Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Hey! Wei Chen's back!" Yan Bugui immediately left Xu Damao behind and rushed over, his face beaming with an exaggerated smile, as if he had seen a long-lost relative.

"Off work? Oh my! Look! Look! The benefits at this steel mill are really something else! Such a big piece of meat!" He stretched out his finger, almost poking the oiled paper, his tone full of undisguised envy and amazement. "Look at this fat! So thick! Gleaming with oil! It must weigh over a pound, right?"

"Uncle San," Wei Chen stopped the car and greeted him politely, "It's from the factory, one jin per person."

"A pound! Tsk tsk tsk!" Yan Bugui smacked his lips, shook his head, and glanced at the meat on Xu Damao and Shazhu's carts, as if comparing which piece was fatter. "Incredible, truly incredible! This is a large factory with tens of thousands of employees, so impressive! The small factories in our neighborhood are so stingy, I heard some can't even give out two ounces of meat!" He was clearly saying this to his neighbors who didn't have anyone working at the steel mill.

Sure enough, the neighbors watching looked at the three shiny, glistening pieces of pork with even more eager eyes. Jia Zhangshi squeezed into the crowd, staring at the meat, muttering to herself, "If our son could eat this, how much oil and fat would he get..."

Qin Huairu stood behind her mother-in-law, her face bearing her usual gentle smile, but her eyes couldn't help lingering on the meat for a few more seconds. At this time, Jia Dongxu was still there, and Sha Zhu, guided by an old man, was helping the Jia family, who were "not having an easy time," mostly by taking the "leftovers" he brought back, not daring to openly steal them.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Damao shook off the Third Uncle's "entanglement," pushed the cart into the yard, and when he passed Sha Zhu, he deliberately shook the meat on the handlebars and smugly hummed, "Sha Zhu, see? Good meat! Time to go home and make dumplings!" After saying that, before Sha Zhu could reply, he dashed into the gate.

"Pah! You brat! What are you showing off for! My meat is just as good!" Sha Zhu spat at Xu Damao's back, then raised the bag in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, look! This is a proper three-layered pork belly! The head chef at the factory specially reserved the best cut for me! And this," he shook the lunchbox in the net bag, "the leftover braised pork belly from the canteen today, it's still very juicy! It'll be delicious hot tonight!" His voice was loud and clear, with the confidence unique to canteen chefs, which drew envious murmurs from the crowd.

Yan Bugui's attention returned to Wei Chen, or rather, to the piece of meat on Wei Chen's body. He rubbed his hands together, a near-fawning smile on his face: "Wei Chen, look... there are only three people in your family, this meat... you can't possibly eat this much in one meal, right? This fat is best for rendering oil, the rendered cracklings are so fragrant when used to make dumplings or stir-fried cabbage! If... if you could spare some fat..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

Wei Chen understood. His third uncle was at it again, plotting to use some money or something else to get some fatty meat to render into lard. These days, fatty meat was far more valuable than lean meat.

"Third Uncle," Wei Chen said with a gentle but distant smile, his tone leaving no room for doubt, "this meat was specifically requested by my mother, to be used for making dumplings and braised pork for the New Year. My younger sister is growing up, and she needs plenty of oil and fat. I'm really sorry, I can't spare any." As he spoke, he pushed the cart into the yard, skillfully avoiding Yan Bugui's outstretched hand.

"Sigh... well... that's true, that's true, the child's growth is the most important thing..." Yan Bugui awkwardly withdrew his hand, his face unable to hide his disappointment, but he couldn't argue any further. He could only watch helplessly as the tempting piece of fat on Wei Chen's handlebars disappeared behind the screen wall, muttering under his breath, "What a pity, such good fat..."

Pushing open the door to the west wing, a fragrance of food and the warmth of a stove fire wafted out, instantly dispelling the noise and chill outside.

"Mom, Xiaoran, I'm back." Wei Chen propped up his bicycle.

"Brother!" Wei Ran, like a happy little bird, was the first to run out of the kitchen, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the meat on the handlebars. "Wow! Such a big piece of meat! Mom! Come quick! Brother's got some meat!"

Hearing the noise, Wang Xiulan quickly came out, her hands still covered in flour. When she saw the piece of pork wrapped in oil paper with thick layers of fat on her son's bicycle handlebars, her eyes lit up, and her smile bloomed like a chrysanthemum, filled with pure joy and disbelief.

"Oh my god! Such a huge piece in the factory!" Wang Xiulan stepped forward, carefully untied the hemp rope, and with trembling hands, picked up the heavy piece of meat. She brought it close to her eyes to examine it closely, her fingers gently stroking the cool, slippery pigskin and the thick layer of fat beneath, as if she were touching a rare treasure. "Look at this fat! So thick! So white! So oily! This...this must weigh more than a pound, right? Chen'er, does your factory...really give out this much?"

Her voice trembled with excitement, carrying a heavy local accent, and she stared intently at Wei Chen, as if trying to confirm once again that this was not a dream.

