Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Ran sniffed, her voice thick with emotion, and asked softly, "Really... just two months?"

"Really! I promise!" Wei Chen held up his little finger. "Pinky promise!"

Wei Ran stretched out her icy little fingers, hooked them around her brother's, and shook them vigorously: "Pinky promise, never to change for a hundred years! Brother, can you come back on Sunday? I want to come earlier..." Her little hands tightly gripped Wei Chen's clothes, as if she had grasped the only hope.

"Yes! I'll try my best to come back and see you when I have time!" Wei Chen promised. "Or, if you want to come, I'll have Mom take you by car! I'll reimburse your travel expenses!" He teased her in a relaxed tone.

"Mmm!" Wei Ran finally smiled through her tears and nodded vigorously, but her eyes were still filled with reluctance to leave her new home and attachment to her brother.

The family finally finished packing. Uncle Wei Changsheng had already hitched up the donkey cart and parked it outside the door. The grain sacks they had brought were mostly empty, and they were filled with some snacks and candies that Wang Xiulan had packed for them from the city, as well as two packs of good cigarettes that Wei Chen had insisted on giving to his grandfather.

Grandma Wang was carefully helped onto the cart by her eldest uncle and Wei Feng, and settled firmly on the thick layer of wheat straw. Grandpa Wei Shoutian also nimbly climbed onto the cart shaft and sat next to his eldest uncle. Third Uncle Wei Laishun, along with Wei Feng, Wei Yan, and Wei Guo, followed beside the cart.

Wang Xiulan, holding Wei Ran's hand, also got onto the donkey cart. Wei Chen, standing beside the cart, said, "Take care on the road, Uncle... When we get home, please send a message..."

"Don't worry, Xiao Chen!" Uncle Wei Changsheng cracked his whip. Grandma Wang was still shouting to Wei Chen from the car, "Remember what I said! Xiao Chen! Hold on tight to your granddaughter-in-law!" Grandpa Wei Shoutian nodded vigorously at Wei Chen, his eyes filled with silent encouragement and trust.

Wei Chen opened the south gate completely. This newly opened gate, which symbolized his independent household, became the exit for parting.

He stood inside the threshold, watching the donkey cart slowly start, rolling over the bluestone road with a "clattering" sound. The golden rays of the setting sun shone on his loved ones, casting long, warm shadows.

Wei Ran leaned over the back of the car, waving vigorously at Wei Chen. Her face was still wet with tears, but she forced a smile: "Brother! Come pick me up soon! Don't forget!" "Sigh! I won't forget!" Wei Chen waved hard, his voice choked with emotion.

As the donkey cart rounded the alleyway, the familiar shouts and clattering sounds gradually faded into the distance, eventually disappearing into the hustle and bustle of the alley. Only the chirping of birds returning to their nests and the faint sound of a broadcast in the distance remained in the alley. The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the walls of the east courtyard in a warm orange-red hue.

Wei Chen stood at the open south gate, gazing at the empty alleyway, motionless for a long time. The sense of fulfillment that had filled his heart with family affection and liveliness seemed to have been partially taken away as the donkey cart drove away, leaving behind a heavy emptiness tinged with a faint melancholy.

He took a deep breath of the cool evening air, turned around, and slowly closed the heavy south door. With a creak, the hinges turned, shutting out the outside world.

He carefully bolted the door, then pushed it firmly to make sure it was secure. This door was the entrance to a new life for himself and his family, and also a barrier protecting this hard-won peace.

Turning around, the courtyard was quiet. The gentle glow of the setting sun bathed the brand-new house, the gleaming blue brick floor, and the neatly stacked black coal briquettes in the corner. A few vegetable leaves, fallen during the preparation of vegetables, remained by the kitchen doorway.

In the main living room, the table, littered with cups and plates, had not yet been completely cleaned up, and the air was filled with the complex aromas of wine, meat, and tea. The lively commotion just moments before seemed like a grand dream, now shattered, leaving only the tranquility of the courtyard and... a trace of weariness from solitude.

Wei Chen didn't immediately start tidying up. He slowly walked to the center of the courtyard, looked up at the sky dyed red by the sunset, and then looked around at this small world that truly belonged to him. An indescribable emotion, mixed with a sense of accomplishment, responsibility, and a touch of loneliness, slowly washed over his heart like a tide.

He pushed open the door to the main room and went inside. The slanting rays of the setting sun shone in, outlining the new furniture with exceptional clarity and casting long shadows on the floor. The sofa still bore the slight indentation left by a guest.

Wei Chen walked to the window and looked out at the tall rooftops of the courtyard house, which were dyed red by the setting sun, and the wisps of smoke rising from the neighbor's chimney.

From the neighboring courtyard, it seemed that Jia Zhangshi's loud voice could be heard, along with the faint sobbing of Bang Geng. These sounds, belonging to the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house) and carrying the warmth of daily life, no longer sounded unfamiliar or noisy at this moment. Instead, they evoked a strange sense of belonging and comfort.

He went to his east room. The new bedding on the four-poster bed was neatly made. He reached out and touched the smooth, thick quilt cover, then stroked the dark bed frame, which carried the fresh scent of pine. Wei Chen took off his coat, which was stained with the smell of alcohol and cooking oil, leaving him only in his undershirt.

