Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 108 Qin Huai Russing, Silly Pillar Warns

The factory's decision was like a cold wind, sweeping through every corner of the Hongxing Courtyard. As dusk fell, thin wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of every household, but no one gathered around the stone mill in the central courtyard to chat as usual. Even the sounds of children chasing and playing had disappeared, with only the occasional timid chirping of sparrows at the base of the wall, which were quickly swallowed by the oppressive silence.

Qin Huairu squatted in front of her stove, clutching a rag stained with wood ash, but hesitated to wipe it on the iron pot. The flames in the stove weakly licked the bottom of the pot, casting flickering light on her face. The corn porridge in the pot had thickened, and its aroma should have made the three children cheer, but Jia Geng was huddled in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed) fiddling with a broken slingshot, and Jia Dang sat on the threshold with his younger sister Jia Huaihua in his arms, their eyes filled with longing for dinner, but no one dared to urge them.

"Cough—cough—" A deliberately amplified cough came from the inner room, followed by a sarcastic muttering: "Some people, you know, their connections are like mountains crumbling and rivers drying up. They used to fawn over Master Yi like a father, but now they've had their apprentice status stripped away. From now on, our Jia family's food supply will probably depend on starving!"

Qin Huairu's shoulders stiffened abruptly, and the rag in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud." She knew her mother-in-law's words were meant for her. When the factory's notice came down that morning, changing her from Yi Zhonghai's apprentice to Lin Chen's apprentice, Jia Zhangshi hadn't given her a kind look. Now, seeing the deathly silence in the courtyard, she vented her anger on her even more.

"Mom, Master Lin is very skilled. If I learn from him, maybe I can pass the assessment sooner, get a permanent position, and get a raise." Qin Huairu picked up the rag, her voice extremely low, yet filled with a confidence that even she herself didn't believe. She knew perfectly well that this was just self-comfort. For the past two years, she had been learning from Yi Zhonghai, but to keep her firmly tied to Sha Zhu, he hadn't genuinely taught her the core techniques. Now, with Lin Chen, a tough guy who couldn't even beat Yi Zhonghai, would he really teach her, this "remnant of the retirement group"?

"Can good skills put food on the table?" Jia Zhangshi, wearing a patched cotton-padded coat, came out from the inner room, her triangular eyes glancing sideways at the porridge in the pot. "What kind of status does Uncle Yi have? He's an eighth-grade fitter, even the factory leaders give him face. Before, Sha Zhu's lunchbox was delivered on time every month. Now that it's Lin Chen, will he give you a lunchbox? Will he give you food coupons? I think you've been sold out and you're still helping him count the money!"

These words struck a nerve with Qin Huairu. She instinctively touched the cloth bag hidden in her clothes; inside was her apprentice's wages for the month—only 18 yuan. After deducting 5 yuan for Jia Zhangshi's asthma medicine and buying rations, there was hardly anything left. Before, with Yi Zhonghai mediating, Sha Zhu's lunchbox would always have a piece of meat or two steamed buns. Now that Yi Zhonghai was in dire straits, could Sha Zhu still be relied upon?

Just as she was pondering this, she heard Sha Zhu's footsteps outside the courtyard gate. Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, and she quickly wiped her hands and straightened her clothes. Just as she was about to go out to greet him, Jia Zhangshi grabbed her arm. "What's the rush?" Jia Zhangshi lowered her voice, wiping the saliva from the corner of her mouth with her sleeve. "Show some respect. Don't be like before, rushing around like that, making it seem like our Jia family has no one left. Let him take the initiative to bring the things in; that's what real skill is."

Qin Huai hesitated for a moment, then stopped in her tracks. She leaned against the doorframe, watching Sha Zhu walk in from the gate carrying an aluminum lunchbox, his chef's uniform still smelling of cooking oil. Usually at this time, she would have already gone up to him to ask all sorts of questions, and casually mention the family's difficulties, but today, looking at Sha Zhu's expressionless face, she suddenly felt her throat tighten, and she couldn't utter a single word.

