Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Mom," Wei Chen called softly, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible weariness.

Wang Xiulan looked up and saw her son. A gentle smile immediately bloomed on her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out: "Chen'er is back? You must be exhausted. There's still some porridge warming in the stove. Let Mom get you some..." She put down her needlework and was about to get up.

"Mom, don't rush." ​​Wei Chen walked quickly over, sat down on the small stool next to his mother, and took her arm. He carefully chose his words, trying to make his tone sound relaxed and casual. "I need to tell you something. I... might have to go out of town for a few days."

"Going out?" Wang Xiulan's smile froze, and she stopped sewing. She looked at her son with a mixture of doubt and worry. "The factory sent you on a job? Is it far? How many days will you be gone?"

"It wasn't at the factory." Wei Chen took a deep breath and described the pitiful state of the children with edema at the rescue station to his mother in as calm but truthful language as possible. Finally, he revealed his decision, "...that child's stomach was swollen like a drum, and he was about to die. Just drinking porridge wouldn't be enough. I was thinking of going into the mountains to see if I could hunt some wild animals to make some soup for them to nourish their bodies. Maybe...we could save them."

"Go into the mountains?!" Wang Xiulan's face changed drastically, and the needle in her hand clattered to the ground. She grabbed Wei Chen's arm, her knuckles turning white from the force. "Chen'er! Are you crazy?! Didn't we say we wouldn't go up the mountain anymore? What year is this? Huh?! The mountains... are those places for humans?! Wolves! Wild boars! No! Mom won't allow you to go on that adventure! Absolutely not! Don't even think about it!" Her body trembled slightly with agitation and fear, and tears welled up instantly.

Seeing his mother's face drain of color and the unfathomable fear in her eyes, Wei Chen felt a surge of comfort. He grasped her cold, rough, calloused hand tightly, his voice softening, carrying a reassuring steadiness and strength: "Mom, don't worry. Don't you know your son's abilities? I've followed my master through the forest since I was little; I can find every ditch and every ridge with my eyes closed." He tried to soothe his mother with memories of the past.

He paused, looking at his mother's still terrified eyes, and continued patiently, "I won't go deep into the mountains. I'll stay on the outskirts and find some old hunter friends I know, like Zhao Laonian from the back mountain valley and Sun Batou from Willow Grove. I'll see if they have any stock, or we can team up. It's perfectly safe. Besides..."

He emphasized, "Section Chief Jin personally approved it, saying it was official business, a task, and not considered leave. Director Wang from the neighborhood committee also repeatedly told me to be careful. You can rest assured, I'll be there and back quickly, at most three or four days, and I guarantee I'll be back safe and sound for you."

Wang Xiulan's lips trembled, and tears streamed down her face. She wanted to say something, but when she looked into her son's eyes—the same deep and determined eyes as her late husband's when he was young—and saw the unwavering determination and compassion in his eyes when he mentioned those children with edema, all her words of advice stuck in her throat, turning into a long, worried sob.

She knew that her son's stubbornness and deep-seated kindness were just like his father's. Once he made up his mind, nothing could change it.

In the end, she only gripped her son's hand tighter, as if he would disappear if she let go, her voice choked and broken: "Chen'er... Mom... Mom knows she can't stop you... but you... you must be careful! Be extremely careful! It doesn't matter if you don't hit the things... but you... you must come back safe and sound! Not a single hair can be missing! Do you hear me? Mom... Mom is waiting for you at home! I'll guard the door for you..." Tears slid down her deeply lined cheeks, dripping onto Wei Chen's hand, hot and wet.

"Yes! Mom, don't worry! I promise!" Wei Chen squeezed his mother's hand tightly, his voice low and strong, like a solemn vow. He bent down to pick up the needle from the ground and gently placed it back into the sewing basket beside his mother.

After comforting his mother and watching her manage to drink some porridge and lie down, Wei Chen returned to his room. He quickly packed a worn canvas backpack: a sturdy hemp rope, a sharp machete, a military water bottle filled with water, a small bag of precious salt, and a few hard, mixed bread cakes.

Most importantly, he received a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle from the security department, which was wrapped tightly in thick oilcloth and then covered with a tattered burlap sack.

After checking and finding nothing amiss, he quietly opened the courtyard gate while the people in the courtyard weren't paying attention, and his figure quickly disappeared into the cold wind of the street.

No sooner had Wei Chen left than the courtyard was in an uproar over his "heroic act." And the one who detonated this "bomb" was none other than Xu Damao, the projectionist in the steel mill's propaganda department.

Xu Damao was in a good mood today and left work a little earlier than usual. Humming an off-key excerpt from a model opera, he strolled back to the courtyard house with light, swaying steps, a smug look on his face as if he had mastered exclusive inside information and was about to become the center of attention. As soon as he stepped into the front yard, he was surrounded by several old women who were sewing shoe soles and picking rotten vegetable leaves in the last bit of daylight.

"Hey, Da Mao's back? Anything new at the factory today? Tell us about it!" Aunt Yan Bugui's daughter-in-law, holding a shoe sole in her hand, came over with a gossipy look on her face and asked.

