Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen satisfiedly stored most of his spoils into his storage space: rabbit meat, rabbit skin, chicken, most of the pork, and bones. One compartment of his backpack showed that the cabinets could be stacked, with a quantity of 300. These were two-meter-high cabinets that Wei Chen had ordered over the past few days, specifically for storing things; otherwise, he would have run out of space long ago. As long as the cabinets were enclosed, the backpacks could be stacked.

He kept only the huge piece of pork fat, weighing a good twenty pounds, and the piece of pork belly, which was marbled with fat and lean meat and weighed a good ten pounds. He deliberately chose the most juicy and flavorful parts, the parts that would most delight his mother.

After converting all the monsters that spawned in the game world today into experience points, Wei Chen logged out of the game world and returned to the cold, icy alleyway of reality. The biting wind immediately felt like countless icy blades, scraping harshly against his face.

Silently, a large bundle wrapped tightly in thick oiled paper and tied with hemp rope appeared on the back of Wei Chen's bicycle. He pushed the bike and hurried home. The round trip, including the hunting time, would take nearly an hour.

Pushing open the gate to her courtyard, she saw that the small kerosene lamp in the main room was still lit. In the dim light, Wang Xiulan was indeed not asleep; she sat at the table, the martyr's family plaque still beside her.

Hearing the door open, she practically jumped up, her face filled with anxiety and worry. She quickly went to the door and said, "Chen'er? You're back? Are you alright? I was so worried about you!" As she spoke, she looked her son up and down in the light, as if afraid he was missing a single hair.

"It's okay, Mom, I'm fine." Wei Chen closed the gate behind him, carefully bolted it, pushed the cart into the yard, and pointed to the huge package on the back seat. "I brought the things back, they're a bit heavy." He parked the cart and carefully lifted the huge oil paper package off the cart.

Wang Xiulan quickly stepped forward to help. When she held the oil paper package in her hands, its heavy, soft, cool, and slippery texture, along with the rich, distinctive aroma of oil, made her heart skip a beat. "This...this package is so big?" she exclaimed in surprise. Together, the two carefully carried the oil paper package into the kitchen and placed it on the cold stove.

Under the dim light, Wei Chen untied the tightly bound hemp rope and peeled away the layers of thick, almost opaque oil paper. A faint, fresh, and slightly sweet aroma of meat filled the kitchen.

When the last sheet of oil paper was completely peeled off—Wang Xiulan's eyes widened instantly! Her mouth opened involuntarily, and she gasped for a long, trembling breath of cold air! She froze on the spot as if she had been frozen in place!

"My God!!" On the stove, under the dim, flickering light, a large block of pork fat, resembling a giant piece of white jade tofu, lay there quietly! It was snow-white! Thick! Pure! The texture of the fat was as delicate as the finest mutton fat jade, reflecting an almost sacred, warm, and alluring luster under the light!

Its rich thickness and pure, flawless white color created an unparalleled visual impact! It was as if this wasn't a piece of fat, but a huge, solidified block of cream! Next to it, even the finest pork belly, with its distinct red and white layers, a finger's width of fat, and clearly defined lean meat, paled in comparison!

In an era where people can barely scrape off a tael of fat from their stomachs and practically have to dip the tip of their chopsticks into oil to wipe the bottom of the pan when stir-frying, the shock brought by these twenty catties of premium pork fat is ten, a hundred, or a thousand times stronger than the twenty catties of pork itself!

This means that for a long time to come, there will be thick layers of oil floating in the pan, pancakes will gleam with golden oil, and you will hear that incredibly satisfying sizzling sound when stir-frying vegetables! This is real, tangible hard currency that allows people to survive and live a more fulfilling life!

"This...this..." Wang Xiulan's voice trembled uncontrollably. She stretched out her finger and, with an almost reverent devotion, carefully touched the cool, smooth, creamy surface of the lard.

The rich, thick, and pure oily sensation from her fingertips sent a shiver through her body, instantly snapping her out of her shock, followed by an overwhelming surge of joy!

"Chen'er...this...how much oil will this yield! My God! Your friend...who...who is he anyway? This lard...this quality...the supply and marketing cooperative doesn't even see this good a few times a year! This must weigh...twenty jin? More than that!"

She was so excited that she was incoherent, her eyes fixed on the huge piece of fat, as if she could see that for the next year, her whole family would have enough to eat and their faces would glow with a healthy sheen.

Looking at his mother's expression, which went from shock to ecstasy like a rollercoaster ride, Wei Chen felt a mix of amusement, emotion, and a touch of sadness.

