Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

As autumn deepens, the chill intensifies day by day. The towering chimneys of the steel rolling mill still billow thick smoke, and the roar of the machines never ceases. But beneath this clamor lies a growing anxiety, originating from the stomach and intestines.

The aroma of food wafting from the canteen window is becoming increasingly faint, and the contents of the workers' lunchboxes are becoming increasingly "clear." Even the special meals for the factory leaders have reportedly been significantly reduced in oil and fat.

Wei Chen pushed his slightly worn "Forever" brand bicycle slowly through the somewhat empty factory area of ​​the steel rolling mill. He wore a faded dark blue work uniform, a military green canvas satchel slung across his shoulder, and a retractable fishing rod on his back. This outfit had become his signature look in the steel rolling mill's security department.

I first wandered around the security office. The office was filled with smoke. Old Zhang was holding a chipped enamel mug, frowning at a document, his fingers spitting as he turned the pages, as if the paper contained not words, but food to fill his stomach. Little Zhao was dozing on the table, drool almost dripping onto the register. Section Chief Chen Dayong wasn't there; he'd apparently gone to a meeting at the bureau.

"Hey, Wei Chen, here to 'check in' again?" Old Zhang looked up, squinted at him, and forced a tired smile. "It's windy today, the fish probably won't be easy to catch."

"Let's try our luck. We can't come back empty-handed." Wei Chen smiled, took out two cornbread buns wrapped in oil paper from his satchel, handed one to Old Zhang, and tossed the other to Xiao Zhao on the table. "These were steamed this morning. They're made with cornmeal and a little bean flour. Just something to tide you over."

Old Zhang took the still-warm cornbread, his eyes brightening. Without hesitation, he broke off a small piece and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "You're so thoughtful, kid. These days are tough for everyone, don't always be so generous." He was a veteran at the factory and knew Wei Chen's abilities. Wei Chen also enjoyed chatting with him. Sometimes, when his mother brought him cornbread that he didn't like, he would secretly share it with them. In those days of food scarcity, having something to eat was a sign of goodwill.

Xiao Zhao was woken up by a steamed bun thrown at him. Still half asleep, he grabbed it, and after recognizing what it was, his face immediately lit up with a smile: "Thanks, Brother Chen! Hehe, I was just about to get hungry!"

Wei Chen waved his hand: "It's nothing. Is there anything going on in Corey today?"

"What could possibly happen? Everything's peaceful." Old Zhang shook his head and sighed. "Everyone's stomachs are half empty, how can they have the energy to cause trouble? They're all hoping for more food. Even our section chief is so worried that a few more strands of hair have turned gray, and he's trying to find some extra food for everyone."

Wei Chen nodded; he understood the situation. Deputy Section Chief Jin of the Security Section was protective of his subordinates! Within the bounds of the law, he always thought of getting his men some food! Back then, he recruited Wei Chen into the Security Section precisely because he admired Wei Chen's hunting skills! It was just a lucky coincidence that Wei Chen's skills and his pet dog, Da Huang, repeatedly performed miraculous feats.

"I'll head out now if there's nothing else," Wei Chen patted his bag. "I'll see if I can add a dish for everyone's dinner."

"Go on, be careful on the road." Old Zhang waved his hand and added, "If... if you get your hands on anything big, remember to let Corey know first." He was implying something.

Wei Chen understood immediately: "Understood, Master Zhang."

Leaving the security office, I pushed my bicycle out of the factory gate. A cold wind blew in my face, stirring up dust and fallen leaves. Old Sun, the gatekeeper, was huddled in the guardhouse, wrapped in a worn-out military overcoat. Seeing Wei Chen come out, he poked his head out and greeted him: "Little Wei, going fishing again? In this weather, the fish probably won't be biting."

"I've got nothing better to do, might as well try my luck." Wei Chen replied with a smile, straddled his bicycle, pushed off with his foot, and the bike glided off nimbly.

This became his unwavering daily routine. When there were cases, he would take his big yellow dog, with its keen sense of smell, to participate in the search or tracking; when there were no cases, he would go "fishing" or "hunting." Each time he returned, he would always bring back some fish or game, which was like a blessing from heaven during these difficult times.

The factory leaders turned a blind eye to this, and even secretly encouraged him—as long as he could bring back real meat, they didn't care how he "fished" or "caught" it. The work in the security department was already very flexible, and besides, when he was transferred to the security department, he had made an agreement with the logistics and purchasing department to hold two positions. When there were no cases, Wei Chen mainly focused on purchasing, and he still retained his identity as a purchasing agent.

Today, Wei Chen's "fishing" trip had another purpose.

He rode his bicycle out of the city, along a dirt road along the edge of a riverbed that had long since dried up. In late autumn, the reeds on the riverbank were withered and yellow, shivering in the wind. Only a thin, murky stream remained in the center of the river, the exposed riverbed covered with cracked mud and scattered rocks. The surrounding area was deserted, save for a few crows cawing in the distant, withered trees.

He found a sheltered river bend, sheltered by a dense patch of withered bushes. Wei Chen parked his bicycle, took out his fishing rod, and pretended to sit on a rock by the river, casting the hook into the shallow, almost fishless water.

