Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Sigh..." Wang Xiulan's hand was held down by her son, so she had to pull it back. Her fingers unconsciously rubbed the cold edge of the pot, which was unusually smooth from years of wear and countless wipes. "Your father... back then, in order to make this sturdy pot, he went to several markets and spent a long time choosing the best pig iron, begging Old Li to make it for him..." Her voice lowered, filled with endless reminiscence.

"Mom," Wei Chen's voice softened, reassuringly, "the pot is right here. Uncle and the others are watching it; it won't spoil. If you miss home, or want to come back and stay sometime, the pot is still here. If you really can't bear to part with it," he paused, pointing to the wicker basket next to him filled with old clothes and fabric, "take this basket with you. It's full of your most treasured things, okay? Don't take anything else; the truck only has so much space, it can't hold that much."

Looking at her son's determined eyes, and then at the basket of "treasures" that held her most cherished memories, Wang Xiulan finally gave in.

She sighed heavily, no longer touching the heavy furniture. Instead, she silently squatted down and picked up a few neatly folded old clothes on the kang (a heated brick bed), which were patched and faded from washing, along with a small package carefully wrapped in blue-printed cloth.

Inside were her few faded photos of herself and Wei Mancang, along with a few inexpensive but meaningful little items, which she carefully stuffed into the bottom of the wicker basket and then covered tightly with a clean old cloth.

Just after three o'clock in the afternoon, a deep and powerful roar of engines came from the direction of the village entrance, breaking the afternoon tranquility of the village. The sound grew closer, carrying a unique and undeniable sense of power characteristic of the industrial age, making the ground seem to tremble slightly.

"It's here!" Wei Chen perked up and said to his mother, who was still inside making final checks, and his sister, who was excitedly peering out the window, "Mom, Ranran, the car's here! You wait in the yard, I'll go to the village entrance to meet the driver!"

He ran quickly out of the yard, through several familiar alleys, and arrived at the old locust tree at the entrance of the village.

Sure enough, the familiar military green Liberation brand truck, like a weathered steel behemoth, came to a steady stop under the tree, kicking up dust and cold air.

The driver's cab door opened with a clang, and Wang Aiguo's tall and sturdy figure jumped down nimbly, stamping his mud-covered suede shoes.

"Master Wang! Thank you for making this trip!" Wei Chen quickly went up to him, took out the cigarettes he had prepared from his pocket and handed them over.

"Hey! Don't be so polite! It's my job!" Wang Aiguo took the cigarette, lit it with the match Wei Chen had struck, took a deep drag, and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. "Come on! Get in the car and show me the way! Drive to your house! This dirt road is terrible, don't get the car stuck!"

Wei Chen jumped into the passenger seat and gave directions. The truck moved slowly along the narrow village road, the deep engine sound attracting curious glances from many villagers and excited chases from children. Reaching the end of the slightly wider dirt road outside Wei Chen's yard, Wang Aiguo skillfully turned the steering wheel twice, steadily parking the massive vehicle outside the gate.

"Wow! Quite a lot of stuff!" Wang Aiguo jumped off the cart, looked at the several large bundles, bulging willow baskets and sacks piled up in the yard, and the conspicuous old-fashioned cart, grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, "No problem! Lower the side panels! Load it up!"

With the addition of Wang Aiguo, a strong laborer, the loading speed increased dramatically. The eldest uncle and the third uncle were mainly responsible for carrying the heaviest sacks of grain and large bundles containing heavy bedding. The two of them shouted in unison, their steps steady.

The eldest aunt and third aunt were busy passing around small, miscellaneous items. Wei Chen and Wang Aiguo worked together to carefully lift the bicycle onto the sideboard, securing it firmly with the thick hemp rope they had brought, wrapping it several times around the frame and sideboards.

Wang Xiulan stood in the shadows under the eaves, her gaze fixed on each familiar piece of "belonging" being lifted from the ground, watching them being placed into the cold, enormous, and unfamiliar steel carriage. Her fingers unconsciously gripped the front of her cotton-padded coat tightly. Wei Ran, unable to contain her excitement, circled the truck, wanting to reach out and touch the cold green metal carriage, but then hesitantly withdrew her hand.

Before long, everything was loaded, filling most of the carriage and making it feel somewhat crowded. Wang Xiulan took one last, deep look around the suddenly empty courtyard, her gaze lingering for a long, long time on the tightly closed, familiar door, as if trying to imprint this final scene into her heart.

Grandma went over, held her hand tightly, and whispered something, as if to comfort her, or perhaps to say goodbye. Grandpa, leaning on his cane, also walked to her side, stretched out his calloused hand, and patted her shoulder firmly; everything was understood without words.

Wei Chen walked up to his uncle, Wei Changsheng, took a smooth brass key from his pocket, and solemnly placed it in his rough, broad hand: "Uncle, this is the house key. Please keep it safe. Please come over and check on it occasionally, make sure the roof is ventilated and the walls don't collapse. Thank you for your help!"

