Chapter 165

In her previous life, Su Xiaoxiao had also eaten lamb cooked in an old copper pot. But never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that one day she would be sitting in a courtyard house in the old alleys of Beijing from decades ago, sitting on a large kang, enjoying a hearty meal of lamb hotpot cooked in an authentic old copper pot.

From the “auspicious as one wishes” hairpin on the courtyard gate, the drum-shaped stone on both sides of the entrance, to the old man slowly opening the auspicious gate and stepping out from inside, the “福” character shadow wall behind him, the footstep made of green bricks resembling auspicious clouds, the drooping flower gate handles, the pomegranate trees in the main hall, and various ancient and colorful auspicious carvings on the beams—all exuded the most authentic flavor of the old alleys of Beijing. This made Su Xiaoxiao even more determined to own a courtyard of her own, even if it wasn’t as grand. It didn’t matter if it was smaller; growing up in such a sentimental house, the future prospects would certainly not be small.

Xiao Roubao loved eating lamb the most. If he really let himself indulge in thin slices of lamb, he could easily finish several plates alone. However, his parents had always taught him since he was little that he shouldn’t eat alone and should share with everyone. So even though he loved eating lamb the most, he would only eat as much as his older brother served him. During family meals, he wouldn’t demand to eat more, even if he wanted to. Xiao Roubao was easy to please, and he had eaten plenty of frozen tofu and white radishes. Finally, when his stomach was round and full, he would put down his chopsticks.

Like a satisfied little kitten, he squinted his eyes and said to the old man, “Grandpa, the food at your house is really delicious!”

Xiao Roubao and Xiao Tangyuan are both very likable. Xiao Tangyuan is the kind of beautiful little girl that people will like at a glance, while Xiao Roubao is inexplicably cheerful. Who could resist liking such a chubby and smiling child?

Lao Yang really likes Xiao Roubao, and watching him eat makes him happy. If Su Xiaoxiao hadn’t stopped him, he would have gone to cut another plate for Xiao Roubao.

Old Yang especially liked Xiao Roubao. He was happy just watching him eat. Knowing that he liked eating lamb, he would even especially go to cut another plate for Xiao Roubao if it weren’t for Su Xiaoxiao stopping him from doing so.

The happiest moment in the old man’s life was today. As one grows older, the thing one desires most is a harmonious family with grandchildren filling the home. During the most difficult years, he felt that life had no hope. If he didn’t think about seeing his daughter-in-law and son, he would feel that there was no point in living. He never expected to have such a happy old age.

From the moment he recognized Xiao Zhuzi, the old man felt that all the suffering he endured was worth it.

Having had a small drink, the old man’s whole demeanor was radiant. He looked affectionately at Xiao Roubao and said, “Since our Xiao Roubao likes it, from now on, Uncle Yang will cook for you every day.”

Xiao Roubao grinned and shook his head. “Eating it every day is not good; I also want to eat roast duck and braised pork knuckles!”

The old man laughed heartily and said, “Alright, alright. Then let’s have roast duck tomorrow and braised pork knuckles the day after tomorrow. We’ll listen to Xiao Roubao, and we won’t repeat the dishes every day!”

Xiao Zhuzi helped his little sister, who had just finished eating, wipe her mouth. “Grandpa, my sister likes sweet pastries. Please ask Uncle Yang to make crystal osmanthus cakes for my sister tomorrow.”

“Alright, alright,” the old man said three times in a row, gesturing to Lao Yang, “tomorrow morning, we’ll have crystal osmanthus cakes for breakfast, and we’ll make fried twisted dough sticks, which my Xiao Zhuzi loves the most.”

The old man asked again, “What do Fantuan and Xiao Doubao like to eat? Uncle Yang can cook anything, so Grandpa will have him make everything for everyone.”

Xiao Doubao shook his head and said, “Grandpa, my brother and I are not picky eaters. We love to eat everything.”

