Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Surrounded by excited children and envious glances from the villagers, Wei Chen pushed his bicycle, his mother Wang Xiulan held the hand of the skipping Wei Ran, and his uncle Wei Changsheng carefully carried the heavy coarse cloth sack containing ten jin of meat and five jin of flour. The group marched along the well-trodden path in the village towards the familiar courtyard in the village center.

That was the home of my uncle, Wei Changsheng, and also the place where my grandparents, Wei Shoutian and his wife, Zhang Guifen, spent their later years. Several mud-brick houses built with yellow mud and wheat straw, their roofs covered with thick snow, and wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, carrying the unique, comforting warmth of firewood.

The small courtyard wall was built with rubble, and the courtyard was fairly clean. There was a pile of firewood in the corner, and a few speckled chickens were scratching for food in the snow. When they saw so many people rushing in, they were so frightened that they clucked and flapped their wings to get away.

"Father! Mother! Look who's back!" As soon as he entered the courtyard, Wei Changsheng couldn't help but shout in a loud voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride.

The door to the main room, covered by a thick cotton curtain, was suddenly flung open, and an old woman, wrapped in a dark blue old cotton-padded jacket and with her white hair neatly combed, shakily leaned out.

It was Wei Chen's grandmother, Zhang Guifen. She squinted her slightly dim eyes, and when she saw who it was, her face instantly blossomed into a smile as bright as chrysanthemums blooming in a field full of ravines. Her voice choked with emotion: "Oh! My Chen'er! Xiulan! Xiaoran! We've been waiting for you to come back!" She took small steps and eagerly went out to greet them.

Immediately afterwards, an old man, also wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and with a fairly straight back, appeared at the door. It was Grandpa Wei Shoutian.

His face bore the composure typical of a farmer, but the smile in his eyes and the slight trembling of his beard betrayed his inner excitement. He leaned against the doorframe, his voice steady yet warm: "It's good to be back. Were you cold on the way? Come in! It's warm inside!"

"Grandpa! Grandma!" Wei Ran, like a little swallow returning to its nest, broke free from her mother's hand, cried out joyfully, and rushed over, burying her head in her grandmother's arms.

Zhang Guifen hugged her granddaughter, her rough hands stroking Wei Ran's soft hair repeatedly, murmuring, "Oh, my dear granddaughter, I've missed you so much! How's it in the city? Are you eating well? Look how pretty you are in that red dress!"

Wang Xiulan and Wei Chen quickly stepped forward. Wang Xiulan's eyes were slightly red, and her voice was choked with emotion: "Father, Mother, we've come back to see you two."

"Good! Good!" Wei Shoutian nodded vigorously, his gaze falling on his tall and strong grandson. "Chen'er, you've grown even stronger!"

Wei Chen stepped forward, took his grandmother's arm, and said gently, "Grandma, slow down, let's go inside and talk." He helped his grandmother, and Wang Xiulan helped her grandfather, and the whole family bustled into the main room.

The main room was small and simply furnished, but it was kept clean and tidy. A heated earthen bed occupied half the space, covered with a faded kang mat, and the kang table was polished to a shine. Against the wall stood a 8-immortal table with peeling paint and several long benches, and in the corner stood several rough earthenware urns used for storing grain.

The air was filled with the smell of firewood, a faint scent of tobacco, and a unique aroma of old houses, a blend of earth and time. A warm wave of heat swept over them, instantly dispelling the chill.

"Chen'er, hurry up and get on the kang! It's warm here!" Grandma Zhang Guifen held Wei Chen's hand tightly, urging him to take off his shoes and get on the kang. "You child, it's good that you're back. Why waste money like that? Everything in the city requires coupons. You don't earn money easily!" She looked at the bulging bag that her uncle had carefully placed on the octagonal table, feeling both heartache and resentment.

Wei Chen obediently took off his shoes, sat on the warm edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and said with a smile, "Grandma, don't worry, it didn't cost much. This meat and flour were obtained by a friend of mine in the city who has many connections; he traded them for other things, and they were much cheaper than the market price."

"This white flour, you and Grandpa can cook some noodle soup for breakfast, it's good for the stomach. As for the meat, Uncle and Third Uncle's families will each get some, so everyone can have some meat and have a good New Year!" He said it casually, deliberately downplaying the importance of the ingredients.

Just then, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron, with a kind face but also a shrewd and capable air, walked in carrying two bowls of steaming hot water. It was Aunt Zhao Jinhua. "Quickly, Xiulan, Chen'er, Xiaoran, have some hot water to warm yourselves up! You must be freezing from the journey!" she greeted warmly, her eyes involuntarily glancing at the bag on the table. She secretly clicked her tongue in admiration; her brother-in-law's son had really made something of himself!

Wang Xiulan quickly took the bowl of water, thanked her repeatedly, and then took out two pairs of brand-new cotton cloth shoes with multi-layered soles from her bundle. "Father, Mother, I made these when I had nothing else to do. Please try them on and see if they fit."

"Oh my! They even made us new shoes!" Grandma Zhang Guifen took the shoes with delight, touching the fine stitches and the thick, soft soles, her eyes welling up with tears again.

Grandpa Wei Shoutian picked up his own pair, tapped the soles on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and couldn't hide his satisfaction: "Good! Excellent craftsmanship! Even more comfortable than store-bought ones!"

