Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Jia Dongxu was already unsettled by the news he heard at the conference, and now, being scolded by his mother made him even more irritable.

He leaned against the doorframe, his face so dark it looked like it could drip water. Wei Chen… that usually quiet kid who always walked close to the wall, actually had such amazing skills? Two jobs in one! Purchasing clerk! Security guard! This treatment, this status, it was like trampling him, a dignified first-class fitter at the steel rolling mill, into the mud!

Why? Jia Dongxu works himself to the bone, earning a meager salary that barely covers his entire family, so why does Wei Chen live such a comfortable life? A strong sense of humiliation and imbalance burned through his body like poisonous fire.

"Mom...please calm down..." Qin Huairu walked over carrying a bowl of thin cornmeal porridge so thin you could see your reflection in it, and carefully tried to persuade her, her voice filled with weariness and helplessness, "Wei Chen...Brother Wei Chen is capable, that's his talent..."

"Capable my foot!" Madam Jia spat on the ground, interrupting her viciously. "Capable? If you're so capable, you should help out your neighbors! Especially our family! You ungrateful wretch who doesn't know how to respect the elderly and care for the young! Qin Huairu!" She abruptly turned to her daughter-in-law, her triangular eyes fixed on her, and ordered, "You! Go now! Go to the backyard and find that brat surnamed Wei!"

Qin Huairu's heart sank, and her hand holding the bowl trembled slightly: "Mom... this... the meeting just ended, and people are upset too. It's... not appropriate to go now, is it?"

"Unsuitable? What's unsuitable about it!" Jia Zhangshi's voice rose even higher. "Annoyed? What's he annoyed about! He's short on grain rations! We're short on enough food to survive! You go and..."

She lowered her voice, her tone carrying a nauseating calculation, "...Let's sound him out! See if we can borrow some grain to tide us over...not much, just ten or eight pounds of fine grain, or...some oil or meat coupons would do! He's just a purchasing agent; a little bit slipped through his fingers is enough to satisfy our cravings! And also,"

Her eyes gleamed. "He knows how to hunt, doesn't he? Next time he catches some pheasant or rabbit, make sure he shares a lot with our family! Banggeng hasn't had any meat in ages! Just tell him, 'Just take pity on the child!'"

"Mom... how... how can I possibly ask for this..." Qin Huairu's face flushed crimson, a hundred times unwilling. Wei Chen's calm, almost indifferent eyes instinctively made her shudder. The scene of him effortlessly lifting Yi Zhonghai up at the last hospital-wide meeting was still vivid in her mind; now, to go empty-handed to "borrow grain" and "ask for meat"? Wasn't this just inviting humiliation?

"You have to open up, whether you want to or not!" Madam Jia slapped her thigh, spitting as she spoke. "For this family! For your son! So what if you have to swallow your pride? You're a woman! You're thin-skinned and easy to talk to! No matter how tough Wei Chen is, would he turn against a pregnant woman like you? Hurry up! What are you dawdling for! Do you want to watch Bang Geng starve to death?!" Her last sentence was almost a roar, filled with an undeniable tyranny.

Jia Dongxu chimed in with a sinister tone, "That's right, Huai Ru, you should try it. We're all from the same compound. Wei Chen is successful now, it's only right that he helps out those in need. If he really dares not to give... humph, then he won't have a good reputation in the compound!" His words were both an encouragement and a threat.

Looking at her mother-in-law's ferocious face, listening to her husband's indifferent words, and then looking at the three children on the kang (heated brick bed) with their pale, sallow faces staring at her expectantly, Qin Huairu felt as if her heart was filled with a ball of cotton soaked in bitter water, heavy and astringent.

She bit her lower lip, almost drawing blood. Ultimately, the helplessness of being a mother and the fear of reality overwhelmed everything. Silently, she put down the bowl of thin porridge, tidied her disheveled hair, took a deep breath, and as if heading to her execution, lowered her head, her steps heavy as she pushed open the door and walked towards the backyard. The dim light cast a long, thin shadow of her back, conveying a profound sense of sorrow and helplessness.

The east courtyard was quiet. The noise from the Jia family and the sound of Sha Zhu slamming the door were separated by several walls, leaving only the rustling of the old locust tree leaves in the evening breeze. A dim yellow light shone through the window of Wei Chen's room, making it seem exceptionally quiet in the night.

Qin Huairu stood before the wooden moon gate of the east courtyard, her heart pounding and her palms sweating. She raised her hand, hesitated several times, and then gently knocked on the door.

Thump, thump, thump.

The voice was very soft, with a cautious, tentative tone.

Footsteps sounded from inside the courtyard, and the door creaked open. Wei Chen stood in the doorway, still wearing his faded work clothes, his face expressionless. Seeing it was Qin Huairu, a knowing glint flashed in his eyes, but his tone remained calm: "Sister-in-law Jia? It's so late, is something wrong?"

The dim light spilled from the room, shining directly on Qin Huairu's face, revealing her forced, somewhat awkward and ingratiating smile, as well as the undisguised embarrassment and exhaustion deep in her eyes.

"Brother Wei... Brother Wei Chen, I hope I didn't disturb your rest?" Qin Huairu's voice was deliberately soft, with a hint of timidity. "Well... the meeting just ended, and everyone in the compound is feeling uneasy. Your sister-in-law... came to see you. Your brother Dongxu was worried that you would be upset after hearing the news, so he specially asked me to come... to see you and keep you company." She tried her best to make her smile appear sincere and caring.

