Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 69 A Cold Night Reveals a Plan for Retirement; An Iron Spoon Awakens a Fool

The north wind of October carried the dry chill unique to Beijing, swirling a few withered locust leaves across the blue tiles of the Hongxing Courtyard. Sha Zhu, carrying an aluminum lunchbox from the military district guesthouse, walked a beat slower than usual. The aroma of braised pork wafting from the lunchbox was carried by the wind to the public passageway of the central courtyard, attracting the Jia family's speckled chickens to cluck and chase after him.

He had just reached his front door when he heard Yi Zhonghai's hushed voice coming from the east wing, mixed with Aunt Yi's agreement. The voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough to reach the ears of passersby, as if deliberately spoken to someone. Sha Zhu's feet seemed nailed to the ground, and the lunchbox in his hand almost slipped from his grasp—it contained the meat and vegetables he had specially saved for Qin Huairu's three children, but now it felt heavy, making his wrist ache.

"...Shazhu is now a cook at the military region's guesthouse. His salary has increased quite a bit, and I heard he even got a dormitory, but he insists on moving back to this compound." Yi Zhonghai's voice carried a hint of calculated smugness. "That's right, it's close to us, so he's easy to control. After a while, I'll find an excuse to get him to help us repair the roof of the west wing, and then bring up the matter of retirement. With his personality, he definitely won't be able to refuse."

"But he's getting close to Qin Huairu. What if the Jia family gets entangled with him?" Aunt Yi's voice was filled with worry. "The matter of you helping Qin Huairu revise the test sample last time has spread throughout the workshop, and many people are gossiping behind your back."

"Hmph, do you think I don't know what Qin Huai is thinking? He just wants to live off Sha Zhu's lunchboxes." Yi Zhonghai sneered. "I've already planned it out. Once Sha Zhu has saved up a bit more money, I'll introduce him to someone, preferably from out of town with no connections. Then I'll have him hand over his salary card to me for safekeeping, ostensibly to save it for his wedding, but really it's just our retirement money, isn't it?"

Sha Zhu's ears buzzed, and his mind seemed to explode. He remembered last month when Yi Zhonghai said the roof was leaking and asked him to help fix it. He had spent the whole day on the roof, and all Yi Zhonghai had done was hand him a cup of cold tea. He remembered every time he got paid, Yi Zhonghai would pull him aside to ask how much he earned, saying, "Young man, don't spend money recklessly. I'll save it for you." He also remembered that over the years, he had given all the meat and vegetables from the canteen and the food coupons he had saved up to the Jia family, and Yi Zhonghai had always been there to encourage him, saying, "Qin Huairu has a hard time raising three children. You should help her more."

He used to think that Yi Zhonghai genuinely cared for him. After all, his father had passed away early, and Yi Zhonghai, as an eighth-grade fitter, always protected him in the workshop. He remembered this "kindness" and felt that helping the Jia family and being filial to Uncle Yi was a matter of course. But now, listening to the conversation in the room, that so-called "concern" instantly changed, turning into ropes wrapped around him, tightening more and more.

"What if Sha Zhu isn't happy? He doesn't get along with his sister He Yushui. What if He Yushui stirs things up behind his back..." Aunt Yi was interrupted by Yi Zhonghai before she could finish speaking.

"He Yushui? She moved out a long time ago and cut ties with Sha Zhu. What influence could she possibly have?" Yi Zhonghai's tone was disdainful. "Besides, Sha Zhu owes me far too many favors. Back when he got into a fight with Xu Damao in the workshop, I helped him suppress it; when his father passed away, I helped with the funeral arrangements. He can never repay these favors in his lifetime. Once he really gets married, I'll tell him that I'll pass on my eighth-grade fitter skills to him, and he'll obediently follow my lead, won't he?"

Sha Zhu suddenly pushed open the door, and the aluminum lunchbox slammed onto the threshold with a loud crash, scattering braised pork and rice all over the floor. The sounds inside the house stopped abruptly. Yi Zhonghai and Aunt Yi stood there, stunned, staring at Sha Zhu, whose face was flushed and eyes were blazing with anger, speechless for a moment.

"A favor? Uncle Yi, you're talking about favors with me?" Sha Zhu's voice trembled, not from fear, but from anger. "I helped you repair the roof, working until dark without even having a hot meal; I've been delivering lunchboxes to the Jia family for years, even using my sister's food coupons, and this is how you scheme against me behind my back?"

