Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The Intermediate People's Court, the Yi family.

Yi Zhonghai carefully poked a small hole in the window paper. He pressed one eye against it, taking in the brief confrontation between Wei Chen and Qin Huairu at the moon gate. Only after Qin Huairu fled in panic and Wei Chen closed the door did he slowly straighten up, his face expressionless, only his eyes churning with gloom and calculation.

"Hmph, stubborn as a mule!" He walked to the table, sat down, picked up the cup of cheap tea that had long since gone cold, and took a big gulp, but couldn't suppress the irritation in his heart. Qin Huairu's failure was within his expectations. That kid Wei Chen, though young, was very cunning and slippery.

"Old man, how did it go?" An older woman leaned closer and asked in a low voice, her face filled with worry. "Didn't Qin girl work out?"

"Success? What do you mean by success?" Yi Zhonghai sneered, putting down his teacup. "That kid's shrewd! Every word he says makes sense, every word he says shuts you up! Grain? No! Meat? Handed over to the authorities! Neighborly relations? They'll tell you to go to the local street committee! Heh, that's some impeccable evasion!"

An older woman sighed, "Oh, this child... is too hard-hearted. The Jia family is in trouble..."

"Difficulties? Who isn't in difficulty?!" Yi Zhonghai interrupted her irritably. "Isn't Wei Chen in difficulty? His ration is barely enough to feed his whole family, but Wei Chen relies on rations all the time. If he wanted more meat, he could have it easier than anyone else. His difficulty is that he's afraid of showing off his wealth! He's afraid of being targeted by these 'poor neighbors' in our courtyard!"

He slammed his hand on the table. "This kid, he's got too big for his britches! Doesn't he respect me as his elder? Doesn't he respect the rules of our courtyard house?"

He stood up and paced restlessly in the cramped room. Wei Chen's unyielding attitude filled him with anger at his authority being challenged, and completely thwarted his previous plan to use Wei Chen to appease the entire hospital and demonstrate his leadership abilities.

No! We can't let this go! We have to teach this kid a lesson: in this courtyard house, ability alone isn't enough; you also need to know the rules! You need to know what it means to be part of a community! You need to know what "respect for elders" and "mutual assistance" mean!

An idea quickly took shape in his mind. His own prestige might not be enough to suppress Wei Chen, who was becoming increasingly opinionated and seemed to be quite valued by the factory, but what if he added his second uncle, Liu Haizhong? That career-obsessed fat man, whose mind was always on how to become a "leader" and how to show off his power!

A glint of light flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes. He stopped and said to the old woman, "Keep an eye on things. I'm going to Old Liu's house." Without waiting for the old woman's reply, he opened the door, hurried through the quiet courtyard, and headed straight for Liu Haizhong's house.

The lights were still on in Liu's house. Liu Haizhong was facing his small mirror, carefully combing the few sparse strands of hair on his head, trying to cover his bald spot, while humming an off-key Peking Opera tune. He was clearly still savoring his "righteous and stern" "leader's speech" at the hospital's general meeting.

"Old Liu!" Yi Zhonghai pushed open the door and came in, his face now bearing a solemn expression filled with concern for the country and its people.

"Hey, Lao Yi? It's so late, what's up?" Liu Haizhong put down his comb, somewhat surprised, but seeing Yi Zhonghai's serious expression, he couldn't help but puff out his signature potbelly, trying to adopt the demeanor of a composed leader.

Yi Zhonghai sighed and sat down with a heavy expression: "Sigh, it's all because of the things in the hospital. I can't sleep because of worry. Old Liu, you saw what happened at today's meeting... Everyone was in a panic! With the rationing being reduced, every household is tightening their belts, and life is tough."

"That's right! It's a difficult time!" Liu Haizhong immediately chimed in, his voice booming with a smug "I knew it all along" attitude. "That's why we need to emphasize organizational discipline even more! Trust the organization! Obey orders! You see what I said at the meeting..."

"Old Liu, you're right!" Yi Zhonghai immediately chimed in, then changed the subject, "But ideological work alone isn't enough! We need to find a way to solve some practical difficulties for everyone! Let everyone see hope! Let everyone feel the warmth of the collective! Only in this way can we truly stabilize people's hearts and overcome the difficulties together!" He looked intently at Liu Haizhong.

Liu Haizhong's chubby face showed a thoughtful expression: "The practical difficulties... the grain supply is determined by the state, there's nothing we can do about it..."

"We can't handle the food, but what about oil and nutrients? What about nutrition?" Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, his tone mysterious and guiding. "Old Liu, think about that kid Wei Chen!"

"Wei Chen?" Liu Haizhong was taken aback.

"That's right!" Yi Zhonghai leaned forward slightly, his tone inflammatory. "That kid, the purchasing agent! How wide-ranging are his connections? He can even hunt! Haven't you seen him bring back pheasants and rabbits every few days? That's real meat! What time is it now? Forget meat, even oil is precious!"

If... if Wei Chen could be of some use, and some of the wild game he got could be distributed to the poorest households in the compound... even just a small bowl of broth for each family would be a lifesaver! It would be incredibly helpful! It would show that our steward cares about the people's hardships and also strengthen the cohesion of our compound! Don't you think that's a good idea?"