Wei Chen wanted to laugh when he heard this. Who would let their pregnant wife go out to comfort someone in the middle of the night? He could only chuckle.

Wei Chen slightly stepped aside, not immediately moving aside to let her through the doorway, but calmly looked at her: "Oh? Thank you for your concern, Brother Jia and Sister-in-law. I'm fine. Sister-in-law, please come in and sit down?" His tone was polite, but carried an invisible distance.

Qin Huairu quickly waved her hand, still standing outside the door, as if afraid that she would be unable to speak once she entered: "No...no, it's just a few words, I'll leave after I'm done. It's cool outside."

She took a deep breath, as if she had made a great decision, and her smile widened. She began to cautiously probe the issue, "Brother Wei Chen, you are a capable man, and young, just at the prime of your life. Unlike my family, with a family to support... sigh, this sudden rationing is really... really killing us."

She observed Wei Chen's expression and, seeing that he remained calm and composed, had no choice but to continue, her voice deliberately choked with emotion: "Bang Geng is at the age when he's growing, he's always complaining of being hungry, and he can't sleep well at night... His little face is so thin that all that's left are his big eyes... When I see him like this, it feels like my heart is being ripped out..." She raised her sleeve, pretending to wipe away non-existent tears from the corners of her eyes, and stole a glance at Wei Chen's reaction.

Wei Chen listened quietly, his eyes deep and unwavering, as if watching a play that had nothing to do with him.

Qin Huairu felt a chill run down her spine, but thinking of her mother-in-law's pressure and her children's hunger, she could only continue the act, lowering her voice even further, with a touch of heartfelt intimacy: "Brother Weichen, I...I know you're a very capable person! You're a purchasing agent at the factory, with wide connections and many ways to get things done...Can...can you...help me out? Just...just lend me a little bit of food to tide me over? It doesn't have to be refined grains, coarse grains will do! Cornmeal or dried sweet potatoes will do! Once we get through this, I...I'll definitely find a way to pay you back!" She nervously twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, her eyes filled with pleading.

Wei Chen sneered inwardly. They'd come after all. Borrow grain? When had the Jia family ever returned anything they borrowed? This was clearly throwing good money after bad, a sure thing.

He maintained his polite demeanor, shaking his head slightly, his tone gentle yet resolute in his refusal: "Sister Qin, I'm so sorry. You know, I'm just a purchasing agent, running errands. The goods belong to the government; how could I have the authority to touch them? As for my family's ration," he pointed to his room, "it's barely enough for my family of three. With this ration being adjusted, I have to tighten my belt and be very careful with my spending. I really don't have any extra to lend out. I'm sorry, Sister Qin."

Qin Huairu's heart sank, and the forced smile on her face almost crumbled. Undeterred, she changed her approach, her voice tinged with urgency: "Then... what about wild game? Brother Wei Chen, I know you're capable of getting wild game! You see... next time you hunt pheasants or rabbits, could... could you share some with our family?"

"It doesn't need to be much, just enough to make a bowl of soup for the children, with a little meat on it! They're really craving it... Your Aunt Jia said, just consider it... just consider it as neighbors helping each other out, our Jia family will remember your kindness!" She deliberately emphasized "neighborly affection" and "remember your kindness," her eyes full of expectation.

A barely perceptible smile curved Wei Chen's lips, but his eyes grew even colder. Remember this? He dared not accept the Jia family's "kindness."

His tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable bottom line: "Sister-in-law Jia, hunting is a matter of luck; you can't just hunt whenever you want. Besides, the factory has regulations that any wild game hunted by individuals must, in principle, be given priority to the canteen to improve the workers' meals. It can't be disposed of privately. I reported those two pheasants I caught last time to the factory. If I manage to catch one next time, it has to go to the company first. There's really no way to divide it up privately."

He paused, looking at Qin Huairu's face, which had turned deathly pale, and then "kindly" added, "Sister Qin, the difficulties are temporary. Didn't Director Wang from the neighborhood committee say that the government is looking for solutions? Your family has a lot of people, and the difficulties are significant. Why don't you... go to the neighborhood committee and see if you can apply for some subsidies?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Qin Huairu's head, leaving her feeling chilled to the bone. A soft rebuff! Completely soft rebuffs! No grain! No meat! Public regulations, individual rations, factory rules… the reasons were all high-sounding and impeccable, and they even "kindly" pointed her to a street-level application, leaving her speechless and without a single room for rebuttal.

Qin Huairu's smile vanished completely, replaced by an overwhelming sense of shame, indignation, and helplessness. Looking at Wei Chen's calm, expressionless face, his eyes even carrying a hint of all-knowing understanding, she felt a tremendous surge of grievance and resentment welling up inside her, unable to escape. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but found any words pale and laughable in the face of his impenetrable rejection.

In the end, she could only squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth, her voice dry and weak: "...Okay...okay...then...I'm sorry to bother you, Brother Wei Chen...you...you should get some rest."

She dared not look Wei Chen in the eye again, turned around abruptly, and almost fled, her thin figure staggering and disappearing into the dark doorway leading to the front yard. That silhouette was filled with defeat, resentment, and deep bitterness.

Wei Chen watched the hastily disappearing figure, then expressionlessly closed the door. A soft "click" shut out the schemes from the outside world.

The moment the door closed, Wei Chen's gaze sharpened like a hawk's, coldly sweeping over the window of Yi Zhonghai's house in the central courtyard, which was swaying slightly in the darkness—a shadow seemed to have flashed by just now.