Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Under the dim light, Wei Chen's profile was serene, his gaze focused intently on the egg flowers floating in the bowl, as if the noisy world was separated from him by an invisible barrier. Only the faint, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth revealed that his heart was not entirely calm.

He knew that from tonight onward, his place in this courtyard would be different. The peaceful days might be coming to an end. But so what? He was no longer the cautious, timid newcomer he once was.

He picked up the bowl and drank the last mouthful of warm egg drop soup. The warmth went down his throat to his stomach and dispelled the last bit of chill that was seeping in from outside the window.

The flames in the stove licked the bottom of the tin kettle, making a muffled gurgling sound, and the rising steam dispelled the last trace of chill in the room.

Wei Chen put the last bite of the crispy white steamed bun into his mouth and chewed it slowly with the pickled vegetables. The commotion outside about the wild boar and his name, separated by the doors and windows, became blurry and distant, as if separated by a thick curtain.

He got up and walked to the thick firewall that connected the bedroom and the kitchen. The firewall was hollow inside, made of blue bricks, and plastered with white lime on the outside.

Wei Chen skillfully opened the stove door located on one side of the kitchen, picked up two new coal briquettes with tongs, and carefully placed them into the burning coal pile deep inside the furnace.

The orange glow of the fire illuminated his serene face, and a stronger current of heat began to spread silently along the chimney inside the fire wall. The heat slowly radiated through the thick brick walls, and the temperature in the entire house quietly rose a few degrees. This was the wisdom of old northern houses in surviving the winter, and it was also the reliance of his small family to resist the severe cold.

Just as he closed the stove door and before he could even clear the dishes, a cautious knock sounded on the moon gate of the east courtyard, accompanied by Yan Bugui's deliberately lowered but still somewhat clear voice: "Wei Chen? Is Wei Chen home? It's me, your third uncle."

Wei Chen's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. The news traveled incredibly fast. He walked over and pulled the bolt on the moon gate.

As the door opened, Yan Bugui's thin face, framed by thick glasses, squeezed in. His face was plastered with an almost fawning smile, a stark contrast to the one he wore in the afternoon. The wrinkles around his eyes crinkled with laughter, and he carried a small cloth bag in his hand, the contents of which were unknown.

"Hey, Wei Chen, eating? Sorry to bother you!" Yan Bugui said, but his steps were very natural as he stepped in. His eyes quickly scanned the courtyard, glancing at the still steaming bowl of egg drop soup and the only dish of pickled vegetables on the table. A hint of inquiry and disappointment flashed in his eyes: "Is this all you're eating?", which was then replaced by a bigger smile.

"Uncle, please have a seat." Wei Chen pointed to a chair next to the table, while he leaned against the clean stove.

Yan Bugui didn't actually sit down, but merely symbolically leaned against the edge of the chair, leaning forward closer to Wei Chen. His voice was even lower, carrying an intimate tone as if sharing a secret: "Wei Chen! Amazing! Absolutely amazing! It's all over the front and back yards! They're saying you brought back a whole twenty-eight wild boars for our factory! Over eight thousand catties of meat! My goodness! This... this is an incredible achievement!"

He held up his thumb and waved it vigorously in front of Wei Chen, spitting almost onto Wei Chen's face. "In all my years, in our compound and the steel mill, I've never seen a young man as capable as you! Shooting a wild boar with a bow and arrow? Tsk tsk, that skill would make you general material in ancient times!"

While offering flattering words, he observed Wei Chen's expression. Seeing that Wei Chen was simply listening calmly without much smugness on his face, he became even more convinced that this kid was cunning and scheming.

Having laid the groundwork, Yan Bugui abruptly changed the subject, his face displaying just the right amount of embarrassment and expectation, his voice almost a whisper: "Um... Wei Chen... Third Uncle... has a favor to ask. You see... the factory has taken all the meat, but... do you... do you have any left over? Even just a little bit?"

You know, Uncle San's family is big, Jie Cheng, Jie Fang, and Jie Kuang are all half-grown boys, they've been eating me alive! With this freezing weather, we really need some food to keep us going... Don't worry, Uncle San won't take it for free! We'll do it at market price or black market price, it'll be fine! We'll do it secretly, you definitely won't lose out!" He stared nervously at Wei Chen's lips, as if gold could be spit out from there.

Looking at Yan Bugui's calculating yet carefully concealed demeanor, Wei Chen understood. He hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering it seriously, before slowly speaking, his voice also very low: "Third Uncle, what are you saying? The factory has a heavy workload this time, with a large purchase volume. The goods are all weighed and put into storage directly. How could I, a mere purchasing agent, dare to embezzle anything? That would be a mistake."

Yan Bugui's face instantly fell, his smile froze on his face, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

Wei Chen changed the subject: "However..."

Yan Bugui's heart jumped again, and he stared at Wei Chen expectantly.

