Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 78 The copper axle awakens the confused account; needle and thread mend the old grievances.

The June rain came suddenly; just past noon, dark clouds pressed down on the roof ridge beasts of the Hongxing Courtyard, making it hard to breathe. Qin Huairu, holding Jia Huaihua in her arms, stood under her own porch, looking at the sky with worry. Rainwater from the eaves streamed down the blue tiles, splashing into tiny droplets on the bluestone in the courtyard. Behind the door of the main room, the old sewing machine that had been with her for three years stood quietly, its body covered with a thin layer of dust, the copper shaft at the head rusted, like a frozen old bee.

"Mom, will the sewing machine repairman Uncle Lin mentioned really come?" Jia Dang squatted by the door, playing with the thimble Lin Chen had given her yesterday. It was made from melted scrap steel and polished, its edges so smooth they could reflect a person's image. Qin Huairu gently patted Jia Huaihua's back, her gaze fixed on the sewing machine, her tone uncertain: "He should, Master Lin has already made arrangements." Despite her words, she wasn't sure—she had found this sewing machine at a secondhand market. The machine had a crack in its body, and it had suddenly jammed while being mended last time, the needle bar was bent out of shape, and even a professional machine repairman shook his head at it.

Footsteps suddenly came through the rain. Sha Zhu, wearing a tattered raincoat and carrying a toolbox, entered through the gate, his trousers splattered with mud. He had just reached the middle courtyard when Yan Bugui stopped him. "Sha Zhu, where are you going?" Yan Bugui held a new account book, the pen still dipped in ink. "You promised yesterday you'd help me calculate the children's tuition fees, how could you forget?"

Sha Zhu put his toolbox against the wall and wiped the rain off his face. "Teacher Yan, I'll owe you today. I need to fix Qin Huairu's sewing machine first. If her stall closes down, we'll have trouble feeding the three kids." Yan Bugui raised an eyebrow, surprisingly not calculating, and instead gestured towards the Jia family's direction with his lip. "Go ahead, go ahead. You still have a conscience, kid. By the way, remember that arithmetic workbook you mentioned last time? Keep one for me."

As soon as Sha Zhu reached the Jia family's porch, Qin Huairu quickly told Jia Dang to bring a stool: "Brother Sha Zhu, it's such a bother to come all this way in this heavy rain, I'm really sorry." Sha Zhu waved his hand, picked up his toolbox, and went into the main room. When his gaze fell on the sewing machine, his brows furrowed. "This machine is really old, the needle bar is bent, and the brass shaft is rusted." He opened the toolbox, took out a wrench and sandpaper, "I'll check the internal gears first. If the gears aren't broken, I can still fix it."

Jia Huaihua was awakened by the clanging of the sewing machine and began to cry. Qin Huairu held the child and tried to comfort her, but her eyes involuntarily drifted to Sha Zhu's actions. Before, she had always been thinking about how to squeeze some food coupons out of Sha Zhu's lunchbox, how to gain sympathy by looking pitiful. But since earning money through her sewing stall, she had come to understand how precious that sense of security was. Watching Sha Zhu squatting on the ground, carefully disassembling parts, a sudden wave of guilt washed over her.

"Brother Shazhu," Qin Huairu hesitated for a long time before finally speaking, "Before... before I schemed against you for the food coupons in your lunchbox, and for you to work for the Jia family. It was wrong of me. Back then, things were really tough at home, with three children waiting to be fed. I had no choice but to do those things. Now I can earn a living by mending clothes, and I will never do that again."

Sha Zhu paused in his work, and when he looked up, his face lacked its usual naivety, instead showing a clearer understanding. He pulled a hard, dry cornbread from his pocket and handed it to Jia Dang: "Here, eat this. I brought it from the canteen this morning. Actually, I knew you were just pretending to be pitiful. He Yushui told me many times that I'm just a sucker." He smiled and continued polishing the rusty copper shaft. "Back then, I was confused too. I always felt that since Dongxu was gone, it was only right to help you. Later I realized that it's not pleasant to be used as a pawn for your good intentions."

The rain under the eaves gradually subsided, leaving only the soft rustling of sandpaper against metal in the main room. Jia Dang, biting into his cornbread, whispered, "Uncle Shazhu, my mother goes to bed very late every day now, earning only two cents for each garment she sews. She hasn't stolen anything from you since." Qin Huairu's eyes reddened. She pulled a cloth bag from the cupboard, containing several grain coupons: "These are the extras I took from you before. Now I've saved enough, and I'm returning them to you."

