Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen held the enamel mug, the scalding heat warming his palms through the cup's surface, slowly dispelling the coldness and fatigue in his limbs. He waited until Director Wang's emotions had calmed down slightly before setting down the mug and carefully speaking, "Director Wang, there's something else I'd like to trouble you with."

"What is it? Tell me! As long as the neighborhood committee can handle it, I'll do it without hesitation!" Director Wang patted her chest. At this moment, Wei Chen was a great hero in her eyes, and she would agree to anything he asked.

"Here's the thing," Wei Chen sat up straight, "My mother and sister were brought to Beijing a few days ago, and you've already registered their household registration in our neighborhood. My sister's name is Wei Ran, and she's in the third grade at our old elementary school. I wanted to ask, how do newly transferred children from our neighborhood usually enroll in school? What are the proper enrollment procedures?"

"Oh my! This is wonderful news! It's great to bring the mother and daughter over! A family reunion is the best thing!" Upon hearing this, Director Wang's smile widened, and he immediately went to sit down behind his desk.

"Leave your schooling to me! All the kids in our neighborhood are zoned for Hongxing Elementary School! It's a top-rated school in our district! It's very close to your courtyard house area, only a ten-minute walk at most!"

As she spoke, she opened a drawer and deftly took out letterhead paper and a pen with the street office letterhead printed on it: "The procedures are very simple! I'll issue you a street office certificate proving that Wei Ran is a permanent resident of our street, fully meeting the enrollment requirements. Take this certificate, and after the New Year, on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month when school starts, take your child and the household registration booklet directly to Principal Lin at Hongxing Primary School! I'll call him this afternoon to let him know about this!"

As she spoke, she wrote the certificate with flowing, powerful strokes, her tone resolute, "Besides, your family is a glorious family of martyrs! Your father was a hero who sacrificed his life for the country! The country has clear preferential policies for the education of children of martyrs! Tuition and book fees can be reduced or waived! I know Principal Lin well; he deeply respects the families of martyrs and is very understanding. He will definitely handle this matter perfectly for you! You can rest assured!"

As they spoke, a certificate, still damp with ink and stamped with the bright red seal of the Nanluoguxiang Subdistrict Office, was completed. Director Wang carefully blew on it and handed it to Wei Chen: "Here, keep it safe! Your child's schooling is of paramount importance; it can't be delayed!"

Wei Chen took the thin piece of paper, and seeing the clear handwriting and bright red seal, a huge weight was lifted from his heart. He quickly stood up and solemnly thanked her, "Thank you so much, Director Wang! You've solved a huge problem for our family!"

"No need to thank me! It's all part of my job!" Director Wang waved his hand with a smile. Just then, Old Liu from logistics knocked on the door and came in, his face beaming with excitement: "Director Wang! It's weighed! My goodness! Two pigs, a full 625 jin (approximately 367.5 kg)! They're so fat they're practically dripping with oil! All top-quality meat!"

"Great! Great! Excellent!" Director Wang exclaimed three times, rubbing his hands excitedly. He then turned to Wei Chen and said, "Wei Chen, let's stick to the old rules we agreed on last time: the purchase price for live pigs is 60 cents per jin! 625 jin, that's... exactly 375 yuan!"

She gave him the price, then a sincere apology and honesty appeared on her face: "Wei Chen, I know that according to the current market prices, pork is selling for two or three yuan on the black market! Buying it from you for six mao a jin is really a huge loss for you, and our neighborhood is getting a huge advantage. But... but our neighborhood's purchasing is definitely different from the outside world, and our budget is limited, plus we have to take care of so many households... So," she said earnestly, "we can only offer this price in terms of money, but I'll try to give you as many vouchers as possible, and I'll pick some practical ones, as a small token of the neighborhood's appreciation and compensation! Is that alright?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wei Chen nodded immediately, his tone sincere: "Director Wang, please don't say that. This price is very fair. I'm also a purchasing agent; we won't do anything illegal. The government's crackdown on the black market is for the sake of ordinary people like us, to stabilize prices! It's the purchase price as stipulated!"

"Just give me the tickets as you see fit. I'll be happy from the bottom of my heart if it helps the families of martyrs and those in need in our neighborhood and allows everyone to have a good New Year." He said this sincerely.

The cost of the wild boars in the space was almost negligible to him; what he gained in return was the peace of his mother and sister, his sister's smooth enrollment in school, and genuine kindness from the people in the neighborhood. This was far more meaningful than selling them for a few dozen yuan more.

"Good boy! What a good boy! So enlightened and kind-hearted!" Director Wang was deeply moved, her gaze towards Wei Chen filled with admiration and gratitude. She immediately opened a small, locked metal box deep inside her desk drawer and began carefully counting money and selecting tickets.

Soon, a thick stack of banknotes of varying ages and a small pile of colorful tickets were neatly placed in front of Wei Chen.

Director Wang pointed to the coupons and explained one by one: "The money is 375 yuan. Please count it. The coupons include 20 jin of national grain coupons, 5 jin of cooking oil coupons, 3 precious industrial coupons, 2 soap coupons, 5 two-liang pastry coupons, and 3 half-jin sugar coupons."

