Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 79 Red silk wraps the family's glory, iron and fire melt the heart to pass on the craft

In the sweltering heat of July, the stirring strains of "We Workers Have Strength" blared from the factory's loudspeaker at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill, their sound waves piercing the oppressive heat and reaching every corner of the workshop. Lin Chen squatted beside the quenching pool in the precision forging group, holding a dark red alloy billet in long tongs, observing the fine bubbles rising during water quenching. Beside him, Liu Guangtian clutched his notebook, pen nib hovering above the paper, his eyes fixed intently on his master's every move, oblivious to the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead onto the front of his work clothes.

"Remember, the critical point for water quenching of 40Cr alloy steel is 830 degrees Celsius. If it bubbles with blue smoke, it means the temperature has gone too high and the toughness will become brittle." Lin Chen lifted the billet from the water, and the water vapor on the metal surface instantly evaporated into white mist. "The gear you forged yesterday developed cracks on the edges because the temperature wasn't stabilized before quenching."

Liu Guangtian quickly drew a quenching curve on his notebook and marked the key points: "Master, I came half an hour early today and calibrated the furnace temperature three times. I tested it five times with the temperature measuring cone you taught me. It should be fine now." As he spoke, he opened the insulation box behind him, inside which were three pre-treated billets neatly stacked, each marked with the temperature measurement time in white lime.

Just as Lin Chen was about to offer his comments, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the workshop entrance. Union official Xiao Zhang, carrying a roll of red silk wrapped around something, rushed through the machine tool area, his face beaming with undisguised joy: "Master Lin, Liu Guangtian! Hurry to the office building! The annual outstanding apprentice awards ceremony is about to begin!"

Liu Guangtian's notebook fell to the ground with a thud, his eyes widening in disbelief. "Officer Zhang, you mean...me?" Xiao Zhang patted his shoulder, his gaze fixed on Lin Chen with admiration. "Of course! Our precision group has one of the five outstanding apprentices in the entire factory. It's all thanks to Master Lin's excellent teaching! Come with me, the factory manager will personally present the award!"

Lin Chen bent down to pick up the notebook and brushed off the metal shavings: "Don't just stand there, this is what you deserve. Go wash your face, straighten your work clothes collar, we workers need to be in high spirits when we receive awards." Liu Guangtian then realized what was happening and hurriedly ran to the workshop's washroom. When he passed the grinding wheel unit, he almost tripped over the scrap metal on the ground, which drew good-natured laughter from his coworkers.

The open space in front of the office building was already packed with people. Workers from each workshop lined up in neat rows, and a red banner reading "Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill Annual Technical Experts and Outstanding Apprentices Commendation Conference" hung on the stage. Lin Chen stood with Liu Guangtian in the forging workshop's queue and saw Liu Haizhong squeezed at the front of the crowd, craning his neck and repeatedly rubbing his rough hands on his work pants, clearly having already received the news.

When the factory director announced the name "Liu Guangtian, apprentice in the precision forging group," Liu Haizhong slapped his thigh, almost shouting out loud, before being glared at by the workshop foreman next to him and calming down. Liu Guangtian, clutching the hem of his shirt that Lin Chen had helped him adjust beforehand, walked step by step onto the stage. Sunlight shone on his dark face, reflecting the unique naiveté and excitement of youth. The factory director handed him a gold-embossed "Factory-Level Outstanding Apprentice" certificate and stuffed an envelope containing a fifty-yuan bonus into his pocket. His voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, resounded throughout the hall: "Comrade Liu Guangtian ranked first among all apprentices in the factory in the annual assessment. Especially noteworthy is his high-precision gear forging, with a pass rate of 98%, surpassing many veteran technicians! This is our steel rolling mill's rising star!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Lin Chen stood in the queue, looking at the big red flower on his apprentice's chest, a smile unconsciously creeping onto his face. He recalled the first time he met Liu Guangtian half a year ago. The boy had been hiding outside the workshop, peeking at the forging operations, his eyes filled with longing, clutching a hammer made of clay. Now, that boy, who couldn't even hold pliers properly, could independently forge precision parts. This growth filled him with even more pride than receiving an award himself.

