Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

As they walked through the factory area, they inevitably encountered some coworkers who were leaving their early shifts or going to other workshops. Curious, inquisitive, gloating, and sympathetic gazes were cast from all directions, pricking the two of them like needles.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were so ashamed that they wanted to bury their faces in the blankets they were holding. They could only keep their heads down and follow closely behind Wei Chen, as if only in this way could they gain a little bit of pitiful protection and confidence.

They knew perfectly well that they were able to walk out of the security gate today entirely thanks to Wei Chen, whose "influence" in the factory far exceeded their previous superficial understanding.

After leaving the factory gate, Wei Chen rode his bicycle, with Sha Zhu and Xu Damao following behind, carrying bedding, their steps uneven as they walked towards the courtyard. No one spoke; only the howling of the cold wind whistling through the bare branches filled the air.

When they returned to the courtyard, it was not yet three in the afternoon. The courtyard was quiet; those who went to work had not yet returned, and those who did not go to work were probably busy at home or catching up on sleep. Wei Chen propped up his bicycle under the hanging flower gate and said to the two, "Go home first, tidy up, and wash your faces. I'll go tell Uncle Yi and the others."

"Oh! Okay! Thank you, Brother Wei Chen!" Xu Damao thanked him profusely, carrying his bedding, hunching over, and hurriedly slipped into his own house in the backyard, afraid of being seen.

Sha Zhu, clutching his bedding, nodded heavily to Wei Chen, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately only sighed and turned to walk towards his two east-facing rooms. For the first time, his back view showed a hint of desolation and heaviness.

After watching the two disappear through their respective courtyard gates, Wei Chen turned around and walked slowly toward Yi Zhonghai's house.

Yi Zhonghai didn't go to work at all today; he took the day off and stayed home. He paced back and forth in his small room like a cat on a hot tin roof, chain-smoking cheap cigarettes, leaving a trail of ash on the floor. An elderly woman sitting on the edge of the bed sewing shoe soles was also getting increasingly annoyed by his pacing.

"Hey old man, can you please stop spinning for a bit? You're making my eyes dizzy!" an older woman couldn't help but complain.

"How can I possibly have a moment's peace?!" Yi Zhonghai said irritably. "Zhu Zi is still locked up inside! It's been a whole day and night! I wonder how Wei Chen is doing! Is he going to be in trouble? Liu Changqing is known for his iron-fisted nature..."

Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door. Yi Zhonghai rushed over and opened the door. When he saw Wei Chen standing calmly outside, his heart jumped into his throat. But when he saw that there was no one behind Wei Chen, his heart sank again.

"Wei Chen! How is it? Any news?" Yi Zhonghai asked anxiously, his voice trembling slightly.

"Uncle," Wei Chen's voice rang out calmly, "the person has been brought back. Brother Zhu and Brother Da Mao have already gone back to their rooms."

"They...they brought him back?!" Yi Zhonghai's eyes widened suddenly, and he grabbed Wei Chen's arm, unable to believe his ears. "Really? Security guard Keken released him? So quickly? Captain Liu, he..."

"Captain Liu gave me face and ended the confinement early." Wei Chen let him hold him, his tone still calm. "However, all the punishments are still in place: a factory-wide reprimand, an administrative warning for each person, and a fine of ten yuan per person. You must write a thorough self-criticism, 500 words, due tomorrow."

As Yi Zhonghai listened, the ecstasy on his face subsided slightly, but was quickly replaced by even greater relief. A warning and a fine were certainly painful, but compared to someone being locked up with an uncertain future, this was the best possible outcome!

He let out a long, long sigh of relief, as if the breath that had been stuck in his chest for a day and a night had finally been expelled, and he felt much lighter.

He shook Wei Chen's arm vigorously, his eyes welling up with tears: "Good! Good! Good! Wei Chen! That's great! I knew it! I knew I'd come to the right person! The demerit and fine... they deserved it! It's good that they're out! Being out is better than anything! This time, it's really... really all thanks to you!"

He was so excited he was almost incoherent, pulling Wei Chen into the house: "Come in and sit down! Come in and sit down! Old woman, quickly pour Wei Chen some water! Get me my best tea!"

"Uncle, no need to bother." Wei Chen gently withdrew his arm and stood still. "I just came to let you know so you can rest assured. I won't drink the water; I still need to tell Uncle Er and Uncle San as well."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes! Of course! Of course!" Yi Zhonghai nodded repeatedly, his face beaming with undisguised joy and gratitude. "Wei Chen, I'll remember this! Tonight, I'll have Zhu Zi throw a banquet to thank you properly! It's a must! You can't refuse!"

"Sir, really, there's no need." Wei Chen shook his head, his tone gentle but firm. "I have some things to do tonight. Let them reflect on their actions, write their self-criticisms, and behave themselves in the future. That's the best way to thank them. If you have nothing else, I'll head over now."

Seeing Wei Chen's resolute attitude, Yi Zhonghai didn't press the matter. He just thought Wei Chen was truly remarkable now, his abilities were exceptional in the factory. He expressed his gratitude again and escorted Wei Chen to the gate of the courtyard. Only after watching Wei Chen's figure disappear into the middle courtyard did Yi Zhonghai rub his hands together, happily returning to his house. He said to an older woman, "Quick, fry an extra egg tonight! No, fry two! And take out those peanuts from the cupboard! Zhu Zi will definitely be coming over!"

