Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 117 A child's hands mend clothes by lamplight; a mischievous boy causes a ruckus in the

The festive atmosphere of Chen Qing's hardware shop opening hadn't yet dissipated when the courtyard was awakened by the clear sound of a copper bell in the early morning. Jia Dang, her steps still damp with dew, set up her sewing stall under the old locust tree at the alley entrance. Several freshly ironed garments hung on the newly nailed wooden frame, the most eye-catching being an indigo-blue cadre uniform. The frayed edges of the cuffs had been embroidered with a delicate geometric pattern in the same color thread, almost indistinguishable from the original pattern at first glance. She took out the small lamp Lin Chen had given her from her cloth bag—it was made from an old ink bottle, with a wick wrapped in thin copper wire, brighter and more fuel-efficient than a kerosene lamp. She had used this lamp to embroider until late last night.

"Little Dang, can I pick up my blouse now?" Aunt Zhang from the grain store next door came over carrying a vegetable basket, her eyes shining as she looked at the cadre uniform. "The stitches are even neater than those in a tailor shop! My son is getting married next month, and if the cuffs of his dress can be mended like this, I'll pay you double!" Jia Dang looked up and smiled, revealing two newly grown little tiger teeth: "Aunt Zhang, wait a moment, I've wrapped it up for you. This cadre uniform was altered by Brother Lin for Sister Su Qing. She said the embroidered fretwork is durable and looks good." As she spoke, she lifted the bamboo basket under her stall, revealing neatly folded clothes, each wrapped in kraft paper with the customer's name written on it.

Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell came from the alley entrance. Lin Chen and Su Qing pushed their bikes over, with two bundles of newly collected steel tied to the back rack. "Good morning, Xiao Dang," Su Qing bent down and patted her head, glancing at the account book in the bamboo basket. "Was the accounting correct last night? Let me see." Jia Dang handed over the account book; the handwriting was crooked but each stroke was clear: "Aunt Zhang's blouse is two mao, Uncle Li's patch is one mao and fifty cents, Grandma Wang's trouser hem is one mao, totaling forty-five cents." Su Qing nodded and took a piece of fruit candy from her pocket: "You're right, this is a reward for you. How about coming to the tool shop with me today to learn bookkeeping? Teacher Yan said she'll teach us how to make inventory sheets."

Jia Dang's eyes lit up, and he was about to agree when he heard Liu Haizhong's roar from inside the courtyard: "Liu Guangfu! Where did you put that box of wrenches? The textile factory people are coming to pick it up right away!" The two exchanged a glance and quickened their pace. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Liu Guangfu squatting on the ground rummaging through boxes and cabinets, Liu Haizhong circling around with an empty wooden box in his hand, and Yan Bugui, wearing reading glasses, flipping through the ledger, muttering to himself: "Twenty were put into storage yesterday, five were sent out to the street this morning, how come three are missing?"

Lin Chen put down the steel and walked over. "Uncle Liu, don't rush, let's check the inventory first. Where's Guangtian? He was in charge of receiving goods yesterday." Just then, Liu Guangtian ran out of the tool shop, holding a worn-out wrench. "Brother Lin, I just found this in the scrap heap. It looks like it's been dropped; the gears are all deformed." Lin Chen took the wrench and scanned it with his system. The panel displayed, "Structural damage caused by impact, damage time approximately two hours ago." He frowned. "Was someone at the tool shop this morning?"

"I know who it is!" Jia Geng ran out of the east wing, clutching a slingshot. "I got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and saw Erzhu from the front yard climbing over the wall and sneaking off towards the tool shop! He tried to steal my mom's sewing thread last time, but I chased him away with my slingshot!" Erzhu was the son of a tenant in the front yard, a mischievous fifteen or sixteen-year-old who had been warned by the neighbors before for petty theft. Liu Haizhong was furious upon hearing this and grabbed a broom from the corner of the wall to confront him, but Lin Chen stopped him: "Uncle Liu, don't be impulsive. The textile factory workers will be here at ten o'clock. Let's gather enough goods first. In broad daylight, can the remaining steel make three wrenches?"

Liu Guangtian weighed the steel in his hand: "It's enough, but forging and grinding will take at least two hours, I'm afraid we won't make it in time." Su Qing suddenly spoke up: "I'll go to the textile factory and tell Director Wang that we've improved the wrench design and would like to send a couple more samples for them to test, hoping to push the delivery time to noon." She took off her scarf and wrapped it tightly around her neck. "Lin Chen, you take Guangtian and his brothers to work overtime, Teacher Yan will help check the inventory, and Xiao Dang will come with me, he can help me keep track of the numbers on the way."

