Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The hospital gradually quieted down, with only the occasional footsteps of the nurses on duty. Jia Dongxu returned after paying the fees and sat on a bench outside the delivery room, head bowed, like a silent statue, lost in thought.

Sha Zhu wandered around the hospital corridor like a ghost, eventually finding his way to the staff canteen in the hospital's backyard. Although it was late at night, due to the hospital's special nature, a small window in the canteen was still lit, and an old man on duty was dozing off.

Sha Zhu knocked on the window, forcing what he thought was his most amiable and persuasive smile: "Grandpa! Grandpa, wake up! I need to talk to you about something!"

The old man was startled awake and looked out the window, still half-asleep, at the anxious young man: "What's wrong? It's so late, the cafeteria's all closed."

"Grandpa, I'm He Yuzhu, the head chef at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill canteen! I'm in charge of cooking!" Sha Zhu puffed out his chest, a hint of professional pride in his voice. "Look, there's a woman in our yard who just gave birth and is very weak. She just wants something hot and comforting. Could you do me a favor and let me use the canteen's stove? I'll cook it myself—just a bowl of noodles and an egg! I'll pay for the ingredients at the set price! I absolutely won't take advantage of the company! Is that alright?" He patted his chest, his eyes earnest.

The old man glanced at Sha Zhu's greasy, tattered work clothes. Although Sha Zhu had changed into cleaner clothes today, a cook's demeanor couldn't be faked. Hearing Sha Zhu's sincerity, the old man hesitated for a moment, then, considering the new mother did indeed need nutrition, nodded: "Alright, Chef He, you're in the same profession. But it's agreed that everything used must be accounted for and paid for—eggs, flour, oil, salt, everything must be clearly calculated! No freeloading!"

"Alright! Thank you so much, sir! Don't worry! I know the rules!" Sha Zhu was overjoyed and quickly slipped into the cafeteria's kitchen through the side door.

As soon as he entered the familiar kitchen environment, Sha Zhu was full of energy. He skillfully found the flour bag, scooped out a small half bowl of refined white flour, he specially chose the best, and also took two fresh eggs, a small piece of lard, and a pinch of salt.

After thinking for a moment, he glanced furtively at the dozing old man, then quickly grabbed a pinch of MSG from the spice rack next to him with his fingers. This stuff was a rare commodity back then. He also sneakily poured a little bit of sesame oil from a small covered jar! His movements were as fast as lightning.

He skillfully scooped water and kneaded the dough, his movements swift and precise, his wrists moving rapidly until he had quickly formed a smooth little ball of dough. Then, he unleashed his signature skill: stretching the dough!

The small dough ball seemed to come alive in his hands, being repeatedly stretched, folded, and slapped, making crisp "slap" sounds. The noodles became thinner and longer, eventually turning into a handful of evenly thick, supple, and chewy silver noodles.

Boil water, cook noodles, and crack an egg. Two eggs are cracked in, the egg whites coating the golden yolks, quickly solidifying in the boiling water, seasoning... The whole process is fluid and rhythmic.

Soon, a steaming bowl of fragrant egg noodles was ready. The noodles were snow-white, the poached egg was golden and tender, the soup was clear, and a few tempting drops of water floated on top.

"Sister Qin? Sister Qin?" Sha Zhu called softly in a low voice.

Qin Huairu slowly opened her eyes and saw it was Sha Zhu. A hint of surprise and faint gratitude flashed in her eyes: "Zhu Zi...why haven't you gone back yet?"

"I'm worried." Sha Zhu lowered his voice even further and presented the enamel mug to Qin Huairu like a treasure. When he lifted the lid, an enticing aroma of sesame oil, eggs, and noodles immediately filled the air, causing a sleeping new mother on the next bed to unconsciously sniff.

"Look, I made you a bowl of egg noodles! It's still warm! Eat a couple of bites while it's hot! It'll help you recover! I also bought two steamed buns!" He put the buns on the bedside table as well.

The rich aroma also woke Jia Dongxu from his nap. He opened his eyes, saw Sha Zhu and the noodles in his hand, then looked at his wife, and his face instantly darkened, staring at Sha Zhu with a complicated expression.

Looking at the bowl of noodles, which was clearly made with care and generous with ingredients, and then at Sha Zhu's concerned eyes, Qin Huairu felt a warmth in her heart and her nose tingled with emotion.

She struggled to sit up a little, and Sha Zhu quickly put down the jar to help her, then hesitated and withdrew his hand. Qin Huairu leaned back, took the chopsticks Sha Zhu handed her, looked at the two golden poached eggs in the bowl, and said in a choked voice, "Zhu Zi... thank you... really... I don't know what to say... if it weren't for you today..."

She recalled the chaotic process of getting her to the hospital, her mother-in-law's curses, and her husband's incompetence. Compared to Sha Zhu's current concern, she was overwhelmed with mixed feelings.

