Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 131 The Prodigal Son Returns to the Academy Only to Be Met with Cold Walls; He Finds a New L

The Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, had just passed. Faded red lanterns still hung on the walls of the Hongxing Courtyard. A man in faded old work clothes stood hunched over at the gate, clutching a rolled-up canvas bag. It was Xu Damao, who had just been released from the detention center. The cold wind whipped up snowflakes from the base of the wall, stinging his face and making his nose red, but he hesitated to step inside.

The two weeks of detention had worn away his former slickness. His hair was a mess, covered in bits of straw, and stubble was sprouting on his chin. His once-shiny leather shoes were now cracked, revealing blackened socks underneath. He gazed at the familiar blue bricks and gray tiles in the courtyard. In the middle courtyard, the sewing machine from Qin Huairu's tailor shop clattered, and from Yan Bugui's house in the front courtyard, the crisp sound of abacus beads rang out. These sounds, which had once annoyed him, now made him feel uneasy.

"Hey, isn't this Xu Damao? What are you doing out of jail?" Liu Haizhong, carrying a hoe, was heading to the alley entrance to till the land when he spotted the figure at the gate. His voice was so loud the whole yard could hear him. He put down his hoe, put his hands on his hips, and sized Xu Damao up and down. "I heard you stole the deaf old lady's money? Well done, you dare to touch the things of a lonely old woman, you've really grown some guts!"

Xu Damao's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, the veins bulging on his hand gripping the canvas bag, but he dared not retort. Although Liu Haizhong hadn't been a good guy before, now that both his sons were learning skills under Lin Chen, he was much more assertive than before, and no one in the courtyard dared to provoke him easily anymore. He lowered his head and mumbled, "Master Liu, I... I was wrong, I won't dare to do it again."

At this moment, Yan Bugui from the front yard also poked his head out, adjusted his reading glasses, and slowly walked over: "Xu, projectionist, I'm not trying to be mean, but your hands are really dirty. You spread rumors that Team Leader Lin cut in line to steal grain, then you had an improper relationship with a female worker, and now you're stealing. This factory probably won't tolerate you anymore, will it?" As he spoke, he pulled out a small notebook from his sleeve and quickly wrote something in it. "I have to write this down so that my son Jiekuang doesn't go astray in the future."

Xu Damao hated it most when people mentioned his embarrassing moments, especially Yan Bugui's bookkeeping posture, as if he wanted to carve his shameful deeds into stone. Just as he was about to explode, he saw the curtain of the central courtyard lifted, and Lin Chen accompanied Su Qing out. Su Qing had just finished get off work at the steel rolling mill's finance department, carrying a net bag filled with oranges she had just bought. Seeing the commotion at the courtyard gate, she paused in her tracks.

Lin Chen's gaze fell on Xu Damao. Unlike the others, he didn't mock him. He simply asked calmly, "You're out? Have all the formalities been completed?" He had learned from He Yushui that Xu Damao was going to be released from prison. He had also heard that Xu Damao had behaved reasonably well inside, admitting his mistakes and even helping with cleaning.

Xu Damao was surprised that Lin Chen would take the initiative to speak. He was stunned for a moment before nodding: "It's done. The warden said that I should come out and find a job properly and not cause any more trouble." His voice trembled a little. He thought of how he used to oppose Lin Chen in every way, not only spreading rumors and framing him, but also helping Yi Zhonghai and the others to scheme against Lin Chen. Now that the other party did not kick him when he was down, he felt a mix of emotions.

Su Qing glanced at Xu Damao and whispered to Lin Chen, "The steel rolling mill just issued a notice last week that employees with bad records will no longer be hired. It's probably going to be difficult for him to go back to the factory." She had seen Xu Damao's disciplinary records in the finance department. There were three warnings for misconduct, plus this theft detention. His file was already full of black marks.

Xu Damao lowered his head even further. In the past few days, he had visited several companies—auto repair shops, transportation teams, and even temporary workers at the neighborhood committee—but they all refused him outright upon hearing that he had a detention record. Lou Xiao'e had already taken her meager savings and returned to her parents' home, and she had locked up the house. Now he didn't even have a place to stay, let alone earn money to eat.

"Team Leader Lin, I know I was a scoundrel before, always going against you." Xu Damao suddenly raised his head, his eyes pleading. "For the sake of our neighborhood, could you help me find a job? Even something as simple as carrying bricks or water is fine. I promise I'll work hard and never steal or rob again!" He was about to kneel down when Lin Chen grabbed him.