The sky outside the window had completely darkened, and lights began to illuminate each household in the courtyard one by one. The dim yellow light shone through the paper windows, casting warm halos in the night. From somewhere, the strains of Peking Opera drifted from a radio, accompanied by the drawn-out voice of a mother calling her children home for dinner. The night, belonging to the hutong and brimming with the atmosphere of everyday life, had arrived.

Wei Chen walked to the bedside, and without turning on the light, he lay down fully clothed on his brand-new, thick, sun-scented bedding, using only the faint daylight streaming in from the window. His body sank into the soft mattress, and a wave of exhaustion instantly enveloped him.

He closed his eyes, the comforting smell of new wood, new cloth, and the coal pile at the foot of the courtyard wall mingling with the aroma of smoke. This smell was so real, so warm, so… reassuring.

Outside the window, the faint sound of a night watchman's gong echoed from the depths of the alley, long and desolate, piercing the tranquil night. Wei Chen's consciousness gradually blurred, sinking into a peaceful darkness. Unconsciously, a satisfied yet weary smile appeared on his lips.

This small courtyard, this corner of Beijing, has finally become Wei Chen's home, a place where he can shelter from the wind and rain and make a living. The future is long, but tonight, he only wants to fall into a deep sleep in the warm embrace of this new home.

In the days that followed, Wei Chen's life was quickly filled with a new, regular, and somewhat monotonous rhythm.

As dawn broke, the courtyard was filled with the sounds of doors opening, coughing, the crackling of coal stoves being lit, and the gurgling of water from taps.

Wei Chen also pushed open the south gate on time and joined the flow of people going to work. He was wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket from the steel rolling mill, pushing his half-worn old bicycle, and with the ringing of the bicycle bell, he drove through alleys of varying widths, filled with the aroma of breakfast stalls, towards the huge factory area in the east of the city, which was filled with thick smoke and the smell of steel.

After reporting to the purchasing department, he found himself with some free time since he had already exceeded his monthly targets. The department head patted him on the shoulder, his face full of undisguised praise: "Xiao Wei, well done! Another top performer this month! The factory leaders have all noticed. There aren't any major tasks these next few days, so you can sit in the office, familiarize yourself with the factory's other processes, or go to the city and see if you can find any new avenues or connections to prepare for next month. Those of us in purchasing need to be active and observant!"

As a result, Wei Chen spent part of his daytime in the purchasing department's large office, which was filled with the smell of paper, ink, and a faint tobacco scent.

He flipped through the thick catalogs and price lists, listening to the veteran purchasing agents, puffing on their cigarettes and spouting their "street smarts"—where to find rare, unsold goods, which factory's warehouse keeper was easy to talk to, and which black market "middlemen" had genuine goods but were charging exorbitant prices. He listened quietly, silently memorizing everything, like a sponge absorbing water.

Occasionally, he would ride his bicycle through the streets and alleys of Beijing. In the depths of winter, the gray walls and tiles reflected the leaden sky, and the roadside trees were bare.

He deliberately wandered around large grocery stores, trust shops, and even some seemingly inconspicuous small cooperatives, observing the types, quality, and prices of goods on the shelves, and noting what the most popular items were that people were queuing up to buy. Like a calm hunter, he searched the fabric of this vast city for any information that could potentially become "prey."

However, as night fell and the lights of each household in the courtyard gradually illuminated the night, the hustle and bustle subsided, and Wei Chen's world truly entered its climax. He bolted the south gate, tightened the bolt on the moon gate, and returned to his quiet east room. He blew out the kerosene lamp, and his consciousness instantly sank into that vibrant yet treacherous game world that belonged only to him.

For the past month or so, the game world at night has become his unwavering training ground. His goal is clear and urgent: to break through to level ten!

Every night, he would appear in front of the hunter's cabin, where Big Yellow would be waiting excitedly, wagging its tail. Without a word, the man and the dog would become like the most tacit hunter duo, rushing towards the vast grasslands, dense forests, and winding riverbanks.

"Whoosh! Whoosh whoosh!" The sound of arrows piercing the air became the most frequent sonata in this world. Under the moonlight, Wei Chen's figure was as fast as a ghost. He was no longer satisfied with fixed targets, but used trees, mounds, and even running animals as cover to practice drawing the bow, aiming, and shooting while moving at high speed.

His movements became increasingly fluid, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, and each breath seemed to blend seamlessly with the vibration of the bowstring. In his hands, the art of archery had progressed from "proficient" to "masterful," his arrows flying like lightning, precise and ruthless.

The targets have also shifted from domestic poultry and livestock to more challenging wild animals. Foolish rabbits and wary pheasants are just appetizers; wild sheep, which can easily be injured if one is not careful, require patient maneuvering.

He no longer sought to kill with a single blow, but instead deliberately honed his dodging skills during the wild boar's ferocious charge and his ability to find weaknesses, such as the eyes, throat, and soft belly, for precise strikes. Every close call, every arrow's deep embedding in the boar's thick hide, made his nerves tense and relaxed, and his combat experience accumulated rapidly.