Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

In the middle courtyard, at the Jia family's residence, Jia Zhangshi sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), her triangular eyes peering through the window cracks, staring intently at the direction of the east wing. She muttered to herself, "...Eating meat? Drinking oil? Be careful not to choke! They show off as soon as they get something good, they don't even know how to help their poor neighbors, they have no conscience..." She dared not speak loudly, only cursing from inside the house.

Qin Huairu was washing clothes outside the door, the icy water making her fingers turn red. She also heard the children's discussion and learned that Wei Chen had given fruit to the Zhang and Li families, which made her feel as if she had been pricked by needles.

Why those two families? Is it just because they're close to Wang Xiulan? My family doesn't have much of a relationship with Wei Chen's family, but we don't have any deep-seated hatred for them either!

Banggeng and Xiaodang hadn't had fruit in a long time... She bit her lip, a surge of resentment and grievance welling up inside her, but even more so, a profound sense of powerlessness. She'd begged, she'd cried, but nothing worked. They just wouldn't give it to her, what could she do?

When Jia Dongxu returned home from get off work, his face was still gloomy. He had also heard about Wei Chen giving him fruit, and sat silently on the stool.

Yi Zhonghai's "help" failed, and Qin Huairu's "pleading" was useless; Wei Chen was determined to sever ties with the Jia family. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became, but he was helpless. He could only channel his frustration into his appetite, taking a big bite of the cold cornbread in his hand, only to find it tasteless.

In the backyard, Liu Haizhong paced back and forth in front of his house, his hands behind his back, his gaze occasionally drifting towards the east wing. He also wanted to go begging for alms, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

He was the second eldest uncle, a seventh-grade worker. How could he ask a junior for something? If word got out, how could he maintain his standing in the courtyard? But... having heard of Wei Chen's hunting skills and the tens of thousands of kilograms of wild game he had brought to the factory, the second eldest uncle knew that Wei Chen's family must have plenty of meat; they weren't short of it! This was the consensus among everyone in the courtyard!

In the end, he didn't dare go over, but instead yelled irritably at his second aunt, who was cooking inside, "Is the food ready yet? Stop dawdling!"

The second aunt rolled her eyes inside the house and muttered under her breath, "If you're so capable, why don't you go and get some meat and oil? Why are you yelling at me like that..."

The deaf old woman remained seated by the door, her eyes half-closed, as if asleep. Only the slight twitching of her nostrils suggested that she too might have caught the faint, distinctive aroma of food wafting from the east courtyard. Her cloudy eyes flickered, but she said nothing.

And so, amidst the apparent calm and underlying turmoil, the day arrived at the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year. At the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, the festive atmosphere reached its peak. For today was the big day for distributing year-end bonuses and wages!

The entire factory, from leaders to ordinary workers, was eagerly anticipating the arrival of the meat. Despite the famine, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, as a large factory with tens of thousands of employees, still had some resources and connections. In particular, this year, thanks to the batch of meat that Wei Chen "brought" back from Inner Mongolia, the factory leaders were much more assertive when they were trying to secure benefits from higher authorities and appease the employees.

In the open space in front of the factory building, a makeshift distribution point had already been set up with wooden planks and benches. People from the labor and personnel department, logistics department, labor union, and finance department were all out, and the New Year's goods were piled up on the table in categories.

The package contained pound-by-pound pork (with varying amounts of fat and lean depending on the cut), bundles of sweet potato noodles, and fruit candies wrapped in kraft paper (though some had melted and stuck together). There were also small packets of spices such as Sichuan peppercorns and star anise. The air was filled with the mingled smells of raw meat, noodles, and paper, but to the workers, it was the most enticing aroma in the world.

Each workshop and department lined up in order to receive their meat. The lines were quite long, but orderly. Everyone's face was beaming with smiles and anticipation as they greeted each other and discussed how much meat they would get this year and how thick the fat would be.

"I heard that everyone will get a pound of meat this year!"

"Really? That's great! Last year it was only half a pound, and it was all bones."

"Thanks to that group who went to Inner Mongolia to get meat last time, right?"

"Of course! I heard the leader is a pretty young guy from the security department, and he did a great job!"

"A pound of meat—the fattier pieces for rendering lard, the leaner pieces for dumplings—that's something to look forward to this year!"

The workers chatted excitedly. When they actually received the heavy pound of pork tied with straw rope, many of them had tears in their eyes. This pound of meat meant that there would be meat on the New Year's Eve dinner table, that the children could have a treat, and that this year would have the "flavor" of the New Year.

