Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The hand-rolled noodles are wide and chewy, cooked perfectly in a large pot of boiling water, and then rinsed in cold water for an even crisper texture. In a clean white bowl, the noodles are scooped out, topped with several large spoonfuls of rich, fragrant meat sauce, then arranged with blanched bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, and shredded radish, and finally sprinkled with a pinch of chopped bright green cilantro.

Three steaming bowls of fragrant fried noodles with soybean paste were placed on the square table in the main room. Under the dim light, wisps of white steam rose from the noodles, mingling with the aroma of soybean paste, noodles, and vegetables, creating an incredibly tempting and warm picture of home.

"Dinner's ready!" Wei Chen greeted with a smile.

The family of three sat around the table. Wang Xiulan looked at her two children, who were engrossed in their meal, at their bright and clean new home, and then touched the heavy "family fortune" in her arms. She was filled with mixed emotions.

The sorrow of being away from home was washed away by the comforting warmth before her, and the uncertainty about the future was replaced by a strong sense of hope. She picked up a large strand of noodles covered in sauce with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The salty and savory flavor exploded on her tongue, and the warmth soothed her all the way to her heart. This was their first meal in Beijing, in this courtyard house—simple, yet incredibly satisfying.

Just as I put down my chopsticks, with a warm bowl of noodles still in my stomach and a cozy feeling in my body, a few light, formal knocks came from the moon gate outside the main room: "Knock, knock, knock."

Wei Chen and Wang Xiulan exchanged a glance. Wei Chen got up to open the door.

Outside the door stood three middle-aged men dressed in neat work clothes, exuding a chill. They were the three most influential stewards of this courtyard: the eldest, Yi Zhonghai; the second, Liu Haizhong; and the third, Yan Bugui.

Yi Zhonghai had a square face and a calm expression; Liu Haizhong was slightly overweight and had a pretentious air of officialdom; Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and had a shrewd smile on his face.

"Uncle, Uncle, Uncle!" Wei Chen hurriedly greeted them, "Please come in! It's warm inside!"

Yi Zhonghai, as the head of the group, stepped in first. His gaze swept over the clean but slightly messy main room, finally settling on Wang Xiulan, who stood up somewhat awkwardly. A warm smile spread across his face: "Wei Chen, we just got back from get off work. We heard from our families that you brought your mother and sister from your hometown? That's wonderful news! The three of us came on behalf of the compound to come and see for ourselves, to introduce ourselves, and to welcome our new residents!"

Wang Xiulan hurried forward, somewhat flustered: "Oh, leaders... hello leaders! Please sit down! Please sit down! We just moved in, and it's a mess..." She subconsciously used the way she addressed the cadres in the village.

"Hey, Wei Chen's mother, you can't call me that!" Liu Haizhong waved his hand, his voice booming with a hint of official jargon. "We don't do that in our courtyard. We're all neighbors! Just call me Second Uncle! This is Old Yi, First Uncle! This is Old Yan, Third Uncle! From now on, we're all family in this courtyard!"

He glanced at Wang Xiulan's simple clothes and weathered face, then at Wei Ran standing timidly beside her, and nodded. "Wei Chen is a good boy, promising and filial! Bringing you here to enjoy a comfortable life is the right thing to do!"

Yan Bugui adjusted his glasses and replied with a beaming smile, "Yes, yes! Chenzi's mother, you're truly blessed! Wei Chen is a promising young man, and he's reliable in his work! You can settle in here with peace of mind from now on. If you need any help, just let me know! A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative!" As he spoke, his gaze subtly swept around the room, noticing the luggage piled in the corner and the empty bowls still on the table. He gained a better understanding of this family's background.

Surrounded by these three imposing "leaders," Wang Xiulan's palms were sweating with nervousness. She could only nod repeatedly, saying, "Oh, oh, thank you... thank you, gentlemen! I'm so sorry to have troubled you all..."

Yi Zhonghai noticed her nervousness and smiled gently, "Sister-in-law, don't be so polite. We just came to get acquainted with the place and see if there's anything we can help with. You just moved in today, you must be tired from your journey and busy settling in, so we won't bother you any longer."

He paused, then became more formal, "In a couple of days, once everyone in the courtyard is more comfortable, we'll hold a general meeting for the entire courtyard. We'll then formally introduce you and little Wei Ran to the neighbors. Since you'll be living in the same courtyard from now on, you'll gradually get to know each other."

"Yes, yes, it's a college-wide meeting, that's our college's rule." Liu Haizhong nodded in agreement.

"Sister-in-law, you should rest first! Cleaning the house is tiring work, there's no rush," Yan Bugui added with a smile.

The three gentlemen succinctly expressed their welcome and explained their purpose for visiting. They also showed consideration for the fact that the elderly couple needed rest after moving, so they did not linger.

"Alright, Wei Chen, you guys go ahead with your work! We'll head back now!" Yi Zhonghai said finally.

"Oh, thank you, Uncle, Uncle, Uncle! Please take care!" Wei Chen hurriedly saw the guests off.

Wang Xiulan followed behind, repeatedly expressing her gratitude: "Thank you... thank you, gentlemen..."