Yi Zhonghai quickly regained his composure, his face once again displaying the authoritative air of an "elder": "Shazhu, what's wrong with you, kid? Your aunt and I were just having a casual chat, why were you eavesdropping?"

"Eavesdropping?" Sha Zhu pointed to the lunchbox by the door. "You're being so blunt, you deliberately let me hear you, didn't you? Otherwise, why would you wait until I came back to say it? Uncle Yi, I, Sha Zhu, am honest, not stupid!" He stepped forward, staring into Yi Zhonghai's eyes. "I remember you helping me cover up the fight; I remember you helping me with my father's funeral arrangements. But the pig's head I bought for you, the wine I got for you, isn't that enough to repay your kindness? Why are you calculating my salary and expecting me to support you in your old age?"

Aunt Yi quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Silly Zhu, you've misunderstood, that's not what we meant..."

"That's not what I meant!" Sha Zhu interrupted her. "Are you trying to prevent me from getting too close to Qin Huairu, or are you trying to steal my salary card? Uncle Yi, I understand you have no children and want to find someone to take care of you in your old age, but you can't use this kind of scheming method! What's the difference between you and Jia Zhangshi stealing chickens and dogs? Except you're stealing people's hearts!"

These words struck a nerve with Yi Zhonghai. He stood up abruptly, pointed at Sha Zhu's nose, and yelled, "You ungrateful wretch! I've spoiled you for so many years for nothing! If it weren't for me protecting you, would you be where you are today at the steel mill? Now that you've grown up, you dare to talk back to me?"

"My success at the steel mill today is earned through my own skills! Not through your scheming!" Sha Zhu retorted angrily. "I became a cook because of my culinary skills, not because of your favor! If you truly cared for me, you wouldn't have let the Jia family take advantage of me, nor would you have schemed against me for my retirement money!"

The argument between the two attracted many neighbors. Lin Chen had just returned from the workshop, still holding a revised forging process diagram. Seeing this, he stood on the periphery of the crowd and quietly observed. Liu Haizhong leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, a hint of schadenfreude on his face—he had long disliked Yi Zhonghai's self-righteous attitude, and now that Sha Zhu had turned against him, he felt a sense of satisfaction.

Qin Huairu also rushed over, carrying Jia Huaihua. Seeing the braised pork scattered on the ground, and then looking at the angry-faced Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, she immediately understood what was going on. She quickly squatted down, pretending to clean up the food on the ground, muttering, "Brother Sha Zhu, Uncle Yi, let's talk things out and not hurt our relationship. It's such a waste of this meat; the children are waiting to eat it."

In the past, whenever Qin Huairu said something like that, Sha Zhu would always soften and might even go to the cafeteria to get another meal for the children. But today, Sha Zhu just gave her a cold look: "Sister-in-law Qin, don't make the children wait for my lunchbox anymore. The food I earn myself, I have to eat first, and save some for my sister who I broke my heart."

Qin Huairu's face turned pale instantly, and the chopsticks in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter." She hadn't expected that Sha Zhu would embarrass her in public, and she certainly hadn't expected him to suddenly cut off his support to the Jia family.

Seeing that even Qin Huairu couldn't control Shazhu, Yi Zhonghai panicked even more and softened his tone: "Shazhu, I know you're upset right now, and I spoke without thinking. We've had such a long-standing relationship, we can't just end it like this. If you think I did something wrong, I'll apologize, okay?"

"Affection?" Sha Zhu chuckled self-deprecatingly. "From the moment you plotted against me, that affection was severed. Uncle Yi, I was foolish before, treating you like my own father and helping the Jia family like family. But now I understand, some people aren't worth my heartfelt devotion." He turned to the surrounding neighbors. "Listen up, everyone! From today onwards, I, Sha Zhu, will no longer give the Jia family a single bite to eat, nor will I associate with Uncle Yi anymore. If anyone tries to scheme against me again, don't blame me for being impolite!"

After saying that, Sha Zhu picked up the lunchbox from the ground and turned to leave. When he reached Lin Chen's side, he paused and said in a low voice, "Director Lin, I was confused before. Thank you for reminding me last time."

Lin Chen nodded, watching his retreating figure, and said, "Earning a living with your skills and treating people with sincerity is better than anything else."

After Sha Zhu left, the courtyard was silent. Yi Zhonghai stood there, his face alternating between pale and flushed. He hadn't expected Sha Zhu to see his scheme exposed so easily, nor had he anticipated Sha Zhu's ruthlessness. The neighbors who had gathered whispered among themselves, their eyes filled with disdain as they looked at Yi Zhonghai—they used to think he was a fair and upright "good guy," but now they knew his "goodness" was all an act, and behind it all was scheming.

