Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The two men squatted on the floor, each busy with their own work. The only sounds in the office were the clanging of parts and the rustling of cotton yarn being wiped. After a while, Li Zhijun spoke up, his voice low and casual, "Wei Chen, have you heard? They arrested another batch in the East District a couple of days ago."

"What are you grabbing?"

"They were dealing in grain," Li Zhijun said in a low voice. "A black market operation was raided by the city management team, and they detained everyone, including the grain. I heard the ringleader got three years in prison." He paused, "Things are really tight now, and a lot of people are afraid to make a move."

Wei Chen didn't reply, only grunted in response, and continued wiping the gun in his hand.

Li Zhijun continued, "But then again, these days, without some upheaval, it's really hard to survive on that meager ration. My neighbor, Old Sun, traded a family heirloom porcelain vase for twenty jin of cornmeal last month. When he told me, his eyes were red—that vase was from the Qing Dynasty; back then, it could have been exchanged for a whole house full of grain. But now, getting twenty jin of cornmeal is a miracle. People are starving; who cares about family heirlooms?" He sighed and shook his head.

Wei Chen paused slightly, but didn't stop: "Old Sun, are you having an easier time now?"

"What's better than that?" Li Zhijun said with a wry smile. "Twenty catties of cornmeal, even if we eat it sparingly, will only last half a month. Once it's gone, we'll have to worry again. But he said we still have a few old things at home, and if things really come to a head, we can just take them out to exchange. Being alive is more important than anything else."

Wei Chen didn't reply, but silently reassembled the cleaned gun mechanism, put it aside, and picked up the next one.

At noon, the two went to the canteen together. The steel rolling mill was a key unit, and also a place of heavy manual labor, so its food rations were better than other factories—though only relatively speaking. The canteen food was very simple: a bowl of cornmeal porridge, two steamed buns, and vegetables were either potatoes or cabbage and radishes. Even that was considered good; sometimes there wasn't even that. Occasionally, there would be a spoonful of boiled cabbage or radish soup, with a few specks of oil floating on top. But in these days, being able to eat this was already something many people outside the factory envied.

Wei Chen and Li Zhijun, carrying their enamel bowls, found a table in the corner and sat down. Li Zhijun picked up a piece of pickled vegetables with his chopsticks, took a bite with his cornbread, and mumbled, "This pickled vegetable is incredibly salty. I don't know if the canteen uses salt for free or what."

"It's been marinating for a long time, so it's less greasy," Wei Chen said, taking a sip of the porridge. The porridge was so thin you could see your reflection in it, but at least it was hot, and it would warm you up for a while after you ate it. He didn't complain or say much, he just silently finished his portion. In this day and age, being able to eat a hot meal was already something to be grateful for.

"When will this ever end?" Li Zhijun chewed on his cornbread, his voice filled with an indescribable weariness. "We weren't rich before, but at least we had enough to eat. Now? Every meal is thin gruel, we hardly ever see anything solid. My wife worries about having a single bite to eat every day, and my child is as thin as a stick." He sighed. "Sometimes I really think... about doing something else. Just getting something to eat, even if it's risky."

Wei Chen put down his bowl and glanced at him: "Take it easy. What will happen to your wife and children if something really happens?"

Li Zhijun shook his head with a wry smile: "I know. I'm just feeling really stifled." He paused, then lowered his voice, "Wei Chen, you have connections. If you have any leads, think of me. I'm not afraid of taking risks, but I'm afraid my family will starve to death at home."

Wei Chen was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly: "If I have any connections, I'll tell you. But you can't rush it."

Li Zhijun took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "I'll wait for your news."

After finishing his meal, Wei Chen didn't return to the security department. Instead, he turned a corner and headed towards the logistics department. The logistics office was located on the west side of the factory area, divided into several groups. The purchasing group he had previously worked for was in the innermost room. When he pushed open the door, he saw three people sitting around a table, looking at several reports with concern.

"Hey, Wei Chen!" A young man in his early twenties sitting near the door saw him first, stood up, and smiled with delight. "What brings you here? What a rare guest!"

This young man is Liu Guoqing, a purchasing agent in the third purchasing team. He has a round face and is slightly chubby—although in this day and age, that little bit of chubbyness is almost gone. He used to have a good relationship with Wei Chen and often accompanied Wei Chen on errands to buy things.

The other two people in the room also looked up. Sitting by the window was a man in his thirties, wearing old glasses, with a thin face but a steady gaze—his name was Hu Songnian, who was Wei Chen's mentor when he first joined the purchasing team. Back then, he took Wei Chen to the countryside several times and taught him the ins and outs of purchasing little by little.

Behind the desk on the inner side sat a young man in his late twenties, holding a pen and looking at an account book with a troubled expression—his name was Jin Dong, and he was also a purchasing agent in the third purchasing group.

