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

The car stopped at the entrance of Nanluoguxiang Hutong at exactly five o'clock in the afternoon.

Liu Yuheng got out of the car and walked alone toward the gate of No. 95 compound. When he pushed the gate open, the courtyard was at its busiest time of day. The stoves of each household were busy, and the aroma of food wafted from all directions of the east wing and backyard, mixed together so that it was impossible to tell which family was cooking what dish.

Yan Bugui was squatting in front of the stone steps of his house, holding a pair of scissors and intently pruning his chrysanthemums. Hearing the gate open, he looked up, recognized Liu Yuheng, and almost dropped the scissors.

He immediately put down the scissors and stood up, his face beaming with smiles, his voice several times more enthusiastic than usual: "Oh, the eldest son of the Liu family is here? What brings you back today?"

Liu Yuheng nodded to him and said politely, "Hello, Teacher Yan. I've come back to visit my parents." Without lingering, he walked straight to the east wing.

Yan Bugui stood there watching his back, muttering something under his breath, then squatted down to continue pruning his flowers.

Liu Yuheng walked to the door of the east wing, lifted the curtain, and went inside. A faint smell of coal stove wafted through the room. Wang Xiuhe was sitting cross-legged on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sewing something small with a scrap of cloth in her hand, while Liu Yixuan was squatting on the ground playing.

"Grandma, look!" The little guy turned around and saw someone lifting the curtain to come in. He paused for a moment, then recognized Liu Yuheng. His face lit up instantly, and he dropped his toys and rushed over, his short legs running as fast as he could. "Uncle! Uncle's here!"

Liu Yuheng bent down, scooped him up, and weighed him in his arms: "Yixuan's gotten heavier again. Did he sneak some candy again?"

The little guy giggled and clung to Liu Yuheng's neck with both little hands.

Liu Yuheng took a piece of fruit candy out of his pocket, unwrapped it, and held it to Liu Yixuan's lips. Liu Yixuan opened his mouth and put it in, his cheek puffing out a little bump. He mumbled "Thank you, Uncle," then twisted his body and slid off Liu Yuheng's arms, running back to the edge of the kang (heated brick bed) to continue playing.

Wang Xiuhe put down her needlework and patted the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed): "Yuheng is here? Come sit down. What brings you here today? Weren't you busy with work?"

Liu Yuheng sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), picked up the scrap of cloth Wang Xiuhe had placed beside him, glanced at it, and then put it back. "I came here today to tell you some good news." He couldn't hide the smile on his face, and his voice was a little lighter than usual. "Qingwan is pregnant. We found out at the hospital yesterday."

Wang Xiuhe put down her needlework, sat bolt upright, her eyes lighting up, and her voice rising a half-octave: "Really?! You've found out?"

Liu Yuheng nodded: "It's true. I went for a check-up yesterday at noon. The doctor said it's still early in the pregnancy, but I'm definitely pregnant."

"Oh my! This is such a joyous occasion!" Wang Xiuhe rubbed her hands together excitedly on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), then suddenly stood up and hurriedly tried to walk towards the cabinet. "Wait here, I'll pack my things and go see Qingwan..."

Liu Yuheng reached out and pressed her arm, both amused and exasperated: "Mother, why are you in such a hurry? She's only just gotten pregnant, not even a month into the pregnancy. Qingwan is perfectly fine, eating and sleeping well, you don't need to be so anxious."

Wang Xiuhe stopped in her tracks when he stopped her. After thinking about it, she agreed and sat back down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). But her excitement hadn't diminished at all, and she was already making plans: "Then I need to prepare in advance. Diapers, baby clothes, baby blankets... I need to wash and dry them all in advance, while the weather is nice now... Oh, and I also need to prepare some sour plums. Pregnant women love to eat sour things..."

Liu Yuheng gave a wry smile: "Mother, this is nothing, it's still early. Qingwan and I discussed it, and when she gives birth, it will coincide with your sister-in-law's birth not long ago. You'll definitely be too busy. We're thinking of having my mother-in-law come over and help take care of things for a while. You can just focus on Erhe's side, without having to run around to both places."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuhe paused in her actions, and her expression faltered for a few seconds.

She was silent for a moment, as if weighing things in her mind, before finally speaking, "How can that be... They're both my sons. I have to take care of Qingwan's child, and I have to take care of Fangfang's. How can I only help one side?" After she finished speaking, she hesitated for a moment, "But what you said makes sense. Fangfang's child will still be young and needs someone to look after him. I can't just abandon this little one..."

Seeing her hesitation, Liu Yuheng said, "How about this, I'll have a car pick you up. You can go there during the day and help my mother-in-law take care of the two children. I'll have a car take you back after dinner in the evening. It won't interfere with either situation. What do you think?"

Wang Xiuhe's eyes lit up for a moment upon hearing this, but she immediately shook her head: "Forget it, it's too much trouble. Besides, Fangfang has to breastfeed, how will she breastfeed if we take the baby over? How about this, I'll stay here for a while, and when the baby is older, I'll have Er and his mother-in-law come and help out, and I'll make time to go see you guys."

Hearing her say that, Liu Yuheng didn't try to persuade her any further and nodded: "Okay, we'll see how things go later."

As the two were talking, the curtain was lifted again, and Liu Tingting walked in with her schoolbag on her back. She immediately saw Liu Yuheng sitting on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), paused for a moment, then threw her schoolbag on the table and rushed over: "Brother? What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work today?"

Liu Yuheng reached out and flicked her head: "I left work early today to come back and visit." He then added, "I have good news for you, your sister-in-law is pregnant."

Liu Tingting's eyes widened instantly, and her voice rose several octaves: "Really?! Then I'm going to have a nephew or niece?! I'm going to see my sister-in-law later!"

"What are you looking at? Your sister-in-law is at home, not here. Besides, she's only just pregnant; you can't tell anything from that. Just focus on your studies and stop thinking about these things." Liu Yuheng paused, then glanced at Liu Tingting. "By the way, you're in your final year of junior high, right? Have you decided whether to take the entrance exam for a vocational school or high school?"

Liu Tingting's excitement immediately deflated, and she pouted, "There are still six months left, what's the rush... I haven't even thought about it yet."