Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

After doing all this, Wei Chen stood at the entrance of the vegetable cellar, looking at the neatly stacked winter-stored vegetables inside, but his eyes were somewhat unfocused.

This small cellar is just the tip of the iceberg. Right beneath his feet, directly beneath this house, lies a deeper, larger, and more secretive basement—a basement he discovered while renovating the house. It's the size of a room, with an extremely hidden entrance, likely left by the original owner, and Wei Chen had it thoroughly repaired.

That was the secret fortress he had truly prepared for the long, harsh winter that was to come, which would later be known as the "Three Years of Hardship".

The game world and his backpack space were his greatest assets, but he needed a reasonable explanation from his mother. These visible cellars and basements were the best cover.

He closed and locked the cellar door. Wei Chen stretched his aching back and prepared to wash up and rest. He had been through too much today, and was physically and mentally exhausted.

However, the moon gate was knocked on again. This time, the knocking was lighter and more familiar, and a slick voice rang out: "Brother Wei Chen! Wei Chen! Are you asleep? It's me, Xu Damao!"

Wei Chen frowned again, then relaxed. What was bound to happen would happen. He walked over and opened the door.

Standing outside the door was Xu Damao, dressed in a brand-new blue cotton-padded jacket and with a slicked-back hairstyle. He had an exaggeratedly enthusiastic smile on his face and was carrying a small net bag in his hand, which contained some dried mushrooms and a small bundle of mediocre wild vegetables.

"Hey! Brother Da Mao! What a rare guest! Please come in!" Wei Chen's face immediately showed just the right amount of surprise and enthusiasm.

Xu Damao strode in, his eyes scanning Wei Chen's room like searchlights, clicking his tongue in amazement: "My goodness, brother, you've really pulled off an earth-shattering operation! The moment I stepped into the yard, my ears were filled with news! Twenty-eight wild boars! Over eight thousand catties of meat! My goodness! I've traveled all over the country showing movies, and I've never seen anything this extravagant! Brother, you're something else!"

He gave a strong thumbs-up, spittle flying everywhere, "Brother, I'm truly impressed! Introducing you to the steel rolling mill was the best decision I ever made in my life!"

As he spoke, he shoved the small net bag in his hand into Wei Chen's hand without a word: "Here, take this! The other day when we went to the countryside to show a movie, the villagers insisted on giving it to me. It's some mountain produce and wild game, nothing much, just a little something to show my appreciation! Let you try something new!"

Wei Chen took the items, glanced at them, and saw that the mushrooms were ordinary hazel mushrooms, and the wild vegetables were wilted and worthless. However, it was unprecedented for Xu Damao to offer something in return. He smiled and thanked him, "Brother Damao, you're too kind! Your job is great; you travel all over the country and see so much!"

"Hey, just trying to make a living!" Xu Damao waved his hand, then sat down on the chair, leaning forward with a friendly, brotherly air. "Brother, to be honest, with your skills, it's a waste to keep you stuck in the purchasing department! Have you ever thought about moving to the publicity department? I know a lot of people there! If we package your story properly, write a reportage, and shoot a news brief, it would be a sensation! Deputy Factory Director Li would be thrilled! You'd have a bright future!" He began to subtly showcase his "value" and "connections."

Wei Chen knew perfectly well that Xu Damao was trying to curry favor with him now that he was "in power." He went along with Xu Damao's words, a grateful smile on his face: "Brother Damao, you flatter me! I'm not good with words, I'm only good at running errands and odd jobs. But what you said really resonated with me. This time, I was able to get things done thanks to you introducing me to the factory. I'll always remember that favor!"

These words made Xu Damao feel extremely comfortable, and his smile became even more sincere: "Hey, we're brothers, don't be so formal!" He rolled his eyes, "How about this, when you're free tomorrow, I'll treat you to a meal at a restaurant and have a good drink! To celebrate your great achievement! And to tell you about your thrilling hunting trip in the mountains, so I can see for myself!"

Wei Chen had been waiting for these words. He immediately replied, his tone both consultative and affectionate: "Brother Da Mao, if you're going to invite me, I can't accept that. How about this, why not do it today? Tomorrow night, let's do it here! It's a quiet place! I'll try to get some decent food, and we two brothers can have a good get-together, have a few drinks, and chat, how about that?"

"At your place?" Xu Damao was taken aback for a moment, then saw the sincere invitation in Wei Chen's eyes. Remembering that Wei Chen had just brought back so much meat, he figured he might actually get some good stuff. He immediately nodded vigorously, "Sure! Brother, you decide! It's great here, I feel so comfortable! But it's a deal, I'll take the vegetables! I still have some stock, and I'll get a bottle of good wine too! Let's have a good drink, brother!"

"That won't do!" Wei Chen shook his head with a smile, revealing his true thoughts. "Since we're getting together, let's make it lively. It's no fun if it's just the two of us drinking. How about we invite a few people of similar age from the courtyard? Yan Jiecheng and Zhang Dashan from the front courtyard, Jia Dongxu from the middle courtyard, Brother Dazhuang (Liu Erzhuang) from the back courtyard, plus Sha Zhu! Just us young people getting together, without inviting the older folks, so it won't be too formal. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Damao's eyes darted around a few times. Invite Sha Zhu along? He instinctively felt a little uncomfortable. But then he thought, so many people would make it lively, and it would also show that Xu Damao was popular and good at organizing.

