Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The three of them worked all morning, pulling up the radishes, harvesting the cabbages, and dismantling the bean trellis. The radishes were washed and stacked in baskets; the cabbages were tied with straw ropes and hung under the eaves to dry.

Wang Xiulan tidied up the remaining scraps—a few tender white cabbage leaves, a few thin radish leaves, and a handful of green bean tips—divided them into two bundles, and handed them to Grandma Li and Aunt Liu: "Grandma Li, Aunt Liu, take these back and add some vegetables to your dishes tonight."

Grandma Li accepted the bundle of vegetables without refusing. She knew it would be pointless; Xiulan was an honest person, and if she didn't accept what Xiulan offered, she would feel uneasy. She simply sighed, "Xiulan, you have a kind heart. These days, everyone is looking out for themselves, but you're always thinking of both our families."

Wang Xiulan smiled and said, "Grandma Li, what are you saying? We're godparents, Little Stone and Little Grass are my godson and godson, isn't it right for me to give them a bite to eat?"

Aunt Liu chimed in, "Xiulan, I love hearing that. But speaking of which, your vegetable garden has had a truly bumper harvest this year. I saw that patch of pumpkin vines climbing all over the wall, and the pumpkins are all huge. You're probably going to harvest dozens of pumpkins this year, aren't you?"

Wang Xiulan followed her gaze. Pumpkin vines spread out all around the courtyard wall, their thick leaves crowding together, a vibrant green.

Hidden beneath the vines are countless pumpkins, some already ripe with golden skin, as big as a small washbasin; others are still growing, green and changing every day.

These pumpkins were specially planted by Wei Chen this spring. He said pumpkins are filling and easy to store, making them a treasure during years of famine. At the time, Wang Xiulan didn't take it seriously, thinking that planting a few saplings and harvesting a few pumpkins would be enough. Unexpectedly, the pumpkins seemed to have a mind of their own and grew like crazy.

"This year's pumpkins are really plentiful." Wang Xiulan walked to the wall, bent down and parted a leaf to reveal several round, large pumpkins underneath. "There are five on this vine alone, each weighing about ten pounds. I've lived half my life and never seen pumpkins grow so profusely."

Grandma Li came over and looked at the wall of pumpkin vines, marveling, "Xiulan, your pumpkins are producing more than other people's sweet potatoes! In previous years, a pumpkin might only weigh two or three pounds each, but yours are all as big as little millstones. Look at that one, the skin is already yellow, shouldn't we harvest it?"

Grandma Li waved her hands repeatedly: "That won't do! You've worked so hard to grow these, how can you give us so many? Just give us one or two to try."

Wang Xiulan insisted, "Grandma Li, please don't refuse. There are only a few people in our family, and so many pumpkins will just go bad. Your family has more people, so taking them back will at least provide for a few more meals."

Grandma Li and Aunt Liu exchanged a glance and didn't refuse anymore. They knew Xiulan was sincere. In these days, if someone is willing to share a bite to eat with you, that's an immense favor.

Over the next few days, Wang Xiulan, along with Grandma Li and Aunt Liu, began harvesting pumpkins. Every morning, the three of them squatted by the courtyard wall, picking the ripe pumpkins one by one.

I picked them, removed the stems with a knife, wiped the skin clean, and carried them to the cellar entrance, stacking them one by one. The cellar had already been prepared, dry and well-ventilated, with a layer of dry straw laid out. The pumpkins were stacked on the straw, layer upon layer, their golden color giving me a sense of peace and reassurance.

"This one must weigh twelve pounds." Wang Xiulan picked up a pumpkin, weighed it in her hand, and handed it to Grandma Li, who was standing at the cellar entrance. Grandma Li took it, bent down to put it in the cellar, and then straightened up: "Xiulan, there must be dozens of pumpkins in this cellar, right?"

"There are over forty pumpkins alone," Wang Xiulan said, wiping the sweat from her brow. "There are also cabbages, radishes, dried vegetables, and pickled vegetables all piled up inside. Add to that the dried goods and meats Wei Chen brought back, and I feel much more at ease this winter."

Aunt Liu stood to the side, looking at the cellar full of supplies, and sighed, "Xiulan, your family has prepared everything for winter ahead of time. While other families are still worrying about food, your family has even prepared food for the spring famine."

Wang Xiulan didn't reply, she just smiled. She knew in her heart that these supplies were nothing compared to the real treasure in Wei Chen's room, where there was a storage room in the basement! Many of the items were secretly obtained by Wei Chen.

Those dried meats, dried vegetables, and grains were all obtained by Wei Chen from who-knows-where. He carried them home bag by bag and stuffed them into the cellar. She asked Wei Chen about them, and he only said, "Mom, don't worry about where these came from. Just use them. In this day and age, having food in hand means you won't panic."

Wang Xiulan trusted him. Her son had always been decisive and reliable. If he said he could get something, he definitely could. All she had to do was keep these things safe, without wasting them or overspending.

That evening, Wei Chen returned home from get off work and pushed his bicycle into the yard. As he passed the yard wall, he stopped and glanced at the pumpkin vines covering it. The vines were still thriving, and beneath the leaves, several green pumpkins were still growing vigorously. He reached out and parted a leaf, looked at the pumpkins, then straightened up and walked towards the house.

