Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The morning chill seemed to still linger on the bicycle handlebars. Wei Chen pedaled hard, his breath stretching and dissipating in the cold wind. The tall gatehouse of the steel rolling mill came into view, and the entrance was already bustling with people. After parking his bike and pulling his cotton-padded coat tighter, he strode towards the gray brick building housing the purchasing department.

Pushing open the peeling wooden door of the three offices, a wave of heat, a mixture of cheap tobacco, roasted sweet potato aromas, and a warm, bustling atmosphere, hits you.

Wei Chen was taken aback—surprisingly, everyone was there today! Usually at this time, it would be good if there were two or three people in the office; the others would have already gone out to use their skills to run connections and secure supplies despite the cold wind.

At this moment, the fire in the stove inside the house was burning brightly, the tin stove was glowing red, and several sweet potatoes with charred skin were roasting on the stove lid, emitting a sweet aroma.

Zhao Dashan, Liu Guoqing, Hu Songnian, and the others sat around the stove, slurping hot water from enamel mugs, chatting animatedly. Even Jin Dong, the usually elusive and shrewd old man, was unusually huddled in a corner, pretending to be engrossed in a crumpled newspaper.

"Hey! Our hero has arrived!" Liu Guoqing, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot Wei Chen and immediately shouted at the top of his lungs, his face beaming with smiles.

"Hero! Hero!" Wu Xiaojun cheered, clapping his hands vigorously. "Quick! Wei Chen, we've saved you a warm spot by the stove! Come and warm yourself up!"

Old Zhao put down his enamel mug, his eyes crinkling into slits with a smile: "Little Wei, thanks to you! Thanks to you! If it weren't for you getting that batch of good stuff, we brothers would probably be starving in some corner right now, having to watch our backs! How could we be sitting here by the stove, warming ourselves, with the leisure to chat?"

Jin Dong also looked up from behind the newspaper, a rare smile appearing on his face, and nodded to Wei Chen: "That's right, Wei Chen, you've really given our third team leader a lot of face this time! Deputy Factory Director Li mentioned it to me yesterday."

Wei Chen was a little embarrassed by the sudden enthusiasm. He took off his cotton gloves and patted the cold off his body as he walked over with a smile: "Brother Zhao, Brother Liu, Brother Hu, Brother Jin, don't flatter me. It was just luck, pure luck! The hunters in the mountains got it, I just picked up the stray and ran an errand."

"A lucky find?" Xiao Wang exclaimed dramatically, "Wei Chen, this is an incredible find! Twenty-eight heads! That's twenty-eight mountains of meat! Can you share some of that luck with me? I don't ask for much, just one head will do!" His words drew laughter from the crowd.

Old Zhang leaned closer to Wei Chen, lowered his voice, and said with barely concealed joy, "Little Wei, whether it's luck or skill, the benefits are in our hands! Team Leader Liu tipped us off this morning, and we exceeded the target this time. The higher-ups are happy, and our entire third team will get a raise at the end of the month!"

He held up a few fingers, gesturing a number, "This amount! Enough to buy a few pounds of meat, and some cheap liquor, so my wife and kids can have some fun!" His face showed genuine satisfaction and gratitude.

"Exactly!" Old Zhao chimed in, rubbing his frozen hands vigorously. "At this time of year, who wasn't frowning and begging? We'd run our legs thin and our skin raw, and still might not get enough. This year is different. Thanks to Wei Chen, we can be 'stationary merchants' for a few days before the New Year! We can stay peacefully in the factory, warming ourselves by the fire, drinking water—it's like living in paradise!"

His words echoed everyone's sentiments, and they all nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with sincere gratitude as they looked at Wei Chen. This was not just a prize money, but a rare respite and peace of mind in the dead of winter.

Just as things were getting lively, the door was pushed open again, and team leader Liu Yuan walked in, shivering from the cold. Seeing the room packed with people, he was clearly taken aback for a moment, then a rare smile spread across his face: "Wow! Did the sun rise in the west today? So everyone's here? Unbelievable! Unbelievable indeed!" His voice was loud and clear, radiating a friendly and cheerful tone.

"Team leader!" "The boss is here!" Everyone greeted them with smiles. They squeezed together around the stove, making room to get closer to the fire.

Liu Yuan didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled over an old chair and joined in, stretching his reddened hands to the stove to warm them, and sighed contentedly.

"It's good that everyone's here," he said, glancing around before finally looking at Wei Chen with undisguised approval. "Perfect timing. I ran into Deputy Factory Director Li at the factory office earlier, and he specifically mentioned Wei Chen." As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes immediately focused on Wei Chen.

Liu Yuan warmed his hands, his face beaming with pride: "Deputy Factory Director Li said that the batch of wild boars Wei Chen brought back this time really solved our urgent problem and did a great job! Guess what?"

He paused deliberately, whetting everyone's appetite, "This batch of wild boar meat, the canteen has carefully budgeted, and it's enough to cover more than half a month's pork ration! Adding the share delivered by the meat processing plant according to plan, this year, every employee in our steel rolling mill will get half a pound more pork than in previous years!"

