Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"But!" Yi Zhonghai's tone suddenly turned serious as he changed the subject, "Recently, the atmosphere in our department has...it's gone a bit astray!"

His gaze swept over Wei Chen seemingly unintentionally. "Some comrades have become more capable and are living better lives, eating meat and fish every day. This is a good thing, showing that the youth of our new society are capable! But, now that life is better, shouldn't our ideological level also rise? Shouldn't we also think about our neighbors who are still struggling? Think about the warmth of our big collective?"

With the groundwork laid, Yi Zhonghai gave Liu Haizhong a wink.

Liu Haizhong immediately stood up, his belly protruding, and took over the conversation in a loud, authoritative tone: "What this old man said is absolutely right! Absolutely insightful! This is a classic example of inflated individualism and a lack of collectivist values! Wei Chen!"

He called on Wei Chen directly, his triangular eyes glaring at him: "You tell me! You went into the mountains to hunt and brought back so many wild boars and rabbits, isn't that true? Your house smelled of meat at every meal, and the whole neighborhood could smell it, isn't that true?"

Wei Chen straightened up, neither humble nor arrogant: "It's true. Second Uncle, I got some meat through my own skills and luck to improve the family's meals. I didn't steal or rob, and I didn't violate any national laws or factory rules. What's the problem with that?" His voice was clear and steady, carrying far in the quiet courtyard.

"This is a huge problem!" Liu Haizhong slammed his hand on the table, spitting as he spoke. "The problem lies in your mindset! It's good that you have the ability to get meat! But the amount of meat you've gotten far exceeds what your family can normally consume! It's just sitting there, and it'll easily spoil in the long run!"

What a waste! This is an enormous waste! It's a crime! And how many other neighbors in our compound are struggling financially? The Jia family, Dongxu's wife just gave birth and is weak, and the baby is still growing; the Li family in the backyard, Old Li is chronically ill; the Liu family in the middle courtyard, and the Sun family in the front courtyard, have many children but few able-bodied men... These struggling families can't even afford a decent meal!

"Wei Chen, as a young man in our compound, you have the ability and resources, don't you have any compassion? Don't you have any spirit of neighborly help? Can't you take out your surplus wild game and share it with these neighbors in need? Let everyone share in the warmth of our courtyard!"

Liu Haizhong's words were spoken with righteous indignation and, coupled with his "leadership" demeanor, they momentarily intimidated some unsuspecting neighbors. Many whispered among themselves, their eyes darting between Wei Chen and the several "impoverished" families, seemingly agreeing with the old man's assessment.

Jia Zhangshi immediately seized the opportunity, slapping her thigh and wailing, "Oh my! Second Uncle, you are truly a just and upright official! You are absolutely right! Our family is having such a hard time! Dongxu's meager salary is barely enough to support our whole family! Grandma Banggeng is too old to do heavy work." As she spoke, her plump body swayed.

"Huai Ru just gave birth, and her body is so weak it's like paper, and she doesn't even have any breast milk! My poor little granddaughter Jia Dang is so hungry she's skin and bones! We drink thin porridge every day, and we can't even bear to eat a single extra bite of cornmeal!"

"Wei Chen, please have some mercy! That tiny bit of meat peeking out from between your fingers is enough to satisfy our whole family's cravings! Help!" she wailed, pinching Bang Geng's round cheek hard with her thick hand. Bang Geng, quick-witted as ever, immediately clutched his stomach and whimpered, "Grandma, I'm hungry... I want to eat meat..."

Qin Huairu held the frail Jia Dang in her arms, her head bowed, her body trembling slightly. It was unclear whether she felt ashamed of her mother-in-law's performance or was genuinely saddened by her daughter's frailty.

Yi Zhonghai spoke up at the opportune moment, his tone earnest: "Wei Chen, look, the voice of the people is here. Although Second Uncle's words were a bit blunt, the principle is sound. If you have the ability, help your neighbors in need. It's a good deed, and it's also a tradition of our courtyard. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative! Don't you all agree?" He was trying to stir up public opinion.

Some neighbors who had received small favors from Yi Zhonghai or had things "borrowed" from the Jia family but were too embarrassed to ask for them back chimed in sparsely: "Yes..." "Help if you can..." "Everyone has their own difficulties..."

Yan Bugui, huddled in the corner, held the newspaper even higher, almost burying his entire face in it, silently chanting, "You can't see me, you can't see me... Fishing is the priority... Fishing is the priority..."

Just then, a sarcastic voice broke in: "Hey! I was wondering why it's so lively today! So it's an awards ceremony for Brother Wei Chen?" Xu Damao emerged from the crowd with an exaggerated smile on his face and walked to the center of the venue.

To be honest, he had been jealous of Wei Chen for a long time. He was the one who "recommended" Wei Chen to work as a temporary worker in the factory, but now Wei Chen was doing very well and had become a permanent employee. He was good at fishing and hunting and had even made a name for himself in front of the factory leaders. He had completely overshadowed him, the "veteran" projectionist.

