Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen pointed to the cloth and cotton on the ground: "As for this cotton and cloth, I found it at the 'Ghost Market' in Beijing." He deliberately lowered his voice, the words "Ghost Market" carrying a mysterious and taboo flavor.

"As you know, cloth coupons and cotton coupons are very hard to come by now. In that place, the market opens before dawn and closes at daybreak. They sell all sorts of things, and some things... have unclear origins, but the price is right, and you don't need coupons."

He looked at his mother with a sincere expression, "I saw that the cotton was snow-white and thick, and the cloth was also of good quality. It was a rare opportunity. Although the price was a bit higher than at the supply and marketing cooperative, I thought that our family was really short of supplies, so I gritted my teeth and bought both bags of cotton and both bolts of cloth."

"Ghost market..." Wang Xiulan murmured, repeating the word over and over, her face showing a complex expression. There was lingering fear, worry, but more than anything, a sense of relief at being able to possess scarce resources in an era of scarcity.

She had certainly heard about the risks of the ghost market; it was dark, chaotic, and getting caught speculating was no joke.

"Chenzi," Wang Xiulan's voice was solemn, "in the future... try not to go to that place again, it's too risky. In case... we'd rather use less than let you take that risk."

Looking at her son, who had grown into a strong and independent man, she ultimately swallowed back the words she was about to say. In this day and age, her son was working and earning a salary; he was the pillar of the family. As his mother, she could only offer advice on some decisions, not forcefully stop him.

She even had a vague feeling that her son, who seemed to have been reborn after going to work in the city, had a kind of composure that she couldn't quite understand but which made her feel inexplicably at ease, and that he really could take on the responsibility of the family.

"Yes, Mother, I know what's important. I'll be more careful in the future." Wei Chen nodded in agreement, then changed the subject, pointing to the pile of cotton and cloth, his tone filled with planning and anticipation, "Mother, you see, with these, our family won't have to worry about winter this year. You know about that house in Beijing, I've had it built, and I reckon it'll be finished before winter. Then we can move there, each of us will have our own room, spacious and bright."

He emphasized, "I specifically told the craftsman to make all the beds big! The earthen beds in our countryside are warm, but for the new house, I'm thinking of making them into modern large wooden beds with thick mattresses, so they'll be more comfortable to sleep on."

"A big bed?" Wang Xiulan's attention was indeed drawn to it, and she began to grumble as usual, "Why make such a big bed? It's such a waste of wood and fabric! And it won't even be warm to sleep in..."

She complained about the waste, but her hands unconsciously stroked the dark blue work cloth. The thick, rough texture made her feel incredibly at ease. She couldn't help but picture the large bed in her new house, calculating how much cloth she should use for sheets and duvet covers.

"Mom, listen to me, it's worth it to sleep comfortably and spaciously." Wei Chen interrupted his mother's nagging with a smile and immediately made arrangements, "Please plan carefully about the cotton and cloth. First and foremost, we need to make new bedding! How many years have the quilts and mattresses at home been? They're stiff and heavy, and the cotton has all clumped together. This time, we'll replace them all with new ones!"

He pointed to the two large bags of cotton: "I estimate this cotton weighs about a hundred pounds. Take apart and wash all your old quilts and blankets, and don't throw away the old cotton inside. Fluff it all out and re-stuff it into mattresses; it'll keep you warm. I think this old cotton should be enough to make four or five thick mattresses, right?"

Wang Xiulan's eyes lit up instantly! She circled the two large sacks of cotton twice, examining them like treasures. Her rough hands repeatedly stroked the coarse burlap sacks, as if she could feel the fluffy warmth of the cotton inside. She quickly calculated, the wrinkles on her face smoothing out, revealing the satisfaction and confidence of a housewife in control of abundant resources.

"Enough! More than enough!" Her voice brightened, carrying a long-lost sense of pride. "Take apart and wash the old bedding? Of course we have to! The old cotton has been loosened up; it'll make thick, warm quilts, perfect for the big bed! I think the old cotton could fill five thick quilts with plenty of room!"

She became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see a row of thick, new quilts. "The remaining new cotton, so white and fluffy, is perfect for making new quilts! Make them thick, five new quilts, one for each of us three! And we can make one for your grandfather with the rest!" Thinking about the light and warm new quilts she could use in winter, Wang Xiulan couldn't stop smiling, as if the weariness of the past years had been washed away by this anticipation.

"Mother, you're right," Wei Chen nodded with a smile, pointing to the two bolts of cloth. "This dark blue cotton is thick and durable, perfect for making duvet covers and sheets—it's stain-resistant and long-lasting. The floral fabric is soft and comfortable against the skin as quilt lining. With these pieces, including the ones you just calculated, how much duvet cover will we need?"

"How much?" Wang Xiulan weighed the fabric in her hand, considering its weight and thickness, and quickly calculated the dimensions and amount needed in her mind. She nodded confidently, "Hmm, about half of it will be enough! Dark blue fabric for the duvet covers and sheets, and floral fabric for the quilt lining. There's plenty of material for five quilts!"

