Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Knowing her son valued loyalty, Wang Xiulan instructed him, "Be careful on the road, the mountain path is slippery. Talk to Master Zhao nicely and thank him for his past kindness."

Wei Chen picked up the slightly worn military green satchel that he had placed in the corner when he entered the room, greeted the elders inside, lifted the thick cotton curtain, and went out.

Outside, a cold wind immediately enveloped him. The sky was darker than before, with leaden clouds hanging low, seemingly indicating another snowfall. Wei Chen tightened the collar of his cotton coat, determined his direction, and headed towards the mountains behind the village, shrouded in twilight.

His steps were light and steady, crunching on the snow and frozen ground. But his heart wasn't entirely at peace. The two job openings were like boulders thrown into a deep pool; the ripples they created were only just beginning. How would his uncles' families choose?

Regardless, he felt fulfilled and gratified to be able to provide his loved ones with such an opportunity to change their destiny. As for his master, Zhao Gensheng, that was another kind of relationship that needed to be carefully maintained.

Leaving the village settlement, I walked uphill along a narrow path covered in snow, barely discernible. The air grew increasingly crisp and cold, carrying the scent of pine trees and snow.

After walking for about ten minutes, on a sunny, sheltered slope halfway up the mountain, several slightly dilapidated but sturdy stone and wood houses came into view. The houses were surrounded by simple wooden fences, and piles of chopped firewood were stacked in the yard. Dried corn and chili peppers hung under the eaves, along with a few processed animal hides, swaying slightly in the cold wind. This was the dwelling of the old hunter, Zhao Gensheng.

"Master! Is Master home?" Wei Chen stopped outside the fence and called out.

With a creak, the wooden door of the middle room was pushed open, and a figure appeared in the doorway. The man was not tall, even somewhat thin, wearing a thick, patched old cotton-padded coat, but his back was ramrod straight. His face was covered with wrinkles, like a dried walnut, but his eyes were unusually bright and piercing; it was Zhao Gensheng.

"You little brat, you still know to come back and see your old man?" Zhao Gensheng's voice was hoarse, with a ruggedness of the mountains, but his eyes, when looking at Wei Chen, held undisguised satisfaction and a smile.

"Master!" Wei Chen smiled and pushed open the fence gate to go inside, taking his satchel off his shoulder. "Look at you, I came as soon as I had some free time." As he spoke, he took something out of his satchel. "I brought you some rare things from the city, have a taste."

Two bundles of fine white flour, wrapped tightly in thick oiled paper, weighed about ten pounds; a small bag of golden millet, weighing about five pounds; a piece of pork belly, tied with straw rope, weighing about four or five pounds; two packs of "Daqianmen" cigarettes wrapped in oiled paper; and two bottles of bulk liquor with red labels, the brand being the famous local "Erguotou". These things wouldn't amount to much in Wei Chen's space, but in this remote mountain forest, especially in these times, they were definitely a generous offering.

Zhao Gensheng glanced at it, but didn't refuse. He just snorted, "You've got some conscience, kid. You haven't forgotten that your master is starving here." He stepped aside. "Don't stand outside. Come in. It's warm inside."

The house was small and simply furnished, but it was spotless. There was a kang (a heated brick bed), a stove, a table, and a chair. On the walls hung bows and arrows, hunting forks, and some leather ropes and ironware of unknown purpose. In the corner, there were piles of animal hides and dried meat strips. The kang and hearth inside made the house much warmer than outside, and it was filled with a faint fragrance of burning pine and the aroma of some kind of herbal medicine.

Wei Chen placed the items on the table. Zhao Gensheng picked up the two packs of cigarettes and two bottles of liquor, looked at them, and nodded. "Good, you're starting to act like an apprentice." He didn't ask Wei Chen where these things came from, nor what Wei Chen did in the city. This old hunter was eccentric, but had a sharp eye. He had long seen that his apprentice was resilient, methodical, and not someone who would go astray. If his apprentice had the ability to bring him good things, he would accept them; why ask so many questions?

