Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Xiao Chen! Look!" Wei Feng, the older brother, excitedly grabbed Wei Chen's arm, pointing to the busy figure. His voice was full of admiration and longing. "See that? That's the projectionist! From Beijing! From the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill! I heard he's a full-time worker, with government-subsidized food rations! He's really something!"

Wei Chen looked in the direction Wei Feng was pointing.

When his gaze fell upon that face, which was especially clear under the bright gas lamplight, Wei Chen felt his breath suddenly stop and his mind go blank, as if he had been struck by a silent thunderbolt!

Horse face! A long, narrow face, slightly protruding cheekbones, a signature shrewd and superior expression... He was all too familiar with this face! Although he hadn't watched every episode of that hit drama in that information-saturated era, the overwhelming fan fiction, short video clips, and memes had already deeply imprinted the distinctive characters in the show in his memory!

Xu Damao! Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill! Courtyard House!

A name, a unit, instantly connect all the clues, like scattered beads suddenly strung together by an invisible thread!

The overwhelming sense of absurdity and belated realization overwhelmed Wei Chen like icy seawater! He hadn't simply been reborn back to 1958; he had transmigrated into a specific film and television world called "Full House of Love"! That bustling, lively Beijing-style courtyard, where everyday life was filled with the warmth and coldness of human relationships, and countless schemes were also hidden within!

"Xiao Chen? What's wrong? Are you stunned?" Wei Feng saw Wei Chen staring with his eyes wide open and mouth agape, looking like he was in a daze, so he couldn't help but give him a push.

Wei Chen snapped back to reality, his heart still pounding in his chest, a complex and indescribable emotion surging within him.

Shock, bewilderment, a sense of absurdity, and... an irrepressible excitement? After all, knowing the "script" is better than being completely clueless.

He barely managed to suppress his turbulent emotions, took a deep breath, and feigned the curiosity of someone seeing a projectionist for the first time, his voice carrying a deliberately lowered excitement: "Brother, this guy looks really energetic! What's his name? Is he really from Beijing?"

"How could it be fake?" Wei Feng said with certainty. "His name is Xu Damao! He's the projectionist in the propaganda department of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. He's quite famous in our communes! He's a great film projectionist, and he's also very resourceful!"

At this moment, Uncle Wei Changsheng squeezed through the crowd, his forehead beaded with sweat, clearly having just settled his family and found a spot. "Xiao Chen, Fengzi! This way! I spoke with the village chief of Dongying Village, and he saved us a spot near the front. Come with me!" he called out as he pushed his way through the crowd.

Wei Chen followed his uncle into the crowd, but his eyes couldn't help but glance at Xu Damao, who was confidently adjusting the projector's focus. He lowered his voice and asked his uncle casually, "Uncle, I just heard Brother Feng say that the projectionist's name is Xu Damao? Is he really from the Red Star Steel Mill? Does he often come here to show movies?"

"Absolutely!" Wei Changsheng replied casually as he led his family inside. "Xu Damao, the projectionist! A key member of the propaganda department at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. He's skilled and well-connected. Every commune and brigade is vying to have him show movies. Getting him on the show requires connections and good hospitality!" His uncle's tone carried a hint of envy and awe for "city workers" and "rarely needed technical talents."

Wei Chen's heart was completely at ease. Xu Damao, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill—there was no more doubt! His mind raced, and he immediately grasped the information in his uncle's words, his face showing just the right amount of curiosity and longing for "projection technology": "Uncle, when will our village be able to invite Projector Xu to show a movie? That would be great! Let everyone in our village, young and old, see it for themselves, so we don't have to keep going to other villages to squeeze in."

"Hey, who wouldn't want to!" Wei Changsheng sighed. "That's why I brought some things with me today. After the movie ends, I'll find a chance to talk to the projectionist, Xu, and give him some of our village's goodwill. Whether it works out or not is another matter, but at least I'll get acquainted with him so it'll be easier to ask for his help later." He patted his bulging pockets.

Wei Chen's eyes lit up. This was the perfect opportunity to get close to Xu Damao and make his first contact with this core character of the "story world"! He immediately volunteered: "Uncle, let me go with you! I've never seen a projector before. It'll be a good opportunity to broaden my horizons and get to know Projectionist Xu!" He tried his best to make his expression sincere and enthusiastic, with the natural curiosity of a young man about "new things in the city".

Wei Changsheng glanced at Wei Chen, thinking that his nephew had become increasingly sensible and bold lately, unlike the other young men in the village who would cower in the presence of city officials. He nodded: "Alright! You're a clever lad, it's good that you're going along. But remember, speak less and be more observant; they're city people, they have many rules."

"Yes! I understand, Uncle!" Wei Chen readily agreed.

