Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Qin Huairu stumbled from the push, her eyes instantly reddening. She stood there helplessly, glancing at her mother-in-law, her son, and then at Wei Chen's cold expression. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look pitiful and on the verge of tears.

Just then, a gruff voice interrupted: "Hey, Wei Chen, this is wrong of you. The kids are craving meat, and since you've already divided it up, you've only given them this tiny bit, like feeding a cat. Who are you trying to embarrass?"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Sha Zhu sauntering in from the backyard, hands in his pockets, looking completely nonchalant. He had been annoyed by the smell of meat inside, and hearing the commotion outside, he came out to see what was going on. Seeing Jia Zhangshi throwing a tantrum and Qin Huairu wiping away tears, his "sense of justice" immediately flared up, especially since the target of his anger was Wei Chen, who had recently been gaining popularity and whom he somewhat disliked.

Wei Chen looked up at Sha Zhu, his face expressionless, and said in a flat tone, "Sha Zhu, you think I'm pathetic?"

"Isn't that right?" Sha Zhu curled his lip, pointing at the bowl in Wei Chen's hand. "This piece of meat, barely as thick as a finger, is enough for whoever needs it? You, Wei Chen, aren't short of meat; there's plenty stewing in the pot. What's wrong with giving some more to the kids? Being stingy, not like a real man!"

Xu Damao, who had somehow joined in, leaned against the moon gate, arms crossed, watching the commotion. Hearing this, he chuckled and said sarcastically, "Hey, Shazhu, you're quite generous, aren't you? Why don't you share some meat with the kids in the compound? You're the head chef of our compound, the one in charge of the steel mill's canteen, you've got plenty of oil and fat, you must have plenty of meat, right? Why don't you show everyone what real manly generosity looks like?"

Sha Zhu was speechless at Xu Damao's words, his face turning bright red. He wasn't lacking in food; he could get some leftovers from the canteen, but that was always done secretly. As for meat, he only had the one pound the factory gave him this year, and he had already planned how to eat it all—there was no extra to share with others. Xu Damao was exposing his weakness in public!

"Xu Damao, stop stirring up trouble!" Sha Zhu glared at Xu Damao, then said to Wei Chen with his neck stiff, "I...I was just talking about you! It's good that you're sharing meat with the kids, but if you're going to do something good, go all the way. What's wrong with being generous?"

Looking at Sha Zhu's blustering but cowardly demeanor, and then at the neighbors around him—some curious, some watching the spectacle, and some lost in thought—Wei Chen suddenly smiled, raised the bowl in his hand, and said, "Alright, Sha Zhu, you say I'm stingy and give too little. Well, let me ask you this: there are over a dozen children here, and I gave each of them a piece of meat, which adds up to almost half a pound. These days, everyone knows what half a pound of meat means."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone before finally settling on Sha Zhu's face. His tone remained calm, yet carried an invisible pressure: "You say I should be more generous? Fine. You're a renowned chef in our compound, the head cook at the steel mill's canteen, knowledgeable and well-connected. Why don't you distribute some to the children, and let us see what true generosity is? That way, Aunt Jia and Bang Geng won't say I, Wei Chen, am bullying the kids and not being friendly with the neighbors."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Sha Zhu. Yes, Wei Chen had already received almost half a pound of meat, which was quite a lot. If Sha Zhu really thought it wasn't enough, then why didn't he take some out and share it himself?

Sha Zhu's face turned a deep purplish-red, and he stammered, unable to speak. Where would he get any meat to share? He himself was craving meat! But the words had already been spoken, and Wei Chen and Xu Damao were now putting him on the hot seat.

Xu Damao, gloating from the sidelines, added fuel to the fire: "That's right, Shazhu, don't just talk the talk! Wei Chen got half a jin, you should at least get a jin to share, so everyone can benefit from your chef status!"

"Xu Damao! Are you looking for a beating?!" Sha Zhu, enraged, swung his fist.

"What? You want to resort to violence just because you can't win an argument? Everyone's watching!" Xu Damao took a step back, but his words were still sharp.

The people around started whispering: "Yeah, what Sha Zhu said doesn't make sense. Wei Chen has already done quite well." "That's almost half a pound of meat! My family might not even have that much for Chinese New Year." "Sha Zhu probably doesn't have much meat himself, yet he's acting like he's doing a big favor." "And the Jia family too, they've already eaten two hawthorns, and they're still making a fuss..."

Listening to the surrounding chatter, seeing Sha Zhu's embarrassed state, and then looking at Bang Geng still throwing a tantrum on the ground, Jia Zhangshi cursing and swearing, and Qin Huairu only wiping away tears, Wei Chen felt a surge of disgust. He ignored Sha Zhu, turned to Jia Zhangshi, and his voice suddenly turned cold, carrying an undeniable sharpness:

"Jia Zhangshi, haven't you made enough of a scene? I've given you the meat, one piece for each person, the rules are right here. Bang Geng ate his own share, and even ate his sister's share, but I didn't pursue his greed; I've already given the Jia family face. Now you're throwing a tantrum here, trying to show the whole courtyard how your Jia family teaches its children to be greedy and shameless?"

