Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After passing through the moon gate, Wei Chen returned to his relatively quiet home in the east courtyard.

As soon as you enter the courtyard, a scent of earth and the faint fragrance of vegetable leaves fills the air, accompanied by the faint sounds of laughter and conversation.

In the small vegetable garden that had been cultivated in the southern half of their yard, Wang Xiulan, the mother, was bent over, carefully lifting the last cabbage from the soft soil with a small shovel. Her movements were slow, carrying the respect and caution that people of this era had for food, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Beside her, Grandma Li deftly shook the soil off the roots of the cabbages, peeled off the slightly damaged outer leaves, and then placed the fresh cabbage hearts into a worn bamboo basket. Her movements carried a nimbleness honed over the years; despite being much older than Wang Xiulan, she worked with remarkable speed.

On the other side, Aunt Liu Xiufen and her eldest son Niu Dali were busy. One of them was tying the radishes she had pulled up into small bundles with straw rope, while the other was carrying baskets full of vegetables to the cellar entrance, preparing them for later storage. Niu Dali was strong and sturdy, and a basket of radishes and cabbages seemed light as a feather in his hands.

The vegetable garden in late autumn had passed its most lush season, but the remaining Chinese cabbages were all tightly packed, their emerald green leaves encasing tender yellow hearts, appearing vibrant in the dim evening light; the white radishes were all robust and juicy, their smooth, pale green skins clearly brimming with juice. This touch of green and harvest seemed especially precious and heartwarming in the desolate courtyard.

"Mom, Grandma Li, Aunt Liu, Brother Dali, they've all come to help!" Wei Chen parked his bicycle steadily under the eaves and greeted them with a smile.

He didn't rush to touch the two earthenware pots; instead, he went to check on the vegetable garden's harvest. "Wow, these radishes and cabbages are growing so well! Mom, your cooking skills are getting better and better!"

Hearing her son's voice, Wang Xiulan slowly straightened up, supporting her back, a tired but satisfied smile on her face: "Chen'er is back! It's not that I'm good at cooking, it's that the seeds are good, and the soil is fertile. I also owe a lot to Grandma Li and Aunt Liu for their help, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to finish cleaning in a day." As she spoke, she wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, which was covered in mud.

Grandma Li straightened up, squinted at Wei Chen, and the wrinkles on her face smoothed out: "Little Wei, you've come back just in time! Look how well these vegetables are growing this year! Your mother really knows how to manage the land!" Grandma Li called out to Wei Chen, her tone full of affection.

"Chen'er is back. Wait a moment while I go cook! Aunt Li and Sister Liu, don't leave! Eat at home today! You helped me with all the work all day!" Wang Xiulan continued.

"Xiulan, you're being too polite! It's just a little work, why would you need to feed me?" Grandma Li said with a smile.

Aunt Liu stopped what she was doing, dusted herself off, and laughed heartily, "That's right, Xiulan, you're too kind! We're neighbors, it's only right to lend a hand, right? Besides, you're Xiaocao and the others' godmother! You've helped us so much! Let's not be so polite... We're getting ready to go back now. Dali, just carry this last basket!" Niu Dali mumbled a "sigh," picked up the last basket of radishes, and trudged towards the cellar entrance.

Looking at the harmonious and mutually supportive scene before him, Wei Chen felt a warm glow in his heart. This small vegetable garden had long since become more than just a source of vegetables for his family; it had become a bond that maintained the friendship between these families.

There's a little story behind this vegetable garden. When Wei Chen first "obtained" those high-yield, high-quality seeds from the game world, it was only to improve his family's diet and, incidentally, to cover up their other "origins."

Unexpectedly, with the addition of planting techniques, the vegetables grew so well that they attracted the envy of everyone in the neighborhood. It was Grandma Li and Aunt Liu who first came to ask about it, seeing Wei Chen's lush green vegetable garden and then looking at their own child's pale and thin face.

Seeing that they were indeed struggling financially, and that they were hardworking and honest, Wei Chen quietly told them how to use planks and broken jars to make some soil at the base of the wall to grow vegetables. The space wasn't large, it didn't take up public land, and it could still yield some harvest to supplement their household income.

Grandma Li and Aunt Liu were both quick and efficient; they got right to work. Before long, a striking patch of green appeared along the base of their two houses, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun. Although it was only a narrow strip, and they planted easy-to-grow and fast-growing vegetables like bok choy, rapeseed, chives, and pumpkins, it was at least some hope. Occasionally, they could pick a handful of tender leaves to make soup, or pick a pumpkin to add to the meal, bringing color and anticipation to their otherwise bland meals.

Seeing this, other diligent neighbors followed suit. Yan Bugui, who lived alone in the front yard, carefully planned and immediately built a small flower bed with broken bricks under his window and planted scallions and garlic. Liu Erzhuang's wife, who lived alone in the back yard, found a broken earthenware pot and planted chives. Even He Yushui, the younger sister of Shazhu in the middle yard, said she wanted to grow vegetables after school! At Wei Chen's suggestion, she also kept a few pots of "herbs" on the windowsill that were said to repel mosquitoes. In fact, they were coriander seeds given to her by Wei Chen, which she hadn't distinguished from the real thing.

Suddenly, a few patches of green appeared along the walls and under the windows of the courtyard house. Although the greenery was meager, it brought a touch of life to the gloomy and oppressive courtyard.