Unlike usual, Sha Zhu didn't glance towards the Jia family's house; he walked straight towards his own. Passing the millstone in the central courtyard, he noticed the still-scrambled pickled vegetable shreds and broken jar pieces on the ground. He paused, a flicker of disgust crossing his eyes. He had witnessed the entire chaos caused by Xu Damao yesterday, and he had overheard Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui's schemes perfectly. He had only pretended to be oblivious because he had been blinded by promises of "retirement" and so-called "loyalty."

"Silly Zhu, you're off work?" Qin Huairu finally couldn't help but speak, her voice carrying a deliberate gentleness. "What delicious food did the cafeteria serve today? My Huaihua has been craving meat for days." As she spoke, she secretly stretched out her cracked hand in front of her, trying to gain sympathy with her old tricks.

Sha Zhu merely glanced at her hand indifferently, without showing the usual look of concern. Instead, he frowned and said, "The cafeteria made braised pork today, but I saved some for Yu Shui. She's been working overtime lately and is tired." After saying that, he turned to walk home.

Seeing this, Madam Jia panicked and quickly shoved Qin Huairu, saying, "Tell him! The rice jar is empty, the children will go hungry tomorrow!" She then squatted down on the ground, wiping her eyes and muttering, "My poor son Dongxu, if you were still here, our family wouldn't have fallen to this state..."

This trick used to work every time, and Sha Zhu couldn't stand it. But today, Sha Zhu just stopped, turned around and looked at Jia Zhangshi with icy eyes: "Aunt Jia, if Brother Dongxu were still here, he would probably be furious to the point of coming back to life if he knew that you were instigating Qin Huairu to scheme against me every day."

Jia Zhangshi's crying stopped abruptly, and she stood there stunned for a long time, unable to react. Qin Huairu also panicked and quickly tugged at Shazhu's sleeve: "Shazhu, why are you saying this? I didn't scheme against you, it's just... it's just that the family is really having difficulties."

"Difficulties?" Sha Zhu pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Qin Huairu. "This is the receipt from last Wednesday. You took the soap I gave you and sold it at the supply and marketing cooperative for fifty cents. I asked Yu Shui to check. You said the soap was for the children to use for washing clothes, but you sold it for money. Where did the money go? Did you buy candy for Aunt Jia?"

Qin Huairu's face turned deathly pale in an instant, her fingers trembling as she hesitated to take the receipt. She hadn't expected that her little scheme would be so thoroughly investigated by Sha Zhu. Jia Zhangshi, standing nearby, panicked and stood up, ready to throw a tantrum: "Sha Zhu, you're talking nonsense! Our Huairu isn't that kind of person! Don't make false accusations!"

"Whether I'm making baseless accusations or not, just ask the neighbors in the yard." Sha Zhu raised his voice, deliberately making sure everyone could hear. "Last Thursday morning, didn't you have Jia Geng walk around my door three times with an empty bowl? Last Friday, you deliberately 'bumped into' me on my way home from get off work, saying Jia Huaihua had a cold and needed to borrow 50 cents for medicine, but I saw Aunt Jia eating sesame candy at the door that afternoon!"

These words were like slaps to Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi's faces. A window in Yan Bugui's house in the front yard creaked open, clearly someone was eavesdropping; a cough came from Liu Haizhong's house in the back yard, obviously they were also paying attention. Qin Huairu wished she could disappear into the ground, her head bowed low, tears welling in her eyes.

"I know Dongxu passed away early, and it's not easy for you to raise three children alone." Shazhu's voice softened a bit, but his eyes held a complex emotion. "I was willing to help you before because of my relationship with Dongxu, and also because I thought about neighborly help. But I'm not stupid. I can't let you take advantage of me forever. Grandpa Yi treats you like a tool for retirement, Aunt Jia treats you like a cash cow, and what about you? Are you just willing to keep scheming like this?"

Qin Huairu suddenly raised her head, tears finally falling: "I didn't want to! But what could I do? Three children need to eat, my mother needs medicine, and I'm just an apprentice; my wages aren't enough to live on! Uncle Yi said he'd help me, and I had no choice but to believe him..."