Wei Chen went to Liu Haizhong's house again. Liu Haizhong had just woken up from his afternoon nap and was rinsing his mouth with a teacup when he heard Wei Chen say that the person had been brought back and the punishment was a notice, a demerit, and a fine, with his confinement ending early. A "I knew it" look appeared on his chubby face, and he nodded with an air of superiority: "Hmm, this result... is acceptable. Captain Liu is reasonable after all, and Wei Chen, you handled this matter well. You upheld factory discipline while also considering neighborly relations. Not bad!" He acted like a leader, as if this outcome was something he had foreseen and facilitated all along.

Finally, they went to Yan Bugui's house. Yan Bugui was tending to his flowers and plants. Upon hearing the news, he took off his glasses, wiped them, and a hint of relief flashed in his small eyes, but more so, a shrewdness and joy.

He lowered his voice and said to Wei Chen, "It's good that you brought them back. Wei Chen, you've really helped us a lot this time! It must have been tough for you; you must have had to talk a lot to Captain Liu. A demerit and a fine... well, consider it a lesson learned! They should be more obedient from now on." He made no mention of his reluctance last night, instead portraying himself as one of the "heroes" who facilitated the matter, and implying that he remembered Wei Chen's favor.

By the time Wei Chen returned to his home in the east courtyard, the news that he had brought Sha Zhu and Xu Damao back from the security office had spread like wildfire throughout every corner of the courtyard.

The Jia family in the Central Court were the first to find out. Qin Huairu was washing a large basin of clothes by the pool, her fingers red with cold. When she saw Sha Zhu carrying his bedding and dejectedly slinking back to his room, her heart skipped a beat, but then she felt a sense of relief.

The relief was that Sha Zhu had finally been released, saving her "long-term meal ticket" and the most important labor force in the hospital; the concern was about the punishment and whether it would affect his future work in the canteen. Just as she was pondering this, she saw Xu Damao sneaking back to the backyard, and then she saw Wei Chen go to Yi Zhonghai's house. A little while later, Yi Zhonghai's voice, which sounded much more relaxed and cheerful, came from the Yi family.

Qin Huairu, quick-witted, immediately guessed what had happened. She hurriedly finished washing the clothes, carried the basin home, and whispered to her mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, who was pasting matchboxes together, "Mom, Shazhu is back."

"You're back?" Madam Jia rolled her triangular eyes. "How did you get back? Did you run back by yourself?"

"It doesn't look like it. Wei Chen brought it back. I just saw Wei Chen go to an old man's house," Qin Huairu said.

Madam Jia curled her lip: "Hmph, that idiot Zhu has some luck! It must have been that old bastard Yi Zhonghai who went to find Wei Chen! I didn't expect that kid Wei Chen would actually have this ability!"

Her eyes darted around, and she lowered her voice to Qin Huairu, saying, "Huairu, you'd better be even more polite to that guy in the east courtyard from now on! It seems he really has connections in the factory! He can even talk to the security department! Maybe if our family ever needs anything, we can ask him for help..."

The backyard, Xu Damao's house.

As soon as Xu Damao entered the house, he threw the bedding on the floor and slumped into a chair, panting heavily as if he had just crawled back from the brink of death. His mother, who was packing her things, was startled to see him: "Damao? You...you're back? They let you out? Sigh...your dad is going to find someone to plead for you, and he sent me to the yard to check on things. It can't be that fast!"

"I'm...I'm out..." Xu Damao said weakly, his voice trembling with tears. "I almost didn't make it back! It wasn't my dad, it was all thanks to Wei Chen! It was Wei Chen who went to Captain Liu to plead for me, and that's how they released me early!"

"Wei Chen?" Mrs. Xu exclaimed in surprise, "He...he has that much influence?"

"It's more than just saving face!" Xu Damao sat up straight, his face showing lingering fear and extreme awe. "That devil Liu Changqing doesn't give face to anyone! But as soon as Wei Chen went, he was released! Although he wasn't exempted from punishment and still has to pay the fine, the fact that he's out is an immense favor! From now on, we have to treat that person in the east wing like royalty! We absolutely mustn't offend him! He's a true Buddha!"

"Yes, then you should get along well with him in the compound from now on! Sigh... I need to go and tell your dad." With that, Xu's mother tidied up and hurriedly went out.

In the middle courtyard, at Sha Zhu's house. Sha Zhu threw the bedding onto the kang (a heated brick bed), plopped down on the edge, buried his head in his hands, and remained silent for a long time. Yu Shui came home from school and was both surprised and delighted to see his brother at home: "Brother! You're back? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

Sha Zhu looked up at his sister's concerned face, his eyes reddening again. He rubbed his face hard and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm back...it's alright now. Thanks to Wei Chen from the east wing of the front yard...Yu Shui, I was confused before, but from now on...from now on we must remember their kindness."

He Yushui nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Soon, the specific details began to circulate in the courtyard. It was the third aunt who "accidentally" overheard Yan Bugui while picking vegetables at the door, and then "couldn't help" sharing it with other women passing by.