Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Team leader Liu Yuan paused, looked around, and said, "Just a heads-up, this afternoon, our department will start collecting salaries from the finance department, and then line up at the logistics department to collect our New Year's benefits! The factory is big, so it will be done in batches. Our Purchasing Department 3 will be in the first batch this afternoon, so don't be late!"

"That's great!" Wu Xiaojun and Liu Guoqing were so excited they almost jumped up.

"Go this afternoon? That would be great!" Old Zhao beamed.

"Finally, it feels a bit like the New Year!" another purchasing agent exclaimed.

The office was immediately filled with relaxed and cheerful chatter. Everyone started speculating about what they would receive, reminiscing about the good stuff from previous years, and dreaming about how much more they would get this year. Wei Chen listened quietly, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

At lunchtime, the steel mill canteen was bustling with noise and steam. The huge space was filled with the smells and clamor unique to thousands of people gathered together, along with the aromas of stewed cabbage, braised potatoes, and steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and water.

A long line formed in front of the food window, with workers carrying enamel bowls, chatting and laughing loudly as they waited in line, their conversations almost entirely revolving around their upcoming wages and benefits.

"Have you heard? There's a lot of meat this year!"

"Really? Last year there was only such a small piece, not even enough to render oil at home!"

"Absolutely true! My second uncle works in the logistics warehouse, and he said that this year's rations are plentiful, plus the factory has increased its own production, so everyone should get at least a pound!"

"A pound?! My goodness! Really? That's wonderful! We can finally have a real treat on our New Year's Eve dinner table this year!"

"Absolutely! I heard it's all thanks to that new purchasing agent in the procurement department; they managed to get a lot of wild boar meat, and it's been incredibly useful!"

"That Xiao Wei? Oh, you mean that smart young man? He's got some skills!"

Similar murmurs rose and fell, converging into a huge wave of sound that crashed against the roof of the canteen. Wei Chen, carrying his rice bowl, stood in line with Zhao Dashan, Wu Xiaojun, and the others.

The basin contained the standard stewed cabbage, a steamed bun made from a mixture of wheat and water, and a bowl of "broth" with a few cabbage leaves floating on top. Listening to the excited discussions around him and feeling the burning anticipation in his coworkers' eyes, Wei Chen's heart also stirred.

For an ordinary working-class family, this pound of meat means a main dish for the New Year's Eve dinner, the smiles on the children's faces as they enjoy a little bit of the meat, and the most tangible comfort after a year of hard work. Its significance far exceeds its intrinsic value.

"See Wei Chen? You're a celebrity in our factory now!" Wu Xiaojun nudged Wei Chen with his elbow, lowering his voice and wearing a proud smile. "Everyone's praising you!"

Wei Chen just smiled faintly and took a bite of his steamed bun: "It's all work, my duty."

"You're too modest, kid." Zhao Dashan shook his head, picked up a piece of bland cabbage with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth. "But that's good, it shows composure. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind."

Liu Guoqing, however, was more concerned with practical matters: "Wei Chen, you said we'd be near the front of the line for this afternoon's perks? We can't be late and all the good meat will be gone!"

"Don't worry," Wei Chen glanced at the large clock on the cafeteria wall, "The team leader said our department will be the first group, so it'll be just the right time to go after we finish eating."

Sure enough, when Wei Chen and his group finished their meal and arrived at the office building where the finance department was located, a long, winding queue had already formed in the corridor, stretching all the way to the stairwell.

The entrances to the finance department and the adjacent logistics department were packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move. The air was thick with the smells of sweat, tobacco, and a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. The lines moved slowly, and the occasional clanging of money counting machines and the loud calls of staff calling out names and salary amounts could be heard from inside.

"Wow! So many people!" Wu Xiaojun exclaimed in surprise.

"It's the same every year, you get used to it." Old Zhao said with the air of someone who'd been there all along. "Just wait and see, it'll help you digest your food."

A few people joined the end of the queue, slowly inching forward with the flow of people. The wait was long, but because they had company, they chatted, and the time didn't feel too unbearable. The topics naturally revolved around salaries and benefits, New Year's plans, and everyday family matters.

Wei Chen didn't talk much. Most of the time, he just listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a word or two. His gaze swept over the faces of the workers, some excited, some tired, and some numb, experiencing this most authentic scene of life.

Finally, it was the turn of the purchasing department's group. Wei Chen walked into the finance office, where several tables were pushed together, and several accountants were busy without even looking up. The air was filled with the distinctive smell of ink and paper from new banknotes.

「卫辰！」一个戴着套袖的女会计抬头喊道。 「到。」卫辰上前一步。 女会计翻看着手里的工资册，语速很快：「基本工资30元！本月外出採购21天，每天补助2毛，共4块2毛！合计34块2毛！签字！」她把一张工资条和早已点好的一叠钞票推过来。

The banknotes were mainly ten-yuan, five-yuan, two-yuan, and one-yuan notes, along with a few small bills. It was a thick little stack, and holding it in my hand gave me a solid, weighty feeling.