Jia Zhangshi was momentarily stunned by Wei Chen's cold gaze and stern tone, but then she cried out even more frantically, "You're bullying us! You're bullying us, a widow and her orphan! Dongxu! Come quick! Your mother and your son are being bullied! We can't live like this!"

"Enough!" Wei Chen shouted, his voice not loud, but carrying a chilling aura that abruptly silenced Jia Zhangshi's wailing. He stared at Jia Zhangshi and said, word by word, "Get your son, Jia Dongxu, out here! I want to ask him if I made a mistake by sharing meat with the child, and how he raised his son. If everyone were as greedy as you, who would care about their neighbors! Let Jia Dongxu come out and explain himself! And if I hear you curse again, or see Bang Geng throwing a tantrum here—"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the stick on the ground and Jia Zhangshi's pale face, his tone icy: "Don't blame me for disciplining him in front of the child on behalf of his parents! I, Wei Chen, mean what I say!"

The threat in those words was palpable. Everyone in the compound knew that Wei Chen worked in the security department, was quite skilled, and they still vividly remembered how he dealt with Jia Dongxu and Yi Zhonghai. If they really angered him, he might physically assault them, but making the Jia family suffer a great loss would be no problem at all.

Jia Zhangshi was terrified by Wei Chen's gaze. Her mouth was open, but she dared not make a sound, only breathing heavily. Bang Geng was also too frightened to cry. He got up from the ground and hid behind Jia Zhangshi.

Seeing this, Qin Huairu quickly stepped forward and grabbed Jia Zhangshi's arm tightly, pleading with a sob in her voice, "Mom! Stop making a scene! Let's go home! Banggeng, come home with Grandma!" She was afraid that her mother-in-law would say something that would anger Wei Chen, and at the same time, she looked at Wei Chen with pleading eyes, hoping that he would be lenient.

Wei Chen didn't even glance at Qin Huairu, but coldly stared at Jia Zhangshi.

Under Wei Chen's icy gaze and the overt and covert stares of the neighbors, Jia Zhangshi finally felt fear and embarrassment. She glared fiercely at Wei Chen, then glared at Qin Huairu, and cursed, "Useless thing!" Then, clutching the stick, she slunk away, her back view revealing her disheveled state.

Seeing that Jia Zhangshi had backed down, Sha Zhu felt ashamed. He snorted, turned and left, losing even the desire to argue with Xu Damao.

Xu Damao watched Sha Zhu's disheveled departure, chuckled twice, and then leisurely strolled back to the backyard, satisfied with the spectacle he had witnessed.

The farce ended with Jia Zhangshi's retreat and Sha Zhu's embarrassment. Wei Chen stood there, looking at the bowl with a few pieces of meat left in his hand, then at the neighbors around him who had not completely dispersed and whose eyes were filled with complex emotions, and his face returned to calm.

He walked over to the remaining few children who were still frightened and hadn't received any meat yet. He handed out meat strips to each of them, saying gently, "Take these and eat them slowly at home."

The children thanked them timidly and quickly ran home.

Yan Bugui then stepped forward, coughed twice, and tried to smooth things over: "Hey, Wei Chen, don't take it to heart. That old woman from the Jia family is just like that, always causing trouble. You did the right thing; you can't be polite to these ungrateful people!"

Wei Chen nodded to him, said nothing more, turned around and went back to the east courtyard, slamming the door shut.

Outside, the aroma seemed to linger, but the commotion had subsided. Only a few specks of dust on the ground testified to what had just happened. The neighbors murmured amongst themselves as they gradually dispersed.

But after this incident, the people in the courtyard gained a new understanding of Wei Chen, beyond just being "capable" and "not to be trifled with": he was generous when he needed to be and ruthless when he needed to be tough. The Jia family's arrogance and insatiable greed, as well as Sha Zhu's stubbornness and cowardice, also left a deep impression on everyone once again.

Inside the east courtyard, Wang Xiulan and Wei Ran had been anxiously listening to the sounds outside. Seeing Wei Chen return, Wang Xiulan breathed a sigh of relief, but was still somewhat frightened: "Are you alright? Did Jia Zhangshi do anything to you?"

"It's nothing, Mom." Wei Chen put the remaining meat strips into the bowl, his tone relaxed. "Just a clown. The meat's all gone, now it's peaceful."

Wei Ran ran to her brother's side, tilted her little face up, and said angrily, "Brother, Bang Geng and his grandma are so annoying! And Sha Zhu, why did he say that about you!"

Wei Chen gently patted his sister's hair: "It's alright. Remember, we can be generous to those who know how to be grateful; but we can't give even a little to those who are greedy. A kind person is often bullied, and a good horse is often ridden. We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of trouble either."

Looking at her son's composed demeanor, Wang Xiulan felt a mix of pride and complicated emotions. Her son had truly grown up; he could handle these complex situations with ease. She sighed, "Alright, the meat's been divided, and the fuss's over. Let's tidy up and prepare dinner. Tonight we'll have this braised pork with steamed buns—a proper meal!"

"Great!" Wei Ran immediately forgot her earlier displeasure and cheered.

As dusk fell, the courtyard returned to its tranquility. However, the aroma of braised pork wafting from the east wing, and the minor disturbance of the afternoon, stirred ripples in many people's hearts like pebbles thrown into a pond.