Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After Sha Zhu finished speaking, he gave Yan Bugui no chance to ask any more questions. He suddenly quickened his pace, almost running, with his head down, like a criminal fleeing from capture. He slammed his head open the door of his house in the middle courtyard, slipped inside, and then slammed the door shut with all his might, making a deafening noise!

Immediately, a crashing sound, as if something had been knocked over, came from inside the room, followed by a deathly silence; not even the lights were turned on.

Inside the gatehouse, Yan Bugui's ears rang from the loud slam of the door closing. He sat up, still wearing his clothes, and listened intently for any further movement from the inner courtyard. After sitting quietly in the darkness for a while, a knowing, mocking sneer slowly spread across his face. He snorted and muttered to himself, "Hmph! Stubborn to the end! All show and no substance! Judging from the noise and that tone… he must have been humiliated and is too ashamed to show his face! Still looking down on them? Tsk tsk, it would be a miracle if they even looked at him!"

He lay back down contentedly, thinking that he would have another valuable topic to savor and "share and analyze" with his neighbors at breakfast the next day.

……

The next day, as the massive machines of the steel rolling mill roared to life again and workers flooded into the workshops, another kind of "news," more vivid, more detailed, and faster-spreading, had already quietly infiltrated every corner of the factory area like a virus.

The full version of "The True Story of the Silly Zhu Friendship Association" has replaced the abstract discussions about his "family traditions" from a few days ago, becoming the latest hot topic that everyone is talking about.

In the midst of the deafening roar of the forging workshop, the workers wiped their greasy hands with cotton yarn while laughing and talking loudly: "Did you hear? Sha Zhu really showed off at the social gathering last night!"

"It wasn't just showing his face! It was making a fool of himself! I heard he rushed up to a young girl at a textile factory, his face flushed and his neck bulging, and shouted, 'I want to marry you!' scaring the girl so much she almost cried!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I also heard it from Xiao Hou in the administration department. Sha Zhu went up and immediately introduced himself: 'I'm a head chef, a level nine chef, making thirty-three yuan and fifty cents a month!' My goodness, is he looking for a girlfriend or selling pork?"

"And there's more! Sister Zhang from the warehouse kindly went over to say a few words to him, but he clenched his fists, his eyes bulging like bull's balls, looking like a ferocious demon, which scared Sister Zhang away!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, he's utterly hopeless! And the union too, isn't inviting him just asking for trouble?"

"I think he's just born to be a bachelor! Any woman who marries him is incredibly unlucky!"

In the mechanics' break room, the air thick with the smells of engine oil and tobacco: "Silly Zhu's really made a name for himself this time! But it's infamy!"

"I heard that he was the last one standing there all alone, like a jinx, ignored by everyone, and he sneaked away before dark!"

"Serves him right! He should take a piss and look at himself in the mirror! He still wants to find a wife?"

"Exactly, with a father who runs off with other women, what kind of good person can he be?" Whispers broke out among the people queuing at the cafeteria's food window, occasionally punctuated by suppressed laughter.

Even the usually refined clerks in the government offices were whispering the news in the break room, their faces bearing a condescending smile that mixed with disdain and a sense of superiority.

These rumors, embellished by countless mouths and becoming increasingly vivid, highly visual, and comedic, naturally reached the ears of Xu Damao, the film projectionist in the propaganda department, in the most exciting version for the storyteller.

When Xu Damao heard and confirmed from different sources and different people about Sha Zhu's "brilliant" "performance" at the social gathering and his eventual ignominious end, his inner elation and pride were like a volcanic eruption, almost breaking through the reserved "cultured man" facade he had been trying to maintain!

He suppressed the urge to burst into laughter and dance with joy, sitting behind his slightly greasy desk. His fingers unconsciously tapped the surface forcefully, but his face couldn't help but reveal a twisted, triumphant smile that was a mixture of smug satisfaction, exhilaration, and the satisfaction of revenge.

If he weren't in the office, he would have loved to slam his fist on the table and yell, "That felt so good!"

