Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

When Wei Chen appeared at the alley entrance on his bicycle, Yan Bugui's eyes lit up instantly, like an owl spotting its prey. His gaze immediately locked onto the conspicuous, enormous pig's head in Wei Chen's bicycle basket!

"Oh my god!" Yan Bugui's voice suddenly rose, filled with undisguised shock and drooling. He rushed over in a few steps, almost pressing his face against the bicycle basket. "Wei Chen! This...this big pig's head! Where did you get it? This...this is a real gem!"

His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, his eyes fixed on the glistening pig's head, as if he could already smell the aroma of the whole pot of meat.

Wei Chen stopped the car and calmly replied, as if he had expected this, "Uncle San. It was traded from a friend; wild boar meat was traded for a pig's head."

"A pig's head?" Yan Bugui was taken aback, then remembered Wei Chen's previous "feat," and his face immediately broke into an even more enthusiastic smile. "Oh my! Wei Chen, you're really something! You've got connections... oh no, you've got a wide network of friends! This pig's head... it looks so auspicious! So plump!"

He rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with longing, but ultimately didn't dare to ask for it directly. Wei Chen was not someone to be trifled with.

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and said with a hint of flattery, "Well... Wei Chen, you see, the thing you promised Third Uncle before the New Year... it's... that..." He rubbed his fingers together and made a "little bit" gesture, implying that it was wild boar meat.

Seeing his expression, Wei Chen understood. He hadn't wanted to "transaction" so quickly, but he remembered that his family did need some receipts, and that Yan Bugui, that "calculator," definitely had some in stock. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Third Uncle, I have 'that' you're looking for. However, I don't want money."

"Free of charge?" Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, then he looked puzzled. "Then you need to...?"

"I need coupons," Wei Chen said decisively. "Grain coupons, oil coupons, cloth coupons, meat coupons... any kind of coupon will do, I'll accept them at market value. What do you think?"

Yan Bugui was stunned. He never expected Wei Chen to ask for coupons! He was reluctant to part with money, but coupons... especially hard currency like grain coupons and oil coupons, he was reluctant to part with them either!

The coupons he'd saved up were the result of meticulous budgeting, practically splitting each one in half! He instinctively wanted to refuse, but when his gaze fell on the plump, tempting pig's head in the basket, the words stuck in his throat. Wild boar meat! Meat without coupons! The temptation was too great!

He was torn internally: he could always find a way to save up for lost tickets, but the chances of getting such a large wild boar head after the New Year were slim! And Wei Chen had said "any kind of ticket is fine," so… what about those soon-to-expire or less frequently used industrial coupons…?

His expression shifted rapidly, but ultimately, his craving for meat overwhelmed his obsession with hoarding tickets. He gritted his teeth, as if making a huge decision, and nodded forcefully: "Fine! Tickets it is! Wei Chen, you're so generous, so I, your old man, can't be stingy! How about... tomorrow night? I'll deliver the tickets to you?"

"Okay, I'll be home tomorrow night." Wei Chen nodded in agreement.

"Alright, alright! It's a deal!" Yan Bugui's face broke into a smile again, as if he had just made a huge, lucrative deal. Satisfied, he stepped aside. "Go back now, you need to deal with this pig-headed idiot quickly! Your mother must be getting impatient!"

Wei Chen pushed the cart through the courtyard gate, putting Yan Bugui's scheme out of his mind. As soon as he entered the moon gate of his small courtyard, Wang Xiulan, who was tidying up a dustpan at the entrance of the side room, saw the contents of the cart basket.

"Chen'er, this..." Wang Xiulan walked over quickly, and was also stunned when she saw the huge pig's head. "What is this...?"

"Mom, my friend traded wild boar meat for a pig's head and pork, and it's all cleaned up. I brought the pig's head back, along with a piece of pork fat and some pork belly. It's too conspicuous to bring it back now, so I'll go out and get it tonight! We'll eat it for the New Year!" Wei Chen parked the car and easily lifted the heavy pig's head. "Where do we put it?"

Wang Xiulan hurriedly lifted the kitchen curtain: "Bring it in quickly! Put it on the cutting board!" She followed Wei Chen into the kitchen, circled the pig's head, examined it closely, and exclaimed in amazement: "Wow, it's cleaned so thoroughly! Even the ear holes are cleaned spotless, not a single hair left! This friend... his skills are truly excellent! How many years has this butcher been doing this?"

She reached out and touched the cold flesh of the pig's head, a hint of emotion on her face: "Such a big thing, it's not easy to handle. Luckily, I used to help out in the village production team's canteen, assisting the head chef and dealing with these things before, so I know a thing or two. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know where to even begin."

Wang Xiulan rolled up her sleeves, revealing her strong forearms, her eyes filled with the seriousness of facing a "tough battle": "Just leave it here. Tomorrow I'll get up early, boil a big pot of water, blanch it first, scrape off the skin, then singe off the hair where needed, and debone it where necessary. This pig's head, once cleaned, is a real delicacy when braised! The pig's ears are crisp, the snout is fragrant, and the pig's head meat is a great dish to accompany drinks! It's just time-consuming..."

She chattered on and on, already planning tomorrow's steps. There was no complaint on her face, only a simple appreciation for ingredients and a certain confidence in her upcoming culinary skills that belong to working people.