Wei Changsheng gripped the key, still warm from the old Wei family house, tightly, and nodded heavily, his voice somewhat deep: "Chenzi, don't worry! Your grandfather and I are here! We'll take good care of this house for you! It'll be just as it was when you were here! Your mother and Ranran are in the city, so please look after them!"

"Yes! I know!" Wei Chen nodded vigorously, then turned to his grandparents standing beside him, "Grandpa, Grandma, we're leaving now. Please take good care of yourselves! If you need anything, please ask someone to pass on a message!"

"Go on, go on! Be careful on the road! Drive slowly!" Grandma waved her hand, her voice choked with emotion, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Wei Chen walked to his mother's side and gently put his arm around her slightly trembling shoulders: "Mom, get in the car. You see, Uncle and Grandpa have both agreed, they'll find a good house. If you really miss home, I'll send you back to stay for a few days. Let's get in the car, it's cold and windy, don't let Ranran get cold."

Wang Xiulan took one last look at the old house that held half her life's joys and sorrows, then looked at her daughter who was looking expectantly at the truck and full of longing for city life, and her steady and reliable son. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if she had made some difficult decision, and slowly nodded.

Holding Wei Ran's cold little hand, she clumsily and cautiously climbed into the driver's seat, guided by the car door Wang Aiguo had opened. The mother and daughter squeezed into the passenger seat. The driver's seat was already cramped, and the two of them together looked rather awkward.

Wei Chen then went around to the back of the car, preparing to climb onto the carriage by stepping on the rear wheels.

"Hey! Wei Chen!" Wang Aiguo called out to him, pointing to the cramped space behind the driver's seat. "Get in! Squeeze in here! The back is open-top, the wind is like knives, you'll freeze to death sitting in the back in this freezing weather!"

He was referring to the makeshift rest area behind the driver's seat, where bedding was stored. It was extremely cramped, barely enough for an adult to crouch down, but a world of difference compared to the open-air carriage. Unless you were particularly close and trusting, the driver would never let you sit there.

A warm feeling welled up in Wei Chen's heart: "Master Wang, this... this is too much trouble for you, I'll just sit in the back..."

"Stop talking nonsense! Hurry up and get on! If you keep dawdling, the road will be even harder to walk in the dark!" Wang Aiguo waved his hand impatiently, but his tone revealed an affection and care that left no room for refusal.

Wei Chen stopped refusing and sincerely thanked him: "Okay, thank you, Master Wang!" He opened the driver's side door, first stuffing the wicker basket containing his mother's "treasures" under the seat, and then squeezed himself sideways into the narrow gap.

He curled up, his back pressed against the cold rear wall of the driver's cab, his knees almost touching the front seat. The space was so cramped that he could barely move, but it did keep him out of the biting cold wind outside.

"Hold on tight! Hold on tight!" Wang Aiguo sat back in the driver's seat, closed the door, and turned the key. The engine let out a low roar, and the car body vibrated slightly. The driver's cabin was filled with the smell of gasoline and leather.

The truck started slowly, awkwardly turned around on the narrow dirt road, and the wheels crunched over the hard frozen soil and the remaining ice and snow, making a dull "squeak" sound as it headed back the way it came.

Outside the car window, the grandparents supported each other, while the eldest uncle's family and the third uncle's family stood outside the courtyard gate, waving vigorously, their figures gradually blurring in the rising dust.

Through the small rear window of the driver's seat, Wei Chen saw his mother, Wang Xiulan, with her head turned to the side, her body almost pressed against the cold car window, her eyes fixed intently on the familiar farmhouse that was rapidly shrinking in her field of vision and eventually being completely obscured by the earthen slope and old locust tree at the village entrance.

Only when she could no longer see any familiar outlines did she feel all her strength drain away. Her shoulders slumped, and she turned her head away dejectedly, silently sitting up straight.

She quickly lowered her head, raised her sleeve, and forcefully wiped her eyes. Then she tightly gripped her daughter's hand beside her, her knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure. For a moment, only the monotonous, continuous roar of the engine filled the carriage, suppressing a silent sorrow of parting.

Curled up in the corner, Wei Chen looked through the gap in the front seat at his mother's slightly trembling profile as she tried to hold back her tears, at his younger sister Wei Ran's face which was both excited and a little bewildered and timid as she was leaving her homeland for the first time, felt the vibrations from each bump in the truck beneath him, and felt the faint body warmth emanating from his mother and sister in the cramped space. His heart was filled with mixed feelings.

The wheels rolled heavily over the hard, cold winter land of my hometown, carrying an inseparable attachment and heavy expectations, heading towards the distant place where dusk was falling and the city lights were just coming on.

The myriad lights of Beijing twinkled ahead, awaiting the family's integration and settlement. Behind them, the quiet courtyard gradually disappeared into the deep twilight, along with the weighty years and deep-rooted memories that could not be moved, would forever remain on this land, becoming the deepest and most resilient root in the hearts of those who wandered far away, always tugging at the direction of their return.