Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Director Wang paused, his gaze sweeping over the grim faces below, and continued, "...All welfare grain and subsidy grain rations for all units are hereby cancelled. Black market trading is a serious violation of the law, and the street authorities will cooperate with the city management and public security to severely punish such activities. We hope everyone will raise their awareness and not cross the line... The whole country is currently facing difficulties, and food is the lifeline. Everyone should understand the country's predicament, tighten their belts, and work together to overcome these challenges..."

Many people couldn't hear what was said after that. The numbers swirled and exploded in their minds, turning into concrete and terrifying images: the already empty rice jars would be completely emptied, the already thin porridge in the bowls would become even clearer, the children's cries of hunger would become even weaker, and the elderly's feeble sighs would become even longer... It seemed that with each reduction in these numbers, a large chunk of their hope for survival was cruelly ripped out.

Yi Zhonghai's hands trembled slightly under the table. He was an eighth-grade worker, responsible for heavy physical labor, and his ration had been reduced from thirty-five to thirty-two jin (approximately 1.5 kg), a difference of three jin. Three jin of grain might not seem like much under normal circumstances, but at this critical juncture, it could mean several days' worth of survival!

Moreover, reducing the proportion of refined grains to 15% means that even the occasional decent meal of steamed buns or noodles will become a luxury. His first thought wasn't just for himself, but also for Jia Dongxu. His apprentice, who also did heavy physical labor, would also have to reduce his grain intake. But Jia's family definitely wouldn't have enough, and he'd have to subsidize it himself! And what about the other families in the courtyard… he didn't even want to think about it.

The last trace of color drained from Liu Haizhong's chubby face. Although he was a level six blacksmith, his weight limit might drop to thirty-two pounds! How could he bear that? He had already lost a lot of fat; was he going to continue losing weight? He could almost see his prestige plummeting along with his weight in the future.

Yan Bugui quickly started mentally calculating. His family consisted of five people. He and his third aunt were residents, so their rations would be reduced by three jin each. He had three sons, two of whom were counted as children at the upper limit, and one as a toddler... In total, the whole family would receive nearly fifteen jin less grain a month! Fifteen jin! How could they possibly survive like this? He felt his fingers were icy cold, and his eyes behind his glasses were bloodshot.

After the meeting, the three elderly men walked back heavily, silent the whole way. A heavy pressure weighed on their hearts and on their shoulders as the "managing elders." They knew they had to tell the whole hospital as soon as possible, but how? How could they say it without causing even greater panic? Although, panic seemed inevitable.

Back in the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai glanced at the sky, took a deep breath, and said to Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, "Old Liu, Old Yan, there's no going back now. Let's hold a general meeting tonight. Right here in the central courtyard."

Liu Haizhong nodded blankly. Yan Bugui sighed, "Let them know. They'll find out sooner or later. Keeping it from them will only cause trouble."

As evening approached, though the sky wasn't completely dark yet, the courtyard was already gloomy. In the past, if there was a large meeting, the children would run and play, and the adults would bring out their stools early, greeting each other and chatting animatedly.

But today, the notice was delivered in whispers from door to door. Upon hearing the words "a big meeting," each household was first taken aback, and then their faces showed even deeper worry and unease.

No one asked any questions. Silently, the whole family, young and old, whoever could move, slowly moved out of the house, carrying their own small stools and folding stools, or simply leaning against the wall, and gathered in the middle courtyard.

The courtroom had never been so "orderly," nor so deathly silent. In the dim light, pale, swollen, or gaunt faces appeared indistinctly in the gloom, yet their eyes were all fixed on the dilapidated long table in front—the "platform" for the three old men. On the table sat a kerosene lamp, its wick very small, the tiny flame flickering in the breeze, barely illuminating the equally solemn faces of the three old men at the table.

Yes, everyone is trying to save as little electricity as possible!

Yi Zhonghai stood in the middle, with Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui on either side. No one shouted "Quiet!" because it was already eerily quiet, with only suppressed breathing and the occasional weak cough.

Yi Zhonghai cleared his throat, his voice sounding unusually dry and abrupt in the silence. He glanced around at his neighbors in the courtyard, each familiar face bearing the same expression: hunger, exhaustion, and an overwhelming sense of fear and anticipation.

"Men and women, young and old," Yi Zhonghai began, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear, "I called you all out so late because there is something very important, and also very... difficult, that I have to tell you."

He paused, as if making up his mind. The eyes of everyone in the hospital were fixed on his face like nails.

"This afternoon, the three of us went to a meeting at the neighborhood committee," Yi Zhonghai said slowly, each word carrying a heavy weight. "We received the latest notification from above. It's about... grain rationing."

The moment the word "grain" was uttered, everyone in the courtyard seemed to hold their breath for a moment. Countless gazes suddenly became sharper and more tense.