"Uncle Yi will help you? He's just helping himself out in his old age!" Sha Zhu sneered. "When the factory was dealing with him yesterday, why didn't he say he'd help you? He couldn't even keep his own model worker status, how could he help you? Qin Huai, let me tell you, from now on, I won't bring your family a single bite to eat. If you continue to get involved in scheming and plotting with Yi Zhonghai and his gang, don't say I have no old friendships, we won't even be neighbors anymore!"

After saying that, Sha Zhu turned and left, the aluminum lunchbox jingling in his hand, but he made no further move to hand it to Qin Huairu. Jia Zhangshi wanted to chase after him and cause a scene, but Qin Huairu grabbed her arm tightly. "Mother, don't go!" Qin Huairu's voice trembled with tears. "He's right, we can't go on like this."

Jia Zhangshi was so angry she jumped up and down: "You useless thing! If he won't give it to us, can't we just ask for it ourselves? Tomorrow you go to the workshop and find Uncle Yi, and ask him to stand up for you! Don't go to Lin Chen's place either, why should we put up with his nonsense?"

"What good would it do to go?" Qin Huairu finally exploded, her voice filled with long-suppressed grievances and anger. "Uncle Yi can't even take care of himself, how can he stand up for me? Lin Chen is my new mentor. If I don't go to learn the skills, I won't pass the assessment, and I'll lose my job! What will become of our family then?"

This was the first time Qin Huairu had ever argued with Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi was stunned for a long time, too angry to speak. She pointed at Qin Huairu's nose for a long time before finally stomping her foot and going back to the inner room to smash things. Qin Huairu stood there, looking at the timid eyes of her three children, her heart aching as if pricked by needles. She knew that Shazhu had truly come to his senses this time, and Yi Zhonghai could no longer be relied upon. She had to find a way out for herself and her children.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen was fiddling with a pile of scrap metal in his yard. A system panel appeared before him, displaying various data from the "Advanced Material Analysis" function. The 500 points and "Skill Transfer Efficiency Improvement" buff he received after dismantling the Retirement Alliance yesterday had put him in a good mood. He was currently considering using this scrap metal to forge a set of basic tools suitable for Qin Huairu's practice.

"Master Lin, are you home?" Qin Huairu's voice came from outside the courtyard gate, tinged with hesitation and restraint.

Lin Chen closed the system panel, got up, and opened the door. He wasn't surprised to see Qin Huairu standing there, her eyes red, carrying something wrapped in cloth. "Come in," Lin Chen said, stepping aside to let her in and pointing to the stone bench in the courtyard. "Sit."

Qin Huai sat down awkwardly and handed over the cloth bag in his hand: "Master Lin, this is some pickled vegetable that my mother made. It's not worth much, please don't mind it. I... I'm here to apologize to you. I used to cause you a lot of trouble when I was with Uncle Yi and the others."

Lin Chen glanced at the cloth bag, which contained a small jar of pickled radishes that looked clean. He didn't take it, but simply said, "Let's not talk about the past. The factory has assigned you to work under me as an apprentice, and I will teach you the skills properly. As for past grievances, as long as you don't get involved anymore, we'll just be master and apprentice, and neighbors."

Qin Huairu's eyes lit up, and she quickly said, "I won't! I'll never get involved in those things with them again! Master Lin, I want to learn the skills properly, I want to pass the assessment, get a raise, and support my child with my own abilities." Her voice was filled with sincere longing, and her eyes were full of expectation.

Lin Chen nodded and picked up a pile of tools he had just assembled from the corner: "These are practice tools I made from scrap steel. They're lighter than the ones in the workshop and suitable for beginners. Your angle for holding the file is inaccurate, so I added anti-slip texture to the handle and made a positioning device to help you find the right angle. Drilling holes is prone to deviation, so I made a simple guide frame. Practice at home first, then go to the workshop for real-world practice."

Qin Huairu's eyes reddened again as she looked at the tools, polished smooth and gleaming. These tools were clearly made especially for her by Lin Chen, with even the smallest details considered—more meaningful than any of Yi Zhonghai's words of "study hard" over the past two years. Her hands trembled as she reached out to touch the tools, choking back tears as she said, "Master Lin, thank you... I... I will definitely study hard and won't let you down."