"Hey! Sister Qin, why are you being so polite with me!" Sha Zhu was at a loss for what to do because of Qin Huairu's tears, but his heart was as sweet as if he had drunk honey. All the fatigue and unpleasantness from before disappeared, and he felt that it was all worth it.

"Eat up! Eat up! It won't taste good when it gets cold! I added extra eggs and a few drops of sesame oil, it smells amazing!"

Qin Huairu nodded, picked up her chopsticks, took a small strand of noodles, blew on it, and put it in her mouth. The noodles were smooth and chewy, the soup base was delicious, the poached egg was incredibly tender, and the sesame oil was the perfect finishing touch.

The warm food slid down her esophagus, seemingly warming her cold body. She ate in small bites, but tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

Just then, a loud rumbling sound suddenly broke the silence of the ward. The sound came from Jia Dongxu's stomach.

He held the child, lowered his head awkwardly, his face flushed red. He had been up most of the night, filled with fear and anxiety, and was also starving.

Qin Huairu paused, her chopsticks still. She glanced at her husband's embarrassed expression, then at the half-eaten noodles, the two almost untouched poached eggs, and the two steamed buns in the bowl.

She was silent for a few seconds, then sighed softly, pushed the bowl towards Jia Dongxu, her voice weak but undeniably firm: "Dongxu, you must be hungry too? This noodle... I can't finish it, you eat it. And one steamed bun each." Her eyes held a hint of helplessness and resignation.

Jia Dongxu suddenly looked up at Qin Huairu, then at the fragrant bowl of noodles, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. Almost without hesitation, he put the child down and snatched the bowl away, as if afraid Qin Huairu would change her mind.

He didn't even bother using chopsticks anymore. He picked up the chopsticks Qin Huairu had used, grabbed noodles, and stuffed them into his mouth in large mouthfuls, making slurping noises. He ate quickly and hastily, like a starving ghost reincarnated. He swallowed a fried egg in two bites.

Qin Huairu's eyes dimmed slightly as she watched her husband wolf down his food. She silently picked up a steamed bun and began to nibble at it in small bites. Meanwhile, Jia Dongxu, while eating his noodles, unceremoniously grabbed the other bun and took a large, forceful bite.

Sha Zhu stood by the bed, his smile completely frozen. He was as if he had been frozen in place, staring blankly at the scene before him.

The noodles and eggs that she had carefully prepared, filled with countless sentiments, were devoured by Jia Dongxu in a whirlwind; the two white steamed buns that she had specially bought were shared by the couple, one for each of them; and she... felt like a complete outsider, an extra person.

Jia Dongxu's rude eating habits and Qin Huairu's resigned silence were like steel needles piercing his heart. An indescribable bitterness, loss, suffocation, and a trace of anger at being ignored surged up instantly, blocking his throat and making it hard for him to breathe.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat so dry he couldn't utter a sound. He silently took a step back, watching the silhouettes of Qin Huairu nibbling on her steamed bun and Jia Dongxu slurping down his noodle soup, and felt the air in the ward become incredibly thin and cold. The warmth brought by Qin Huairu's "thank you" just now only felt like endless irony and chilling.

Qin Huairu seemed to sense Sha Zhu's silence and dejection. She looked up at him and forced a weak smile: "Zhu Zi... thank you... the noodles were delicious... really..."

The words of thanks sounded so pale and distant to Sha Zhu at that moment. He forced a smile that was more like a grimace: "Sister Qin...you...you should rest well...I...I'll go back first..." His voice was dry and hoarse.

After saying that, he dared not look Qin Huairu in the eye, nor did he want to look at Jia Dongxu. He turned and walked quickly out of the ward as if fleeing. The cold air in the corridor rushed towards him. He took a deep breath, but felt the heavy stone in his chest pressing down on him, making it even harder for him to breathe.

He glanced back at the tightly closed hospital room door, the faint light emanating from within seeming to separate him from another world. Sha Zhu rubbed his face vigorously, forcefully suppressing the surging bitterness, then lowered his head, dragging his heavy steps, slowly and lonely, disappearing into the pale and long hospital corridor.

Sha Zhu didn't know why he felt so bitter. He liked Qin Huairu, but not really, and he didn't dare to, yet he couldn't help but get close to her! Seeing Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu together made him feel terrible! But they were family, so he couldn't say anything! He could only suffer in silence, thinking, "How could such a good person like Sister Qin marry such a good-for-nothing like Jia Dongxu!"

The night deepened. The hospital lights seemed particularly lonely in the cold wind. In the courtyard, Wei Chen's family had long since turned off their lights and gone to sleep. Only the occasional soft sound of a large fish swishing its tail and stirring the water could be heard from the newly built pond in the east wing, which was especially clear in the quiet night.

Meanwhile, in the front yard of the Jia family, Madam Jia Zhang was fast asleep, snores loudly, and was probably cursing the newborn "money-losing brat" that she didn't even bother to look at.

That night, some were content, some were heartbroken, some were in a daze, and a new life quietly arrived in this courtyard world full of life and human warmth amidst the intertwining of calculation, indifference and a trace of tenderness.