December 1952, Si Jiu City.
The wind howled in Nan Luo Gu Xiang, snowflakes swirling in the air.
Luo Xiao Qing lay in bed, his breath shallow, his hands involuntarily reaching out, tracing the air, as if searching for something.
In the backyard, Luo Hui Zhen sat beside the bed, tears streaming down her face.
"Dodo, Guoguo, come here and see your brother one last time."
"Brother!"
A pair of frail twin sisters approached the bed, looking at their ailing brother, and burst into uncontrollable sobs.
Seeing Dodo and Guoguo, Luo Xiao Qing's mind flashed back to three years ago, when he was found by these two little girls.
It was a snowy winter day, just like today, when Dodo and Guoguo were only four years old.
They were playing in the alleyway of the courtyard when they stumbled upon something:
A lifelike snowman stood beside the snowdrift.
The twin sisters, clad in thin, patched cotton coats, ran to the snowman and excitedly played around it.
"This snowman is so tall!"
"Sister, let's bring it home, okay?
Then we can play with it in the courtyard every day!"
"Okay!"
The twins' hands were red and chapped from the cold.
They tried their best to move the snowman, but as the snow fell, they revealed a frozen Luo Xiao Qing.
Dodo and Guoguo wailed in fear. Their mother, Luo Hui Zhen, rushed out when she heard the commotion.
Seeing the frozen Luo Xiao Qing, even though their family was on the verge of starvation,
she brought him home and cared for him with all her heart.
Later, they learned that Luo Xiao Qing was an orphan separated from his parents during the war.
Luo Hui Zhen had an idea.
As a single mother with twin daughters, she was vulnerable and often targeted in the courtyard.
It would be good to have a man in the house to protect them.
Plus, Luo Xiao Qing also shared the same surname, Luo. Luo Hui Zhen thought it was a sign from heaven!
Thus, Luo Xiao Qing became the adopted son of the Luo family.
Luo Hui Zhen treated him like her own son. Dodo and Guoguo got whatever Luo Xiao Qing got.
They always made sure Luo Xiao Qing ate first.
When Luo Xiao Qing turned twenty, Luo Hui Zhen went through great lengths to arrange a marriage for him.
The girl was Qin Huai Ru from Qin Jia Village.
But Qin Huai Ru was exceptionally beautiful. Jia Dong Xu fell head over heels for her at first sight.
Yi Zhong Hai, to ensure his apprentice Jia Dong Xu could get married.
Stepped in and took her for himself.
Luo Xiao Qing was devastated and fell seriously ill for over a year.
They spent all their savings to pull Luo Xiao Qing back from the brink of death.
Three years later, Luo Hui Zhen arranged another marriage for Luo Xiao Qing. The girl was Bai Ling, a police officer.
The two families were not a good match, but Luo Xiao Qing had saved Bai Ling's life while hunting.
It could be considered a love story.
But who would have thought?
Bai Ling had only been in the courtyard for half a day when they were about to go get their marriage certificate.
Someone whispered something to her.
Bai Ling immediately broke off the engagement with Luo Xiao Qing.
Then, she left to study in Moscow.
Never to be heard from again.
And so, Luo Xiao Qing fell ill again.
Which brought us to this moment, with Luo Xiao Qing lying in bed, tracing the air, as if searching for something.
Luo Hui Zhen cried uncontrollably, watching her weakened son.
Xu Fu Gui and Liu Hai Zhong in the backyard shook their heads and sighed:
Xu Fu Gui: "This Luo Xiao Qing is just unlucky!
With his hunting skills, he could have easily made Luo Hui Zhen's family live comfortably.
He was too obsessed with marriage!"
Liu Hai Zhong: "Who says otherwise? But if Luo Xiao Qing passes, his room won't belong to the Luo family, right?"
Xu Fu Gui's eyes gleamed. He whispered: "Old Yi and the Yan family in the front yard are all eyeing it!
This house was bought by Luo Xiao Qing with his hunting earnings.
Although Luo Hui Zhen took him in, they never registered his household.
The three old men of the courtyard have the right to decide the fate of the house.
I heard that the deaf old lady wants this house. It's spacious, with large windows. It would be perfect to connect with her room."
Xu Fu Gui and Liu Hai Zhong had their own motives for saying all this.
After all, Xu Fu Gui's son Xu Da Mao was of marriageable age.
They needed a house.
Liu Hai Zhong had three sons, and they also needed the house.
Yan Bu Gui's eldest son was also of marriageable age.
If Xu Fu Gui didn't stir up trouble in the courtyard, where would they get a chance?
Liu Hai Zhong snorted: "The old lady lives alone. How much space does she need?
I say, the most needy family in our backyard should get it!"
Liu Hai Zhong had already planned it. Once Luo Xiao Qing kicked the bucket.
He would use his official authority to coerce and bribe Luo Hui Zhen. Then, the house would be his!
"Brother..."
Dodo and Guoguo cried even louder.
Luo Hui Zhen began to wail as well.
As Luo Xiao Qing closed his eyes, a series of past and present events flashed in his mind.
He was a transmigrator.
A reincarnation, actually.
His biological father was a soldier fighting for the country. He was forced to leave Luo Xiao Qing with a peasant family.
His foster parents passed away when he was eighteen and told him to go to Si Jiu City to find his father.