Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Zheng Laiyun suppressed his excitement, carefully checked everything to ensure there were no errors, and his smile widened. He picked up several key documents that had just been filled out and whose ink was still wet:

The "Agreement on the Compensated Transfer of Publicly Owned Housing (Homestead)" clearly states that the right to use and rebuild the east wing of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang (area of ​​864.5 square meters) will be transferred to Wei Chen for RMB 500.

Application for Property Change Registration (stamped and confirmed by the steel rolling mill).

"Description of the Current Status of the House (Homestead) and Commitment to Reconstruction" (signed and stamped by Wei Chen, promising to rebuild according to the original layout and not to change the use).

Receipt (stamped with the steel rolling mill's finance department seal).

Finally, Zheng Laiyun picked up a heavy bronze seal engraved with the words "Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill Real Estate Management Department," dipped it in bright red ink, and forcefully and clearly stamped it onto several key documents! "Snap! Snap! Snap!" The crisp sound of the stamping, like a tuning hammer, sealed the deal that seemed unbelievable to outsiders.

"All done!" Zheng Laiyun breathed a sigh of relief and solemnly handed the most crucial documents—the agreement, application, and receipt—from the thick stack of files to Wei Chen. "Brother Wei Chen, keep these safe! From now on, the land in the east wing of No. 95 Nanluoguxiang belongs to you, Wei Chen!"

"Tomorrow morning, take these with you, along with your household registration transfer certificate (the HR department should have issued it when you started your job), and go to the subdistrict office to find Director Wang to complete the household registration. While you're at it, also take care of your food ration book, non-staple food ration book, and coal ration book—those things that are essential for your livelihood! I'll call the subdistrict office in advance to let them know." He enthusiastically gave these instructions, and the two wild rabbits had clearly come in very handy.

Wei Chen took the stack of papers, light yet incredibly heavy, his fingers trembling slightly. With these, he finally felt truly rooted in Beijing!

"Thank you, Section Chief Zheng! You've gone to so much trouble!" Wei Chen said sincerely.

"Hey, we're all family, no need to be so polite!" Zheng Laiyun waved his hand, then, as if remembering something, asked, "By the way, your house is being demolished and rebuilt, it'll take at least a few months, right? Where will you stay during this time? How about you make do with the factory's single dormitory for now? It's a large dormitory, but at least you'll have some shelter from the wind and rain, and it's free."

Wei Chen, who had the same idea, immediately nodded: "That's great! Thank you, Section Chief Zheng!"

Without a word, Zheng Laiyun pulled out another blank accommodation arrangement form and quickly wrote: "This is to arrange for new employee Comrade Wei Chen (Purchasing Department) to temporarily reside in the third single dormitory, bed number. Housing Management Department: Zheng Laiyun." He stamped it and handed it to Wei Chen. "Take this to Dormitory 3 and find the administrator, Old Ma. He will arrange a bed for you."

Thus, the major housing issue has been settled. The ruins have been transformed into a golden house, although this "golden house" currently only exists on paper and in future blueprints.

Liu Yuan witnessed the whole process and gained a new understanding of Wei Chen's decisive and efficient style. He patted Wei Chen on the shoulder and said, "You're pretty good, kid! You've got guts! Come on, let's go to the logistics department to get the rest of your things, and then we'll go to San Suo to see your temporary 'palace'."

The two returned to the logistics warehouse. With Li Huaide's approval and Liu Yuan, the team leader, guiding them, everything went incredibly smoothly. Wei Chen received two brand-new sets of dark blue khaki work clothes (summer uniforms), two sets of thick cotton work clothes (winter uniforms), an enamel basin with a red five-pointed star printed on it, a matching thermos, two aluminum lunch boxes with spoons, two pairs of work gloves, and even a small bar of soap and a towel. The items weren't expensive, but they were the "standard equipment" for a worker to survive.

Finally, the warehouse keeper pointed to a row of gleaming bicycles in the corner: "Team Leader Liu, bringing the new recruits to collect their bikes? Here, according to the rules, all the bikes for Group Three are here. Pick one that looks good to you. Register it."

Liu Yuan said to Wei Chen, "Choose one, they're all pretty much the same. The main thing to check is how well the brakes work and how tight the chain is."

Wei Chen glanced at the bike and selected a well-maintained, sturdy "Forever" brand bicycle with some wear and tear on the paint, which was about 70% new. He tested the brakes and chain, and they worked smoothly.

"Okay, this one will do." Wei Chen signed his name and employee number on the vehicle registration book. From now on, he was a car owner! In this era, this was definitely an important tool of production and a symbol of status.

Pushing a bicycle laden with "belongings," I followed Liu Yuan to the third single dormitory, a converted old warehouse located on the edge of the factory area.

Liu Yuan stopped at the door, patted Wei Chen on the shoulder, and said with a knowing tone, "This is it, the third dormitory. The conditions are a bit tough, but at least it's a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and it's free. Settle down first, transfer your registration to the neighborhood committee, get your food and ration coupons, and then slowly work on building up your 'golden nest.' If you have any difficulties, come to my office anytime."

"Thank you so much, Team Leader Liu! You've really gone to a lot of trouble running around today," Wei Chen said sincerely.