He knew oil was precious, but his mother's violent reaction still made him acutely aware of the suffocating scarcity of resources in those days. "A friend of mine has connections; he happened to be slaughtering a pig for the New Year and knew we were short of this, so he gave it to me. Mom, look at this oil… how long will it last after it's rendered?"

"Great! That's wonderful! That's wonderful!" Wang Xiulan seemed to wake from a dream, her face instantly bursting with immense, almost overflowing, surprise and satisfaction. All the sadness and worry she had felt before were swept away by this overwhelming sense of happiness.

She treated it like a rare treasure, even more carefully than when she wiped the martyrs' plaque. She carefully wrapped the huge piece of lard and the pork belly next to it with thick oil paper, layer by layer, with the gentleness of someone wrapping a newborn baby, afraid of spilling a single drop of oil.

"We have to put this away right away! Absolutely! Absolutely! No one can see a trace of it! Not even a whiff of it!" She opened the sturdy elm cabinet in the corner of the kitchen.

Inside were the two pounds of meat that Director Wang had given them, and the pig's head that had been prepared earlier—the pig's head was too big to fit in a large basin outside.

She carefully placed the huge oil paper package and pork belly inside, as if placing treasures, and then with a "click," she locked the cabinet door firmly with that heavy brass padlock!

The crisp sound of the latch locking was particularly loud in the quiet night, as if it was locking in not just grease, but the family's peace and security for the coming year, as well as that precious hope in difficult times.

After locking the cabinet door, Wang Xiulan still felt uneasy and pulled hard on the lock. Only after confirming that it wouldn't budge did she finally let out a long, thorough sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders relaxed.

She turned around, her face radiating a mixture of relief and boundless energy, and looked at Wei Chen. Her eyes sparkled under the lamplight. She lowered her voice, her tone more solemn, satisfied, and excited than ever before: "Chen'er, with all this oil and meat... our family can have a decent New Year this year! No, we can have a prosperous New Year!"

Mom will start rendering lard first thing tomorrow morning! This lard looks amazing, not a single impurity. It'll definitely make a huge jar of pure white lard! And the cracklings, golden yellow, just a sprinkle of salt and it'll be an unparalleled delicacy!

And this pork belly, cut off the fat to render the oil, keep the lean part for making dumplings on New Year's Eve, or braise it... That big pig's head, we also need to hurry up and prepare it, braise it well with marinade, so we can eat it until the Lantern Festival..."

She had already begun to ramble on about how to make the most of these precious ingredients that had fallen from the sky, each step filled with wisdom about life and boundless aspirations for the future.

Looking at his mother's eyes shining brightly in the dim light, and listening to her rambling yet incredibly reassuring plans, Wei Chen felt a sense of peace and warmth in his heart.

The glory of being a family member of a martyr, the care from the neighborhood committee, and the sincere or feigned expressions of the three elderly men—all these transformed into the simplest and most genuine sense of happiness brought about by the twenty kilograms of premium lard locked in the cabinet. The fragrance of this lard, at this moment, surpasses all the most beautiful words in the world.

Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink, and the cold wind continued to tirelessly howl and whistle through the rooftops and alleyways of the courtyard house. But in this small kitchen, filled with the fresh smell of oil, the abundant hope wrapped in oil paper and the warm, bright light that had been rekindled in the mother's eyes, like a fireplace, together formed an unbreakable, warm barrier against all the cold winter.

"Yes, Mom, you can arrange it as you see fit." Wei Chen nodded with a smile, his voice gentle.

Wang Xiulan nodded vigorously, her face beaming with a long-lost, genuine, and girlish smile. She knew that her son had brought back more than just oil and meat; he had brought back a substantial guarantee of livelihood, one that would allow her to stand taller and live more like a person in this difficult world.

In this era of extreme scarcity, nothing is more tangible, more comforting, or more capable of igniting the flame of hope than this.

It was the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, early morning.

The biting cold wind seemed to have been somewhat diluted by the approaching New Year's atmosphere, no longer sharp and biting, but instead carrying a dry and crisp feel.

Wei Chen pushed open the door to his small courtyard, and a smell mixed with coal smoke, leftover food, and cold air wafted out—the unique, warm, and homey morning air of a traditional courtyard house.

He took a deep breath, feeling the warmth brought by the circulation of true energy within his body under the "Nine Heavens Shooting Sun Technique," which dispelled the last trace of chill.

"Chen'er, wrap your scarf tight! Drive carefully!" Mother Wang Xiulan's voice came from the kitchen, accompanied by the soft clatter of pots and pans.

She was full of energy today. The heavy piece of pork fat and pork belly she had eaten last night had been like a shot of adrenaline, filling her with a sense of security about the future. She was already planning to start rendering the oil once her son got off work, and the aroma of the oil filling the house... just thinking about it made her smile involuntarily.