Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen was picking at his rice when he heard this and paused. He put down his chopsticks and pondered for a moment.

He had absolutely no goodwill towards the Jia family, especially Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu. But his mother was right; they had to maintain appearances. Qin Huairu… Thinking of that woman struggling to survive in the Jia family, Wei Chen felt a barely perceptible sigh. She truly had it tough; the only person she felt most sorry for in the entire series was Sha Zhu, but she truly knew the bitterness of her situation, and perhaps Sha Zhu even found joy in it!

"Yes, Mom, you're right." Wei Chen nodded. "We can't avoid social niceties. We don't have anything special at home. Didn't we catch a few fish that weigh two or three pounds today? Pick two big ones and send them over. Crucian carp helps with lactation, and grass carp is also nutritious. It'll help the new mother recover; it'll show we're doing our part." He specifically emphasized "two or three pounds." The large grass carp weighing over ten pounds in the family's water tank was reserved for improving the family's meals on weekends or for exchanging for other things; it would never be given to the Jia family for free.

Wang Xiulan breathed a sigh of relief; at least her son didn't object. "Okay, then I'll deliver it to you first thing tomorrow morning after you go to work."

The next morning, after Wei Chen left for work, Wang Xiulan picked out two of the most vigorous grass carp, each weighing around three pounds, from the small fishpond in the yard. The pond contained fish that Wei Chen had caught and was preparing to eat soon. She threaded a straw rope through the gills, tied a knot, and carried it to the Jia family's house.

Inside the Jia family's house, Jia Zhangshi was idly stitching a shoe sole, while Banggeng played with an old tin frog on the kang (a heated brick bed). Qin Huairu sat against the wall, holding her youngest daughter in her arms, her face still pale and her eyes somewhat vacant.

"Huai Ru, are you feeling any better?" Wang Xiulan walked in with a gentle smile, picked up two grass carp that were still wagging their tails slightly, and said, "We don't have much good stuff at home. Chen'er caught two fish yesterday, and they're still quite fresh. I'll make soup for you to nourish your body and help with lactation." She placed the fish in a broken basin by the door.

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up slightly when she saw the two plump grass carp. In these days of scarcity, two live fish, especially one this big, were definitely a generous gift.

She struggled to get off the kang (a heated brick bed): "Aunt Wang! This...this is too precious! Thank you! Thank you, Brother Wei Chen!" Her gratitude was heartfelt. She knew that the Wei family mother and son were rare, sensible people in the courtyard, neither clinging to others nor deliberately distancing themselves; this gift was truly meaningful.

Wang Xiulan quickly stepped forward and pressed her down: "Don't move! Lie down! It's important to rest and recover! Eat the fish while it's fresh, and have Dongxu prepare it for soup." She then looked closer at the baby in the swaddling clothes, "The little girl is quite pretty. Take good care of her; a daughter is a mother's little cotton-padded jacket." These words were sincere, which warmed Qin Huairu's heart again, and her eyes reddened a little.

Wang Xiulan said a few more words of comfort before taking her leave. No sooner had she stepped out than Jia Zhangshi threw down her shoes, rushed to the door, picked up the two fish, weighed them in her hand, and pouted, her face showing obvious displeasure.

"Hmph! What are you pretending to be so generous for!" Jia Zhangshi lowered her voice towards the door, but it was enough for Qin Huairu inside the room to hear clearly. "Two worthless grass carp, weighing only five or six pounds in total! Are you trying to fob me off? Everyone knows that Wei Chen is very capable, catching big fish every day! Yesterday I even saw him bring one back, weighing at least ten pounds! It was splashing around in the water tank! That's what you call good stuff!"

"Why not bring the big fish instead of these two small ones to fool us? Bah! Stingy! Just like his good-for-nothing son! They don't know how to be friendly to their neighbors or how to respect their elders! It's no wonder they're just a widow with two children!" She became angrier as she spoke, as if the Wei family's gift wasn't fish, but an insult to her, Jia Zhangshi.

Holding her daughter, Qin Huairu listened to her mother-in-law's harsh complaints and watched the two fish struggling futilely in the broken basin by the door. The warmth that had just risen in her heart was instantly extinguished. She silently lowered her head, pressed her face against her daughter's small forehead, and tears silently slid down, dripping onto the baby's tender skin.

In this cold home, even the smallest act of kindness from others becomes a pretext for the mother-in-law to vent her dissatisfaction. What can she do but sigh? She can only hold her unwelcome daughter tighter in her arms, as if she were her only, faint support in the boundless cold. Outside the window, the sunlight in the courtyard seems unable to dispel the gloom under the eaves.

The waters of Shichahai Lake seemed to be an inexhaustible source of resources for Wei Chen. Ever since that miraculous display of power in front of everyone, as if possessed by the Fish God, fishing had become a regular occurrence for Wei Chen. He no longer deliberately concealed his extraordinary harvests, but he wasn't always astonishing in every instance.

Sometimes, he's just like any other angler, sitting on the bank, patiently casting his line and watching the float, catching a few palm-sized crucian carp or a carp weighing a pound or two, which he takes home to add some meat to the dinner table. This "normal" level of performance makes his "extraordinary performance" of catching dozens of pounds seem less abrupt.

Of course, every few days he would "perform exceptionally well". When his mental energy sank into his spatial backpack and his mind locked onto the fish in the backpack, dozens of large fish weighing over a hundred pounds, plump and full of vitality, would be "airdropped" into the waters near his fishing hook as if by magic.

Each frenzied, "explosive" run of fish was accompanied by a deafening roar of cheers and a surging crowd of anglers on the shore. Wei Chen's reputation as the "God of Fishing in Shichahai" spread like wildfire throughout Beijing's fishing circles.