"Get up first. Kneeling won't solve anything." Lin Chen frowned. He wasn't a saint, but he knew that people are prone to extremes when pushed to the brink. Although Xu Damao had a long list of misdeeds, he wasn't inherently a completely evil person. He was just vain and opportunistic, which led him to where he was today. He thought for a moment and suddenly remembered that Old Wang from the scrap yard on the outskirts of the city had mentioned to him that he needed a helper.

"There's a scrap metal yard called Hongxing in the suburbs. I know the owner, Lao Wang. They're short of a temporary worker to sort scrap metal. They provide food and lodging, and the pay is 20 yuan a month." Lin Chen paused, his tone becoming serious. "It's not a respectable job, and it requires a lot of physical labor. Plus, Lao Wang hates lazy and slackers the most. If you want to go, you have to work hard and not make the same mistakes you used to."

Xu Damao could hardly believe his ears. He had thought he could at most find a job carrying bricks, but Lin Chen had actually found him a job with room and board. He quickly patted his chest and assured him, "I'll definitely do my job well! Team Leader Lin, don't worry, if I dare to try anything again, you can send me straight back to the detention center!"

Lin Chen took out 5 yuan from his pocket and handed it to Xu Damao: "Take this money first, buy some toiletries, and have a hot meal. I'll take you to see Lao Wang at eight o'clock tomorrow morning, don't be late." He knew that Xu Damao was penniless and couldn't even afford a meal. If he went directly to the scrap yard, he probably wouldn't even have the confidence to walk in.

Xu Damao took the money, his fingers trembling. The five yuan wasn't much, but it warmed his heart more than any salary he'd ever received before. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say thank you, but he couldn't utter a word. In the end, he simply bowed deeply, turned, and walked towards the small restaurant at the alley entrance, his back view noticeably more upright than before.

Watching Xu Damao's retreating figure, Liu Haizhong scratched his head and said to Lin Chen, "Team Leader Lin, you're too soft-hearted. This kind of person should be starved for a few days to learn his lesson." Although he said this, his tone no longer contained the sarcasm from before, but instead showed more admiration. He used to think Lin Chen was too young, but now he realized that this young man was not only technically skilled, but also very sensible in his actions.

"Giving him a chance is better than forcing him to take a desperate path." Lin Chen smiled and turned to Su Qing, saying, "Let's go check out Sister Qin's sewing shop first. She mentioned last time that she wanted to get some fine cotton cloth, and I asked a friend at the textile factory to reserve a few bolts."

As the two entered the courtyard, they saw Qin Huairu holding a cotton-padded coat for a customer to try on, while Jia Dang helped iron the fabric, a sweet smile on her face. Seeing Lin Chen and Su Qing, Qin Huairu quickly put down her work and greeted them: "Brother Lin, Sister Su, you're here! Come in and sit down, I just made some brown sugar water."

Su Qing smiled and shook the net bag in her hand: "No need to bother, we just came to see you and brought some oranges for Dangdang." She handed the oranges to Jia Dang, "Are you tired from studying? I borrowed that book 'Basic Clothing Cutting' that I told you about last time."

Jia Dang took the oranges and the book, her eyes lighting up. She quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Sister Su! I was just worried about not finding this book. Last time I looked at the patterns Uncle Lin gave me, I couldn't figure out many of the cutting methods." She is becoming more and more interested in fashion design. After school, besides helping her mother with chores, she spends her time studying the book, and her grades have improved a lot.

Qin Huairu pulled Lin Chen to look at a batch of work clothes that had just been finished: "Brother Lin, look, these are work clothes made for the neighborhood office. I added pockets according to your design, and they are very satisfied. They even said they would introduce me to other businesses next time." Her sewing shop is now quite well-known. Not only do the neighbors support her business, but several nearby units also ask her to make work clothes for them. She is busy every day, but she feels much more at ease than before.

Lin Chen examined the work clothes; the stitching was fine and the edges neatly finished, even better than ready-made garments on the market. He nodded: "Not bad, the craftsmanship is getting better and better. I asked a friend at the textile factory to reserve five bolts of fine cotton fabric, which will be delivered tomorrow. It's perfect for making spring clothes, and the colors are all trendy this year."

"Really? Thank you so much!" Qin Huairu's voice trembled with excitement. Fine cotton fabric was in short supply, and she wouldn't have been able to buy such good material if Lin Chen hadn't helped her. She took out a cloth bag from the drawer, inside which were neatly folded bills. "Brother Lin, this is the payment for the work clothes last time. I'll give you back the money you paid for the fabric."

