Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

As dawn broke over the gray bricks and tiles of the courtyard house, Lin Chen was awakened by the cawing of crows from the old locust tree in the corner. Last night, after defeating Jia Zhangshi with talcum powder, he had spent the latter half of the night studying the "Complete Guide to Forging Techniques" by kerosene lamp, and his temples still throbbed. He touched the alloy chisel under his pillow; its cool touch cleared his head somewhat—this tool, fused with the system's technology, was his foundation for standing firm in this courtyard, and he absolutely could not reveal it.

Just as Lin Chen finished putting on his work clothes, a soft creak came from outside the door. He cautiously peered through the crack and saw Jia Geng clutching a half-eaten, dented cornbread, furtively peeking out his window. It seemed Jia Zhangshi had been wronged last night, and this kid was trying to find out what was going on. Lin Chen chuckled coldly, deliberately crumpling the packaging of the coarse grain biscuits he'd exchanged for the night before. Jia Geng's eyes lit up instantly, his grip on the cornbread tightened, and he turned and slipped back into the Jia family home.

Lin Chen had just stepped out of the courtyard with his enamel mug, heading to the communal water fountain in the middle courtyard, when he was frozen in place by the scene before him. This was the first time since his rebirth that he had fully examined this courtyard, which held countless schemes: the door to Yan Bugui's house in the front courtyard was ajar, and the clattering of an abacus could be heard from inside, mixed with his muttering as he kept accounts; in the open space of the middle courtyard, Yi Zhonghai was squatting beside a stone mill, teaching Qin Huai how to hold a file, the sunlight shining obliquely on the two of them, creating a false impression of harmonious master and apprentice; from the direction of the back courtyard came Liu Haizhong's roar, mixed with the crisp sound of bowls and plates shattering, and without even looking, he knew that he was beating and scolding the children again.

"Comrade Lin, good morning!" Qin Huairu saw him first and immediately stopped what she was doing, a perfectly timed smile spreading across her face. A swaddled baby, Jia Huaihua, was fast asleep inside, her bangs clinging to her face with sweat, making her look quite haggard. Most striking were her hands, covered in red, swollen cracks, as if she'd been soaking in cold water all night. Yet, Lin Chen clearly noticed her fair and smooth wrists peeking out from under her sleeves, creating an eerie contrast with her hands.

Yi Zhonghai straightened up, wiped the grease off his hands, and glanced at Lin Chen with a scrutinizing look: "Didn't you sleep well last night, Lin? You don't look too good." His words seemed concerned, but he was actually trying to find out what happened last night. Lin Chen could imagine that Jia Zhangshi must have exaggerated her story after returning home, but she hadn't found any concrete evidence, which was why Yi Zhonghai couldn't confront her directly.

"Thanks to Uncle Yi, I slept quite soundly." Lin Chen raised the enamel mug. "It's just that I'm not used to the cawing of crows since I just came to the courtyard." He deliberately emphasized the word "cawing of crows." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jia Zhangshi leaning against her door frame, looking out. After hearing this, she glared at him and shrank back into the house.

Qin Huairu quickly tried to smooth things over, rubbing her "scarred" hands and sighing, "That's right, things aren't peaceful in this yard at night. I got up early to wash a few clothes, and there's a whole basket of baby diapers. I still have to go to the workshop to apprentice later, I'm really stretched thin." As she spoke, she deliberately held her hands up to the sunlight, the red and swollen cracks particularly noticeable in the morning light, but her eyes unconsciously glanced at Lin Chen's work clothes pocket—she had obviously heard the sound of the biscuits last night.

Lin Chen pretended not to see her little trick and walked to the sink to turn on the tap. The icy tap water made him shiver, and made him see Qin Huairu's scheme more clearly: in the wooden basin at her feet, there were only two small shirts and a diaper soaking in the water, not at all like the "basket" she had said; and the time she chose was exactly when Sha Zhu returned from the early shift at the cafeteria, obviously she was waiting for a "sucker" to come to her door.

"Sister Qin has it tough, taking care of three children and still having to go to work," Yi Zhonghai chimed in, fiddling with the file in his hand. "But fitter work is a craft that takes time and meticulous work. Look at your posture, your wrist needs to be more steady." As he spoke, he reached out to help Qin Huairu's wrist, but she dodged away like a startled rabbit. Jia Huaihua in his arms was startled and let out a few weak cries.

This scene reminded Lin Chen of the rumors from before his rebirth: Yi Zhonghai had always wanted to groom Qin Huairu as a "backup plan for old age," helping her gain a foothold in the workshop while simultaneously trying to match her with Sha Zhu, all so that someone would take care of her in her old age. Qin Huairu was happy to take advantage of this, and the two of them were both willing to give and take, keeping Sha Zhu completely in the dark.

