Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Uncle Wei Laishun's family lived further west in the village, in a lower-lying area. They were only a few houses away from Uncle Da's family, less than a mile away. But this short distance felt like an insurmountable chasm to them over the past six months.

The few houses I passed were deserted and eerily quiet. Some doors were ajar, dark and lifeless inside. Occasionally, I'd see one or two villagers squatting on their doorsteps, basking in the sun, their eyes vacant as they stared at the barren mountain ridges in the distance, unresponsive to passersby. The entire village resembled a ghost town, drained of all life.

"Your third uncle... is a strong-willed man." Wei Changsheng said to Wei Chen in a low voice as they walked, his voice sounding particularly heavy in the cold air. "In previous years when the harvest was good, he was young and capable, and your third aunt was also a good worker. Their lives were a little better than ours."

But this year…sigh, there's nothing left on the mountain, in the fields. His family's savings were emptied last year to pay for Weimin's medical treatment…this spring, they haven't had a proper meal. He's afraid of being a burden on our family, afraid your grandparents will worry, so for the past six months, aside from coming to borrow salt twice when he absolutely had no other choice, he hasn't visited much. I know his family is struggling, but our family is too…sigh!”

Wei Chen listened silently, without interrupting. He could imagine the scene: two brothers, both driven to despair by hunger, separated by only a few steps, neither able to reach out to help the other, each suffering in their own despair, yet forced to maintain their composure and not show weakness in front of the other. This was not merely a lack of resources, but a cruel crushing of dignity and kinship.

Soon, the two arrived at a courtyard. The courtyard wall was also made of earth, but a corner had collapsed, barely held up by a few tree branches. Pushing open the wooden gate, the courtyard was empty. A pile of firewood was neatly stacked against the wall, a testament to the owner's diligence, and several clumps of withered weeds shivered in the cold wind.

Wei Changsheng stepped forward and knocked on the door, his voice low: "Lai Shun? Is Lai Shun home?"

It was quiet inside; there was no response.

Wei Changsheng patted the door again and raised his voice: "Laishun! Sister-in-law! It's me, Changsheng!"

After a while, a weak cough was heard from inside, followed by rustling sounds, and then the door was pulled open a crack from the inside. A haggard man with sunken eyes was revealed; it was Uncle Wei Laishun. He looked much older than last year, with a scraggly beard, disheveled hair, and a tattered cotton-padded coat that revealed the blackened cotton wadding.

Upon seeing his elder brother and nephew outside the door, Wei Laishun's cloudy eyes first flashed with confusion, but then he recognized them. That confusion was quickly replaced by a mixture of surprise, shame, embarrassment, and helplessness. He instinctively wanted to shrink back and close the door, as if he didn't want his family to see him in such a disheveled state.

"Big brother... Xiao Chen? You... why are you here?" His voice was dry and hoarse, as if it were being squeezed out of a broken bellows.

"I've come to see you, Third Uncle." Wei Changsheng felt a pang of sadness, and rushed to stop the door, pushing it open and entering without a word. Wei Chen followed him in.

The scene inside the house was even more desolate than the outside. The doors and windows of the main room were covered with straw curtains, but a chill could still be felt emanating from within. A woman, equally thin and with a sallow complexion, peeked out from the main room; it was Third Aunt Li Xiuzhi. When she saw Wei Changsheng and Wei Chen, she was taken aback at first, then a friendly yet awkward smile appeared on her face.

"Big brother... Xiao Chen? Quick, come inside and sit down... It's cold outside..." Auntie's voice was barely audible, carrying an undisguised weakness and unease. She hurriedly rubbed her chapped hands, and the patched cotton-padded jacket she wore was empty, making her look even thinner and more bony.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt," Wei Chen called out, his gaze sweeping over the empty, cold stove that was almost devoid of any warmth, and a tightness in his chest tightened in his chest.

"Come...come inside, it's windy outside." Wei Laishun lowered his head, not daring to look his elder brother and nephew in the eye, and stepped aside to make way.

The house was darker and colder than the yard. The two younger brothers, Weiguo and Weimin, huddled on the kang (a heated brick bed), where it was the only slightly warm spot.

"Xiao Chen...when did you get back? Are your mother and Xiao Ran...alright?" Wei Laishun rubbed his hands together, head down, his voice dry as he asked. He dared not ask how things were in the city, nor did he dare to tell of his family's hardships; he could only use this most ordinary greeting to mask the turmoil in his heart.

"I just got back yesterday. My mom and Xiaoran are both fine, thank you for your concern, Uncle." Wei Chen tried his best to make his voice sound calm. Looking at his uncle's hunched back and evasive eyes, he felt a mix of emotions. This wasn't laziness or incompetence; it was the shame and helplessness of a man whose dignity had been gradually crushed under extreme survival pressure.

"Good...good, that's good..." Wei Laishun murmured, his gaze wandering over the ground, as if there was something worth studying there. At the age of thirties, he should have been the pillar of the family, but at this moment he was like a withered grass completely wilted by wind and frost.

