Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Seeing them standing motionless at the door, Wang Xiulan waved them over: "Jiecheng, Jiefang, Guangtian, Guangfu, come in and help pick up the dates!"

Yan Jiecheng scratched his head somewhat awkwardly: "Aunt Wang, we...we're just here to take a look. We can't really help you with harvesting dates."

"Why can't you help?" Wang Xiulan walked over, grabbed Yan Jiecheng's arm without saying a word, and pulled him into the yard. "The more people the better. You can help pick some up, and each of you can grab a handful to take home and eat later."

Yan Jiecheng and the others were pulled into the yard. At first, they were a little reserved, but when they saw Xiao Shitou and Xiao Cao squatting on the ground picking up the dates with great enthusiasm, and the bright red dates rolling around all over the ground, they gradually relaxed and bent down to help pick them up.

After picking for a while, Wang Xiulan indeed grabbed a large handful of dates for each of them and stuffed them into their pockets. The boys looked down at their heavy pockets, their faces showing a mixture of embarrassment and joy.

Just then, Auntie San arrived. She walked into the yard with a smile on her face and said, "Oh, picking dates? I was wondering why I heard so many crackling sounds outside, like firecrackers. Turns out your dates are ripe." She walked to the date tree, looked up at the tree full of dates, and clicked her tongue twice, "This date tree is really thriving, it's produced so many. Wei Chen, that boy, really knows how to grow things."

As she spoke, she bent down, picked up a few, wiped them clean, and tasted one: "So sweet! Very sweet!" She then bent down again and began to help pick them up. The third aunt was efficient and quick, and in no time she had filled a whole basket.

Liu Haizhong's wife stood at her own doorway, peering towards the east courtyard for a while. She didn't come in, just stood there watching. Her vegetable garden wasn't growing well, and there wasn't much harvest in the yard. Looking at the Wei family's tree full of red dates, she couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart. After standing there for a while, she turned and went back into the house.

Madam Jia Zhang also stood at her own door, craning her neck to look at the east courtyard for a long time. After her eyes darted around, she turned and went back into the house, saying to Qin Huairu, who was tidying up, "The Wei family is picking dates. Everyone in the courtyard has gone to help. You should go and help too, don't just sit at home doing nothing."

Qin Huairu paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Mom, they're picking dates, why should I help? There are so many people, going to help now would just be taking advantage of them..."

"What do you mean by 'getting something for nothing'? We're helping to pick up the dates!" Jia Zhangshi glared at her. "Look at all those dates on the ground, no one can possibly eat them all. Whoever helps gets some. Are you stupid? Hurry up! And don't forget to bring some stalks."

Qin Huairu's lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back in the end. She had been married into the Jia family for more than two years, and she knew her mother-in-law better than anyone else what kind of person she was. She didn't want to go, but she didn't dare to disobey her mother-in-law. After hesitating for a while, she blushed and pulled Banggeng out of the house.

She walked to the entrance of the east courtyard, stopped, and glanced inside. The courtyard was bustling with activity; adults were bending over to pick up dates, children were running all over the yard, and the dates were rolling around on the ground, their red color dazzling.

She hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside, head down, without saying a word, and bent down to pick up the dates from the ground. She picked them up very slowly, never raising her eyes, as if afraid of making eye contact.

Banggeng stood next to her, not shy at all. Seeing the dates all over the ground, he immediately squatted down, quickly grabbed them with his little hands and stuffed them into his mouth and pockets.

When Wang Xiulan saw Qin Huairu come in, she was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Huairu is here? Hurry up and pick some, pick some more to take back for the corn to eat."

Qin Huairu blushed and softly replied, "Thank you, Aunt Wang." She lowered her head again and continued picking up dates. She picked up some, but didn't take more than a handful, then got up, took Banggeng's hand, and left. Banggeng's pockets were stuffed full of dates, and she was still clutching a handful in her hand, her little face full of satisfaction.