"And with the remaining half of the cloth and cotton," Wei Chen continued, his tone filled with uncompromising tenderness, "you should make a new set of cotton-padded clothes for everyone in our family! From head to toe, brand new inside and out! And for Grandpa and Grandma, take their measurements and make them each a thick set. Our family needs to be warm and cozy this winter!"

"New cotton-padded clothes for the whole family?" Wang Xiulan's heart was struck by this "luxurious" arrangement, and then filled with immense joy.

Making new cotton-padded clothes for the whole family was a wish she had rarely been able to fulfill in her half a lifetime of housework! Looking at her son's firm and concerned eyes, she felt a warm current flow from the bottom of her heart throughout her body, and her eyes even became a little moist.

She suppressed the stinging feeling in her nose and nodded vigorously, "Okay! Okay! Mother will make it! Mother will definitely make it warm and cozy for you all!"

Looking at the mountain of cotton fabric, she felt a surge of energy. "This is nothing! Now that the canteen is open, it saves me the trouble of cooking. I'll make them whenever I have a spare moment during the day! The bedding is urgently needed, so I'll hurry up and make it. Once your house is ready, you can move it there and put it on! The cotton clothes are still two months away from winter, so take your time making them, it won't be a problem!"

Seeing the renewed light and energy in his mother's eyes, Wei Chen felt a warmth in his heart. He bent down, picked up the small brown paper package, and handed it to Wei Ran, who had been eagerly waiting: "Here, this is for you too."

"Mine?" Wei Ran exclaimed in surprise, snatching the package and frantically tearing open the kraft paper. It was a pencil case, pencils, and other stationery that Wei Chen had bought for her.

"Wow! A pencil case! It's so pretty! I have a pencil case now, thank you, brother! Mmm..." The little sister jumped up excitedly and kissed Wei Chen on the cheek.

Looking at her daughter's excited expression, then at the pile of supplies on the floor that could change the family's life, and then at her steady and reliable son, Wang Xiulan was filled with mixed emotions. She couldn't help but nag, "You child... you're wasting money again... things at the department store are so expensive..."

But there wasn't a trace of reproach in her tone. It was filled with a complex mix of heartache for her son's expense and admiration for his thoughtfulness. She reached out and gently stroked the light blue floral fabric she had prepared for her daughter. The soft touch of the fabric soothed her from her fingertips to her heart. "Chenzi... he's really grown up... he knows how to take care of the family now..."

Wei Chen simply smiled, watching the tears of relief in his mother's eyes and his younger sister's joyful figure clumsily twirling in her new dress. He walked to the stove, picked up the thermos, and poured some hot water into the rough porcelain bowl on the table.

Wisps of steam rose up, mingling with the faint fragrance of new cotton, the smell of starch on cloth, the aroma of burning kerosene lamps, and the vibrant, childlike energy emanating from my younger sister.

This simple, dimly lit, and even somewhat dilapidated farmhouse was now filled with an unprecedented warm atmosphere of "hope" and "abundance".

The dim light cast long shadows of the three people onto the earthen wall covered with old newspapers, swaying slightly and intertwining, like a warm silhouette of "home".

"It's getting dark, let's pack up our things first. I haven't eaten yet, is there any food left in the cafeteria?" Wei Chen said.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Wang Xiulan then remembered that her son hadn't eaten yet, and quickly said, "The cafeteria dinner hasn't ended yet, there's just some soup left. Mom will heat up some cornbread for you, and fry an egg for you? We still have eggs at home."

"No need to trouble yourself, Mom. I'll go to the cafeteria and see if there's anything left to eat." Wei Chen stopped his mother. "I'll also go and see what this new cafeteria is like." He was also a little curious about this "new thing" that had only appeared briefly in the tide of history.

"Okay, then go quickly! Take this!" Wang Xiulan hurriedly took out a large rough porcelain bowl and an aluminum rice spoon from the house and handed them to Wei Chen. "It's over at the village office."

Wei Chen took the rough porcelain bowl, still warm from home, and the cold aluminum spoon, and nodded: "Okay, I'll be right back."

He carried his bowl out of his small courtyard and headed towards the brightly lit and bustling village office compound at the east end of the village. As dusk settled, villagers could still be seen in twos and threes carrying bowls, burping contentedly, and walking home along the dirt roads. The aroma of the communal cooking in the air grew even stronger.

Two bright gas lamps hung at the entrance of the ancestral hall courtyard, illuminating the area as if it were daytime. Inside, the courtyard was even brighter, bustling with activity, more lively than during the Lunar New Year. Several enormous iron pots, each with an astonishing diameter, sat on a makeshift stove in the center of the courtyard. The firewood in the stoves had died down, but the embers still burned. The air was thick with the aroma of cooking oil, noodles, and vegetables.

Under a makeshift shed on the west side of the courtyard, there was a food window. A short queue had formed in front of the window, mostly with laborers who had finished work late or people like Wei Chen who were returning home late.

Behind the window, several local women wearing white aprons and white hats were busy scooping food from huge wooden buckets or basins with large iron ladles. One large bucket contained warm, slightly thin radish soup, with a few specks of oil floating on top; another large basket was piled high with golden-yellow, solidly cooled cornbread, as tall as a small mountain.