Qin Huairu stood there, holding Jia Huaihua, at a loss. Without Sha Zhu's lunchbox, the family's food supply was once again a problem. Jia Zhangshi was still waiting for her meal inside, and she really didn't know how to explain it to her mother-in-law.

"Alright, everyone disperse, what's there to see!" Yi Zhonghai roared angrily, turned around and went into the house, slamming the door shut. Seeing this, the neighbors also dispersed, but their whispers as they left felt like needles pricking Yi Zhonghai's heart.

Lin Chen returned home and had just placed the craft drawings on the table when he heard a knock on the door. Opening it, he saw He Yushui. She was wearing clean blue overalls, carrying a cloth bag, and looked somewhat anxious.

"Director Lin, I heard my brother had a fight with Grandpa Yi?" He Yushui walked into the room, her tone filled with worry. "My brother is stubborn. If he said anything offensive, please don't take it to heart."

Lin Chen poured her a glass of hot water: "Sha Zhu just realized Yi Zhonghai's scheme, he didn't say anything too outrageous. But you, why did you suddenly come back?"

"I heard from my colleagues at the factory that my brother was arguing fiercely with someone in the courtyard, so I rushed over to check on him." He Yushui took a sip of hot water, and the anxiety on her face eased slightly. "My brother used to be so foolish, always being used as a pawn by Yi Zhonghai and the Jia family. I've told him so many times, but he wouldn't listen. Now he's finally come to his senses."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Sha Zhu isn't a bad person at heart, he's just too sentimental. This incident is actually a good thing for him, at least it made him see the true colors of the people around him."

"Yes, I just don't know if he will be able to mend our relationship in the future." He Yushui sighed. "I used to argue with him because he gave all the food coupons and money to the Jia family. He squandered all the little something my mother left behind when she passed away."

"Yes, he will," Lin Chen said. "Sha Zhu has come to his senses now, and he'll understand that you genuinely care about him. If you're worried, you can go see him and have a good talk with him."

He Yushui nodded and took out a lunchbox from her cloth bag: "These are dumplings I brought for my brother. He used to love my chive and egg dumplings the most. I'm going to find him now and have a good talk with him."

Watching He Yushui's departing figure, Lin Chen picked up the craft diagram on the table, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This courtyard was like a grand stage, where everyone played their part—there was scheming, greed, sincerity, and enlightenment. And Sha Zhu's transformation might become a new turning point for this courtyard.

That evening, the long-lost sounds of sibling conversation drifted from Sha Zhu's room. He Yushui heated up some dumplings and brought them to Sha Zhu. The two siblings ate and chatted, reminiscing about their childhood, their mother's life, and their respective hardships over the years. As Sha Zhu ate the dumplings, tears welled up in his eyes—how long had it been since he'd eaten dumplings made by his sister, how long since he'd had such a peaceful conversation with her?

"Brother, don't get involved with Uncle Yi and the Jia family anymore." He Yushui put down his chopsticks and said seriously, "Work hard at the military guesthouse, save some money, marry a good wife, and live a good life. If anyone tries to scheme against you again, my wife Li Jianguo and I will stand up for you."

Sha Zhu nodded, wiping away his tears: "Little sister, I know I was wrong. I was foolish before, neglecting you and giving away everything Mom left behind to outsiders. I'll never do that again. I'll save money and buy your child delicious food and new clothes when you have a child."

The brother and sister reconciled, and the atmosphere inside the house became warm and cozy. All of this was observed by Lin Chen, who stood at the courtyard gate. He smiled, turned, and went back into his house. He opened the system panel, which displayed: "Side quest 'Awaken the Lost' triggered, quest completion 100%, reward 10000 points, unlocked the 'Emotional Insight' basic skill, allowing accurate judgment of others' emotional changes."

Lin Chen closed the panel, picked up the craft diagram on the table, and began to carefully modify it. He knew that Sha Zhu's awakening was just the beginning; Yi Zhonghai wouldn't let it go easily, and Xu Damao's jealousy was still brewing. The story of this courtyard house had a long way to go. But he believed that as long as he held onto his sincerity and relied on his skills to make a living, there was no obstacle he couldn't overcome.

The next morning, when Sha Zhu went to work at the military district guesthouse, he made a special detour to Lin Chen's door and handed him a brand-new aluminum lunchbox: "Director Lin, this is a new lunchbox I got from the guesthouse. You can use it. I haven't properly thanked you for reminding me last time."

