Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

"Oh dear! You little rascal!" Wang Xiulan was caught off guard when a rich, mellow milky aroma and pure sweetness exploded in her mouth. She wanted to spit it out but was extremely reluctant, so she could only glare at her son reproachfully. The sweetness stubbornly slid down her throat, warming her all the way to the depths of her heart, turning into a thick, irresistible warm current.

"And this too," Wei Chen opened the brand-new canvas travel bag and took out four sets of work clothes carefully wrapped in old newspapers—two crisp navy blue cotton Zhongshan suits and two thick and durable work clothes. The metal buttons gleamed discreetly under the oil lamp. "These are the factory's seasonal outfits. Please take a look."

Wang Xiulan unfolded the garment carefully, as if holding a fragile treasure. The thick, crisp fabric felt warm to the touch, and the stitches were fine and even; every detail exuded the respectability and orderliness typical of large state-owned factories.

Her rough fingers, with an almost devout tenderness, stroked the collar, cuffs, and straight trouser seams again and again, her eyes glistening with tears: "So good...so impressive! This fabric, this workmanship...it's definitely a public institution, it's just different! A hundred times better than the coarse cloth we weave ourselves! Chenzi, you put this on, ride that iron donkey, and walk down the main street in the city..." She seemed to already see the scene that made her heart burn with pride.

"Yes, I'll wear it for you every day after we move into the new house," Wei Chen replied with a smile, steer the conversation back to reality, "By the way, Mom, we'll keep four pounds of this meat for ourselves. And for the rest, could you please cut it into three pieces, each weighing about two pounds, and wrap them neatly in oil paper?"

"Cut it into three pieces? To give as a gift?" Wang Xiulan immediately understood.

"Yes." Wei Chen nodded, his tone solemn. "My eldest uncle, third uncle, and Master Zhao (the old hunter who taught him hunting and basic martial arts). Over the years, I've received a lot of help from them. Now that I have a roof over my head, I should express my gratitude. It's not much, just a token of my appreciation."

Looking at her son, Wang Xiulan felt a surge of warmth welling up in her heart, making her nose sting with tears. Her son had become successful, and what was even more admirable was that he hadn't forgotten his roots and remembered the kindness shown to him in his time of need.

"Good! Good! It's only right! Your eldest uncle and third uncle are blood relatives, and Master Zhao is your benefactor who is half teacher and half father! Mom will cut it now!" Without saying another word, she rolled up her sleeves and went to get the knife and oil paper.

Wei Chen got up to help. Under the dim, flickering light of the oil lamp, the shadows of the mother and son were stretched long and cast on the mottled mud wall. Wei Chen's large, fan-like hand steadily pressed down on the succulent pork belly, while Wang Xiulan picked up the gleaming, thick-backed cleaver.

The sharp blade sliced ​​through the delicate fat and rosy lean meat, producing a soft, pleasant "shh" sound. Wei Chen's hand was extremely steady, his knife precise, cutting evenly sized pieces of meat with a perfect fat-to-lean ratio. Wang Xiulan carefully wrapped the meat pieces in clean oil paper, then skillfully tied them securely with twisted hemp rope, securing them with a knot.

Looking at the three heavy, glistening gifts on the table, Wei Chen felt a sense of clarity. He believed that even the smallest act of kindness deserved a response; this was the foundation of his character.

After his father passed away, his eldest uncle, Wei Changsheng, helped out a lot with the heavy work of spring plowing and autumn harvest. As a village cadre, he also helped their family openly and secretly. His third uncle, Wei Laishun, was hot-tempered and straightforward. He dared to stand up for his family and often protected the orphan and widow. As for his master, Zhao the Cripple, he traveled all over the mountains and forests and taught them all his skills in making a living, identifying animal tracks, setting traps, and strengthening their bodies. This kindness was heavier than a thousand pounds and could not be repaid by a few pounds of pork. But this was only the beginning.

"I'll deliver them as soon as it's light tomorrow." Wei Chen carefully placed the three oil paper packages into a willow basket.

"Yes, it's better to be early than late." Wang Xiulan nodded, wiping her hands with her apron. "Your uncles' houses are nearby, but Master Sun lives in a mountain valley, the road is difficult to travel, and the dew is heavy... By the way, Chenzi..."

Looking at her son's profile, outlined by the lamplight, her voice grew serious. "You're a government employee now, navigating the big city streets. I don't understand all the intricacies, so I'll just tell you this: stay grounded! Don't be greedy! Don't touch what you shouldn't! We may be poor, but we're tough! Peace and safety are better than any mountain of gold!"

Under the flickering lamplight, the wrinkles at the corners of my mother's eyes were etched with the marks of time and hardship, but her eyes were exceptionally clear and bright, like obsidian washed in a mountain stream, filled with unwavering determination.

Wei Chen's heart burned, as if branded by that gaze. He straightened his back, his voice steady and strong: "Mom, I've taken your words to heart. I'll work diligently and be an honest person!"

"Okay! Okay!" Wang Xiulan said repeatedly, her tired face showing a sense of relief and satisfaction as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "Are you starving? I've kept some warm cornbread on the stove for you! I'll take it to you!"