His resentment had been building up for a long time. Seeing Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong attacking Wei Chen, he immediately saw an opportunity. He couldn't openly offend Wei Chen, so he'd use flattery to his advantage! He'd elevate him to a high position, then subtly criticize him, making him lose face!

"Brother Wei Chen!" Xu Damao gave Wei Chen a thumbs-up, his voice rising high, "Incredible! Truly incredible! In our courtyard, no, in our entire Nanluoguxiang, even in the entire steel rolling mill, who doesn't know your name, Wei Chen? 'The Fish God of Shichahai'! 'The Hunting Master'! The factory leaders value you highly, and the neighbors... well, they all remember you!"

He paused meaningfully, then changed the subject, his tone turning cold and unsettling: "But, brother, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. You can't forget your roots, right? Back then, if I, Xu Damao, hadn't put in a good word for you with the factory leaders, your skills would probably still be buried in the countryside! How could you be living such a good life today?"

"Don't forget the well-digger when you drink the water! Look at you now, you've got the ability to get some wild game. Shouldn't all the men in this courtyard, young and old, especially those who 'kindly' you, and these struggling families, also... show some appreciation? Let everyone share in your 'lucky charm'? Otherwise, if word gets out, it won't sound good. It'll seem like our brother Wei Chen has become successful and forgotten his poor brothers, forgotten the one who guided him. Isn't that right?"

Xu Damao's words were even more insidious than those of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong. He portrayed himself as Wei Chen's "benefactor," linking "sharing wild game" with "gratitude" and "protecting one's reputation," subtly accusing Wei Chen of being "ungrateful." Many neighbors, upon hearing this, looked at Wei Chen with even more suspicion.

In an instant, all eyes were focused on Wei Chen. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's eyes held pressure and smugness, Jia Zhangshi's were undisguised greed, Xu Damao's were sinister expectation, Yan Bugui's were tense peeking through the gaps in the newspaper, the ordinary neighbors' were complex observations, and Wang Xiulan and her two younger sisters' eyes were full of worry.

Wei Chen slowly straightened up. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were as calm as a deep pool, yet sharp enough to see through everything. He had anticipated the tricks of the First and Second Uncles, but he hadn't expected Xu Damao to jump out today as well.

To be honest, Wei Chen and the Xu family had a pretty good relationship before, and he was quite grateful to Xu Damao for the introduction. Although he had also given him some benefits and didn't owe him anything, an introduction was still an introduction, and Wei Chen was grateful for that favor. He didn't expect Xu Damao to do something so rash today and jump out in such a hurry. Since he had jumped out, Wei Chen wasn't going to tolerate him.

He first looked at Liu Haizhong, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Second Uncle, you're saying the meat I got exceeded my family's needs? Do you even know how many people are in my family? My mother is frail and needs recuperation; my younger sister, Wei Ran, is in junior high school, with a heavy workload, and she's at a crucial stage of growth; she needs even more nutrition. Do you know what kind of lives they lived before? Is it wrong for me to get some meat to nourish my family and help them live healthily? Is it really a waste?"

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips. "Every piece of meat I, Wei Chen, brought back went into my family's stomach or was sent to places that needed it more—the canteens of thousands of workers at the steel mill, or the hands of elderly people living alone at the neighborhood relief station! Tell me, is that a waste?"

Liu Haizhong was taken aback by the question, opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

Wei Chen turned his gaze to Yi Zhonghai, his tone becoming even more serious: "Uncle, you keep talking about neighborly help and traditional virtues. Well then, let me ask you, when the Niu family was in its most difficult time, when Uncle Niu passed away, and Aunt Liu was struggling to feed Xiaocao and her brother, where was the 'neighborly help' in our courtyard?"

Aside from the few kilograms of cornmeal borrowed from the Third Uncle's family (Yan Bugui shuddered behind the newspaper), who else offered a helping hand? Was it you, the highly respected Third Uncle, or the Jia family who always complained about being poor? Back then, when they were drinking cold water to fill their stomachs, why didn't anyone tell us 'a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative'?" His words were like a cold knife, cutting through the hypocritical veil of some people.

Wei Chen heard all of this from Niu Dali. Niu Dali is almost 14 years old this year. His father passed away a few years ago when he was 11 years old. He was old enough to remember things and had a deep memory of the indifference of the people in this compound!

When my father passed away, Aunt Liu was the sole breadwinner. Things are a little better now. On the one hand, Aunt Liu can take on some jobs while sweeping the streets at the neighborhood office, earning a little over ten yuan a month. On the other hand, Niu Dali has grown up in the past two years and can help my mother with some chores.

In addition, since Wei Chen moved in last year, he has been providing them with help, both overt and covert. Especially recently, Niu Xiaocao is practically becoming part of Wei Chen's family, and their lives have indeed improved a lot. Although Niu Dali doesn't talk much, he knows everything, which is what he usually tells Wei Chen.

Yi Zhonghai's face flushed red and then turned pale as he tried to argue, "Well... the situation was different back then..."

"Different?" Wei Chen interrupted him, his voice suddenly rising, carrying a chilling aura. "Fine! Even if they're different! Then I'll tell you right now, every pound of game I get when I hunt in the mountains is earned with my life!"