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

About half an hour later, the sound of a jeep came from the alley entrance. Xiao Sun walked to the door of the east wing, stood at attention, and saluted: "Commander, I'm back."

Liu Yuheng nodded: "You've worked hard. Come in and have some water."

When Xiao Sun entered the house, Wang Xiuhe poured him a bowl of water, which he took and gulped down. He then wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Liu Yuheng glanced at his watch; it was past three in the afternoon. He stood up and said to Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe, "Father, Mother, I'll head back now and come back tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuhe's smile vanished instantly. She walked over and grabbed Liu Yuheng's hand: "You're leaving already? You've only been here a short while!"

Liu Yuheng glanced at his watch and smiled, "Mom, it's already past three o'clock. I've been here for more than two hours."

"Have dinner before you go," Wang Xiuhe said, pulling him back. "Look how thin you've gotten. You must not be eating well outside. Mom will cook you something nice, so eat before you leave."

Liu Shuanzhu chimed in, "That's right, eat before you leave. Your mother's cooking skills have improved a lot in the past few years."

Liu Yuheng glanced at his watch, then at Wang Xiuhe's expectant face, and finally couldn't bring himself to refuse. He nodded: "Okay, then eat before you go."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuhe's face immediately lit up with joy. She turned around and beckoned to Liu Shuanzhu, "Dad, come on, let's cook. Yuheng loves dumplings, so let's make dumplings! Let's also reheat the leftover dishes from lunch, make some cabbage and shredded pork, and steam a pot of cornbread."

Liu Shuanzhu put down his wine glass, rolled up his sleeves, and followed Wang Xiuhe to the kitchen.

Liu Yuheng led Liu Erhe and Liu Tingting to sit on the steps by the door, while Xiao Sun stood to the side.

He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, Liu Guangqi, and a few other teenagers squatted on the opposite steps, whispering to each other, their eyes occasionally glancing at the pistol at Liu Yuheng's waist.

He Yuzhu was the boldest. He stood up and took two steps toward Liu Yuheng, but hesitated for a moment before finally speaking: "Um... PLA uncle, can I take a look at the gun on your waist?"

Liu Yuheng glanced at him, smiled, and reached out to protect the pistol at his waist: "You can't just touch this. It's loaded with bullets. If it goes off accidentally, it's no joke."

He Yuzhu gave a somewhat disappointed "Oh," but still unwilling to give up, he took another half step forward: "I just want to see, can't I just not touch it?"

Just as Liu Yuheng was about to speak, a shout came from the other side: "Zhu Zi! Come back here! Stop causing trouble!"

He Daqing pulled He Yuzhu back. He Yuzhu stumbled as his father pulled him, muttering, "I was just looking..."

"Look at your head!" He Daqing slapped his son on the head. "That's a real gun! Do you think it's some wooden toy gun you play with? What are you looking at? Go home and start a fire!"

He Yuzhu slunk away after being scolded by his father. After taking a few steps, he turned back for a second, his eyes filled with envy and resentment.

Xu Damao squatted on the opposite steps, watching He Yuzhu being scolded, and chuckled gloatingly. His father, Old Xu, coughed beside him, and Xu Damao immediately stopped smiling, lowered his head, and pretended to be honest.

Liu Yuheng and Liu Erhe chatted casually about everyday things, recounting their experiences over the years.

"Brother, not long after you left, the Japanese devils came in."

"I was only eight or nine years old then, and I didn't understand anything. All I knew was that airplanes were buzzing around in the sky, and sometimes they would drop bombs with a loud bang, and the ground would shake. The school had changed too. The teachers taught the Japanese stuff, talking about things like 'Sino-Japanese friendship' and 'Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere,' and they made us learn Japanese and memorize all that gibberish. I didn't want to learn, so I didn't go to school. My dad didn't force me. He just said, 'If you don't go, you don't have to. As long as you're alive, that's enough.'"

"And then?" Liu Yuheng asked.

