Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Liu, the clerk next to Director Wang, was a thin-faced young man wearing glasses, carrying a bulging, grass-green canvas bag with the words "Serve the People" printed on it.

"Comrade Liu Haizhong, we are not here to inspect our work." Director Wang's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable penetrating power, clearly overshadowing Liu Haizhong's enthusiasm. "We are here on behalf of the subdistrict office to visit and comfort the families of martyrs and impoverished households in our compound, and to deliver some of the organization's goodwill."

"Family of a martyr?" Liu Haizhong's smile froze for a moment, then he suddenly realized, and his voice immediately rose a notch, as if announcing to the whole compound, "Oh! I understand, I understand! It's the deaf old lady in the backyard! Of course, of course! The old lady is the oldest person in our compound, a precious asset to our compound! The leaders of the street office always keep her in mind, which is truly caring and reflects the spirit of our Party and our army..." He subconsciously began to recite the clichés, almost spitting out saliva.

Director Wang frowned almost imperceptibly, directly interrupting his long speech. His voice remained steady but carried a clear direction: "Besides the deaf old lady, there's also Comrade Wei Chen."

"Wei Chen?!" This time, the exclamations almost came out of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong's mouths in unison. The mask of a kind elder on Yi Zhonghai's face cracked instantly, revealing the undisguised astonishment and a trace of instinctive vigilance beneath.

His gaze towards Wei Chen was filled with disbelief and a sharp reassessment. The simple-minded Zhu beside him gaped, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg, and blurted out, "Wei Chen? A martyr's family member? Really?"

The neighbors around, whether they were washing rice under the tap or watching the excitement with their children, all stopped what they were doing. Their eyes were drawn to Wei Chen as if by a magnet, and their low murmurs spread quickly like pebbles thrown into water.

"Is Wei Chen also a family member of a martyr?"

"Wow! This new guy's been keeping a low profile!"

"No wonder it looked unusual; its roots were so red..."

Director Wang seemed quite satisfied with the effect. She nodded slightly, her voice carrying clearly throughout the entire courtyard, as if reading a glorious certificate: "That's right. Comrade Wei Chen's father was a glorious soldier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army! In the early days of the People's Republic of China, he fought bravely to defend his country and sacrificed his life heroically! He is a revolutionary martyr recognized by the state! Comrade Wei Chen is a true son of a martyr, with impeccable revolutionary credentials! This has been strictly verified and confirmed by our street office!" Her gaze swept over the crowd, carrying an unquestionable authority.

These words were like pouring cold water into boiling oil, instantly igniting an even more heated reaction.

"A descendant of a hero! No wonder he's so capable!" "Comrade Wei Chen, well done! You didn't disgrace your father!" "I knew it, that spirit was different..." "A martyr's family member, those are people the whole country respects..."

Yi Zhonghai reacted the fastest. His initial shock receded quickly, replaced by a deeper and more genuine (at least on the surface) excitement.

He strode forward, past Sha Zhu, and with a broad palm, slapped heavily on Wei Chen's shoulder, almost as if releasing his power, making a dull "smack" sound. The force was so great that Wei Chen swayed slightly.

"Good! Good! Wei Chen!" Yi Zhonghai's voice boomed, filled with a belated realization and a sense of pride and excitement. "I, Yi Zhonghai, am truly... truly blind! So you are the son of a hero! The descendant of a martyr! No wonder! No wonder!"

He shook Wei Chen's shoulders vigorously, his eyes burning. "I said, how do you have such great abilities? You brought so many wild boars to our steel mill, solving a major problem for the factory! What do you call that? You call it inheriting the legacy of your fathers and carrying forward the revolutionary spirit! Contributing to socialist construction! You are a good example that our entire institute, and even the entire neighborhood, should learn from!" His words were impassioned and righteous, immediately drawing heartfelt agreement from those around him.

However, deep within his fiery gaze, beneath the forceful pat on the shoulder, Wei Chen clearly sensed a chilling undercurrent.

Wei Chen did not miss the fleeting shadow of gloom and barely perceptible anxiety that crossed Yi Zhonghai's eyes.

Wei Chen understood that in the past, in the entire No. 95 compound, only the deaf old lady in the backyard had the halo of "five-guarantee household" and the vague "family member of a martyr". Yi Zhonghai, with his status as an old man and his apparent "meticulous care" for the old lady, had invisibly monopolized this special channel of communication with the street office.

This special relationship was a crucial foundation for him to maintain his influence within the compound, cultivate his authority, and even obtain hidden benefits at times.

Now, a true martyr's family member, Wei Chen, who is upright, young, strong, independent, and exceptionally capable, has descended from the sky! This is undoubtedly like a huge and uncontrollable meteorite thrown into the center of the power structure that he has painstakingly built up over the years!

The louder his praise was, the more alarming the alarm bells rang in his heart: Was this Wei Chen a lucky star or a variable? It seemed that he was going to completely muddy the waters of this courtyard in the future!

