Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Sha Zhu seemed to be startled awake and noticed Wei Chen. A fleeting look of embarrassment at being caught red-handed crossed his face, but he quickly put on his signature carefree smile and his voice returned to its usual booming tone: "Wei Chen? When did you get back? Is the new house all set up? Didn't Third Uncle say you weren't planning on starting a fire?" He tried to cover up his earlier blunder with the topic.

"Just got back, everything's ready." Wei Chen smiled and nodded in response, his gaze calmly sweeping over the lunchbox in Qin Huairu's hand, then looking at Sha Zhu, "Hello, sister-in-law, Brother Zhu." His tone was neither humble nor arrogant.

"Alright, you two keep chatting, I need to hurry back and cook, Bang Geng must be starving." Qin Huairu smiled at Wei Chen and Sha Zhu, swaying her slender yet voluptuous waist, and turned back to the Jia family's slightly cramped little house with light steps, leaving a faint, cheap scent of soap lingering in the air.

Sha Zhu's gaze seemed to be drawn by an invisible thread, following Qin Huairu's retreating figure until the door creaked shut, at which point he reluctantly looked away.

When she turned to Wei Chen, that infatuation quickly faded, replaced by the warmth she showed to "one of her own": "How's it going? Are you comfortable living in your little courtyard? Uncle San is complaining all over the yard, saying you're stingy, you can't even afford to put on a meal?"

Wei Chen followed Sha Zhu towards the main house of his family, saying as they walked, "Brother Zhu, tomorrow some relatives from the countryside are coming to visit. It'll just be my grandparents, uncles, and aunts, no outsiders. I was thinking of cooking a meal at home and asking you, Brother Zhu, the professional chef, to cook a few hearty dishes to make a good impression. What do you think? The price is negotiable."

As they spoke, the two entered Sha Zhu's house. The house was filled with the mixed smells typical of bachelors—sweat, cooking fumes, and leftover food. The furniture was slightly messy.

Sha Zhu plopped down in the gleaming old rattan chair, crossed his legs, and immediately perked up at the mention of cooking, especially since it was Wei Chen who had offered the job. He straightened his back a bit: "Just family? No problem! I'll take care of it! How many dishes do you want? What's the standard? Any special requirements?"

"Brother Zhu, you're the expert. Just arrange it as you see fit. Do it in a presentable way. We have some real good stuff at home," Wei Chen threw out the key bait, "Just brought it back, it's fresh! Half a wild boar's rump, still attached to a thigh!"

"Wow! Wild boar meat?!" Sha Zhu's eyes lit up instantly. As a cook, he had an almost instinctive excitement and professional sensitivity to good ingredients. "This is a real delicacy! It's good stuff! If cooked well, it'll be much more fragrant than farmed pork! It'll be chewy and flavorful!"

He rubbed his hands together excitedly, as if he could already smell the aroma of meat. His mind raced, "With this solid meat as a foundation, things will be much easier! Let's make eight big bowls! Impressive! A big bowl of braised wild boar, rich in soy sauce, tender and flavorful! Then slice off some lean meat and stir-fry it with chili peppers and scallions, spicy and delicious!"

We need a chicken, right? For good luck, a light and refreshing poached chicken or a hearty chicken stew with mushrooms, depending on your relatives' tastes! We also need fish, for "abundance year after year"! Get a fresh carp, make it sweet and sour, golden and glistening, it looks festive!

Add a few hearty dishes to go with rice: stir-fried liver tips, so tender! Stir-fried pork with shredded pork, so fresh! Smash cucumber and mix with cold noodles, refreshing and not greasy! Finally, make a fruit soup to fill in the gaps! All done! I guarantee your relatives will eat until their mouths are greasy and go home with a thumbs up!" He talked animatedly, listing the dishes as if they were his own treasures, his face radiating absolute confidence in his culinary skills.

Listening to Sha Zhu's arrangement of a balanced mix of meat and vegetables, hot and cold dishes, Wei Chen thought to himself that this was indeed authentic and elegant, befitting the Tan family cuisine. He nodded and said simply, "Brother Zhu, you've made a good arrangement! Let's do it your way! I'm really not good at buying groceries and preparing these things; I'm completely clueless. I'm afraid of buying the wrong things and causing trouble, and I'm also afraid of being ripped off."

As he spoke, he pulled out two crisp five-yuan bills from his pocket and handed them over. "Brother Zhu, here's ten yuan. Could you please make a trip early tomorrow morning to get all the vegetables and meat you need? Buy whatever you need, pick the best. I won't give you any more if it's not enough," he paused, looking into Sha Zhu's eyes.

Sha Zhu stared at the ten yuan handed to him, clearly stunned. In Beijing these days, hiring someone to cook a decent eight-course meal with chicken and fish would cost at most five yuan, and the host would usually have to prepare the chicken, fish, and other large dishes themselves.

Wei Chen simply tossed him ten yuan to handle everything—that's quite generous of him! This trust and openness made Sha Zhu feel very comfortable and pleased.

"Hey! Brother Wei Chen! That's straightforward! Generous!" Sha Zhu grinned, revealing a set of not-so-perfect but sturdy teeth. Without any pretense of refusal, he readily accepted the money, flicked the banknotes with his fingers, and casually stuffed them into the pocket of his greasy, tattered work pants. "Alright! Don't worry about it! Leave it to me, He Yuzhu! Tomorrow morning, at the Dongdan market, I'll pick the freshest, most vibrant produce! Chicken, duck, fish, meat, seasonal vegetables—everything! I'll make sure you get a presentable meal! You'd better get yours!"

