Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

The afternoon sun was no longer so scorching, carrying a lazy golden hue. Wei Chen rested at home for a while, then helped fill the water tank. Estimating that it was about time, he pushed his bicycle out again.

Two empty bamboo baskets were already tied to either side of the back seat of the vehicle, and a burlap sack and a canvas satchel containing money, notes, and an old scale were hanging on the handlebars.

When he arrived at the relatively flat small square outside the village canteen, the work bell had just rung. The villagers were walking back in twos and threes from the field ridges and hillsides, covered in sweat and smelling of mud.

Soon, the loudspeaker hanging under the eaves of the village office started crackling loudly, and then Uncle Wei Changsheng's loud, penetrating voice, filled with the excitement of announcing good news, resounded throughout the entire Baoyuquan Village:

"Hey! Hey! All comrades of Baoyuquan Village! Attention! Attention! This is Brigade Leader Wei Changsheng! I'm broadcasting an important announcement! Wei Chen from our village—the one who just came to the city to work as a purchasing agent at Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill—is going to buy supplies from our village! Eggs! Duck eggs! Dried mushrooms, dried green beans, dried eggplant, dried radishes, daylilies! And Sichuan peppercorns, dried chili peppers! Dried pheasants, wild rabbits, etc. are also fine! The prices are fair! They'll be the same as the supply and marketing cooperative's prices, only higher, never lower! It'll save you the trouble of going out. Weighing on the spot, cash on the spot! Comrades who want to sell things to earn some money, go home after work, gather your things, and bring them to the small square outside the village canteen! Wei Chen is waiting for you there! Hurry up! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

The blare of the loudspeaker echoed through the village several times, like pebbles thrown into a calm pond. The villagers who were originally walking home slowed down noticeably, many showing interest and discussing among themselves. Soon, quite a few turned a corner and headed towards the small square.

Wei Chen propped up his bicycle, laid out the old scales, placed his notebook and pencil on a stone stool that served as a table, and opened his wallet to reveal a thick stack of loose but brand-new small bills and cents. Just as he was ready, he saw the first villager jogging over.

It was Wei Shitou's wife, the neighbor, carrying a small basket covered with a blue cloth. She called out from afar, "Chenzi! Chenzi! Wait for your aunt! We've saved up about twenty fresh eggs!"

"Hey! Auntie, no rush! Take your time!" Wei Chen greeted her with a smile.

Wei Shitou's wife handed over the basket, and lifting the blue cloth revealed a basket full of uniformly sized free-range eggs. "Look! They were just laid yesterday and this morning!"

Wei Chen picked one up, held it up to the sunlight, and weighed it in his hand. "Hmm, good egg! The supply and marketing cooperative charges one cent and fifty cents each. Auntie, I'll give you one cent and sixty cents! Twenty-three... thirty-six and eighty cents, here's thirty-seven cents for you!" He deliberately gave him one cent more than he should have.

Their purchasing also involves some losses, like two rotten eggs. As long as it's not excessive, no one will pursue it. There's always a certain margin of error. So, within his own village, Wei Chen would definitely choose the higher end rather than the lower end.

"Oh dear! I can't accept this! You've already won with just one point and five points!" Old Man Wei's wife said politely, but her smile became even brighter.

"Here, take it! We're on the same side!" Wei Chen stuffed three crisp 10-cent and 5-cent bills into her hand. "It's on your tab, Wei Shitou's house. Twenty-three eggs, 37 cents!"

With this great start, even more people followed. They were all familiar faces from the village, making the atmosphere much more lively and relaxed than when they were in other villages.

The blacksmith's wife brought over a bundle of dried eggplants, dark and shiny, thoroughly dried: "Chenzi, look at these dried eggplants, are they dry enough?" Wei Chen squeezed them, then tugged at them: "Dry enough! Six cents a pound, the supply and marketing cooperative price. Yours... three and a half pounds, twenty-one cents! Here you go!"

Hunter Wei Dahu was carrying two dried, stiff rabbits with still bright fur and a pheasant with colorful feathers. He had hunted with Wei Chen before and they were quite familiar with each other.