The elderly couple immediately took off their worn-out cotton shoes, put on new ones, and walked a few steps in front of the kang (a heated brick bed), beaming with joy.

"Perfect! Perfect! Xiulan, it's so kind of you to still think of us old folks!" Grandma held Wang Xiulan's hand, looking at her clean and tidy cotton-padded jacket, and then at her tall and promising grandson and lively and lovely granddaughter beside her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Their second son died young, leaving behind a widow and her young children. How difficult those days must have been! Who could have imagined that this daughter-in-law would raise the children so well, and not only make a good living for them, but also remember to be filial to them? This kindness warmed the hearts of the elderly couple, yet also brought them tears.

"It's my duty, Mother," Wang Xiulan whispered, a warm feeling welling up inside her. In this era of scarcity, being able to let the elderly wear new shoes she had made herself and see their satisfied smiles made it all worthwhile for her.

Looking at the two pairs of thick new shoes, Auntie secretly envied them, but said with a smile, "Xiulan is really skillful! Parents will walk with a spring in their step wearing these new shoes! You two sit and chat, I'll go prepare lunch! Let's have a family reunion dinner early today!" As she spoke, she deftly rolled up her sleeves, her gaze falling on the bag of meat, and looked at her mother-in-law Zhang Guifen and husband Wei Changsheng with a questioning look.

Zhang Guifen understood and made the decision: "Cut some of the meat Chen'er brought back! We're happy today, so let's have noodles with soybean paste! Jinhua, add plenty of oil and fry the sauce until it's fragrant! Changsheng, have Weifeng go and call his third uncle and aunt's whole family over!"

"Alright!" Wei Changsheng responded and called out towards the door, "Wei Feng! Wei Feng! Stop hiding! Go to your third uncle's house and call them over for dinner! Tell them your second aunt, Chen'er, and Xiao Ran are back!"

"Yes, Dad!" A loud reply came from the courtyard. Soon, a tall and strong young man wearing a worn cotton-padded jacket, with a clever look in his eyes, ran out. It was Wei Feng, the second son of the eldest uncle's family. He was twenty years old this year and was at the age where he could eat and work hard.

Wang Xiulan also stood up: "Sister-in-law, let me lend you a hand."

"No need, no need, you sit down and chat with your parents!" Zhao Jinhua quickly waved her hand. "It's alright, I'm just killing time anyway." Wang Xiulan smiled and followed her into the small kitchen next door.

Inside the main room, Wei Chen sat chatting with his grandparents on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed). Wei Ran, however, had long been restless. Hearing Wei Guo and Wei Min calling to their friends outside, she told her grandparents and flew out like a happy little bird to join the group of children playing wildly. The children's laughter and shouts pierced through the paper windows, adding boundless vitality to the old house in winter.

Not long after, footsteps and voices could be heard outside the door. The curtain was lifted, and Uncle Wei Laishun and Aunt Li Xiuzhi walked in with their five-year-old son, Wei Weimin.

Uncle Wei Laishun was thinner than his eldest brother Wei Changsheng, his face bearing the marks of years of hard work, but he was all smiles at the moment. Aunt Li Xiuzhi was a petite woman with a sallow complexion, clearly struggling financially. She held the somewhat timid Wei Weimin tightly in her arms. Behind them followed Wei Guo, Uncle Wei's eldest son, panting and with a flushed face. He was ten years old, the same age as Wei Min.

"Second Brother! Second Sister-in-law! Chen'er! Where's Xiao Ran?" Wei Laishun greeted them warmly as soon as he entered the door. His gaze swept over his energetic parents on the kang (a heated brick bed), finally landing on Wei Chen with great satisfaction. "Chen'er, good lad! You've established yourself in the city! You've brought honor to our Wei family!"

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt!" Wei Chen quickly got off the kang (a heated brick bed) to greet them, then patted Wei Guo's little head and smiled at the timid Wei Weimin.

"Hey, Chen'er!" Li Xiuzhi replied with a smile, her voice soft. She looked at Wei Chen's tall and straight figure and the warm atmosphere in the room, then looked at her husband and child's faded and patched cotton-padded jackets, and there was a hint of envy and unease in her eyes.

"Laishun, Xiuzhi, come up on the kang and warm up!" Grandma Zhang Guifen called out. "Weimin, come to Grandma!" Little Weimin then broke free from his mother's arms, timidly climbed onto the kang, and snuggled up to his grandmother.

Just then, a loud "sizzle" came from the kitchen, followed by an extremely strong and tempting aroma that was a mixture of rich meat and soy sauce. It rushed into the main room as if it were a tangible thing, instantly whetting everyone's appetite.

Even Grandpa Wei Shoutian, who had been sitting calmly on the kang (a heated brick bed), couldn't help but twitch his nose a few times, and his Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.

"It smells so good!" Wei Guo couldn't help but slurp his saliva, his eyes sparkling as he looked towards the kitchen.

Wei Feng returned from outside, and was so overwhelmed by the aroma that he almost stumbled upon entering. He exclaimed dramatically, "Wow! Mom! Second Aunt! What delicious food are you making? It smells so good it could steal your soul!"

Soon, his cousin Wei Yan came running back, covered in sweat, clearly having heard the news from his friends. "Second Aunt! Brother Chen! Sister Xiao Ran!" he shouted excitedly, his eyes fixed on the fragrant kitchen.