As they were talking, the uncle had already led them to a spot on the left side of the curtain panel. Although it wasn't in the exact center, the view was already quite good.

Mother Wang Xiulan and her aunts and uncles quickly invited the children to sit down, bringing out small stools, straw mats, and some even sitting directly on the straw mats they had brought. Wei Chen, Wei Feng, Wei Yan, and a few other young people stood at the back.

"Quiet down! Quiet down! The movie is about to start!" Village officials from Dongying Village stood in front of the screen with a tin megaphone, loudly maintaining order.

The clamor gradually subsided, leaving only a buzzing whisper and the children's excited panting. Hundreds of eyes, filled with eager anticipation, focused on the huge white cloth that swayed slightly in the night breeze.

Xu Damao straightened up, clapped his hands, and wore a professional, smug smile that suggested he was in control of the entire scene. He skillfully picked up a tin microphone (connected to a small speaker next to the projector), and his voice, amplified, rang out clearly in the now quiet threshing ground: "Comrades! Poor and lower-middle peasants! Good evening! I am Xu Damao, the film projectionist from the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill! Today, I am very happy to be here in Dongying Village to screen the revolutionary war film, 'Railway Guerrillas,' for you!" His voice was loud and clear, with a touch of city accent, and he immediately commanded attention.

"This film tells the heroic story of our brave Railway Guerrilla Force, under the leadership of the Party, who stealthily fought against the Japanese invaders along the railway lines! It praises the spirit of revolutionary heroism and showcases the indomitable will of the Chinese people to resist foreign aggression! We hope that everyone will receive profound revolutionary education while watching it, and be inspired to have greater enthusiasm for production and build our great socialist motherland!"

After a rather period-appropriate opening speech, Xu Damao was pleased to see the audience completely silent, everyone captivated. Only then did he calmly walk to the projector and press the switch.

"Tap tap tap tap..." The gears and motor inside the projector began to operate, emitting a rhythmic and clear mechanical noise. A bright beam of light shot out, piercing through the dust-filled air and projecting precisely onto the huge screen.

The projector screen first lit up with a dazzling white light, accompanied by the unique hissing sound of the film reel turning. Then, accompanied by the stirring and majestic melody of a march bearing the distinct mark of the era, the four powerful traditional Chinese characters of the title "Railway Guerrilla" appeared prominently in the center of the projector screen, along with a five-pointed star and a pattern of gears and ears of wheat!

"Oh—!" A huge cheer, full of amazement and excitement, erupted from the audience! Adults and children alike were captivated by the magical images, their eyes wide open, afraid of missing a single detail.

The interplay of black and white light and shadow, the roar of train whistles, the intense sounds of gunfire, and the figures of valiant soldiers... instantly transported everyone to a world of war and fervent passion.

Like everyone else, Wei Chen turned his gaze to the screen. Although the film's shooting techniques, picture quality, and acting style all bore a strong imprint of the era in his eyes, and were even somewhat "model-like," the pure revolutionary passion and the enthusiastic atmosphere of watching the film together still gave him a long-lost, simple and infectious feeling.

His younger sister, Wei Ran, gripped his hand tightly, her little fists clenched. Whenever she saw the guerrillas fiercely beating the Japanese soldiers, she would excitedly whisper, "Brother! Well done!"

The film unfolds at a tense and exciting pace. When the scene depicts guerrillas leaping onto a train and engaging in a thrilling battle with the enemy, the entire audience seems to hold their breath, with only the clatter of the projector and the soft hiss of the film reel echoing in the night air, accompanied by the film's own sound effects.

Wei Chen's mind wasn't completely absorbed in the moment. His gaze kept drifting to Xu Damao, who looked exceptionally busy and spirited amidst the interplay of light and shadow beside the projector.

Xu Damao was seen adjusting the lens focus at times, fanning the machine to cool it down (although it wasn't hot this season, these actions made him look exceptionally professional), and sometimes he would stand with his hands on his hips and survey the entire scene with a sense of superiority that indicated he was in control of everything.

Wei Chen's gaze swept over the open canvas tool bag at his feet, which seemed to be filled with film canisters and some odds and ends, with a military green water bottle next to it.

"Looks like this guy puts on airs no matter where he goes," Wei Chen thought to himself, while also figuring out how to approach him naturally later.

As the film neared its end, and the majestic end credits rolled, the image of the guerrillas marching proudly under their victory flag froze. When the screen lit up again with a white glow, the entire theater erupted in thunderous applause and cheers! The children, still wanting more, shouted, "One more! One more!"

Xu Damao skillfully turned off the projector and light source. As the gas lamp light returned to the dominant tone, the people who had been immersed in the world of light and shadow awoke as if from a dream, and began to noisily pack their things to go home. The crowd began to surge, and the scene became somewhat chaotic for a moment.