The old man patted Xiao Doubao’s head and said, “What a good child; both of you are good children. You’ve been on the train for so long today; go and have a good rest. When you wake up tomorrow, Grandpa will take you out to play.”

Everyone had been on the train for dozens of hours, and they hadn’t slept well on the train. They were indeed very tired. After washing up, they each went back to the rooms they had prepared earlier and rested on the heated kang.

The courtyard house had more than a dozen rooms in total, with several rooms in just the east wing alone. The elegant couple, Su Xiaoxiao and her husband, took Xiao Tangyuan to the east wing, while the four boys slept together on the large kang in the west wing.

It was Fantuan’s first time sleeping on a large kang, so he found it very novel.

Fantuan: “The kang is so hot; will our bottoms get burned at night?”

Xiao Zhuzi shook his head and said, “No, it won’t. After the charcoal fire goes out, it will cool down. If we don’t add charcoal at night, it will feel too cold in the morning. But Uncle Yang usually gets up to add charcoal once; even if it’s cold like today, he won’t forget to do this.”

Xiao Roubao already had a lot of fat and wasn’t afraid of the cold. After lying down for a while, his cheeks were already rosy. “Brother Zhuzi, I feel so hot.”

There was a chamber pot in the room. Xiao Zhuzi asked his two brothers to urinate first and then helped them take off two pieces of clothing when they came back. “You don’t need to wear so many clothes to sleep, but if you need to pee at night, you must put your clothes on first; otherwise, you’ll catch a cold, understand?”

Xiao Doubao and Xiao Roubao nodded and said, “I understand.”

Xiao Zhuzi changed Xiao Roubao’s blanket into a thinner one and wrapped him up. “Is it still hot like this?”

Xiao Roubao shook his head and said, “It’s not hot anymore; it’s so comfortable.”

Xiao Zhuzi rubbed his little brother’s head. “Then sleep tight.”

Xiao Roubao was already very sleepy. After saying “Goodnight, Brother Zhuzi,” he almost fell asleep immediately.

“Is Xiao Doubao feeling hot?” Xiao Zhuzi asked Xiao Doubao.

Xiao Doubao shook his head and said, “It’s not hot when I take off my clothes.”

Xiao Zhuzi touched his brother’s head again. “Whether you feel hot or cold, you should tell your brother. Don’t endure it on your own, okay?”

Xiao Doubao obediently nodded. “Okay, goodnight, Brother Zhuzi.”

Xiao Zhuzi tucked him in and said, “Close your eyes and sleep; goodnight.”

Fantuan was reading a book in his hand when he heard Xiao Zhuzi serving his two younger brothers like an old mother. He clicked his tongue twice: “Our brother Zhuzi is becoming more and more like a big brother.”

Xiao Zhuzi is already twelve years old and indeed becoming more and more like an older brother, but his temperament has always been gentle and cultured. As he grew older, he became more stable and better at taking care of people. That’s why his younger siblings liked to stick with him.

Fantuan naturally also cared for his younger siblings, but he was a bit rougher around the edges and not as meticulous as Xiao Zhuzi.

After settling his two brothers, Xiao Zhuzi turned over, climbed onto the kang, and went to Fantuan’s side. “Speaking of which, I’m older than you, so you should also call me big brother. Come on, let me hear you call me big brother.”

Fantuan tapped his head with a book. “Dream on! When you were a kid, I was the one looking after you. Why didn’t I hear you call me Big Brother?”

Xiao Zhuzi rested his hands behind his head, memories flashing back one by one. It seemed like in the blink of an eye, so much time had passed that it could be described as “many years ago.” He recalled the first time, many years ago, when he carried snails to Fantuan’s house, a situation he could never have imagined back then.

Suddenly, Xiao Zhuzi stared earnestly at Fantuan and said, “Fantuan, I don’t think I’ve ever said thank you to you.”

Back then, Xiao Zhuzi felt like he and Fantuan were like blood brothers, even though they weren’t related by blood. His destiny began to change when he met his Aunt Su’s family. Fate between people was indeed mysterious. Aunt Su’s family treated him well and unconditionally from the beginning, and Fantuan treated him like he treated Doubao. He still couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to meet such a family, and now he even had a younger brother and sister.

