Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Under the old locust tree, Old Master Wei, Wei Laoshuan, strained his cloudy old eyes to see clearly. When he finally recognized who it was, the deep wrinkles on his face bloomed like chrysanthemums, and his toothless mouth stretched out as he took a few shaky steps forward: "It's Chenwa! It's Xiulan and Ran! They're back! They're really back!" His voice was hoarse but loud, filled with uncontainable joy.

Grandma Zhang Guifen, supported by her eldest daughter-in-law Zhao Jinhua, was already in tears. She stretched out her withered hand towards Wang Xiulan: "Xiulan! My children! I've been waiting for you to come back! In this cold weather..." Before she could finish speaking, she was already sobbing uncontrollably.

Uncle Wei Changsheng, a middle-aged man sculpted by time and hard work, strode forward with his eldest son Wei Feng and youngest son Wei Yan.

"Chenzi! Sister-in-law! Ran'er!" Wei Changsheng's voice was loud and clear, filled with the warmth and genuine joy of a farmer. He took the carrying pole from Wei Chen's shoulder. "Oh my! Why are you carrying so much stuff? It's so heavy! You must be exhausted from the journey!" He weighed the sacks at both ends of the pole, his expression changing slightly. This weight... was quite heavy! Through the coarse cloth, he could almost smell a faint, rich aroma, distinct from sweet potatoes and potatoes, belonging to grains and oils. His heart skipped a beat, filled with surprise and doubt.

"Uncle! I'm not tired!" Wei Chen smiled, put down the carrying pole, stretched his slightly sore shoulders, and greeted Wei Feng and Wei Yan who ran over, "Brother Feng! Little Yan!!"

Wei Feng grinned broadly, revealing a set of white teeth, and took a bundle from Wei Chen's hand. He said in a deep voice, "Chenzi, you're finally back!" Wei Yan, on the other hand, was a little shy. He looked curiously at Wei Chen's faded but neat and crisp blue work clothes, and then at the bulging, tempting little cloth bag in Wei Ran's arms, his eyes shining.

Just then, Uncle Wei Laishun and his family hurried over from the other end of the village. Uncle Wei was thinner than Uncle Wei, but he was strong and his face bore the weariness of years of working at his desk and in the fields, though his eyes were gentle. He no longer had the fierceness he had shown as the village hunter a couple of years ago! Alas! It's all because of this year of famine; people aren't getting enough to eat, so naturally their spirits are low.

Third Aunt Li Xiuzhi was a thin but quick-handed woman. She was holding the hands of her two sons. The elder son, Weiguo, was chubby and strong, while the younger son, Weimin, timidly hid behind his mother, peeking out half of his head.

"Third Uncle! Third Aunt!" Wei Chen hurriedly greeted them.

"Chenzi! It really is Chenzi!" Uncle Wei Laishun quickly stepped forward, grabbed Wei Chen's arm, looked him up and down, his eyes a little red. "Good, good! You've become strong! And energetic! You look like a city worker now!" His second brother had passed away early, and he had watched his nephew Wei Chen grow up. Now that he had made something of himself, he felt a mix of emotions, mostly gratification and emotion.

Third Aunt Li Xiuzhi had already taken Wang Xiulan's hand and called out affectionately, "Sister-in-law! You're finally back! Mother has been thinking about you every day!" She then bent down and said to Wei Ran, "Ranran has grown taller and more beautiful!" The two little boys were pushed by their mother and called out softly, "Auntie," "Brother Chenzi," and "Sister Ranran."

The family reunited under the old locust tree at the village entrance. Greetings, laughter, the women's excited sobs, and the children's curious chatter echoed in the cold air, temporarily dispelling the winter's bleakness.

This lively scene attracted even more villagers to stop and watch. When they saw Wei Chen's neat work clothes, which stood out in stark contrast to the dilapidated surroundings, when they saw Wang Xiulan and Wei Ran's thin but clean and tidy clothes, and when they saw the two heavy-looking, bulging burlap sacks that Wei Changsheng and his son were carrying, the villagers' eyes became complicated. Envy, curiosity, inquiry, and even a hint of bitterness flashed across their faces, which were etched with the marks of life.

"That's... Uncle Shuan's second grandson? The one who works as a laborer in the capital?"

"That's right! Wei Chen! I heard he's from the security department of a big steel mill! He's really something!"

"Look at those clothes, so presentable! They really are government employees!"

"Brought back so much stuff? My goodness, those sacks look so heavy! They must be grain!"

"That guy's really made something of himself! He hasn't forgotten his roots and has come back to take care of his elders! Old Man Wei is so lucky!"

"Sigh, if only our family had someone like that..."

A few hushed whispers drifted over on the cold wind, but Wei Chen pretended not to hear them. He took his grandfather's arm, and the family, all huddled together, walked briskly towards the village. Wei Feng, carrying a load on a shoulder pole, led the way, his steps light and quick.

My grandfather's old house was located at the east end of the village, a typical northern farmhouse. The mud-brick walls were already somewhat mottled, and the low wooden door was open. There were three main rooms facing south, two east wing rooms, and a small south room for storing firewood and other miscellaneous items.

The yard was spotless, the window paper was newly pasted but had a worn yellow tinge; the farm tools hanging under the eaves were badly worn; in the chicken coop in the corner, two thin hens were weakly pawing at the cold ground, making faint clucking sounds.

