Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Wei Chen pushed his bicycle through the noisy front yard. As soon as he stepped through the moon gate leading to his own east courtyard, the scene before him made him pause. The fatigue from days of running around seemed to be lessened by the sight before him.

In just three or four days since I last returned, the east courtyard has become a completely different world!

The desolation and ruin of my memory have been swept away. The tall grass that used to grow taller than a person has disappeared without a trace. The ground has been leveled and compacted, exposing the dark brown soil, which feels solid and reassuring underfoot.

The crater that had collapsed from the rain and was filled with sewage has now been filled in and leveled, and you can even see the tight marks of the new soil being pressed down by the stone roller.

The most conspicuous sight was on the west side—the west wing, which had once been dilapidated and seemed as if a gust of wind could blow it down, was now reduced to a neat foundation outline and a pile of shattered bricks, tiles, and broken beams. These remnants had been sorted and piled up in a corner of the courtyard, clearly having been cleaned up.

The entire courtyard was spacious and clean, filled with the bustling atmosphere of construction. A dozen or so workers were busy at work: some were wielding shovels, digging deeper trenches where the main house's foundation had originally been.

Some people shouted slogans as they carried heavy bluestone slabs (footstones), some intact and some repaired, to the edge of the ditch to prepare for placement; others took trowels and spirit levels and carefully plastered and leveled the walls of the east wing, which had already been built to a height of more than one person.

The air was filled with the fresh smell of soil, the alkaline scent of lime mortar, and the smell of sweat. The shovelful sounds of digging, the dull thuds of stones hitting the ground, the crisp tapping of trowels against bricks, and the occasional shouts of the workers wove together into a vibrant symphony of the construction site.

"Comrade Wei! You're back!" A familiar voice called out warmly. Foreman Wu was inspecting the construction site with his hands behind his back. The edge of his signature old straw hat was stained darker with sweat, and glistening beads of sweat clung to his forehead. When he saw Wei Chen, he immediately strode over to greet him, his dark face beaming with a smile and a touch of seriousness as if reporting on his work.

"Master Wu, thank you all for your hard work! This progress is really fast!" Wei Chen praised sincerely, his gaze sweeping over the newly renovated courtyard and the walls of the east wing that were beginning to take shape.

"Of course! The materials are in place, and the brothers are willing to work hard!" Master Wu chuckled, rubbing the mortar off his hands. He pointed to the cleared ruins on the west side, "Look, we've salvaged the things from the west wing. Although many of the bricks have some chipped edges, the main materials are still good. After washing and cleaning them, they're perfectly fine for building the back wall of the east wing or the courtyard wall, saving us a lot of money on new bricks."

"And these beams and rafters," he pointed to a pile of timber in the corner, its rotten outer layer scraped away to reveal relatively sturdy wood, "If you pick and choose, a few pieces will be good enough for purlins or lintels for doors and windows, saving you some money. The most valuable ones are these foundation stones,"

He led Wei Chen to the foundation trench that was being dug, pointing to a pile of large bluestones that had been cleared of soil, revealing their square outlines. "Most of these are foundation stones from the old house, they're very sturdy! We can just trim the edges a bit and rebuild them in the foundation, it'll be stable and save money! Much more cost-effective than buying new ones!"

As Wei Chen listened, he carefully examined the salvaged old materials. Master Wu was indeed a practical and experienced old hand; these ideas for reusing waste not only saved costs but also, to some extent, preserved some of the old house's fundamental character, which pleased him greatly. "Master Wu's considerations are thorough; this is excellent! Save where you can, but don't skimp on the quality materials."

"Of course! Don't worry!" Master Wu patted his chest to assure him, then changed the subject, pointing to the moon gate with a hint of reminder, "Comrade Wei, there's something else I need to mention to you. You see, this east courtyard is now completely open. It's fine for us workers during the day, but once we finish work at night, it's deserted. Although there's nothing valuable in the yard right now, there's always the chance of some kids or stray cats and dogs wandering in. If they get hurt or lose something, it'll be hard to explain, and it'll be a hassle. What do you think, should we install a simple gate here at the moon gate? Something that can be closed and locked, at least there will be some cover, and we'll feel safer at night."

Wei Chen followed Master Wu's finger and looked at the moon gate. The arched gate had indeed become an unobstructed passageway, allowing the noise and stares from the front yard to stream in without any obstruction. Master Wu's concerns were not unfounded; both security and privacy needed to be considered.

"Master Wu is right, we need to install a door." Wei Chen nodded in agreement. "Not only do we need to install one, but we also need to install a sturdy and good door, all in one go. You know a lot of people in this area, do you know any skilled carpenters? I not only want to install this gate, but once the main structure of the house is built, the interior decoration, such as wall cabinets, hanging cabinets, combination cabinets, as well as furniture like beds, desks, and bookcases, will all need to be custom-made."

"Hey! You've come to the right person!" Upon hearing this, Master Wu immediately smiled, clearly already having a suitable candidate in mind. He gestured to a nimble-looking young man of about fifteen or sixteen who was carrying bricks nearby: "Zhu Zi! Come here!"