Fantuan tapped him with the book again, feeling the goosebumps on his hand, and yawned, “I can’t stand you suddenly being so sappy, old man. Let’s sleep. Tomorrow, I have to get up early and take a good look at how big our Beijing is.”

Xiao Zhuzi lay down beside him and said, “In fact, we can try the fermented sour milk made from ground mung bean and sesame Shaobing (baked cake in a griddle) at the entrance of the old alley.”

Fantuan: “Fermented sour milk made from ground mung bean? Like soybean milk?”

Xiao Zhuzi shuddered at the thought of bean juice’s taste and joked, “Close enough, it’s basically the same thing, but the taste is different.”

Fantuan pondered, “Then I have to see how different it is. Whether it’s sweet or salty, can it even be stinky?”

Xiao Zhuzi remained silent. It could indeed be quite stinky, sour, and pungent.

……….

It’s also the first time for Su Xiaoxiao to sleep on the kang. The weather in Beijing is dry, and her skin itches. She couldn’t get comfortable lying on the kang. She tossed and turned for a long time, while Xiao Tangyuan had already fallen asleep in a corner.

Han Cheng held her in his arms and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong? Can’t get used to the bed?”

Su Xiaoxiao wasn’t being delicate. As a southerner, she really couldn’t bear the dryness of the north. She sat up and said pitifully, “It’s too dry; I feel like my skin is going to crack open.”

Han Cheng got up to find her snow cream and returned to the kang. He remembered she applied it on her face and hands, so he scooped out a little with his hands, rubbed it, and then applied it to her back. “The weather here is very dry. Bear with it today. Tomorrow, we’ll go to the mall and buy some clam oil. Applying it every day will make you feel better.”

Su Xiaoxiao also scooped some and applied it to her legs, then frowned. “Clam oil is cheaper, and you won’t feel bad about using a lot, but snowflake cream is expensive. This small bottle won’t last long.”

Han Cheng held her on his lap, kissed her forehead, and said, “We can afford it. If you like snow cream, we’ll buy more tomorrow. But clam oil is more moisturizing. However, if you like it, it’s fine.”

Su Xiaoxiao sat on Han Cheng’s lap, hugged his waist, and leaned against him, making it easier for him to apply the cream to her back. She rubbed against his chest and said, “No, we have to save money to buy a courtyard like this. I really like this kind of house.”

Han Cheng scooped some more snow cream and carefully applied it to her waist. “No need to worry about saving money. Let’s go back to the old house sometime and dig out the gold. You can buy ten courtyards if you want.”

Su Xiaoxiao blinked. “You know where it’s hidden?”

Han Cheng shook his head honestly. “I don’t know. My uncle hasn’t found it; how would I know?”

Su Xiaoxiao: “…”

She reached out and pinched Han Cheng’s face: “Didn’t you say Uncle searched the entire house and didn’t find it? We can’t tear it down, can we?”

Han Cheng held her hand to his lips and kissed it. “He’s him, and I’m me. How can we find out if we don’t look for it?”

Su Xiaoxiao blinked twice. “Do you know where it’s hidden?”

Han Cheng shook his head truthfully. “I don’t know, but there are only a few places Uncle hasn’t searched. By the process of elimination, we should be able to find them.”

Su Xiaoxiao rubbed against Han Cheng again and said, “I really didn’t expect that Comrade Han Cheng from our family was from a landlord family. I’m looking forward to a life of luxury. By the way, Han Cheng, is Uncle Zhang’s house considered a three-room or four-room courtyard?”

“Three rooms,” Han Cheng said. “The main room was where we had dinner just now, and when we walked through it, we had three entrances. Beyond that is the side room. There’s no fourth entrance.”