He placed it with a thud beside the stone block: "Chenzi, look! This was a spring harvest, I've been saving it but couldn't bear to eat it! The supply and marketing cooperative pays low prices for wild game, you see..." Wei Chen carefully examined the degree of drying and its appearance, and knew what to expect: "Uncle Da Hu, at the supply and marketing cooperative, wild rabbits are 1.2 yuan per jin, and pheasants are 1.5 yuan. Your rabbits must weigh a little over 2 jin each, so two would be 5 jin; the pheasants are smaller, so let's say 1.5 jin. That's 6.5 jin in total, which at the supply and marketing cooperative is... 8.75 yuan. How about this, round it up, I'll give you 9 yuan! Is that alright?"

Wei Dahu's eyes widened: "Nine...nine yuan? Great! That's too good! Chenzi is so generous!" This is almost twice the price he usually sells it for to the supply and marketing cooperative!

Widow Wang carried a winnowing basket filled with golden-brown, fragrant dried mushrooms: "Chenzi, these mushrooms your auntie dried aren't covered in a speck of sand. Take a look!"

Wei Chen grabbed a handful; the grains were dry and fragrant. "Aunt Wang, your skills are impeccable! Top-notch! Twelve cents a pound! This... a little over four pounds, let's say four pounds and two ounces, that's fifty-four cents! Here's fifty-five cents for you!" He gave him an extra cent.

There were also teenagers carrying a few eggs, an old lady carrying a small bag of dried radishes, and a man bringing a small bag of red chili peppers... The items were scattered, but the advantage was that they were all acquaintances. Wei Chen inspected the goods, quoted prices, weighed them, recorded the information, and paid. His movements were quick and efficient, and his accounting was clear.

If he encountered a particularly good item or if the family was genuinely struggling financially, he would always quietly give an extra penny or two, saying things like, "It's just a small amount" or "It's from our own farm, it's worth it."

The villagers all understood perfectly, their faces beaming with smiles as they praised Chenzi: "Chenzi has been kind and righteous since he was little!" "Having seen the world in the city, he's so straightforward in his dealings!" "From now on, if you have anything at home, save it for Chenzi when he comes back!" "That's right! It's better to give it to a child from our own village than to give it to outsiders!"

The golden rays of the setting sun bathed the small square, casting long shadows on everyone. Two large bamboo baskets and burlap sacks were gradually filled with various mountain produce: baskets of eggs carefully separated by wheat straw, a bundle of neatly tied dried vegetables, small cloth bags filled with Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, and Wei Dahu's heavy load of dried wild game.

The notebook was filled with the names of more than a dozen households. Wei Changsheng stood by, hands behind his back, watching with undisguised pride on his face. Occasionally, he would chime in with a shout: "Line up properly! Don't push! Chenzi won't shortchange you all!" Or he would praise those who had sold their rabbits for a good price: "Da Hu, keep this rabbit meat for stewing with radishes for the New Year, it'll be so delicious it'll make your teeth ache!"

As dusk settled and no one else came, Wei Chen closed his laptop and rubbed his slightly sore wrists. He quickly did a mental calculation: in just one afternoon in Baoyuquan Village alone, he had collected over thirty-two yuan worth of goods! Nine of those were from Wei Dahu's dried wild game. This efficiency was higher than visiting three other villages combined! Indeed, knowing people was a treasure; the support of the villagers was his strongest backing.

"Tired?" Wei Changsheng walked over, looking at the bamboo baskets and sacks stuffed full. "You've got a lot of stuff! How are you going to get it back to the city tomorrow?"

"It's alright, Uncle, my bicycle can carry it," Wei Chen said with a smile, carefully putting away his wallet. "Thanks to your shout today, the villagers really gave us face!"

"That's right! We people from Baoyuquan are united!" Wei Changsheng patted his chest. "Let me know in advance if you're coming back, and I'll have them prepare everything for you!"

The next day was Sunday, and Wei Ran didn't have to go to her literacy class. Wei Chen also completely relaxed and stayed home with his younger sister. The little girl, wearing her new pale yellow dress, ran around the yard like a happy butterfly, pestering her brother to tell her stories and teach her new characters.

Looking at his sister's carefree smile, Wei Chen suddenly remembered the bag of cicada nymphs belonging to Qin Jingru in the sack. He took them out, poured them into a ceramic basin, and rinsed them repeatedly with clean water to wash away the dirt and impurities. Then he pinched off the hard heads and sharp tails.

