Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Yi Zhonghai arrived at the deaf old woman's house and knocked on the door. From inside came the old woman's somewhat aged but clear voice: "Is that Zhonghai? Come in."

Yi Zhonghai pushed open the door and went in. The deaf old woman was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), sewing a half-finished shoe sole. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her cloudy but still clear eyes meeting Yi Zhonghai's, and asked directly, "How's the matter with Zhuzi? What did the factory say?"

Yi Zhonghai sighed, sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and told the old lady everything about his trip to the security department, Liu Changqing's attitude, and his own worries.

As the deaf old woman listened, her movements of sewing shoe soles slowed, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen. After Yi Zhonghai finished speaking, she remained silent for a moment before slowly opening her mouth, her voice carrying the unique vicissitudes and insight of an elderly person: "Alas, Zhu Zi... his temper, it explodes at the slightest provocation, he doesn't care about anything. This time, he's been outmaneuvered and his weakness has been exploited."

Yi Zhonghai asked anxiously, "Grandma, what should we do now? With Captain Liu's attitude, I don't think Zhu Zi will get a light punishment this time. What if... what if he's fired? He still has rainwater to feed!"

The deaf old woman put down the shoe sole she was holding, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her cloudy eyes: "Fired? Not necessarily. Zhu Zi is a permanent employee, skilled, and the factory canteen can't do without him. Although causing trouble with a weapon is serious, no one was actually hurt. At most, he'll get a major demerit, be locked up for a few days, and fined a little money to see how he behaves. The factory also has to consider the impact; they won't completely destroy him."

Hearing the old lady's analysis, Yi Zhonghai breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his brows remained furrowed: "Then... how many days is fine? I've seen the security office; the detention cells in the back are dark and cold, with no bedding whatsoever. In April, the daytime is alright, but it gets really chilly at night! Zhu Zi has such a stubborn temper; if he's freezing and hungry in there, and also holding in his anger, I'm afraid he'll..."

This is what Yi Zhonghai is most worried about right now. Sha Zhu is already seething with anger because of the rumors and his failed blind date. Now that he's locked up, suffering both materially and mentally, it would be even more troublesome if he got stuck in a rut or fell ill from the cold. Moreover, this could easily make him resentful of the "incompetence" of the staff and the old man, which would be detrimental to winning him over in the future.

The deaf old woman nodded, clearly having considered this as well. She pondered for a moment, then said, "You're right. Lockdown is the factory's rule, and we can't change it. But we, the people in this compound, can't just stand by and watch our children suffer inside. We need to send them bedding; they need to have something to cover themselves with at night."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Yi Zhonghai's face, and slowly said, "You can't handle this. You just got rebuffed by the security department; it's inappropriate for you to deliver the goods again. Captain Liu might be even more annoyed. Let Dongxu go."

"Dongxu?" Yi Zhonghai was taken aback.

"Hmm." The deaf old lady nodded, her mind clear. "Dongxu is your apprentice, so we should use him... He's on the same level as Zhuzi and Damao. Let him go and say that the old ladies and gentlemen in the courtyard are worried they'll be cold at night and want us to bring in two quilts. The reason is valid, and the attitude is good. The security department wouldn't refuse to let us bring in even a quilt. Dongxu is honest and speaks appropriately, so he's the most suitable person to go. Go and tell Dongxu now to go tonight, don't wait until the middle of the night, bring them in early."

Yi Zhonghai's eyes lit up. Yes, let Jia Dongxu go! It would show the hospital's concern without making it seem like he was still clinging on. Although Jia Dongxu was physically weak, he could run errands and deliver things without any problem. Besides, he was timid, so he wouldn't dare to say anything if asked to deliver something.

"Grandma, you're so thoughtful! I'll go tell Dongxu right away!" Yi Zhonghai felt much better and quickly got up.

"Wait," the deaf old lady called out to him again, "Have Dongxu go to Zhuzi and Damao's houses and get a set of bedding for each of them. Use their own, so the security department won't gossip. Make sure to explain to Dongxu that when he goes there, he should tell the security officers that he's just delivering bedding, and not to say anything else. Just deliver it and come back."

"Yes! I understand!" Yi Zhonghai agreed and hurriedly went to the Jia family's residence in the central courtyard.

Inside the Jia family house, Jia Zhangshi was slapping her thigh and cursing Sha Zhu and Xu Damao as scoundrels. Qin Huairu was beside her, head down, clearing away the dishes, her face pale, her eyes filled with worry and a hint of complex emotions that were hard to detect. Jia Dongxu sat on a small stool, somewhat restless.

Yi Zhonghai came in and told Jia Dongxu directly about the old lady's arrangements. When Jia Dongxu heard that he had to go to the security department to deliver the blankets, he felt a little apprehensive. He had always been afraid of official places, let alone the security department. But since the old man had come to give the order in person, and it was the old lady's idea, he didn't dare to refuse and had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

Yi Zhonghai gave him a few more instructions, telling him to be polite, deliver the gifts and then return home, and not to ask any questions. Then, Yi Zhonghai personally led Jia Dongxu to Sha Zhu's house. The door to Sha Zhu's house was unlocked, and the inside was a mess. Yi Zhonghai had Jia Dongxu roll up the old, patched quilt and mattress that was still quite thick on Sha Zhu's bed, and also took one of Sha Zhu's old cotton-padded jackets.