"Wow!" "Half a pound?!" "Really? Team leader!" The office erupted in cheers. These days, half a pound of pork means an extra plate of hearty, oily dish for an ordinary family's New Year's Eve dinner, it means the kids can have a treat, and it means a more flavorful and exciting New Year! It's a real benefit, a warmth that touches the heart!

"Of course it's true!" Liu Yuan nodded firmly. "Vice Factory Director Li said it himself, how could it be false? The factory has already made the arrangements. So," he looked at Wei Chen again, his eyes full of praise, "Wei Chen, your contribution has benefited tens of thousands of employees and their families throughout the factory! Vice Factory Director Li asked me to commend you on his behalf and on behalf of the factory!"

All eyes were once again focused, this time filled with even deeper respect and gratitude. The weight of this achievement was immense.

Wei Chen felt his face flush under their gazes and quickly waved his hand, his tone sincere: "Team leader, you and Deputy Factory Director Li are too kind. It was really just a coincidence. It's mainly because the factory leaders are good at coordinating and the canteen chefs are good at planning that this meat can play such a big role. I just ran errands and got lucky."

"Look, look! How humble!" Old Hu slapped his thigh. "Young man, not arrogant or impatient, good!"

"That's right, Wei Chen's character is impeccable!" Everyone echoed in agreement.

Because the procurement task was completed ahead of schedule and exceeded, and with the Spring Festival approaching, the three teams had a rare period of leisure. Despite the cold weather, everyone was happy to stay in the warm office. The stove roared, and the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes filled the air.

Some people were flipping through old newspapers, some were drinking hot water and chatting about factory anecdotes and neighborhood gossip, and some were resting with their eyes closed. Occasionally, bursts of laughter would erupt, dispelling the winter's gloom. Time slipped by quietly in this rare tranquility and warmth.

Wei Chen's heart was always with his family. As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the workday in the afternoon, he was the first to grab his cotton hat and put it on his head, hurriedly said goodbye to his colleagues, and rushed out of the factory gate with his bicycle.

The cold wind stung his face like knives, yet he pedaled furiously. The brand-new bicycle wheels made a light, rustling sound on the frozen pavement. His mind was filled with thoughts of his mother and sister: Had his mother not slept well last night? Would she still feel strange at home today? How was his sister doing playing with the grass and stones? Could his mother handle the people in the yard?

He arrived almost at the perfect time, becoming one of the first group of office workers to return to work in the alley in front of the courtyard. After smiling and greeting a few middle-aged women chatting idly at the gate, he eagerly pushed his cart through the gate.

Passing through the front yard and just reaching the moon gate in the middle courtyard, one can hear bursts of laughter and chatter coming from inside. The clear voices of children are mixed with the cheerful laughter of women, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Wei Chen felt a sense of relief and unconsciously slowed his pace. He quietly peeked into his own small courtyard.

The scene before him startled him slightly, and then a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

The small courtyard has been completely transformed, looking nothing like the one he left in the morning. The odds and ends that used to be piled up in the corner are gone.

The vegetable patch that Wei Chen had used to grow cabbages and radishes, which had become somewhat uneven after the harvest, was now neatly trimmed, the soil finely raked, exuding a warm, carefully tended feel. Clearly, his mother had brought her hoe and rake, tools she'd used for half her life, to show off her skills.

The few rows of scallions and a small patch of cold-resistant spinach that Wei Chen had planted before were also tended to again. The roots of the scallions were carefully covered with new soil and pressed firmly.

The most conspicuous thing is that simple plastic sheet "greenhouse" - originally, it was just a few thin bamboo strips bent into an arch shape by Wei Chen, and then covered with an old plastic sheet. It was crooked and could barely protect the seedlings.

Now, the "greenhouse" looked much more presentable! The bamboo strips had clearly been reselected; they were thicker, inserted deeper and more firmly, and spaced evenly. The plastic sheeting was stretched taut, and the edges were carefully secured with broken bricks, forming a real small greenhouse that, although low, was much neater and more sturdier.

The meager patch of green inside the shed appeared much more vibrant under this carefully constructed shelter. The entire courtyard, from the ground to the corner, exuded a neat and tidy feel, as if it had been meticulously tended by hardworking hands; even the marks left by the broom were clearly visible.

Wei Chen could easily picture his mother bustling about. She must have rolled up her sleeves immediately after seeing him off, employing all her skills from her rural days tending the crops. In her eyes, this small courtyard was her new responsibility field.

Let's go back to the morning, after Wei Chen left!

Wang Xiulan stood by the moon gate until the sound of the bicycle was completely gone before slowly withdrawing her gaze and gently closing the gate.

The cool morning light bathed the small courtyard, and all around was quiet except for a few sparrows chirping under the eaves. The unfamiliarity of being a newcomer and a slight sense of bewilderment, like the chill of winter, quietly spread.

She took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to suppress the subtle feeling of unease that was creeping over her. No, she couldn't stay idle; when people are idle, they tend to overthink.