Of course, some people were envious and resentful, secretly harboring jealousy. The first among them was Jia Zhangshi. She was incredibly lazy, wishing she could be fed by someone else, and when she saw Wei Chen's well-maintained, lush vegetable garden, her eyes burned with envy.

Seeing the pitiful vegetable seedlings under Grandma Li and Aunt Liu's wall, she couldn't help but want to pluck them when no one was looking. Unfortunately, Grandma Li and Aunt Liu cherished those vegetables more than their own eyes, and she never succeeded.

So she often gossiped behind the backs of the other jealous women in the courtyard, saying things like "occupying public land to grow private vegetables," "developing a small-scale peasant economy," and "cutting off the capitalist tail." She just heard these things on the street and didn't know what they meant, but she just took them and wished that the neighborhood committee would send someone to wipe out all those vegetables to vent her anger.

This matter eventually reached the neighborhood office. It started because other people in nearby courtyards were also following suit, and some were too timid to admit they were making a mistake by "occupying public space," so they secretly went to the neighborhood office to inquire. Eventually, the matter reached the ears of Director Wang of the neighborhood office.

That day, Director Wang personally led two staff members to No. 95 courtyard for an "investigation," which excited some people to no end. Upon hearing the news, Jia Zhangshi jumped up from the kang (a heated brick bed) as if she had been injected with chicken blood, slapping her thigh and shouting, "They're here! The street office is here to take care of things! Let's see if they dare to occupy land illegally again! Especially Wei Chen in the east courtyard, he's occupied the most land! It would be best to arrest him and pull up all his vegetables!" She seemed to already see Wei Chen looking dejected and his vegetable garden destroyed. The sour feeling in her heart finally found an outlet, and she tiptoed to the front yard, ready to "expose and report" him properly.

At that time, Yi Zhonghai had just suffered a heavy blow from the theft of a huge sum of money. Not only did he suffer a huge financial loss, but the image of a "moral exemplar" and "a man of his word" that he had carefully cultivated in the hospital over the years also collapsed, and his prestige was completely destroyed.

He outwardly maintained a facade of dignity, trying to preserve the appearance of an old man, but only he knew the bitterness and disappointment within. Hearing that Director Wang was coming to investigate the "vegetables growing by the wall" incident, his dormant thoughts stirred again.

If we could take this opportunity to "reprimand" Wei Chen, a young man who is increasingly out of control and even becoming a new focus of attention in the courtyard, from the perspective of "maintaining public order" and "abiding by national policies," we could not only demonstrate our "awareness" and "principles" in front of the street leaders, but also perhaps save face and re-establish some authority.

So he straightened his clothes, adopted his usual calm and composed demeanor, and strolled to the front yard, ready to "cooperate with the investigation" and, incidentally, "explain the pros and cons."

Director Wang is a female cadre in her forties with short, ear-length hair, a serious face, and sharp eyes. She is always decisive and efficient in her work.

She first strolled around the courtyard, discreetly observing the scattered, pitiful patches of "green" under the windowsills and along the walls of each house. Seizing her opportunity, Jia Zhangshi immediately pushed through the crowd to the front, waving her arms and spitting almost onto Director Wang's face, before launching into a shrill complaint:

"Director Wang! You've finally arrived! You have to stand up for us! This is a house allocated by the state, on public land! Some people are just low-minded, selfish, and occupying land to grow vegetables. What is this? This is encroaching on public property! This is capitalism! It's corrupting the atmosphere of our compound!"

Especially Wei Chen from the east courtyard, he's the one who started this mess! His family has the biggest vegetable garden! And he's encouraging others to follow his example! I've said it before, this is wrong, we need to consider the bigger picture, not just think about ourselves! But who listens to me? You really need to teach him a lesson this time, and preferably clean up all this mess!”

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, as if she had become a righteous messenger protecting the collective interests. Some of the residents around her who had also planted vegetables immediately tensed up, exchanging uneasy glances, their hearts pounding with anxiety, fearing that they might really get into trouble and their pitiful hopes would be dashed.

After waiting for Jia Zhangshi to finish her performance, Yi Zhonghai slowly stepped forward, his face showing just the right amount of worry and helplessness. He cleared his throat and said, "Director Wang, your personal visit to understand the situation shows your concern for our work. As one of the older members of the staff, I do bear some responsibility for this matter. I had noticed some signs before. Some comrades, especially younger ones like Wei Chen, are enthusiastic and want to improve their lives, which is good, but sometimes their methods are not well thought out, neglecting the impact of policies and neighborly relations."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before finally settling on Director Wang's face. His tone was earnest: "I've also privately advised and reminded them to be mindful of the impact. No matter how small the corner or corner is, it's still public property. We should consider whether everything we do complies with regulations and whether it will cause inconvenience to the community and other residents. It's a pity..."

He sighed, shook his head, and said with a hint of self-deprecation and helplessness, "Maybe my words are no longer effective, and people don't really take it seriously. This is a good opportunity, please let Director Wang clarify the policy for us, so we can learn from it."

These words were perfectly worded. They showed that he had "reminded" and was "responsible," placing himself in the right position; they also implied that Wei Chen and others "did not listen to advice" and "lacked consideration"; finally, they pointed out his current embarrassment at being "ineffective with his words," subtly revealing his helplessness at the "disunity" within the hospital, and attempting to evoke Director Wang's sympathy and dissatisfaction with Wei Chen and others.

Some residents who were unaware of the situation or were already envious of Wei Chen's vegetable garden also quietly echoed his sentiments, making the atmosphere on the scene somewhat awkward.