"Sit down." Zhao Gensheng sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and pointed to the only chair. Wei Chen didn't stand on ceremony either. After sitting down, he took the initiative to pick up the iron kettle on the stove and poured a bowl of hot water for his master and himself.

"How have you been in the city lately? Have you been bullied?" Zhao Gensheng took a sip of water and asked directly.

"I'm doing great, Master," Wei Chen replied with a smile. "Because of Da Huang's and my skills, I was transferred to the security department. The leaders are alright, and the colleagues are nice too."

"Well, that's good." Zhao Gensheng nodded. "If you're going to work for someone, you have to follow their rules and do your best. But you can't be too honest. You have to be tough when you need to be, so as not to tarnish the reputation of us martial artists." He taught Wei Chen kung fu, not only the moves, but also his mindset.

"I've got it, Master," Wei Chen replied earnestly. Then, he recounted his "business trip" to Inner Mongolia, omitting the thrilling core elements such as fighting against spatial threats and wolf packs. He only mentioned that he went to the grasslands, experienced the local customs and culture, and incidentally made some contributions and received some rewards. In his words, he downplayed his achievements, mainly describing the vastness of the grasslands and the generosity of the locals.

Zhao Gensheng listened quietly, occasionally taking a sip of water, without interrupting. Only after Wei Chen finished speaking did he glance at Wei Chen and say calmly, "There's a bloody smell on you, though it's faded, it still doesn't fool me. Your skills haven't declined either; your energy is even stronger than when you left. It seems this mission is more than just 'observing'."

Wei Chen felt a slight chill, knowing he couldn't hide anything from his master's keen eyes. He chuckled and didn't try to explain, "Nothing can be hidden from you, Master. I did encounter some trouble, but it's all resolved. I've been practicing my kung fu according to your methods, without daring to slack off."

"It's good that it's resolved." Zhao Gensheng didn't delve into it further, and changed the subject, "You didn't just come back this time to see this old man, did you? Is everything alright at home?"

Wei Chen then briefly explained his family situation, emphasizing the grain he brought back, the two job openings, and how his grandfather allocated the positions.

Upon hearing "job openings," a hint of surprise flashed across Zhao Gensheng's usually placid face. He gave Wei Chen a deep look: "Two permanent positions... You've done a great job. Well, it's only right to help your family. Your grandfather is a wise man; this way of dividing things is fair and will avoid a lot of trouble."

The master and apprentice chatted about some trivial matters in the village. Wei Chen asked about his master's health and the hunting harvest. Zhao Gensheng simply said, "I'm not going to die yet," and "There's less food in the mountains, but we won't go hungry," which was concise and to the point.

"How's your kung fu practice going? You haven't slacked off, have you?" Zhao Gensheng put down his bowl, stood up, and stretched his limbs, his joints making a slight cracking sound. "Come on, lend a hand, let me see if you've been slacking off."

"How could I dare?" Wei Chen smiled and stood up, taking off his heavy coat to reveal a tight-fitting jacket underneath. He knew his master's temper; if he offered to lend a hand, it meant he wanted to test his skills.

The two men took their stances in the cramped room. There were no shouts, no dazzling moves, just simple pushing hands, grappling, and short-range striking.

Wei Chen kept his master's teachings in mind and understood that he now possessed true energy, and his strength, speed, and reaction were far beyond those of ordinary people. So he deliberately restrained his strength and only used the basic Bajiquan and Xingyiquan techniques taught by his master to deal with the moves. He was more focused on feeding his master the moves, guiding his master's strength, and experiencing the changes within it.

Although Zhao Gensheng is over sixty years old, he has been hunting in the mountains and forests for many years and is still agile, skillful, and powerful.

But after a dozen or so moves, he realized it. Wei Chen's stance was extremely stable, his lower body was rooted to the ground, and his strength was contained and not revealed. Whenever Wei Chen's old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet been generated, Wei Chen could always block his path at just the right time, or gently shift his center of gravity slightly. This was definitely not a level that could be achieved through hard work alone; it required excellent comprehension and the ability to seize opportunities in battle.