As soon as the two stepped out of the courtyard gate, they saw Qin Huairu hurrying back with a lunchbox in hand. Her blue overalls from the workshop were stained with cotton wool. "Xiao Lin, Su Qing, I heard there are a shortage of wrenches? I left work early this morning, so I can help with the polishing!" She put the lunchbox on the stone table. Inside was steaming hot corn porridge. "Hurry up and eat something to tide you over. I'll go wash my hands and come right back." Lin Chen looked at her hands, which were covered with thin calluses but were still nimble. He remembered how her hands were covered with needle marks when she first entered the textile factory, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

The tool shop suddenly became lively. Lin Chen wielded the hammer, repeatedly striking the red-hot iron block on the anvil, the sparks illuminating his face; Liu Guangtian was in charge of controlling the heat, occasionally adding a piece of coke to the furnace, the sweat on his forehead instantly evaporating on the ground; Qin Huai sat on a small stool, polishing wrenches, sandpaper flying in her hands, quickly smoothing the originally rough surface; Yan Bugui, wearing sleeves, flipped through the ledger, giving instructions as he spoke: "Guangfu, move the finished products to the counter and arrange them properly, pay attention to the classification! Make sure to clearly mark the batch numbers in the ledger, so it will be easier to reconcile accounts later."

Liu Haizhong, standing guard at the door, suddenly shouted, "They're here! Director Wang is here with his men!" Lin Chen quickly put the newly forged wrench into cold water; with a "sizzle," white smoke rose, and the wrench instantly reached the required hardness. Qin Huairu picked up a cloth, wiped it clean, and handed it to Lin Chen: "Exactly three. Take them over quickly." Lin Chen had just stepped out of the tool shop when he saw Su Qing accompanying Director Wang and his group, with Jia Dang following behind, her little face full of seriousness as she spoke to a technician.

"Director Wang, I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." Lin Chen handed over the wrench. "This time, we added anti-slip texture to the wrench handle and optimized the gear meshing angle, which increases its lifespan by 30%." The technician picked up the wrench, weighed it in his hand, and measured its dimensions with calipers. His eyes lit up: "The precision is even higher than the last sample! Director Wang, we can purchase this improved version in bulk." Director Wang took the wrench, tried it out, and nodded in satisfaction: "Master Lin is indeed very capable. How about we price this batch the improved version, with a 10% increase?"

Just as Lin Chen was about to agree, Jia Dang suddenly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Brother Lin, Sister Su Qing said the cost has increased by 20%, and if we add another 10%, we'll lose money." Su Qing spoke up at the opportune moment, "Director Wang, as you know, steel prices have risen quite a bit recently, and the cost of the improved version is indeed higher. How about this, we'll supply you at the original price, but we hope you can recommend us to other workshops, and we'll reserve priority supply rights for you in the future." Director Wang pondered for a moment, then made the decision, "Okay! It's settled then. Your tools are of good quality, and your service is excellent. From now on, we'll order our factory's tools from you."

After seeing Director Wang and his entourage off, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yan Bugui quickly calculated on his abacus: "This batch of goods earned thirty-six yuan and fifty cents. After deducting costs and labor, the net profit is twenty-two yuan and thirty cents! That's five yuan more than last time!" Liu Haizhong snatched the ledger, glanced at it, and grinned: "At this rate, we can expand the tool shop in less than six months!" Qin Huairu picked up a bowl of corn porridge and handed it to everyone: "Eat it while it's hot. I have to go back to the workshop this afternoon, and I'll help make some parts when I get back tonight."

Just after noon, Erzhuzi's father came to the door carrying a basket of eggs, his face full of apology: "Master Lin, I'm so sorry, my rascal stole your wrench. I've already given him a good scolding. Please accept these eggs as an apology." Behind him, Erzhuzi lowered his head, clutching a deformed wrench in his hand: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stolen it. I didn't break the wrench, here it is."

Lin Chen took the wrench and looked at Erzhuzi's flushed face: "It's good that you know you were wrong. This wrench can still be repaired. If you want to learn forging, you can come help out at the tool shop after school. We'll pay you for your work; it's better than stealing." Erzhuzi suddenly looked up, his eyes shining: "Really? I've wanted to learn forging from Brother Guangtian for a long time!" Liu Haizhong patted him on the shoulder: "Study hard. When our tool shop expands, we'll need a capable helper."

The afternoon sun shone through the window of the tool shop, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Erzhuzi squatted to one side watching Liu Guangtian forge, gesturing with a wooden stick in his hand; Jia Dang leaned over the counter, learning to keep accounts, while Yan Bugui held her hand, teaching her to write Arabic numerals; Su Qing sat at the table calculating costs, occasionally glancing up at the busy crowd; Lin Chen was drawing blueprints for a new tool, a thread breakage warning device designed for the textile factory, which would alert the female workers when their spools were about to run out.

When Qin Huai came home from work, she was carrying a cloth bag. "Xiao Lin, Su Qing, look what I brought back!" She opened the bag, revealing several rolls of colorful silk thread and a piece of floral fabric. "These were a gift from my colleagues in the workshop. They said our tool shop's thread feeder is so useful, and they wanted me to make some cloth covers for the tools, both dustproof and pretty." Jia Dang ran over and picked up the silk thread. "Mom, I'll make them! I learned to draw from Brother Lin, and I can embroider our tool shop's name on the cloth covers."

