Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Stop it, all of you!"

A sharp shout, like a thunderclap, exploded in the noisy courtyard. Yi Zhonghai, his face grim, parted the crowd and strode over. Behind him followed an older woman and a deaf old woman who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, being supported by the older woman.

Yi Zhonghai walked up to the two men wrestling, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority: "Zhu Zi! Xu Damao! I'll count to three. If you don't stop, I'll go to the neighborhood committee and bring Director Wang here! I'll have you two talk to the police station!"

Upon hearing the words "police station," Sha Zhu paused in his punch. Xu Damao seized the opportunity to roll out from under Sha Zhu, scrambling to the side, clutching his bleeding nose, and wailing, "Grandpa! You have to help me! Sha Zhu hit me for no reason! He tried to kill me! I'm calling the police! I want a medical examination! I'll make him regret it!"

Sha Zhu, panting heavily, stood up from the ground. His clothes were torn and his face was bruised, but his eyes still glared fiercely at Xu Damao, as if he wanted to devour him.

Ignoring Xu Damao's wailing, Yi Zhonghai first looked at Sha Zhu and said in a deep voice, "Zhu Zi, what happened? Why did you hit him? And why did you hit him so hard?"

"Why?" Sha Zhu pointed at Xu Damao, his voice trembling with excitement. "Ask him! That treacherous scoundrel! He ruined my blind date! He spread rumors about me in front of the girl! Saying I hit people, drink excessively, neglect my family, and abuse my sister! I'd be lucky to beat him to death!"

"You're talking nonsense! You're slandering me!" Xu Damao shrieked. "Do you have any evidence? Who saw it? You idiot, you're incompetent, and the girl doesn't like you, so you blame it on me? Have you no shame!"

"I'm talking nonsense?" Sha Zhu trembled with rage. "Matchmaker Liu went to ask her herself! The girl said it herself! It was you! Xu Damao! I'd recognize your horse-face even if you were ashes!"

"So what?" Seeing he couldn't deny it, Xu Damao resorted to shamelessness. "I was just trying to be helpful and remind her! What I said wasn't the truth? You, Shazhu, have never been in a fight? You've never drunk alcohol? Didn't your father, He Daqing, run off with a widow? Isn't your sister, He Yushui, as thin as a bean sprout? Did I say anything wrong? I was just worried that the girl would jump into a fire pit!"

His words were evasive, confusing right and wrong, portraying his own fabrication of rumors as a "well-intentioned reminder," and exaggerating and maliciously distorting Sha Zhu's shortcomings.

"You're talking nonsense!" Sha Zhu roared. "I only fought when I was a kid! I've never been a drunkard! My dad is my dad, and I am me! Yu Shui is thin because she's tired from studying! Everyone in the neighborhood knows how I treat her! You're doing this on purpose! You can't stand to see me doing well! You're jealous that I'm getting married! You damned rotten heart, you deserve to never get married!"

The final words, "I can't find a wife," were like a sharp knife, stabbing Xu Damao in his deepest pain. The fact that his marriage to the Lou family had fallen through due to a medical examination problem was a deep-seated source of inferiority and a wound he usually concealed well. At this moment, Sha Zhu's words unintentionally struck a nerve, and Xu Damao completely lost his mind!

"Idiot Zhu! I'll fuck your mother!" Xu Damao's eyes instantly turned red, and he pounced on Idiot Zhu like a mad dog, "I'll fight you to the death!"

Seeing that the two were about to start fighting again, Yi Zhonghai suddenly raised his voice: "Enough!"

Yi Zhonghai's shout of "Enough!" was like a bucket of ice water poured over the heads of Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, who were wrestling, and also temporarily silenced the noisy discussions in the courtyard.

Sha Zhu's fist hovered in mid-air as he panted heavily. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on Xu Damao, who was pinned beneath him and whose nose was bleeding profusely. His chest heaved violently, clearly still seething with anger.

Xu Damao seized the opportunity to scramble away and hide to the side, covering his burning nose and swollen cheeks, hissing as he inhaled the cold air. His eyes were filled with resentment and fear, but more than anything, they held a sinister "you just wait and see" attitude.

The courtyard was a mess. A bamboo pole used for drying clothes lay askew on the ground, several half-dry garments covered in dust; a clay pot for pickling vegetables was broken in half, pickled radishes and pickled vegetable chunks scattered all over the floor, juice spilling everywhere; several small stools were knocked askew. A faint smell of blood, the sour and salty tang of pickled vegetable juice, and a tense, almost palpable, atmosphere filled the air.

The surrounding neighbors fell silent, all eyes fixed on Yi Zhonghai, waiting to see how this elderly man from the courtyard would handle this unusually intense conflict.

Yan Bugui in the front yard pushed up his glasses, his small eyes gleaming with shrewdness; Liu Haizhong in the back yard, his belly protruding, wore a serious expression that said, "It's finally my turn to uphold justice"; Jia Zhangshi hid behind the crowd, her lips curled up, looking like she was watching a good show; Qin Huairu hugged the frightened Xiaodang, her face filled with worry, but she dared not step forward; He Yushui had returned at some point, standing at her own door, looking at her brother's face covered in wounds and looking like a mad tiger, biting her lip, her eyes red, wanting to go over but not daring to.

Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, his gaze sharp as lightning. He first glanced at the disheveled Xu Damao, then at Sha Zhu, who still had his neck stiff and fists clenched, and finally looked around at the neighbors who were watching the commotion. He spoke in a deep voice, not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Look! Look at this! What kind of scene is this! Two grown men fighting in the courtyard, making a complete mess of things! If word gets out, what will become of our No. 95 Nanluoguxiang compound? What will the neighborhood committee think of us? What will Director Wang think of us?"

He paused, his tone becoming even sterner: "Xu Damao! He Yuzhu! You two, separate immediately! Stand still! This isn't over tonight! Guangtian, Jiecheng, go and call out all the men, women, and elders in the courtyard! Hold a courtyard-wide meeting! Now! Immediately!"

Call a hospital-wide meeting!

This word was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples. It had been a long time since the courtyard had held a general meeting. Ever since the old man lost his money, he had been quite depressed, and the courtyard had been quiet without any general meetings. It seemed the old man was truly angry this time and wanted to bring the matter out into the open.

Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiecheng dared not delay and quickly split up to go door-to-door calling for people. Soon, every door opened, and adults and children who could come out did so, carrying small stools and folding stools, gathering in the central courtyard. The central courtyard was relatively spacious, and it was usually where large meetings were held. The people in the courtyard felt that it had been a long time since they had held a general meeting, or in other words, a long time since they had seen any excitement! This time, with another meeting, many people came with their entire families, not for anything else but to watch the excitement!

Some people lit the dim, yellowish streetlamp in the courtyard, while many others brought out their kerosene lamps or lanterns and hung them under the eaves or placed them on the windowsill, casting shadows in the center of the courtyard. The faces appeared somewhat blurred in the light and shadow, adding to the solemn and judgmental atmosphere.

Wei Chen also helped his mother, Wang Xiulan, out, and they brought two small stools, sitting them at the back of the crowd. Wei Ran looked around curiously, but Wang Xiulan pulled her to her side.

Wei Chen's gaze calmly swept over the crowd, finally settling on Sha Zhu and Xu Damao standing in the open space in the middle. He already had a somewhat predictable idea of ​​the outcome of tonight's meeting. Yi Zhonghai, is he trying to "cover up" this matter and resolve it in the courtyard?

Soon, almost everyone had arrived. The three stewards—Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui—sat behind a long table that had been set up in advance on the north side of the courtyard, with enamel teacups in front of them, giving the impression of a court trial.

Yi Zhonghai was in the center, Liu Haizhong on the left, and Yan Bugui on the right. Sha Zhu and Xu Damao stood like two prisoners awaiting trial in front of the long table, facing the entire courtyard, young and old.

Xu Damao had already given his face some basic treatment, applying cold water, but his nose was still swollen, his eyes were bruised, and his mouth was cracked, making him look quite pitiful. He kept his head down, occasionally glancing at Sha Zhu beside him with a venomous look before quickly looking away.

Sha Zhu held his head high. Although he had several scratches on his face and his clothes were torn, he still had the upper hand over Xu Damao in terms of imposing manner. His chest was still rising and falling slightly, clearly indicating that his anger had not subsided, and his eyes were filled with undisguised hatred as he looked at Xu Damao.

Yi Zhonghai coughed, cleared his throat, and spoke first: "Everyone's here. We all know why we're holding this impromptu hospital-wide meeting today. He Yuzhu and Xu Damao had a public fight in the hospital, which has had an extremely negative impact! They've made a mess of the hospital and seriously damaged our unity and atmosphere! Now, let's put this matter on the table and let everyone hear and judge!"

He looked at Liu Haizhong: "Old Liu, you're the second uncle, so you should give your opinion first."

Liu Haizhong had been waiting for this moment. Upon hearing this, he immediately straightened his back, took a sip from his enamel mug, and, adopting the air of a leader giving a report, said in a pretentious tone, "Well, the matter is clear! Fighting, disturbing public order, and undermining neighborly harmony are extremely serious offenses! Especially in our new socialist courtyard, such a heinous incident must be dealt with severely!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping sternly over Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, finally settling mainly on Sha Zhu: "He Yuzhu! Especially you! Look what you've done to Comrade Xu Damao! Black and blue! What if something serious happens to him? Huh? Can you take responsibility for that?"

As a member of the working class, a canteen cook, instead of working diligently and uniting with your colleagues, all you do is throw punches and act aggressively! What kind of behavior is this? This is hooliganism! This is serious individualism! You are bringing shame to our working class!

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his finger almost poking Sha Zhu's nose, spittle flying everywhere, as if he were criticizing a class enemy.

Sha Zhu was already holding back his anger, and when he heard Liu Haizhong's words, which were clearly biased and trying to pin the main responsibility on him, he immediately exploded.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes widening, and roared back at Liu Haizhong, "Second Uncle! I don't like hearing that! What do you mean by 'acting violently'? What do you mean by 'hooligan behavior'? Why don't you ask what despicable things this bastard has done? He ruined my blind date! He spread rumors about me in front of my future wife! He made me sound like a heinous scoundrel! Could you have tolerated that? I'm lucky he didn't kill him!"

Sha Zhu's voice was loud and clear, carrying a kind of arrogant and unruly air, which directly shut down Liu Haizhong's official tone.