Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Another time was at the pigeon market near the wall. The pigeon market is allowed, unlike the black market or ghost market! It allows farmers to exchange some of their own agricultural products, so farmers from the surrounding rural areas often come here to sell their own goods!

Several thugs surrounded an old farmer selling his own pickled vegetables. The leader, a hoodlum with a scar on his face, stepped on the old farmer's small jar of pickled vegetables, cursing, "Old man! Don't you know the rules? This area is under my protection! Want to set up a stall here? Where's your protection money? Can't pay? Fine, this jar of pickled vegetables is your tribute!" He then tried to snatch the jar. The old farmer clung tightly to the jar, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded.

Just as Jin Aiguo and his men were about to step forward, Wei Chen whispered, "Jin Ke, wait a moment." He glanced at the thugs, then at the surrounding vendors who dared not speak out and whose eyes darted around nervously. He gently patted Da Huang's head and quickly whispered a few words. Da Huang's ears perked up instantly, and its eyes became incredibly focused and sharp.

Wei Chen suddenly raised his voice, addressing the thugs with a calm, businesslike tone, yet unusually loud: "Street Joint Patrol Team! We've received a report that someone is engaging in forced buying and selling, extortion, and blackmail here! All relevant personnel, stand still for inspection! Bystanders, disperse immediately!"

That shout was like pouring cold water into a pot of boiling oil. The thugs were all startled, and Scarface Qiang instinctively looked up to find the source of the sound. Just as he looked up, a dark figure, like a ghost, silently darted out from the shadows of the crowd to the side!

It's rhubarb!

It barked without warning and moved with astonishing speed! Scarface Qiang felt a sharp pain in his calf, as if it had been clamped by iron pincers! He let out a miserable howl, lost his balance, and fell heavily forward, the pickled vegetable jar flying out of his hand!

After landing a successful attack, Big Yellow didn't stop. Using the momentum of its forward charge, it suddenly turned and pounced on a thug who was trying to pull out a weapon from his waist, biting the man's wrist!

"Ah!" "My God! A dog! A rabid dog is biting people!" The thugs immediately went into a frenzy, howling and screaming. They no longer cared about grabbing the goods and tried to run away as fast as they could.

Jin Aiguo, along with Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li, pounced on the thugs like tigers descending a mountain, quickly pinning them to the ground.

Wei Chen then walked over unhurriedly, bent down to pick up the intact pickled vegetable jar from the ground, and handed it back to the still-shaken old farmer: "Grandpa, look, the thing isn't broken, is it? If you encounter something like this in the future, just report it to the street office or the security department of the nearby factory. Don't be afraid of them."

The old farmer took the jar, tears of gratitude streaming down his face, his lips trembling as he couldn't speak. The surrounding vendors looked at the subdued and disheveled Scarface Qiang and his gang on the ground, then at Wei Chen, who remained calm, and Da Huang, who was squatting at his feet as if nothing had happened. The fear in their eyes gradually gave way to a sense of triumphant satisfaction.

"Well done, Xiao Wei!" Jin Aiguo patted Wei Chen on the shoulder, watching the thugs being led away, and laughed heartily. "Your mind works really fast! And Da Huang, good heavens, that pounce was accurate and ruthless! Much more efficient than us! These bastards need to be dealt with like this!"

The two-week joint rectification campaign was drawing to a close. Director Wang of the subdistrict office convened a debriefing meeting with the team leaders from each factory. The small meeting room was filled with smoke, but the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed than it had been two weeks prior.

"Comrades, you've all worked hard these past two weeks!" Director Wang finally smiled. "The results are remarkable! The incidence of serious incidents like fights, forced sales, and open robberies has dropped by 80%! Street order has basically been restored! The people feel much more at ease!"

Her gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on Jin Aiguo and Wei Chen, her tone filled with sincere praise: "Special commendation is due to the comrades in the steel rolling mill's security department! Especially Comrade Wei Chen and his working dog, Da Huang!"

Not only are they exceptionally capable and skilled, but more importantly, they are quick-witted, resourceful, and adept at handling conflicts with remarkable finesse! They are swift and decisive when necessary, yet gentle and persuasive when appropriate! Several complex situations were skillfully resolved by them, preventing escalation and truly maintaining stability! They were the spearhead and the lubricant of this operation!

Jin Aiguo grinned from ear to ear, even happier than if he had been praised himself. His voice boomed, "Director Wang, you flatter me! This is what we should do! Xiao Chen and Da Huang have truly brought honor to our steel mill's security department and our entire joint action team!"

Director Wang nodded, took out a stamped letter of commendation, and handed it to Jin Aiguo: "This is a letter of commendation from the subdistrict office to the steel mill's security department and Comrade Wei Chen personally! Comrade Wei Chen, keep up the good work! You and Da Huang are rare gems in this area!"

Wei Chen stood up, accepted the letter of commendation with both hands, and remained as composed as ever: "Thank you for your recognition, Director Wang. It was my duty, and I did my best."

