adult man in turn.

After the smoke cleared, Liu Erhe returned to Liu Yuheng's side and handed him back the remaining half-pack of cigarettes. Liu Yuheng waved his hand: "Keep it, I don't need any."

Liu Erhe didn't stand on ceremony and put the cigarette in his pocket.

The atmosphere in the courtyard became noticeably more lively under the influence of the smoke. Several bolder neighbors started asking Liu Erhe for information.

"Erhe, what kind of officer is your older brother? Judging from his attire, he doesn't look like an ordinary soldier."

"Exactly, exactly. He even has a pistol on his waist. That's not something just anyone can carry."

"Erhe, how many people does your eldest brother manage?"

Liu Erhe was a little overwhelmed by the questions, scratched his head, and looked at Liu Yuheng.

Liu Yuheng shook his head slightly. Liu Erhe understood, turned to the crowd and smiled, saying vaguely, "I'm not really sure either. My older brother just got back and hasn't had a chance to explain in detail yet. I only know he's in the army, nothing else."

Liu Yuheng stood at the door, observing the expressions and reactions of the people, and nodded inwardly. Erhe's answers were good; he was discreet and didn't reveal his true identity, answering "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" to everything. This was for the best; he didn't want the people in the courtyard to know his specific position, to avoid future trouble.

In this courtyard house, knowing too much is not a good thing, especially when it comes to the storm that will come more than a decade later. Keeping a low profile is the key to survival.

He turned around, pulled Wang Xiuhe back into the house, and stopped standing at the door as an exhibit.