Wei Chen quickly glanced at his payslip, confirmed it was correct, and signed his name in the recipient section. This was his last month's salary as a level nine clerk. Starting next month, he would be earning a level eight clerk's salary, which would increase to 33 yuan. With travel allowances, his income would be even higher.

"Next! Zhao Dashan!" the accountant's voice rang out again.

The colleagues who received their money beamed with smiles, showing it to each other and whispering about the amounts. Wu Xiaojun and Liu Guoqing's salaries were slightly lower than Wei Chen's because they had just become full-fledged professionals last year and were still at level nine. Seeing that Wei Chen was earning more than them, their eyes held undisguised envy.

"Wei Chen, your promotion is too fast! It's only been a little over half a year!" Liu Guoqing said sourly.

"Exactly, it's so frustrating to compare yourself to others!" Wu Xiaojun chimed in, but there was no malice in his tone; it was more of a sigh.

"I was lucky, I made it in time." Wei Chen remained humble, carefully tucking the money into the inside pocket of his cotton-padded jacket. These few dozen yuan were insignificant compared to the huge sum he had handled the previous night, but they were the cleanest income under the sun.

After receiving their wages, everyone rushed back to the logistics department to continue queuing. The queue here was even longer, and the atmosphere was even more enthusiastic. Everyone who came out carried a kraft paper bag printed with the words "Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill," their faces beaming with barely suppressed joy, causing those still in line to crane their necks to look and chatter amongst themselves.

"What did you post? What did you post?"

"It looks bulging, it must have meat in it!"

"I just saw a huge piece of fatty meat in Old Zhang's bag! It looks delicious!"

When it was Wei Chen's turn, several long tables were set up at the entrance of the logistics department's warehouse, and several logistics officers were busy and sweating profusely. One person was responsible for registering names and verifying departments; another person was responsible for distributing kraft paper bags printed with the factory's name; and yet another person was responsible for scooping meat from a large wooden bucket next to them—the bucket was piled high with pork strips wrapped in oiled paper, the white fat glistening temptingly under the light, and the rich aroma of meat filling the air, making people swallow hard.

"Name! Department!" The registrar didn't even look up. "Wei Chen, Purchasing Department, Group 3." The registrar ticked a box in the register. "Next!...Okay, yours!" The distributor next to him handed over a heavy brown paper bag.

Wei Chen took the bag; it was quite heavy. He walked over, opened the bag, and glanced inside: there was a piece of pork belly, weighing about a pound and wrapped in oiled paper, with a good balance of fat and lean meat, thick and shiny, in excellent condition; a small packet of peanuts and melon seeds wrapped in old newspapers; a bar of yellow soap with the words "Labor is the Most Glorious" printed in red; and two blue bath tickets printed with "Red Star Steel Rolling Mill Staff Bathhouse".

There weren't many items, but everything was substantial, especially the generous, glistening piece of pork, which was a treasure that shone like gold in those days of scarcity!

"Tsk tsk, a whole pound! Good meat!" Old Zhao also received his, carrying the bag, looking at the meat inside, grinning from ear to ear.

"This fat, if rendered into oil, could last for months!" Liu Guoqing said, touching the oil paper package with obvious delight.

"Soap and bath tickets are useful too!" Wu Xiaojun happily played with the yellow soap.

Several people from the purchasing department, carrying their respective welfare bags, strode out of the logistics office with their heads held high, like victorious soldiers returning from a battle, under the watchful eyes of countless envious people. In the corridors and on the stairs, anyone carrying one of these brown paper bags became the focus of attention, with people constantly coming up to inquire and watch.

"Brother, is it really a pound of meat?" "Wow! That's some thick fat! Good meat indeed!" "Your steel mill is really something! I heard our mill only gives half a pound, and we don't even know when we'll get our pay!" "I'm so envious!"

Wei Chen could clearly feel the eagerness, envy, and even a hint of jealousy in those gazes. This pound of meat, at the end of the year, became the steel mill worker's most shining medal.

As the get off work bell rang, Wei Chen pushed his bicycle out of the factory gate. A piece of fatty, tempting pork, carefully wrapped in oiled paper, was tied to the handlebars with thin hemp rope, swaying gently with the bicycle's movement. In the dim light of the winter evening, it shone like a beckoning lamp. The bicycle basket was also crammed full of a brown paper bag containing peanuts, melon seeds, soap, and bath tickets.

He had just ridden to the gate of the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang when he saw Uncle Yan Bugui pulling Xu Damao, who had also just ridden back, and they were talking animatedly.

Xu Damao also had a conspicuous piece of pork hanging on his handlebars. He looked impatient, but he didn't want to shake off this shrewd hospital leader.

Sha Zhu had just reached the door, carrying a pound of meat and other factory benefits in one hand, and a net bag containing two lunchboxes—presumably from the canteen—in the other. He was surrounded by several neighbors from the courtyard, showing off with great enthusiasm.

Wei Chen's arrival immediately attracted the attention of everyone at the door. Uncle Yan Bugui's shrewd eyes were instantly glued to the piece of meat on Wei Chen's handlebars, and he couldn't look away.