Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

For He Yuzhu, this night seemed to stretch on forever.

Darkness, like thick, cold asphalt, enveloped him, seeping into every pore of his body. He lay stiffly on the cold kang (heated brick bed), his bloodshot eyes fixed on the cobweb-covered, dusty roof beams above him, their outlines blurred by the faint light from the window.

The scenes from the social gathering played out repeatedly in his mind like a silent film with a constant shriek—the glaring incandescent lights, the curious, mocking, or fearful gazes around him, the female workers' hasty retreat, the clerk Hou's repulsive, thin face and his low, vicious words, Sister Zhang's instantly cold and distant look, his own stupid, pig-like self-introduction and confession… Every detail was like a red-hot branding iron, repeatedly searing his already battered self-esteem.

Shame. Boundless, deep-seated shame.

But beneath this shame, something even more fiery and violent surged—rage! A furious rage at being fooled, manipulated, and utterly trampled into the mud!

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. Yes, he, Sha Zhu, had a bad temper, spoke bluntly, and didn't know how to please women—he accepted all of that. But yesterday at the social gathering, the almost overwhelming, naked rejection and contempt, the way he was avoided as if he were carrying a plague, couldn't have been just because he was clumsy!

And then there's that weird wind blowing through the factory these past few days! First, there were rumors that he was drinking and fighting, that he had the habits of a thug, and then... and then there was the deepest wound in his heart, the one that had scabbed over and was torn open again—the news that He Daqing ran off with a widow!

How many years has it been since this happened? More than ten years! Yu Shui can barely remember what his father looks like! The old people in the courtyard are all very secretive about it, rarely mentioning it. How come all of a sudden, like poisonous mushrooms after the rain, it's sprouted up in every corner of the factory, spreading with such vivid detail? Even details like his father running off with the last bit of money from the family, and his mother being so angry that she vomited blood and fell ill, have been brought up?

Something's wrong! Something's definitely wrong!

This is absolutely not a coincidence! Someone is sabotaging him behind the scenes! Someone has been plotting for a long time to ruin He Yuzhu! To destroy his reputation, cut off his path to finding a wife, and make him unable to hold his head high for the rest of his life, turning him into a real, deserving-to-be-bachelor "Foolish Zhu" in the steel mill, in the courtyard, and in the eyes of everyone who knows him!

Who is it?! Who the hell is it?!

Xu Damao's slick, cunning face was the first thing that popped into his mind. Yes! It must be that bastard again! Besides him, who else hates him so much? Who else has such a malicious and treacherous heart? Last time they clashed in the cafeteria, and bickered in the courtyard, that son of a bitch was already plotting something! It must be him stirring things up behind the scenes, fanning the flames, and spreading rumors!

A surge of intense emotion, a mixture of rage, hatred, and finally finding the "culprit," surged and crashed through his chest like magma, burning his internal organs with excruciating pain and causing his muscles to tense and tremble!

He sat up abruptly on the kang (a heated brick bed). In the darkness, his eyes were frighteningly red, as if they were about to bleed! His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp pain, but this did nothing to quell the anger in his heart!

"Xu Damao! I'll fuck your ancestors!" He squeezed out a hoarse, bloodthirsty growl through clenched teeth, which echoed in the deathly silent room, sounding particularly terrifying.

But he needed more evidence! He couldn't let it go like this! He needed to find out how this rumor started and what role Xu Damao played in it! He wanted that bastard to pay the price! Ten times the price!

He barely slept that night. Anger and humiliation, like two venomous snakes, gnawed at his nerves repeatedly. He only managed to close his eyes as dawn broke, but was immediately plagued by nightmares—He Daqing's blurry figure, the pointing and mocking laughter of those around him, Xu Damao's smug face, and the terrified look in the eyes of the female worker he had scared away…

The next day, Sha Zhu walked into the steel mill gate almost as soon as the work bell rang, his face ashen and his eyes swollen with dark circles. His steps were unsteady, but his back was ramrod straight, his gaze carrying an almost tragic air, as if he were ready to face whatever awaited him.

Sure enough, from the moment he stepped into the factory area, those familiar, yet even more unrestrained pointing and whispering came from all directions like a tide. The workers walked in twos and threes, and when they saw him, they would deliberately lower their voices, but the playfulness, mockery, sympathy, or simply watching the spectacle in their eyes were naked and undisguised.

"Look, Sha Zhu is here..." "Tsk tsk, yesterday's social gathering..." "Have you heard? He got involved with some female comrades..." "More than that, he almost got physical..." "Family tradition, really..." Those fragmented words, like fine needles, kept pricking him.

Sha Zhu's face flushed red, from his ears to his neck, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself not to look or listen. He just kept his head down and quickened his pace, like a wounded wild beast that wanted to escape back to his relatively familiar territory—the cafeteria—as soon as possible.

He practically ran into the kitchen of the first canteen. The familiar smells of oil and steam filled the air; the cutting boards, stoves, and large pots—these cold, hard utensils—yet at this moment gave him a twisted sense of security. At least here, he was in control; he was Chef He.

However, this sense of security was shattered in an instant.