"The situation...everyone has seen it, and felt it firsthand. This year's famine is extremely severe, far more severe than last year, far more severe than we imagined." Yi Zhonghai's tone was as heavy as if he were reading an obituary. "The whole country is in the same boat; food is extremely scarce. In order to ensure the most basic needs of the capital and to maintain overall stability, starting next month, the city's food ration...will be adjusted downwards."

Despite having a premonition, hearing the words "adjust downwards" still caused an uncontrollable low commotion in the crowd, like the last groans of a dying person.

Liu Haizhong took over the conversation, trying to straighten his back and maintain his dignity as the second uncle, but his voice was somewhat weak: "This adjustment... is quite significant. Adults' rations will basically be reduced by three to five jin. Refined grains, that is, white flour and rice, will be reduced to... 15%. Coarse grains and substitute foods will be the mainstay. Soybean oil... will be reduced. Meat, eggs, and sugar... will be temporarily suspended."

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and added in his teacher-like voice, which was trying to be clear but was now trembling slightly: "Specifically for each household, the street grain store will recalculate based on the population, age, and occupation on the household registration book and issue new grain books and grain coupons."

The principle is... employees receive slightly higher pay than ordinary residents, and those engaged in heavy physical labor receive slightly higher pay than those engaged in light physical labor... but overall, the pay is reduced. In addition, all previous welfare rations and subsidies from various units... are completely cancelled. The street and city governments will strictly investigate black market transactions; we hope everyone... will abide by the regulations and not lose sight of the bigger picture for small gains.

The three old men took turns recounting the chilling policies they had heard that afternoon, trying to do so as completely as possible. They didn't hide anything, nor could they. With each policy they spoke, the suffocating silence in the courtyard deepened, and the atmosphere of despair intensified.

After the final words about the suspension of non-staple food supplies and the crackdown on the black market were spoken, the entire courtroom fell into an eerie vacuum. There were no cries, no curses, not even sighs, which were so faint as to be almost inaudible. Only the crackling of the kerosene lamps illuminated countless faces that had instantly lost their last glimmer of light.

However, beneath this deathly silence lay an impending eruption of molten lava of panic. Everyone's mind raced, calculating the even more terrifying breach that was about to befall their own homes.

Suddenly, a sharp and mournful voice pierced the deathly silence, like a rusty pair of scissors tearing open a heavy sack—

"Good heavens! Is this some kind of living hell?!"

It was Jia Zhangshi. She had been slumped on a small stool, but now she sprang up as if electrocuted. Though her movements were comical due to her weakness, she slapped her thighs with both hands, tears and snot streaming down her thin face. Her voice was distorted by extreme fear and despair: "Rate cuts?! More cuts?! Our Dongxu's rations are barely enough to fill a tooth gap! There are five of us in our family, and he's the only one on the government payroll! We're all registered in the countryside, we have no land! We've already joined the commune!"

A city residency permit is more valuable than gold! Where are we supposed to get one?! We're already struggling to afford the high-priced grain with just these few food coupons from Dongxu! And this further reduction… this is going to kill our whole family!! Bang Geng! Xiao Dang! My grandson… how are you going to survive…”

Jia Zhangshi's wailing acted like a fuse, instantly igniting the pent-up panic and helplessness throughout the entire hospital.

Qin Huairu stood beside her mother-in-law, her face ashen, her lips trembling violently, yet she couldn't utter a single word. She felt dizzy and her ears were ringing.

What Jia Zhangshi cried out was the deepest and most painful fear in her heart. Of the five members of her family, only her husband, Jia Dongxu, had an urban household registration and a fixed quota. She, her mother-in-law, Banggeng, and Xiaodang all had their household registrations in their rural hometown.

Back then, Jia Zhangshi coveted those few acres of land in her hometown and refused to transfer her household registration to the city, while the children's household registration followed their mother! Later, when the rural areas established cooperatives and the land belonged to the collective, the urban household registration policy became increasingly strict, making it extremely difficult to transfer in.

In the past two years, relying solely on Jia Dongxu's ration and her shameless borrowing from the yard and factory to secretly buy some exorbitantly priced grains and substitutes, the family has barely managed to stay afloat.

Now that the rationing quota has been cut again, the source of high-priced grain will inevitably become more difficult and expensive due to stricter inspections... If it's cut off, our livelihood is really about to be cut off! Her vision went black, and she seemed to see her three children starving and on the verge of death. Her stomach churned violently, not because of hunger, but because of despair.

Of course, they could choose to return to the countryside and join the cooperative in the village where their household registration is located, but they would have to do manual labor, and life in the countryside is even harder now! Of course, they wouldn't go back!

Jia Dongxu hunched over, squatting in the corner, his hands covering his head, burying his face deep in his knees. He dared not look at his mother, his wife, or his children. As a man, as the sole "pillar" of the family, he felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, shame, and immense pressure.

His already meager ration was now going to be reduced even further. What could he do? Steal? Rob? He was out of breath even after walking just a few steps...