After the meeting, Jin Aiguo, full of pride, led Wei Chen, Xiao Zhang, and Xiao Li back to the factory. As soon as they entered the security office, he slammed the commendation letter from the street office onto the desk of section chief Zhou Jianjun, his voice booming so loudly it could be heard throughout the entire floor: "Section Chief Zhou! Look! A commendation letter from the street office! It specifically praises our section, especially Xiao Chen and Da Huang! Director Wang himself said they're the 'sharpest knife' and the 'lubricant'! In the past two weeks, Xiao Chen and Da Huang have done a tremendous service! Catching thieves, mediating disputes, maintaining order—they've got it all figured out! They've brought great honor to our factory!"

Zhou Jianjun picked up the letter of commendation and looked at it carefully, a gratified smile spreading across his face. He patted Wei Chen's shoulder forcefully: "Good! Well done! Xiao Wei, you haven't let the factory down! This is not only a commendation from the street committee, but also a significant achievement for our factory's security work! I'll report this to the factory leaders and recommend you for commendation!"

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the steel mill and also the courtyard house.

"Have you heard? Officer Wei and his dog were acting all high and mighty on the street again! They beat those thugs who were bullying them to a pulp!"

"Absolutely! The neighborhood committee even sent out a big red letter of commendation! The factory leaders all know about it!"

"Tsk tsk, Wei Chen is really getting more and more promising! Even Section Chief Jin is full of praise for him!"

"That dog is so intelligent! It's more useful than a human!" The workers discussed among themselves, their voices filled with admiration and pride.

The atmosphere inside the courtyard was somewhat subtle.

Yi Zhonghai sat on his doorstep, puffing on a cigarette, listening to Yan Bugui in the front yard recounting how powerful Wei Chen was outside and how much the street praised him. A complex emotion flashed in his cloudy eyes.

There's a sense of resentment at being overshadowed by younger people, a bitterness about their current awkward situation, and perhaps, deeper down, a hint of unspeakable envy and... a sense of powerlessness.

He silently smoked, his stern face appearing even more obscure in the swirling smoke. He thought of the cornbread he had carefully delivered, and then looked at Wei Chen's real, officially recognized achievements and reputation, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

In the front yard, at Liu Haizhong's house, Uncle Liu Haizhong was drinking alone, feeling down. Aunt Liu Haizhong muttered beside him, "...Tell me, Wei Chen, he's really getting too much attention! Even the neighborhood committee is praising him! At least Old Yi knows to deliver some grain to those in need, but Wei Chen, he just caught a few thugs and he's all that famous? We deliver flour and rice, why doesn't the neighborhood committee give us a commendation?"

Liu Haizhong downed his drink in one gulp, slamming the glass down on the table. His face reeked of alcohol and thick with resentment: "Hmph! Catching thugs? That's the security department's job! What's there to brag about? When we help those in need, that's noble conduct! It's the leadership's concern for the people! A different level! Don't you understand? A different level!"

He tried to straighten his back, attempting to reclaim that sense of superiority as a "leader," but the lingering jealousy deep in his eyes betrayed his inner imbalance. He recalled the white flour and rice he had nervously bought at the ghost market; although it earned him a few words of gratitude, compared to Wei Chen's letter of praise stamped with the red seal and the unanimous praise from the factory and the streets, it seemed insignificant, leaving him feeling suffocated.

In the backyard, at Xu Damao's house, the smell of medicine wafting from the broken window seemed even stronger and more bitter. Xu Damao was holding a freshly brewed, dark-colored potion, listening to the faint discussions outside about how powerful Wei Chen was. His hand trembled, and a few drops of the scalding potion splashed onto his hand, burning him and making him wince.

He slammed the medicine bowl down on the windowsill with a loud crash, his face contorted. Looking out at the empty backyard, he muttered a vicious curse in a low voice: "Pah! What a load of bull! He's just relying on some beast, what's he showing off for! I... I'll get him sooner or later..." His words were cut short by a violent cough.

He was panting heavily, staring at the bitter medicine soup in the bowl that couldn't reflect his image, and thinking about Wei Chen's growing reputation and increasingly stable position, an indescribable resentment and despair, like the twilight outside the window, pressed down heavily.

He felt like he was trapped in this medicine pot, the longer he endured it, the more bitter it became, and the longer he endured it, the less he could see the end. But Wei Chen was like the clear autumn sky, soaring higher and higher.

Wei Chen pushed his bicycle, leading Da Huang, through the familiar courtyard gate. The afterglow of the setting sun cast long shadows of him and the dog. From the window of Liu Haizhong's house in the front courtyard came the deliberately elevated, alcohol-laden "theory of realms" of his second uncle; smoke billowing from the chimney of Yi Zhonghai's house in the middle courtyard carried a heavy, oppressive feeling; and the bitter smell of medicine emanating from the broken window of Xu Damao's house in the back courtyard seemed to seep into the brick walls.

Aunt Liu came out carrying a basin of water to pour out. When she saw Wei Chen, her face immediately lit up with a warm and grateful smile: "Oh, Xiao Chen is back! You must have worked hard today! Go home and rest! Your mother must have already cooked dinner!" In that smile was genuine reassurance and reliance.

"Yes, Aunt Liu." Wei Chen nodded, his face expressionless, but his eyes softened a little.

He pushed open his front door. The warm light dispelled the chill of the late autumn evening. The aroma of food wafted out. Wei Chen's mother was placing a plate of glistening, stir-fried pickled vegetable shreds on the table. Wei Ran put down her pencil and rushed over like a cheerful little bird: "Brother! You're back! Have all the bad guys been caught?"