"Brother, what's this? A little black bug?" Wei Ran curiously leaned closer, wrinkling her little nose.

"These are called cicada nymphs, also known as cicada pupae," Wei Chen said with a mysterious smile. "After washing them clean, deep-fry them until golden brown and crispy. They smell amazing! It's a delicious dish!"

"You can eat insects?" Wei Ran's eyes widened, a little scared but also a little curious.

"Of course! It smells even better than meat! Wait, I'll show you my skills!" Wei Chen started a fire and poured a little golden rapeseed oil into the pot. When the oil was hot and slightly smoking, he carefully poured the drained cicada nymphs into the pot.

"Sizzle—!" With a pleasant popping sound, the oil sizzled and danced joyfully. Wei Chen gently stirred it with chopsticks, and the originally dark little thing quickly changed color and expanded in the hot oil, turning into an enticing, shiny golden color. An indescribable, unique aroma, a mixture of the aroma of caramelized protein and the scent of earth, instantly filled the entire courtyard.

"Wow! It smells so good!" Wei Ran sniffed, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the pot, her earlier fear long forgotten.

Seeing that they were almost done frying and the heat was just right, Wei Chen quickly scooped them out with a strainer, drained the oil, and poured them into a coarse porcelain plate. The plate was golden and glistening with oil, still bubbling with tiny oil bubbles, and smelled wonderful.

"Here, Ranran, have a taste!" Wei Chen picked up a slightly cooler one, blew on it, and held it to his sister's lips. "Be careful, it's hot."

Wei Ran mustered her courage and carefully took a small bite. With a crisp "crunch," the tender, firm white meat beneath the crispy outer shell exploded in her mouth with a rich, exotic aroma. "Mmm! So fragrant! So delicious! Brother, I want more!" The little girl's eyes curved into crescents as she eagerly picked up a piece herself.

The brother and sister sat around a small table, each eating one of their own, their mouths glistening with oil, their laughter echoing in the courtyard. The warm early summer sun shone down, and the "golden beans" on their plates quickly dwindled. This simple and pure joy was the warmest comfort for Wei Chen amidst his busy life.

As the sun began to set, its intensity waned, and a cool evening breeze began to fill the air. It was time to head back to the city. Wei Chen carefully sorted all the things he had bought over the past two days—dried vegetables, eggs, and wild game—and tightly bound them to the large bamboo baskets on either side of the bicycle's back seat, securing them with several layers of hemp rope to ensure they wouldn't fall apart on the bumpy road.

All the spices and seasonings we received were kept in the hunter's cabin kitchen for our own use, so that the kitchen wouldn't just have salt.

"Mom, Ranran, I'm leaving now. I'll come back next weekend if I'm free." Wei Chen pushed his heavy bicycle and said goodbye at the gate of the courtyard.

"Ride slowly on the road! Don't ride past dark!" Wang Xiulan reminded her worriedly.

"Brother, come back soon! I still want to eat fried cicada nymphs!" Wei Ran waved her little hand.

"Okay! I'll remember that! I'll get you even more next time!" Wei Chen replied with a smile, straddled his bicycle, and pedaled hard. The wheels turned, carrying a full harvest and the warmth of home, rolling over the dirt road at the village entrance.

After riding a short distance, looking back, Baoyuquan Village was already shrouded in the twilight smoke, its outline becoming blurred. Confirming that no one was around, Wei Chen nimbly dismounted. A thought flickered in his mind, and his hands seemingly casually brushed over two large bamboo baskets, stuffed to the brim and almost overflowing.

In an instant, the heavy, rustic harvest was sucked away by an invisible vortex and disappeared without a trace, leaving only empty bamboo baskets and the marks of ropes binding the cart frame.

Wei Chen gently patted the equally empty canvas bag hanging on the handlebars, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his face.

He hopped back onto his bicycle, the empty bike moving nimbly, the chain making a soft clattering sound. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him, the wheels grinding through the dust of his journey home, steadily heading towards that vast steel city to the north, a city brimming with both opportunities and challenges.

Behind him lay the quiet village and the soft twilight; ahead lay the winding dirt road and the city lights about to illuminate the night. Purchasing agent Wei Chen's first trip back to his hometown for procurement concluded successfully with a bountiful harvest.