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

Before getting into the car, the group stood by the parking lot, about to bend down and climb in, when Liu Yuheng suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Li Yunlong and the other two: "By the way, I haven't asked you guys yet, how are things at home?"

Li Yunlong paused as he was about to pull the car door open, his expression momentarily blank, as if those words had pulled him into a memory he was reluctant to revisit.

He was silent for a few seconds, then released his hand from the car door, straightened up, and sighed: "I went back once around 1951. There was nothing left at home, not even the old Kong family. After I left back then, none of the folks in the mountains survived, not even a memory remained."

Kong Jie, standing beside him, didn't say anything, but simply turned his face slightly away, watching the crowd gradually disperse in the square in the distance.

Ding Wei was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice: "My family was pretty much the same. When the Japanese swept through, the whole village was gone. My family members are all in there."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yuheng stood silently at the car door for two or three seconds before changing his tone: "Alright, alright, it's all in the past, don't think about it so much." After he finished speaking, he bent down and got into the car, and Li Yunlong and the others also got into the car behind.

The engines of the two cars started one after the other, and they drove out of the parking lot one after the other in the afternoon autumn sun, heading towards Nanluoguxiang.

They arrived at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang Hutong. Liu Yuheng got out of the car and waited by the car for a while until Li Yunlong and the other two got out of the car behind. Then he led the group towards the entrance of No. 95 compound.

Before even reaching the courtyard gate, one could hear the sounds of conversation emanating from inside. The voices of men and women mingled together, as if everyone in the courtyard had gathered together and were having a heated discussion.

The small open space in the front yard was crowded with people. Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Bugui, and Xu Fugui, a few men, stood in a circle, cigarettes in their hands, with ashes and cigarette butts scattered around their feet. Several middle-aged women squatted on their doorsteps, holding bowls of rice that had gone cold but hadn't bothered to eat.

When Liu Yuheng pushed the door open, all the sounds stopped abruptly, as if someone had pressed the pause button.

All eyes turned to the entrance. Liu Yuheng walked at the front, followed by Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei. All four were wearing brand-new military uniforms, the gold stars on their epaulets gleaming in the afternoon sun. The solemn dark brown and gold uniforms, coupled with the four tall, upright figures walking in side by side, seemed to press down on the air in the courtyard, suddenly becoming so quiet that even the sound of falling leaves could be heard.

Liu Yuheng glanced around at everyone in the courtyard without saying anything. When his gaze fell on Liu Erhe standing in the crowd, he waved to him. Liu Erhe immediately squeezed out of the crowd and quickly walked up to Liu Yuheng.

Liu Yuheng turned to Li Yunlong and the others and said, "This is my younger brother, Liu Erhe. He works at the steel rolling mill."

Li Yunlong nodded to Liu Erhe with a smile, "Hello, Brother Erhe." Kong Jie and Ding Wei also greeted him.

Liu Erhe responded somewhat awkwardly, wiping his hands on the seams of his trousers, unsure whether he should reach out and shake hands with these generals with stars on their shoulders.

Liu Yuheng didn't linger in the courtyard, leading his group straight towards the east wing. The courtyard behind them was quiet for a moment, then erupted into even more intense discussions, though the voices were noticeably lowered, as if afraid of being overheard by those inside the east wing.

Liu Erhe ran back to the east wing first, pushed open the door, and shouted into the room, "Father! Mother! Big Brother has returned with his comrades!"

Liu Shuanzhu was sitting inside drinking tea when he heard this, and his hand trembled. Wang Xiuhe was tidying up the dishes at the stove when she heard the shout, and she turned around abruptly and rushed to the door. Liang Fangfang, holding Liu Yixuan's hand, also came out from the inner room, and Liu Tingting jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and ran to the door in her slippers.

Liu Yuheng led Li Yunlong and the other two to the door of the east wing, stepped aside to let them pass, and introduced them to the people inside: "Father, Mother, these are my old comrades-in-arms from the army, Li Yunlong, Kong Jie, and Ding Wei." He then turned to the three of them, "This is my father Liu Shuanzhu, my mother Wang Xiuhe, my sister Liu Tingting, my sister-in-law Liang Fangfang, and that little one is my nephew Liu Yixuan."

Li Yunlong stepped forward first, extending his hand to Liu Shuanzhu, and said in a loud voice, "Hello, Uncle Liu! My name is Li Yunlong, and I'm an old comrade-in-arms from our time in Shanxi. I've come to visit you two today; sorry to bother you!"

Liu Shuanzhu quickly reached out and grasped Li Yunlong's hands, his expression a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He murmured, his lips barely moving before he managed to say, "No, no, please come in, please come in!"

Wang Xiuhe quickly stepped aside to make way for the doorway, calling out, "Don't stand in the doorway, come in and sit down! It's small inside, please don't mind..." As she spoke, she hurriedly moved the things on the table, then turned back and called to Liu Erhe, "Erhe! Go get some water!"

Liu Erhe responded and turned to get the thermos from the stove.

Li Yunlong and his two companions followed Liu Shuanzhu into the room and sat down on a few chairs. The east wing was not large, and with four tall men in military uniforms suddenly appearing, the space felt cramped.

Liu Shuanzhu sat opposite Li Yunlong, his hands on his knees, his back ramrod straight, as if he were reporting to a superior. Wang Xiuhe also sat upright beside him, wiping her hands repeatedly on her apron, her eyes unsure where to look.

Liu Tingting wasn't shy at all. She moved closer to Liu Yuheng and tugged at his sleeve: "Brother, you didn't even tell us about your award. We only found out from the newspaper."

Liu Yuheng sat down on a chair nearby and smiled upon hearing this: "I've been so busy these past few days that I haven't had a moment to spare. Besides, it's all in the newspapers, so it doesn't matter how much I know."

Liu Tingting rolled her eyes and was about to say something when Wang Xiuhe glared at her, and she obediently shrank back.

Li Yunlong quickly warmed up the atmosphere. He took a sip of the teacup Liu Erhe handed him, smiled at Liu Shuanzhu, and said, "Uncle, I've heard Lao Liu talk about his family when he was in the army. It's great to finally meet you two today."

Liu Shuanzhu rubbed his hands together and replied with a smile, "This kid didn't tell us much, and we don't know what he did in the army..."

Wang Xiuhe chimed in from the side, "He's in the army, and he's been very fortunate to have had the support of you comrades."

Li Yunlong laughed twice: "Auntie, you're too kind. Old Liu is known for his fighting prowess in the army. He helped us a lot during the years we spent with him in Shanxi."