"Determination alone isn't enough; you have to put in the hard work." Lin Chen handed her a bound notebook. "Inside are my basic techniques and practice plans. Arrive at the workshop half an hour early every morning, and I'll guide you through the fundamentals. Practice at home with these tools in the evenings, and feel free to ask me anything you don't understand."

Qin Huairu took the notebook and hugged it tightly to her chest, as if it were a lifeline. She stood up and bowed deeply: "Master Lin, I will remember your kindness. If you ever need any help, just let me know and I will be there whenever you call."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "No need. Your best reward to me is to master the skills and pass the test." He paused and added, "Uncle Yi and Yan Bugui may come looking for you again. Think carefully about whether you want to continue scheming with them or make a living with your own skills."

Qin Huai shook her head firmly: "I've thought it through. It's better to rely on yourself than on others. If they come looking for me again, I won't pay them any more attention."

Watching Qin Huairu leave with her tools and notebook, Lin Chen smiled faintly. He knew that dismantling the retirement group's alliance was only the first step; guiding these manipulated and manipulated individuals onto the right path was the true solution. Qin Huairu's transformation was undoubtedly a good start.

When Qin Huairu returned home, Jia Zhangshi was still angry in the inner room. Seeing her return carrying a pile of tools, Jia Zhangshi sneered, "What? Went to be Lin Chen's lackey? Can you even get food with this junk?"

Qin Huai ignored her, walked straight to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), put the tools on the table, then opened the notebook and showed it to Jia Geng and Jia Dang: "From now on, I will learn a skill well, and you must study hard and be good people. We will not rely on others, but on our own hands, and we will definitely be able to live a good life."

Jia Geng's eyes lit up as he looked at the novel tools: "Mom, what's this locator for? Can it help me make a slingshot?"

Qin Huairu smiled and patted his head: "Once I've learned the technique, I'll teach you to make a better slingshot. But you have to promise me that you won't steal anything anymore. It's only honorable to make things yourself."

Jia Geng nodded, seemingly understanding. Jia Dang, holding his younger sister, looked at his mother's serious expression and whispered, "Mom, I'll help you start the fire after school from now on. You can focus on your practice."

Seeing how sensible the children were, Qin Huairu felt a surge of strength. She ladled out the corn porridge from the pot and shared it with the children, then picked up a bowl for herself and ate heartily. Although there was no meat or white flour buns, this bowl of porridge felt more comforting than ever before.

At Yi Zhonghai's house, the lights stayed on all night. Yi Zhonghai sat at the table, holding a piece of paper with Lin Chen's name written on it, surrounded by crosses. His wife sat beside him, sighing, "Old Yi, we'd better not fight with Lin Chen anymore. The factory has warned us; if we keep making trouble, we might lose our jobs."

"Can't keep our jobs? What will we do in our old age?" Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table, his eyes turning sinister. "Qin Huairu has been transferred, and Sha Zhu isn't so stupid anymore. If we don't bring Lin Chen down, who will take care of us when we're old? I've already thought it through. Tomorrow I'll go find Yan Bugui, and we'll discuss it further. We'll find a way to make him stumble!"

Aunt Yi wanted to persuade him further, but Yi Zhonghai glared at her fiercely, so she could only swallow her words. The moonlight shone through the cracks in the window, falling on Yi Zhonghai's wrinkled face, making it look particularly menacing.

The situation wasn't peaceful at Yan Bugui's house either. Yan Bugui slumped over the table, calculating his expenses after the pay cut while cursing, "That idiot Yi Zhonghai made me lose ten yuan in wages! No way, I have to get that money back. Isn't Lin Chen smug? I don't believe he doesn't have something on him!"

His son, Yan Jiecheng, lay in bed, listening to his father's words. He turned over, his heart filled with disgust. He quietly got up and pulled a slip of paper from under his pillow. Lin Chen's address was written on it. The forging manual Lin Chen had given him during the day had given him hope of making a living through his skills. He decided to go to Lin Chen the next day and ask if he could learn the trade and finally escape this scheming family.