His small eyes lit up instantly! Meat! Distribute the meat! Let him, the "leader," preside over the distribution! What a great idea! This will not only demonstrate his "leadership ability" and "care," but also truly establish his authority in front of those in need!

He might even gain some favors and get some benefits later... He could almost see himself standing in the central courtyard, solemnly distributing wild game amidst the grateful gazes of the crowd.

"Wow! Old Yi! Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!" Liu Haizhong slapped his thigh excitedly, his fat face trembling. "How could I not have thought of that! You, Old Yi, are truly capable! Caring about the hardships of the masses and demonstrating the spirit of collective mutual assistance! This perfectly aligns with the directives from above! Wei Chen, that kid, has the ability; he should contribute to the collective! Young people shouldn't just think of themselves!"

Yi Zhonghai sneered inwardly, but put on a knowing smile: "Right! Old Liu, you've hit the nail on the head! Young people need to have a sense of collectivism! We can't be individualistic! We're doing this for his own good, to help him integrate into the group and build a good reputation! But..."

He paused deliberately, feigning a troubled expression. "You've seen Wei Chen yourself; he's a bit of a loner. Qin went there just now and got a cold shoulder. I'm afraid... he might not be willing to cooperate."

"He wouldn't dare!" Liu Haizhong's imagined "leadership" authority was questioned, and he immediately became like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His chubby face hardened, and he snorted with an air of official authority, "This is for the sake of the entire institute! It's a collective decision! How dare he, a mere brat, disobey? He's gone too far!"

"Don't worry, Lao Yi, I'll take care of this! Tomorrow! Tomorrow we'll have a small meeting, call Wei Chen over, and have a good talk with him! Let him understand what organizational discipline is! What neighborly help is! If he doesn't know what's good for him..." Liu Haizhong narrowed his small eyes, a hint of ruthlessness flashing across them, "Hmph, then don't blame us for using the rules of the compound to intimidate him! Let him know who's in charge in this courtyard!"

"Good! With Lao Liu saying that, I'm relieved!" Yi Zhonghai smiled with satisfaction, but a hint of coldness was hidden deep in his smile.

What he wanted was Liu Haizhong's ambition and eagerness to prove himself! He wanted this reckless fat man to be the first to charge ahead and act as a pawn, while he remained calm and collected. As long as Liu Haizhong could keep Wei Chen in check and force him to bleed, it would ultimately be him, the "wise and shrewd" old man, who would appease the people and gain prestige!

The two old foxes, each with their own ulterior motives, finalized their plan to "jointly pressure" Wei Chen under the dim light. The night outside the window seemed to grow even darker.

Qin Huairu returned to the Jia family home dejectedly. As soon as she pushed open the door, Jia Zhangshi's mean old face loomed over her, her triangular eyes filled with eagerness and greed: "How did it go? Did you borrow it? Grain? Oil coupons? Or did you promise meat?"

Looking at her mother-in-law's demanding face, and recalling the humiliation and cold rejection she had suffered at Wei Chen's hands, a surge of immense grievance and resentment welled up inside her, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She didn't speak, but simply shook her head weakly, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), sat down, covered her face, and began to sob softly.

"Crying, crying, crying! All you do is cry! You jinx! You good-for-nothing!" Seeing her like this, Madam Jia immediately understood, and a surge of anger shot to her head! She jumped off the kang (heated brick bed), pointed at Qin Huairu's nose, and cursed, "You can't even handle the smallest things! What good are you?! You can't even get a little grain back! How did my Jia family end up with such a useless thing like you! What a waste of a pretty face! You can't even handle a young man! Did you see that pretty boy and soften your heart? Huh? You shameless slut! Killing my son wasn't enough, you want to seduce some other man..."

A torrent of foul language rained down on Qin Huairu like poisoned arrows. Jia Dongxu sat to the side, his face grim. Instead of trying to dissuade his mother, he chimed in sarcastically, "Hmph, I knew it! She's got a different status now—a dual job, purchasing agent, and security guard! She thinks she's above everyone else! She wouldn't even look at us poor neighbors! Qin Huairu, and you too, you can't even speak properly! You can't even ask for help properly!"

Banggeng was startled awake by his grandmother's scolding. He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and asked in a daze, "Mom... meat... is there any meat to eat?"

Listening to her mother-in-law's insults, her husband's complaints, and her son's questions, Qin Huairu felt as if a thousand arrows were piercing her heart, and grief overwhelmed her. She suddenly raised her head, tears streaming down her face, her voice sharp and hoarse from extreme suppression: "You're so capable! Go ask for it yourselves! They said the grain belongs to the state, they can't touch it! They don't even have enough for their own rations! The meat has to be given to the canteen! That's the factory's rule! What am I supposed to do? Steal it? Rob it?! If you're so capable, go make a scene in the streets! Make a scene at the factory! What kind of capability is it to take it out on me!" Her pent-up resentment erupted like a volcano. After shouting, she collapsed as if exhausted, only able to suppress her sobs.

Jia Zhangshi was taken aback by her daughter-in-law's sudden outburst, and then became even more enraged, unleashing a torrent of foul language. Jia Dongxu, also enraged, joined the verbal battle. The small house in the Jia family was instantly filled with ear-piercing arguments, shouting, and the children's cries, resembling a chaotic battlefield.

The commotion carried exceptionally far in the quiet night.