"Director Wang! Officer Liu! Look, this is the spirit of our institute! This is the power of role models! That old man is absolutely right!" Liu Haizhong, not wanting to be left out, immediately squeezed forward, his chubby face beaming with smiles, trying to chime in and assert his presence, "Comrade Wei Chen is the pride of our entire institute! We will definitely..."

"Officer Liu," Director Wang said, seemingly ignoring Liu Haizhong's words, and turned his gaze directly to the young officer behind him. Officer Liu immediately understood, stepped forward, and carefully took out two items wrapped in dried lotus leaves from his canvas bag.

The lotus leaves, soaked in oil, turned a deep, dark green, with tempting sheen at the edges. A rich, meaty aroma, mixed with a wild scent, instantly filled the air, causing many people around to unconsciously sniff and swallow.

Officer Liu handed a generously sized lotus leaf package to Wei Chen with both hands: "Comrade Wei Chen, this is a small token of our appreciation from the subdistrict office. It's two jin of top-quality roe deer meat, a gift for the families of martyrs. Please accept it."

When the familiar, oily smell carrying the scent of the mountains and forests entered his nostrils, and when he saw the shape of the lotus leaf wrapping and the traces of oil seepage, Wei Chen's expression instantly became extremely complicated, and his emotions of not being able to laugh or cry almost overflowed.

This was clearly the essence of the roe deer that he had personally taken from his spatial storage and sold to the neighborhood committee just a few hours ago! Now, it had come full circle, bearing the halo of "comfort for the families of martyrs," and had returned to his hands! The feeling was as absurd as a dark comedy.

"Director Wang, Officer Liu, this... I really can't accept this meat!" Wei Chen quickly waved his hand, his tone filled with utmost sincerity and a hint of barely perceptible helplessness. "I appreciate your kindness, and I am extremely grateful for the neighborhood committee's concern. But I am young and strong, with hands and feet, and I can earn a living on my own. This roe deer meat is precious; let's leave it for the truly needy neighbors in the compound! They need it more than I do!" His words were firm and heartfelt.

However, to the neighbors who had been eating bland food year-round, especially the housewives who had families to support and lived frugally, this excuse was like a thunderbolt!

"My God! Two pounds of roe deer meat! You're just going to throw it away like that?"

"This child...is he stupid! Such a good thing!"

"Oh my goodness, don't give it to me! My husband's eyes are practically glowing with craving for meat!"

"Tsk tsk, really... a well-fed man doesn't know the hunger of a starving man..."

In a corner of the crowd, Jia Zhangshi stood like a door god at her own doorway, clutching a bunch of wilted bok choy in her hand, her cloudy eyes fixed on the lotus leaf package in Officer Liu's hand that exuded a deadly allure.

Hearing Wei Chen refuse again, the corners of her thin, downturned mouth twitched violently. In a voice barely audible to the few old women around her, she spat out a vicious curse through gritted teeth: "Pah! You little brat! What are you pretending to be, some kind of saint! You don't want the meat? You good-for-nothing! Showing off your ability, huh? If you don't want it, give it to our family! Our Dongxu works like a cow in the workshop, his bones are still growing! You ungrateful wretch! You deserve it..." The jealousy and greed burning in her eyes almost set the lotus leaf package ablaze.

"Comrade Wei Chen!" Director Wang's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable authority that instantly silenced all the discussions and complaints.

She looked intently at Wei Chen, her tone resolute: "Your awareness and style are commendable! But we need to distinguish between two different things!"

She paused deliberately, her gaze sweeping across the room like a searchlight, making sure everyone heard every word that followed: "This meat was indeed your hunting catch, and you sold it to the neighborhood committee! But!" She emphasized the word "sold," her gaze finally settling on Wei Chen's face, "This is a gift from the neighborhood committee, on behalf of the organization, to Comrade Wei Chen, the family of a martyr! This is the nation's care for the families of martyrs! It's an honor! You must accept it! This is not only recognition of you personally, but also respect for all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the new China!"

"If you don't accept it, what will the other families of martyrs and those in need who received the gifts think? How can they accept the organization's care with a clear conscience? Doesn't this put our street office's work in a passive position? Doesn't this betray the country's good intentions towards the families of martyrs?"

Director Wang's words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer! Especially the sentence, "The meat was hunted by you and sold to the neighborhood office," which was like a depth charge detonating on a calm lake!

Boom! The entire compound erupted in chaos! The previous shock was instantly overwhelmed by an even stronger shockwave!

"Good heavens! Did Wei Chen get that meat?!"

"Sold to the neighborhood committee? My goodness! He has this kind of business relationship with the neighborhood committee?"

"Those seven wild boars at the steel mill a few days ago... and these roe deer and wild boars today... were they all his doing?"

"No wonder Director Wang came in person! It's like the God of Wealth has descended to earth!"

"My goodness! No wonder he had so much money to build a house! He's really talented! He's been keeping it a secret!"