Stepping into the main room, a familiar scent mingled with the smells of firewood smoke, old furniture, and a faint musty odor. The room was dimly lit and simply furnished: a 16-inch table with peeling paint, several long, worn benches, a cupboard with broken corners, and a few sacks of grain and other odds and ends piled in the corner. But the large kang (heated brick bed) in the center of the room was warmly heated, its warmth instantly dispelling the biting chill from outside.

"Quick! Get on the kang! It's warm there!" Without another word, Grandma pulled Wang Xiulan and Wei Ran towards the warm kang. Her calloused hands tightly gripped her daughter-in-law and granddaughter's icy hands, and she kept saying, "Are you freezing? It's so cold, and you've come all this way... Warm your hands and feet!"

Aunt Zhao Jinhua and Third Aunt Li Xiuzhi were already busy preparing. Zhao Jinhua poured several bowls of steaming hot water from a chipped enamel mug—it had been boiled and simmering by the stove long ago. Li Xiuzhi took out the few relatively intact coarse porcelain bowls in the house and carefully placed them on the kang table.

Everyone took off their shoes and sat down on the heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) around the small table. Grandpa Wei Laoshuan sat in the main seat, his jujube wood cane resting on the edge of the kang. He squinted, his gaze never leaving Wei Chen, looking him up and down. His eyes were full of love, heartache, and a deep-seated pride.

Grandma sat down next to Wang Xiulan, took her hand and wouldn't let go, asking her how she was doing in the city, whether she was tired, and whether she was eating well, rambling on and on as if she wanted to make up for all the things she hadn't said in the past six months.

Wang Xiulan answered each question gently, "Mother, we're doing well. Chen'er is doing well at the factory and is valued by his superiors. He's just usually busy and doesn't come home often. Ranran is also obedient and goes to the affiliated primary school..." As she spoke, her voice choked up again, "It's just... I miss home, I miss you and Dad..."

"Good children, good children, don't miss home, don't miss home. I'm happy as long as you're doing well in the city..." Grandma wiped away her tears as well.

Wei Ran nestled close to her grandmother, eagerly opening her small cloth bag and proudly showing off the fruit candies, animal-shaped cookies, and peach shortbread inside: "Grandma, look! My brother bought me these candies! They're so sweet! And these cookies and peach shortbread! These are for Sister Minmin, and these are for Weiguo and Weimin!" She generously shared the candies and cookies with her cousin Weimin (her uncle's youngest daughter, eleven years old, a year older than Wei Ran, and somewhat shy) and her two younger cousins ​​who were looking on expectantly.

The children, receiving these rare snacks they never dared to dream of, immediately cheered and jumped for joy, their earlier restraint and unfamiliarity vanishing instantly. Wei Min sipped the fruit candy slowly, the sweetness melting on her tongue, making her squint her eyes in satisfaction. Wei Guo and Wei Min, on the other hand, clutched the animal-shaped cookies tightly in their hands, looking at this one and that one, reluctant to eat them immediately. Finally, they carefully bit off a small piece, let it melt in their mouths, and their faces showed expressions of utter bliss.

Uncle Wei Changsheng, watching the children's happy expressions, swallowed hard. He picked up his pipe from the table, plucked a small pinch of cheap tobacco from his pouch, stuck it into the copper bowl, lit it by the kerosene lamp on the kang table, and took a deep drag, the pungent smoke spreading out. He didn't speak, but the wrinkles between his brows seemed to relax a little. Uncle Wei Laishun also sighed, his tone complex: "Chenzi is so thoughtful. These days, children… sigh, it's rare to see something sweet."

The conversation naturally turned to Wei Chen. Grandpa tapped his pipe, and grayish-white ash fell into the small tin can at his feet. He looked up, his gaze earnest: "Chen boy, is everything going well at the factory? Last time you sent word you went on a business trip far away? Up north? You must have suffered a lot, right?"

Wei Chen knew his grandfather was asking about his trip to Inner Mongolia. His family only knew he had gone on a business trip to the north, but they didn't know the specific details. He smiled, his tone relaxed, deliberately downplaying the dangers involved: "Grandpa, it went smoothly. It was a factory assignment; I went to Inner Mongolia, saw the vast grasslands, nothing serious. The leaders took good care of me; I didn't suffer." He avoided mentioning the dangerous battles with wolves or the blizzards, only recounting the local customs and interesting anecdotes.

"Inner Mongolia? Goodness, that's incredibly far!" Uncle Wei Changsheng exhaled a puff of smoke, his interest piqued. "I heard it's all grasslands there, stretching as far as the eye can see? And cattle and sheep are as numerous as the clouds?"

"Yes, Uncle, the grasslands are vast, stretching as far as the eye can see. There are also many cattle and sheep, in herds, unlike the crops in our fields here," Wei Chen described. "The only downside is the strong wind, colder than our winters, it feels like knives scraping your face. But the locals are honest and hospitable, and while their food is simple, it's filling—beef, mutton, milk curds, milk tea…"

He spoke with such vivid detail that the whole family listened intently, as if they too could see the vast, snow-covered grasslands, herds of cattle and sheep, and smell the rich aroma of milk tea and the pungent smell of hand-pulled mutton. Even the eldest uncle, who was always smoking silently, and the third uncle, who always had a furrowed brow, showed a hint of longing and surprise on their faces.