After the commendation ceremony, Liu Guangtian was surrounded by his coworkers, who congratulated him enthusiastically. Some patted him on the shoulder, while others clamored to see his certificate. Liu Haizhong pushed through the crowd, snatched the certificate, and ran his fingers over the gold-embossed lettering. Suddenly, his eyes welled up with tears. He had worked in the forging workshop for twenty years, only ever reaching the highest level of sixth-grade worker. Of his three sons, his eldest, Liu Guangqi, had run away, and his third, Liu Guangfu, was of mediocre talent. Only his second son, whom he had always scolded and beaten, had fulfilled his dream of becoming a "technical backbone."

"Dad, what's wrong?" Liu Guangtian saw his father's eyes were red and hurriedly handed him a tissue. Liu Haizhong stuffed the certificate into his pocket and said gruffly, "Nothing! Come on, let's go home! I'll stew meat for lunch to celebrate your success!" As he spoke, he suddenly turned to Lin Chen, bowed respectfully, and said with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice, "Master Lin, thank you. I was foolish before, taking my anger out on Guangtian. If it weren't for your guidance, this child would never amount to anything."

Lin Chen quickly helped him up, saying, "Master Liu, you're too kind. Guang Tian is naturally talented and hardworking; I just showed him the way. Come on, I'll join in the fun at noon and try Aunt Liu's cooking." The other workers chimed in, "Master Lin, you absolutely have to go! This is a great occasion for our workshop; we should celebrate!"

The group chatted and laughed as they walked towards the courtyard house. Just as they entered, they saw Yan Bugui standing at his doorway, holding a newly made photo frame. "Guangtian's back! Quick, give me the certificate, I'll frame it and hang it in the most prominent place in the main room!" Yan Bugui said, reaching for the certificate from Liu Haizhong's arms, his face unusually enthusiastic. He had previously thought Liu Haizhong was uneducated, and the two families hadn't had much contact. Now, seeing Liu Guangtian's success, his attitude had warmed up—in his view, a young person with skills would surely have a bright future.

Liu Haizhong clutched the certificate tightly, saying, "Go away, go away! Is your frame even good quality? Don't ruin my son's certificate!" Despite his complaints, he carefully handed the certificate over. Yan Bugui pulled a measuring tape from his pocket and measured the certificate's dimensions: "Don't worry! I used a top-quality cedar frame, and the glass is tempered glass that I specially bought from a glass factory. It won't fade even after decades!"

In the courtyard, Qin Huairu was helping Jia Dang tidy up the clothes they had just mended. Seeing Liu Guangtian wearing a big red flower on his chest, she quickly came up to him: "Guangtian, you've made something of yourself! Let your auntie see this certificate." Jia Dang held up a cloth tiger she had just finished making and stuffed it into Liu Guangtian's hands: "Brother Guangtian, this is for you. I wish you will win another award next year!" Liu Guangtian took the cloth tiger, a blush spreading across his dark face. He scratched his head and said, "Thank you, Aunt Qin. Thank you, Jia Dang."

Yi Zhonghai also came out of his house, holding a brand-new toolbox: "Guangtian, this is a set of precision measuring tools that I used when I was young. Now you can use it. For forging, accurate measuring tools are essential for skillful work." He looked at Liu Guangtian with a look of satisfaction in his eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional, thinking about how he used to always think about relying on Sha Zhu for retirement, but neglected the growth of these young people around him.

In the main room of Liu Haizhong's house, Aunt Liu was busy stewing pork belly. The pork belly in the clay pot bubbled and steamed, filling the entire courtyard with its aroma. Liu Haizhong pulled Lin Chen to sit down on the kang (a heated brick bed), and carefully poured out half a bowl of baijiu (Chinese white liquor) from under the bed: "Master Lin, this is sorghum liquor that I've been storing for three years. Let's have a good drink today." He suddenly sighed, "I used to always favor Guangqi, giving him all the money in the house, and constantly beating and scolding Guangtian and Guangfu. Now I understand, it's more important than anything else if the children are successful."