Meanwhile, in the factory's small conference room, another, more prestigious welfare distribution was taking place. This was where benefits were distributed to managers, senior technicians, and employees who had made special contributions. Naturally, the items received were much more abundant and refined than those for ordinary workers outside.

Wei Chen was notified to come here to collect it. When he entered the small conference room, there were already quite a few people inside, including heads of various departments, workshop directors, and senior skilled workers. Upon seeing him enter, many people cast friendly glances or nodded in greeting. Wei Chen's trip to Inner Mongolia and his subsequent contributions were no secret among the factory's middle and upper management.

"Comrade Wei Chen, over here." Li, the union's clerk, greeted him warmly, pointing to a pile of things placed separately in the corner, "Yours is here. The factory leaders specifically instructed that it be made to the highest standards."

Wei Chen walked over. His perks were clearly different from others: two catties of top-quality pork belly, with distinct layers of fat and lean meat, white fat and red meat; five catties of specially supplied snow-white refined powder; and two catties of fresh eggs packed in specially made paper compartments, each one round and cute.

In addition, there was a generous amount of vermicelli, high-grade fruit candies wrapped in cellophane, a small packet of black fungus, and a small packet of daylily buds. Next to it was a thick kraft paper envelope containing his salary and his modest but significant year-end bonus.

"Wow! Officer Wei, you've got the first one!" A workshop foreman next to him joked with a smile, his tone not so much jealousy as admiration and recognition. After all, Wei Chen's contribution was genuine, and everyone was able to get a bigger share of meat this year thanks in no small part to him.

"The factory is taking care of me." Wei Chen smiled modestly, thanked them, and began to check and pack. His expression was calm, but he understood that this exceptional benefit was both a reward and a signal—the factory, or rather the leadership represented by Li Huaide, valued and courted him. He accepted it readily; it was what he deserved, and it was also a way of showing his support.

As he was tidying up, a series of slightly heavy footsteps and coughs came from the doorway. Wei Chen looked up and saw his second uncle, Liu Haizhong, walking in with a protruding belly.

As a level seven worker, Liu Haizhong was considered a senior skilled worker and was entitled to receive benefits here. As soon as he entered, his gaze involuntarily swept over the items on everyone's tables. When he saw the large pile of New Year's goods in front of Wei Chen, which was obviously much more abundant than the others, especially the meat and the white flour, his pupils suddenly contracted, the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably a few times, and he stopped in his tracks.

Wei Chen also saw him and nodded: "Second Uncle".

"Hmm." Liu Haizhong snorted through his nose in response, but his gaze was fixed on Wei Chen's things as if drawn by a magnet, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

He forced himself to look away and walked towards the table where his perks were distributed. His portion wasn't bad either: one and a half pounds of meat, three pounds of flour, one pound of eggs, plus other ordinary dried goods. This treatment far exceeded that of ordinary workers, enough to make him stand out among the crowd in the compound. But compared to Wei Chen's... it suddenly seemed meager.

Liu Haizhong took his things, his face grim, and walked out without a word. As he passed Wei Chen, he could even smell the aroma of the pork belly and the fragrance of flour, which made the lustful fire in his heart rise up.

Why? He's just a greenhorn, only been in the factory for a few years. I've worked hard for most of my life, only to reach level seven and get this benefit. Why does Wei Chen deserve this? Just because he got lucky and went to Inner Mongolia? Liu Haizhong felt that the New Year's goods in his hands didn't taste good anymore, and his chest felt tight.

Wei Chen ignored Liu Haizhong's attitude, carefully packed his things, and went to the finance department to collect his salary and bonus. The thick stack of money, along with grain coupons, meat coupons, and other receipts, weighed heavily in his hands; it was a testament to his labor and its value, and the foundation for survival in this era.

Meanwhile, the welfare distribution in Workshop Two was in full swing. As an apprentice, Wei Feng received the most basic portion: one pound of lean pork, two pounds of mixed flour, half a pound of fruit candy, and a small bundle of vermicelli.

This alone made him so happy he didn't know what to do with his hands. He carefully held these things, as if they were the most precious treasures in the world, his face beaming with barely suppressed excitement and pride. This was his first formal job, his first set of New Year's goods earned through his own labor! It was incredibly meaningful!

"Look at you, so pathetic!" Master Li Dahai, having collected his share, saw his apprentice's silly grin and habitually snorted, but there was no sternness in his eyes; instead, there was a hint of barely perceptible amusement. "Study hard, and next year at this time, you'll be able to collect even more!"

"Yes, Master! I will definitely study hard!" Wei Feng replied loudly, his voice clear and full of anticipation for the future.