Lin Chen didn't take the money, but smiled and said, "No rush, let's talk about it after this batch of spring clothes is sold. By the way, Xu Damao just got out of the detention center, and I found him a job at a scrap yard. If he works honestly in the yard from now on, you guys shouldn't tease him anymore."

Qin Huairu paused for a moment, then nodded: "I understand, Brother Lin. The past is the past. As long as he behaves well, we definitely won't make things difficult for him." She remembered how Xu Damao used to always go against Sha Zhu and occasionally bully her. Although she still felt a little uncomfortable, she understood the principle of being forgiving. Besides, now that she was doing well, there was no need to dwell on the past.

The next morning, Lin Chen took Xu Damao to the Hongxing Scrap Metal Station on the outskirts of the city. The scrap metal station was located next to the railway, and the yard was piled with small mountains of scrap metal. Sheet metal, scrap steel, and old newspapers were neatly stacked and categorized. Old Wang was wearing his reading glasses and weighing a pile of scrap iron.

"Old Wang, I've brought you some help." Lin Chen greeted him with a smile, pulling Xu Damao over. "This is Xu Damao. He'll be working for you from now on. He's reliable and hardworking. Just let him know what tasks you need."

Old Wang put down the weight on his scale, looked Xu Damao up and down, then glanced at Lin Chen, and nodded: "Since it was Team Leader Lin who introduced us, I trust him. But let me make this clear from the start: although my scrap yard is inconspicuous, it has a lot of rules: First, no stealing; second, sorting scrap carefully, clearly distinguishing between recyclable and non-recyclable items; third, keeping accurate daily accounts, and if anything is missing, you have to pay for it yourself."

"I've got it all! Don't worry, Station Chief Wang, I'll definitely follow the rules!" Xu Damao nodded hurriedly, his eyes full of gratitude. He looked at the scrap in the yard; although it was dirty and messy, the thought of having a stable job filled him with enthusiasm.

Old Wang took out a set of old work clothes and a pair of gloves from the house: "Go change into these clothes first, then sort the scrap steel over there, separating them into coarse and fine categories. A truck will come to pick them up later." He turned to Lin Chen and said, "Team Leader Lin, come inside and sit down for a while. I have something I want to discuss with you."

The two entered the simple office. Old Wang poured Lin Chen a cup of hot tea and took out a rusty metal block from the drawer: "Team Leader Lin, can you help me see what this thing is made of? I picked it up from scrap metal a few days ago. It doesn't look like ordinary iron, and it's quite heavy."

Lin Chen took the metal block, rubbed the rust on its surface with his fingertips, and tapped it with the small hammer he carried with him, his brows gradually furrowing. This thing was much denser than ordinary steel, and the sound it made when tapped was much crisper. He secretly used the system to identify it and found that it was actually a tungsten alloy. This material is commonly used in military and precision manufacturing, but it is rarely seen in scrap yards.

"This is tungsten carbide alloy, it's very valuable." Lin Chen handed the metal block to Old Wang. "You have to be careful when buying this kind of material. If you're buying a large quantity, it's best to tell the neighborhood committee to avoid it being stolen goods." He remembered that in his previous life, many people had stolen and sold alloy scrap from factories and ended up being sentenced, so he had to remind Old Wang.

Old Wang was startled and quickly put away the metal block: "Thanks for reminding me, I'll go register it right now and ask who sold it." He knew that Lin Chen was a key technical staff member of the steel rolling mill, so what he said must be true. If he really had received stolen goods, his scrap yard would have to close down.

Lin Chen chatted with Old Wang for a few more minutes, telling him to keep an eye on Xu Damao, before getting up to leave. As soon as he stepped out of the scrap yard, he saw Xu Damao sorting scrap steel, sweating profusely. Although his movements were not yet very skilled, he was clearly very serious, not caring at all that his gloves were covered in oil stains.

In the following days, Xu Damao indeed seemed like a different person. Every day before dawn, he would go to work at the scrap yard, eat a bowl of coarse noodles at the canteen for lunch, and after returning home in the evening, he would not go out for a stroll. Instead, he would either read books at home or help the neighbors in the courtyard with odd jobs. Once, when Qin Huairu's sewing shop was short of coal, he even took the initiative to help haul coal from the coal yard, working up a sweat but refusing to accept a single penny.