Jia Zhangshi stood at the courtyard gate, craning her neck to look inside. Seeing that Qin Huairu had only picked up a handful before coming out, she pouted in dissatisfaction and lowered her voice: "Just that little bit? You're too honest. Other people are giving handfuls to the children, and you, you just picked up a handful and came out."

Qin Huairu didn't speak, but kept her head down and walked home, holding onto the stick. When she reached her own door, she suddenly turned around, glanced at the red dates on the tree in the east courtyard and the people in the yard, then lowered her head again and stepped over the threshold.

The jujube-picking activity lasted for most of the morning. Wei Chen climbed the tree, knocking down each branch laden with jujubes, while Niu Dali swept the lower branches below.

The jujubes scattered on the ground were gathered and placed into bamboo baskets, hampers, winnowing trays, and burlap sacks, piled in the center of the yard like a small red mountain. Sunlight shone on the jujubes, making them gleam with an oily sheen.

After pruning the last branch, Wei Chen jumped down from the tree, dusted off his hands and the fallen leaves, walked to the pile of dates, glanced at them, and mentally calculated that there were about 230 to 240 kilograms, or more than 400 jin, which was more than twice as much as usual.

Aunt Liu stared at the pile of dates, her mouth agape in astonishment: "Good heavens, what's wrong with this date tree this year? It's bearing so many! In all my years, I've never seen a date tree so laden with fruit."

Grandma Li also came over, leaning on her cane, and circled the pile of dates: "Yes, it must weigh at least four hundred pounds, right? This is really... these days, this pile of dates is more precious than gold."

Yi Zhonghai appeared at the courtyard gate at some point. He was taken aback when he saw the pile of dates, and then said, "Wei Chen, you've taken good care of these date trees. Your family has had the best harvest in the whole courtyard this year."

Wei Chen smiled and said, "We usually water them a lot, so the trees have caught up. But next year might be different."

He said it like that, but he knew in his heart that it was all thanks to the cultivation technique. But he wouldn't say it out loud; he just called out to everyone, "Don't just stand there, everyone gets a share—everyone who came to help today, take a big bunch home to treat their children."

As soon as he spoke, the third aunt was the first to respond: "Oh dear, how could we accept this..." While saying sorry, she had already reached into the pile of dates, grabbed a large handful, stuffed it into her pocket, grabbed another handful, and stuffed it into the hands of Yan Jiekuang and Yan Jiedi beside her, "Quickly thank Wei Chen."

Aunt Liu smiled and said, "Wei Chen, you're too kind, child." She stepped forward, grabbed a large handful, and then looked back at Niu Dali, "Dali, here you go."

Niu Dali shook his head: "Mom, you can take it, I won't eat it."

Wang Xiulan came over, grabbed a large handful of food, and shoved it into Niu Dali's mouth, glaring at him: "Silly boy, take it, eat it slowly when you get back."

Niu Dali then reached out, grabbed a small handful, and stuffed it into his pocket.

Qin Huairu had already returned home with Banggeng. Wang Xiulan thought for a moment, grabbed a large handful of dates, and delivered them to the Jia family's door, calling out through the door, "Sister-in-law Jia, these are for Banggeng."

There was a moment of silence in the room. Then the curtain was lifted, and Qin Huairu peeked out, took the handful of dates, and her eyes were slightly red. "Thank you, Aunt Wang. Thank you, Wei Chen." Her voice was a little hoarse as she said this, as if she was holding back something.

Madam Jia sat inside, watching Qin Huairu bring in a bunch of dates, and pursed her lips: "Only a bunch? Stingy." Qin Huairu didn't say anything, just put the dates on the table and turned to go to the stove to busy herself.

At Grandma Li's and Aunt Liu's houses, Wang Xiulan packed twenty jin (approximately 10 kg) of dates into cloth bags and insisted on giving them to them. Grandma Li declined for a long time, saying, "How can this be? How can this be... We're just here to help you with your date harvest, we can't possibly take so many..."