Xu Damao deliberately cleared his throat, puffed out his not-so-thick chest, raised his chin slightly, and suddenly raised his voice several decibels, with an exaggerated tone, making sure that everyone in the front yard and even the middle yard could hear him clearly: "Hey! Something new? That's really something new! You'll be shocked when I tell you! Our guy in the yard, the big shot, the factory's star—Wei Chen! Wei the Purchasing Manager! He did something earth-shattering, something incredible today! You'll all have to give him a thumbs up!"

"Oh? Wei Chen? What good news? Tell us quickly!" Everyone's curiosity was immediately piqued. Even Qin Huairu, who was washing the family's dishes with the cold water at the tap in the middle courtyard, unconsciously slowed down her movements and pricked up her ears.

Xu Damao, spitting as he spoke, gesticulating wildly, began his dramatic performance: "He volunteered to go hunting in the mountains for those starving disaster victims at the street office's relief station who were just skin and bones and on the verge of dying!"

"You know what? They went into the mountains! Those deep, old forests! They said they were willing to risk their lives to bring back some wild game to nourish the children and elderly who were starving, their bellies bulging like drums, their eyes barely able to see, and to make a life-saving soup! Tsk tsk tsk, listen to that! This awareness! This spirit! This realm! Isn't it lofty?" He waved his arms exaggeratedly.

"What? Going into the mountains to hunt? Now?" Everyone was in an uproar, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.

"Absolutely!" Xu Damao exclaimed, even more enthusiastic, as if he were the hero. "Do you know what? Director Wang from the neighborhood committee was so moved! He almost cried! He held Wei Chen's hand, praising him endlessly as 'public-spirited,' 'a timely help,' and 'a good example for the working class!' And that's not all!"

He paused deliberately, building suspense, before mysteriously lowering his voice, but still loud enough to carry, "Director Wang thinks Comrade Wei Chen's spirit of stepping forward in the face of difficulties, selflessly helping others, and making selfless contributions is truly remarkable! He's practically the kind of role model we need to promote most during this famine year! He's a living Lei Feng! So, the street office directly sent our steel mill's Party Committee and Trade Union a letter of commendation, stamped with a bright red official seal, written with such enthusiasm and heartfelt emotion!"

He imitated the tone of someone reading a letter, emphasizing the rhythm and inflection: "Comrade Wei Chen, an employee of your factory, cared deeply for the disaster victims and, undeterred by hardship, volunteered to venture into dangerous territory… His spirit of public service and selfless dedication serves as a model for all cadres and employees… Regardless of the outcome of this trip, his heart is commendable, and his ambition is worthy of emulation… This is hereby issued to commend him, and it is recommended that your factory award him a prize…"

"Listen to that! Listen to what they're saying! They're praising Wei Chen like he's a flower! Even the factory leaders are alarmed! Deputy Factory Director Li personally read the letter over the loudspeaker, calling on the entire factory to learn from Comrade Wei Chen! Now, Wei Chen's really in the limelight!" Xu Damao finished speaking, smacked his lips, his face showing a complex expression that mixed envy, sourness, and anticipation of seeing a good show.

Xu Damao's embellished and highly inflammatory "broadcast" was like a red-hot iron, pressing hard onto the seemingly calm but actually turbulent pot of warm water in the courtyard.

With a "sizzle," the entire courtyard instantly erupted in excitement!

On the surface, there were naturally sounds of praise and admiration everywhere.

"Oh my! Amazing! Wei Chen, that boy! He's truly remarkable!" An older woman from Yi Zhonghai's family slapped her thigh and exclaimed loudly, "What a kind and righteous man! He has those suffering fellow villagers in his heart! This is the true nature of our working class!"

"Yes, yes! She's not only capable, but also has such a compassionate heart! It's so rare! So rare!" Aunt Liu's wife quickly chimed in, squeezing out an exaggerated smile on her chubby face, as if she were proud of it.

"That awareness, that spirit, is truly remarkable! A man of noble character! Our courtyard has produced such a remarkable person; we are all proud of him!" Old Li from the front yard said, puffing on his pipe and slowly exhaling smoke rings, his words carrying the approval of someone who had been there before.

However, beneath this seemingly harmonious and "positive" wave of praise, a completely different mindset is brewing. Jealousy is like a poisonous vine, discontent is like bubbles in a gutter, and resentment is like mold growing in a corner, spreading and fermenting wildly in the shadows where the light doesn't reach.

The Intermediate People's Court, the Jia family.

The dim light of the kerosene lamp cast shadows on the paper window. Jia Zhangshi was sitting cross-legged on the kang (heated brick bed), sewing a worn-out shoe sole by the lamplight. Xu Damao's powerful, high-pitched voice pierced her ears, every word clear and distinct.

When she heard words like "going into the mountains to hunt," "providing medicine to disaster victims," ​​"a letter of commendation from the neighborhood committee," "award from the factory," and "making a big splash," the awl in her hand fell to the kang mat with a "thud."