Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Did it work?" Wei Chen's voice was filled with anticipation.

"Hmm." Zhao Gensheng stood up and walked to an old pine cabinet, about half his height, against the wall. He opened the cabinet door, bent down, and took out a large bundle carefully wrapped in oilcloth. As the oilcloth was unwrapped, a dazzling blend of golden brown and jet black unfolded under the light!

A complete tiger skin!

The fur was glossy and smooth, shimmering with a luxurious sheen under the dim light. Against the orange-yellow background, bold, jet-black stripes resembled solidified ink lightning, exuding power and majesty.

The entire skin was peeled off flawlessly, from the huge head to the thick limbs, and even the long tail that still carried a hint of awe. There was not a single tear, and even the most difficult parts, such as the eyelids and the mouth and nose, were cleaned up neatly.

The fur is thick and soft; touching it gives your fingertips an indescribable, warm feel, imbued with a wild vitality. A unique scent, belonging to top prey and mixed with the aroma of tantalizing herbs, wafts through the air.

Wei Chen held his breath, staring intently at the tiger skin, his heart pounding uncontrollably.

Absolutely perfect! This is simply an unparalleled work of art!

He reached out, his fingertips trembling slightly, and gently stroked the thick, beautiful fur, feeling the suppleness and strength hidden beneath the coarse mane.

Every single hair seemed to tell the thrilling story of that life-or-death struggle, and also showcased the master's superb skinning and tanning skills.

"You like it?" Zhao Gensheng looked at the undisguised affection in his apprentice's eyes, and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards for once, revealing a barely perceptible smile.

He rolled up the tiger skin again and stuffed it into Wei Chen's arms. "Take it. Come back to move the wine when it's completely dark tonight. That thing is heavy and noisy, so don't attract attention." He pointed to the sky outside, which was already completely dark.

Wei Chen hugged the tiger-skin scroll tightly, feeling the weight of his harvest and the warmth it brought, and nodded vigorously: "Okay! Master, I'll go down the mountain first. The village is waiting for the big pot meal. I'll definitely come back tonight!"

Holding the precious tiger skin, Wei Chen practically jumped for joy as he descended the mountain.

Back in the village, a strong aroma of meat, fat, and spices wafted from afar, filling the air with its fragrance.

On the large stove in the canteen kitchen next to the village office square, a huge black iron pot was bubbling and boiling, steaming up large plumes of enticing white steam. Around the stove, several village women were busy working, their faces flushed and smiling.

In the open space in the center of the yard, the wild boar weighing over 300 pounds had long since disappeared. In its place were piles of cut, red and white pieces of meat and a large pile of offal and bones that needed to be carefully cleaned.

Most of the villagers hadn't left yet, gathering in twos and threes, their faces beaming with satisfaction, their eyes occasionally glancing eagerly at the bubbling pot and the meat on the cutting board.

Wei Changsheng stood on a slightly elevated stone stool in the middle of the courtyard, holding a small notebook and half a pencil stub. His voice booming as he gave orders: "...Listen up, everyone! We're starting to distribute the meat! Two jin per family! Line up, don't mess around! Wei Feng, you're in charge of cutting meat for Aunt Zhang's family and Li Laoshuan's family! Zhu Zi, you're in charge of Widow Wang's family and Liu Laoguai's family at the west end! Lao San, you keep an eye on the scales, not a single jin can be missing!"

He paused, his stern gaze sweeping across the room, and continued, "The pig Chenzi hunted is big enough! After each family receives two jin of meat, there's still plenty left. Gather up the remaining offal, large bones, pig's head, and trotters! Give them all to Old Zhang! Make soup! Stew! Add plenty of seasoning! Today, all the men of Baoyuquan Village, young and old, will have their first meat feast! Enough to go around! Starting tomorrow, we'll have one meal a day, enough for several days!"

"Good!" "Village Chief is wise!" "Thank you, Brother Wei Chen!" Cheers and shouts of approval instantly filled the air, brimming with sincere gratitude. The children jumped up and down excitedly, circling around the large pot.

Wei Chen walked into the courtyard carrying the tiger skin and immediately became the center of attention. When everyone saw the obviously extraordinary item in his arms, their eyes showed not only a desire for the meat but also a sense of awe and curiosity.

Wei Chen first went home and put the tiger skin away in his house before going to the village canteen.

"Chenzi, come here quickly!" Aunt Wei handed Wei Chen a large, rough porcelain bowl filled with a steaming pot of stew that had just come out of the pot.

The bowl was surprisingly lavishly filled with slices of dark brown pork lung, tender chunks of blood sausage, trembling sections of fatty intestine, radish pieces soaked in broth, and several pieces of pork bone still attached to the tendons, covered with a thick layer of glistening oil. The rich aroma of the meat broth, mixed with the flavors of scallions, ginger, garlic, and robust spices, forcefully penetrated into the very core of the body.

"Try it! It smells delicious!" Auntie smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits.

Wei Chen was indeed hungry. He took the bowl, squatted down by the courtyard wall, and, ignoring the heat, began to slurp it down. The thick, piping hot broth, the soft and flavorful radish, the chewy and oily offal, and the pleasure of sucking out the marrow… it was a long-lost taste of food itself, an incredibly satisfying flavor. After finishing the bowl, he felt warm all over, and a fine sweat appeared on his forehead.

