Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Mom, I'm home." Wei Chen responded and walked into the house. The stove was burning, making the house warm and cozy, dispelling the chill outside. His younger sister, Wei Ran, was doing her homework at the table. When she saw him come back, she looked up and sweetly called out, "Brother."

"Was the journey smooth? Did you see your sister Zhenzhen?" Wang Xiulan asked with concern as she took out a pot of food that had been kept warm—corn porridge, steamed buns made from mixed flour and wheat flour, a small dish of pickled vegetables, and a white steamed bun that she had specially saved for Wei Chen.

With no outsiders around, the food at Wei Chen's house was always quite good—the result of Wei Chen's repeated "corrections"! Even so, it only reached the level of a two-grain flour steamed bun. According to Wei Chen, they weren't lacking anything, so they should eat white flour steamed buns! But his mother, terrified of poverty, absolutely refused. Wei Chen thought about it; after all, it was a difficult time, and they couldn't go too far. So, the family's meals remained at the "two-grain flour" level.

"It went smoothly. I met them, and Uncle Wei and Brother Qiangzi were home too." Wei Chen washed his hands, sat down at the table, and first drank some hot porridge. The warmth flowed down his esophagus, dispelling the chill from his body. Then he explained in detail the situation at the Wei family's house, including Wei Changshuan's idea of ​​changing his job.

Wang Xiulan listened attentively. When she heard Wei Zhenzhen excitedly laughing and crying at the beginning, her eyes also reddened. When she heard Wei Changshuan propose the idea of ​​replacement, she nodded thoughtfully. When she heard Wei Chen agree and let the Wei family decide for themselves, a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"Your Uncle Wei is a wise man; he's thought things through." Wang Xiulan put some pickled vegetables on her son's plate and said with emotion, "It's really worrying that Zhenzhen came all this way alone. If she could get two local jobs in return, both of them could stay by her side, that would be wonderful."

"Chen'er, you did the right thing. This is something they should discuss among themselves. You gave them the opportunity; how they choose is their business. But..." She paused, somewhat worried, "Will this exchange be easy to handle? Don't let your Uncle Wei work for nothing and end up with nothing."

"Mom, don't worry." Wei Chen took a bite of his steamed bun and said vaguely but confidently, "A permanent position at a steel rolling mill in Beijing carries significant weight in the local communes and counties. As long as we find the right connections and are willing to put in the effort, the chances of success are high. Uncle Wei has worked at the grain store for so many years and knows a lot of people; he should be able to help. Let's just wait for news."

Wang Xiulan nodded and said nothing more. Her son was now decisive and reliable, which put her at ease. Watching him eat heartily, she remembered something and asked, "When is Fengzi coming over from your uncle's side?"

"The day after tomorrow, Wednesday." Wei Chen swallowed the food in his mouth. "I'll prepare everything I need to do when I go to work tomorrow, and I'll take him to report for duty the day after tomorrow. Mom, we might need to add an extra pair of chopsticks at home then. Feng-ge just arrived, so he'll probably stay in the dormitory for a while, but he might come over for a meal on the weekend or when he has time."

"It's nothing, just adding a pair of chopsticks," Wang Xiulan said with a smile. "It's good that your brother Feng is here; it'll be easier to look after the family. Your uncles will be overjoyed when they find out." She was genuinely happy at the thought of her nephew's success.

After a simple and cozy dinner, Wei Ran finished her homework, washed up, and went to bed. Wang Xiulan mended old clothes under the lamp. Wei Chen returned to his small room, bolted the door, and with a thought, entered the game world.

The game world was warm and vibrant, like springtime. He first surveyed his "territory." The rice seedlings were lush and green, the corn stalks were strong, and various vegetables and fruits were growing well. He skillfully used his "Gathering" skill to harvest a batch of ripe vegetables and then used his "Planting" skill on the other crops. Since learning "Gathering," things had become much easier for him. He could directly "harvest" various crops; whatever he wanted, he could simply think of it and it would be gathered directly. Looking at his abundant harvest, Wei Chen felt incredibly at ease. The game world was his greatest source of confidence in this era of scarcity.

Thinking of Yan Bugui's request, and also considering that his own family needed to prepare for the New Year, he took out about ten catties each of wild donkey meat and yellow sheep meat from his game backpack, and then took out a piece of pork belly weighing about ten catties. He wrapped it in oil paper, put it outside to freeze overnight, and then took it home when he had a chance! He also took out a few eggs and a bunch of scallions.

If Uncle San comes looking for us in a couple of days, we can "share" some money with him. This way, we can exchange it for some change or tickets, and also maintain a semblance of a relationship so that he won't keep thinking about it.

The next morning, Wei Chen got up on time. His mother had already prepared breakfast—dumplings with eggs, two steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water, and a small dish of leftover pickled vegetables from the night before. Wei Chen quickly finished eating, put on his heavy cotton coat, cotton hat and gloves, and pushed his bicycle out the door.

On a chilly winter morning in Beijing, the sky was overcast and the wind was biting. The streets were sparsely populated, most people hurrying along with their necks hunched over. Bare branches swayed in the wind, emitting a mournful sound. Wei Chen pedaled his bicycle through the familiar streets, heading towards the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.

Arriving at the factory gate, he showed his work ID as usual, greeted the familiar gatekeeper Old Zhang, and pushed his bicycle into the factory area. Towering chimneys billowed thick smoke, and the workshops were already filled with the roar of machinery. The early shift workers, their breath steaming in the air, hurried to their respective posts. Wei Chen parked his bicycle in the security department's shed, rubbed his frozen hands, and walked towards the somewhat secluded gray building at the back—the armory.