"Master, I just can't learn it. This file just won't obey me." Qin Huairu wiped her eyes, her voice trembling with tears. "If Dongxu were still here, I wouldn't have to suffer like this..." Just then, the Jia family's door slammed open, and Jia Dongxu, dressed in wrinkled work clothes, stormed out, yelling at Qin Huairu, "Crying! Are you mourning this early in the morning? Where are my socks? Mom said she'd sewed them for me!"

Lin Chen then got a good look at Jia Dongxu: short, with slumped shoulders, and a face bearing the spoiled air of someone who had been pampered by his mother for so long. He didn't even glance at the child in Qin Huairu's arms, and rushed straight into the house. Soon after, Jia Zhangshi's complaints came through: "What's the rush? Your wife just finished washing clothes, her hands are so rough, I'll sew them for you!" This was followed by Qin Huairu's low sobs.

"A doting mother spoils her son." A sigh came from behind. Lin Chen turned around and saw Grandpa Wang standing at the door with a birdcage. This old man was one of the few reasonable people in the courtyard. When Lin Chen froze and starved to death in his previous life, only he secretly gave him half a cornbread. Grandpa Wang gestured towards the Jia family's direction and said in a low voice, "Jia Dongxu has been working at the factory for five years and is still a first-class worker. All he does is slack off all day long, leaving all the burdens of the family on Xiao Qin's shoulders. But Xiao Qin isn't honest either; he's shrewder than anyone else."

Just as Lin Chen was about to reply, the arguing in the backyard suddenly escalated. Liu Haizhong, shirtless, rushed out, wielding a feather duster, chasing after his second son, Liu Guangtian, yelling, "I told you to watch your brother! And what did you do? You smashed the bowl! It's made of coarse grain flour, do you know how precious that is?" Liu Guangtian, his face smeared with porridge, ran towards the middle courtyard, clutching his head, crying, "Guangfu pushed me! I didn't break it!"

"How dare you talk back!" Liu Haizhong was furious, his face flushed and his neck bulging. When he caught sight of Yi Zhonghai at the Intermediate People's Court, he paused, reluctantly putting away his feather duster. He was a level six blacksmith, considered a respected figure in the workshop, but compared to Yi Zhonghai, an level eight fitter, he always felt inferior. Yi Zhonghai glanced at him and said calmly, "The child is still young, can't you talk to him properly?"

"Uncle Yi, you have no idea how much trouble these two little rascals are causing me!" Liu Haizhong complained, spitting as he spoke. "The eldest, Guangqi, is getting married, and we're still far from the dowry. As his father, don't I have to work my butt off? But these two are just causing me trouble!" As he spoke, his eyes swept over Lin Chen, and as if suddenly remembering something, he quickly walked over: "Little Lin, I heard you picked up a lot of good materials in the workshop yesterday? Could you spare some for me? I'll pay you!"

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Liu Guangtian had mentioned the alloy scraps from yesterday. He deliberately feigned reluctance: "Master Liu, those are just scraps from the workshop, they're not very useful. Besides, I've already informed the master, it's not appropriate to give them away privately." This was half true and half false, both refusing Liu Haizhong and using Wang Tieshan as a shield—in the steel rolling mill, the master's words carried more weight than anything else.

Liu Haizhong's face stiffened, and he muttered, "It's just some scraps, why are you being so stingy?" He was about to say something more when he heard Yan Bugui's voice from the front yard: "Old Liu, your Guangfu knocked over the pickled vegetables I was drying! I've been pickling them all winter, you have to compensate me!"

The crowd surged to the front yard, where they saw Yan Bugui squatting against the wall, painedly picking up the scattered pieces of pickled mustard greens. His youngest son, Yan Jiefang, was hiding behind the door, timidly watching Liu Haizhong's third son, Liu Guangfu. Liu Guangfu, his neck stiff, said, "He pushed me first!" Yan Bugui pushed up his worn glasses and took out a small notebook from his pocket: "I don't care who pushed whom first. I had 32 pieces of pickled mustard greens in total, and now 11 are broken. According to the market price, you should compensate me two cents and three fen. Or your family can pay me half a jin of grain coupons."

"Are you robbing me?!" Liu Haizhong exploded. "Two or three cents for a few lousy pickled vegetables? I think you're money-mad!" Yan Bugui calmly flipped through his notebook: "Last month, your Guangtian borrowed half a bar of soap from me and hasn't paid it back; the month before last, Guangfu stole two tomatoes from my yard and hasn't compensated me either. I remember all of that. Why don't we settle the accounts together?"