"Please sit down, I'll do it myself." Wei Chen stopped his mother and turned to walk towards the kitchen, which was filled with the smell of firewood.

In the small stove, embers glowed with a dark red light, illuminating Wei Chen's young and serene face. Inside the iron pot were warm cornbread buns and a small dish of pickled vegetables drizzled with sesame oil. He lifted the lid, and the steam carrying the simple aroma of the grains wafted out.

Inside the main room, the younger sister's chattering voice came from her mother, asking if there were any buildings in the city taller than the old locust tree, and if she could eat candy every day. The mother's gentle and patient answers were filled with smiles, like a warm stream flowing in the night.

After a simple meal, warmth spread from my stomach to every part of my body. After washing up, I lay on the earthen bed I had slept on for over a decade, beneath me a newly replaced, soft, and fluffy straw mattress from my mother. The comforting scent of earth, wood ash, and sunshine filled my nostrils—a scent unique to home.

However, his mind had already soared beyond the low mud-brick house and into the mysterious and unpredictable "game world" that belonged only to him.

After confirming that the wooden door of the earthen house had been securely bolted, he focused his mind and sent out a strand of resilient will, like an invisible spider web, quietly attaching itself to the inside of the door panel.

This was a little trick he'd learned from hunting in space; any unusual external contact would trigger a mental alarm in his mind's sea of ​​consciousness. Having done all this, he slowly closed his eyes, his mind sinking deep into his consciousness, silently chanting, "Enter!"

A familiar, slight dizziness instantly enveloped my body, as if I were passing through a layer of cool water. The next moment, I felt the solid wooden planks beneath my feet, and the hunter's hut's ever-present, fresh and unique scent filled my nostrils. Outside the window, it was still the same newbie village, bathed in soft light, as tranquil as an eternal painting.

"Phew—" Wei Chen let out a long sigh, stretched his limbs, and felt all the fatigue in his body being washed away by the fresh air containing faint spiritual energy that was everywhere in the space.

His gaze swept across the familiar pop-up spots outside the window: chickens by the fence, ducks and geese in the pond, goats on the grassy slope, and fat pigs grunting and snorting in the village.

"Old buddies, we meet again." Wei Chen's lips curled into a slightly helpless smile. These low-level "monsters" were more like poultry and livestock; they were enough of a game for him. Now, for him, these game monsters were no longer a challenge, but rather a daily "homework" that he had to complete.

He moved with lightning speed, like a precisely programmed machine. He took down the mulberry wood hunting bow that had been with him for a long time from the wall, and slung the quiver over his shoulder.

Pushing open the door, I stepped lightly into the warm, moist air of the beginner village. Nocking the arrow, drawing the bow, aiming, releasing the string! The movements were fluid and seamless.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sound of arrows whistling through the air rang out one after another, their precision chilling. The chickens by the fence, before they could even take flight, had already vanished in streaks of white light, leaving only a few tangled feathers behind; the ducks and geese leisurely paddling in the pond had barely flapped their wings when the arrows arrived, the water barely having time to splash high; the goats on the grassy slope had just raised their heads alertly when the sharp arrows pierced their vital organs; and the fat pigs in the sty didn't even have time to finish their grunts before they became experience points.

The entire process was fast, accurate, and steady, with astonishing efficiency. Wei Chen didn't even deliberately aim for vital points; it was purely muscle memory formed after countless repetitions. The arrow seemed to have eyes, automatically searching for the most lethal path.

He was like a ruthless harvester, clearing out all the "renewable resources" in this small beginner village in the shortest amount of time and with the least amount of noise.

As the last fat pig turned into white light and disappeared, a familiar warm current instantly surged through my limbs and bones, like warm spring water flowing into a dried-up riverbed.

This warm current was more powerful and surging than ever before, rushing and converging in his meridians, and finally bursting through an invisible barrier!

"Buzz—!"

A clear, resonant sound, emanating from the depths of his soul, rang out, audible only to Wei Chen. He clearly felt the "true essence" condensed within his dantian suddenly expand and refine, its volume and mass increasing by nearly half!

A stronger sense of power filled his body, as if every cell was cheering, and his five senses became more acute. He could even "hear" the subtle sound of sap flowing in the veins of distant leaves, and "see" the patterns of small insects crawling on tree trunks dozens of meters away.

"Finally... Level 5!" Wei Chen was thrilled. With a slight thought, a semi-transparent attribute panel unfolded before his eyes:

Name: Wei Chen (Hunter)

Level: 5 (0/6000)

Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Sun-Shooting Technique

True Yuan: 15 years

Skill: Piercing Arrow (Piercing)

Pets: None

Life skills: None

"True Essence 15 years!" Wei Chen's gaze lingered on the "True Essence" item for a moment, a complex emotion flashing through his mind. His archery skill had also reached the Penetration Realm, which literally means being able to master and integrate it.

The upgrade mechanism in this game world is truly bizarre. What's limiting his growth isn't his own innate talent, comprehension, or skill bottlenecks, but rather the damned respawn rate of monsters in this newbie village!

The same few chickens, ducks, geese, sheep, and pigs every day only provide a trickle of experience points, leaving his thirst for power like a vast ocean.