After seeing off the three stewards, the moon gate was closed again. The house fell completely silent, save for the soft crackling of the fireplace. Outside, the courtyard was utterly enveloped in the stillness of the winter night, with only a few scattered lights and the distant, indistinct barks of dogs.

Wang Xiulan leaned against the door and let out a long, deep sigh, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders. This day, from leaving her old house in Baoyuquan at dawn to arriving at this unfamiliar courtyard at dusk, and then facing the three imposing "grandpas"... she had experienced shock, fear, worry, surprise, and tension... Now, all the noise and turmoil had finally subsided temporarily.

She turned around and looked at the unfamiliar yet now their main room. She looked at her son's steady and reliable face and her daughter's tired but curious eyes. An unprecedented sense of security and belonging, like warm spring water, slowly and firmly flowed through her body.

This is their new home. The future may still hold some bumps along the way, but at this moment, under this dim yet warm light, in this small space that belongs to them, their wandering hearts have finally found a safe harbor.

The night grew deeper. Among the myriad lights of Beijing, one will shine for them from this day forward.

On the morning of the 22nd day of the twelfth lunar month, a thin layer of white frost covered the blue brick floor of the courtyard, gleaming with a cool luster in the dim morning light. Wei Chen's biological clock precisely woke him from his warm bed.

He carefully lifted the thick quilt, and a chilly draft carrying the smell of coal smoke immediately rushed in. He quickly put on his cold cotton-padded jacket and trousers and pushed open the door.

Inside the main room, a fire had been lit in the stove, and blue flames danced lively at the firebox, radiating a reassuring warmth.

Under the dim light, Wang Xiulan, the mother, stood hunched over in front of the small stove by the kitchen door. The pot was bubbling and boiling, and a familiar aroma mixed with the scent of wheat and firewood filled the air.

"Mom, why are you up so early?" Wei Chen walked over quietly, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up. The warmth of the stove immediately dispelled the chill from his body.

Wang Xiulan looked up at the sound, a lingering weariness on her face, but her eyes were bright: "Awake? Chenzi. I'm used to getting up early in the countryside, I can't lie still after the rooster crows. Besides, in this new place, you should at least have something hot to eat."

She rubbed her fingers, which were red from the cold. "This room is really warm. The stove burns evenly, unlike our earthen bed at home, which gets cold in the latter half of the night. It's just... this mattress is way too soft."

She smiled a little shyly, "It felt like lying in the clouds, with no place to settle down, tossing and turning like a pancake, and I only managed to drift off to sleep just before dawn."

Wei Chen smiled, took the gourd ladle from his mother's hand, and helped her add some cold water to the boiling pot: "It's okay, Mom, your body will get used to it in a couple of days."

In the city, everyone relies on this stove in winter. It's warm, but you have to add coal frequently. You should rest more at home during the day; don't just focus on tidying up. There's always more work to be done, take your time.

"Oh, I'm not tired. Seeing you all enjoying a hot meal makes me feel at ease." Wang Xiulan smiled contentedly as she stirred the thick noodle soup in the pot with a spoon.

Wei Chen stretched his stiff neck and shoulders: "I'm going to stretch my muscles in the yard, run a couple of laps, and then I'll come back for breakfast."

He pushed open the moon gate, and the crisp, icy air rushed into his lungs. The courtyard was still immersed in the tranquility before dawn, with only a few houses' chimneys emitting wisps of pale blue smoke.

Wei Chen jogged slowly along the familiar path through the narrow alley. The bluestone slabs under his feet were cold and hard, and his breath stretched long in the cold air before dissipating instantly.

As I ran past the pool in the courtyard, I saw Aunt Li already there, scrubbing a large basin of clothes with great gusto. Her fingers, red from the cold, looked particularly striking in the icy water.

Their eyes met, and they nodded in silent greeting. From the backyard came the faint, suppressed coughing of Grandma Li. The vast fabric of this city had long since begun its daily, silent yet resilient pulsation.

After running two laps, Wei Chen was slightly sweaty and fully awake. He returned to the warm room, still feeling chilly. Wang Xiulan had already woken up the sleepy Wei Ran. The little girl rubbed her eyes, tempted by the aroma of food, and obediently sat down at the table.

Breakfast was simple yet satisfying: a large bowl of steaming, thick white noodle soup, with a few tempting drops of golden oil and finely chopped green onions floating on top.

In front of each person was a sturdy, rough porcelain bowl. As if by magic, Wang Xiulan brought out two smooth, steaming hard-boiled eggs from the kitchen and carefully placed them next to Wei Chen's and Wei Ran's bowls respectively.

"Here, one for each of you, eat them while they're hot."

Wei Ran's eyes lit up instantly, her little face full of surprise: "Eggs!" In the countryside, eggs are a precious thing, and people rarely eat them except during festivals or when they are sick.

Wei Chen looked at the eggs beside his bowl, then at the empty seat in front of his mother, and his heart clenched. He suddenly remembered that he had quite a few eggs stored in his space, but in the rush yesterday, he had forgotten to take some out and put them in a conspicuous place in the kitchen beforehand.

The three old hens and one young rooster that my mother brought were still pitifully tied with hemp rope to the jujube tree in the corner of the yard.