At dinner time, a small table was set up again in the central courtyard of the siheyuan (traditional courtyard house). Sha Zhu brought over a large pot of stewed cabbage with a few eggs poached in it: "I heard you guys resolved the crisis today, so I specially asked my mom to poach a few extra eggs for everyone to have some nourishment." He looked at Er Zhuzi, "Kid, from now on, learn the craft properly from Brother Lin, and don't do anything foolish again. If anyone bullies you, tell me." Er Zhuzi nodded, picked up a steamed bun, and ate it quickly and deliciously with the cabbage.

Yan Bugui suddenly put down his chopsticks and pulled a small notebook from his pocket: "Xiao Lin, Su Qing, I've calculated that if our tool shop wants to expand, it will need at least two hundred yuan in capital. I have fifty yuan in savings here, and I'm willing to invest it in the tool shop as a shareholder." He pushed up his reading glasses, "I know I used to be a bit stingy, but after working with you guys for these past few days, I've finally understood what 'many hands make light work' means. From now on, I'll not only help with the bookkeeping, but I'll also go to schools to help promote your business and get the teachers to buy our tools."

Liu Haizhong put down his bowl as well: "I have thirty yuan here, which Brother Guangtian saved up when he was an apprentice. I'll put it in too! Guangtian, Guangfu, what do you say?" The Liu brothers said in unison: "Father decides! We'll work hard from now on and try to open tool shops all over the city!" Qin Huairu took out a handkerchief bag from her pocket, which contained neatly folded change: "I have twenty yuan here, which is my salary for the past few months. It's not much, but it's my token of appreciation."

Looking at the people before him, Lin Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He recalled the days when he was reborn, shivering in the side room from the cold; the trepidation he felt when he first used the system to fuse scrap metal; and the various hardships he had endured, from being harassed by Liu Haizhong to being schemed against by Jia Zhangshi. Now, his former rivals had become partners, and his former strangers had become family. This courtyard, filled with the warmth of everyday life, had finally become his most solid support in this era.

Su Qing took out paper and pen and carefully recorded everyone's contribution: "Lin Chen and I chipped in 100 yuan, and with everyone else's, it's exactly 200 yuan. Tomorrow we'll go to the scrap yard to pick out some good steel and buy a used machine tool, trying to double the size of the production line. Teacher Yan will be in charge of drafting the shareholding agreement and clarifying the profit-sharing ratio; Brother Guangtian will be in charge of technology improvement; Sister-in-law Qin and Xiao Dang will be in charge of quality inspection and packaging; and if Brother Shazhu has time, he can help us watch the shop and deliver goods."

Sha Zhu scratched his head and chuckled, "No problem! I'll talk to the head of the cafeteria and I can leave early this afternoon. From now on, give me all the heavy delivery work, I guarantee it will be delivered on time!" He suddenly remembered something, pulled out a cloth bag from his pocket, inside was a brand new piece of fabric, "Sister-in-law Qin, Xiao Dang, this is corduroy that I asked someone to bring from Shanghai. Make a new dress for Xiao Dang, and make an apron for Sister-in-law Qin with the rest of the fabric."

Qin Huairu took the fabric, its soft, thick texture bringing tears to her eyes. "Brother Shazhu, this is too precious, we can't accept it." Shazhu waved his hand. "I used to be tricked by you guys with my lunchboxes, but now I realize that it's only when a family helps each other out that life feels secure. Xiaodang is so sensible, she deserves a new outfit." Jia Dang tugged at Shazhu's sleeve and whispered, "Uncle Shazhu, let me sew you a new pencil case, with a wrench pattern embroidered on it, just like the sign on our tool shop."

As night fell, the lights in the tool shop were still on. Lin Chen and Su Qing were drawing up blueprints for modifying the new machine tool, Yan Bugui, wearing his reading glasses, was drafting an investment agreement, the Liu brothers were polishing parts, and Qin Huairu was mending tool covers with Jia Dang and Erzhuzi. Moonlight streamed in through the windows, casting long shadows on everyone. The clanging, clattering of the sewing machines, and clattering of the abacuses mingled together in the tool shop, creating a beautiful symphony of the night.

Lin Chen got up, stretched, and activated the system panel. A new notification popped up: [The host has united with neighbors to expand the business, gaining their trust and support, unlocking the "Teamwork" buff, increasing member work efficiency by 20%. The "Improve the wrench and establish a long-term partnership" task has been completed, earning 800 points. Current total points: 12100. The new feature "Material Optimization" has been successfully unlocked, increasing raw material utilization by 30%.]

He looked at Su Qing, who was looking down at the blueprints, her hair falling onto the paper, edged with gold by the light. Lin Chen walked over and gently tucked her hair behind her ear: "Su Qing, we succeeded." Su Qing looked up, her eyes sparkling: "Not just us, we all succeeded together." Jia Dang's laughter came from outside the window. She ran in carrying a sewn cloth cover, embroidered with the four small characters "Chen Qing Tools" and surrounded by a fine geometric pattern, exactly the same as the cadre uniform she had mended that morning.

As night deepened, everyone gradually dispersed. Lin Chen locked the door of the tool shop.