She paused, then, as if remembering something, carefully pulled two extra tickets from her notebook in her drawer and quietly slipped them into the stack of tickets, lowering her voice: "These two are two-ounce sesame paste tickets, they're quite rare, consider this my personal thank you! Also..."

She then solemnly produced an official document stamped with the seals of the street office and its负责人 (responsible person). "This is the official certificate from the street office for purchasing your wild boar. It specifies the time, location, quantity, unit price, and total amount. You must keep this safe and keep it close to your body! In case... I mean, in case anyone asks where this money came from, this is your strongest protection! You can spend it with integrity!"

Wei Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. Director Wang had been incredibly thoughtful. In this era, this certificate was a golden talisman protecting his "legal income." He carefully put the money and the thick stack of receipts into the inner pocket of his cotton-padded coat, which was actually his storage backpack, and placed the crucial acquisition certificate separately in his innermost pocket. He then thanked Director Wang deeply once again.

He politely declined Director Wang's invitation to stay for dinner and walked out of the street office with a light heart. Although the cold wind was still biting, his heart felt warm, as if he had a small stove inside. The thick wad of banknotes and numerous certificates in his arms, along with the enrollment certificate for his younger sister's future schooling, all weighed heavily on his heart, representing a solid sense of hope.

Pushing my bicycle back to the familiar courtyard, as soon as I entered the moon gate of the small courtyard, a rich and tempting aroma of meat forcefully filled my nostrils.

The cheerful sizzling sound of stir-frying came from the kitchen. Wang Xiulan was busy at the stove, wearing an apron. In the pot was a steaming pot of braised cabbage, vermicelli, and tofu, glistening with oil, while next to it, a small clay pot was bubbling with golden millet porridge.

Wei Ran sat on a small stool, tending the stove. Several potatoes with charred skins were buried in the ashes, emitting a rustic, smoky aroma.

"Brother! You're back!" Wei Ran's eyes lit up like stars when she saw Wei Chen, and she jumped up immediately. Wang Xiulan also turned around at the sound, her face flushed with busy activity and a gentle smile on her face: "You're back? Perfect timing, dinner's almost ready. Hmm? You..." She sniffed keenly, "Why do you smell... of earth and sweat? What kind of heavy work did you do?"

Wei Chen smiled, without explaining the source of the smell. Instead, he took out a thick stack of money and tickets carefully wrapped in old newspapers, along with the equally well-preserved enrollment certificate, and handed them to his mother.

"Mom, these are the money and receipts for today's errands. This is the certificate for Ranran to go to Hongxing Primary School after the New Year. Director Wang from the neighborhood committee has already issued it, and everything is done."

Under the dim light, Wang Xiulan hesitantly accepted the heavy paper package and the certificate stamped with a red seal. As she peeled back the layers of old newspaper, revealing a thick stack of banknotes of varying ages and a small pile of colorful tickets, she froze, as if struck by lightning!

Her eyes widened as she stared intently at the unprecedented "huge sum of money" and the complete set of tickets in her hand. Her breath caught in her throat, as if she were seeing these things for the first time.

After a good five or six seconds, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Wei Chen. Her lips trembled violently, her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice was filled with disbelief, trembling, and heavy sobs.

"This...so much money...so many tickets...and...Ranran's...school tickets..." She stammered, the immense shock making her almost unable to stand. Having lived a life of frugality and meticulous budgeting, when had she ever seen so much money and such complete and precious tickets all at once?

The thousand yuan Wei Chen gave her before was a savings account; it wasn't as impactful as this stack of cash.

More importantly, the major concern of my daughter starting school was resolved so... easily...?

Wei Ran curiously leaned over, standing on tiptoe to look at the paper in her mother's hand: "Mom, is this mine? Can I go to school now?" Her little face was full of innocent yet eager anticipation.

Wang Xiulan nodded vigorously, and hot tears finally burst forth like a dam breaking. She hugged the bewildered Wei Ran tightly into her arms, and then used her rough but strong hand to grab Wei Chen's arm tightly, as if she had grasped his backbone, sobbing uncontrollably: "Good...good...good child...Mom's Chenzi is capable...Mom...Mom is so happy...our Ranran...can go to school...our family...this year...is so fat...so fat..." All the bitterness, worry, and anticipation turned into hot tears at this moment, surging down.

Wei Chen felt his mother's slightly trembling yet unusually strong hand gripping his arm, listened to his younger sister's innocent yet joyful questions in his mother's arms, and smelled the warm, comforting aroma of food wafting from the kitchen. An indescribable warmth and a powerful sense of strength instantly filled his chest, dispelling all fatigue and cold.

Outside, the north wind still howled through the alley, whipping up withered branches and leaves with a mournful sound. Inside, the stove burned brightly, illuminating the mother's tearful smile and the younger sister's curious eyes. Stewed vegetables simmered in the pot, the aroma of millet porridge mingling with the smoky scent of roasted potatoes, filling the small space.

Under the dim yet incredibly warm lamplight, this first New Year in Beijing, though it was freezing cold outside, felt exceptionally grounded and warm because of the solid support, the tangible future, and the heavy sense of abundance and security in my heart. The festive atmosphere had never been so rich, mellow, and touching.