Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After dinner, he chatted with his mother and sister for a while, mainly listening to Wei Ran chatter on about the fun she had playing with the grass and stones during the day.

As night deepened, the courtyard fell completely silent. Wang Xiulan and Wei Ran went to bed early. Wei Chen also returned to his room, lay down fully clothed, closed his eyes to rest, and breathed deeply, his mind highly focused, like the most sophisticated radar, silently covering the entire small courtyard.

Time ticked by. The chill of the winter night seeped in through the cracks in the window, and all was silent. When Wei Chen's mental detection revealed that his mother and sister's breathing had become even and deep, indicating they were fast asleep, he abruptly opened his eyes. His dark eyes held no trace of sleepiness, only a clear, lucid gaze.

He sat up silently, listened for a moment, and confirmed that there was no movement from the next room. Then, he landed on the ground as lightly as a feather, without making a sound.

Reaching the window, he gently pushed it open a crack, and with a swift movement, he vaulted out like a cat. His toes touched the windowsill, and he leaped into the air, like an owl spreading its wings, silently clearing the not-so-high courtyard wall and landing steadily in the shadows of the alleyway outside.

The inky darkness provided the perfect cover. Wei Chen's internal energy flowed silently, instantly filling his limbs and bones. He no longer suppressed his speed; with a light tap of his toes on the ground, his body shot out like an arrow, disappearing into the deep darkness.

With the boost of his internal energy, he moved so fast that he left only a blurry black shadow as he flew through the quiet, deserted streets. Beneath his feet were potholed dirt roads and cold stone slabs, but he walked as if on flat ground, his speed even surpassing that of riding a bicycle during the day! The cold wind howled in his ears, but it could not dispel the secret excitement in his heart.

With his memory and keen senses, he quickly returned to the area on the edge of the city, an area exuding an aura of decay and secrecy—the Ghost Market.

In the distance, scattered, dim lights flickered like will-o'-the-wisps in the darkness, shadowy figures moved about, and whispers murmured like mosquitoes. Wei Chen didn't take the main road, but skillfully went around to the back, stopping in the shadow of a broken wall.

He held his breath, and his bones crackled and popped softly. His once well-proportioned and upright figure expanded as if inflated, his muscles bulging and stretching his cotton-padded clothes. The lines of his face became rugged and hard, and his eyes revealed a fierce and ruthless aura.

In the blink of an eye, the image of the "burly man" who had traded with Tiger Brother many times replaced Wei Chen's original handsome appearance.

He stretched his muscles a little to get used to his "iron tower"-like body before taking steady and powerful steps toward the dilapidated but relatively secluded houses behind the ghost market.

Pushing open the creaking, dilapidated wooden door, a stench of cheap tobacco mixed with dust assaulted the senses. Inside, a dim oil lamp flickered, its light erratic. Tiger was indeed already waiting there, wrapped in a worn military overcoat, squatting by a small brazier in the corner, warming himself by the fire, with two trusted henchmen sitting beside him.

Hearing the door open, the three men looked up warily. Upon seeing who it was, Tiger immediately put on a smile and stood up to greet them.

"Hey! Brother! You've finally arrived! Come on, warm yourself by the fire, this awful weather is freezing!" Tiger greeted him warmly, personally bringing over a broken stool.

"Brother Tiger, sorry to keep you waiting." Wei Chen said in a deliberately low and hoarse voice, and without any ceremony, he sat down with a thud, his tall body almost completely covering the small stool. He stretched out his large, fan-like hands to warm them over the brazier, his gaze sweeping over Brother Tiger.

"Hey, waiting for you, brother, was worth it, no matter how long!" Tiger rubbed his hands together, chuckled, and cut straight to the point without beating around the bush. "Brother, I didn't dare to neglect the matter you entrusted to me last time. I sent out a lot of people to inquire! Hard work pays off, and I actually found it for you!"

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of smugness, "It's in the next province, a county near the mountains. There used to be a pretty big mill there, but during the public-private partnership era, the owner had a falling out with the public representative, and feeling aggrieved, he simply closed down! All that equipment—the wheat mill, the corn mill, and the matching sieves—he's asking around to find a buyer!"

A glint flashed in Wei Chen's eyes, and he asked in a deep voice, "How's the stuff?"

"Don't worry! I'm reliable, brother!" Tiger patted his chest confidently. "I specifically asked a friend over there to check it out. The machine is old, used for a few years, but the owner used to make a living from this, so it's been meticulously maintained! The machine runs normally, hasn't had any major problems, and all the necessary parts are there! It's just covered in some dust; after cleaning it up, it'll be almost brand new!"

He held up two fingers: "The wheat grinder, they want this price, two thousand two! The corn grinder, cheaper, one thousand!"