After a few more moves, Zhao Gensheng suddenly stopped and retreated, waving his hand, catching his breath, his eyes gleaming. He looked at Wei Chen for a long while before saying, "Alright, brat, stop fooling me. Your skills... have long surpassed mine. You only used about half your strength just now, right?"

Wei Chen did not deny it, and respectfully said, "Master taught me well. I have had some experiences outside and have become a bit stronger, but the foundation of my kung fu was all laid by you, Master."

"Opportunities?" Zhao Gensheng snorted, but didn't press further. He simply waved his hand. "Alright, I know you've grown up, and I'm relieved. Kung fu is something you learn and then you own; just use it for good. Come on, have a couple of drinks with me, it's freezing cold."

As he spoke, he walked to a corner, pulled out two large, rough porcelain bowls from a pile of miscellaneous items, rinsed them with hot water, opened a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) that Wei Chen had brought, and poured them full in one gulp. He then turned around and took a piece of dried wild rabbit meat from under the eaves, grilled it briefly over the fire, sprinkled it with some salt, tore it into strips, and it became a snack to accompany the liquor.

The master and apprentice ate roasted rabbit and drank strong liquor. They didn't talk much, but the atmosphere was harmonious. After a few rounds of drinks, Zhao Gensheng's dark face flushed, and he became more talkative, asking about some interesting things happening in the city. Wei Chen told him about the interesting things. Zhao Gensheng occasionally chimed in, mostly about strange tales from the mountains and countryside or his experiences traveling around the country in his early years.

Before they knew it, the bottle of wine was empty, and it had become completely dark. Seeing that his master was already quite tipsy, Wei Chen got up to take his leave: "Master, it's getting late, I have to go back. You live alone, please be careful. Keep these things for yourself, and let me know if you need anything."

Zhao Gensheng didn't try to stop him, waving his hand: "Go on, be careful on the road. Take care of things at home, and don't mistreat those who are truly good to you. As for those with ulterior motives, don't hesitate to teach them a lesson."

"I understand, Master." Wei Chen replied, put on his coat, and slung his empty shoulder bag over his shoulder.

"Wait," Zhao Gensheng suddenly called out to him, turned around and pulled a small cloth bag from under the kang mat, tossing it to Wei Chen, "Take this, it's from the mountains, you can soak it in wine or stew it in soup, it's good for your bones and muscles."

Wei Chen took it; it felt heavy in his hand. Opening it, he found several excellent, thick, and intact wild ginseng roots, along with a small packet of dried herbs that emitted a peculiar fragrance. These things were treasures that money couldn't buy these days.

"Master, this is too precious..." Wei Chen said hurriedly.

"Just take it, stop asking so many questions!" Zhao Gensheng glared at him. "I don't need it. You're in a chaotic city; keep it for self-defense or give it away. Go!"

Knowing his master's temperament, Wei Chen didn't refuse any longer. He carefully put the item away, bowed deeply, and said, "Thank you, Master! Please take care of yourself. I'll come to see you again when I have time."

"Alright, get lost." Zhao Gensheng turned around, waved his hand, and stopped looking at him.

Wei Chen left the house and closed the door behind him. The courtyard was bitterly cold, but his heart was warm. His master, though seemingly aloof and cold, was actually deeply loyal and affectionate, and genuinely cared for his disciple.

He trudged down the mountain, his feet sinking deep into the snow. Looking back, the dim yellow light halfway up the mountainside appeared warm yet lonely against the dark mountain shadows. Wei Chen knew that his master had his reasons and principles for choosing this life. All he could do was visit him often, so that the old man wouldn't be too lonely in his later years.

By the time I got back to Grandpa's house, it was completely dark. The village was dotted with lights, most of them dim. A warm yellow light shone through Grandpa's window, and I could faintly hear voices coming from inside.

Wei Chen pushed open the courtyard gate and went inside. This night, belonging to the Wei family, was destined to be sleepless for many, their minds racing with weighing and anticipating the upcoming, brand-new turning point in their lives. As for Wei Chen himself, he would begin to make more detailed plans for his cousin's upcoming journey to the city.