Moreover, Wei Chen specifically emphasized "young people" and "not old men," which suited him perfectly—in the circle of young people, Xu Damao considered himself a prominent figure! Sha Zhu? Hmph, just a cook in charge of the cooking, perfect for him to do the work! It also makes him seem generous!

His face immediately broke into an even brighter smile, and he slapped his thigh: "Brilliant! Brother, that's a brilliant idea! Young people getting together is lively, no need for so many rules! Okay! It's settled then! Yan Jiecheng, Zhang Dashan, Jia Dongxu, Liu Erzhuang, plus that idiot Shazhu! Hey, let him be in charge of cooking, perfect for showcasing his skills! He's got a good deal!" He deliberately belittled Shazhu to show his superiority, "That kid Liu Guangqi from the backyard lives at school and can't come back, he won't have the luck!"

"Okay, it's settled then! Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be in charge of finding some meat and vegetables, Sha Zhu will be in charge of cooking, Da Mao, you bring the wine, and the rest of you just need to bring your mouths!" Wei Chen made the final decision.

"Great! That's it!" Xu Damao stood up with satisfaction, feeling that his relationship with Wei Chen had taken another big step closer, as if they had become best buddies. He took his leave with a sense of pride.

There are only a few prominent young people in the compound right now. People like Liu Guangtian and Yan Jiefang are still fourteen or fifteen years old, and in their eyes, they are still children, not to mention the others, who are even younger. Naturally, the two of them didn't mention them.

After seeing Xu Damao off, Wei Chen bolted the moon gate and the main gate, then returned inside. He didn't rest immediately, but instead went to the window and listened intently to the sounds in the courtyard. The noise had gradually subsided, and the lights in each house were being extinguished one after another. The courtyard sank into the stillness of the winter night.

Wei Chen walked to the bedside and sat down, seemingly closing his eyes to rest, but in reality he attached a very weak trace of spiritual energy to the door bolt and the latch of the moon gate.

This is a very rudimentary form of mental perception, like setting up an invisible warning line. If someone tries to force their way in or lurks outside the door for an extended period, it will alert him. Although the courtyard house is full of ordinary people, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

After confirming that it was safe, Wei Chen's figure vanished instantly, entering the game world that only he could perceive.

The scenery before him shifted, revealing an ancient city gate tower. Without hesitation, he selected the newly opened "Northern Mountains" map. With a thought, he appeared amidst a virtual mountain range filled with jagged rocks and howling winds.

Unlike last time, this time there were more kinds of "strange" creatures: the plump wild boars were still in herds, but further away, there were lynxes with agile bodies and cold eyes, gray wolves in groups of three or five with fierce eyes, and even a few hyenas that were not big but moved in a sneaky manner and made strange noises!

Wei Chen's eyes narrowed, and his hardwood longbow and specially made triangular arrowheads instantly materialized in his hand. His fighting instincts ignited instantly! Like a ghost blending into the forest, he used rocks and dead trees as cover, and each vibration of the bowstring was accompanied by a sharp whistling sound and a mournful roar.

The lynx's agility, the wolf pack's coordination, and the hyena's harassment all caused him some trouble, but in the face of absolute strength and precise archery, they ultimately turned into experience points and jingling copper coins.

Sweat soaked his brow, and his breathing became heavy. Only when the last hyena attempting a sneak attack was pinned to a rock by an arrow and vanished as a speck of light did Wei Chen slowly lower his longbow and let out a long sigh of relief. The strength of this wave of "monsters" had clearly increased considerably.

He exited the mountain map and returned to the ten acres of black soil near the city gate that had been cultivated. Concentrating his mind, he evenly scattered golden rice seeds into the turned soil.

He pressed his hands lightly to the ground and uttered a low shout: "Planting Technique!" A faint green aura emanated from his palms, seeping into the earth beneath his feet as if it were alive. Wherever the aura passed, the soil seemed to be infused with vitality, and the rice seeds broke through the soil, sprouted, and unfurled their leaves at a speed visible to the naked eye... Although they were still far from maturity, their vigorous vitality was already clearly perceptible.

After casting the spell several times, covering all ten acres of land, and watching the tender green rice seedlings sway gently in the virtual breeze, Wei Chen finally felt a wave of fatigue wash over him. The experience points he gained had raised his level slightly, but the drain on his mental energy was real.

He didn't linger; with a thought, he exited the game world. The real-life cabin remained silent, the fire crackling softly in the fireplace. He glanced at the small alarm clock on the table; the hands had quietly slipped past ten o'clock at night.

The action is gone.

Wei Chen changed into the most inconspicuous dark gray old cotton-padded jacket and trousers, put on an old felt hat pulled low, and wrapped a scarf around most of his face, revealing only a pair of sharp eyes that remained even in the darkness. Like a shadow blending into the night, he silently opened the door, slipped out, and carefully locked the door from the outside.