On the procurement list of the steel rolling mill's logistics department, the weight of the fresh, large fish was always the most eye-catching item after Wei Chen's name. The neighborhood office's relief station also frequently received the plump fish he delivered, bringing a rare touch of oil and fish to the elderly living alone and families in difficulty who were struggling to make ends meet.

The factory's security department's attitude towards him underwent a subtle change. His "routine tasks" of running errands, standing guard, and keeping watch almost disappeared.

Section Chief Jin Donglai patted Wei Chen on the shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Little Wei, didn't I tell you this when I transferred you here? Your main job should still be in logistics. We'll let you know in advance if there are any special tasks here. In these special times, the stomachs of thousands of brothers in the factory are more important than anything else! You can focus on fishing and hunting, and bring back more meat. That will be the greatest achievement! Everyone in the security section will appreciate your kindness!" This was half true and half false, but Wei Chen was happy to have some free time and focused his energy on improving his family's life in a "legal and reasonable" way.

Fishing is safer and more "sustainable" than hunting. Catching wild boars and rabbits every day is obviously unrealistic, but catching fish every day, under the halo of "fish gods," has become a matter of course. Thus, in the east courtyard of the courtyard house at No. 95 Nanluoguxiang, the aroma of meat has become an ever-present background noise.

Wei Chen's small kitchen became the most longed-for yet most agonizing place in the entire courtyard. In the morning, it might be the aroma of pan-fried yellow croaker mixed with the spiciness of scallions and ginger; at noon, it might be the rich, savory aroma of braised carp, infused with the complex scent of five-spice powder; in the evening, it might be the bubbling of delicious fish soup, the milky steam carrying an irresistible sweetness... These aromas forcefully penetrated through the moon gate, over the courtyard walls, permeated every corner of the courtyard, entered every window, and lingered in the nostrils of every hungry person.

"Glug glug..." "Slurp..." "It smells fucking good!"

Suppressed swallowing sounds, rumbling stomachs, and low-pitched curses or envious glances have become the new daily symphony in the courtyard house.

"Oh my! That smell...it's here again! It's never going to end!" Jia Zhangshi sat on her doorstep, her hands busy sewing the endless shoe soles, but her nose, like a radar, accurately detected the meaty aroma wafting from the air that belonged to Wei Chen's family.

She irritably pushed the sewing basket aside, her triangular eyes flashing with undisguised jealousy and resentment. "Eating every day! Every meal! Aren't they afraid of stuffing themselves to death! What kind of luck did this country bumpkin get! Catching a couple of worthless fish and he's all high and mighty? Who does he think he is! Bah! A jinx! He killed his father, made his mother a widow, and will kill himself sooner or later!"

Inside the house, Qin Huairu was holding her newborn daughter, Jia Dang, who was still thin and frail, and gently patting and soothing her. She had also smelled the enticing aroma, and her stomach felt empty and her milk was thin.

Hearing her mother-in-law's curses, she simply lowered her head even further, her lips turning white. The two grass carp had long been finished; her mother-in-law and Banggeng had eaten most of them, and she had only drunk a few bowls of soup that wasn't very oily.

The small amount of fish sent by the Wei family was ultimately no match for the Jia family's bottomless greed and meanness. Now, smelling the aroma of meat again, all that remained besides a deeper hunger and helplessness was a distant envy of the "luxurious" life of the Wei family.

In the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai paced back and forth in his fairly tidy room, his hands behind his back. The aroma of meat wafted in through the window, like tiny insects crawling into his heart, stirring up his restlessness.

He walked to the octagonal table, picked up the enamel mug to take a sip of water to calm himself down, only to find it empty. Frustrated, he slammed the mug down on the table with a dull thud.

An older woman was mending clothes. Hearing the noise, she looked up and cautiously asked, "Zhonghai, what's wrong? Are you upset?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed heavily, his brows furrowing deeply. "What else could it be? Can you smell it? Wei Chen's family is stewing meat again! Eating like this every day, where does he get the money? Where do he get the ration coupons? Just from fishing? I don't think it's that simple! This kid, he's become too ambitious and his abilities have grown too. He doesn't respect the rules of the compound or us old folks at all!"

He paused, a calculating glint in his eyes. "This can't go on. He's living such a comfortable life, with meat at every meal, while we, his neighbors who watched him grow up, can't even get a sip of soup? Is this acceptable? He has no spirit of mutual assistance at all! We have to think of a way to teach him what neighborly affection and respect for the elderly mean!" His calculations for his retirement were running fast in his mind. He had to find a way to get some of the profits from Wei Chen, this juicy piece of meat.

In the backyard, Uncle Liu Haizhong, with his signature potbelly, sat in his gleaming armchair. A newspaper lay open in front of him, but his gaze was vacantly fixed on the window, his thick nostrils twitching incessantly, greedily capturing the faint, almost imperceptible aroma of grease in the air.

"Hmph! A petty tyrant who's gotten his way!" Liu Haizhong suddenly sneered, slamming the newspaper on the table. "A mere brat, relying on a bit of luck to catch a few fish, thinks he's all that! Eating fish and meat every day, living a better life than me, a level seven blacksmith? It's outrageous! He doesn't know how to keep a low profile, doesn't know how to respect his superiors!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He felt that Wei Chen's "luxurious" lifestyle seriously challenged his sense of superiority and authority as a "leader." "No, I have to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson! Let him understand who's in charge here!"

At the heart of this "meat aroma storm" that has captured the attention of the entire hospital, the Yan family, the third uncle, exhibits a peculiar, almost fanatical, "follower" attitude.