Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Although the main dish was dumplings made with a mixture of cornmeal and water, and the filling didn't contain much meat, the combination of the unique savory aroma of wild rabbit and the sweetness of cabbage made it a rare delicacy in those days.

The pheasant soup was exceptionally delicious, and drinking it warmed you up from head to toe. Wei Changshuan also had Wei Qiang bring out the last bit of bulk liquor they had at home, pouring half a glass for Wei Chen and himself.

"Come on, Xiao Chen, you must be tired from the journey. Have a drink to warm yourself up and relieve your fatigue." Wei Changshuan raised his small wine cup. "Thank you, Uncle Wei." Wei Chen quickly raised his glass as well.

The crisp, slightly spicy liquor warmed my throat as it went down. The simple yet heartfelt meal created a harmonious atmosphere at the table.

Wei Zhenzhen kept putting dumplings and soup on Wei Chen's plate, asking him for more details about the city and their hometown. Wei Chen also gave a brief account of what he could talk about. When he heard that his grandparents were in relatively good health and that he had brought some food to his uncles' homes, Wei Zhenzhen's eyes reddened again, and she kept saying, "That's good, that's good, a weight has finally been lifted off my shoulders."

Wei Qiang remained mostly silent, but his smile never faded. He frequently refilled Wei Chen's wine, served his wife food, and carefully tended to his son's meal. Little Tiger ate with his mouth glistening with oil, glancing at the dumplings, then at the soup, then at "Chiu Chiu" who had given him candy, as happy as a little mouse that had stolen some oil.

Under the dim light, the family sat around the table, laughing and chatting warmly. Looking at this harmonious, simple, and caring family, Wei Chen was filled with emotion. This was what ordinary families should be like—the most precious warmth and hope that they struggled to maintain even in difficult times.

In contrast, the so-called "neighbors" in the courtyard who fight and scheme over half a pound of meat, a few ounces of oil, or a tiny bit of profit, even at the expense of others for their own benefit, seem to live in a cold and calculating world.

The meal lasted a long time, mainly consisting of conversation over food. From Wei Changshuan and Wei Zhenzhen's occasional conversations, Wei Chen gained a more concrete and intuitive understanding of the livelihood, material supply, and interpersonal relationships in Xingshou Commune and even the surrounding areas.

Because it's close to the foothills, there might still be some scattered mountain products there. Which village had a relatively better harvest this year? Which people in the commune are reliable and trustworthy, and which people need to be wary of? These seemingly trivial pieces of information were intentionally shared by my sister and Uncle Wei. They knew Wei Chen was a purchasing agent, and this information might have unexpected reference value for Wei Chen's purchasing work.

Under the dim light, a rare and cozy dinner was drawing to a close. The pheasant soup in the earthenware pot had been almost completely drunk, leaving only a few whitish chicken bones; the dumplings on the bamboo steamer were also nearly gone.

Little Tiger, having eaten his fill, nestled in his mother's arms, rubbing his eyes, and was getting drowsy. Wei Changshuan slowly sipped the last bit of baijiu, his face showing a slight buzz and relaxation. Wei Qiang quietly cleared away the dishes, his movements gentle, careful not to disturb this rare moment of peace. Wei Chen also put down his chopsticks, looking at the warm family scene under the dim light, a feeling of warmth welling up inside him.

My cousin Wei Zhenzhen was tidying up the last few dishes, a satisfied smile on her face, when she started chattering about the latest happenings in the commune: "By the way, Qiangzi, have you heard? Old Sun's daughter from the back street is engaged to a tractor driver from the next commune. I heard the dowry is..." Before she could finish, a sudden, clearly probing knock on the door interrupted her.

"Knock, knock, knock!" The knocking wasn't loud, but it carried an impolite urgency. Immediately afterward, a slightly slick, deliberately enthusiastic, yet undeniably weak male voice rang out: "Brother Wei? Is Brother Wei home? Oh, it's already lunchtime, still not resting? It's quite lively inside!"

The laughter and conversation inside the room abruptly stopped, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over it.

The ease and slight intoxication on Wei Changshuan's face vanished instantly, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a hint of impatience flashed in his eyes.

Wei Qiang stopped what he was doing and looked at his father. This honest and kind man also showed a rare and clear look of annoyance on his face.

Wei Zhenzhen's expression changed drastically. She instinctively hugged Hu Zi tighter in her arms and quickly glanced at Wei Chen before lowering her voice and saying, "It's Wang Laizi from the front street! This guy is idle and gossipy, always siding with the powerful and the weak. He's always been jealous of our father's job at the grain store and often says sarcastic and irresponsible things. He doesn't get along with our family." Her tone was full of wariness and worry.

Wei Chen's eyes were calm as he nodded slightly, indicating that he understood. He was no longer the greenhorn he once was. His experience in the purchasing department of the steel rolling mill had exposed him to all sorts of people and things; the maneuvering in the courtyard, and even his confrontations with lurking enemy agents, had long since tempered his character into that of an old bamboo, outwardly gentle but inwardly resilient, calm and insightful.

