Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Liu Haizhong chimed in, adopting the airs of an elder: "Exactly! Old Yan, don't just think about your own little schemes! This is a matter of great importance concerning the reputation of the entire hospital! The three of us elders are representing the whole hospital! No matter what, Wei Chen is still a member of the hospital. Can he really refuse to give face to the three of us elders? If word gets out, it won't look good on his reputation!"

The two men played good cop/bad cop, one emphasizing responsibility and sentiment, the other putting on airs and applying pressure, putting Yan Bugui in a difficult position. Yan Bugui was inwardly groaning; he knew Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong were determined to drag him into this mess. If he didn't go, he would appear cowardly and disregard the bigger picture, making him even less respected in the courtyard. Especially Liu Haizhong's comment about "disrespecting three elders," which carried a subtle threat, forced Yan Bugui to reconsider.

He pushed up his glasses, forcing a smile, his mind racing: "Go ahead and go. I'll just listen and talk as little as possible, letting Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong handle things. If Wei Chen doesn't give me face, it'll be Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong who lose face; I'll just be a supporting character. Besides, it's good to see Wei Chen's attitude. Maybe… I can even take this opportunity to observe him, and perhaps I can ask Wei Chen for help in the future?"

Thinking this through, Yan Bugui finally nodded, but his tone remained cautious: "Well... alright then. I'll go with you two gentlemen. But we must agree that the main purpose is to find out the situation and persuade Wei Chen to help inquire. Don't force him, and don't say anything excessive. That kid Wei Chen is quite resourceful."

"Of course, of course, let's go and discuss it properly." Yi Zhonghai was delighted to see Yan Bugui relent and quickly agreed.

So, after get off work, as dusk settled and smoke rose from every chimney in the courtyard, a rather rare scene unfolded: the three old men in charge of the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, walked together with serious expressions, passing through the central courtyard and heading towards the secluded east wing.

This action immediately attracted the attention of many people in the courtyard. Aunt Wu, who was washing vegetables by the sink, Qin Huairu, who was breastfeeding her child, and several other families who were looking out from their doors all watched the three old men's backs with curiosity and whispered among themselves.

"Look, those three old men are heading towards the east courtyard!" "They're probably going to find Wei Chen, right? It's definitely about Sha Zhu and Xu Damao!" "Will Wei Chen be of any use? He's just an ordinary clerk in the security department, isn't he?" "Who knows? They're just trying anything..." "Hmph, they never seem to care much about things in the courtyard usually, but they only think of Wei Chen when something happens..."

Amidst the chatter, the three old men arrived at the entrance of the east courtyard. The east courtyard was even quieter than the front, middle, and back courtyards, with only Wei Chen's family living there. The courtyard was spotless, and the southern half of the empty courtyard had been completely transformed into a vegetable garden. Every time Yan Bugui saw this place, his eyes would fill with envy.

Neatly stacked coal blocks lay in the corner, next to which sat Wei Chen's gleaming Forever brand bicycle. Dim light shone from Wei Chen's window, and the faint sound of a radio broadcasting news could be heard from inside, though at a low volume.

Yi Zhonghai straightened his clothes, cleared his throat, and stepped forward to gently knock on the half-closed wooden door.

"Who is it?" came the voice of Wei Chen's mother, Wang Xiulan, from inside.

"Xiulan, it's me, Yi Zhonghai. Old Liu and Old Yan are here too. We need to talk to Wei Chen about something." Yi Zhonghai tried to make his voice sound calm and polite.

The door creaked open, and Wang Xiulan, wearing an apron, stood in the doorway. A flicker of surprise crossed her face when she saw the three old men arrive, but she quickly regained her composure and stepped aside, saying, "It's Uncle One, Uncle Two, and Uncle Three! Please come in. Chen'er is inside." Although she was somewhat puzzled as to why the three old men had come at the same time, she didn't ask further, simply calling out to the inner room, "Chen'er, Uncle One and the others are here."

Wei Chen came out from the inner room. He had just returned from get off work and changed out of his security guard uniform, wearing a faded old work jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.

His face remained calm and composed, revealing no emotion. When he saw the three old men, a barely perceptible hint of understanding flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and nodded politely: "Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle, what brings you here? Please come in."

His attitude was polite yet distant, showing neither flattery nor impatience, just the usual indifference of treating guests.

The three old men entered the house. Wei Chen's home was simply furnished, but enviable for that era, especially the wooden sofa, which Liu Haizhong always envied – it felt like a leader's home! The house was neatly organized. There was also a square table and a few chairs nearby, and several certificates of merit and New Year's pictures were pasted on the wall.

A faint, pleasant scent of soapberry and cooked food filled the air. Wang Xiulan poured water for the three old men, then tactfully said she was going to check the fire in the kitchen, thus avoiding the conversation.

