Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Just then, a worker from the neighboring courtyard rushed in, excitedly shouting, "Dongxu! Dongxu! It's incredible! I heard that Wei Chen from your courtyard has done a great job! He brought back 20,000 jin of meat from Inner Mongolia! Wild donkeys and gazelles! The whole factory is buzzing! Deputy Factory Director Li personally received him!"

"What?!" Jia Dongxu was struck dumb, turning around abruptly. The anger on his face froze instantly, replaced by disbelief and a hint of panic. "Twenty thousand jin of meat? Wei Chen? You...you didn't hear me wrong?"

"It's absolutely true! When I came back, everyone at the factory gate was talking about it! Trucks were taking it in, and many people saw it!" the man said confidently.

Jia Dongxu was a bit confused. He had only heard that Wei Chen had brought back a lot of meat, while his own family was getting worse and worse. He couldn't help but feel jealous and left in a huff without even asking how much meat Wei Chen had brought back! If it really was more than 20,000 jin, then what was the point of revenge? Wei Chen would definitely become a favorite of the leaders. He should worry about himself first!

Jia Zhangshi's wailing stopped abruptly. She forgot to put her hands down, which were covering her face, and her triangular eyes were filled with astonishment and confusion.

More than 20,000 jin of meat? The boy she cursed as "feeding wolves" not only came back alive, but also performed such a great service? She suddenly felt a burning pain on her face, not only from the slap, but also from the shame of this news.

The fleeting thought of using this as an excuse to get her son to cause trouble was instantly replaced by overwhelming panic. She had just thoroughly offended Wei Chen! And she'd even been slapped!

Qin Huairu was stunned, forgetting to shed tears. Her hands instinctively protected her stomach, her eyes flickering uncertainly. Over 20,000 jin of meat… how much money would that be? How much in return? Wei Chen was about to rise to the top! And her mother-in-law had caused this scene today…

The backyard, Liu Haizhong's house.

Uncle Liu Haizhong paced back and forth in the house, his hands behind his back, his expression extremely complex. He had just returned from the factory and had heard all the news better than anyone else. While shocked by Wei Chen's abilities and achievements, a strong sense of bitterness and resentment welled up in his heart.

"That Wei Chen! Such a big thing, and he didn't even consult his second uncle before coming back! Doesn't he have any respect for his elders? Doesn't he have any sense of discipline?" He complained to his second aunt, who was setting the table. "It's good that he did a good deed, but he can't get so cocky! He came back to the courtyard and started causing trouble for the Jia family, even hitting them! Jia Zhangshi may have a foul mouth, but she's still an elder! This kind of behavior is really bad for the community! It's detrimental to unity!"

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The second aunt curled her lip: "Come on, he's done such a great job, even the factory leaders would think highly of him. Why would they bother telling you? You know Jia Zhangshi's mouth, she deserved it! I think that slap wasn't enough! You're just unhappy because that young man is capable and didn't 'report his work' first!"

Liu Haizhong blushed when his secret was exposed, and said stiffly, "I...I was thinking about the unity of the compound! Young people, it's good to have achievements, but you can't be arrogant and complacent. You have to know how to respect the older comrades! But..." He changed his tone and lowered his voice, "Jia Zhangshi is really outrageous. She curses people to die and bullies Wang Xiulan. Someone should teach her a lesson."

Across the street, Xu Damao had just strolled back. Upon hearing the news, his small eyes darted around, and he clicked his tongue, muttering to himself, "Amazing! That kid Wei Chen, he quietly launched a satellite! Over 20,000 jin of meat! My goodness, how much stuff can that be exchanged for? Now he's a big shot in the factory! Granny Jia has really kicked a hornet's nest this time, haha, interesting!" His tone was full of schadenfreude and envy for Wei Chen's sudden "success." "No, I have to find a way to repair my relationship with the Wei family."

The west wing of the central courtyard is He Yuzhu's home.

Sha Zhu was wearing an apron and preparing dinner. Hearing the discussions outside about Wei Chen and the commotion at the Jia family's house, he curled his lip.

"What's so great about you? You just got lucky and managed to bring back some meat. Look how smug you all are!" he muttered as he chopped up the wilted cabbage leaves. He was the cafeteria chef, and he wasn't as fond of meat as the others. What bothered him even more was something else.

When he returned, he happened to see Qin Huairu wiping away tears at the door. Her pitiful and hesitant appearance ignited his anger.

Qin Huairu recounted the afternoon's events to him in a choked voice (naturally, a embellished version), emphasizing how Wei Chen was "arrogant," "disrespectful to elders," and "hit people as soon as he got back," while Jia Zhangshi, who had only "said a few words" and was "senile due to her age," was "slapped hard," and now her face is swollen and she's crying at home.

Sha Zhu couldn't stand seeing the elderly and weak being bullied, especially Qin Huairu being wronged. In his simple sense of right and wrong, regardless of what Jia Zhangshi had said before, Wei Chen hitting an old woman was wrong! Especially hitting a woman (he automatically ignored Jia Zhangshi's fighting ability)! Coupled with Qin Huairu's tearful appearance, he suddenly felt that Wei Chen was outrageous. Did he think he was so great just because he had performed a meritorious service? Did that give him the right to hit people at will?