"Wei Chen is here." Hu Songnian put down his pen and smiled when he saw him. "How's it going with the security department?"

"It's alright." Wei Chen pulled up a chair and sat down. "I usually learn some gun maintenance; it's easy, but boring." He glanced at the reports on the table. "What's wrong? Is the procurement going badly?"

"Don't even mention it." Liu Guoqing said with a bitter face, plopping back into his chair. "Given the current situation, any unplanned purchases are basically zero. We can't complete a single task assigned by the higher-ups. We used to be able to go to the countryside to buy some agricultural products, but now people are starving there themselves, who has anything to sell us?" He spread his hands. "Even a clever cook can't cook without rice."

Hu Songnian sighed and chimed in, "Yeah. Before, when we did the purchasing, we could at least get some eggs, vegetables, and grains to supplement the factory canteen's supplies. Now? We can't even get a scallion. I contacted a few production team leaders I used to know, and they just said, 'It's not that we don't want to help you, it's just that we have nothing to give you. We're starving ourselves, what are we going to sell you?' What are we supposed to do?"

Jin Dong put down his pen and rubbed his temples. "Wei Chen, you've come at the right time. You're quick-witted and have many connections. Can you think of a way to get things done? Even if it's just a little bit, it'll help. The higher-ups are pushing us hard. If this keeps up, I'll be working my job as deputy team leader for a while."

Wei Chen remained silent for a while, as if seriously considering the question. After a moment, he slowly spoke: "Given the current situation, it's indeed difficult to obtain agricultural products outside the planned supply. But it's not entirely impossible."

He paused, then lowered his voice, "I know a few people from outside the city whose families used to raise pigs and grow vegetables, and they might still have some left. But the quantity isn't large, and the price—it certainly won't be cheap."

Jin Dong's eyes lit up: "As long as we have the goods, that's fine! Price is negotiable! The factory has approved special funds now, so we're willing to pay a higher price as long as we can get the goods."

Wei Chen nodded: "Then I'll ask around for you later. I'll let you know when I get any news."

"That's great!" Liu Guoqing slapped his thigh. "Brother Wei Chen, you're the most reliable one! You really saved our purchasing team's life!"

Hu Songnian didn't speak, but glanced at Wei Chen with a thoughtful look in his eyes. He knew Wei Chen, the apprentice he had trained a few days ago, and knew that Wei Chen was never one to make promises easily.

When he says "I'll ask around for you," he usually means he's fairly certain. But Wei Chen doesn't say what the specific methods or connections are, nor does he ask—this is a tacit understanding that has developed between them over the years.

Wei Chen sat with the purchasing team for a while longer, chatting with them about the factory's recent situation and gossip, before getting up to say goodbye. As he walked out the door, Hu Songnian followed him out and called out to him in the corridor, "Wei Chen."

Wei Chen stopped and turned around.

Hu Songnian took two steps closer and lowered his voice: "You should also be careful. These days, being able to get your hands on things is a skill, but being too high-profile can easily lead to trouble. As for the purchasing team, if you really have connections, just go through my channels, and don't make a fuss."

"Master, I know." Wei Chen nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Hu Songnian looked at him, as if he wanted to say something more, but in the end he just patted him on the shoulder: "Go on. Come back and visit often when you have time."

Wei Chen rode his bicycle out of the factory gate and walked home along the street. The evening wind was a bit cool, carrying a dry chill on his face. As he passed a grocery store, there was a short queue outside, with people clutching their ration coupons and looking tired and anxious.

At the end of the line, on a small blackboard that read "Today's Supply," there was only one line: Cabbage, limited to two jin per person. Some people in the line complained in hushed tones, some waited silently, and some clutched empty baskets, staring blankly ahead.

He didn't stop and continued riding. As he approached the alley entrance, he suddenly slowed down. His mind was still preoccupied with what the purchasing team had said.

Unplanned purchases have almost stopped, and the food at the factory is getting worse. Although we can barely make ends meet for now, no one knows how long we can last like this.

He thought that perhaps in a few days, he could "get" something, through Hu Songnian and his team, to add some oil to the factory canteen. Not too much, just enough for the workers to occasionally have a slightly oily meal. Doing so would not only help the purchasing team complete their task but also leave a better impression on him within the factory.

But he doesn't plan to give too much at once. He'll stop when he's done and let things flow slowly.

By the time I got home, it was already dusk. A thin wisp of smoke filled the courtyard—everyone was cooking, but the aroma of food was barely perceptible.

In those times of famine, even the smoke from cooking fires was thin and wispy. Wei Chen pushed open the door to the east courtyard, heated up a simple bowl of porridge, and ate it with pickled vegetables. After cleaning up the dishes, he didn't go back inside, but went to Grandma Li's house in the backyard first.