Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"See that whitish hill? There's a hot spring at the bottom. It doesn't freeze in winter, and the surrounding grass is lush. It's a favorite spot for gazelles."

"That 'Ghost's Sorrow' gully ahead looks inconspicuous in summer, but it turns into a flash flood after a heavy rain. You must not go near it."

"Go west from here, and walk for about two days. There's a sandy area where you can sometimes encounter herds of wild donkeys. Those guys are fast runners, their meat is tough, but their hides are good."

"Further north, past 'Black Stone Mountain,' lies the real deep forest. I've heard there are bears, deer, and herds of wild boars there; they're very fierce, and we hunters generally don't go there..."

This information was more precious than gold to Wei Chen. He silently memorized it, constantly revising his understanding of this grassland.

After walking for most of the day, around noon, a few wisps of smoke rose faintly and straight on the horizon. Then, a low-lying depression surrounded by snow-covered hills came into view, with dozens of gray-white yurts scattered like mushrooms on the snowfield. In some simple sheds enclosed by wooden fences, the figures of cattle and sheep could be vaguely seen.

"We're here! That's our winter camp for the 'Bayintala' production team!" Batu excitedly pointed ahead.

As they approached the cluster of yurts, the barking of dogs rang out first. Several robust Mongolian mastiffs with mixed coats rushed out of the camp, barking warily at the unfamiliar Wei Chen and Batu on the stretcher. Soon, several herders wrapped in thick fur robes emerged from their yurts at the sound.

"Father! It's Father!" A boy with sharp eyes recognized Batu on the stretcher first and ran over screaming. It was Batu's son, Suhe, a Mongolian boy with a face red from the cold but bright eyes.

"Batu? What happened to you? Oh my god!" A sturdy Mongolian woman with a kind face ran out and burst into tears upon seeing Batu's miserable state. This was Batu's wife, Qiqige. Other neighbors also gathered around, asking questions all at once.

Batu, enduring the pain, shouted, "I'm fine! Just some superficial injuries! All thanks to Brother Wei Chen! He rescued me from the wolves' jaws! He's my benefactor, a benefactor to my family!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Wei Chen with surprise and gratitude. Several strong young herders quickly stepped forward, took the stretcher, and carefully carried Batu to his yurt. Qiqige wiped away tears as he repeatedly bowed to Wei Chen, saying in broken Chinese, "Thank you... thank you, my benefactor... thank you..."

Wei Chen was a little embarrassed by this simple and heartfelt gratitude, and repeatedly said that it was no trouble at all.

Batu's yurt was slightly larger than the surrounding ones. The furnishings inside were simple but tidy, with thick felt carpets on the floor and a tin stove in the center, which was burning brightly and radiating warmth. The air was filled with the aroma of milk tea and hay.

Batu was settled on a mat covered with thick sheepskin. Qiqige immediately busied himself, brewing a large pot of strong milk tea, and rummaging through a heavy wooden box to find his treasured, finest milk skin, milk tofu, and dried beef jerky that was hard but clearly of excellent quality. Suhe ran out and soon returned with a small jar of cloudy but fragrant mare's milk wine.

"Brother Wei Chen, sit down! Please sit down!" Batu leaned against the bedding, warmly inviting Wei Chen to sit in the most honored position by the fire. "Qiqige, bring out our fried dough sticks too! Suhe, go and get the honey your mother stored away!"

Qiqige and Suhe responded and left. Soon, the small low table was filled with food: piping hot milk tea, golden fried dough sticks, snow-white milk skin, slightly yellow milk curd, dark brown beef jerky, a small dish of precious honey, and a jar of mare's milk wine that, once opened, exuded a rich aroma. For a herding family of this era, this was the most elaborate and generous hospitality they could offer.

"Brother Wei Chen, don't be disgusted. This is all we have at home. Have something to eat first!" Batu said sincerely, while Qiqige kept urging him to eat, and Suhe looked at Wei Chen with admiration.

A warm feeling welled up in Wei Chen's heart. This unreserved, heartfelt enthusiasm and gratitude stood in stark contrast to the scheming, indifference, and hypocrisy he had experienced in the courtyard house.

He didn't stand on ceremony anymore, picked up the warm milk tea and took a sip. The rich milky aroma and slight saltiness melted in his mouth, dispelling the chill from his body. He then tasted the milk skin, which was sweet and delicate; the beef jerky, though hard, became more fragrant the more he chewed, full of the flavor of the grasslands.

"Delicious! Thank you for the treat!" Wei Chen said sincerely.

Seeing that he was pleased, Batu's family was even happier. During the meal, Batu recounted the ordeal of being in danger and being rescued, embellishing the story, especially emphasizing how Wei Chen had bravely "single-handedly chased away several vicious wolves." Qiqige and Suhe exclaimed in amazement, looking at Wei Chen as if he were a god descending to earth.

Batu couldn't drink much because of his injury, so it was mainly Qiqige and Suhe who were toasting! After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became even more harmonious. Wei Chen also briefly introduced himself as a purchasing agent from Beijing's Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, who had come to the grasslands to see if there were any suitable unplanned supplies or local specialties to purchase.