The four sat down. For a moment, the atmosphere was subtly awkward. Yi Zhonghai, being the person in charge, naturally had to speak first. He held the rough porcelain teacup in both hands, composed himself, and his face showed a complex expression—a mixture of worry, earnestness, and elder's concern. He sighed deeply and began to speak:

"Wei Chen, we're really sorry to bother you so late. But we three old folks really have no other choice but to swallow our pride and come to you to discuss this."

Wei Chen sat opposite him, his hands folded on the table, looking calmly at Yi Zhonghai. He didn't say anything, just listened quietly, waiting for what was to come.

Seeing Wei Chen's calm demeanor, Yi Zhonghai felt a little reassured and continued, "It's about Zhu Zi and Da Mao. Sigh, those two troublesome kids caused such a huge disturbance at the factory, and now they're locked up by security. We're really anxious, angry, and worried!"

Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement, his chubby face also showing a serious expression: "Yes, it's outrageous! Especially Zhu Zi, daring to take an iron rod! What would happen if something really happened!"

Yan Bugui picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and observed Wei Chen's reaction behind his glasses without saying a word.

Yi Zhonghai continued, "We know that their mistake this time was very serious, and the factory will definitely deal with it severely. We're not trying to cover for them; they have to accept the punishment they deserve. But, Wei Chen..."

He changed the subject, his tone becoming more earnest, "They're still young, and it was all a moment of impulse. You know Zhu Zi, his mother died early, his father ran away, and he's raising a younger sister alone—it hasn't been easy for him. He's not a bad person, just too impulsive and quick to anger. This time, he was blinded by Xu Damao's outrageous words and did something so reckless. Xu Damao was in the wrong first and should be punished! But with Zhu Zi acting so recklessly, we're afraid his future will be ruined!"

He stopped and observed Wei Chen's expression. Wei Chen remained unchanged, only nodding slightly to indicate that he was listening.

Yi Zhonghai was somewhat uncertain, but the die was cast. He adjusted his posture, leaning slightly forward, and lowered his voice, making it sound even more sincere: "Wei Chen, we're neighbors in the same courtyard, family behind closed doors. I won't beat around the bush with you. Zhu Zi and Da Mao have gotten themselves into serious trouble this time. We went to the security department yesterday, and Captain Liu's attitude... was very stern. We old guys are just a bunch of nobodys, our words carry no weight. After thinking it over, the only one in this courtyard who has influence in the factory and the security department, and who still cares about neighborly relations, is you."

He finally revealed the purpose of his trip. Liu Haizhong immediately followed, his tone carrying the "earnest expectations" of an elder and a hint of arrogance: "Wei Chen, you're the most promising young person in our compound! You're doing well in the security department, and the leaders value you; we're all happy for you. Regarding Zhu Zi and Da Mao's matter, could you… considering we all live in the same compound, could you do your best to inquire and see what the security department's opinion is? If possible, could you pass on a message and put in a good word for them?"

Of course, we're not trying to put you in a difficult position; we definitely can't do anything that violates principles. It's just... we're trying to see if there's any room for maneuver to get them out sooner, and to avoid a too harsh punishment. After all, they're all from the same department; if they really get into trouble, our department will lose face, won't it?"

This time, Yi Zhonghai didn't resort to his usual moral blackmail tactics; he simply pleaded sincerely. After several incidents, he had a general understanding of Wei Chen's temperament and knew how to speak to him.

Yan Bugui finally spoke up, his tone much more tactful and cautious: "Wei Chen, what your uncles said makes sense. We're neighbors, so we should help each other out. Of course, it mainly depends on whether it's convenient for you and whether it's suitable for you. You're in that system, so you know the rules better than we do. If it's difficult, just say so, and we'll understand."

After the three finished speaking, they all looked at Wei Chen expectantly. Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's eyes were filled with undisguised expectation and pleading, while Yan Bugui's eyes were filled with probing and observation.

The room fell silent for a moment, with only the ticking of the old-fashioned grandfather clock on the table and the faint sound of spatulas coming from the kitchen.

Wei Chen maintained his calm posture, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table. He understood what the three old men had said. He saw through Yi Zhonghai's scheming, Liu Haizhong's vanity, and Yan Bugui's shrewdness.

He had witnessed the farce involving Sha Zhu and Xu Damao for the past two days as if it were a real, somewhat absurd drama. From Xu Damao spreading rumors to the setback of Sha Zhu's social gathering, and then to yesterday's iron rod chase, he had seen it all, both near and far.

He had no intention of judging who was right or wrong; he only felt that the two were neither good people, one was insidious and the other was reckless, and that they had only themselves to blame for things ending up like this.