Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The night was deep, and the courtyard was completely silent. Only the howling north wind whistled through the eaves and windows, adding to the chill. In the distance, a few faint barks of dogs echoed, making the stillness of the night even more palpable.

Wei Chen sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed) in his room, not asleep, but resting with his eyes closed. His powerful spiritual energy, like an invisible spiderweb, quietly covered the area around his small courtyard. He was waiting for someone.

Just after eleven o'clock, the thin wooden door of the Yan family's house in the front yard made a very faint creaking sound, almost completely drowned out by the wind.

A tall, thin, dark figure, like a seasoned old raccoon, crept out along the wall. It was none other than Uncle Yan Bugui, the Third Uncle.

He was dressed in a bulky cotton-padded jacket and trousers, yet his movements were remarkably agile. As a resident and "gatekeeper" of the front courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), he had a natural advantage.

He skillfully pulled a large brass key from the inside pocket of his cotton-padded jacket, held his breath, and carefully inserted the key into the lock of the door, turning his wrist very lightly and slowly, as if afraid of making the slightest noise of metal friction.

The bolt was silently pulled open, and he pushed the heavy wooden door open just wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways. He slipped out like an eel, then immediately turned back and left the door ajar, leaving only that narrow gap—his "escape route."

A cold wind swept over him, and Yan Bugui shivered, pulling his neck deeper into the collar of his cotton-padded coat, glancing warily left and right. The alley was deserted, with only the pale moonlight casting swaying shadows of trees on the ground.

He then bent over, his steps quick and light, and skillfully made his way to the east side of the courtyard, where the south gate of Wei Chen's small courtyard was located.

The small door was indeed ajar, leaving a crack. Yan Bugui was delighted. He gently pushed it open, slipped inside, and quickly turned back to bolt the door shut. The movements were fluid and seamless, clearly indicating that he had practiced it many times.

Wei Chen was already waiting in the shadows inside the door, carrying a heavy cloth bag in his hand.

"Third Uncle, you're really punctual." Wei Chen lowered his voice, with a hint of a smile.

"Hey, Wei Chen, this...this is such an important matter, how could we not be on time!" Yan Bugui rubbed his hands together, his eyes fixed on the cloth bag in Wei Chen's hand like searchlights. His voice trembled slightly from excitement and cold, and he forced an extremely obsequious yet nervous smile. "The things...you brought them?"

"Yes, as agreed." Wei Chen handed the bag forward.

Yan Bugui eagerly took it, ignoring the cold, and squatted down against the wall. Using the faint moonlight filtering through the crack in the door, he impatiently opened the bag.

A slightly fishy yet incredibly enticing aroma of wild animal meat instantly filled the air. He took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy on his face, before immediately switching to "professional assessment" mode.

He stretched out his withered fingers and carefully pulled out a piece of dark red wild boar meat with distinct muscle texture and a thin layer of fat from the bag.

He first brought the meat close to his nose and smelled it carefully, as if appraising an antique, muttering to himself, "Hmm... that's the smell... wild enough... no problem..." Then, as if inspecting a piece of cloth, he held the piece of meat up to his eyes and, by the meager moonlight, examined the color and texture of the meat inch by inch. He even pressed it hard with his fingers to test the elasticity and the ratio of fat to lean meat.

"Tsk...this meat...looks pretty fresh...but this wild boar meat is tougher than domesticated meat...and has more tendons..." Yan Bugui inspected the meat while habitually starting to nitpick, laying the groundwork for later "bargaining." "Look at this cut...it's not even the best ribs...it's a bit too far back..."

Wei Chen crossed his arms, watching the "actuary's" performance with interest, but didn't expose him. He simply said, "Third Uncle, that's the characteristic of wild game—it's chewy and fragrant. If you think it's too tough, then I'll keep it?"

"Hey, no, no, no!" Yan Bugui immediately panicked upon hearing this, quickly hugging the meat tightly to his chest, afraid that Wei Chen would change his mind. "There's a way to eat firewood! Stew it until it's mushy, that's when it's really fragrant! The chewy bits are the best for simmering with wine! I know! I know!" He chuckled and quickly changed the subject, getting to the core issue—settling the bill.

He pulled a small cloth bag, wrapped in layers of handkerchiefs, from the innermost hidden pocket of his cotton-padded coat. Unwrapping the handkerchief, he found a few neatly rolled-up coins and some loose change—small bills, grain coupons, and meat coupons. He licked his slightly chapped lips and, by the moonlight, began his all-too-familiar "calculation":

"Wei Chen, we agreed before that wild boar meat is cheaper than domesticated meat based on market prices, so I'll give you 80 cents a pound, is that okay? Domesticated meat costs more than 90 cents with coupons these days!" He set the tone first.

"Hmm." Wei Chen remained noncommittal. "These two jin... are worth one yuan and sixty cents." Yan Bugui pointed at the banknotes. "As for the grain coupons... according to what we said before, one jin of meat can be exchanged for three jin of fine grain coupons... two jin of meat is six jin of fine grain coupons..." He carefully counted out six one-jin national grain coupons, his movements as slow as a movie in slow motion.

"Also... wild boar meat shouldn't require ration coupons... but Uncle San can't let you suffer a loss..." He changed the subject, pulling out two crumpled half-pound coarse grain coupons. "Consider this pound coupon as compensation... after all, you worked hard to hunt this wild game, taking risks!"

