Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Settling down in the dim light, Yi Zhonghai cut to the chase, explaining the Jia family's situation and his worries: "Old Liu, the Jia family is on the verge of collapse. Dongxu came to me today, and I gave them five jin of cornmeal, but what good is that? It's only the last day of the month! There's still more than half a month left! What are we going to do? Are we just going to watch them starve to death? In our compound, there are several families like the Jia family. The little bit we old folks manage to save is just a drop in the ocean; it won't be enough to save them in this crisis!"

Liu Haizhong also looked worried. Although his family was slightly better off than the Jia family, they weren't much better off: "Then what do you suggest we do? With the current situation, there's a food shortage everywhere, and the black market... they're cracking down on it even more! It could really lead to disaster!"

"Even a major disaster is better than people starving to death!" Yi Zhonghai's voice was even lower, but his tone was unusually firm. "Old Liu, this is what I think. We can't just sit and wait to die. We can't count on the factory, the grain store, or any other legitimate channels. But I know some places, some connections... and some people who might have food hidden away. They need to eat too, they need to spend money too. If we can find those places, we can buy some at a high price..."

Liu Haizhong's eyes lit up, then dimmed again: "You mean... the ghost market?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded heavily.

"Old Yi, are you crazy?" Liu Haizhong gasped. "What kind of place is the Ghost Market? It's a black market! It's speculation and profiteering! If you get caught, at best you'll have your goods confiscated, be fined, and be publicly reprimanded; at worst... you'll face legal trouble!"

"I know!" Yi Zhonghai stared at him. "But Lao Liu, do you have a better idea? Look at those children and old people in the yard! If this continues, people will really die! You and I are the managers, we can't just stand by and watch, can we? I've thought it over, and this might be the only way out. As long as we can get the food, we have to take the risk... We'll go quietly, buy it quietly, as long as we don't make a fuss, who will know?"

Liu Haizhong fell silent. He understood perfectly well what Yi Zhonghai was saying. After much hesitation, his sense of responsibility as the "manager" and his anxiety about his own increasingly dire situation ultimately overcame his fear: "Well... well, this matter can't be handled by just the two of us. Too many people will easily make things worse, and too few people won't be able to help... Also, Old Yan is shrewd and good at accounting, so we need to get him involved in the discussion as well."

"Yes, we need to find Old Yan." Yi Zhonghai nodded. "The three of us are the backbone of the institute, so we need to come up with a plan first."

After discussing it for a while, the two decided to call Yan Bugui to Yi Zhonghai's house for a private talk that very night.

Yan Bugui was somewhat reluctant to be dragged out of bed. But after hearing Yi Zhonghai's plan, his shrewd little eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly understood the implications.

He adjusted his glasses and lowered his voice, asking, "Old Yi, you mentioned the 'Ghost Market'... Where is it? How do you get in? Do you know anyone there? How risky is it?"

Where exactly are they performing? Yi Zhonghai doesn't believe Yan Bugui hasn't been to the Ghost Market! However, this can't be discussed openly. They used to act alone, but since they're all together now, let's treat it as a first time!

Yi Zhonghai didn't bother to argue and explained, "I've heard people say that in the south of the city, near the old city wall, sometimes people secretly set up stalls late at night. They sell all sorts of things, mostly people who have sneaked into the city from the countryside to sell grain, or some who have old goods hidden at home and want to exchange them for money."

There's no fixed location; they move around frequently, relying on word of mouth. Without an acquaintance to guide them, outsiders have no idea where to go. I have a cousin who works as a minor official in the Chengnan Subdistrict; he mentioned before that you can sometimes find things there. I'm thinking of going to him to see if I can get in touch.

"What about the risks?" Yan Bugui pressed. "What if we get caught?"

The three exchanged a glance, each seeing the solemnity, hesitation, and final, resolute determination in the other's eyes.

"Then... how do we tell the people in the compound about this?" Liu Haizhong asked. "We can't just keep it a secret, can we? How are we going to distribute the grain we bought?"

"We can't hide it, and we can't hide it anyway," Yi Zhonghai pondered. "But we can't make it public either. What I mean is, the three of us should first agree on the rules, and then... split up and go privately to find out about those trustworthy families who are genuinely struggling financially."

See if they're willing and willing to take the risk. Those who are willing will be added to the list. Those who aren't, we won't force them. But there's one ironclad rule: strict confidentiality is required for everyone involved! Anyone who leaks even a single word will bear the consequences! Let's establish these rules first, then tally the number of participants and the amount of money, and make unified arrangements.

"Branch statistics?" Yan Bugui asked.

"Yes, branch campuses." Yi Zhonghai nodded. "The three of us will each be responsible for one area, front, middle, and back. This will make it easier to gather information and relay messages. We'll tally up who wants to go, how much they can contribute, and then set a date."

