Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Section Chief, don't bother, I'm not thirsty." Wei Chen stopped him, took out the last two identical oil paper packets from his satchel, and solemnly placed them on Jin Aiguo's mottled desk.

"How many times have I told you! Call me Uncle when no one's around!" Wei Chen was personally recruited into the security department by Jin Aiguo, and Wei Chen brought him honor by repeatedly performing meritorious deeds! In addition, Wei Chen's status as a martyr's family member made Jin Aiguo feel an innate sense of closeness to him!

"Hmm... Uncle Jin, hehe, then I'll do as you say! It's almost Chinese New Year, and I don't have much to offer. This is some tea, made by a friend himself. It tastes alright, refreshing and helps relieve fatigue. This packet is for you," he pointed to one of the packets, "and this packet..." He then pointed to another, "I'll have to trouble you to pass it on to Section Chief Zhou when you have time. Thank you both for your care and guidance all this time."

Jin Aiguo looked at the two square oil paper packages on the table, then glanced at Wei Chen's sincere and calm face, and felt a slight warmth in his heart.

He lives alone, and for him, the Spring Festival is more of a habitual duty and perseverance than a time for family reunion and joy.

The fact that Wei Chen remembered to come and wish him a Happy New Year, and even thoughtfully prepared the same gift as Section Chief Zhou's for him to pass on, touched him far more than the gift itself. This showed that Wei Chen wasn't the kind of opportunist who only fawned over superiors and looked up to those in power; he genuinely remembered those who were kind to him.

"You little brat..." Jin Aiguo cursed, but there was no blame in his tone. Instead, there was a hint of emotion in his voice. "Still giving me all this nonsense." Even so, he still picked up his own bag, weighed it in his hand, and then habitually brought it to his nose to smell it.

A refreshing and lingering aroma of tea wafted into his nostrils, giving him a slight boost of energy. "Hmm? This smell... is interesting."

"You'll know once you try it. It's nothing expensive, just a decent drink, a bit better than Gaomo," Wei Chen said with a smile.

Jin Aiguo didn't stand on ceremony. He found his large tea mug, with a large piece of enamel chipped off and revealing the black iron underneath, grabbed a small pinch of tea leaves, threw it in, and then poured in the thermos. The boiling water agitated the tea leaves, and an even richer aroma rose with the steam, instantly filling the small office.

"Wow! It smells so good!" Jin Aiguo was a rough man and didn't know anything about tea ceremony or tea appreciation, but he could still tell the difference between good and bad tea. He blew on the floating tea leaves, not caring that it was hot, and took a big gulp from the edge of the teacup.

The scalding hot tea entered my mouth, initially a little hot and bitter, but then an indescribable mellow sweetness melted in my mouth, sliding down my throat as if a warm current reached my stomach and then spread to my limbs. The fatigue and chill accumulated from years of night watch and patrol seemed to be dispelled by this warm current, and my drowsy mind became much clearer.

"Good tea!" Jin Aiguo's eyes lit up. He took a few more sips, smacked his lips, and praised, "It's potent! It's invigorating! It warms you up all over and makes your mind clear! This is a hundred times better than that damn high school stuff! Wei Chen, your friend is quite capable!" His evaluation of the tea was simple and direct, but it hit the nail on the head—invigorating, warming, and delicious.

"As long as it tastes good to you, that's fine." Seeing that Jin Aiguo was satisfied, Wei Chen felt at ease. He knew that this old section chief was straightforward and didn't like beating around the bush; as long as the product was practical and useful to him, that was the best.

"Alright, I'll accept the tea. I'll give Lao Zhou his share later." Jin Aiguo put down his teacup, his smile fading slightly. He looked at Wei Chen, his tone becoming serious. "Wei Chen, you've done a great job in procurement this year, solving a big problem for the factory and making our security chief proud—after all, you're one of my former subordinates."

He made a light joke, then said seriously, "However, there's something I need to remind you of. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. You're young, capable, and lucky, which is a good thing. But sometimes, good things can turn into bad things. There are many people in the factory, and many thoughts are involved. Right now, you're riding high, so it's inevitable that you'll attract envy and even resentment."

Going forward, be more cautious, think things through more, and avoid drawing attention to yourself. Leave the work to the security department from now on! Keep a low profile for a while, let things settle down! If you encounter any difficulties, or hear any suspicious rumors, don't try to handle it alone; remember to come to me, or find Lao Zhou. Our security department, I can't guarantee anything else, but protecting our own people is definitely not a problem.”

These words, spoken with earnestness and carrying the heartfelt admonition and protection of an elder to a younger generation, were more precious than any gift. Wei Chen was deeply moved and immediately stood up, nodding earnestly, "Yes, Uncle Jin! I have remembered your teachings. I will certainly act cautiously and not cause you or the department any trouble. Thank you, Section Chief!"

"Sit down, sit down, don't put on this act." Jin Aiguo waved his hand, reverting to his usual carefree demeanor. "I was just reminding you, just keep it in mind. Alright, I've accepted the tea, and I appreciate your kind offer. Hurry home, it's the New Year, spend more time with your mother and sister, they've had a tough time."

