Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 43 A Drunkard's Rampage Causes Domestic Disaster, Kind Words Break the Ice and Warm Hea

The April wind finally brought some warmth, but in the central courtyard of the Hongxing Courtyard, a low pressure more biting than winter's chill permeated the air. Lin Chen had just received his bonus from the steel mill for a military order and was walking into the courtyard with a crisp twenty-yuan note in his hand when he heard a deafening crashing sound coming from the north room, mixed with Liu Haizhong's mumbled curses and a woman's sobs.

"I'll beat you bunch of debt collectors to death! If you weren't so useless, would Guangqi have escaped? My dowry money! My retirement money!" Liu Haizhong's roar burst through the window, followed by the crisp sound of a porcelain bowl shattering. Lin Chen paused, and saw Aunt Liu fleeing from the house carrying a chipped, rough porcelain bowl. There was still some rice water on her forehead. When she saw Lin Chen, her eyes reddened, and she hurriedly wiped her face with her apron, trying to pretend nothing had happened and hide in the kitchen.

"Aunt Liu, are you alright?" Lin Chen stepped forward to stop her, his gaze sweeping over her trembling wrists and stained clothes. A system panel quietly popped up: "Detected person: Liu Wangshi, heart rate 110 beats/min, minor abrasions, emotional state: extreme fear."

Aunt Liu's lips trembled as she was about to speak when the door to the north room was kicked open with a bang. Liu Haizhong, shirtless and reeking of alcohol, his face flushed an unnatural red, clutched a rolling pin in his hand. His eyes flashed with malice when he saw Aunt Liu: "Run? Where do you think you're going! I told you to buy me alcohol, and you said you had no money? Where are the food coupons? Did you secretly hide them for those two brats?"

The door to the west wing opened a crack, and Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu huddled behind it. The two boys, barely out of school, were pale, their patched clothes still covered in dust. Seeing their father notice them, they hurriedly closed the door again, leaving only a sliver of dust to peek through. Lin Chen recognized it; it was the ash the two brothers had picked up yesterday while collecting coal cinders. Liu Haizhong hadn't even bothered to ask if they were warm enough; instead, he'd started a fire because they hadn't collected enough coal.

"Honey, we're really out of food coupons. Guangtian and Guangfu haven't eaten properly for two days. I'd like to buy them two cornbreads..." Aunt Liu's voice was barely audible. Before she could finish speaking, Liu Haizhong slapped her arm with a rolling pin, making her groan in pain and squat down on the ground, clutching her arm.

"Eat what! I'd rather you two good-for-nothings starve to death!" Liu Haizhong roared, his eyes red, raising the rolling pin to strike again. Lin Chen stepped forward and firmly grabbed his wrist. The force from his palm startled Liu Haizhong, sobering him up considerably. He tried to shake his arm but couldn't, glaring at Lin Chen: "Xiao Lin, this is my family matter, mind your own business!"

"Master Liu, hitting someone won't solve the problem. If you hurt them, you'll have to pay for medical expenses, which isn't worth it." Lin Chen said calmly, but he increased the pressure on his hand, forcing Liu Haizhong to release the rolling pin. The rolling pin hit the ground with a "thud" and rolled to the doorway where Liu Guangtian and his brother were standing. The two children shrank back in fright.

Liu Haizhong, panting heavily, pointed towards the house and cursed, "What do you know! I saved up half my life's money, all for Guangqi's wedding, and what did he do? He ran off with his wife and his father-in-law! Who am I supposed to rely on for my old age? These two kids, one stupid and one lazy, how can I count on them in the future?" At the end, his voice trembled with tears, and he abruptly pushed Lin Chen away, squatted on the threshold, and buried his head in his hands, sobbing.

Lin Chen bent down to help Aunt Liu up, took out two jin of grain coupons and one yuan from his pocket, and stuffed them into her hand: "Aunt Liu, please take these grain coupons to buy food for your child, and use the money to buy some medicine to rub on your arm." Aunt Liu hurriedly declined: "This won't do, Lin, you helped us last time, we can't take your things again."

"Take this first, consider it a loan from me, and Guangtian will pay me back later." Lin Chen gestured towards the west wing. "Guangtian is a clever kid who learns quickly. He'll follow me to the workshop and learn the skills. Are you worried about not being able to earn back these grain coupons?" These words not only gave Aunt Liu a way out but also enlightened Liu Haizhong, who was squatting on the ground.

Liu Haizhong looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Lin Chen: "Are you really willing to teach Guangtian the technology? With his slow brain, can he even learn it?" "Whether he has talent or not, we'll only know after we teach him." Lin Chen walked to the door of the west wing, knocked, and said, "Guangtian, come out for a moment."

The door opened hesitantly, and Liu Guangtian stood in the doorway with his head down, nervously twisting the hem of his clothes. Lin Chen took out a handwritten notebook on basic forging techniques from his bag and handed it to him: "This contains basic forging techniques and temperature control. Take a look at it first, and starting tomorrow, you'll come with me to the workshop to learn about rust removal and material identification."