That evening, Xu Damao returned from work and saw Lin Chen repairing bicycles in the courtyard. He hesitated for a moment before walking over and said, "Team Leader Lin, I... can I learn a trade from you? I saw the scale you repaired for Station Master Wang last time; it was really impressive." During his time at the scrap yard, he had seen Lin Chen repairing various machines for Old Wang every day, and he had long admired him. He also wanted to learn a skill so that he could have a proper way of life in the future.

Lin Chen stopped what he was doing, looked at Xu Damao, and found that his eyes were full of sincerity, not like it was just a spur-of-the-moment thing. He thought for a moment, then took out a basic mechanical manual from the house: "Learning technical skills is fine, but you have to take it slowly. You can read this book first, and you can ask me if you don't understand anything. Starting tomorrow, you can leave work earlier, and I'll teach you how to repair simple tools."

Xu Damao took the manual, his hands trembling with excitement. He quickly thanked Lin, saying, "Thank you, Team Leader Lin! I will definitely study hard and won't let you down!" He took the manual back to his room and started reading it that very night. Although he couldn't understand many of the technical terms, he still marked them word by word, preparing to ask Lin Chen the next day.

A few days later, Old Wang found Lin Chen and said with a smile, "Team Leader Lin, this Xu Damao you introduced is really good. He's a reliable worker and even fixed my scale that had been broken for ages. I think he's quite smart; if he's properly trained, he'll definitely be a great help in the future." It turned out that when Xu Damao saw the scale was broken, he tried to repair it using the method Lin Chen taught him, and he actually fixed it, saving the scrap yard a lot of money.

Lin Chen was also pleased to hear this. He knew that although Xu Damao had a penchant for taking shortcuts in the past, he was indeed very quick-witted. As long as he put his mind to it, he would definitely be able to achieve something. He discussed with Old Wang, "Old Wang, do you think we could let him learn the ropes of recycling? If there's a suitable opportunity in the future, we could let him take charge of the recycling in a certain area, so he can earn more money."

Old Wang nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking. This kid is not only capable, but also very good at dealing with people. Last time he went to the factory to collect scrap, he managed to negotiate a 20% higher price and even made a long-term cooperation agreement with them. I plan to put him in charge of the recycling in the eastern part of the city next month, and give him a 5 yuan raise."

That evening, Xu Damao took his newly received salary, bought two jin of pig's head meat and a bottle of liquor, and knocked on Lin Chen's door. He said somewhat embarrassedly, "Team Leader Lin, this is a small token of my appreciation. Thank you for helping me find a job and for teaching me skills."

Lin Chen didn't refuse, and smiled as he invited him into the house: "Sit down, I just made some radish soup, let's have some together." He knew that Xu Damao wanted to express his gratitude, and refusing would only make him feel uneasy.

The two sat at the table, drinking wine with braised pig's head and radish soup. Xu Damao took a sip of wine, his face flushed, and said, "Team Leader Lin, I was truly blind before. I always went against you and even helped Yi Zhonghai and his gang scheme against you. Now I realize that you can't make a living by being cunning; only hard work is reliable."

"Let's not talk about the past." Lin Chen put a piece of pig's head on Xu Damao's plate. "You should work hard now, learn a skill, and things will definitely get better in the future. If you have any difficulties, just tell me."

Xu Damao nodded vigorously, tears welling in his eyes. In his more than thirty years of life, no one had ever helped him so sincerely as Lin Chen. His former "friends" now avoided him whenever they saw him, but Lin Chen had disregarded past grievances and given him a chance to start anew. He secretly resolved to work hard and not let Lin Chen down.

As night deepened, Xu Damao rose to take his leave, his steps noticeably steadyer than when he arrived. Lin Chen stood by the window, watching his figure disappear into the night, a smile playing on his lips. He knew that Xu Damao's transformation was just the beginning; everyone in this courtyard was moving in a better direction.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor of the courtyard. The sewing shop's light was still on, and one could vaguely see Qin Huairu and Jia Dang bustling about; laughter of children drifted from Yan Bugui's house in the front yard—Yan Jiekuang must have gotten good grades, and the whole family was celebrating; in the back yard, Liu Haizhong was teaching Liu Guangtian how to repair a hoe, the voices of father and son occasionally drifting over. The entire courtyard was filled with the warmth of daily life, all traces of the former calculations and indifference gone.

Lin Chen opened the system panel and felt very gratified as he looked at the ever-increasing points and the "Neighborly Harmony" side quest prompt.