"Well, I'll be going now. Section Chief, please take care and rest during your shift, don't overwork yourself." Wei Chen stood up to say goodbye.

"Go on, go on, drive carefully." Jin Aiguo sat in his chair, waved, watched Wei Chen leave, then picked up the chipped teacup, took a big, satisfying sip, and looked at another packet of tea on the table, muttering to himself, "He's a good prospect who knows how to repay kindness, but... he's a bit too much of a troublemaker. But, what kind of young man doesn't cause trouble? As long as he has a good heart, being able to cause trouble is a good thing. This kid has put his heart into things with Old Zhou."

It was nearly noon when he left the steel rolling mill. The thin winter sunlight barely pierced through the clouds, casting a slight warmth. Wei Chen rode his bicycle back at a leisurely pace.

I reviewed the morning's events in my mind: with Li Huaide, the relationship was further strengthened, and we even developed a greater appreciation and closer bond because of tea; with Director Wang, I received a clear commitment of support from the grassroots manager; and with Jin Aiguo, I received elder-like advice and a solid promise of backing.

These three seemingly simple tea leaves, like three chess pieces, have been steadily placed on different levels of a network of relationships, weaving themselves into a more resilient and concealed protective net.

Especially Jin Aiguo's final reminder, "The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind," served as a wake-up call for Wei Chen. He had indeed been a bit too high-profile lately. Although he tried to hide it, the weight gain of tens of thousands of pounds and the improvement in his family's living conditions were hard to completely hide from everyone. He needed to be even more discreet and cautious in his words and actions after the New Year. However, he didn't need to worry too much, after all, he had a cheat code!

Overall, today's New Year's visit was very successful. He was polite, sincere, and the relationship was maintained and even strengthened. This adds significant leverage to his future survival and development in the factory, on the street, and even in this courtyard.

Returning to the familiar alleyway entrance, the sounds of bustling people and the faint aroma of food wafted over, making the feeling of the New Year even more tangible.

Wei Chen rode his bicycle around the streets of Beijing, ate a meal at a state-run restaurant, and wandered around to see what Beijing was like in this era! When he returned to the courtyard house, the sun was already setting, and a few dim yellow lights shone through the gray clouds.

The festive atmosphere in the alley is getting stronger. The sounds of children chasing and playing, the sporadic explosions of firecrackers, and the increasingly distinct, complex aromas of various foods in the air all announce that the old year is coming to an end and the new year is approaching.

As soon as he entered the front yard, Uncle Yan Bugui, who was sweeping the ground at the entrance, looked up, pushed up his glasses, and put on a smile that was three times warmer than usual: "Oh, Wei Chen is back? You've been busy all day? You must be tired!" The warmth in his tone was completely different from his usual calculating politeness.

"Uncle, sweeping? It's not hard work, I just went to the factory for a look around." Wei Chen stopped the car, smiled and replied, his attitude was calm.

"Of course, of course, it's good for young people to get to know each other better!" Yan Bugui nodded repeatedly, his gaze sweeping over Wei Chen's bicycle and bulging satchel. A hint of envy flashed in his eyes, but more than that, he felt a sense of pride and closeness. After all, he was one of the few people in the compound who had had a "substantive transaction" with Wei Chen and whose relationship with him was still acceptable.

By the pond in the middle courtyard, Aunt Liu, who was washing vegetables, saw Wei Chen and immediately wiped her hands, greeting him with a smile: "Wei Chen, you're back? It's cold today, come inside and warm up!" Her smile was sincere and grateful; just two nights ago, her little grass had brought home a solid two pounds of fat.

"Oh, Aunt Liu, I'm busy." Wei Chen nodded in acknowledgment.

Even a few neighbors who usually just nod when they meet now greet Wei Chen with smiles, greetings, or simple salutations. Wei Chen clearly sensed that subtle change.

This wasn't just because he distributed meat to the children, but also because of the unspoken "underground transactions" that had taken place over the past two days. Those families who received meat might have kept it a secret verbally, but their change in attitude was undeniable.

In this courtyard, Wei Chen's family has become a special entity—a person possessing scarce resources. Awe, gratitude, flattery, jealousy... all sorts of emotions intertwined, ultimately manifesting in this excessive enthusiasm.

Wei Chen accepted the criticisms calmly and responded respectfully to each one, pushing his cart towards the backyard. He could sense that some eyes were secretly watching him from behind some windows.

Behind the window of the Jia family's house, there was Jia Zhangshi's gloomy and jealous gaze, and behind the seemingly calm window of Yi Zhonghai's house, there were those deep and unfathomable eyes.

This change in the compound was like a fine thorn, deeply embedded in Yi Zhonghai's heart. Standing at his window, he watched through the glass as Wei Chen pushed his cart calmly through the courtyard, nodding and exchanging pleasantries with the neighbors. Those smiles and enthusiasm seemed so glaring to him.

A year ago, this young man who had just moved into the compound had made incredible progress! At first, during the compound's general meetings, he could still use his status as an "old man" and his years of prestige to "educate" and "reprimand" Wei Chen. But now, this young man was not only completely financially independent, but had also achieved real merit and status in the factory, and even... had begun to wield an invisible influence within the compound.