Liu Guangtian suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining, then quickly lowered his head again, whispering, "I...can I do it? My dad says I'm not as smart as my older brother." "Your dad has an old-fashioned view." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "Last time you helped me move the alloy materials, you could accurately tell the weight of each material. That's talent. Study hard, and you'll be more successful than your older brother in the future."

Liu Haizhong squatted to the side, watching his son clutch his notebook tightly. He recalled how cautiously Liu Guangtian had secretly applied the medicinal wine to his son yesterday, and his heart felt a pang. He stood up, dusted himself off, and without a word, turned and went into the house. A moment later, he came out with a gourd of wine and slammed it onto the stone table: "I won't drink anymore. I'll save the money to buy books for the child."

Lin Chen knew this was Liu Haizhong's way of backing down. He smiled, picked up the gourd of wine, and smelled it: "The alcohol content is not low, it's perfect as a coolant for quenching, it's a shame to throw it away. Master Liu, tomorrow you'll come with me to debug the new mold, this wine might come in handy." Liu Haizhong was stunned for a moment, then nodded, a long-lost smile appearing on his face.

The next morning, Lin Chen brought Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong to the forging workshop. The workers in the precision forging group were somewhat surprised to see Liu Haizhong following behind Lin Chen. You see, Liu Haizhong had always thought of himself as a level six forger, more senior than the young Lin Chen, and never wanted to be subordinate to anyone.

"Master Liu, let's try this new mold today." Lin Chen pointed to the graphite mold on the table. "This is a modification I made based on the requirements of a military order. The forging temperature must be controlled at 1200 degrees Celsius, and the cooling time cannot exceed three minutes." He took out Liu Haizhong's wine gourd from yesterday. "This high-proof liquor evaporates quickly, so it's perfect for rapid cooling."

Liu Haizhong took the mold, carefully examined its patterns and apertures, and exclaimed in surprise, "Xiao Lin, your mold design is amazing! It's even more precise than the original. How were these patterns carved?" "They were carved by hand, then polished with a grinding wheel," Lin Chen said, picking up a torch to light the coke oven. "Master Liu, you have plenty of experience, so I'll leave the heat control to you. Guangtian, please note the temperature changes and cooling times."

The flames in the coke oven burned ever brighter. Liu Haizhong, holding a thermometer, kept his eyes glued to the steel inside, calling out the temperatures: "800 degrees... 1000 degrees... 1200 degrees! That's enough!" Lin Chen immediately used pliers to take out the red-hot steel, placed it into the mold, and started the forging press. With a loud "clang," the steel took shape in the mold. Lin Chen quickly picked up his wine gourd and poured wine onto the mold. White steam instantly rose up, carrying a strong aroma of wine.

After cooling, Lin Chen opened the mold, took out the formed gear forging, and placed it under the projector for inspection. The parameters displayed on the screen made everyone gasp: "Precision IT6, surface roughness Ra0.8! One level higher than required!" His coworkers gathered around, full of praise. Liu Haizhong looked at the forging, then at Lin Chen, and said sincerely, "Xiao Lin, your skill is truly amazing! I'm impressed!"

Liu Guangtian held his notebook, diligently recording data, his face full of excitement. Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder: "See? Forging isn't just about strength, it's also about technique and experience. With more learning and practice, you can do it too." Liu Guangtian nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with determination.

During the lunch break, Aunt Liu came to the workshop carrying a lunchbox containing two steamed buns, a bowl of stir-fried vegetables, and a small cloth bag with pickled radishes for Lin Chen. "Lin, thank you for taking care of Guangtian and his father," Aunt Liu said, handing the lunchbox to Lin Chen. "These pickled radishes are homemade; please try them."

Lin Chen took the lunchbox and was about to speak when he saw Qin Huairu carrying a bucket of water past the workshop entrance. The bucket contained work clothes to be washed, and she wore a coarse cloth wristband to cover the "frostbite" she had deliberately exposed earlier. She hesitated for a moment when she saw Lin Chen, then walked over: "Junior Brother Lin, thank you for what happened last time. I earn some money doing cleaning in the logistics department; it's enough to buy food for the kids."

"Senior Sister Qin, just focus on your work." Lin Chen smiled and pointed at Liu Guangtian. "Guangtian is a talented kid. Take him under your wing more often." Qin Huairu nodded. Seeing the notebook in Liu Guangtian's hand and looking at his serious expression, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes. She turned around, picked up the bucket, and left, her steps much more steady than before.

When Lin Chen and his team finished forging in the afternoon, Director Zhou came to the workshop and was very satisfied with the high-precision forgings they had made. He said, "Lin, people from the military unit are here. They want to see the production process. Get ready." Just as Lin Chen was about to respond, he saw the security personnel lead a strange man in. The man was wearing a cadre uniform and was holding a document.

