Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Liu Yun brought two glasses of water from the kitchen and placed them on the table. "Xiao Chen, sit down. Have some water and rest your feet." As she spoke, Wei Chen introduced himself on the way, and Liu Yun addressed him differently.

She turned and went into the inner room, returning after a while with two tickets and a stack of money. She placed them on the table. "Xiao Chen, let me tell you the truth. I can tell you're a capable person, resourceful and well-off. I can't help you much, but take these two 'Old Mo' meal tickets and this money. Consider it a small token of my appreciation. If you ever have meat, noodles, grain, or anything else good in the future, just think of me and I'll send it over. I won't mistreat you."

Wei Chen glanced down at the two meal tickets and the stack of money. The meal tickets belonged to Old Mo, from the city's most upscale Western restaurant, where a single meal could cost an average family a month's worth of food. The stack of money wasn't thin either, at least twenty yuan. He thought for a moment, then pushed the meal tickets and money back: "Aunt Liu, this is too much. Just give me the cost price of the bag of flour; you can take these tickets and money back."

Liu Yun pushed the tickets and money back: "Xiao Chen, don't refuse. What's money these days? Grain and meat are the real things. You have a way to get these things, so it's only right that I give you these because of you. I'll feel at ease if you accept them."

Seeing her earnest expression, Wei Chen knew he couldn't refuse, so he nodded and put the tickets and money into his pocket: "Okay, Aunt Liu, then I'll accept them. Don't worry, if I have anything good in the future, I'll think of you first."

Liu Yun then smiled and said, "That's right. Xiao Chen, let me tell you, my daughter-in-law is indeed about to give birth, and the doctor said the baby is a bit small and needs more nourishment. If you can get any meat, whether it's pork, wild boar, or rabbit, just bring it over, and I'll give you a good price. Don't worry about me not being able to pay; I have plenty here."

Wei Chen nodded: "Okay, Aunt Liu, I got it. I'll go out and see if I can get any meat these next few days."

Liu Yun nodded in satisfaction, then chatted with him for a few more minutes, asking how many people were in his family, where he lived, and where he worked. Wei Chen answered all the questions, but being cautious, he didn't give a specific address, only saying that he worked at a steel rolling mill. Liu Yun didn't press further, only telling him to come often.

Wei Chen checked the time and stood up. "Aunt Liu, I'll be going now. Please keep that bag of flour safe and store it in a cool place; it will keep for a while."

Liu Yun saw him to the door: "Okay, Xiao Chen, take care on your journey. If you find anything good in the future, remember to come and find your aunt."

Wei Chen responded, went downstairs, and pushed his bicycle out of the residential compound. The gatekeeper, Grandpa Li, poked his head out again, glanced at him, and didn't ask any further questions.

Wei Chen hopped on his bike, rode for a while, then turned into a quiet alley. With no one around, he took the three pieces of clothing he had just bought from the bike basket, and on a whim, put them into his backpack in the game space. Taking these clothes back now wouldn't explain where they came from, so he decided to leave them for later, taking them out during the New Year and saying he had a friend bring them back from out of town—that would make perfect sense.

There was still a bag of flour left in the bamboo basket, so he took out a few cabbages from his storage space and covered it up completely. After doing all this, he got on his bicycle and slowly rode towards the courtyard house. When he passed the vegetable market, most of the people queuing to buy cabbages had already left, with only a few people still picking and choosing. He didn't stop and rode straight past.

By the time he returned to the courtyard house, it was already dark. The streetlights at the gate were on, their dim yellow light appearing particularly warm in the twilight. Uncle Yan Fugui, the third uncle, was squatting by the gate picking vegetables. Seeing him return, he stood up: "Wei Chen, you're back? Why are you so late today?"

"I went to the department store and bought some things, then wandered around a bit." Wei Chen stopped the car, took a large cabbage out of the bamboo basket, and said, "Uncle, I brought you a cabbage."

The third uncle took the cabbage, weighed it in his hand, and found it to be at least three or four pounds. The leaves were emerald green, and the core was plump. His eyes lit up immediately, but he quickly declined, saying, "Wei Chen, you child, why are you giving me things again?" The third uncle endured the pain and pushed it back.

"Here you go, Uncle San. Didn't you give me some mushrooms the other day?" Wei Chen said.

