Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 39 Deer Cry Startles

After working tirelessly in the space for several days, Lin Yan, despite his extraordinary spiritual power, felt a bit tired, and his spiritual energy circulation became slightly sluggish. He knew he had reached a bottleneck, and that continuing to cultivate would only be less effective, so he decisively left the cultivation tower.

Back in the courtyard, Lin Gang had not yet returned. The afternoon sun was shining brightly, so Lin Yan told Lin Gang to bring back some game to make a living for the family.

Within half a day, commotion was heard outside the courtyard.

In the front yard, Yan Bugui, the old man, was squinting, leaning against the faded doorframe, taking idly puffs on his old pipe. The sun lazily shone on the blue brick floor of the yard, and everything was as bland and uneventful as the cup of jasmine tea beside him that had lost its flavor, as he pondered how he could change the tea leaves in a couple of days.

The courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open with a bang, the noise startling the sparrows dozing under the eaves, who fluttered their wings and fled in panic. Old Yan's hand trembled, and he almost burned his chin with his pipe. He was about to raise his neck and curse which blind brat had caused it, but the words caught in his throat and he swallowed them back.

The first thing to enter wasn't a person, but a deer! A huge deer! The deer was carried on someone's shoulder, its head drooping, its pair of rugged, beautiful, perfectly forked antlers almost scraping against the top of the door frame. Dark red bloodstains smeared its neck, dripping onto the blue bricks, spreading into dark dots. The young man carrying it was Lin Gang! The boy's shirt was open, his sweat-soaked shirt clinging tightly to his bulging chest and arms. He was panting heavily, his body emitting steaming white vapor, like a steamer just opened, wild and fierce.

Before Yan Laoxi could catch his breath, Lin Gang turned to the side, revealing a horn dragging along the back of the cart! A horn of similar size and imposing appearance!

Two deer! My goodness!

Old Yan's pipe fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering a few sparks. His mouth was agape, his meticulously groomed gray beard trembling, and his usually half-closed eyes, which always gleamed with a calculating light, were now wide open, almost bulging out, staring intently at the two enormous creatures as if he had seen ghosts in broad daylight.

The courtyard was deathly silent, save for Lin Gang's heavy breathing and the sound of deer blood dripping—tap, tap, tap. Each sound seemed to strike Yan Laoxi's heart, making his chest tremble and his abacus beads go awry.

"Third...Third Uncle..." Lin Gang gasped for breath, grinning to reveal a set of white teeth. His smile was tinged with exhaustion, but also held an uncontrollable wildness and pride that belonged to a hunter. "I ran into him. I guess I'm lucky."

Old Yan seemed to be burned by those words, snapping back to his senses. His fingers trembled, first pointing at the deer, then at Lin Gang, his throat making gurgling sounds. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a distorted exclamation: "Lin...Lin Gang! You...you brat...you've raided Granny Deer's lair?! This...this..."

He practically hopped around the drops of blood, peered closer at the horn, then jerked his head back, clicking his tongue in amazement. "My goodness! How many years does it take for such a magnificent horn to grow! You...you're really ruthless! How much would this sell for...no, this...did you really make this all by yourself?"

He looked up, as if seeing Lin Gang for the first time, sizing up the robust young man who resembled a mountain leopard. He'd always thought of him as a poor, hardworking relative with only brute strength; he never imagined this kid had such skill! Last time he'd hunted a wild boar, this time a deer! How many years had it been since anyone in the mountains on the outskirts of Beijing had hunted such large game? And two at once!

"Incredible! Absolutely incredible!" He raised his voice eight octaves, slapping his thigh as if the glory was his own. "Gangzi! You're really something! You've got real skills! Quick, put it down and rest! You must be exhausted, right? Ruihua! Yang Ruihua! Where have you been? Quickly, get your brother Gangzi a bowl of chilled tea! The kind that's been thoroughly chilled in the well!" He called out to his wife, but his eyes were glued to the two deer, especially their antlers that looked gleaming to him. His little abacus was already clicking away, deafeningly fast.

Hearing Uncle's hoarse voice shouting, Auntie San and her cousin Cuihua rushed out of the house. Cuihua's face instantly contorted with a perfectly timed mix of ecstatic joy and worry, her acting flawless: "Husband! You've been up the mountain? My goodness! Are you hurt anywhere? Let me see!"

Lin Gang chuckled憨厚ly and said to the Third Uncle, "Third Uncle, I'm sorry to trouble you to make a trip to the central courtyard and ask Sha Zhu to come and lend a hand. We need to bleed this deer quickly; deer blood is a very nourishing thing, and not a single drop can be wasted." As he spoke, he told Cuihua to quickly fetch a large wooden basin, while he pushed the cart, dragging the two amazing prey, towards the public pond in the central courtyard.

Lin Gang pushed the cart through the hanging flower gate. The huge prey, the heavy smell of blood, and his fierce and hot aura were like a boulder thrown into the deep, calm waters of the courtyard, instantly stirring up layers of ripples of different colors.