"Pah! What a piece of trash!" Sha Zhu slammed the cleaver on the cutting board, indignant. "You think you're all that just because you've done something right! You even hit an old woman! Don't you have any respect for elders or children? Sister Qin has had such a hard life, and she still has to put up with this! Just you wait, don't fall into my hands!" He completely forgot how Jia Zhangshi usually threw tantrums and how foul-mouthed she was, and selectively ignored the fact that Wei Chen's mother was being bullied. He only thought that Wei Chen was "abusing his power" and "making a mountain out of a molehill."

Lights gradually came on in every household. At the dinner table, almost everyone was talking about the same topic—Wei Chen, the more than 20,000 jin of meat he brought back, and the conflict that afternoon.

Those who had previously followed Jia Zhangshi's advice and even tacitly agreed that Wei Chen was "most likely to die" were now blushing with shame. Who could have imagined that not only was he safe, but he had also performed an incredible feat! Recalling their previous words and even the jokes they had heard, they felt their faces burning and their hearts filled with trepidation, fearing that Wei Chen would find out and hold a grudge.

Wei Chen's strong stance in protecting his mother that afternoon, slapping Jia Zhangshi and demanding an explanation from the Jia family, was given a completely different interpretation following the news of his meritorious service.

"Serves her right! That foul mouth of Jia Zhangshi should have been dealt with long ago!"

"Exactly! Cursing someone to die and bullying that old woman who's all alone at home, a slap is too lenient!"

"Wei Chen, that child, usually seems quiet and reserved, but I never expected him to be so spirited! He's done such a great service, and when he comes back and sees his mother being bullied, how could he not be worried?"

"The Jia family has really bitten off more than they can chew this time. Wei Chen is a big shot in the factory now, and Jia Zhangshi's slanderous rumors about the family members of meritorious employees are no small matter!"

"Just wait and see, when Jia Dongxu comes back, he'll have a real headache!"

Public opinion completely reversed. Almost everyone (except for Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, who had particularly close ties with the Jia family and whose interests were practically intertwined) sided with Wei Chen. His abilities, his achievements, his filial piety, and his toughness intertwined to create a completely new and awe-inspiring image.

That quiet, somewhat aloof young man from the Wei family is gone forever. The current Wei Chen is a capable man who can single-handedly bring back more than 20,000 jin of meat from the grasslands, a ruthless man who dares to slap a shrew to protect his mother, and a rising star whom even the factory leaders value.

In the east courtyard, the aroma of mutton noodles grew even stronger. Wei Chen, his mother, and sister sat around a square table. On the table, besides the steaming, oily mutton noodles, there was a small dish of cold vegetables made with soaked milk tofu that Wei Chen had brought back, and a small bowl of pickled wild leek flowers from the grasslands. The meal was simple, but they ate it with exceptional relish.

"Brother, did the factory really reward you with so much meat?" Wei Ran asked, her big eyes sparkling as she slurped her noodles.

"It's not a reward for me, it's something the factory bought, everyone gets a share during the New Year." Wei Chen smiled and put a piece of meat on his sister's plate. "But since I did a good job, the factory will definitely give me some other rewards."

Wei Chen was afraid his younger sister might not keep a secret, so he didn't want to say more! Of course, he wouldn't just take out this little bit of meat; he would definitely take the opportunity to bring home more things in the next couple of days. It was almost Chinese New Year, so he needed to prepare in advance! He didn't even need to think of an excuse; he had managed to bring back so much meat this time, so it was perfectly normal for him to take some with him! He didn't even need to find an excuse to tell his mother!

Wang Xiulan looked at her children with a satisfied smile, but a lingering worry remained deep in her eyes: "Chenzi, about what happened this afternoon... what about the Jia family...?"

"Mom, please eat your meal without worry." Wei Chen interrupted his mother, his tone calm but firm. "Your son knows what he's doing. What's coming will come. We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either."

Outside the window, night deepened, and the lights from each house in the courtyard mingled with the faint sounds of conversation. But the warm light emanating from the small window of the east wing, along with the aroma of mutton noodles, seemed to create its own tranquil haven. Wei Chen knew that the storm he had stirred up with his return had only just begun. But he was prepared to greet everything in this courtyard with a fresh perspective.

Inside the Jia family's house in the central courtyard, the atmosphere was even colder and more solid than the winter chill outside.

Ever since Jia Dongxu learned of Wei Chen's great contribution, he sat at the table with a gloomy face, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface, making a "tap-tap" sound.

Qin Huairu sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), head down, mending a small garment, but the stitches were obviously messy. Jia Zhangshi, on the other hand, sat on the kang in the inner room, covering her face, still muttering curses under her breath, occasionally sobbing. But compared to the afternoon, her momentum was much weaker, and her triangular eyes were filled with more surprise, doubt, and lingering fear.

"Mom! Stop yelling!" Jia Dongxu finally couldn't hold back any longer and growled irritably, "Do you know how much trouble you've caused today?!"