"Later, we just had to endure it. Dad was still working in the restaurant, cooking for people. Mom stayed home washing clothes and earning a little money. Life was tough, but we managed to survive."

"In 46, Lou's Steel Rolling Mill reopened and began recruiting workers."

"My dad enrolled me in the factory and used his connections to get me assigned to the fitter's workshop. I became Master Liang's apprentice. Master Liang was skilled, kind, and very good to me. I worked there for three years and learned a lot."

"That same year, Dad moved the family from the south of the city to here. It's much more spacious than that small courtyard in the south, and it's closer to the factory, only a twenty-minute walk away."

"Has anything major happened in your family over the years?" Liu Yuheng asked. "What year was Tingting born?"

"Tingting was born in 1941. Her mother had a difficult childbirth, which lasted for a day and a night, and she almost didn't make it."

Liu Yuheng's fingers tightened slightly.

"And then? Did you pull through?"

"She pulled through." Liu Erhe nodded. "Mother is tough; she pulled through. Ever since Tingting was born, Mother's health hasn't been very good. She's always had aches and pains here and there, but nothing serious, just weak. Now that you're back, Brother, Mother feels at ease, and her health should improve."

Liu Erhe then asked, "Brother, what about you? How have you managed all these years? You must have fought quite a few battles, right?"

Liu Yuheng withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "We've fought quite a few battles. We've fought in the Northeast, North China, Central China, and we're almost at South China now. We've come this far step by step, and luckily, we haven't died."

The two brothers sat there at the door, chatting idly as they watched the light and shadows in the courtyard move little by little.

Around five o'clock, Liu Shuanzhu came over carrying a large tray, followed by Wang Xiuhe carrying two plates of vegetables. The aroma of dumplings filled the entire courtyard, and even the neighbors who hadn't left across the street couldn't help but swallow hard.

"Dinner's ready! Dinner's ready!" Wang Xiuhe called out as she set the table. "Yuheng, come and eat. Mom made your favorite chive and egg dumplings!"

Liu Yuheng stood up, walked to the table, and saw that it was piled high with food. There was cabbage and shredded pork, a few leftover dishes from lunch that had been reheated, a pot of golden cornbread, and two large plates of steaming dumplings.

He picked up a dumpling, took a bite, and the aroma of chives and eggs exploded in his mouth.

"Is it good?" Wang Xiuhe asked him nervously.

"Delicious." Liu Yuheng nodded and picked up another one.

Wang Xiuhe smiled and kept piling vegetables and dumplings into Liu Yuheng's bowl, making it overflowing, while saying, "Eat more, eat more, you're too thin, you must not be eating well outside..."

Liu Yuheng was both amused and exasperated: "Mother, where have I lost weight? I'm all fat."

"Skinny! Just skinny!" Wang Xiuhe said without room for argument.

Liu Yuheng ate a few bites, and while Wang Xiuhe turned around to pour water, he gave half of the dumplings in his bowl to Liu Erhe and the other half to Liu Tingting.

The little girl's eyes lit up, but after thinking for a moment, she pushed the food back to Liu Yuheng, saying, "Big brother, eat it. Big brother has finally come back."

Liu Yuheng patted her head: "If your brother doesn't eat, Tingting will. Your brother eats meat every day outside, so he won't lack this."

This was obviously a lie, but Liu Tingting believed it and happily started eating.

Liu Yuheng raised his head, his gaze inadvertently sweeping across the opposite courtyard. He was momentarily stunned. Several people were squatting in twos and threes on the steps, the threshold, and by the windows on the opposite side, each holding a bowl in their hands, eating and looking towards the Liu family's house.

Liu Yuheng looked away, lowered his head and took a bite of rice, his lips twitching slightly.

How can I describe this feeling? It's like being a monkey in a cage at the zoo, surrounded by tourists who are eating sunflower seeds and watching you eat.

But he couldn't say anything, since the other person wasn't there to cause trouble; they were just there to watch the show.

He could only pretend not to see it and bury his head in his food.

