Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The next morning, as the first rays of cool sunlight climbed over the mottled walls of Nanluoguxiang, Xu Damao was already awake. He didn't wake up naturally; rather, he was abruptly dragged from his sweet dream by a tremendous, almost boiling, sense of excitement.

He barely slept a wink all night, his mind replaying the scene of visiting his "future father-in-law" at Lou's mansion on Sunday.

Which of my favorite white polyester shirts should I wear? Should I style my hair with some hair oil and part it in a 3/7 ratio, or leave it natural for a more down-to-earth look? What should I say as my first words to Lou Zhenhua? How deep should I bow? Should I call him "Mr. Lou" or address him as "Uncle" beforehand?

He even imagined the luxurious scenes that Lou Mansion might have in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and the more he felt that he was about to become a person of high status.

"Hehehe..." Xu Damao couldn't help but chuckle to himself in bed. Wei Chen, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and the fear of the entire college meeting were all swept away by the upcoming "peak of life".

He even felt that he had been terrified before. No matter how powerful Wei Chen was, could he be richer and more powerful than the Lou family? Once he became the Lou family's son-in-law, let's see who would dare to give him a hard time!

Just as Xu Damao was immersed in his beautiful fantasy, humming a little tune and practicing a humble smile in front of the blurry mirror at home, the sound of a car engine shutting off came from outside the courtyard gate.

"Huh?" Xu Damao was taken aback. Cars were a rarity these days, especially in Nanluoguxiang. His heart skipped a beat, and then a wildly excited thought surged through him—could it be the Lou family? Could they have been waiting? Had they come to pick him up ahead of time?!

He practically scrambled to the gate and peeked through the crack. There, he saw a gleaming black Volga sedan parked steadily in front of the courtyard house.

The early risers in the courtyard all looked at the car with curiosity. Cars were a rare sight in those days, and everyone wondered who the car belonged to.

The car door opened, and a burly man with a gray Zhongshan suit and a cold expression stepped out. It was none other than A-Qiang, the driver and bodyguard of the Lou family whom he had met before.

Xu Damao's heart leaped into his throat; overwhelming joy clouded his judgment. He flung open the door, his face plastered with what he believed to be his most enthusiastic and humble smile, and rushed to greet him.

"Oh my! Uncle Qiang! Uncle Qiang, why did you come in person! This...this is too much for me! What brings you here today? What can I do for you, Mr. Lou? Look, I...I haven't even finished getting ready yet! Please come in, please come in and have some water!" Xu Damao said, bowing and scraping, reaching out to usher A-Qiang into the courtyard, as if the other party was already his honored guest.

However, Ah Qiang remained unmoved. His angular face was expressionless, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, as he swept Xu Damao up and down, his gaze so cold that Xu Damao's smile froze slightly.

"Comrade Xu," Ah Qiang's voice, like his expression, was stiff and devoid of any warmth, "No need to pack. The master ordered that you come with me immediately."

"Now? Let's go?" Xu Damao was stunned. His joy burst like a punctured balloon. "Uncle Qiang, this... didn't Mr. Lou say Sunday... the day after tomorrow? Isn't this a bit too hasty? I... I'm not ready yet..." He muttered to himself, "Wealthy families have so many rules. They even have to surprise us when we meet?"

"The master's orders are to be obeyed now." Ah Qiang interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for argument or discussion. He stepped aside, pulled Xu Damao out of the courtyard, and led him to the car. He opened the back door with a swift and decisive movement, conveying an undeniable sense of authority. "Please get in, Comrade Xu. Don't keep the master waiting."

Looking at A-Qiang's cold face and the dark car door, Xu Damao's doubts and unease were instantly suppressed by the thought of "Mr. Lou urgently summoning him."

He immediately put on a fawning smile: "Hey! Hey! Okay! Uncle Qiang, please wait a moment, I... I'll go back to my room to get something, just for a second!" He was also thinking of taking the pack of his treasured cigarettes to leave a good impression on his future father-in-law.

"No need to bring anything." Ah Qiang's voice was even colder, filled with obvious impatience. "The master said, now, immediately. Please get in the car." His white-gloved hand seemed to rest casually on the car door frame, but the slightly tense knuckles and the invisible pressure from his burly body made Xu Damao feel as if he were blocked by a wall.

"Uh... this... okay! okay! I'll listen to Uncle Qiang! I'll listen to Mr. Lou!" Xu Damao was intimidated by that imposing manner and dared not say another word. He hurriedly nodded and bowed, carefully climbing into the spacious but somewhat cold back seat of the car. Ah Qiang slammed the car door shut with a "bang," the sound muffled, making Xu Damao's heart skip a beat again.

The car started smoothly and drove away from Nanluoguxiang. It left the entire courtyard wondering how Xu Damao had managed to climb the social ladder so quietly; the situation looked alarming!