Upon hearing this, Batu patted his chest and said, "Brother Wei Chen, you are my benefactor, and more importantly, a capable man! If you're looking for local specialties, just ask me, Batu! Our grasslands may not have much else, but we do have some good stuff! Dairy products, dried meat, hides, wool, and mushrooms and herbs picked from the mountains..."

He paused, lowered his voice, and although only his family and Wei Chen were in the yurt, he still habitually glanced towards the door before continuing, "However, the commune has quotas for unified purchase and sales, and good things are often left after being handed over. Brother Wei Chen, if you really want to exchange for something special, good, or in larger quantities, I know a place..."

"Oh? Where?" Wei Chen asked, showing an expression of interest at the opportune moment.

"Further north, about half a day's horse ride from here, there's a mountain valley called 'Huitengliang'," Batu's voice trailed off. "It's not a settlement of the commune, nor is there a market in name. But sometimes, especially in winter, some daring and resourceful herders, and some people coming from the north... well, some people, will secretly meet there, bringing their own goods, to exchange for things they need. Flour, cooking oil, tea, cloth, and sometimes even sugar and wine... These things are hard currency on the grasslands, more useful than money!"

Wei Chen's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this... the "black market" or "private trading point" on the grassland? Although there were definitely risks, for him, this was simply a godsend!

"Is it...safe there? How's the stuff?" Wei Chen asked cautiously.

Batu waved his hand: "Whether it's safe or not depends on luck and the people. But most of the people there are looking to make money and don't cause much trouble. As for the goods, some are good and some are bad, it depends on your eye. But it's definitely more and more varied than the goods that are allocated according to the plan in the commune's supply and marketing cooperative. You can find good wolf pelts, fox pelts, and occasionally bear gallbladders, deer antlers, and I've even heard of people exchanging them for old silver jewelry and old objects... It all depends on what you can offer in exchange."

Wei Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Brother Batu, how do you exchange things like flour and cooking oil over there?"

Seeing that Wei Chen seemed genuinely interested, Batu explained in detail, "That's incredibly valuable! A pound of top-quality white flour can easily be exchanged for a single ordinary lambskin or five or six pounds of high-quality milk tofu; if you trade it for dried beef or mutton, you can get ten or more pounds! If it's fine white flour or sesame oil, that's even more incredible! Especially sesame oil, which is rarely seen even on our grasslands. A little sesame oil mixed with fried rice... tsk tsk, it's mouthwatering! A pound of sesame oil can be exchanged for a good fox or wolf pelt, and people will fight over it! If it's fruit candy, white sugar... you can get even more unexpected treasures!"

He took a sip of milk tea and continued, "However, Brother Wei Chen, I must remind you, when you go to a place like that, don't flaunt your wealth, and be wary of people getting jealous. It's best to have someone you know take you, or dress plainly and not too conspicuous. You saved my life, so if you trust me, once my leg is better, I'll have my brother Bala take you there. He often goes there to exchange dried mushrooms for salt, so he knows the way well."

Wei Chen already knew what he had in his space. The finest white flour produced in the game world was genuine snowflake flour, without any impurities; pure sesame oil, with an irresistible aroma; various fresh fruits… These things might be rare within the Great Wall, but not extinct. In this remote grassland, especially during the lean winter months, they were practically as valuable as gold!

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Batu!" Wei Chen said sincerely. "But there's no need to trouble Brother Bala. I'll probably go check the situation myself first. Don't worry, I'll be careful."

Seeing that Wei Chen had made up his mind, Batu stopped insisting. He knew Wei Chen's skills! He just repeatedly told him to be careful and told Wei Chen in detail the specific location of "Grey Tengliang", its identification features, and some "rules" that needed to be noted.

For the next two days, Wei Chen stayed at Batu's house. He pretended to go out for a walk to familiarize himself with the surroundings, but actually continued hunting in the relatively safe area Batu had indicated. He caught quite a few rabbits and pheasants, and even shot a stray small red deer with an arrow, but he didn't bring them back to Batu's house; instead, he stored them directly in his spatial storage. At the same time, he secretly observed this small herding community, learning about their lives and needs.

Thanks to the remarkably effective wound medicine that Wei Chen had secretly added, Batu's leg recovered much faster than expected, and he was already able to move around slowly with crutches. Qiqige and Suhe took meticulous care of Wei Chen, treating him practically like family.

Wei Chen reciprocated by making Su He a bowl of ramen with the refined white flour he always carried with him, which the little guy ate until he almost swallowed his tongue; he also gave Qiqige a small bottle of sesame oil to mix with cold dishes, which Qiqige was overjoyed as if she had received a treasure.

On the morning of the third day, Wei Chen bid farewell to the reluctant Batu family, promising to visit them again if he had the chance. Then, following the directions given by Batu, he set off towards "Huitengliang".

This time, his goal was no longer simply hunting. He had prepared a sufficient amount of "hard currency" in his space.

Wei Chen's figure disappeared at the edge of the snowfield. Batu, leaning on his cane, stood in front of the yurt watching him go, and said to his wife with emotion, "Brother Wei Chen, he's no ordinary man."

Qiqige nodded as if she understood, put her hands together, and devoutly recited a prayer in the direction Wei Chen had left.