Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Pfft!" A sneer, undisguised and full of mockery, came from behind Wei Chen.

"Come on, Uncle!" He Yuzhu's signature loud voice rang out like a booming bell.

He arrived at the door at some point, carrying a bulging, oil-stained paper bag in one hand and a brand-new bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) with a red background and gold lettering in the other. Beside him was He Yushui, a pretty and quiet girl dressed in a clean blue school uniform.

Sha Zhu glanced sideways at Yan Bugui, his smirk almost reaching his ears. "That bottle of your 'treasured' Erguotou, it's probably been diluted with water since the Republican era, hasn't it? I couldn't taste any liquor, but it tasted like the fishy smell of the moat! And you still have the nerve to try and fool Brother Wei Chen? Aren't you afraid of making him sick from the stench!"

When Yan Bugui's true colors were exposed in public by Sha Zhu, his old face instantly turned purplish-red. He pointed at Sha Zhu and stammered "You...you..." for a long time, his goatee trembling with anger, unable to utter a single word.

Wei Chen quickly spoke up, his tone gentle but firm as he politely declined again: "Uncle, I appreciate your kindness. Please save the wine for yourself. Tonight, I'm inviting Brother Zhu to my house for dinner. He can teach my mother how to cook fish; we haven't eaten fish much before and don't know how."

He nodded to Sha Zhu and He Yushui, then stepped aside to open the courtyard gate. "Brother Zhu, Sister Yushui, please come in."

Sha Zhu proudly waved the brand-new wine bottle in his hand at Yan Bugui, snorted, and pulled He Yushui, who was still a little embarrassed and had her head slightly lowered, into the courtyard with Wei Chen.

Yan Bugui was left standing alone in the deepening twilight at the entrance of the courtyard. His face turned from purple to green, then from green to white. He watched Wei Chen push the cart away into the distance, especially the three "golden mountains" of fish struggling in the water bucket in the front basket. His heart ached as if it were being cut by a dull knife.

His mouth moved silently, silently cursing: "Idiot Zhu! You shameless, shameless good-for-nothing! Wei Chen! You spendthrift, ignorant fool! Huge bargain... Huge bargain..." The evening breeze carried a chill through his thin, old cotton-padded coat, adding to his desolate and forlorn appearance.

Pushing open the half-closed moon gate of the east courtyard, a warm and comforting aroma of cooking, mixed with the fresh scent of soil and vegetables, wafts out.

Wearing an apron, Wang Xiulan was busy at the small coal stove by the kitchen door, cooking corn porridge in a pot, steam rising from it. Hearing the familiar sound of a bicycle and footsteps, she immediately put down the pot lid and came out to greet them.

Wei Ran and Xiao Cao, like two happy little deer, skipped and jumped out of the house. They were immediately attracted by the noise in the water bucket in the front basket and rushed over with screams.

"Brother! Brother! What a huge fish!"

"Brother Chen! They're so strong! They've splashed water everywhere!"

"Don't just watch, lend a hand!" Wei Chen said with a smile, calling to his sister and Xiao Cao to help stabilize the bucket. He pushed the cart straight to the base of the east wall.

There, right next to the blue brick courtyard wall, a rectangular pool was built with cement and neat blue bricks. It was about 40 centimeters wide, 4 meters long, and 1 meter deep. The bottom of the pool was paved with smooth pebbles picked up from the riverbank, and simple drainage and water inlets were provided to connect to the tap water in the courtyard.

This is a "living water reservoir" that Wei Chen meticulously designed when he built the house. He turned on the tap, and clear tap water gushed into the pool, splashing white water droplets on the pebbles.

Then, with the excited yet careful help of Wei Ran and Xiao Cao, the three of them worked together to carefully lift the three plump, struggling fish out of the bucket one by one and slide them into the newly built pool.

As the large fish entered the water, it was as if a dragon had returned to the sea. It immediately stretched out its body, its powerful tail fin swaying vigorously, and began to swim in the clear water.

Although the pool wasn't spacious, it was more than enough to temporarily store them. The shimmering water reflected the dim yellow light from the newly lit electric lamps under the eaves, and also illuminated Wei Ran and Xiao Cao lying by the pool, their little faces full of surprise and joy.

"Brother! They're swimming so happily!"

"Brother Chen, can we keep raising them forever?" Little Grass looked up, her big eyes sparkling with innocent pleading.

Wei Chen chuckled and ruffled her hair: "Silly girl, we're raising them so we can have the freshest fish whenever we want to eat them. But we'll only eat them today. Brother Zhu will teach us how to cook the fish, and you two can keep the other two. Remember to change the water every day."

Just then, Sha Zhu's booming voice rang out in the yard: "Auntie! Wei Chen! We're here! Wow! This pond is really well done! Running water for fresh fish, so sophisticated! Truly sophisticated!"

He carried an oil-paper package and a bottle of wine, and led He Yushui in. He walked around the newly built pool with great interest, nodded, and then looked at the three spirited "reserve grains" in the pool. His eyes lit up again. "Good heavens! Wei Chen, these are top-quality goods you've kept! Even better than what you handed over to the factory!"

He Yushui followed quietly behind her brother, her clear eyes filled with curiosity as she carefully examined the clean and spacious courtyard, which was completely different from the other corners of the traditional courtyard house.

The southern half of the courtyard has been cultivated into neat vegetable plots, with lush green scallions, bright green spinach seedlings, and bean vines climbing bamboo trellises... all stretching out with vibrant life in the twilight.