"It worked! It worked perfectly!" He roared excitedly in his heart, every cell in his body cheering. "Idiot Zhu! You muscle-bound, simple-minded fool! You brute! I only fanned the flames a little and lit a fire, and you couldn't wait to jump into the oil, frying yourself until you were crispy on the outside and rotten on the inside, and you stink to death!"

Now look what's happened! Everyone in the factory, from the leaders to the workers, men and women, knows what kind of person He Yuzhu is! Vulgar! Stupid! Violent! From a corrupt family! And a complete idiot who becomes incoherent around women and only knows how to rattle off his wages!

Hahaha! Let's see how you hold your head up in the factory now! Let's see if you can still dream of getting married and starting a family! You're destined to be a bachelor for life, living under the shadow of others' ridicule!

For the entire day, Xu Damao was in a state of extreme, morbid excitement. He felt the sky was exceptionally blue, the sun exceptionally bright, and even the noise from the workshop sounded like pleasant music.

He was incredibly efficient at work, greeting everyone he met with an unprecedentedly bright, almost insincere smile, as if he had encountered the greatest joy of his life.

He tirelessly inquired about and sought out details of the social gathering in various ways, especially how Sha Zhu embarrassed himself, how the women avoided him like the plague, and how he finally scurried away like a stray dog.

With each additional glimpse he heard, his sense of pleasure grew stronger—a dark and exhilarating satisfaction of utterly crushing his enemy underfoot and grinding him into the mud.

The end-of-get off work bell was like a victory horn to him. He was almost always the first to rush out of the factory gate, hop on his gleaming "Forever" brand bicycle, the bell jingling loudly, humming a cheerful tune as the wheels raced through the coal dust-strewn factory roads, speeding towards the courtyard house. A spring breeze caressed his face; he felt it was the best reward for his successful plan.

As soon as I turned into the alley where the courtyard house was located, I saw Uncle Yan Bugui squatting at the front gate of the courtyard house, holding a small watering can, carrying out his daily routine of meticulous "watering" and "observation" of his few half-dead jasmine plants, which he cherished dearly.

Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and his face immediately broke into a warm, brotherly smile. He deftly dismounted, propped the bicycle up steadily at the door, dusted off non-existent dust, and then pulled out a pack of "Xiangshan" brand cigarettes with filters from his pocket, offering one with a beaming smile.

"Uncle! You're such a diligent man! Even after getting home from get off work, you still take care of your flowers and plants, cultivating your mind and spirit. I admire you! I admire you!" Xu Damao's compliments came out naturally and skillfully.

Yan Bugui put down the small spray bottle in his hand, straightened up, patted the dirt off his hands, saw that it was Xu Damao, and saw the good cigarettes he was offered, a smile appeared on his face.

He took the cigarette, but didn't light it immediately. Instead, he habitually tucked it behind his ear, then pushed up his glasses that had slipped down to the middle of his nose and laughed, "Oh, Da Mao's back? You look so radiant today, you're practically walking on air. What's the good news? Did you get an award for outstanding performance?" He habitually used the "honor" he valued most to make assumptions.

"Hey! Uncle, you're really joking. What good news could I have? I'm just off work and feel so relaxed." Xu Damao lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a few smoke rings, pretending to be relaxed and casual, but he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes.

He abruptly changed the subject, as if suddenly remembering something, and asked, "Third Uncle, was everything alright in the courtyard last night? Nothing unusual happened? I got back late yesterday and went straight to sleep."

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui immediately perked up. He was worried about what had happened with Sha Zhu last night; he hadn't yet found a sufficiently influential listener to share his "results" from his observations and analysis.

Xu Damao's question hit him where it hurt. He immediately leaned forward, lowered his voice, and wore a smug look on his face, as if sharing a secret and showing off his "insight."

"Last night? Nothing much happened, just peacefully. It's just... Zhu Zi didn't come back very early." He paused deliberately, observing Xu Damao's reaction. "When he came back, he made quite a commotion. I hadn't slept soundly yet, so I casually asked him how the social gathering went, and if he found any suitable girls. Guess what he said?"

"Oh? What did Sha Zhu say?" Xu Damao cooperated by showing a very interested expression, leaning forward slightly, his ears perked up, and his eyes sparkling with anticipation.