"That was to thank you for giving me the bait, which allowed me to catch such a big fish. And you've done this!" the third uncle said slowly.

Wei Chen smiled and said, "Uncle, please don't refuse. You gave me some mushrooms the other day, and I didn't refuse them either. It's only fair. Please take them; you can add some to your meal tonight."

The old man was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then his face lit up with gratitude. "Wei Chen, you're such a kind child. I gave you those mushrooms as a thank you for taking me fishing, and you've given me a cabbage in return! How can I accept this?" As he spoke, he hugged the cabbage to his chest and shamelessly accepted it. "Alright, then I won't be polite. I'll stew this cabbage with tofu tonight, and we'll have a delicious meal."

Wei Chen waved his hand: "Third Uncle, we're neighbors, how can we be so calculating? A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. If I get anything good in the future, of course I'll think of you!"

The third uncle nodded repeatedly: "That's right, that's right. Wei Chen, you're a good man. If you ever need anything from your third uncle in the future, just let me know."

Wei Chen responded and pushed the cart into the yard. As he passed the front yard, several neighbors were chatting in the yard. Seeing him return, one of them greeted him, "Wei Chen, you're back? What good stuff have you gotten your hands on this time?"

"It's nothing, just a few cabbages," Wei Chen replied, not saying much more, and walked straight towards the east courtyard. Whispers came from behind him: "The Wei family's life is getting better and better." "Indeed, they're capable; we can't be envious."

Wei Chen didn't turn around and entered the east courtyard. Wang Xiulan was standing in the courtyard, tidying up the dried vegetables hanging on the line by the dim light of the lamp under the eaves. Hearing the car, she looked up: "You're back? Why are you so late today?"

"I went to the department store and bought some things, then went to a friend's place for a while." Wei Chen propped up his bicycle, lifted the cabbage on the bamboo basket to reveal a bag of flour underneath, and said, "Mom, I brought back a bag of flour."

Wang Xiulan paused for a moment when she saw the bag of flour, then sighed, "Flour again. Wei Chen, how much money are you spending every day bringing this home? Although we have some savings, we can't afford to spend like this. These days, we have to be careful with money. What if there's an emergency and we're short of cash?"

Wei Chen smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, it won't cost much. This bag of flour was a gift from a friend, and it's much cheaper than on the black market. Besides, money is meant to be spent. It's better for the family to eat and drink well than anything else."

Wang Xiulan glared at him, still grumbling, "You're so good at talking. This isn't how you live. Back in the countryside, our family always struggled to make ends meet. Now look at us, buying this today and that tomorrow, not even knowing how to save money." As she spoke, her hands didn't stop; she bent down, picked up the bag of flour, and weighed it in her hand. "Fifty jin?"

"Yes, fifty jin," Wei Chen said. "That should be enough for our family to eat for a while."

Wang Xiulan didn't say anything more. She carried the bag of flour into the kitchen, poured it into the flour bin, covered it with the lid, and weighed it down with a stone slab. She was meticulous, afraid the flour would get damp. After putting the flour away, she came out again and looked at Wei Chen: "You haven't had dinner yet, have you? I made porridge, steamed pumpkin, and pickled radish. Have something hot first."

Wei Chen washed his hands and went into the kitchen. A pot of cornmeal and pumpkin porridge was bubbling away, and on the cutting board were several steamed pumpkins and a small dish of pickled radishes. He ladled a bowl of porridge, picked up a piece of pumpkin, took a bite—it was sweet and juicy. He finished it in a few bites, then picked up a piece of pickled radish with his chopsticks, chewed it, and said, "Mom, this radish is pickled so well, it's 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 mother and son remained silent for a while, then the chirping of crickets came from the yard, sounding particularly clear in the autumn night. After a while, Wei Chen put down his bowl: "Mom, I'll go shopping again tomorrow, take a look around, and see if I can get some meat."

Wang Xiulan glanced at him: "Going again?"

"Hmm," Wei Chen said, "There looks like a lot of stuff in the cellar, but there's still not enough meat. I'll go try my luck 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. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned and went back inside.

The pumpkins covering the wall, the supplies in the cellar, and the bag of flour hidden in the flour jar were his confidence for 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 bicycle, 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 farmed monsters both inside and outside the city, and his experience bar increased again.