"Aunt Li, please take this." Wang Xiulan hung the cloth bag on her arm without saying a word. "It must be hard for you to carry Xiao Shitou all by yourself. These dates can be stored and dried, enough to eat all winter. Please don't be shy with us."

Grandma Li's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice choked with emotion: "Xiulan... how could this old woman possibly accept such a favor..."

"Why are you saying all this?" Wang Xiulan patted her hand. "We're all from the same compound. You've helped me so much lately. Don't be so formal."

Aunt Liu declined for a long time, but finally couldn't resist Wang Xiulan's insistence and accepted the bag of dates. She stood in the yard, carrying the heavy bag of dates, looking at Wang Xiulan and Wei Chen. She opened her mouth, but ultimately only said, "Wei Chen, Sister-in-law Xiulan, we'll remember this kindness." After saying this, she lowered her head, picked up the dates, and prepared to leave.

On the other side, Grandma Li also left with Little Stone. As Little Stone was leaving, he looked back at Wei Chen, then at the jujube tree, without saying a word, but his eyes revealed an indescribable expression.

Wang Xiulan stood at the courtyard gate, trying to persuade them to stay for a meal, but both families refused, as it was common to eat at someone else's house in those days. After much back and forth, only Little Stone and Little Grass stayed.

The two little ones sat with Wei Ran on the steps in the courtyard, with two bowls of red dates in front of them. They were stuffing the dates into their mouths one by one, their mouths full of sweetness.

Wei Chen rushed into the kitchen, tied on an apron, and began cooking. He took out a few pieces of cured pork from a ceramic jar in the corner, cut half a pound, washed some greens from the vegetable garden, and chopped a plate of braised tofu. He heated the wok, added oil, and stir-fried the pork. With a sizzle, the aroma instantly filled the entire yard.

Little Stone and Little Grass smelled the aroma of meat and simultaneously looked up, sniffing. Little Grass whispered, "Brother Wei Chen is going to make meat dishes." Little Stone swallowed hard, saying nothing, but his eyes were fixed on the direction of the kitchen.

Wei Chen stir-fried a plate of sliced ​​meat and vegetables, braised a pot of minced meat sauce, rolled out noodles, and cooked a full pot of them. He scooped out the noodles, poured the meat sauce over them, added a few slices of braised pork, and placed them on the table: "Come on, let's eat."

Wei Ran, Xiao Cao, and Xiao Shitou sat down at the table, each with a large bowl of noodles in front of them. The noodles were piled high with glistening, oily meat sauce, emitting an enticing aroma. The three little ones picked up their bowls and buried their heads in their food, slurping it down in no time. Wang Xiulan sat beside them, watching with a mixture of heartache and relief: "Eat slowly, there's more, don't rush."

Wei Chen added half a bowl to each of their bowls, watching the little ones eat with their faces glistening with oil, he felt a mix of emotions. In these days, a child being able to eat their fill was already a great blessing. He then placed a few more pieces of meat in their bowls: "Eat more, you're growing."

After lunch, the sun was shining brightly. Wang Xiulan, along with Wei Ran, Xiao Cao, and Xiao Shitou, spread out two old mats on the open space on the east side of the yard and laid out the harvested dates to dry in the sun. The sunlight fell on the red dates, giving them a golden-red sheen, like a spread-out red carpet.

The dates covered the entire mat, weighing over 400 jin (approximately 200 kg), heavy and forming a thick layer. Wang Xiulan squatted beside the mat, picking out the few dates with wormholes and tossing them aside to feed the chickens. She then turned the dates over to ensure they were heated evenly. Xiaocao and Xiaoshitou took off their shoes and walked barefoot along the edge of the mat, crunching the dates under their feet. They found it extremely amusing and giggled.

Wei Chen stood under the eaves, looking at the two mats of red dates, then at his mother squatting by the mat busy with the work, and at the two small figures barefoot treading on the dates, without saying a word.