Xu Damao sat in the soft leather seat, but felt extremely uncomfortable. Several times he tried to strike up a conversation with A-Qiang, who was driving in front, to get some information:

"Uncle Qiang, are we... going straight to the Lou Mansion?" "..."

"Uncle Qiang, how is Mr. Lou...? Does he have any particular hobbies or preferences? I want to keep an eye on him..."

"..."

"Uncle Qiang, do you smoke? I have a pack of good cigarettes here..."

"Comrade Xu, sit quietly." A-Qiang finally glanced at him in the rearview mirror, his eyes sharp as knives, his voice flat and emotionless. "You'll know when we get there."

Xu Damao was rebuffed and awkwardly shut his mouth, his heart pounding with anxiety. This atmosphere… something felt off. It didn't feel like he was meeting his future father-in-law; it felt more like… a prisoner being escorted away? He shook his head, dismissing the absurd thought, and comforted himself: "Wealthy families have strict rules; it's normal for the driver to be a bit arrogant."

Instead of heading towards the villa district in the west of the city, the car drove in another direction. The scenery outside the window became increasingly familiar, and Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat.

"Uncle Qiang... Uncle Qiang? Where... where are we going? Isn't this the way to Peking Union Medical College Hospital?" Xu Damao finally couldn't hold back any longer, clinging to the back of the front seat, his voice filled with obvious panic and confusion.

Ah Qiang stared straight ahead, his hands gripping the steering wheel as steady as a rock. His tone was as calm as if he were remarking on the weather: "Hmm. The master instructed that you, Comrade Xu, be taken for a premarital medical checkup."

"Pre-marital...medical checkup?" Xu Damao was completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape as if he could fit an egg in it.

He had heard of premarital checkups, but those were things that only wealthy families did. They had been shown in foreign movies a few years ago, but ordinary people didn't care about that when they got married.

"This...this...Mr. Lou is being too...too particular, isn't he? We're working class, in great health, with a great appetite! Do we really need an examination?" He tried to use exaggerated body language and what he thought was a humorous tone to cover up his inner panic and a slight feeling of being offended.

Ah Qiang's lips seemed to twitch down very slightly, revealing a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm, but his voice remained completely calm: "It's only proper for the master to care about his future son-in-law's health. Comrade Xu, just cooperate." He deliberately emphasized the words "future son-in-law," which only made Xu Damao more uneasy.

The car came to a smooth stop in front of the imposing, stately Western-style building of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. A-Qiang got out briskly and opened the door for Xu Damao: "Comrade Xu, please."

Xu Damao got out of the car, feeling dizzy. Looking at the bustling hospital entrance filled with the smell of disinfectant, his bad premonition grew stronger. He forced a smile, trying to regain some initiative: "Uncle Qiang, what kind of tests are we going to? Which department should we go to first?"

A-Qiang didn't answer, but simply gestured "please," then strode off towards a sign in the outpatient building that read "Urology/Male Reproductive Specialty." His steps were firm, his goal clear, indicating that everything had been planned in advance.

Xu Damao stared at the sign, his face turning deathly pale. "Ur...urology?" His voice trembled, and his legs went weak. This...this examination is too...too private! Is this the custom of wealthy families? So...so in-depth? He felt like everyone's eyes were fixed on him, burning with embarrassment.

"Uncle Qiang... this... this isn't appropriate, is it? This... how embarrassing!" Xu Damao tried to struggle, his steps hesitant.

Ah Qiang stopped and turned around, his cold eyes staring directly at Xu Damao with an undeniable pressure: "Comrade Xu, it's the master's order. Cooperating with the inspection shows sincerity. Or is there something... that you don't want us to investigate?" The last sentence was slightly raised in tone, carrying a hint of dangerous probing.

Xu Damao felt a chill run down his spine from the stare, and a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. How could he dare to say "no"? He hurriedly waved his hands: "No! No! It's convenient! Absolutely convenient! Check! We must check! To put Mr. Lou at ease!" He forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace and followed A-Qiang into the door of the clinic that felt incredibly heavy to him.

The examination room was quiet, filled with the strong smell of disinfectant. The doctor, dressed in a white coat, looked to be in his fifties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and had a serious, unsmiling expression. A blank examination form was already placed in front of him; clearly, A-Qiang had arranged it beforehand.

Ah-Qiang stood at the door of the clinic like a guardian deity, arms crossed, watching coldly, showing no intention of leaving.

"Doctor, hello, hello!" Xu Damao tried to ease the awkwardness with his usual smooth talk, extending his hand to shake the doctor's hand with an exaggerated smile. "Thank you for your hard work! I'm Xu Damao, a projectionist at the steel mill! Mr. Lou Zhenhua is my future father-in-law! He's concerned about my health and specifically asked me to come for a comprehensive check-up! Thank you for your help!"

The doctor glanced at him expressionlessly, ignoring his outstretched hand, and simply pointed to the examination bed next to him: "Take off your pants and lie down."