"Yes, Mom, the factory is giving out good benefits this year. Everyone gets a pound of meat, a real pound of meat." Wei Chen felt a warm feeling mixed with a touch of bittersweetness as he looked at his mother's delighted expression.

This piece of meat, which is precious to others, means nothing to him, but to his mother, who has worked hard all her life and is used to being frugal, it is a tangible and immense happiness and security.

"Great! Great! Really great!" Wang Xiulan exclaimed three times, her wrinkles smoothing out and even a few tears welling up in her eyes—the joy of relief. "Big factories in the city are truly amazing! The benefits are a hundred times better than in our village! Back in the village, getting even two ounces of meat during the New Year was considered a blessing..."

She sighed and carefully carried the meat into the kitchen, as if it were a fragile treasure. She was already making plans, "This fat is perfect for rendering oil. We can keep the cracklings to make cabbage dumplings, so fragrant! And this piece of pork belly, I'll cut off a piece and make braised pork for you and Xiaoran on New Year's Day! We can marinate the rest, it'll last us a long time!" Her voice was full of energy and satisfaction.

Wei Chen then took out the brown paper bag from the bicycle basket: "There are also peanuts, melon seeds, a bar of soap, and two bath tickets."

"Oh my! There's so much left!" Wang Xiulan was overjoyed. She took the bag and checked each item. "The peanuts and melon seeds are good. We'll have something to serve guests during the New Year! This soap is also useful. We were almost out. Bath tickets... Chen'er, you and Xiao Ran should go to the bathhouse before the New Year to wash away the bad luck and have a refreshing New Year!" She arranged everything meticulously, and her smile never faded.

Wei Ran jumped up and down with joy: "We get to eat meat! We get to eat meat! Mom's braised pork is the best!"

"You little glutton!" Wang Xiulan affectionately poked her daughter's forehead, and couldn't help but laugh out loud herself.

Seeing the genuine joy on his mother's and sister's faces, Wei Chen felt that all the hard work and the secrets he had kept were worthwhile. He took out the 34.2 yuan he had received as wages and handed it to Wang Xiulan: "Mom, this is my salary for this month. Please keep it."

"Keep it yourself. You're the head of the household now!" said Wang Xiulan, the mother.

"No matter how big he is, he's still your son! You can keep this. You'll be responsible for all our household expenses and grocery shopping from now on!" Wei Chen said.

"Then why don't you keep some pocket money?" the mother replied.

"I don't lack money, you know that!" He was referring to the money he earned from hunting.

Wang Xiulan knew her son was capable and never short of money. So she stopped refusing, took the money, counted it carefully, and then wrapped it up in a handkerchief, her smile becoming even brighter: "Good, good! Mom will save it for you! Adding what you saved before, and what you had... well, our family's life is really getting better and better!" She almost let slip that Wei Chen had earned the money from "hunting," but quickly stopped herself, though the gleam in her eyes was undeniable.

"Mom will keep this for you until you get married!" Wang Xiulan said jokingly.

"Mom, spend the money you need to spend, don't always think about saving it," Wei Chen said gently. "The New Year is coming soon, so buy yourself and Xiao Ran some new clothes. Buy Xiao Ran a new schoolbag and stationery, buy her everything she needs."

"I know, Mom knows what she's doing!" Wang Xiulan carefully hid the money on her body, patted her chest, "Don't worry, your sister won't suffer! Mom will go buy some cloth tomorrow! Chen'er, wash your hands quickly, get ready to eat! I'm happy today, so Mom will heat up some white steamed buns for you!" She pointed to the willow basket covered with a thick white cloth on the cupboard.

The stove in the kitchen was burning brightly, and the stewed cabbage and vermicelli in the pot was bubbling away, emitting a warm, homely aroma. Snow-white steamed buns were locked away in the cupboard, and a piece of pork, symbolizing abundance and hope, sat on the cutting board. Little sister Wei Ran chattered excitedly around her mother, her little face filled with longing for the braised pork for the New Year's Eve dinner.

Wei Chen washed his hands and sat down at the table. Outside, the biting wind of December 1st blew through the city, but inside, it was warm and cozy. The aroma of food mingled with the satisfied laughter of his family, creating a heartwarming and comforting scene for the Lunar New Year.

He picked up a snow-white, soft, and still-warm steamed bun, took a bite, and savored its sweet wheat aroma. His gaze swept over the small chicken coop on the windowsill, where the rooster seemed to sense the peace and abundance, letting out a deep, contented cluck.

As night quietly falls, the lights in each household of the courtyard house gradually come on. Through the kitchen window, the silhouettes of a family of three sitting around eating are reflected, accompanied by the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks and low laughter.

On the night of the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, the air was filled with warmth and hope, amidst the heavy harvest of the steel mill workers and the anticipation of family reunion in every household in the courtyard. Wei Chen knew that this visible warmth and abundance was just the beginning.

The slumbering steel behemoth in the hunter's cabin, the heavy cash in the space backpack, and the boundless vitality nurtured beneath the ten acres of black soil all silently proclaim that a broader and more promising future is slowly unfolding with the arrival of the new year.