Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Xu Damao lay on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his clothes torn, groaning and moaning, looking utterly wretched.

His eyes were filled with fear and resentment as he looked at Sha Zhu, but even more so with immense frustration and panic at his failed plan—Sha Zhu was out, he'd worked for nothing, and even gotten a beating! Although Sha Zhu had no direct evidence to prove he'd ordered it, judging from Sha Zhu's attitude, his days in the yard were numbered…

Sha Zhu, still struggling as the crowd pulled him away, roared at Xu Damao, "Xu Damao! You just wait! This isn't over! I'll beat you every time I see you! Until I beat you to death, you bastard!"

The turmoil temporarily subsided with Sha Zhu's exoneration, Xu Damao's treacherous scheme failing, and Xu Damao being beaten again. However, the conflicts within the courtyard deepened as a result, and Xu Damao's hatred for Sha Zhu reached a new peak due to this failure and public humiliation.

He huddled on the ground, listening to Sha Zhu's roar and the surrounding chatter, watching Wei Chen quietly observing from afar with a calm expression. The venom in his heart burned even more fiercely and coldly. This contest was far from over.

As for Wei Chen, looking at the familiar yet slightly unpredictable farce before him, he felt little emotion. He simply felt that the "drama" in this courtyard had finally returned to its proper course.

As for whether Xu Damao would become more restrained because of this, he simply didn't believe it. However, having learned his lesson, Xu Damao would probably have to be much more careful next time he wanted to cause trouble, and it would be even more... interesting.

He turned around, took Big Yellow's hand, and returned to his own little courtyard. The family photo on the wall looked especially peaceful in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Xu Damao lay on his creaking wooden bed, every part of his body screaming in pain. Sha Zhu's fist, filled with grievance, rage, and lingering fear, had struck like a hammer, truly teaching him once again what it meant to "overpower all skill with sheer force."

His cheekbones were bruised and swollen, his eyes narrowed to slits; his lips were cracked and covered with dark red scabs; with each breath, sharp, throbbing pain shot through his ribs, making him wonder if his bones were fractured. The pungent smell of medicinal oil filled the small, cold room, mingling with the dejection and hatred emanating from him, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

However, compared to these physical pains, what tormented him even more and kept him awake at night was the venomous flame in his heart that almost burned away his reason—a mixture of the immense frustration of his plan failing, the humiliation of being beaten in public, and an even more intense and obsessive desire for revenge.

His plan! The insidious scheme that he had meticulously crafted in his mind, which he believed to be flawless and capable of utterly destroying Sha Zhu, had inexplicably crumbled!

Why was that prostitute named Lotus arrested just when things were about to be settled? And why did she "coincidentally" confess to the framing in order to protect herself? Was it really just a coincidence? Xu Damao pondered this question repeatedly in the midst of his pain.

Because he was masked, Lotus didn't recognize him, and the police can't trace him to anyone. This is the last fig leaf, a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

But what did he pay the price? He lost twenty yuan and got a severe beating. And what about Sha Zhu? Although he was detained for a few days and suffered some hardship, he is now out with a clean record. The factory has restored its reputation, and Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady in the courtyard treat him like a precious gem who has suffered a great injustice, taking great care of him!

What chilled Xu Damao even more was the look in Sha Zhu's eyes. The day he left the police station, the bloodshot eyes of Sha Zhu no longer burned with the simple anger or contempt of the past, but with a kind of ruthless hatred that was almost like that of a wild beast, as if it wanted to devour people alive.

No evidence? For a reckless man like He Yuzhu, who only has one mind, do you need solid evidence? He's convinced that it was you, Xu Damao, who did it, so it's you! From now on, whenever we meet in this courtyard, I'll probably have to be on guard against a fist that might come from any direction at any moment.

"He Yuzhu... you stupid Zhu! You stubborn mule who deserves a thousand cuts! You idiot!" Xu Damao squeezed out a hoarse curse from between his swollen teeth, his voice sounding particularly sinister in the empty room. "You got lucky this time! God's blind! You just wait... you just wait! If I don't avenge this, I, Xu Damao, swear I'm not a man! This is just the beginning of our score!"

He moved his body with difficulty, the intense pain causing a layer of cold sweat to break out on his forehead, but the resentment in his eyes was like a poisoned ice pick, growing sharper and colder.

He was like a venomous snake with broken bones, yet even more vengeful, curled up in a dark, damp cave, soaking his wounds with venom while weaving a more secretive and insidious web with all his malice and patience.

In the short term, he had to lie low. Sha Zhu was furious, a powder keg ready to explode at any moment; Yi Zhonghai and the deaf old lady were also watching him like mother hens protecting their chicks; even the other people in the courtyard, after this incident, looked at Xu Damao with a more inexplicable sense of distance and wariness.