To the north was a neatly arranged house with gleaming windows. This contrasted sharply with the crowded, cluttered, and smelly front, middle, and back yards.

A hint of surprise and barely perceptible longing flashed in her eyes as she softly greeted Wang Xiulan, who came out to greet her, "Hello, Aunt Wang, I'm sorry to bother you."

"Oh, the rain is here! Come inside and sit down! Zhu Zi, you've really gone to so much trouble!" Wang Xiulan wiped her hands on her apron, her smile filled with sincere gratitude and a hint of unease.

"No trouble at all! Auntie, don't be so polite! It's nothing!" Sha Zhu waved his hand generously, placing the things he brought on the stone table in the courtyard. "Here, I brought some spice powder that I made myself; you can't stew fish without it. And a bottle of wine too."

He deliberately held up the brand-new bottle of Erguotou, saying, "I'll have a couple of rounds with Brother Wei Chen tonight!" This was clearly to shut down gossip from people like Yan Bugui.

Then, he deftly rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong forearms, and looked intently at Wei Chen: "Where's the fish? Which one? Fathead carp is best for milky white and sweet soup, grass carp has tender flesh and few bones, and braised carp is rich and flavorful! You choose!"

Wei Chen scooped out the most vigorous grass carp from the pool, the water droplets flicking from its tail drawing bright lines under the light: "Brother Zhu, this grass carp will do, thank you for your trouble."

"Alright! Just you wait and see!" Silly Zhu took the big fish that was still wriggling in vain, his movements as fast as lightning.

He pulled out a specially made kitchen knife with a thick back and thin blade, its cold light gleaming. With his left hand, he gripped the fish's gills like iron pincers, and with his right hand, he precisely and swiftly struck the fish's head and body together with the back of the knife!

With a crisp "snap!", the once lively fish instantly stiffened. Then, the blade flipped, and with a few swift strokes, it scraped against the fish's scales from the tail towards the head. The movements were as fluid as art, and large patches of bluish-black scales fell off as if by magic, revealing the delicate, silvery-white flesh underneath.

The fish was gutted, its gills removed, and its entrails cleaned; the movements were fluid and seamless. The black membrane inside the fish's belly was scraped away cleanly, and several deep, beautiful diagonal cuts were made on both sides of the fish's body, revealing the bone.

The whole process took only two or three minutes, and apart from fish scales and entrails, there wasn't much blood splattered on the ground. Wei Ran and Xiao Cao stared wide-eyed, their mouths slightly agape. Even Wang Xiulan, who was used to her son killing chickens and rabbits, couldn't help but sincerely exclaim, "Zhu Zi's skills... are truly amazing! Clean and efficient!"

After cleaning the fish, Sha Zhu carried the gleaming fish into the kitchen. Wang Xiulan and Wei Chen quickly followed to learn. The once cramped kitchen was immediately filled with an aura of professionalism and confidence.

"Auntie, look closely," Sha Zhu said, deftly slicing the grass carp into even pieces about two fingers thick, explaining as if giving a lesson. "This grass carp has thick flesh and relatively regular bones, making it perfect for 'stewed'—it absorbs the flavors perfectly and is incredibly satisfying! The key is removing the fishy smell and enhancing the freshness! Scallions, ginger, and garlic are the foundation; you have to be generous with them! Look at what's in this oil paper package..."

He opened the paper package he had brought, inside were several spices ground into a dark brown powder. "This is my own unique 'five-spice powder,' made from star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, cinnamon, fennel seeds, and angelica root, ground into a fine powder according to a secret recipe. Just a pinch of this when stewing meat or fish removes the fishy smell and enhances the aroma; the flavor profile instantly improves! It's completely different from what you buy outside!"

Inside the stove, Wang Xiulan had already added plenty of firewood as instructed by Sha Zhu, and started a roaring fire. The large iron pot was scalding hot, and Sha Zhu scooped in a large spoonful of the pure white lard that Wei Chen's family had rendered. The lard sizzled and melted quickly in the hot pot, and a rich, meaty aroma filled the air.

"The oil needs to be hot enough! It needs to be smoking! See?" Sha Zhu stared intently at the pot, and as soon as the oil smoke rose and rolled, he grabbed a handful of chopped scallion segments, thick ginger slices, and crushed garlic cloves, and threw them all into the boiling oil.

"Sizzle—!" A deafening explosion rang out! The rich, spicy aroma burst forth like ignited explosives, filling the entire kitchen! He quickly stir-fried the fish for a few seconds, and once the edges of the scallions, ginger, and garlic turned an enticing golden brown, he immediately poured all the chopped fish pieces into the pot with a "whoosh!"

"Fry! You must fry them! Fry them until they have a hard crust on both sides to lock in the juices. That way they won't fall apart when stewing, and the soup will be thicker!" Sha Zhu carefully flipped the fish pieces with a large spatula, his movements quick and steady, as if he were commanding a thousand troops.

As the fish skin came into contact with the scalding hot oil, it quickly contracted, changed color, and emitted a mouthwatering, caramelized aroma. Once both sides of the fish pieces were fried to a beautiful golden brown with slightly charred edges, he picked up the soy sauce bottle next to him, deftly flicked his wrist, and poured the dark brown soy sauce over the fish pieces, as if coating them with a glossy coat, releasing an even richer and more mellow soy sauce fragrance.