"Hey! Master!" The young apprentice, Zhu Zi, responded, put down the bricks, and jogged over, his face covered in sweat and mud, his eyes bright and alert.

"You're quick on your feet, hurry over to Beixinqiao and find Master Liu Changming! Tell him that I, Wu Degui, am looking for him. A big customer needs doors, windows, and furniture installed, and I need him to make sure he can come over when he has time! Tell him the job is urgent and it would be best if he could come today to take the measurements!" Master Wu instructed.

"Alright, Master!" Zhu Zi answered crisply, wiped his sweat with his shirt, turned around and ran out of the moon gate in a flash, his figure quickly disappearing into the alley.

While waiting, Wei Chen and Master Wu chatted about some project details. About half an hour later, Zhu Zi returned with a man who looked to be around fifty years old.

The man was not tall, but he had a large frame, especially his hands, with thick knuckles covered in calluses and small scars—clearly the work of a seasoned woodworker. He wore faded dark blue overalls, and carried a worn-out, shiny woodworking tool bag over his shoulder. His eyes were calm, displaying the focus and composure characteristic of a craftsman. It was none other than Liu Changming, the carpenter.

"Old Wu, why are you calling me so urgently? What good job is it?" Liu Changming was obviously very familiar with Master Wu, and greeted him with a smile. His gaze then fell on Wei Chen, who had an extraordinary demeanor, standing next to him.

"Master Liu, let me introduce you. This is our host, Comrade Wei Chen from the steel rolling mill, and also our new neighbor who just moved in." Master Wu introduced him warmly. "Comrade Wei, this is Master Liu Changming, the most skilled carpenter in this Jiaodaokou area. He's affiliated with the street office, so you can absolutely trust him!"

"Hello, Master Liu, it's an honor to meet you." Wei Chen extended his hand.

"Comrade Wei, hello, hello!" Liu Changming quickly wiped his hands on his trouser leg before shaking hands with Wei Chen; his grip was strong and genuine. "Old Wu said you have urgent work?"

"Here's the thing," Wei Chen led Liu Changming to the moon gate, "First of all, I'd like to trouble you to install a sturdy door for this moon gate as soon as possible. The material should be good wood, preferably elm or ash, thick and solid, with a bolt so it can be locked. The main concern is safety; it needs to be able to be closed at night."

Liu Changming squinted, carefully measuring the blue bricks on both sides and above the doorway with his palm. He then tapped the bricks with his knuckles, feeling their weight and thickness, and nodded: "Hmm, these dimensions are easy to find. We also have good wood readily available. If things go quickly, we can prepare the materials by tomorrow, and it will be installed for you the day after tomorrow without any delay." His answer was crisp and decisive, revealing the confidence of an old craftsman.

"That's great." Wei Chen then got to the point, "Also, once the house is built, I'd like to ask you to take care of the interior decoration and furniture. However, what I want might be a little different from traditional furniture."

"Oh? Tell me about it?" Liu Changming became interested, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Wei Chen organized his thoughts and tried to use vocabulary that carpenters of this era could understand: "For example, in the bedroom, I don't want those bulky, large wardrobes that take up space."

I want to build a "wall cabinet" on the wall, that is, against the wall, from the floor all the way to the ceiling beam. It doesn't need to be too deep, but it needs to be divided into layers inside, so that I can hang clothes and also fold bedding.

There are also "wall cabinets," which are small cabinets installed high on the wall, such as above door frames or in corners, to store infrequently used items and save floor space.

He saw a thoughtful look flash across Liu Changming's eyes, but did not interrupt, and continued, "For the study, I want to make a 'combination cabinet.' It's several cabinets of different sizes and heights put together, some with doors, and some open to be used as bookshelves or display shelves. They can be placed against the wall, which is both practical and looks neat."

Also, I want a large bed, around two meters wide, the kind with drawers and storage underneath. The desk should be spacious, with a bookcase featuring glass doors…”

As Wei Chen spoke, he gestured with his hands to describe the shapes and structures of the objects. Liu Changming listened very attentively, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing, his rough fingers unconsciously tracing lines on his tool bag.

When Wei Chen mentioned concepts such as "wall cabinet", "hanging cabinet" and "combination cabinet", he was initially confused, but as Wei Chen described and gestured in detail, his confusion gradually turned into understanding, and he even saw a glimmer of hope.

"Brilliant!" Liu Changming exclaimed, slapping his thigh as soon as Wei Chen finished speaking, his face beaming with excitement. "Comrade Wei, your idea... is brilliant! Isn't this just... just putting all the cabinets 'on the wall,' 'reaching the ceiling,' and 'consolidating the scattered pieces'?"

He summarized Wei Chen's modern concepts in his simple language: "Saves space! Practical! And looks neat! I've made similar wall cabinets for some discerning families before, but none of them were as... comprehensive, as well-organized as you've imagined! I understand! This job can be done! And it will definitely be useful!"

He became increasingly excited as he spoke, clearly inspired by Wei Chen's new idea: "Don't worry, once the house is built and the walls are painted, I'll come over to take the measurements! After that, I'll draw you a detailed plan. Once you're satisfied, we'll get started! I guarantee it will be exactly as you envisioned, and the craftsmanship will be impeccable!"