He patted his chest, making a loud thud, his current forthright and righteous demeanor a stark contrast to the infatuated look he had given Qin Huairu by the sink just moments before. Aside from involving Widow Qin, Sha Zhu's inherent sense of chivalry and loyalty, typical of men from Beijing, was still quite reliable.

"Oh, right, I've put the wild boar meat on the kitchen cutting board, covered with an oilcloth. Brother Zhu, you can handle it however you like," Wei Chen added.

"Alright! You can rest assured leaving it to me!" Sha Zhu waved his hand confidently. "I guarantee it will be put to good use and its fragrance will travel for miles!"

"Thank you very much, Brother Zhu! I'll be counting on you for tomorrow!" Wei Chen smiled, clasped his hands in a fist salute, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then took his leave.

Stepping out of Sha Zhu's slightly cluttered little house, he walked through the courtyard gradually enveloped in twilight and the aroma of food. Behind the moon gate, the warm, orange light emanating from his own east courtyard, along with the faint, curious laughter of his mother and sister, gently drew him in like an invisible thread. Pushing open the brand-new moon gate, the scene in the courtyard warmed his heart.

Mother Wang Xiulan was standing by the tap, filling a brand-new white enamel basin with blue rims with water. Wei Ran followed her around like a little tail, chattering about all the discoveries she had made in their new home.

"Xiao Chen, come back. This new house is wonderful in every way, even the water is so convenient!" Her gaze swept over the clean courtyard, the warm stove, and her daughter's excited face, her voice filled with boundless hope for their new life. "The water's almost boiling, let's make some noodles tonight. Later, your sister and I are going to take a good bath to wash up and get rid of all this fatigue!"

In the kitchen, the flame of the oil lamp flickered, casting shimmering shadows on Wang Xiulan's face, which bore the marks of time. She was using a newly bought gourd ladle to scoop up clear tap water and carefully rinse two new iron pots.

In the stove, the embers of firewood emitted a lukewarm warmth, dispelling the slight chill of the early summer night. Dinner was nothing more than boiled noodles in water, with a few drops of newly bought lard and a sprinkle of salt, yet the three of them ate with exceptional relish, even drinking the broth clean. At the dinner table, Wei Chen brought up the matter of hosting guests the next day.

"Mom, tomorrow Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, and Third Uncle will be coming from the village to visit us," Wei Chen put down his bowl, his voice filled with anticipation for the reunion. "I'm thinking of having a meal at home."

Wang Xiulan stopped clearing the dishes, a hint of instinctive worry flashing across her face. She frowned slightly: "Set up a table at home? That...that would take so much effort! Our stove and pots are all new, and we just got all the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar we need..." She habitually calculated the cost of firewood, rice, oil, and salt.

"It's alright, Mom," Wei Chen said firmly, with a reassuring tone. "We have a master chef right here in our compound, He Yuzhu, the head chef of the steel mill's canteen. Everyone calls him 'Silly Zhu,' but his skills are unmatched in the factory!"

He gave a thumbs-up and shook it. "I've already discussed it with him. He'll come over first thing tomorrow morning, and he'll help me with the vegetables and meat too. We'll just lend a hand and take care of our relatives."

Upon hearing that it was a master craftsman from the steel rolling mill, Wang Xiulan's tense nerves relaxed a little, but her thrifty instincts made her lower her voice and mutter, "Hiring a master craftsman...that must cost a fortune, right? Chen'er, we've just settled down, we can't be too extravagant..." Her rough fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes. She had thought Wei Chen...

"Mom, don't worry," Wei Chen said with a gentle smile, his composure leaving no room for doubt. "They're family. Brother Zhu is a genuine person; he doesn't stand on ceremony. Besides..."

He paused, lowering his voice further, but with an undeniable weight, "This is the first time we've invited our elders to dinner in our new home. If it's too shabby, won't Grandpa and Grandma worry that we're not doing well in the city? We have to make a good impression."

These words struck a chord with Wang Xiulan, both a mother and daughter-in-law. She remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded, only instructing, "Well... alright then. Mom, get up early tomorrow and tidy up the yard a bit more."

After getting ready, Wang Xiulan pulled the sleepy but still excited Wei Ran to the west wing room—the bathroom that amazed her.

Turning on the gleaming faucet, watching the clear water stream gurgle and sing as it poured into the brand-new white-and-blue-rimmed enamel basin, both mother and daughter wore expressions of careful appreciation.

After preparing the warm bathwater and closing the thick, airtight wooden door, the small space was instantly shut out from the outside world, leaving only steamy vapor.

Wang Xiulan carefully washed her daughter, her movements gentle. Wei Ran curiously splashed water, her giggles echoing crisply between the tiled walls.

Washing away their fatigue, changing into clean undergarments, and feeling refreshed, Wei Ran returned to her room. Like a little bird returning to its nest, she happily crawled into her own bed, hugged the new quilt that smelled of sunshine, sighed contentedly, and almost immediately drifted into a sweet dream.

Wang Xiulan lay on the spacious bed, with a thick, soft mattress beneath her. Her fingertips traced the smooth surface of the blankets, and she listened to the occasional chirping of summer insects outside the window. She felt a sense of peace and security she had never experienced before, and her eyelids gradually grew heavy.