But he firmly believed that as long as Sha Zhu remained the same hot-tempered, simple-minded He Yuzhu, and as long as Xu Damao remained hidden in the shadows, able to endure what ordinary people could not, the opportunity would always come again. Next time, he would do it even more cleanly and ruthlessly, ensuring Sha Zhu would never have a chance to rise again!

……

In stark contrast to the suffocating, gloomy, and calculating space of Xu Damao's backyard, Wei Chen's small world in the east wing lived peacefully and steadily in the warm April breeze, even exuding a carefully cultivated, simple, and vibrant vitality.

Wei Chen's life was as regular as a wound-up clock. Every day, just as dawn was breaking and the whistles of the steel rolling mill were still silent, he would quietly get up. After a quick wash, it would be time for his unwavering "morning lesson" with Da Huang.

This morning exercise of a man and his dog has long been a regular sight in Nanluoguxiang. They usually avoid the crowded alley entrances and instead go to a nearby abandoned brick kiln site overgrown with weeds. It's quiet, spacious, and undisturbed there.

"Big Yellow, sit!" Wei Chen's voice was not loud, but clear and firm. Big Yellow, whose body was already quite robust, immediately put its hindquarters on the ground, straightened its back, raised its head, and stared intently at its owner with its amber eyes. Its tail swept lightly on the ground, showing that it had entered "working mode".

"Lie down!" Upon receiving the command, Da Huang immediately lowered its forelegs to the ground and lay prone, remaining highly alert.

"Follow me!" Wei Chen began to walk, and Da Huang immediately stood up, sticking close to his left leg behind him, their steps coordinated, neither ahead nor behind. Wei Chen sometimes walked quickly, sometimes jogged, and sometimes suddenly turned, and Da Huang always adjusted its position precisely, following him like a shadow.

After basic obedience training, more targeted subjects come next. Wei Chen would hide an old object with a specific scent in the weeds beforehand, and then give the command to "search". Da Huang would immediately twitch its shiny black nose, like the most sophisticated detector, and dart through the grass with its head down, its tail wagging excitedly.

Before long, it accurately found its target, pressed it down with its front paws, then looked up at Wei Chen and let out a short, proud "woof". Wei Chen was never stingy with encouragement, gently patting its head and neck, or giving it a small piece of hard dog food that he had specially saved, which he had bought from the general store in the game world.

Sometimes, Wei Chen would also conduct simple alert and biting training. He would have Li Zhijun make a sturdy imaginary target out of thick canvas and old cotton wool (disguised as an arm or calf), while he would play the role of the "suspicious one," making provocative or aggressive gestures.

After Wei Chen gives the clear command "Attack!", Da Huang will pounce like a golden lightning bolt, accurately biting its target and holding on tightly until it hears the command "Let go" or "Come back". Wei Chen conducts this training very carefully to ensure absolute safety and control, focusing on cultivating Da Huang's courage, decisiveness, and absolute obedience.

Dahuang seemed to understand that this was not a real battle, but a serious "game," and it completed each task meticulously, its eyes sparkling with the response of trust in its master and the satisfaction of completing the "mission."

As the morning light gradually painted the eastern sky red, the outlines of the abandoned chimneys of the brick kiln became clear. After training, Wei Chen would use an old towel he had brought to wipe Da Huang's mouth, face, and paws, and then they would jog home together. Sweat slightly dampened his back, and Da Huang, panting and panting, was exceptionally energetic.

This hour of morning exercise is not only a physical workout, but also a precious time to solidify mutual trust and understanding. Wei Chen knows that in this era where crises can lurk in any corner, a loyal and well-trained partner is sometimes more reliable than anything else.

When I got home, my mother, Wang Xiulan, had usually already prepared a simple breakfast: a thick porridge made from brown rice or cornmeal, a small dish of pickled vegetable shreds drizzled with sesame oil and vinegar, sometimes pickled radish, sometimes mustard tuber.

Occasionally, a poached egg would be placed in everyone's porridge, always reserved for Wei Ran, who was still growing, and Wei Chen, the breadwinner of the family. Wang Xiulan would always try to pass the egg to Wei Chen, citing reasons such as "I don't like boiled eggs" or "I don't have an appetite in the morning." Wei Chen would always insist on giving it back, saying, "We don't need this egg, you have to eat it too, or I won't eat it either!" Wang Xiulan couldn't persuade him otherwise and had no choice but to eat it.

After quickly finishing his meal, Wei Chen changed into his faded but clean blue overalls and hung his canvas bag on the handlebars of his bicycle. Da Huang, already familiar with the process, nimbly jumped onto the back of the bicycle (Wei Chen had specially welded a sturdy iron frame and laid an old cotton pad on it).