Sha Zhu waved his hand and placed the polished copper shaft on the table: "No need to return it. Consider it a favor I did for Dongxu before. We're neighbors now, so helping each other out is only natural, but it has to be genuine, not calculated." He picked up the new needle bar and carefully installed it. "The gears on this machine aren't broken, they're just lacking lubrication. I'll put some oil on it and replace the needle bar, and it'll run smoothly from now on."

As the two were talking, the sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the courtyard gate. Lin Chen, wearing a raincoat, came in, with an oilcloth bag tied to the back of the bicycle. "Sister-in-law Qin, I bought you some machine oil and new needles from the hardware store. If Sha Zhu needs any parts, they'll come in handy." He walked into the main room and saw the polished brass axle on the table. He smiled and said, "Sha Zhu's craftsmanship is quite good. This axle looks brand new."

Sha Zhu stood up, dusted off his hands, and said, "Master Lin, your guidance was excellent. You taught me how to fix a stove last time, and now I feel comfortable fixing anything." He took the machine oil Lin Chen handed him, poured some into the gears of the sewing machine, turned the handwheel to test it, and said, "It's done. Try it."

Qin Huai picked up a piece of fabric, carefully placed it on the needle board, and pressed the pedal. The sewing machine needle moved steadily up and down, producing even and fine stitches, much better than before. She looked up in surprise, her eyes full of smiles: "It's really fixed! Thank you so much, now I can set up my stall tomorrow."

Lin Chen watched this scene with a happy heart: "If there are any more problems with the machine in the future, just ask Sha Zhu. He's now the 'all-around master' of our institute." He took out a metal box from his oilcloth bag. "Inside are some thimbles and threaders that I made from scrap steel. You can use them when you're mending. They're more convenient than what you have now."

Qin Huairu took the tin box, opened it, and saw that the thimble inside was polished smooth and round, and the threader was engraved with tiny patterns. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she choked up, saying, "Master Lin, Brother Shazhu, I used to think that I could make a living by scheming, but now I understand that what I earn with my own hands is the most reliable. If you ever need any clothes mended in the future, just come to me, and I won't charge you a penny."

The rain stopped, and sunlight streamed through the gaps in the clouds, shining on the sewing machine in the main room, its brass shafts reflecting a dazzling light. Sha Zhu packed up his toolbox and said to Qin Huairu, "I'm off tomorrow, I'll help you fix your stall. It's practically falling apart; it'll collapse in the wind." Lin Chen chimed in, "I'll also make you a sunshade, so you can still set up your stall even on rainy days."

As the three of them stepped out of the main room, they saw Yi Zhonghai carrying a bamboo basket filled with groceries he had just bought. "I heard from the people in the courtyard that Sha Zhu was repairing machines here, so I bought some meat. Let's have a simple meal together tonight." He looked at Qin Huairu, his tone apologetic. "I was foolish before, always thinking of using gratitude to bind you and Sha Zhu to your old age, which made things go wrong. Now I understand, old age depends on sincerity, not scheming."

Qin Huairu quickly waved her hand: "Uncle Yi, let's not talk about the past. If it weren't for you helping me take over back then, I don't know where I would be now. I'll cook a couple more dishes tonight, let's have a good time together."

At dinner time, a table was set up in the open space of the courtyard. Yan Bugui arrived with his whole family, bringing a bottle of bulk liquor. "We had to eat today. Master Lin helped me find a part-time job, and Shazhu helped Sister Qin fix her machine. Our courtyard finally feels like a proper neighborhood." He poured everyone a glass of liquor, raised his glass, and said, "Let me toast everyone first. I used to be so calculating, scheming and calculating, that I lost all our family and neighborly affection. I'll change from now on!"

Sha Zhu took a sip of wine, picked up a piece of meat, and handed it to Jia Geng: "I used to be a sucker, being used as a pawn without even knowing it. From now on, if anyone in our compound is in trouble, we'll help them together. But if anyone tries to scheme against others again, I'll be the first to object." Jia Geng chewed the meat and nodded vigorously: "Uncle Sha Zhu, I'll never steal again. Uncle Lin said we should earn a living with our skills, so I want to learn to cook from you from now on."

Looking at the table laden with food and the lively crowd, Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart. He recalled the day he was reborn, the figure of Jia Zhangshi stealing grain in the cold night, the anxiety he felt while fusing scrap metal in the storage room, and now, seeing the harmonious scene before him, he was filled with emotion. "Our institute is like this sewing machine. Before, when the parts rusted and the gears jammed, it couldn't turn properly. Now that the parts are repaired and lubricated, it naturally turns smoothly." He raised his glass, "I'd like to toast everyone, hoping our institute will continue to improve!"