Lin Chen took the lunchbox and said with a smile, "It was nothing. Focus on your work, and if you need anything in the future, feel free to contact me."

Sha Zhu nodded, turned around, and strode away. Watching his tall, straight back, Lin Chen knew that this former "big, silly guy" had finally truly grown up.

In the east wing, Yi Zhonghai hadn't slept all night, his eyes bloodshot. He stared at the "Factory-Level Model Worker" certificate hanging on the wall, his heart filled with resentment and anger. He never imagined that after a lifetime of scheming, he would end up alienated and abandoned by everyone. Aunt Yi came in carrying a bowl of thin porridge, saying cautiously, "Old Yi, don't be angry, have some porridge. Let's think of another way; we can always find someone to take care of you in your old age."

Yi Zhonghai took the bowl of porridge, but couldn't bring himself to drink it. He knew that the path of relying on Sha Zhu was blocked, and Qin Huairu was unreliable and lacked ability. To find a reliable source of support in his old age, he had to think of another way. His gaze fell in the direction of Lin Chen's house, a calculating glint in his eyes—perhaps, this new Director Lin was a good target.

Lin Chen naturally noticed Yi Zhonghai's gaze. He simply smiled faintly, turned, and walked into the workshop. He knew a new competition was about to begin. But he wasn't afraid, because he possessed solid skills, a clear mind, and, most importantly, a sincere heart. These were his strongest supports in this complex courtyard and steel mill.

In the workshop, Liu Guangtian was diligently studying the forging manual Lin Chen had given him. Seeing Lin Chen enter, he immediately went to greet him: "Director Lin, do you see how much more precise this part I forged using your method is?"

Lin Chen picked up the part, used the system to assess it, and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, the precision has improved by 0.02 millimeters. Keep up the good work. There will be a skills competition in the workshop soon, so prepare well and try to get first place."

Liu Guangtian nodded excitedly: "Thank you, Director Lin, I will definitely work hard!"

Seeing Liu Guangtian's energetic demeanor, Lin Chen felt a surge of hope. This era may have its share of scheming and greed, but many more, like Liu Guangtian, yearn to create a better life through their own hard work and skills. What he needed to do was use his abilities to help these sincere people while also upholding his own original aspirations.

During lunch, Yan Bugui brought his abacus to the workshop and found Lin Chen: "Director Lin, I recalculated the cost accounting you mentioned last time and found a few areas that can be optimized to save the workshop some more costs."

Lin Chen took the accounting sheet handed to him by Yan Bugui. It was filled with dense writing, and every account was clearly marked. He smiled and said, "Teacher Yan, thank you for your hard work. Your arithmetic skills are truly a treasure to our workshop."

Yan Bugui's face broke into a long-lost smile: "It's good that I can help, it's good that I can help." He finally understood that using his skills in the right way was much more meaningful than scheming for his children's meager food rations.

Looking at the busy yet orderly scene in the workshop, at Yan Bugui's meticulous calculations, and at Liu Guangtian's diligent study, Lin Chen suddenly felt an unwavering resolve. No matter how complex the intrigues within the courtyard were, no matter how insidious Yi Zhonghai's schemes were, as long as he stayed true to himself and faced everything with skill and sincerity, he would surely be able to forge his own bright path in this era.

As the sun set, Lin Chen returned home from get off work and saw Sha Zhu helping Qin Huairu repair her sewing machine. Qin Huairu looked somewhat embarrassed, while Sha Zhu's face showed a sense of composure. Lin Chen knew that although Sha Zhu had stopped supporting the Jia family, he hadn't completely abandoned them; he was simply helping this family, whom he had once over-supported, in a more appropriate way.

"Director Lin, are you off work?" Sha Zhu greeted Lin Chen with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm off work." Lin Chen nodded. "Is the sewing machine fixed?"

"It'll be done soon. It's just a few small parts that are broken. We can just replace them," Sha Zhu said. "It's not easy for Sister Qin to make a living by mending clothes. It's only right that we help her fix it."

Qin Huairu quickly replied, "Thank you, Director Lin, for reminding me last time. I can now earn some money by mending clothes. It's not much, but it's enough for my family to eat. I will never scheme against Brother Shazhu again."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "It's more reassuring to earn money with your own hands. If we encounter any difficulties in the future, let's help each other out. Things will get better eventually."

Moonlight spilled onto the bluestone path of the courtyard, casting long shadows of the three people. Although conflicts and scheming still existed in this courtyard, warmth and sincerity were slowly beginning to emerge.