Su Xiaoxiao didn’t really understand the concept of one-room, two-room, three-room, or four-room courtyards. She just casually asked, “If a three-room courtyard is this big, how big would a four-room one be?”

Han Cheng explained, “A quadrangle courtyard is just an architectural style. It has rooms on all four sides with the entrance facing the courtyard. The number of entrances only indicates the layout, and it also depends on the size. Although Uncle Zhang’s courtyard has fewer entrances, it has more rooms. There are two rooms in each of the side rooms here. Some four-room courtyards might be long but shallow, with only one room in each section, so they might appear large but aren’t necessarily so.”

Su Xiaoxiao started to grasp the idea: “Then let’s buy one with a wider floor area, not separated. I don’t want it to be separated. I think one room or two rooms is fine. The key is the size. I don’t like the feeling of going through several gates into a deep courtyard. I want all the children to live in one courtyard, where you can see everyone by opening the door. That’s the best.”

Han Cheng kissed the top of her head and said, “It’s up to you. Whatever you like.”

Su Xiaoxiao was actually a bit drowsy and said, “Han Cheng, you’re so kind. We also need to plant pomegranate and osmanthus trees in the yard. I like the fragrance of osmanthus in August.”

As Su Xiaoxiao spoke, she fell asleep.

Han Cheng kissed her hair, carefully put her down, reached out, and pushed her bangs aside. He kissed her forehead and curled his lips, saying, “Good night, my Xiaoxiao.”

……..

The night passed without further noises. It was their first night in Beijing, and everyone slept well.

Uncle Yang indeed got up again in the middle of the night to add more charcoal, so by dawn, everyone’s kang was still warm.

But there was a small incident the next morning. The climate in Beijing was indeed too dry. Both Xiao Doubao and Xiao Fantuan woke up with nosebleeds, much to Su Xiaoxiao’s alarm. She quickly brewed a pot of chrysanthemum and pear tea for the children to drink as water.

Uncle Yang made crystal osmanthus cakes that Xiao Tangyuan loved, and he also went out early to buy fried dough twists that Xiao Zhuzi liked and everyone enjoyed, accompanied by homemade soy milk for a satisfying breakfast.

After breakfast, everyone went their separate ways. Han Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao wanted to visit the old house first, while Grandpa and his family took several well-wrapped children out to explore Beijing.

The four adults and five children got into the car that had picked them up yesterday, heading out in a grand manner.

Hand in hand, Su Xiaoxiao and Han Cheng walked through the cold winter alleyways. 

How would you describe this feeling? It was like a unique feeling.

As they passed by the crooked-necked old locust tree, Su Xiaoxiao stopped to take a few more glances and said, “It would be perfect if it could snow now.”

As soon as Su Xiaoxiao finished speaking, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Su Xiaoxiao reached out to catch the snowflakes, delighted like a child. “It’s snowing, Han Cheng; it’s really snowing!” Was she the apple of God’s eye? She was given too much face. 

Han Cheng smirked, affectionately watching his wife, “Let’s walk a bit faster. The snow will get heavier.”

Han Cheng’s old house and Zhang’s house are only separated by two alleys; just walk for ten to eight minutes and you’ll be there.

Standing in front of the elegant Ruyi Gate, which exuded an even grander aura than the Zhang family’s, Su Xiaoxiao could feel the profound heritage of this mansion. Just by looking at the Ruyi Gate, the intense weight of history came rushing forth, and one could imagine how many untold stories lay hidden beyond the courtyard walls.

Su Xiaoxiao was about to say something when suddenly, the Ruyi Gate before her creaked open. ^[1]The Ruyi Gate (如意门) is a traditional Chinese architectural feature often found in ancient residences, gardens, and imperial palaces. It typically consists of an ornate, curved entrance gate … Continue reading

Su Xiaoxiao was startled and hugged Han Cheng, looking at him with a frightened expression. Wasn’t it said that the mansion had been vacant for many years? Why would there be someone coming out from inside?

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Ruyi Gate is something like this.

This the the example of 4 room/ quadrangle courtyard

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