The armory was a key location for the security department, situated at the innermost part of the first floor. Its heavy iron doors were always tightly closed, and the windows were also sealed with iron bars.

Wei Chen took out his key, unlocked the heavy lock on the door, and pushed open the heavy iron door. A unique smell, a mixture of gun oil, leather, and metal, wafted out. The interior was dimly lit, with only a few low-wattage light bulbs on, but everything was in good order.

Along the wall were rows of heavy iron cabinets, which stored various types of firearms and ammunition in an orderly fashion. In the middle were two huge worktables covered with dark green canvas, on which various maintenance tools were placed.

Li Zhijun had arrived and was sitting at his worktable, carefully wiping the parts of a Type 56 assault rifle by the light of the table lamp.

Hearing the noise, he didn't even look up, but said in a muffled voice, "You're here? There's a lot of work to do today. The old 'Zhongzheng' rifles in the warehouse (referring to the Zhongzheng rifle, a copy of the German Mauser rifle from the Republic of China era, some of which were still in stock or used by the militia) need to be inspected and maintained. Some parts may be badly rusted, so it will take some effort."

"Good morning, Uncle Li." Wei Chen responded, taking off his heavy coat to reveal the blue security uniform underneath. He walked to his workstation, skillfully put on his arm sleeves, and picked up a clean piece of cotton cloth. "Shall we start with disassembly?"

"Hmm." Li Zhijun responded, finally raising his head to look at Wei Chen. "I heard you went back to your hometown in the countryside recently? Is everything alright there?"

"Everything is fine, thank you for your concern, Uncle Li." As Wei Chen spoke, he opened a metal cabinet marked "Needing Maintenance" and took out an old rifle that was clearly in poor condition.

The stock of this rifle is severely worn, with obvious rust and dirt visible on the metal parts, and it emits a faint musty smell. This type of old rifle has long been retired from front-line equipment and is mostly stored in warehouses or issued to the core militia, but its maintenance should not be neglected.

"We have to be careful with these old things." Li Zhijun walked over at some point, picked up the gun Wei Chen had taken out, skillfully pulled back the bolt, and inspected the rifling. "The rust isn't too deep, but there's a lot of dirt, and the lubricant has long since dried up. When you disassemble it, pay attention to the catches and springs; some parts might be brittle after so many years."

"Understood." Wei Chen nodded and began to work. He first used a special gun brush and cleaning agent to carefully clean the heavy dirt and rust from the gun's exterior, and then began to disassemble it step by step. Li Zhijun watched from the side, occasionally offering a word or two of guidance.

"The trigger guard is rusted. Just drip some kerosene on it and let it bubble. Don't try to pry it open."

"The recoil spring is a bit weak. Make a note of that; it may need to be replaced."

"The rifling is alright, but it's dirty. Use a copper brush to clean it a few more times."

Wei Chen's hands moved swiftly and steadily, his movements precise and accurate. Thanks to the diligent study and practice he had undertaken over the past six months, coupled with his strong willpower, he learned everything quickly. His understanding and handling of firearms far surpassed that of ordinary security officers, and was even comparable to veterans like Li Zhijun. Yet, he maintained the respectful attitude of a beginner, attentively listening to every instruction from Li Zhijun.

Watching Wei Chen's skillful and fluid movements, Li Zhijun's eyes flashed with admiration, but more so with satisfaction. This kid is quick to learn, hardworking, and has good aim; he's a promising talent. He knew Jin Aiguo had placed him here because it was a relaxed place, where he could call on him for help anytime! He hadn't expected the boy to be so perceptive, offering help when he was busy, and after a few pointers, he could already get the hang of it! In the past six months, he'd already spent all the things he'd been given!

What's even more commendable is his calm and composed nature, free from arrogance and impatience. Passing on my best skills to him wouldn't be a waste.

An older man and a younger man were quietly and attentively busy in the armory, filled with the smell of metal and oil. Disassembling, cleaning, derusting, oiling, inspecting, replacing damaged parts, reassembling, testing... the tedious and repetitive process was carried out meticulously by the two of them.

Sunlight streamed through the narrow bars of the high window, casting beams of light that swirled slowly among the dust motes, making time seem to slow down and stand still.

During the break, Li Zhijun took out his aluminum lunchbox, which contained steamed buns made from two kinds of flour and pickled vegetables prepared by his wife.

Wei Chen also took out a white steamed bun from his satchel (actually from his spatial storage), broke it in half, and handed it to Li Zhijun. Li Zhijun didn't stand on ceremony, took it, took a bite, and chewed, "You young people have better teeth, eating white flour. This old guy is used to eating coarse grains, and refined grains just don't taste good to me." Despite saying that, he quickly finished the half of the white steamed bun.

"Uncle Li, is everything alright at the factory lately?" Wei Chen asked casually, munching on the remaining half of a steamed bun.

"What else could it be? Same as always." Li Zhijun took a sip of hot water. "It's just that it's the end of the year, so fire prevention and theft prevention are being tightened, and we've added extra patrols at night. Oh, by the way, I heard that the logistics department seems to be taking stock of scrap materials, preparing to dispose of a batch of scrap machine tool parts and scrap steel. They might need to send someone from our department to keep an eye on things in a couple of days, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation."