Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After finishing these tasks, Wei Chen walked to one side of the room, where a thick fire wall stood. This was a common heating system in northern China, a hollow brick wall connected to a stove or a dedicated hearth. The hot smoke from the combustion circulated through the wall, continuously releasing heat to warm the entire room. Wei Chen's fire wall was connected to a coal-fired stove in the corner of the room.

The weather was truly starting to get cold. The chill of the evening had become bitingly sharp by late at night. Although Wei Chen had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage and was immune to heat and cold, and the circulation of his internal true energy could dispel the low temperatures outside, he did not reject a warm and comfortable environment. More importantly, he did not want to appear like an oddity.

His mother and sister would be arriving in a month; they were ordinary people who needed warmth. In the future, perhaps a wife and children would come too… He couldn't let his “special” situation become a barrier or even a source of fear in his family's eyes. A warm home should have the warmth of everyday life and a comfortable comfort.

He opened the furnace opening beneath the fire wall, where unburnt coal nuggets still glowed a dark red. He picked up the fire tongs and skillfully added a few new, shiny black honeycomb briquettes.

The coal chunks pressed down made a slight "crunching" sound. Then, he used a shovel to scoop up the mixed wet coal (coal dust mixed with water and a small amount of yellow mud) from a bucket and carefully smeared it around the edge of the furnace opening, leaving only a fist-sized air inlet. He then covered it with a specially made cast iron cover plate with small holes. This was called "sealing the fire."

Sealing the furnace opening with wet coal slows down the burning process, allowing the fire to burn all night, saving coal and preventing a sudden drop in indoor temperature. Finally, he placed a kettle, mostly filled with water, steadily on the sealed furnace lid. The slight heat from the furnace will continuously heat the kettle, ensuring hot water for washing up by tomorrow morning.

Looking at the dim red light shining through the gaps in the damp coal in the furnace, and listening to the slight hissing sound of the kettle starting to heat up, Wei Chen nodded in satisfaction. He looked around the small house, which was becoming more and more like a "home," and his gaze fell on the pile of coal in the corner, which was already more than half burned off.

"We're running low on coal," he muttered to himself. "I'll have to go to the coal shop tomorrow and buy more. Winter's coming soon, so we need to stock up." Warmth is essential for getting through the winter, and he would never compromise on this for himself or his family who would be arriving soon.

Before going to bed, Wei Chen habitually pushed open the back door and walked into his small backyard. In the night, the outlines of the transplanted peach trees, jujube trees, and grapevines appeared tranquil under the moonlight.

He stretched out his finger and gently touched the peach tree. A faint, imperceptible green light seemed to flash from his fingertip.

Next came the jujube trees and grapevines. He then walked to the small vegetable garden that had been cleared out next to it and nodded twice more at the thriving cabbage and radish rows.

This is the application of "cultivation" in the real world. Unlike the magical effects of instant ripening in the game world, the laws of the real world are more powerful and stable.

In this context, cultivation techniques act more like a powerful, continuous plant growth promoter and a vital supplement. They significantly enhance plant vitality, promote root development, improve resistance to pests and diseases, optimize photosynthetic efficiency, and slowly nourish the plant's natural resources.

Therefore, although peach trees cannot flower and bear fruit in winter, it ensures that these trees, which should not have survived the transplanting season, not only survive but also have branches that are significantly thicker and buds that are fuller than their counterparts.

Although the winter vegetables in the garden, such as cabbage, radish, green onion, and chives, were sown later than in most households, they grew extremely rapidly and vigorously thanks to the continuous nourishment of planting techniques.

The Chinese cabbage has a tight head and thick, emerald green leaves; the radish tops are glossy, and the radish heads protruding from the soil are large and round; the chives were harvested, and within a few days, neat rows of new shoots sprouted, their color a deep green, looking fresh and vibrant.

This small vegetable garden, still vibrant and green even in early winter, has become a unique sight in the courtyard. It often attracts the envy of the neighbors, especially the shrewd and thrifty Uncle Yan Bugui, who loves to grow things. They marvel at it and secretly wonder what "secret recipe" Wei Chen used.

After finishing all this, Wei Chen returned to the warm house and turned off the lights. Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, the heated walls emitted a reassuring, continuous warmth, and the hissing of the kettle was like soothing white noise. He drifted off to sleep, his inner energy circulating freely, coexisting harmoniously with the warmth of the world's warmth and comfort.

As dawn broke, the courtyard awoke in the cold morning mist. Wei Chen's biological clock was very accurate; he woke up when the stove fire was almost extinguished and the room was still warm.

He threw back the covers, felt the coolness of the air, and walked to the stove. The wet coal at the stove opening had dried, hardened, and turned white, and the cast iron cover was warm. He lifted the cover; the dark red glow of the coal nuggets in the furnace had not yet completely faded.