He wiped his mouth, walked over to his uncle who was directing the distribution of meat, and whispered, "Uncle, I've finished eating the meat, it was delicious! As for that wild boar, I'm thinking of leaving it at dawn tomorrow. It's getting hotter and hotter, the meat won't keep, we need to send it back quickly."

Wei Changsheng, who was staring at Chengxing, didn't even look up when he heard this, but simply gave a heavy "hmm": "It's time to hurry up! Don't worry, everything's arranged here, it won't delay your business! Be careful on the road!"

The night was as dark as ink, so thick it seemed impossible to see through. The mountain wind whistled through the treetops, like something whispering. The entire village of Baoyuquan was already fast asleep; not even a dog could be heard barking. Only Wei Changsheng's house still had a faint, dim light shining through.

Judging that it was about time, Wei Chen quietly got up and blew out the oil lamp. He didn't go through the courtyard gate, but like a nimble lynx, he scaled over the low back wall of his house, his figure quickly disappearing into the thick darkness of the night. Relying on his familiarity with the mountain path, his steps were light yet silent, as if he were walking on cotton, stealthily making his way towards his master's hut halfway up the mountain.

A faint light shone from the crack in the door of the small wooden cabin at the foot of the rocky cliff. Wei Chen knocked lightly on the door three times, two short knocks and one long knock. The door opened silently, and Zhao Gensheng's face, which appeared even more angular in the dim light, appeared in the doorway. He didn't speak, but simply stepped aside.

Behind the hut, a narrow cellar entrance, barely wide enough for one person to bend over and enter, was open. A strong, mellow aroma of liquor, carrying a strange medicinal fragrance and the distinctive fishy smell of tiger bones, mixed with the damp scent of earth, wafted out.

Descending the simple wooden ladder, the cellar was small but cool and dry. Four large, roughly waist-high earthenware jars stood silently, like silent behemoths. Two of the jars had red paper pasted on their clay seals, bearing the character "bone," while the other two, slightly smaller, had the character "whip."

"These two vats contain a thousand catties of tiger bone wine," Zhao Gensheng said succinctly, pointing to the two large vats. "Those two small vats contain whip wine, a hundred catties each. It's too strong; you're young, so you don't need it. Let it steep for a couple more years, and you can drink it from there." He pointed to a roll of thick hemp rope and a sturdy long wooden bar on the ground beside him. "The tools are ready."

Wei Chen nodded without saying much. He walked to a large vat, squatted down, and skillfully wrapped a thick hemp rope around the vat's belly several times, tying a secure pig-lifting knot. Then, he took a deep breath, bent his knees slightly, and thrust his back and waist forward with all his might!

"Hey!" A deep, muffled shout echoed in the cellar. He actually managed to lift the large earthenware jar, weighing at least five hundred pounds and filled with wine, off the ground!

His arms were muscular and his temples bulged with veins, yet his steps were remarkably steady. He carried the vat, moving step by step to the bottom of the wooden ladder, carefully placing one side of the vat on it. Then, he freed one hand to grab the wooden bar and thread it through the rope loop. With a slight slump, he hoisted the bar firmly onto his shoulder.

Zhao Gensheng stood at the cellar entrance, watching his apprentice's superhuman strength. His eyes showed no surprise, only a calm acceptance of what was to come. In his youth, he too had been a man capable of carrying hundreds of kilograms of mountain goods across mountains and valleys. He knew that some people in this world were born with extraordinary physiques. Coupled with the kung fu he had taught Wei Chen, his strength was naturally far beyond that of ordinary people. However, what he didn't know was that Wei Chen had embarked on a different path, and his strength could no longer be measured in kilograms.

Wei Chen carried the heavy 500-pound load, each step he took producing a dull thud on the ground. He controlled his breathing and pace, trying to minimize the noise. Descending along the familiar mountain path, moonlight occasionally pierced through the clouds, illuminating his silhouette as he silently moved forward, carrying the giant vat on his shoulder, like a mountain spirit walking at night.

Reaching the old, leafy locust tree at the village entrance, Wei Chen stopped. The location was slightly elevated, offering a panoramic view of most of the sleeping village, and was also well-hidden. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby; even the chirping of insects had temporarily ceased. Concentrating his mind, the entrance to his spatial backpack silently opened.

The weight on his shoulders suddenly lightened. The enormous, incredibly heavy earthenware jar, exuding a strong aroma of wine, along with the priceless tiger bone wine inside, vanished into thin air in an instant, safely placed in the temperature- and humidity-controlled, absolutely secure underground storage room of the Hunter's Lodge in the game world. Only the lingering, rich aroma of wine remained in the air.

Without pausing, Wei Chen turned and disappeared back into the night, retracing his steps to return to his master's cellar. On the silent mountain path, only a few footprints remained, deeply embedded in the soft soil, quickly covered by the dust stirred up by the night wind.

Move the second vat of tiger bone wine, then the two vats of tiger penis wine, which are slightly lighter in quantity but have a potent medicinal effect. Each trip is an ultimate test of strength and caution.

As the last jar of whipped wine disappeared beneath the old locust tree, Wei Chen let out a long, silent sigh of relief, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his back was soaked through; a cool night breeze brought a touch of chill.