Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Director Wang, I..."

Before Jin Aiguo could finish speaking, he saw Wei Chen's expression and immediately stopped in his tracks. His thick, dark eyebrows furrowed instantly, his face darkened, and he strode over.

"Wei Chen? What are you doing here? Why do you look so pale? What happened? Who bullied you?" Jin Aiguo was a soldier with a straightforward and fiery personality. He couldn't stand seeing his subordinates being wronged, especially Wei Chen, a capable and trusted lieutenant whom he valued highly.

Wei Chen felt as if he had found his strongest support. His eyes reddened even more, and his voice trembled with suppressed emotion and deep resentment: "Section Chief Jin...you're here too...perfect timing..." He took a deep breath, as if gathering immense courage, yet filled with unspeakable shame and indignation, and began his "accusation":

"Director Wang, Section Chief Jin, I...I really have no other choice! I feel so aggrieved! Last night, our hospital's eldest uncle, Yi Zhonghai, and second uncle, Liu Haizhong, convened a hospital-wide meeting! The theme of the meeting...the theme was to criticize me! Criticize me, Wei Chen!" His voice suddenly rose, filled with grief and indignation, and his fists clenched unconsciously.

"Criticize you? On what grounds?" Jin Aiguo's thick eyebrows shot up, his voice suddenly rose like thunder, carrying the unique authority of a soldier. "What fundamental mistake did you make? Huh?" His face also darkened completely, his eyes becoming unusually sharp as he stared intently at Wei Chen.

"Just because I... just because I hunted some game and fished to improve the family's meals, and also donated some to the factory canteen and our neighborhood relief station!" Wei Chen's voice was choked with sobs, filled with grievance.

"They said I don't get along with my neighbors! They said I'm selfish! They said I don't respect my elders! They said I have so much meat, it's a waste to leave it uneaten, why don't I share it with the poor families in the courtyard? Especially the Jia family!"

He embellished the story, repeating Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's morally manipulative remarks in an even more malicious way, especially highlighting how they tried to use "the will of the entire courtyard" to pressure him, and how they implied that if he didn't "unite" with his neighbors, he was a bad person and the culprit who disrupted the harmony and stability of the courtyard.

"They...they forced me in front of dozens of people, young and old, in the entire hospital! They surrounded me! They wanted me to give away the wild game I risked my life for! If I didn't, I was considered heartless and unjust! I had no sense of collectivism! I was disrupting unity!" Wei Chen's voice was choked with sobs, his eyes red-rimmed, as if he was about to burst into tears. He sniffed hard, his voice trembling, "I...I don't mind suffering a little grievance...but Director Wang, Section Chief Jin...they slandered me like this, and even dragged my mother and sister into it!"

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with genuine pain and anger: "My mother's health was already poor, and after they made such a fuss, she was so angry that she was trembling all over and didn't sleep well all night. She doesn't even dare to leave the house today!"

She said…she said she was too ashamed to face anyone, afraid that if she went out, the neighbors would point and whisper, saying that our Wei family had produced a 'selfish devil' and a 'bad element'! How old is my sister? She was so scared last night that she cried all night, and her eyes are still swollen this morning…Section Chief Jin, Director Wang, what do you say…how are we going to live from now on? How can the three of us hold our heads up in this courtyard?" He almost shouted his last sentence, filled with the grief and despair of a son and brother who had been driven to the brink and was now implicating his family.

This heartfelt and vividly detailed "pleading" perfectly portrays the image of a wronged young man who has been cornered by "moral blackmail" and whose loved ones are also being humiliated. In particular, the repeated emphasis on the details of his mother being too scared to go out and his younger sister being frightened to tears is like a heavy hammer blow to the hearts of Wang Aifang and Jin Aiguo.

"Bang!"

A loud bang! Director Wang's face turned ashen with rage, his chest heaving violently. He slammed his hand hard on the desk, making the teacup lid jump off!

She pointed towards the door, her voice rising and trembling with extreme anger: "Rebellion! Utter rebellion! Yi Zhonghai! Liu Haizhong! What do they think they are? Huh? Who do they think they are? The village chiefs of the old society? Or local tyrants? Who gave them the right to hold a denunciation meeting? Who gave them the audacity to bully people like this! Lawless! Utterly lawless!"

Jin Aiguo was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged like earthworms, and his fists clenched so tightly that they cracked and his knuckles turned white.

Wei Chen was one of his men. He was capable, bold and meticulous, and had recently made many contributions—assisting in the capture of enemy agents, bringing wild boars to the factory to solve the urgent needs of thousands of workers, and providing fish to improve the workers' meals. Such a good comrade had been praised by the factory leaders many times. Yet, because he was doing things for the public, he was bullied by the so-called "big shots" in his own yard.

They even bullied him to the point that his family was afraid to go out, and his young sister was so frightened she cried? This is a slap in the face to Jin Aiguo! A slap in the face to the entire security department! And a slap in the face to the leaders of the steel mill!

"You bastard!" Jin Aiguo roared, his voice like thunder, shaking the windows. "Retaliation! This is typical retaliation! It's a corrupt practice! It's the poison of the old society! Wei Chen, don't worry!"