"There's one more thing," Liu Haizhong added, adopting the air of an old man, "only the able-bodied men from each family who can handle the work are allowed to go. Women, the elderly, and children are not allowed to participate. Moreover, there can't be too many people each time. Too many people will attract attention. The things bought must be recorded in a unified account, and after returning... they can be quietly distributed to each family. We can't let outsiders notice anything amiss."

"Old Liu is very thoughtful." Yi Zhonghai nodded approvingly. "That makes sense. And there's one more crucial point," he said, his voice almost inaudible as he glanced at the two of them, "among our own people, there might be some with ulterior motives, or those who are cowardly and afraid of trouble."

"If someone is afraid of being implicated, or wants to curry favor and goes to report us... then we're all finished. So, once the list is compiled, it must be kept strictly confidential. Apart from the three of us, only the participants know their own names, and no one is allowed to ask each other. If anyone has any malicious intentions..." He didn't finish his sentence, but the coldness in his eyes sent a chill down Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui's spines.

A long silence fell over the room. The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered, illuminating three solemn faces with different expressions. The wind outside seemed to have picked up, making the paper windows rustle.

"Then it's settled." Yi Zhonghai made the final decision, his voice slightly hoarse. "Old Liu, Old Yan, let's split up. First, we'll gather information, compile a list of names and the amount of money. Then I'll go find my cousin and explore the connections in the ghost market. Everything... must be done with utmost care."

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui nodded in succession. Their faces reflected both fear and tension about the unknown risks, as well as a faint hope, like grasping at a straw in a desperate situation. This was a high-stakes gamble, the stakes being the future and fate of the entire hospital, and the stake being everyone's trust and silence.

As night deepened, the three old men's private meeting came to an end. Each lost in their own thoughts, they dispersed and disappeared into their respective dark rooms.

The courtyard remained deathly silent, but beneath that silence, a hidden, uneasy undercurrent, carrying a hint of a will to survive, had begun to quietly stir.

The ghost market, a gray corner that originally operated on the fringes of the law, became the last faint, yet dangerously alluring, light in the hearts of the people living in the courtyard houses during this darkest autumn.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and a thin layer of morning mist still shrouded the courtyard, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui appeared almost simultaneously by the pond in the central courtyard.

This wouldn't be unusual normally, but the exchange of glances between the three of them today carried a solemnity and tacit understanding that was hard for others to detect. Each of them held a washbasin and a mouthwash cup, and while brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they whispered a few words to each other.

"Did you remember everything we talked about last night?" Yi Zhonghai bent over, burying his face in the cold water, his voice extremely low.

Liu Haizhong, rubbing a towel beside him, nodded: "I know the situation of those households in the backyard. Xu Damao may be a chatterbox, but he's not very bold. We need to sound him out first."

Yan Bugui dipped his toothbrush in tooth powder and slowly brushed his teeth, mumbling, "I'll take care of the front yard. Lao Yi, you're in charge of the middle yard. As for the east wing..." He paused, glancing towards the east wing, "I'll take care of that."

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong both glanced at him. The east wing was a special case. Wei Chen's two rooms were in a separate courtyard. Although they were connected to the main courtyard, they were also separated from each other. From the day he moved in, the east wing had not been a part of the main courtyard. Moreover, Wei Chen was no longer someone they could underestimate or control.

Unlike the other families in the courtyard, the Wei family didn't gossip about every little thing, nor did they participate in the gossip and scheming of the neighborhood. Their relationship with the three elders, Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui, was always a perfectly measured distance. They were more like polite passersby, occasionally stopping by and nodding politely.

Especially after what happened with Sha Zhu and Xu Damao, the attitude of everyone in the compound towards Wei Chen has subtly changed. No one knows exactly how much influence he has in the factory, but the ability to get someone out of Liu Changqing's hands beforehand is something no one in the compound can match. Although Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong don't say it, they also feel more wary and respectful of Wei Chen.

"Old Yan," Yi Zhonghai said in a low voice, "that guy in the east courtyard is different from the others. Don't act like a big shot, speak politely. If his family is willing to get involved, that's a good thing; if they're not, don't force them. Don't offend anyone."

"I know." Yan Bugui put down his toothbrush and wiped his mouth with a towel. "Don't worry, Lao Yi, I know what I'm doing. I can talk to Wei Chen fairly well. He helped me last time, and I gave him a plate of pickled vegetables. We're on somewhat friendly terms."

Liu Haizhong snorted: "Friendship is friendship, business comes first. You have to make our rules clear to him, confidentiality is the most important thing."

"That's natural." Yan Bugui nodded and said no more.