He paused, observing Wei Chen's reaction. Seeing that the other's expression remained unchanged, he continued, "These are all solid prices. The owner was in a hurry to get rid of the business, and since it was an acquaintance who made the connection, they didn't dare to overcharge. As for me, I won't charge a separate delivery fee; both things together, three thousand five hundred yuan! I'll cover everything for you, guaranteeing it will be transported to Beijing intact! How about it, brother, is that a fair price?"

Three thousand five hundred yuan! Wei Chen quickly calculated in his mind. This price was indeed within his expectations, even lower than he had anticipated. An electric flour mill was definitely a scarce production material in this era, and getting it at this price was absolutely worthwhile.

He nodded slowly, his voice still low: "The price is alright. I trust Brother Tiger's work."

Tiger's smile widened: "That's great! Brothers are always so straightforward!"

Wei Chen changed the subject: "However, I'd like to pay this money in a different way."

Tiger was taken aback: "Oh? What you mean, brother..."

"Pork," Wei Chen uttered two words. "How about I use pork to pay for the three thousand five hundred?"

Tiger's eyes lit up instantly! Pork! This is a harder currency than cash! Especially recently, with the market supply becoming increasingly tight, black market pork prices have skyrocketed!

He nodded almost impatiently: "Yes! I'd love to! Brother, you're doing my business a favor!" He quickly started calculating in his mind.

"Brother, you know how it is these days, everything's going up in price!" Tiger said with a heartfelt expression. "In the ghost market, pork's selling for 2.5 yuan a pound! And there's no market for it! But between brothers, I'd never cheat you!"

He held up two fingers. "Live pigs! I'll buy them for two yuan a pound! You can ask around, it's absolutely fair! Three thousand five hundred yuan is one thousand seven hundred and fifty pounds of pigs! Brother, the pigs you used to deliver were all over three hundred pounds each, five or six would be enough! How about it?"

Buying live pigs for two yuan a pound? Wei Chen sneered inwardly. This Tiger Brother was indeed shrewd, his calculations were spot on. Black market pork was two and a half yuan or even higher; he bought live pigs for two yuan each, then slaughtered them, making a huge profit.

However, this price was still acceptable to Wei Chen. The pigs in his spatial dimension cost him almost nothing. Being able to exchange pork for the much-needed machinery saved him the risk and hassle of cash transactions and maintained this important channel was worthwhile.

"Okay," Wei Chen readily agreed, "We'll do as Brother Hu says."

"Great!" Tiger was overjoyed, slapping his thigh hard. "Then let's set a time and place?"

The two men discussed the matter in hushed tones. They finally agreed to meet at midnight three days later at an address provided by Tiger—an abandoned brick kiln in the suburbs. Tiger would hide the two electric grinders in a relatively dry corner deep inside the kiln beforehand.

"This is the key to the door of a dilapidated house next to the brick kiln," Tiger said, pulling a rusty brass key from his pocket and handing it to Wei Chen. "You can transport the pigs there and then move the millstone. Our men will be there to collect the pigs at 1 a.m. sharp. To be on the safe side, let's not meet immediately after the transaction. At 2 p.m., still here," he pointed to the dilapidated house at his feet, "let's meet again, settle the accounts, and make sure anything is settled! Brother, do you think this arrangement is reliable?"

Wei Chen took the key; it was cold and heavy. Tiger's arrangement was indeed thoughtful, avoiding large-scale contact between the two sides while they were both present, thus reducing the risk. He nodded, "Tiger's thinking is thorough; let's do it that way."

With the business settled, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Tiger took out a cigarette and offered it to Wei Chen, but Wei Chen waved his hand, indicating he didn't want one. Tiger lit one for himself, took a drag, and through the swirling smoke, looked at Wei Chen's burly physique, asking with a hint of probing and a desire to build rapport, "Brother, we've done business together several times already, so we're practically old friends. I still don't know your name, brother. Would it be alright if I left a name? It'll be good to have someone to address you in the underworld."

Wei Chen remained silent for a moment, his mind racing. This persona would be a mask specifically for dealing with people like Tiger, so it definitely needed a code name. He spoke in a deep, rumbling voice, like muffled thunder: "Just call me Iron Tower."

"Iron Tower?" Tiger pondered the name for a moment, then looked at the other man's burly, iron-like physique and couldn't help but laugh, giving him a thumbs up. "Good! Good name! The man lives up to his name! Brother Iron Tower! From now on, that's what I'll call you!" Tiger was clearly very satisfied with this fierce yet somewhat rustic name.

"Hmm." Wei Chen responded, his burly body standing up, creating a gust of wind. "Brother Tiger, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now." His voice was deep, like muffled thunder rolling across the dilapidated house.

"Take care, brother! See you at the brick kiln in three days!" Tiger stood up and clasped his hands in a fist salute.