Watching his mother busily preparing the pig's head and listening to her familiar accent, Wei Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. The fantasy of the game world, the smoke of the shooting range, Jin Aimin's generosity, Yan Bugui's scheming... all melted away at this moment, illuminated by the dim light in the kitchen and his mother's focused figure.

"Okay, Mom, just do whatever you want. Just let me know if you need my help with the fire," Wei Chen replied.

"No need for you, Mom can handle this." Wang Xiulan waved her hand with a smile. "Go and rest. You've been working all day and brought back such a big thing. You must be tired. The food is warming up in the pot."

Wei Chen left the kitchen and returned to his main room. Inside, the fireplace emitted a comforting warmth. He sat at the table and poured himself a glass of hot water.

The courtyard outside the window was completely shrouded in night, and the lights of each household lit up one after another, reflecting the flickering shadows on the window paper. From the front yard, one could faintly hear Yan Bugui lecturing his children about thrift; from the middle yard, there seemed to be some noise of Sha Zhu arguing with someone; and from the back yard, all was quiet.

Wei Chen took a sip of hot water, feeling the warmth slide down his throat. It had been a fulfilling day. The exhilaration of practicing shooting, the comfort of delicious food, the testing of new skills in the game world, a brief encounter with his neighbor, and the comforting warmth of his mother's cooking in the kitchen.

"Power brings convenience, but it must be used with caution. Life, in the end, is a tapestry woven with these trivialities and everyday occurrences," Wei Chen murmured to himself. He put down his water glass, stood up, and the 120 years of true energy within his body, like a dormant river, slowly began to circulate, bringing boundless power and confidence.

The cold wind still blew outside, but the fire in the stove inside was burning brightly.

At this time, the cold wind of December, like a whip wrapped with a small knife, lashed at the gray rooftops and alleys of Beijing. As dusk settled, in the courtyard of the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill's family, dim, flickering lights shone from the windows of each household. The air was filled with the bland aroma of cabbage stalks stewed with vermicelli, the faint fragrance of burnt cornbread, and a subtle, tempting smell of meat—mostly the aroma of salted meat that someone was saving for later, steaming in a pot.

Most families had finished eating. It was quite cold, and Yan Bugui was about to go inside and snuggle into his blankets to warm up when he heard the door open. He quickly lifted the curtain and went out to see what was happening.

Upon seeing that it was Director Wang and Officer Li from the neighborhood office, Yan Bugui quickly went out to greet them, "Director Wang, Officer Li, what brings you here? It's so cold!"

"Our subdistrict office also got a batch of wild boar meat a while ago. Now that the New Year is just around the corner, we're sending some meat to the elderly living alone and families of martyrs in the subdistrict so that everyone can have a good New Year! We've already sent it to other courtyards, but since many people work at the steel rolling mill outside your courtyard, we saved it for last and sent it over tonight," Director Wang said with a smile.

"Ah... Thank you, Director Wang, for having us, the people in need, in your hearts!" Yan Bugui also offered a timely compliment.

Just then, footsteps came from the middle and back courtyards. An old man named Yi Zhonghai, wearing a worn-out cotton-padded coat, walked over with steady steps, his face bearing his usual warm and welcoming smile.

Uncle Liu Haizhong, on the other hand, jogged along. His slightly overweight body was wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, and when he ran, he looked like a round penguin. His face showed an eagerness and excitement to make a good impression on his superiors.

"Director Wang! You've arrived!" Yi Zhonghai's voice was loud and clear, with a natural warmth. "It's so cold, and you still came down to bring warmth in person. You've really gone to a lot of trouble!" He stepped forward and naturally stood on the other side of Director Wang, subtly creating a situation of rivalry with Yan Bugui.

Liu Haizhong arrived, panting, and without even catching his breath, he rushed over and said, "Director Wang! Welcome, welcome! Look at you, if you had any instructions, you could have just sent Comrade Li to make the trip. Why did you have to come all the way here yourself? You really care about the people's suffering and are a good role model for us to learn from!" As he spoke, he tried to imitate the leader's posture of standing tall with his hands behind his back, but unfortunately, his belly was too round, and the effect was somewhat comical.

Seeing that his limelight had been stolen, Yan Bugui quickly added, "Yes, yes, Director Wang is so considerate of us. With the New Year approaching, Director Wang immediately thought of bringing benefits to the impoverished families and families of martyrs in our institute. This thoughtfulness really warms everyone's hearts!" As he praised Director Wang, his eyes also glanced at the heavy bag in Xiao Li's hand.

Director Wang seemed to be used to the three old men's "warm welcome," and she maintained a polite smile.

"It's good that all three gentlemen have arrived. Our neighborhood office purchased a batch of wild boar meat before the Lunar New Year. Actually, it was Comrade Wei Chen from your compound who helped with the arrangements. The quality is excellent." She emphasized "Comrade Wei Chen's help" and looked at Wei Chen's courtyard with approval in her eyes.

"Today is specifically for visiting and extending our regards to the registered elderly people living alone and the families of martyrs in our jurisdiction! With the Lunar New Year approaching, the Party and the government are thinking of everyone. This is a small token of our appreciation, to help you have a good New Year!"

Clerk Xiao Li immediately stepped forward and opened the cloth bag. Inside were neatly cut pieces of wild boar meat, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, weighing about two pounds each, carefully wrapped in clean oil paper.