After patiently sitting for about fifteen minutes, and confirming that there was no one else in sight, he quickly put away his fishing rod and bicycle, and then, on a whim, he put them away.

The next moment, the large rock by the river was empty, with only the rustling of the wind blowing through the withered grass remaining.

The Hunter's Lodge, a three-story modern-style building, stands quietly on the edge of a peaceful little town in the game world. In stark contrast to the bleakness and desolation of late autumn outside, the air here is fresh and moist, carrying the fragrance of grass and earth. The yard in front of the building is well-maintained, with several rows of thriving vegetables on one side and some wood and tools piled up on the other.

Wei Chen appeared directly in the kitchen. The spacious and bright modern kitchen, with its stainless steel stove, large-capacity refrigerator, and all kinds of kitchen utensils, seemed out of place in this era, but it was his most reliable logistical support.

Today's main task is not fishing, but testing the new tools we've acquired.

He walked to the open space in the center of the kitchen and focused his thoughts on his "backpack space." This storage space, which came with the game system that had accompanied him from the beginning, had a frozen time environment, making it an excellent place to store items. The livestock he had slaughtered earlier were all stored here.

Select the target, and let your mind wander.

With a muffled thud, a skinned, cleaned, and enormous yellow ox appeared out of thin air on the gleaming kitchen floor. Even after being bled and gutted, the ox weighed over a thousand pounds and took up considerable space. Its eyes were wide open, seemingly still full of life, and its meat displayed the vibrant red color of freshly slaughtered meat.

Facing this behemoth, Wei Chen remained calm. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong but not exaggerated forearms. He walked to the tool rack by the wall, took down a heavy, sharp, gleaming cleaver, and then selected a thin, sharp dagger and a heavy meat cleaver from the knife rack next to it.

He didn't act immediately, but closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The pure internal energy within his body flowed slowly, while his spiritual power, like invisible tentacles, spread out and gently covered the entire cow carcass. The orientation of the bones, the texture of the muscles, the connections of the fascia... under the perception of his spiritual power, the physiological structure of the entire cow was presented in his mind as clearly as a three-dimensional perspective view.

"The butcher skillfully dissects the ox, yet he sees no whole ox." Wei Chen murmured to himself, then opened his eyes, a glint of shrewdness flashing within them.

Moved!

The first thing he dealt with were the four cow legs. He gripped the heavy cleaver with both hands, not using brute force, but rather following the joints, his wrists flicking slightly, releasing a little internal force. With a few soft "snap" sounds, the four cow legs were cleanly and neatly separated from the torso, the cuts smooth and clean, with almost no muscle wasted.

Next came the torso. The knife seemed to come alive in his hands, precisely slicing along both sides of the spine, cutting open the longest, deep red tenderloin; close to the ribs, deftly carving off a thick slice of brisket; at the shoulder blade, the blade moved, perfectly separating the tender triangular shoulder meat from the collagen-rich shank…

His movements were fluid and graceful, so fast they almost left afterimages, yet so precise they were breathtaking. Wherever the blade passed, skin, fat, meat, tendons, and bone separated naturally, encountering almost no resistance. The thick meat cleaver was responsible for handling large pieces of ribs and bones that needed to be chopped.

This is not just a physically demanding job, but also a highly technical one, requiring a perfect blend of strength, skill, perception, and patience. It is thanks to his increasingly profound inner strength and mental fortitude that he can handle such a task with such ease, reaching a level akin to the legendary "Butcher Ding dissecting an ox."

In less than half an hour, the intact cow carcass on the floor had been transformed into a neatly arranged pile of meat, bones, and offal. The beef was marbled with red and white, its texture distinct, and it exuded the unique, slightly sweet and pungent aroma of fresh meat. The bones were robust, and the marrow was plentiful. The tripe, heart, liver, and other offal had also been properly processed and thoroughly cleaned.

Wei Chen let out a long sigh of relief, his forehead slightly sweaty, but his eyes bright. He put most of the cut beef and bones back into the time-frozen backpack space—there were already quite a few similar "spoils" stored there, which were his and his family's secret reserves for improving their lives, occasionally helping close neighbors, and completing "missions".

He left behind about two hundred pounds of high-quality beef brisket, beef shank, some bones with meat, and some internal organs. He walked to the large pot, which was nearly one and a half meters in diameter.

Light the fire and boil the water. Once boiling, add the large pieces of beef bones and some beef brisket, along with scallions, ginger slices, and a little wild mountain pepper collected from the game world to remove any gamey smell and enhance the aroma. Bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any foam, then reduce to a simmer. The milky white broth gradually begins to boil, and a rich aroma of meat begins to fill the air.

While the soup was simmering, Wei Chen took out a small spice bag made of fine cotton cloth from the kitchen cabinet. Inside were spices and herbs he had carefully prepared based on several nourishing stew recipes recorded in the "Nameless Health Preservation Manual: Diet Therapy Chapter," which he had obtained by chance from his master.

It contains star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom to enhance the aroma and remove the gamey smell, as well as astragalus, angelica, and goji berries to nourish and strengthen the body. The proportions are just right, so that they do not affect the taste of the meat and can subtly nourish the body.