After dinner, Sha Zhu and Lin Chen helped Qin Huairu repair his stall. Sha Zhu, being skillful, used wire to secure the loose parts and then hammered them flat; Lin Chen, on the other hand, used the system to fuse several pieces of scrap metal and made a sturdy support. "Now, even a strong wind won't blow it down," Lin Chen said, patting the stall with satisfaction.

Qin Huairu brought over a cup of hot tea and handed it to the two of them, saying, "Thank you so much. When I set up my stall tomorrow, bring your old clothes and I'll mend them for you." Sha Zhu waved his hand, "Don't mention it. It's only right that we help each other out in the future. By the way, I've already talked to the head chef at the cafeteria. If you're too busy in the future, I'll bring you some food."

The next morning, Qin Huairu pushed her repaired stall out to set up shop. Under the newly made sunshade, her mended clothes hung, colorful and quite pretty. Jia Dang stood beside her helping out, smiling and greeting acquaintances whenever they encountered them. Sha Zhu came from the canteen, bringing two white steamed buns, and handed them to Jia Huaihua: "For your sister's breakfast. I'll bring you some vegetables for lunch."

On his way to work, Lin Chen passed by the stall and saw many people queuing up to have their clothes mended. Qin Huairu was extremely busy, but a satisfied smile graced her face. He walked over and handed her a newly made storage box: "This has compartments inside. You can put your needles, thread, and thimbles in it, so it won't get messy." Qin Huairu took the storage box, her eyes filled with gratitude: "Master Lin, thank you so much. Without you, I don't know what I'd be doing right now."

Upon arriving at the workshop, Lin Chen had just changed into his work clothes when Yi Zhonghai approached him, holding a blueprint: "Master Lin, could you take a look at this blueprint for me? I feel like the quenching temperature is off." Lin Chen took the blueprint and examined it carefully: "Your temperature is indeed a bit low. The quenching temperature for 40Cr alloy steel needs to reach 850 degrees Celsius. The 800 degrees you used before definitely won't produce good steel."

Yi Zhonghai suddenly realized, "No wonder the parts I made before were never durable. It turns out I didn't control the temperature well. Master Lin, could you tell me more about the quenching techniques?" Lin Chen nodded and led him to the quenching furnace, "Quenching depends not only on the temperature but also on the cooling rate. Water quenching and oil quenching have different effects. Look at this part; it needs to be quenched in oil to ensure it has enough toughness."

As the two were talking, Zhou Jianguo, the workshop foreman, came over with a document in his hand: "Lin Chen, the factory has decided to have you mentor a few apprentices to pass on your skills. Here's the apprentice list, take a look." Lin Chen took the list; there were five names on it, one of which was Liu Guangtian. "Liu Guangtian is a good prospect, hardworking and quick to learn," Lin Chen said with a smile. "I will definitely teach them well."

During the lunch break, Liu Guangtian found Lin Chen, his face flushed, and said, "Master Lin, thank you for taking me on as an apprentice. My dad said that if I don't learn well, he'll break my legs." Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. As long as you're willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you. Your dad used to be confused, but he's changed now. You have to study hard and make your dad proud."

As Lin Chen stepped out of the workshop after get off work in the afternoon, he saw Sha Zhu and Qin Huairu standing at the door. Sha Zhu was carrying a lunchbox: "Master Lin, this is the braised pork I saved for you. Take it home and eat it. Sister-in-law Qin said she'll mend your old coat tomorrow." Qin Huairu also handed him a cloth bag: "Inside are insoles I sewed for you. I used new cotton; they'll be warm."

Lin Chen accepted the lunchbox and cloth bag, his heart filled with warmth. Looking at the two figures in the sunset, he suddenly realized that this unexpected rebirth had not only given him a system, but also precious neighborly affection. Back in the courtyard, Yan Bugui was teaching children arithmetic, Yi Zhonghai was instructing his apprentices on techniques, and someone was mending clothes at Qin Huairu's stall. The whole courtyard was filled with the warmth of daily life and laughter.

That evening, Lin Chen returned home, and the system suddenly popped up a notification: "The host has successfully promoted neighborhood harmony and helped Qin Huairu establish correct values, earning 800 points. The system level has been upgraded to level 7, and the 'Skill Inheritance' function has been unlocked." Lin Chen smiled and closed the panel. The moonlight outside the window shone on the green tiles of the courtyard, reflecting a peaceful and serene scene.