Wang Xiulan was busy in the kitchen when she saw him return. She asked, "You're back? Are you tired today?"

"Not tired." Wei Chen put down the car, went into the kitchen, and saw a cut pumpkin on the cutting board, its golden flesh steaming. "Pumpkin for dinner?"

"Yes, I steamed one and also made some porridge," Wang Xiulan said. "Steamed pumpkin is sweet and filling."

Wei Chen picked up a piece of pumpkin and took a bite; it was indeed sweet and mealy. He finished it in a few bites, then picked up another piece: "Mom, have all the pumpkins in the cellar been harvested?"

"We've finished harvesting." Wang Xiulan nodded. "There are forty-seven heads in total, the larger ones weigh fifteen or sixteen pounds, and the smaller ones weigh eight or nine pounds. Including cabbage, radish, dried vegetables, and pickled vegetables, the cellar is almost full."

Wei Chen nodded: "That's good. This pumpkin can last all winter. We can eat it slowly, and if we can't finish it, it's fine. We can use it during the spring famine next year."

Wang Xiulan glanced at him and lowered her voice, "Wei Chen, I've been wanting to ask you these past few days, where did all that grain and meat you brought back come from? When I ask you, you always say you got it through friends. But this time and time again, don't you have way too many friends?"

Wei Chen was silent for a moment before speaking, "Mom, please don't ask anymore. In short, these things were obtained legitimately and there won't be any problems. You can use them without worry."

Wang Xiulan sighed: "It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I'm afraid you'll take risks for these things. These days, you can't see into someone's heart. If someone finds something wrong with you, it could be terrible."

Wei Chen smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Wang Xiulan didn't press the matter further. She knew her son was always sensible. If he said it was nothing, then it must be nothing. She turned around, ladled out another bowl of pumpkin porridge, and placed it on the table: "Alright, don't stand there, wash your hands and eat."

Wei Chen washed his hands, sat down at the table, picked up the bowl of porridge, and took a sip. The pumpkin porridge was thick and creamy, with a natural sweetness that warmed him up. He put down the bowl, picked up a piece of pickled radish with his chopsticks, chewed it, and nodded: "Mom, this radish is pickled well, crisp and crunchy, and the saltiness is just right."

Wang Xiulan sat down and picked up her bowl. "That's right, these are the pickled radishes I made. Your dad used to love them. It's a pity..." She didn't finish her sentence and took a sip of porridge.

Wei Chen didn't reply. The father and son remained silent for a while, then the chirping of crickets echoed from the courtyard, sounding particularly clear in the autumn night. After a while, Wei Chen put down his bowl: "Mom, I'm off tomorrow. I'll go for a walk outside the city and see if I can bring back anything."

Wang Xiulan glanced at him: "Going again?"

"Hmm," Wei Chen said, "There looks like a lot of stuff in the cellar, but it's not enough to last through the winter and spring. I'll go out and try my luck again, and get as much as I can."

Wang Xiulan did not stop them, but only reminded them, "Be careful, don't let anyone target you."

"I know," Wei Chen replied, putting down his chopsticks. "Mom, I'm done eating. Please enjoy your meal."

He got up, walked out of the kitchen, and stood in the yard. The night was deep; the moon was mostly obscured by clouds, with only a few stars twinkling through the gaps. He walked to the yard wall, reached out and touched a ripe pumpkin. Its skin was hard and round; tapping it produced a dull thud. With a few planting techniques, this pumpkin could at least grow a few more crops. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned and went back inside.

The wall covered with pumpkins and the cellar full of supplies were his confidence in getting through the winter.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Wei Chen woke up. Without disturbing Wang Xiulan, he quietly dressed, pushed his bicycle out of the courtyard gate, and began to walk. The autumn morning was cool, a thin layer of morning mist shrouded the courtyard, and the air was crisp. He took a deep breath, hopped on his bike, and drove out of the alley.

The streets were still quiet, with only a few early-morning workers hurrying by on their bicycles, their bells jingling. He turned onto the main road leading out of the city; the poplar trees on both sides had already lost all their leaves, their bare branches swaying gently in the morning breeze. He rode for about an hour, working up a light sweat, before finally turning into a secluded grove of trees.

After confirming that no one was around, he stopped the car, steadied it, closed his eyes, and focused on entering the game world. Under the gray-blue sky, the wilderness still stretched endlessly.

He skillfully cleared the monsters both inside and outside the city, and his experience bar increased again. Then, with a thought, he took out a batch of supplies from his backpack—two bags of flour, a bundle of dried vegetables, and a few plump cabbages.

The supplies appeared out of nowhere in the bamboo basket on the back of the vehicle, neatly stacked. He looked down to inspect them, then thought for a moment, took out a gray coarse cloth bag to cover the flour sack, filled it with cabbage and dried vegetables, tied it closed, and placed it on top of the basket.

After doing all this, he left the woods, got on the road, and slowly rode back. The sun had already risen, and it was warming him up.