He abruptly turned to Wei Chen, his eyes sharp as knives. "This matter is under the control of the factory's security department! And I, Jin Aiguo, am determined to handle it! I'll go back and report to Deputy Director Li and Secretary Wang right now! I want to see who gave them the audacity to bully our steel mill's heroes like this! To treat comrades who have contributed to the country and the collective like this! 'Unity'? They're engaging in factionalism! They're practicing oppression through cliques! They're practicing the feudal patriarchal system!"

Director Wang was trembling with anger. She walked around the table to Wei Chen, patted his shoulder hard with a force that carried a sense of support and commitment, and said in a resolute tone: "Wei Chen! Good boy! Don't be afraid! The neighborhood committee will take care of this for you! You did the right thing! Sending supplies to the factory and the shelter, that's what makes you a good person!"

"Taking care of both the community and your family—that's what makes a good young person! Those wild game pieces were earned with your life, with your blood, sweat, and even at great personal risk! How you dispose of them is your freedom! It's reasonable and legal! No one has the right to force you! Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong are abusing their power, undermining neighborhood harmony, and engaging in moral blackmail! This is a serious mistake! It must be dealt with severely! There will be absolutely no leniency!"

She took a deep breath, suppressing her overwhelming anger, and solemnly promised Wei Chen, every word resounding: "You, your mother, and your sister have been wronged! The organization will definitely get justice for you!"

Tonight! Tonight alone! I, Wang Guifen, will personally lead a team to your courtyard! I will hold a general meeting for the entire courtyard! I want to ask Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong what their intentions are! Who gave them the right to bully people like this! I will clarify this matter in front of everyone in the courtyard! I will clear your name! We cannot let heroes shed blood and tears! We cannot let honest people be disheartened! We, the neighborhood committee, will absolutely not allow this!"

Jin Aiguo also snorted heavily, his voice icy: "Director Wang, I'm going tonight too! Representing the factory's security department! Representing the steel rolling mill! I want to see how these two 'big shots' explain their 'great achievements' last night in front of the organization and factory leaders! How they explain how they 'united' their neighbors!"

Seeing the two leaders standing up in righteous indignation, resolutely supporting him, Wei Chen felt all his grievances vanish, replaced by a secret thrill and satisfaction at the prospect of getting his revenge.

He lowered his head at the opportune moment, forcefully wiping away non-existent tears with his sleeve, his voice choked with "deep emotion" and a sense of relief: "Thank you... thank you Director Wang! Thank you Section Chief Jin! With the organization standing up for me... I... my mother and I can finally rest easy! Thank you, leaders!"

Wei Chen stepped out of the street office gate. The morning sunlight dispelled the thin mist and warmed him. He took a deep breath, and the deliberately feigned grievance and exhaustion on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a deep, calm expression, though a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

He hopped on his bicycle, the wheels gliding lightly over the cobblestone path, heading towards the steel mill. He knew the seeds had been sown, and the storm was brewing. What would Director Wang and Section Chief Jin's reaction be? He had no doubt.

The atmosphere in the director's office was so heavy it could be squeezed out of you.

Director Wang Guifen was still furious, her chest heaving. She looked at Jin Aiguo, her voice filled with suppressed anger, but even more so with a heavy sense of self-reproach and regret: "Section Chief Jin, did you hear that? Is this outrageous?! Yi Zhonghai! Liu Haizhong! They've simply acted recklessly! They've turned this once peaceful courtyard into a complete mess!"

What a good kid Wei Chen is! A son of a martyr! He's ambitious and capable, and he hasn't forgotten his roots. He's given so much benefit to the factory, the neighborhood, and the elderly living alone. And what's the result? He's being bullied like this by people in his own neighborhood! His elderly mother is afraid to go out, and his little sister is crying in fear!

This...this is a slap in the face to our neighborhood committee! It shows that we haven't done our job properly, we haven't had enough understanding of the thoughts and feelings of these neighborhood officials, and we've neglected to guide and supervise neighborhood relations!

She rubbed her temples hard, her exhaustion tinged with deep guilt: "As the director, I bear responsibility! It's my dereliction of duty to let such a fine young man like Comrade Wei Chen suffer such humiliation right under our noses, and to let the family of a martyr suffer such an injustice!" Wang Guifen's tone was filled with heartache.

Jin Aiguo's face was ashen, his fists still clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Seeing Wang Guifen's self-reproach, a surge of shared indignation welled up within him. He nodded heavily, his voice low and powerful, carrying the characteristic responsibility of a soldier: "Director Wang, this isn't entirely your fault! Grassroots work is incredibly complex; who could have imagined that those two old bastards, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, would be so two-faced and audacious!"

Don't worry! The factory will definitely not stand idly by in this matter! Wei Chen is a member of our security department, a meritorious employee of the factory, and a proud family member of a martyr! Who are Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong? How dare they do this? This is a typical case of retaliating against progressive youth; it's a corrupt and evil trend!

I'll go back to the factory right away and report to the leadership! Tonight, I'll go with you! We must completely eradicate this unhealthy trend! We must get justice for Comrade Wei Chen! And we'll help the neighborhood committee to rectify the atmosphere in our area!