He skillfully used the fire hook to pry open the seal of the wet coal, added a new piece of coal, and the fire quickly reignited, making a soft crackling sound. The kettle sitting on top of it was puffing out white steam; the water was already boiling.

Wei Chen mixed the hot water with cold water and finished washing up comfortably. Then, he took out a rough porcelain bowl, cracked an egg, and quickly whisked it into a smooth egg mixture with chopsticks before pouring in boiling water.

The egg mixture is instantly cooked by the scalding heat, turning into smooth egg flowers. Add a couple of drops of sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt. A simple yet fragrant, nutritious, and warming egg tea is ready.

He sat at the small dining table, enjoying the tranquility of the early morning as he slowly sipped his drink. The warm egg drop soup slid into his stomach, dispelling the last trace of morning chill and making him feel completely comfortable.

After getting ready, Wei Chen pushed his old bicycle out of the small house, ready to go to work. Just as he locked the door, he turned around and saw Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu pushing their bicycles out from the moon gate leading from the middle courtyard to the front courtyard.

"Good morning, Uncle. Good morning, Brother Jia." Wei Chen nodded with an impeccable, polite smile befitting a new neighbor, as he greeted them. He didn't want to have much interaction with these two, especially so early in the morning.

When Jia Dongxu saw Wei Chen, his eyes flickered, and he forced a somewhat awkward yet ingratiating smile.

He hurried a few steps to catch up with Wei Chen, leaned closer, and deliberately lowered his voice, speaking with a sincere tone: "Brother Wei Chen, good morning! I heard about what happened last night."

He rubbed his hands together, seemingly reluctant to speak. "It's all my fault! It's my fault, Jia Dongxu, for being incompetent and unable to earn money. That kid Banggeng, he's greedy and keeps asking for meat... Huairu, sigh, she was just worried about the child and in her haste, that's why... that's why she came to you to ask. I'm so sorry for putting you in this difficult position! I... I apologize on her behalf! Please don't take it to heart!"

Jia Dongxu spoke these words with heartfelt sincerity, positioning himself as a pitiful person who was "incompetent but caring for his family" and "heartbroken for his wife and children." If someone unaware of the situation heard him, they might even think he was reasonable and willing to take responsibility.

However, to Wei Chen, this made him roll his eyes inwardly. What a clever tactic of feigning retreat! What a convenient excuse of "apologizing on her behalf"! He absolved himself of all responsibility, shifting the blame entirely to Qin Huairu, who "felt sorry for the child," and the child's cravings, while also subtly hinting at his own "helplessness" of being "incompetent."

This apology, though seemingly sincere, is actually an attempt to elicit sympathy, even subtly implying, "My family is in such dire straits, shouldn't you help them?" It's utterly hypocritical.

Wei Chen's polite smile faded slightly, and his eyes turned cold. Just as he was about to speak, Yi Zhonghai, who was beside him, seemed to have been prepared all along and took over the conversation at just the right moment.

"Sigh, Dongxu!" Yi Zhonghai sighed heavily, his voice loud and clear, carrying the authority of an elder upholding justice. He patted Jia Dongxu's shoulder, as if comforting a wronged child, "Don't blame yourself too much! How can this be entirely your fault? Everyone in our compound knows you're a filial son and a devoted father! You've done your best for this family! It hasn't been easy!"

His words, seemingly meant to comfort Jia Dongxu, were actually a characterization of Jia Dongxu—he was a "good person," a "hard-working person," but "not having an easy time."

Immediately afterward, Yi Zhonghai changed the subject, his gaze sharpening as he turned to Wei Chen. His tone became earnest, carrying an undeniable air of "teaching": "Wei Chen, you haven't been in our courtyard for very long, so you might not know the situation yet. Our No. 95 Nanluoguxiang courtyard is a renowned civilized courtyard!"

For many years, we have upheld the glorious tradition of "respecting the elderly and caring for the young, helping each other"! It's only right that neighbors lend a hand when someone is in trouble! A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative! If you have the ability to hunt wild game and improve your life, that's excellent!

But as the saying goes, sharing happiness is worse than enjoying it alone. When we see our neighbors in trouble, especially families like the Jia family with elderly parents, young children, and Dongxu's pregnant wife, we should lend a hand when we're able. That's the good spirit of our courtyard house! Don't you agree?

Yi Zhonghai's words were grand and eloquent. He raised the glittering banner of "respecting the elderly and caring for the young, helping each other" high, then cleverly linked it directly to helping the "difficult" Jia family, and finally used "good customs in the courtyard" as the footnote, forming a perfect chain of moral blackmail logic.

He stared intently at Wei Chen, his face bearing a kind expression that said, "I'm doing this for your own good, for the good of the courtyard," as if Wei Chen's refusal would make him a sinner who disrupted unity and went against tradition.