"Don't be so polite. Once you're in Group Three, you're one of us." Liu Yuan waved his hand, turned around and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the sparse streetlights that gradually illuminated the factory area.

Wei Chen pushed the cart, took a deep breath, and stepped through the door that exuded the smell of aged wood and body odor. The scene inside was pretty much what he had expected. The huge space was mostly occupied by a large earthen kang (heated brick bed) running from north to south, with quilts of various colors and ages densely covering it, like a huge, patched coarse cloth.

The air was so thick you could almost wring water out of it. It was dinnertime, and no one was in the dormitory yet.

Old Ma, the limping old worker Liu Yuan mentioned, was sitting in a broken rattan chair near the door, dozing off with his eyes half-closed, a nearly burnt-out cigarette butt dangling from his mouth.

One of his legs was stretched out stiffly, his trouser leg rolled up loosely above his knee, revealing half of a rough wooden prosthetic limb. Hearing the sound of bicycle wheels rolling over the concrete, he lifted his eyelids, his cloudy gaze sweeping over Wei Chen before settling on the new bicycle he was pushing, with a scrutinizing look and a hint of barely perceptible numbness.

Wei Chen parked his car, put up the kickstand, took out the note from Zheng Laiyun in his pocket, and quickly walked up to Old Ma, putting on the humble smile that a young man should have: "Master Ma, hello. I'm Wei Chen, the new purchasing manager. This is a note from Section Chief Zheng of the housing management department. Could you please arrange a berth for me?" As he spoke, he handed over the note with both hands.

Old Ma slowly took the note, brought it close to his eyes, squinted at it for a long time, and then let out a soft "hmm" through his nose, as if to confirm it.

He pointed to the innermost corner of the communal sleeping area, next to a small window: "Look, that's it. The end of the kang (heated brick bed) is by the window, the ventilation is okay. The cabinet key is hanging on the lock, you'll have to put your things away yourself. You'll have to figure out your own bedding and pillows, the factory doesn't care about that." His voice was hoarse, with a strong smell of tobacco, and he spoke slowly, revealing a cold, businesslike demeanor. "There are only a few rules: lights out at 10 pm sharp, no noise disturbing others' rest. Keep it clean, take turns cleaning the room and emptying the chamber pots. Keep your things safe, the factory isn't responsible for anything lost."

"Understood, thank you, Master Ma." Wei Chen nodded in agreement, his smile unchanged. He didn't immediately walk to his bunk, but instead, with an extremely natural movement, pulled out a brand-new pack of "Economy" brand cigarettes from another pocket. These cigarettes were cheap and the most commonly smoked by the factory workers. They had a pungent taste, but in this communal dormitory, they were definitely a form of hard currency.

He skillfully unwrapped the foil seal on the cigarette box, pulled out a cigarette, and handed it to Old Ma with both hands: "Master Ma, please have a smoke."

Old Ma lifted his eyelids, looked at the cigarette offered to him, then glanced at Wei Chen's young yet composed face, and a flicker of emotion finally appeared in his numb eyes.

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took it, lighting it with the match Wei Chen immediately struck, and took a deep drag. The pungent smoke of the cheap tobacco swirled in his lungs before he slowly exhaled, and the lines on his face seemed to soften slightly.

"A new purchasing agent?" Old Ma asked vaguely, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Yes, I just reported for duty today, and I'm assigned to the third group of the purchasing department." Wei Chen lit a cigarette for himself, striking it with a maturity beyond his years, and then put the remaining cigarette into Lao Ma's pocket. "Housing is tight at the factory, so Section Chief Zheng approved a temporary arrangement for me to stay here for a while. My place," he gestured roughly in the direction of Nanluoguxiang, "has to be demolished and rebuilt, which will probably take two months."

He exhaled a smoke ring, his tone tinged with a helpless smile: "But don't worry, Master Ma. You know the nature of my job. Our third team is responsible for unplanned tasks, and we often have to go to the countryside and do fieldwork. It's common for me to be away from home for ten days or half a month."

This dorm is probably just a temporary place to stay. If something unexpected happens and I can't go back, or if I come back late at night with nowhere to go, I'll just make do here for the night. I definitely won't cause you any trouble here under normal circumstances.”

This statement was half true and half false. It highlighted the "special" nature of his work, foreshadowing the possibility of him returning home late or even not returning at all in the future, while also implying that he would not occupy the valuable bunk space for a long time, thus reducing the other party's resistance.

Old Ma took another drag of his cigarette, and through the swirling smoke, his gaze towards Wei Chen held a hint of "sensibleness." He'd been in this place for almost twenty years; what kind of people hadn't he seen? Arrogant types, cunning scoundrels, lazy bums... Someone like this young man, who spoke and acted with composure, knew to offer a cigarette, and understood etiquette, was truly rare. Especially that phrase, "don't cause trouble," sounded pleasing to the ear.

"Hmm, purchasing three groups... getting unplanned supplies isn't easy." Old Ma nodded, acknowledging Wei Chen's statement. "Alright, good that you understand. I'll reserve a berth for you. Put your things in the cabinet and lock it up; generally, no one will touch them." This was a small promise.