This kind of uninvited visit, especially when it's after dinner and a time for family gatherings, is obviously ill-intentioned. They're probably here to cause trouble or take advantage of you.

Wei Changshuan took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and his voice returned to its usual calm, but a hint of coldness could be detected if you listened carefully: "Is that Old Wang? The door isn't latched, come in." He didn't want to open the door for this kind of person, but since they lived in the same commune, they would run into each other all the time, and turning him away directly might only cause more trouble.

The courtyard gate creaked open, and a gust of cold wind rushed in first, followed by a figure shuffling in cautiously.

The man was about forty years old, thin as a bamboo pole, wrapped in an old cotton-padded jacket stained with grease and worn beyond recognition, and wearing a droopy, wrinkled cotton hat. He had high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a pair of small eyes that darted around quickly, revealing a shrewd yet lewd glint.

As soon as he entered, his gaze swept over every corner of the main room like a searchlight—the bowls and plates on the table, the greasy dumpling plates that hadn't been cleared away yet, the empty earthenware pots… Finally, his eyes were fixed on the plump gray rabbit hanging on a nail behind the door. His pupils visibly contracted, and greed and calculation almost overflowed from his eyes.

Two rabbits! I used one to make dumplings tonight, and I haven't put the other one away yet!

"Oh my! Brother Wei, eating now? No wonder I could smell that irresistible meaty aroma from so far away! Tsk tsk, you're living the good life!" Wang Laizi said with a forced smile, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

His gaze immediately shifted, as if he had discovered a new continent, fixing firmly on the unfamiliar face of Wei Chen. His fake smile deepened, but his eyes sharpened like hooks. "And this comrade is...? He looks quite unfamiliar, with an extraordinary air about him. You're not from our commune, are you? Are you a distinguished guest from the city?"

"This is my younger brother from my maternal family, Wei Chen. He came all the way from Beijing to visit me." Wei Zhenzhen spoke first, her tone stiff, with obvious distance and wariness. She even turned slightly to block Wang Laizi's view of the game. "Old Wang, what brings you here so late? It's cold, we were just about to pack up and rest."

"It's nothing, it's nothing! Look at what you're saying, we're all neighbors, it's good to visit each other, keep in touch, and strengthen our relationships!" Wang Laizi was extremely thick-skinned, seemingly oblivious to Wei Zhenzhen's implied dismissal, and instead took two steps forward as if they were old friends.

Without waiting for a greeting, he plopped down on an empty bench next to the octagonal table, his eyes glued to Wei Chen, sizing him up. "From Beijing? That's the capital, a truly great place! Where do you make your fortune, comrade? Coming from here in the dead of winter, when water freezes instantly, must have suffered on the way here in this poor, remote place?"

His seemingly ordinary pleasantries were actually barbed and laced with sarcasm. Especially the phrases "the dead of winter" and "remote and impoverished area," coupled with his constantly glancing, meaningful look towards the wild game, made the subtext crystal clear: In this awful weather, there's nothing in the mountains; this wild game you brought from so far away is probably of dubious origin. What are you planning to do with it?

Wei Changshuan and Wei Qiang's faces darkened completely. Wei Changshuan tightened his grip on the enamel mug, his knuckles turning slightly white. Wei Qiang clenched the rag in his hand; the honest man's chest heaved slightly, clearly indicating he was quite angry.

Wei Zhenzhen was so angry that her face turned pale and her chest heaved. Just as she was about to retort, Wei Chen gently raised his hand and pressed down in the air. The movement was casual but carried an undeniable calm and power, signaling his cousin to calm down.

Wei Chen's face showed no particular expression, even a faint, almost polite smile playing at the corners of his lips. But his eyes were calm and deep, like an autumn pond, undisturbed. He met Wang Laizi's probing and provocative gaze directly, and slowly spoke, his voice low but each word clear and steady: "I work at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. The factory sent me out on some business, and since it was on the way, I stopped by to see my sister's family." His tone was calm, without any deliberate emphasis or timidity, as if he were stating something utterly ordinary.

"Red Star Steel Rolling Mill?!" Wang Laizi's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, his eyes widened even more, as if he had heard some incredible news, and the fake "enthusiasm" on his face was almost overflowing.

"Incredible! Incredible! That's a nationally renowned factory! A factory with tens of thousands of employees! Comrade, you must be doing something very important there, right?" As he spoke, he unconsciously leaned forward, his tone becoming more probing. "Official business? What important business could possibly require you to come all the way to this remote mountain village? And you're even bringing..."

He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze once again blatantly sweeping over the wild rabbits and pheasants behind the door. He clicked his tongue twice, "...Such fine 'local specialties'? These rabbits and pheasants look really plump! In this weather, it's hard to find even a rabbit hair on the mountain. Brother, your skills...are truly extraordinary! This must have taken a lot of effort and thought, right?"