"However, this time I've gotten to know the trails well and met a few honest hunters who make their living off the land. There are still about two weeks until the Lunar New Year, so it's still a bit early."

Wei Chen's tone carried a hint of negotiation, "How about this, Uncle, you wait a few more days. I'll find some time to contact my friends again and see if we can get some more mountain produce and game. If we have any extra meat then..." He paused deliberately, looking at Yan Bugui's eyes, which lit up instantly, "You can come to me secretly, and we'll discuss it further. This matter must be kept quiet, don't tell anyone."

What a stroke of luck! Yan Bugui felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, then was overwhelmed with immense joy. He was so excited he almost slapped his thigh, repeatedly saying, "I understand! I understand! Uncle San understands! Absolutely secretly! Don't worry, my mouth is sealed tight! Nobody can get a word out of me!"

He patted his chest confidently, his wrinkles smoothing out as if he could already smell the aroma of meat. That Wei Chen kid, he really knows his connections! He even knows how to lay low, so cautious! This deal is shrewd!

"Then it's settled." Wei Chen nodded.

"Okay! Okay! It's a deal!" Yan Bugui was overjoyed. Only then did he remember the small cloth bag in his hand, and he quickly handed it over. "Oh right, Wei Chen, I almost forgot about the important matter. The winter storage vegetables you asked me to buy, as soon as they were put out on the market, I picked out the best ones for you! They're all top-quality second-crop cabbages, so fresh and crisp! The potatoes and radishes are also big and undamaged!"

"Based on your family of three's needs, 120 catties of cabbage, 40 catties of potatoes, and 30 catties of radishes, not a single one less!" He turned and shouted towards the moon gate, "Jiecheng! Jiecheng! Carry the vegetables in for your brother Weichen!"

A voice answered from outside the door, and Yan Bugui's eldest son, Yan Jiecheng, squeezed in, carrying a huge, bulging burlap sack. The young man was covered in sweat, and the sack exuded the fresh, clean scent of earth and vegetables.

"Quick, put it at the kitchen door!" Yan Bugui ordered, then smiled at Wei Chen, "Don't worry about what I do! You definitely won't be shortchanged! The money... look..."

Wei Chen knew exactly what was going on. He pulled out the pre-prepared banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Yan Bugui without missing a single penny. Yan Bugui took them, expertly twirled them between his fingers, and then quickly tapped them against the light, his smile widening: "Perfect! Perfect! Wei Chen, would you like to count them?"

"No need, I trust Uncle San." Wei Chen waved his hand.

Yan Bugui carefully stuffed the money into his inner pocket, speaking politely, but his eyes, like hooks, couldn't help but glance several times towards Wei Chen's simple kitchen, especially at the steaming stove and empty dishes, as if hoping Wei Chen would politely say "Stay and have some," or that he might catch a whiff of meat. Unfortunately, Wei Chen simply stood politely at the door, making no attempt to invite him in.

Yan Bugui felt a slight sense of disappointment, but the thought of the possible "meat" in a few days quickly overshadowed it. He pulled the still-breathing Yan Jiecheng along, and said goodbye with a smile: "Alright, Weichen, you just got back, you must be tired, get some rest! The food is here, just let me know if you need anything! Jiecheng, let's go home!" The father and son quickly disappeared outside the moon gate.

After seeing the shrewd father and son off, Wei Chen bolted the moon gate. He glanced at the heavy sacks on the ground, then at the simple bowls and chopsticks on the table, and decided to deal with dinner first.

He quickly tidied the table, washed the dishes and chopsticks, and then went to the burlap sack. Untying the sack, he found, just as Yan Bugui had said, the cabbages were green and firm, the potatoes round and plump, and the radishes still covered in fresh soil.

Yan Bugui is meticulous when it comes to taking advantage of others, but when it comes to getting things done for money, especially when Wei Chen directly gave him cash, he does a really good job, and the quality is impeccable.

Wei Chen didn't rush to process the vegetables. He walked to the side of the kitchen, where there was a thick wooden door embedded in the ground, secured with a large brass lock. This was the small vegetable cellar he had specially dug next to the kitchen when he renovated the house. He unlocked the lock, lifted the heavy wooden door, and a cool, dry smell mixed with earth and lime rushed out.

The cellar wasn't large, only about ten square meters. When it was built, Wei Chen specifically requested strict waterproofing and moisture-proofing measures: the walls and bottom were first built with blue bricks, then plastered with a thick layer of rammed earth, followed by two coats of moisture-proof tung oil, and quicklime was sprinkled in the corners to absorb moisture. The roof was constructed with large logs as beams, covered with thick planks, and then topped with tar paper and a thick layer of soil, providing excellent insulation. This was, in fact, where he stored his grains and winter vegetables.

Wei Chen bent down and carefully carried the cabbages, potatoes, and radishes from the burlap sack into the cellar, arranging them neatly on the shelves against the wall. The temperature inside the cellar was significantly warmer than outside, making it ideal for long-term storage.