Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Stepping out of the tall, somewhat somber gray gate of the steel rolling mill, Wei Chen took a deep breath of the cool, free air outside, feeling completely refreshed.

He looked up at the sky; the autumn air was crisp and clear, a perfect time of year. He hopped on the gleaming old-fashioned bicycle parked at the factory gate, turned the handlebars, and the wheels rolled lightly across the dusty asphalt road as he leisurely rode towards the outskirts of the city.

He didn't have any fixed targets. Any body of water around Beijing where he could cast his line—the backwaters where the moat meandered, the quiet corners of wild lakes outside the city, or some little-known river tributaries—were places he might visit.

This casual "fishing" has become his most pleasant way to relax and a secret pleasure outside of work.

The chosen spots are usually secluded, with calm waters reflecting the vast blue sky and the withered reeds on the shore. Wei Chen propped up his bicycle, skillfully unfolded a small folding stool, and took out the seemingly ordinary, even somewhat aged, old bamboo fishing rod.

I baited the hook with bait I bought from the game's general store. With a flick of my wrist, the fishing line traced a barely perceptible silver arc in the air, and with a soft "plop," the sinker and hook sank into the water.

Then came the waiting.

Wei Chen squinted, his gaze seemingly fixed on the bobber on the water's surface, yet also seemingly piercing through the shimmering waves to some distant, unseen place. To an outsider, it appeared to be the leisurely demeanor of Jiang Taigong fishing, simply killing time.

Only Wei Chen himself knew that with a slight thought, the mysterious spatial power had quietly spread out, like an invisible giant net, sinking to the bottom of the water. The underwater world instantly became clear before his "eyes"—the swaying of the water plants, the churning of the silt, the swimming of the fish... all were under his control.

Wherever his thoughts reached, space seemed to transform into an invisible giant hand. Seizing the opportunity, with a thought—beneath the seemingly calm water, an irresistible suction force suddenly arose!

A large, plump carp, about half an arm's length long, was leisurely swimming around when it suddenly felt the water around it stagnate and swirl. Its vision blurred instantly, and the next moment, the world spun around it. It was no longer in the familiar water world. With a "plop," it landed heavily in the grass at Wei Chen's feet, carrying a strong fishy smell and flicking its tail.

The fish's gills opened and closed rapidly, its tail flailing futilely against the muddy grass, splashing up tiny droplets of water. Wei Chen's face remained expressionless, as if this large fish falling from the sky was nothing out of the ordinary.

He slowly removed the fishing hook and casually tossed the still-wriggling fish into the large, wet burlap sack beside him. He used this method to train his mental strength.

This process was repeated. The mind locked on, the space was captured, and the fish landed. The movements were as fluid as breathing. In less than an afternoon, the once empty sack had swelled up and become heavy in the hand.

Judging by its weight, it must weigh at least a hundred pounds. Inside, big and small fish huddled together, their scales reflecting the water through the holes in the burlap sack, and the muffled "plop plop" sounds of their tails slapping against the sack echoed continuously.

Having caught his fill, Wei Chen didn't put away his fishing rod. He stood up, looked around to make sure no one was watching this secluded corner. Then, with a thought, he...

Splash! The water glistens and splashes everywhere!

A bunch of fish, big and small, were suddenly released into the river. Like a silver rain, they leaped into the air, tracing short, misty arcs before splashing back into the river and lake with a "pitter-patter." The water surface instantly erupted like a boiling pot, with ripples spreading violently and lingering for a long time.

Wei Chen then tied the bag shut with satisfaction, dusted off the water droplets that had splashed onto his trousers, as if he had just casually cleaned up some unwanted clutter.

"Tsk, leave some seeds, a steady stream will flow." He muttered to himself, a smile playing on his lips that was hard for others to understand.

These released fish might soon be caught by some lucky angler and become a surprise on their dinner table. This kind of secret "giving" gave Wei Chen a strange sense of satisfaction.

However, this "slow and steady" plan could not escape the notice of a pair of shrewd eyes who were always watching for any sign of trouble.

Uncle Yan Bugui, a teacher at Hongxing Elementary School, was a well-known abacus expert in the courtyard. Ever since his "chance encounter" with Wei Chen in the park and witnessing his incredibly lucky fishing, Yan Bugui's heart had been scratched by cat claws, and he could no longer find peace.

Those white, heavy catches of fish! That hard currency that can be exchanged for real gold and silver, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and even a little wine in the ghost market!

Yan Bugui's calculating heart pounded wildly, almost leaping out of his throat, stimulated by the immense potential profit. He immediately realized that Wei Chen wasn't fishing; this was clearly a golden goose! Heaven was practically feeding him!

From then on, Yan Bugui became completely obsessed with "dealing with" Wei Chen. He fully utilized the studious spirit of a schoolteacher and combined it with the "intelligence network" he had accumulated over the years of mingling on the streets to start figuring out Wei Chen's "fishing patterns".