The two argued heatedly, their faces flushed, attracting a crowd of onlookers. Qin Huairu, holding Jia Huaihua, stood on the outskirts of the crowd and secretly tugged at Lin Chen's sleeve: "Comrade Lin, look at this... if this gets taken to the streets, it won't be good for our courtyard's reputation." Lin Chen glanced at her and noticed that her gaze wasn't on the two arguing, but fixed on the direction of the courtyard gate—Sha Zhu had returned.

Sure enough, as soon as Sha Zhu entered the courtyard carrying the canteen's swill bucket, he was stopped by Qin Huairu. She immediately put on a tearful expression: "Zhu Zi, you're finally back. Look, Guang Tian and Jie Fang are having a fight, and Master Liu and Teacher Yan are arguing. What if the children get hurt?" As she spoke, she quietly brought her "cracked" hands to Sha Zhu's face.

When Sha Zhu saw Qin Huairu's expression, he immediately panicked: "What happened? Who dares to bully you and the child?" He put the slop bucket on the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and was about to argue with Liu Haizhong. Yi Zhonghai quickly pulled him back: "Zhuzi, don't be impulsive, it's just a small neighborhood matter." He winked at Qin Huairu, who immediately understood and whispered, "Actually, it's nothing, it's just that my Huaihua's diapers are running out, and I wanted to borrow some cloth coupons from you. I'll pay you back as soon as I get paid."

Lin Chen saw it clearly. Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, then took out two cloth coupons from his pocket and handed them over: "Take them, don't be polite with me." Qin Huairu took the cloth coupons, and a smile immediately appeared on her face. She turned around and went to comfort the crying Liu Guangtian. The speed at which she switched between the two left Lin Chen speechless.

"That's just human nature," Grandpa Wang patted Lin Chen on the shoulder. "Grandpa Yi is calculating his retirement, Widow Qin is calculating her grain coupons, Master Liu is calculating his bride price, and Teacher Yan is calculating her petty gains. There aren't many people in this courtyard who are truly sincere." He paused, then said meaningfully, "Lin, you're a smart man, but in this courtyard, being smart isn't enough; you need to have methods."

Lin Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the courtyard: Yi Zhonghai was secretly winking at Sha Zhu, signaling him to try and reconcile Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui; Qin Huairu returned home with her cloth ration coupons, and as she passed by Jia Zhangshi's door, the two exchanged a knowing look; Sha Zhu indeed rushed to break up the fight, but was entangled by Yan Bugui, who demanded that he settle the dispute and calculate the cost of the pickled vegetables; Liu Haizhong took the opportunity to slip back to the backyard, who knows what he's up to now.

He suddenly noticed a detail: when Qin Huairu rubbed her hands earlier, although the gesture was deliberate, there were no calluses on her finger joints. People who do heavy labor for a long time will have large and deformed joints, but her hands were only red and swollen, more like the effect of deliberately soaking them in cold water and then applying some cheap rouge and rubbing them together. This discovery made Lin Chen even more certain that Qin Huairu's "virtuousness" was all an act.

"Xiao Lin, time to go to work." Wang Tieshan's voice came from the courtyard gate. He stood there pushing his bicycle, his work clothes buttoned up tightly. Seeing the mess in the yard, he frowned, said nothing, and just waved to Lin Chen. Lin Chen quickly followed, and as he passed Sha Zhu, he heard him shouting at Yan Bugui, "It's just some pickled vegetables! I'll pay you back! Stop arguing!"

Stepping out of the courtyard, the sun grew warmer. Wang Tieshan, pedaling his bicycle, suddenly spoke up: "Don't meddle in what happens in the courtyard. Yan Bugui is notoriously stingy, Liu Haizhong is fiercely protective of his own, Yi Zhonghai is cunning, and the Jia family, mother and daughter, are ruthless. You've just arrived; don't let them use you as a pawn."

Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart. Although his master was a man of few words, he was very honest. He nodded, "I understand, Master. I was just watching the excitement." Wang Tieshan snorted, "Even when watching the excitement, you should stay away. I mentioned the chisel you made yesterday to the workshop foreman. He said he wanted to see your craftsmanship. Perform well, and if you can pass the assessment, you can be promoted to a permanent position early."

This news lifted Lin Chen's spirits. Early promotion meant he'd receive a regular employee's salary and food stamps, and would never have to worry about making a living again. He gripped the alloy chisel in his pocket, secretly calculating: the workshop's assessments relied on skills, and the institute's schemes required wisdom. As long as he proceeded cautiously, he could not only gain a foothold in the steel rolling mill but also retaliate against those who plotted against him.

