Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Although those neighbors who secretly traded for meat didn't say it openly, Yi Zhonghai could sense that their awe of him, this "old man," was waning, while their recognition and closeness to Wei Chen were increasing.

This made Yi Zhonghai feel an unprecedented crisis. An uncontrollable young man who did not follow the traditional rules of the compound and even showed signs of establishing his own "faction" was the biggest challenge to his "compound patriarchal" management model.

More importantly, there's his "retirement plan," which he has painstakingly developed over many years.

He had his eye on Jia Dongxu, who was honest, hardworking, strong, and relatively easy to manipulate. But Jia Dongxu was useless, and had a bloodsucking mother. So Sha Zhu became his backup plan!

Sha Zhu is a good choice: a skilled cook, kind-hearted, loyal, and sometimes even a henchman! But he's too straightforward and impulsive, prone to causing trouble, and lately seems to be subtly overshadowed by Wei Chen. As for the others, they're either too young or not close enough to him.

Of course, this is all part of his plan!

For all of this to be executed perfectly, given his suspicious nature and desire for control, he needed a morally supportive environment! Therefore, he planned to transform the courtyard into a model of "respect for the elderly and care for the young"! This would ensure that Jia Dongxu or Sha Zhu both genuinely agreed and were morally bound by the courtyard's principles! The plan was going well, proceeding step by step, but Wei Chen's appearance became a variable! Over the past year, many things have deviated from his plans!

Wei Chen is young, capable, and has a promising future. More importantly, he is filial to his mother and loves his younger sister, which shows that he is responsible.

Of course, if we can win Wei Chen over, or at least get him to agree with the collective values ​​of "mutual assistance in the compound" and "respect for the elderly and care for the young", then wouldn't our old age be more secure?

In fact, under his "exemplary" role, the entire compound was able to maintain the "harmonious" state he envisioned, characterized by mutual help and respect for elders.

However, Wei Chen's performance repeatedly thwarted his plan. This kid was impervious to reason, neither soft nor hard approaches, and had his own set of rules for doing things, completely disregarding his authority as an "old man."

Now, they've secretly built up influence and resources within the compound. This can't go on! Action must be taken; the compound must be brought back on track. At the very least, Wei Chen needs to understand who's in charge here, that certain "rules" must be followed, and certain "responsibilities" must be borne!

In the east courtyard, wisps of smoke rose from the chimney, indicating that Wei Chen's mother was already preparing dinner. Pushing open the door, one could indeed see Wang Xiulan bustling around the stove, while Wei Ran helped prepare the vegetables.

"Brother, you're back!" Wei Ran was the first to see him and ran over happily. "Chen'er, you're back? Did things go well?" Wang Xiulan also turned around and asked with concern, still holding a spatula in her hand.

"Yes, everything went smoothly." Wei Chen nodded with a smile, propped up his bicycle, and walked to the warm stove to warm himself. The fire was blazing, illuminating his mother's slightly weathered but content face, and his younger sister's rosy, energetic smile.

The cold winds of the outside world, the complexities of interpersonal relationships, and the potential crises seem to be kept at bay by this small courtyard, the warm fire, and the caring gaze of family members, turning into faint shadows in the background.

This year is approaching step by step amidst this complex mix of internal and external factors, warmth and calculation, hope and caution.

On the other side, after much deliberation, a resolute glint flashed in Yi Zhonghai's eyes. He turned around, took out a package of peach shortbread wrapped in oil paper from the cabinet, picked up the bottle of bulk liquor on the table, went out the door, and headed straight for the deaf old lady's room in the backyard. He alone could hardly subdue Wei Chen. He needed to rely on the courtyard's greatest "weapon"—the highly respected (at least outwardly) deaf old lady.

The old deaf woman's room was dimly lit, the fire in the stove was weak, and there was a musty smell. The old woman, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, leaned against the headboard, her eyes half-closed, seemingly dozing. Yi Zhonghai entered, placing peach shortbread and wine on the table, his face beaming with a respectful smile: "Grandma, I've come to see you. I brought you some peach shortbread and some wine; please have a cup after your meal to warm yourself up!"

The deaf old woman opened her cloudy eyes, glanced at the things on the table, and grunted an "Mmm" in response. She was old and hard of hearing, but not senile, especially when it came to matters involving her own interests.

Yi Zhonghai leaned closer and raised his voice: "Grandma, you see, the end of the year is approaching, and every household in the courtyard is having a hard time. Only that kid Wei Chen is capable; he managed to bring back a lot of meat, and his family is doing quite well."

The deaf old woman's eyelids twitched, but she didn't speak.