What day of the week are you going? Approximately what time will you depart? Which bodies of water do you prefer? What kind of wind or rain conditions might you avoid?

Gradually, Yan Bugui actually figured it out. He discovered that although Wei Chen didn't have a fixed location, his timing was quite regular, usually in the afternoon, and he preferred quiet, deep, and undisturbed river bends and lakes. Having grasped this, Yan Bugui began his grand plan of "waiting for the rabbit to run into the tree stump."

That afternoon, the autumn sun shone brightly. Wei Chen was riding his bicycle when he turned onto a quiet dirt road leading to a wild lake outside the city. In the distance, he spotted a familiar figure squatting under a crooked willow tree by the lake, holding a fishing rod in his hand, with his signature faded canvas bag beside him.

Who else could it be but Yan Bugui?

Wei Chen's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, then relaxed, pretending not to notice, and rode straight to another lush, weed-covered bank a few dozen meters away from Yan Bugui. He propped up the bike, took out the rod, baited it, and cast the line, all in one fluid motion.

He had barely sat down for two minutes when Yan Bugui, who was under the willow tree, suddenly stood up as if he had a spring under his butt.

He adjusted his glasses, and a smile quickly spread across his face, a mixture of humility, ingratiation, and a perfectly timed surprise at the "chance encounter." Carrying his small stool and fishing rod, he trudged over, his feet sinking into the soft mud of the lake shore.

"Hey! Wei Chen! What a coincidence!" Yan Bugui's voice was filled with exaggerated enthusiasm. He greeted Wei Chen before he even arrived. "I was wondering why my left eyelid had been twitching all day. Turns out there's a distinguished guest here! Look, we're on the same page again. This place is full of fish, the water is good, and it's peaceful!" As he spoke, he casually placed his small stool next to Wei Chen with a "thud," so close that it almost touched Wei Chen's leg.

Wei Chen didn't even lift his eyelids, his gaze remaining fixed on his motionless float. He gave a faint "hmm" in response. He was already used to these deliberate "chance encounters" and couldn't be bothered to expose them.

Yan Bugui completely ignored Wei Chen's coldness, sat down on his own, and fiddled with his fishing rod, but kept talking: "Wei Chen, you're the one in our compound, in our factory!"

He gave a thumbs-up and shook it. "You're capable and efficient! Even those two old bastards, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, are like mice before a cat these days, not daring to utter a sound when they see you! It's satisfying! Really satisfying!" He tried to use flattery and the shared "enemy" to build rapport.

Wei Chen still didn't reply, only letting out another "hmm" through his nose.

Yan Bugui's eyes darted around, and the topic shifted back to fish: "When it comes to fishing, it's all about stillness, and luck plays a part. Someone like you, Wei Chen, with that kind of luck, hey, it's unbelievable! It's practically... the fish gods are delivering fish right to your doorstep!"

He licked his slightly chapped lips, his small eyes darting around at the empty but surprisingly large burlap sack at Wei Chen's feet, the longing in his eyes almost tangible.

Wei Chen finally turned his head, glanced at Yan Bugui, and gave a cold smile: "Third Uncle, you've cast that pole a little too close to my spot."

"Ouch! Look at my eyesight!" Yan Bugui seemed to only then notice, and hurriedly dragged his fishing rod back in a flustered manner, laughing awkwardly, "I'm getting old, my eyes are failing. Wei Chen, please don't mind, I'll move it, I'll move it!" He symbolically moved the rod half a foot away, but his buttocks seemed to be welded to the stool, not moving an inch.

Silence followed. Yan Bugui also wisely kept quiet, but his eyes kept glancing at Wei Chen's float and then at the empty sack, his expectation and anxiety almost overflowing.

His own float would occasionally twitch a few times, and when he pulled it up, it would only be a small white bar about the length of a finger, which he would disdainfully remove and casually throw back into the water.

Time passed slowly, and the sun began to set. Just as Yan Bugui was getting impatient, shifting his position on the hard little stool, Wei Chen's float suddenly dipped! Instantly, the seemingly ordinary old bamboo fishing rod bent into a breathtakingly full bow!

"Whoa! Here it comes!" Wei Chen shouted, his arm muscles tensing as he firmly gripped the rod. The force underwater was immense, the fishing line whirring and cutting rapid ripples across the surface. A fierce tug-of-war ensued underwater.

Yan Bugui jumped to his feet, his eyes wide with excitement, his voice trembling with urgency: "A huge shipment! It's definitely a huge shipment! Wei Chen! Hold on! Hold on!" He rubbed his hands together, pacing back and forth, wishing he could rush up and help, yet afraid of making things worse.

A few minutes later, a large carp, as long as an adult's forearm and with scales shimmering with a dark golden light in the setting sun, was finally dragged to the shallow water near the shore, its white belly turned white, after Wei Chen skillfully lured it until it was exhausted. Its tail was still thrashing about, splashing water everywhere.