Before the official start of work, several kitchen helpers and young apprentices were preparing, rinsing rice, washing vegetables, and tidying up the stove.

Liu Lan—the vegetable-washing worker who was usually quick-witted, outspoken, and had a loud voice, and who was fairly close to Sha Zhu (at least that's what Sha Zhu thought)—was deftly peeling potatoes while animatedly talking to two young women beside her in a low voice. Her unique, slightly street-smart voice, even when lowered, was remarkably clear in the empty kitchen.

"...You didn't see it! I wasn't there at the time, but Xiao Wang from logistics described it perfectly!" Liu Lan's voice carried the excitement of sharing a secret. "Our Chef He, standing in front of that textile factory girl, his face turned as red as a monkey's bottom! He just blurted out: 'I, He Yuzhu, Chef, earn thirty-three and a half yuan a month!' Oh my god, he scared the girl so much she almost fell to the ground! She turned and ran away, and we couldn't stop her!"

The female worker next to her let out a suppressed giggle. A younger apprentice asked curiously, "Sister Lan, what happened next? Did someone really say that Master He was going to hit someone?"

"Of course it's true!" Liu Lan threw the peeled potato into the water basin with a "plop," splashing water everywhere, and continued vividly, "Later, Sister Zhang from the warehouse went over, intending to smooth things over. But Master He must have said something that offended him, and wow! His fist clenched so tightly that the veins on his arm bulged, and his eyes widened like saucers, staring intently at Sister Zhang!"

My goodness, Sister Zhang had never seen anything like this before! She was so frightened she ran away before she could even finish her sentence! The other women around her, seeing this, all scattered in a flash, keeping a good distance from him! Tsk tsk, tell me, this isn't a blind date, it's a scare tactic!

As she spoke, she shook her head, her face displaying a mixture of sympathy and amusement. Completely oblivious, she noticed a tall figure standing like an iron tower at the kitchen doorway, his face shifting from ashen to deathly pale, then to a terrifying dark red, his chest heaving violently, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on her!

"Liu! Lan!"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted in the kitchen! The voice was filled with the fury of betrayal and the utter humiliation of being betrayed! The shockwave caused dust to fall from the roof beams.

Liu Lan trembled with fright, and the other potato she had just picked up rolled to the ground with a "roll". She and several other female workers looked up in horror, only to see Sha Zhu, like an enraged lion, stride in front of them in a few steps, bringing a gust of wind. The shadow cast by his tall figure almost completely enveloped Liu Lan.

"What the hell were you spouting?!" Sha Zhu's eyes were frighteningly red as he stared intently at Liu Lan, his voice trembling with extreme anger, spitting almost onto Liu Lan's face. "Who told you to spout nonsense here?! Huh?!"

Liu Lan was so frightened by this sudden outburst of anger that her face turned pale. She instinctively shrank back and stammered, "Master He... I... I didn't say anything, it was just... just chatting..."

"Chatting? Chatting my ass!" Sha Zhu swung his hand violently, nearly knocking over the vegetable basket beside him. He grabbed Liu Lan's arm with such force that Liu Lan cried out in pain. "You say what you just said again! Say it to my face! Are you all talking about me behind my back?! Tell me! What are you all gossiping about me about?! Don't leave out a single word! Explain yourself clearly!"

His voice was wild and hoarse, filled with a reckless madness. Everyone else in the kitchen was stunned, speechless with fear, not daring to breathe. No one had ever seen Sha Zhu so enraged; his eyes looked like he wanted to devour someone!

Liu Lan's arm ached from being gripped so tightly. She was both shocked and terrified. Looking at Sha Zhu's twisted and horrifying face, her legs went weak. She knew Sha Zhu had a bad temper, but she never imagined he'd stooped this low. She felt anxious and regretful; she shouldn't have spoken up! But it was too late for regrets now.

"Master He... please let go, it hurts..." Liu Lan tried to struggle, her voice trembling with tears.

"Are you going to talk or not?!" Instead of loosening his grip, Sha Zhu tightened it even more, raising his other hand as if ready to slap him at any moment. "If you don't explain yourself clearly today, I'm not finished with you! Were you also gossiping about me behind my back?! Tell me! Where did all that nonsense come from?!"

He was already convinced it was Xu Damao, but he needed to confirm it with Liu Lan and needed to know more details! He needed evidence! He wanted to expose all the bastards who were behind this!

Liu Lan was terrified. She was just an ordinary factory worker with no family connections. Her husband was unreliable, and she was just taking over his job. She earned a meager living by working in the canteen. How could she dare to offend Sha Zhu, the unruly "tyrant" of the canteen? Seeing that Sha Zhu looked like he was about to attack her if she didn't explain herself, she was truly scared.

"I...I'll talk, I'll talk! Master He, please let go..." Liu Lan pleaded, her voice trembling with tears.

Sha Zhu loosened his grip slightly, but still held her arm tightly, his eyes piercing her like knives: "Speak! You can't hide a single word!"

Liu Lan's face turned deathly pale. She glanced at her colleagues, who were frozen in fear, and then at Sha Zhu's terrifying gaze. She knew she couldn't avoid this today. She steeled herself; after all, she hadn't started those words, and saying them might clear her name.