"Which one of you is Comrade Lin Chen?" the man asked. Lin Chen stepped forward: "That's me." The man shook his hand: "I'm Section Chief Wang from the factory's Discipline Inspection Department. We received a report that you abused your position to accept bribes from Liu Haizhong in exchange for helping his son get a job. We've come to verify the situation."

The workshop fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on Lin Chen and Liu Haizhong. Liu Haizhong's face changed, and he hurriedly said, "Section Chief Wang, nothing like that! I asked Lin Chen to teach my son the skills; he didn't ask for anything in return!" Section Chief Wang took out his notebook: "Someone reported that you gave Lin Chen two jin of grain coupons, one yuan, and a gourd of wine."

Lin Chen smiled and took out grain coupons and money from his pocket: "This is what I borrowed from Aunt Liu, and I have an IOU. As for the gourd of wine, it was used as a quenching coolant, and it's all used up. The workers in the workshop can all testify to that." He pointed to the quenching pool next to him, "There are still some wine residues in it, which can be tested."

Section Chief Wang had someone retrieve a sample from the quenching tank and questioned several workers, confirming Lin Chen's statement. He put away his notebook, grasped Lin Chen's hand, and said, "Comrade Lin Chen, I'm sorry to have bothered you. We will deal seriously with those who made false accusations." After saying this, he glanced meaningfully in the direction of the workshop entrance, then turned and left.

Lin Chen knew this was definitely the work of Yi Zhonghai or Jia Zhangshi's remaining associates. But he didn't take it to heart; instead, he saw it as an opportunity. He said to Director Zhou, "Director Zhou, I'd like to apply to establish an apprenticeship training program to cultivate promising young people like Guang Tian and build up technical expertise for the workshop."

Director Zhou's eyes lit up: "That's a great idea! I've wanted to bring this up for a while, but we're missing a technical backbone to lead it. Xiao Lin, this matter will be entrusted to you, and the factory will provide you with support." Lin Chen nodded and looked at Liu Haizhong and Liu Guangtian, both of them filled with gratitude.

Returning to his courtyard house after get off work, Lin Chen had just entered the central courtyard when he saw Yan Bugui holding a small ledger, settling accounts with the neighbors. "...Last time, Yi Zhonghai's eggs were stolen. I calculated that each egg was 8.5 fen, so five eggs would be 42.5 fen. Jia Zhangshi should compensate Yi Zhonghai..." Seeing Lin Chen, Yan Bugui immediately put away his ledger and approached him: "Little Lin, I heard you're starting a training class? Could my son Jie Kuang attend? I'll pay his tuition!"

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Teacher Yan, the training class is run by the factory. Admission is based on exams, not connections. If Jie Kuang is willing to learn, he can take the exam. If he passes, he can get in." Yan Bugui's eyes darted around. "How difficult is the exam? Are there any review materials? I'll give you five cents, will you leak me the questions?"

"Teacher Yan, exams are all about fairness and impartiality. Leaking exam questions is against the rules." Lin Chen's smile faded. "If Jie Kuang really wants to learn, I can borrow his basic notes, but whether he can pass the exam depends on his own efforts." Seeing that Lin Chen wasn't buying it, Yan Bugui pouted and left unwillingly.

Just then, Liu Guangtian ran over with a notebook, excitedly saying, "Master Lin, I've compiled all the technical parameters for today. Please check if they're correct." Lin Chen took the notebook. Although the handwriting was messy, the records were very detailed, even marking the time for temperature changes. He nodded, "Very good. I'll teach you how to read the blueprints tomorrow."

Liu Haizhong also came over, holding a new gourd filled with newly bought high-proof liquor: "Xiao Lin, this liquor is for you, use it for quenching later. Thank you for trusting my son and me today." Lin Chen took the gourd: "Master Liu, we're colleagues, helping each other is only right. Teach Guangtian well in the future, he'll definitely be more successful than us."

That evening, Lin Chen sat at his desk and opened the system panel. A new notification popped up: "The host has successfully resolved Liu Haizhong's family conflict and promoted the training of technical personnel in the workshop, earning the title of 'Good Teacher and Helpful Friend,' with 3000 points. Current points: 39000. New feature unlocked: Skill Inheritance (can convert one's own skills into learning materials, improving the learning efficiency of apprentices)."

Lin Chen smiled as he looked at the new features on the panel. He took out paper and pen and used the skill inheritance function to transform the forging techniques into illustrated teaching materials. These materials not only included basic techniques but also solutions to various common problems. He knew this would not only help Liu Guangtian but also allow more young people to learn real skills.

Outside the window, moonlight spilled onto the bluestone slabs of the courtyard, casting dappled shadows. From the north room came the sound of Liu Haizhong teaching Liu Guangtian to read. In the west wing, Liu Guangfu was mending clothes for his mother. By the communal pond in the middle courtyard, Qin Huairu was quietly washing clothes, her usual deliberate performance gone, replaced by the tranquility of a down-to-earth life.