Then they went to Xu Damao's house. Xu Damao's door was locked, but the key was hidden in a crack in the brickwork by the window. Yi Zhonghai knew the location, took out the key, opened the door, and let Jia Dongxu go in to get Xu Damao's bedding. Xu Damao's bedding was noticeably better than Sha Zhu's; the quilt was thicker, and the mattress was softer.

Jia Dongxu struggled to carry the two heavy rolls of bedding. Yi Zhonghai helped him tie them up, then handed him a small cloth bag containing two steamed buns, and patted him on the shoulder: "Dongxu, you've worked hard. Go and come back quickly."

Jia Dongxu nodded, carrying his bedding, and stumbled out of the courtyard, heading towards the steel rolling mill. It was completely dark, and the early spring night air carried a chill.

……

In the security department's temporary detention room, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao had been locked up for several hours.

At first, the two could still exchange a few insults across the wall. "Xu Damao! You just wait! I'll make you pay when you get out of here!" "Shazhu! You're a madman! A brute! You deserve to be a bachelor!" But as the insults continued, no one paid them any attention. Only the occasional footsteps of the security guards in the corridor reminded them where they were.

The initial anger and fear gradually subsided, replaced by coldness, hunger, boredom, and a deepening sense of panic and regret. This room is so cold; the concrete floor radiates a chill, and sitting for a while makes my bottom numb. Only the dim light bulb provides a faint warmth.

At dinner time, the security guards passed in two cornbread buns and two bowls of thin porridge, so light you could see your reflection in them, through a small window in the door. Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were both manual laborers with large appetites, so this little bit of food was hardly enough to fill their teeth, but they didn't care at the moment and wolfed it down. At least they had something in their stomachs, but they felt even colder.

The two stopped hurling insults at each other and curled up on the straw mats in the corner, hugging their arms and trembling. Sha Zhu's mind was in turmoil. One moment he saw his father's resolute back, the next he saw the disdainful looks at the social gathering, then he saw Xu Damao's hateful face, and then he saw Liu Changqing's stern questioning and threats of "expulsion" and "being shot."

For the first time, he truly felt fear. Not fear of Xu Damao, but fear of losing his job, fear of never being able to hold his head high again. But more than anything, he felt resentment and frustration. Why was Xu Damao free to spread rumors, while he was locked up for retaliating?

Xu Damao was filled with regret. He had planned everything perfectly, but he hadn't anticipated that Sha Zhu, that reckless fool, would be so reckless as to grab an iron rod and risk his life! He certainly hadn't expected things to escalate so much, dragging himself into the mess as well!

His biggest worry right now isn't Sha Zhu's future retaliation, but what kind of punishment the factory will give him. A demerit? A pay cut? Or even a transfer from the publicity department? How will he ever be able to work there again?

Just as the two were cold, hungry, distraught, and filled with anxiety, they heard the sound of a lock being opened outside the iron gate, followed by Jia Dongxu's cautious, ingratiating voice: "Comrade... I... I'm their neighbor in the courtyard. I've come... I've come to bring them a blanket; it's cold at night..."

Then, a small window in the iron gate was opened, and two rolls of quilts and a bag of cornbread were stuffed in. The security guard's voice rang out: "He Yuzhu, Xu Damao, someone from your compound has brought quilts. Cover yourselves with them tonight! Stay put and don't cause any more trouble!"

Upon hearing that the bedding had been delivered from the courtyard, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao almost simultaneously sprang up from their straw mats and rushed to the door!

"Dongxu? Is that Dongxu?" Shazhu called out through the door, his voice urgent. "Brother Dongxu! It's me, Xu Damao! Thank you!" Xu Damao quickly replied, his voice full of gratitude.

Jia Dongxu's voice came from outside the door: "Zhu... Brother Zhu, Brother Damao, the bedding is here for you. It was... it was an old man and an old lady who asked me to bring it. You... you stay inside and take care, don't worry, wait for the factory to handle it..."

"Dongxu! Go back and tell Uncle Da! Tell him to find a way to get me out of here!" Shazhu said urgently. "Yes, yes! Brother Dongxu, please go and tell my dad! Tell him to come to the factory and think of a solution! Please! I'll treat you to a drink later... later! No, I'll give you 50 cents! No, a dollar!" Xu Damao also hurriedly promised. At this moment, he was really panicked and just wanted to find a backer as soon as possible.

"Okay...okay, I...I understand. I...I'll go back now." Jia Dongxu replied, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

The small window of the iron gate closed and locked again. But there were two more thick quilts and a small bag of cornbread in the room. Although the environment was still cold and dark, this little bit of warmth and care from the outside world made Sha Zhu and Xu Damao's tense nerves relax a little.

They silently spread out their bedding and wrapped it around themselves. The familiar cotton fabric, carrying their own scent, enveloped their cold bodies, bringing a little warmth.

The two huddled together in their own blankets, separated by the cold wall, no longer speaking. In the darkness, only their suppressed breathing could be heard. The distant roar of machinery from the factory area echoed faintly, emphasizing the deathly silence and coldness of the small room.

This night was destined to be long and unbearable. They didn't know what awaited them tomorrow, but at least they wouldn't freeze to death tonight.