After we finished eating, the sun was already setting in the west, and the western sky was tinged with a faint orange-red hue.

Liu Yuheng stood up, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and said to Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe, "Father, Mother, I'm finished eating, it's time to go."

Wang Xiuhe stood up, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just nodded.

"Come early tomorrow," she said.

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

As Liu Yuheng walked to the door, Liu Tingting suddenly chased after him from behind and grabbed his hand.

"Big brother, are you leaving?" The little girl looked up at him, her eyes full of reluctance.

Liu Yuheng squatted down to look her in the eye and reached out to wipe away the tears that were about to fall from the corners of her eyes: "Tingting, be good, your big brother will be back tomorrow."

Liu Tingting didn't say anything, but she held his hand tightly and wouldn't let go.

Liu Yuheng thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and asked her, "Tingting, do you want to stay with your older brother for the night? There's a bed and hot water at my place, and I'll bring you back tomorrow morning."

Liu Tingting's eyes lit up. She turned to look outside, where the jeep was parked. She then looked back into the house. Wang Xiuhe was standing at the door, Liu Shuanzhu was standing behind her, and Liu Erhe was peeking out from inside.

She hesitated for a moment, wanting to ride in that imposing big car, yet also reluctant to leave home and her mother.

Liu Yuheng saw through her hesitation, smiled, and picked her up in his arms: "Come on, come with your big brother, we'll be back tomorrow."

After being picked up, Liu Tingting instinctively struggled for a moment, then mumbled, "I want to sit in the front, I want to see the scenery."

"Okay, you can sit in the front." Liu Yuheng agreed with a smile, then turned to Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe and said, "Dad, Mom, Tingting is coming with me to stay for the night, and I'll bring her back tomorrow morning."

Liu Shuanzhu nodded without saying anything. Wang Xiuhe opened her mouth, wanting to say a few words, but seeing Liu Tingting's excited expression, she swallowed her words and simply said, "Then take good care of her. She likes to kick off the covers when she sleeps at night, so make sure she's covered up."

"understood."

Liu Yuheng carried Liu Tingting to the alley entrance, where Xiao Sun had already opened the car door. Liu Yuheng placed Liu Tingting in the passenger seat and then sat in the back seat himself.

As soon as Liu Tingting got into the car, she became restless, touching and looking at everything, honking the horn and adjusting the rearview mirror. Xiao Sun stopped her with a smile: "Little sister, you can't touch this, it'll break."

Liu Tingting withdrew her hand, but couldn't help looking around with her eyes.

A crowd gathered again at the entrance of the courtyard house. Xu Damao stood at the gate, staring wide-eyed at the jeep, muttering, "I really want to ride in it too..."

Liu Guangtian, Liu Haizhong's second son, a little boy a few years younger than Liu Tingting, ran out of the yard, shouting at the top of his lungs, "I want to ride in the car! I want to ride in the car too!"

Liu Haizhong chased after him from behind, grabbed him by the back of the collar, and hissed, "What are you shouting for! Go back!"

Liu Guangtian was dragged back by his father, his feet dragging on the ground, shouting, "Why can Liu Tingting sit here but I can't? It's not fair!"

"Fair my ass! What are you comparing yourself to? Go back to sleep!"

Liu Guangtian was dragged into the courtyard, and the cries and shouts gradually faded into the distance.

Liu Yuheng saw this scene through the car window, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Xiao Sun got into the driver's seat and started the car.

Liu Yuheng waved to Liu Shuanzhu and Wang Xiuhe: "Dad, Mom, see you tomorrow."

The jeep drove out of Nanluoguxiang and turned onto the main road. The setting sun shone from the west, bathing the entire street in gold. Liu Tingting, pressed against the car window with her face against the glass, her braids fluttering in the wind, giggled and said to Liu Yuheng, "Big brother, this car is so fast! Faster than a horse!"

Liu Yuheng leaned back in his seat, looked at his sister's cheerful profile, and smiled.