Upon arriving at the workshop, Lin Chen had just changed into his work clothes when he saw Liu Haizhong approaching with Liu Guangtian. Liu Haizhong forced a smile: "Little Lin, I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn't have asked you for scrap materials. This is my son, Guangtian. Please take good care of him in the workshop from now on." Liu Guangtian lowered his head, clutching a cloth bag in his hand, and secretly slipped it to Lin Chen: "Master Lin, these are pancakes my mother made. Please try some."

Lin Chen opened the cloth bag; inside were two coarse grain cakes, still warm. He looked up at Liu Guangtian; the boy's eyes were full of timidity, yet also held a hint of longing. Lin Chen recalled the grateful look in Liu Guangtian's eyes when he gave him alloy scraps in the scrap heap yesterday, and a thought struck him: Liu Haizhong may be a scoundrel, but Liu Guangtian has potential. If he could win him over, he would not only have another ally but also curb Liu Haizhong's arrogance.

"I'll take the pancake, thank you." Lin Chen put the pancake into his lunchbox. "If you have any questions in the workshop, just ask me. But let me make this clear: you have to be diligent in learning the skills, no cheating." Liu Guangtian's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly, "I understand, Master Lin, I'll definitely learn well!" Liu Haizhong was surprised that Lin Chen was so easy to talk to, and after a moment of surprise, he smiled and said, "Little Lin, you're so generous. From now on, we're on the same side!"

Lin Chen didn't reply, turning to walk towards his workstation. He knew Liu Haizhong wanted to place Liu Guangtian next to him to gather information, but he didn't care. With the system, his skills would only improve, and it wouldn't matter if others found out. Besides, Liu Guangtian had good talent; with proper training, he might become a valuable assistant in the workshop.

At lunchtime, Lin Chen had just taken out his lunchbox when he saw Qin Huairu walking over with an empty bowl. She had an embarrassed smile on her face: "Comrade Lin, could you lend me some food coupons? The grain jar at home is empty, and the children are waiting for food." Lin Chen looked up and saw that her wrists still had those "cracks," but the urgency in her eyes was unmistakable.

"Sister Qin, I don't have any extra food coupons either." Lin Chen broke off half of the coarse grain pancake from his lunchbox and handed it to her. "Take this back for your child." Qin Huairu took the pancake, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes, but she still thanked him. "Thank you, Comrade Lin. You are such a good person." As she turned to leave, Lin Chen saw Sha Zhu carrying a bowl of braised pork and quickly went to greet him.

Lin Chen shook his head and continued eating. He knew this was just the beginning; the Jia family's scheming wouldn't stop there, and Yi Zhonghai wouldn't just stand by and watch him distinguish himself in the workshop. But he was prepared; he could handle both the technical assessments in the workshop and the machinations within the company.

In the afternoon, the workshop foreman indeed came to inspect Lin Chen's skills. Lin Chen used an alloy chisel to carve patterns on a piece of steel. The chisel seemed to come alive in his hands, and in no time, he had carved a lifelike plum blossom. The workshop foreman nodded repeatedly, "Excellent craftsmanship! Even more exquisite than the old blacksmith! You can directly participate in next month's promotion assessment!"

When Lin Chen returned to the courtyard house after get off work, it was already dusk. As soon as he entered, he saw Yan Bugui standing at the gate waiting for him. Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses: "Little Lin, I heard you're doing well in the workshop, you're sure to have a bright future. My son, Jiecheng, wants to learn forging from you, what do you think? I can pay the tuition with food coupons." Lin Chen looked at his shrewd expression and sneered inwardly: This guy's trying to invest early, hoping to benefit later.

"Teacher Yan, you're too kind. We're just learning from each other," Lin Chen said dismissively. "But I've only just started working in the workshop, and I'm still learning. Let's talk about it again when I'm more proficient." Yan Bugui was about to say something more when Jia Zhangshi's cursing voice came from the courtyard: "Qin Huairu, you jinx! You took the cloth coupons to exchange for grain coupons, why didn't you exchange them for more? Do you want to starve my son and me to death?!"

Taking advantage of the situation, Lin Chen slipped back to his room. After closing the door, he leaned against it and smiled. This courtyard was like a small martial arts world, where everyone was calculating for their own interests, yet also restraining each other. And he, relying on the system and his own wisdom, would forge his own path amidst this complex web of relationships. He took out the system panel, looked at the 18 points on it, and a smile appeared on his lips—tomorrow, another new day.