Yi Zhonghai continued, "Wei Chen is a young and capable man, the most promising junior in our compound. Logically, now that he's grown up, he shouldn't forget his roots, he should know how to respect the elderly and set a good example for everyone, don't you think?"

"Huh? Meat?" The deaf old woman seemed to have grasped the key word, and made a muffled sound in her throat, "There's meat to eat? Great... It's the New Year, we should eat something good."

Yi Zhonghai was secretly delighted and quickly pressed his advantage: "Yes, ma'am. The Wei Chen family has plenty of meat and game. You're the oldest, the matriarch of our compound. It's the New Year, so shouldn't the most capable junior show respect to the matriarch and help those struggling families in the compound who can't even afford food? If word gets out, it will be a beautiful story of unity, friendship, and respect for the elderly in our compound!"

He disguised his true purpose—to freeload off Wei Chen's supplies and leverage Wei Chen's favor—under the guise of "respecting the elderly," "unity and mutual assistance," and "setting an example for the compound." He knew that the old lady cared most about her status and face, and also coveted the good food. As long as he presented the principles of "the ancestors should enjoy their blessings" and "the younger generation should be filial," the old lady would naturally become his most powerful "weapon."

A glint of light flashed in the deaf old woman's cloudy eyes, perhaps a craving for meat, or perhaps the pleasure of being called "Grandmother." She nodded slowly, her voice hoarse: "It is proper to show filial piety... I'm old and can't eat much, but there are still so many children in the yard... Wei Chen, that child, I think he's a good boy, well-mannered..."

"It's done!" Yi Zhonghai thought with certainty. With the old lady stepping in and exerting pressure as the "ancestor," plus his own guidance, he wasn't afraid Wei Chen wouldn't comply! Young people, after all, always care about their reputation and image.

If he agrees today and gives something to "show respect" to the old lady and "help" the neighbors, then we can use the same method to gradually bind him to the "moral" chariot and make him continue to contribute to this "compound collective." As for how to distribute the things he gives, that's naturally up to him, the "old man," to uphold justice.

Yi Zhonghai could almost picture Wei Chen nodding helplessly amidst the aroma of meat at home, then serving large chunks of meat and flour to the old lady and himself. At that moment, he could not only re-establish his authority but also improve the lives of his family and the old lady. Furthermore, he could use this opportunity to readjust the "resource allocation" within the compound and solidify his own position.

"Grandma, shall we go to Wei Chen's house and take a look? We can also teach the young people a lesson. As human beings, we can't just think about our own good life. We have to think about everyone else and the older generation." Yi Zhonghai put on a worried tone, showing concern for the compound.

Supported by Yi Zhonghai, the deaf old woman, leaning on her cane, shakily stepped out of the door and headed towards the east wing of the front yard. Their shadows, stretched long in the dim winter afternoon light, carried an invisible, almost overwhelming, air.

……

Wei Chen tidied up in the yard for a while and was about to go inside for a drink of water when he heard the "thump-thump" of a cane tapping on the ground outside the gate, and Yi Zhonghai's deliberately raised, respectful voice: "Grandma, please slow down, the steps... yes, this way."

Wei Chen raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. They've arrived. He sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, turning to look at the courtyard gate.

Yi Zhonghai carefully helped the deaf old lady into the room. She was wearing a bulky dark cotton-padded jacket and trousers, an old woolen hat, and her face was deeply wrinkled. She squinted, looking frail and in need of respect and care. Yi Zhonghai, on the other hand, wore the obsequious demeanor of a dutiful son and grandson, his movements perfectly measured in his support.

"Oh, ma'am, sir, what brings you two here? Please come in, it's cold outside." Wei Chen's face immediately showed just the right amount of surprise and politeness. He stepped aside to open the door and gestured for them to enter. His manners were impeccable.

Yi Zhonghai nodded inwardly, thinking that Wei Chen at least put on a show. He helped the old lady into the house, and Wang Xiulan and Wei Ran came out to greet them upon hearing the commotion. Wang Xiulan was a little flustered, and quickly said, "The old lady is here, please sit down, please sit down. Ranran, pour some water for the old lady and the old man."

Yi Zhonghai helped the deaf old lady sit down on a chair in the room, her cloudy eyes slowly scanning the room. The stove was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy. On the table was a half-eaten, glistening, red-brown braised pork. The air was filled with the aroma of meat, noodles, and a faint, indescribable, yet pleasant scent of tea.

All of this demonstrated the family's wealth and comfort. The old lady's throat bobbed almost imperceptibly.

"Xiulan, you're living a good life..." The deaf old woman spoke slowly, her voice hoarse and unreadable.

"Thanks to you, things are alright." Wang Xiulan smiled ingratiatingly, but she was a little uneasy. The old lady and the old man coming to the door at the same time probably weren't good news.