The first to erupt was Jia Zhangshi. She was sitting by the door sewing shoe soles when the needle pricked her finger. "Ouch!" she cried out in pain, her triangular eyes fixed on the deer, abandoning her needlework. Her surprise was fleeting; greed and sourness immediately welled up like aged vinegar: "Oh my! Where did this mountain king come from? Incredible! Incredible! How many days will it take to eat this? Aren't you afraid of getting indigestion?" Her eyes darted around, calculating the fat and lean of the venison and the value of the antlers, wishing the deer would immediately walk into her pot. At the same time, she nudged her daughter-in-law beside her with her elbow, signaling her to quickly devise a plan.

Qin Huairu, who had been stabbed, reacted much more complexly and subtly. She was startled at first, instinctively taking a small step back, covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes wide open. When she saw that it was Lin Gang and the rare prey, her eyes flashed with extreme shock and undisguised envy—how much fine grain could that venison be exchanged for? How long could it keep the children from clamoring for meat? These thoughts raced through her mind, but she quickly put on a warm smile, her voice so soft it could melt water: "My God, Brother Lin Gang, you...you're so capable! You took it all by yourself? Are you alright? Take a rest, this big guy..." Beneath that smile, a rapid and meticulous calculation was underway.

Their commotion attracted even more people. The boys and girls were the most excited, rushing to the front, pointing at the deer, their little faces flushed with excitement, shouting all at once: "Wow! It's a real deer! Bigger than the ones in the pictures!" "Look at those antlers! They look like tree branches!" "So much blood!" They huddled together, their chatter filled with the purest wonder and excitement, chasing after the cart.

The commotion startled Liu Haizhong, the second uncle, who was sitting at his doorstep, holding an enamel mug and posing as if he were contemplating how to become a respected elder. He abruptly straightened up, his stomach trembling. After a moment of surprise, a sense of self-importance as the "head of the compound" welled up within him. He walked forward with measured steps, hands behind his back, frowning, trying to project an official and authoritative tone: "Hmm! Lin Gang! What's going on here? Ah? This wild animal... did you hunt it? Where did you hunt it? Does this comply with... ah... the regulations of the street and the factory? You need to be mindful of the impact!" He tried to project authority, but his eyes involuntarily darted to the pair of beautiful deer antlers, his mind racing, imagining how potent and nourishing they would be if soaked in alcohol.

Xu Damao had just turned out of the backyard, heading to work, when he saw this scene and froze, his mouth agape. Then, an overwhelming surge of jealousy and sourness instantly overwhelmed his surprise. Even the forced smile on his face crumbled.

The sarcastic remark almost slipped out: "Heh! Lin Gang, impressive! Making a fortune quietly! Did you take down the deer den on West Hill? You're incredibly lucky! Your ancestors must have been blessed with good fortune!"

He circled the deer halfway, his eyes critical, and he pursed his lips: "But this deer doesn't look very fat. It's mountain meat, it'll definitely be tough and get stuck in your teeth. Hey, I'm telling you, you didn't run into any wolves, did you? Don't risk your life for this little bit of tough meat, it's not worth it!" He said it lightly, but inside he was feeling incredibly jealous, wishing he had hunted the deer himself.

Facing the stares and whispers of the crowd, Lin Gang stopped his cart, wiped his sweat with a towel, and, still with his honest and simple demeanor, laughed and explained loudly, his voice drowning out the noise: "Fellow villagers, it's nothing, nothing! My son Xiaoyan's monthly medical expenses are quite high. I had no other choice but to try my luck in the mountains to see if I could find some mountain produce to supplement our income. We didn't encounter any wolves, but we did see these two deer, which was lucky. I heard from the doctor back home that deer are a treasure trove of nutrients, very nourishing, so I thought I'd hunt them to help Xiaoyan recover; he's weak and needs them."

He paused, then continued with his prepared explanation: "We definitely can't finish this whole thing; our family can't afford to eat it all ourselves. We'll clean up the rest and sell some cheaply to the neighbors, so everyone can have a taste of meat. And this one too..."

He pointed to another deer, "I wanted to give this to Director Wang and the others at the neighborhood office. They helped us with our household registration last time, running around doing all the work. We didn't have anything nice to thank them for then, and we've remembered it ever since. So, since we went hunting, we wanted to give back to those officials. We can't forget their kindness. In case we need their help in the future, it'll leave a good impression! We can't be ungrateful, right?"

These words sparked another buzz of discussion in the courtyard. Some praised Lin Gang for being sensible, some envied the venison, and others admired his thoughtfulness and good interpersonal skills.

Several neighbors who usually had a good relationship with the Lin family came forward with even more sincere smiles to congratulate them: "Gangzi, well done! You've really done a great job!" "This has really made our neighborhood proud!" "The stew we're having tonight will smell amazing for miles around!"

Lin Yan stood at his own door, quietly watching everything unfold. He watched his cousin Lin Gang become the center of this storm, and observed the vivid scenes of life in the courtyard. A barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips.

The source of his "medicine money" was, in a sense, legitimate.