The third aunt seemed a little more "lively," perhaps it was a woman's nature, or perhaps she still wanted to maintain a little dignity and hospitality even in extreme distress.

Forcing herself to stay awake, she said to Wei Changsheng and Wei Chen, "Big brother, Xiao Chen, please sit down... There's not much to offer at home, I'll go boil some water..." As she spoke, she turned to go to the cold stove.

"Sister-in-law, don't bother!" Wei Changsheng quickly stopped her, his voice choked with emotion. "We...we just came to visit. We're family, no need for such formalities."

Wei Chen also spoke up: "Third Aunt, really, there's no need to trouble yourself. We're not thirsty." His gaze fell on the two thin children on the kang, especially the younger one, Wei Min, who seemed a little uneasy because of their arrival. He shrank behind his mother and made soft, kitten-like sobs.

"Child...is he hungry?" Wei Changsheng looked at his grand-nephew's appearance, his heart aching, and couldn't help but ask.

Aunt Wang's tears welled up instantly. She quickly turned her face away, wiped them with her sleeve, her shoulders trembling slightly, but she couldn't speak. Wei Laishun's head drooped even lower, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white, his body trembling slightly as he suppressed some emotion.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt," Wei Chen took a deep breath and said directly, no longer beating around the bush, "I know your family is having a hard time. My eldest uncle's family is having a hard time too. I never imagined that our rural area is in such dire straits now! It's all my fault, I haven't come back to visit even once in the past six months!" He turned and walked to the door, and through the basket on the back of his bicycle, using the basket and the tattered sack as cover, he reached in, and with a slight thought, took out something he had prepared beforehand.

A heavy cloth bag, weighing about twenty pounds, contained cornmeal. Another smaller cloth bag contained about five pounds of wheat flour. There was also a piece of cured meat, slightly smaller than the one given to Grandpa and Grandma, wrapped in dried lotus leaves, and two dried, shriveled, but still recognizable wild rabbits.

As Wei Chen placed each item onto the crooked wooden stool, the room fell into a deathly silence once more. Only Wei Min's faint sobs, amplified by the familiar yet unfamiliar scent of food, broke the silence.

Uncle Wei Laishun suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the grain and meat. His face was drained of color, his lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word. His eyes held shock, disbelief, and a sudden surge of hope, but more than anything, they held a complex emotion that was almost tearing him apart—a mixture of extreme shame and gratitude.

Third Aunt Wang covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. This time, it wasn't a suppressed sob, but a release of emotions that had been building up for too long, a near-collapse. "Xiao Chen... my good nephew... you... you saved our whole family's lives..."

"Third Aunt! I should have come back sooner!" Wei Chen's eyes were red.

"These days are tough!" Auntie San said excitedly.

"Lai Shun! What are you standing there for!" Wei Changsheng yelled at his still-stunned third brother, his voice trembling with tears, "Hurry up and thank Xiao Chen! This is your own nephew! He's a member of the Wei family!"

Wei Laishun seemed to be awakened by the shout. He staggered forward two steps, looked at the life-saving grain, and then at his nephew who was half a head taller than him and had a calm expression. This man, who had been crushed by life, finally could not hold back any longer, and two lines of turbid tears rolled down his rough cheeks.

He raised his trembling hand, intending to pat Wei Chen's shoulder, but stopped mid-air, as if he felt his mud-covered and despair-stricken hands were unworthy to touch his nephew who had brought him hope. In the end, he could only repeatedly, incoherently, say, "Xiao Chen... Xiao Chen... Third Uncle... Third Uncle is useless... Third Uncle is sorry... Sorry for your father..."

"Third Uncle!" Wei Chen interrupted him, his tone firm and resolute. "Don't say such things! We're family! If my father were here, he would never have watched your family go hungry! Keep these things safe, hide them well, and absolutely, absolutely do not let any outsiders know!"

He paused, softening his tone, his gaze sweeping over the two children on the kang (heated brick bed) who were somewhat frightened by the adults' unusual behavior but also staring longingly at the grain sack. He continued, "This cornmeal and wheat flour, mixed with wild vegetables, can be made into a porridge; it will last for a while. Cut a little bit of cured meat and game each time to make soup, for the younger brothers, and for yourselves, Uncle and Aunt, to help you nourish yourselves. People need food to survive; what will happen to the children if you fall ill?"

He then took out two still-warm steamed buns from his pocket (actually a spatial backpack), walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and handed them to Weiguo and Weimin, who were looking at him expectantly: "Here, Weiguo, Weimin, have something to eat first."

The two children looked at the cornbread, then at their parents, hesitant to take it. Only when Wei Laishun nodded with tears in his eyes did Wei Guo quickly reach out, grab the cornbread, and wolf it down, stuffing it into his mouth without even chewing.

Wei Min, being younger, timidly took the food and nibbled on it, his eyes fixed on Wei Chen with gratitude, dependence, and a childlike, innocent pleading that Wei Chen couldn't bear to look at closely.