Wei Chen chuckled inwardly. This old fox had calculated everything perfectly. Wild boar meat did indeed not require coupons. The coupons he gave for this pound, seemingly a "subsidy," were actually far less valuable than six pounds of fine grain coupons. Moreover, he could use this wild boar meat to save on his own family's meat coupon quota.

However, Wei Chen was too lazy to argue with him about such petty schemes. He hadn't been expecting to make money from this anyway; he just thought the Third Uncle was alright, and the courtyard needed someone who could speak up for them. As long as it wasn't a matter of constantly using the moral blackmail of "taking care of neighbors" and "mutual help" to get him to deliver meat, Wei Chen was willing to help his neighbors. "Okay, Third Uncle, you can decide," Wei Chen said readily.

Seeing that Wei Chen had no objection, Yan Bugui's smile widened, and he solemnly handed over the six jin of grain coupons and the one jin of coarse grain coupons to Wei Chen.

Then, as if holding a rare treasure, he carefully wrapped the piece of wild boar meat again, stuffed it inside his cotton-padded jacket, pressed it tightly against his belly, and tightened it with his belt.

Instantly, his already bloated figure bulged out a large lump in his stomach, making him look quite comical.

"All done! Wei Chen, thank you so much! I'm truly grateful!" Yan Bugui said contentedly, lowering his voice, "Don't worry, this is a secret between you, me, and heaven! I, Yan Bugui, keep my mouth shut! I'm off!"

As if he had accomplished a monumental deal, or as a mouse that had stolen oil, he was filled with undisguised pride and satisfaction. He tiptoed open the small south gate again and quickly disappeared into the cold night.

Wei Chen weighed the money in his hand, looked in the direction Yan Bugui had disappeared, and shook his head with a smile. This third uncle really had "scheming" etched into his bones.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the air was bitterly cold. Wei Chen and his family, however, rose early, their hearts filled with the joy of returning home, as they braved the chill.

Wang Xiulan changed into a relatively neat cotton-padded jacket and trousers, her hair was combed neatly, and she carried a bundle prepared for her parents-in-law on her back.

Wei Ran was so excited that her face turned rosy. Wearing the red corduroy jacket her brother bought for her, she looked like a little lucky doll, clutching the small tin box containing her "treasure" tightly in her hand.

The three of them didn't disturb many people as they passed through the moon gate from their small courtyard into the middle courtyard. There were already people moving around in the middle courtyard; Aunt Liu was sweeping snow at the entrance.

"Good morning, Aunt Liu!" Wang Xiulan greeted her with a smile. "We're going back to our hometown to visit the elderly, so we won't be home today."

"Hey! Xiulan, take care on the road! Please give my regards to Grandpa and Grandma Wei!" Aunt Liu replied quickly, a sincere smile on her face. Xiaocao also timidly peeked out from behind her mother and whispered to Wei Ran, "Xiao Ran, be careful on the road."

"Okay! Little Grass, I'll bring you something delicious when I come back!" Wei Ran nodded vigorously.

Just then, the curtain of the Jia family's house was suddenly flung open, revealing Jia Zhangshi's gloomy face. She didn't look at Wang Xiulan or Wei Ran; her triangular eyes, like poisoned needles, were fixed on Wei Chen, who was pushing his bicycle. She muttered incessantly in a voice barely audible to herself and Wei Chen, who was standing nearby:

"Hmph! All you do is hoard good stuff in the countryside... such short-sighted bastards... living the high life in the city, yet you don't even know how to help your struggling neighbors... inviting those good-for-nothings to dinner, what are you showing off for... our Banggeng are the real gems... you blind fools... you deserve to ride your bicycle until your legs break... you short-lived wretch, freeze to death..."

Wei Chen's inner strength was now profound, and his mental acuity was sharp. Every word of these malicious murmurs entered his ears without being missed. His hand, which was pushing the cart, paused slightly, and his eyes instantly turned cold, like the sharp edge of a blade tempered with ice, sweeping sharply towards Jia Zhangshi.

Jia Zhangshi was startled by the cold gaze, and the words she was about to say got stuck in her throat. A chill ran up from the soles of her feet.

She instinctively shrank back, her eyes darting away in a panic. She mumbled something under her breath, then abruptly pulled down the curtain and hid back inside. That gaze… it was terrifying! It felt like it could see right through her, sending chills down her spine.

Wei Chen snorted coldly, too lazy to lower himself to the level of such a shrew. If she really messed with him, he had plenty of ways to make her regret it.

"Brother Wei Chen, Aunt Xiu Lan, going back to your hometown?" Qin Huairu came out carrying a basin of water to pour out and saw them. She greeted them with a gentle smile.

She watched as Wang Xiulan was neatly dressed, Wei Ran wore a brand-new festive coat, and Wei Chen pushed a gleaming bicycle. Although the family was in a hurry, they were full of energy and had a clear goal as they headed towards their warm hometown. A trace of undisguised envy and bitterness flashed deep in her eyes.

Both of them came from the countryside, so how come Wang Xiulan's life was so much more promising? She didn't have to put up with her wicked mother-in-law, her son was reliable, her daughter was lively… while she herself… She sighed inwardly, but her smile remained unchanged. "Be careful on the road!"

"Oh, thank you, Huairu," Wang Xiulan replied politely.