Lin Chen took the wine glass and took a sip. "Master Liu, don't dwell on the past. Guangtian is a sensible child; he knows you want your son to succeed. Keep an eye on him from now on. If there's anything he doesn't understand, I'll teach him anytime." Just then, Liu Guangfu ran in, holding a piece of paper. "Second Brother, Master Lin, Uncle Wang from the scrap yard asked me to give you a message. He said he's collected a batch of used machine tool parts and asked if you want to go take a look."

Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "Let's go, let's go take a look now! Maybe we can find some good stuff." Liu Guangtian also stood up: "I'll go too, I'll help carry things." Liu Haizhong grabbed him: "What's the rush! Let's eat first, and then I'll go with you. I know Old Wang at the scrap yard, I'll ask him to save some good stuff for us."

The lunch was exceptionally lavish. The pork belly in the casserole was stewed until tender and flavorful, and Aunt Liu also stir-fried four vegetable dishes and steamed a basket of white flour buns. Sha Zhu also came over with a lunchbox containing braised pork hock he had brought from the canteen: "It's a celebration today, so as the uncle, I have to show my support." He sat down next to Lin Chen and whispered, "Master Lin, I've reached an agreement with the military district guesthouse. I'll start working next month, and I'll take down the old stove from the canteen for you. Maybe we can convert it into a small forging furnace."

Lin Chen was overjoyed: "That's wonderful! I was just thinking about making a miniaturized medium-frequency furnace. Having the old stove's outer shell will save me a lot of trouble." As they were talking, Liu Haizhong stood up, holding a wine glass: "I'd like to toast Master Lin! I wronged you before, even trying to steal your food stamps. Don't take it to heart. From now on, if anyone in our compound dares to bully you, I'll be the first to object!"

Lin Chen quickly stood up and returned the toast: "Master Liu, you're too kind. We're all neighbors, and the past is nothing to mention. Let's help each other out in the future so that our lives can get better and better." Everyone raised their glasses, and for a moment, the hall was filled with laughter and joy. The past conflicts and misunderstandings all disappeared in the aroma of wine and food.

After dinner, Lin Chen took Liu Guangtian and his brother, along with Liu Haizhong, to the scrap yard. Station Master Wang had already sorted through a batch of old machine tool parts and piled them in a corner of the yard. Lin Chen used the system to examine them and found several scrapped alloy gears and a set of lightly worn vernier calipers. "Station Master Wang, how much are these?" Lin Chen asked, pointing to the parts.

Station Master Wang waved his hand: "Master Lin, the baling machine you fixed for me last time is still working perfectly. If you need these things, just take them; mentioning money would be too polite." Liu Haizhong quickly said, "That won't do; the rules can't be broken. How about this, I'll repair your furnace for half a month to offset the cost of these things." Station Master Wang smiled and said, "Master Liu, you've hit the nail on the head. My boiler is leaking right now, so I'm troubling you."

The group loaded the parts onto the vehicle and were about to head back when they saw Xu Damao pushing a bicycle towards them, a paper bag strapped to the back seat. "Master Lin, Master Liu," Xu Damao said with a fawning smile, "I heard Guangtian was selected as an outstanding apprentice, so I bought some candy to celebrate." He handed over the paper bag, adding, "I was foolish before and did many things that I regret. I will definitely change from now on."

Liu Haizhong took the candy and snorted, "It's good that you know you were wrong. Work hard from now on and don't always try to take shortcuts." Lin Chen nodded, "Master Xu, if you want to learn a trade, just let me know. Our workshop is short of someone to watch over the furnace." Xu Damao's eyes lit up, "Really? Thank you so much, Master Lin! I'll come to the workshop to report for duty tomorrow!"

Back in the courtyard, Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian moved the parts to the open space in the middle courtyard. Yan Bugui had already framed the certificate and was standing on a ladder, about to hang the frame in the center of Liu Haizhong's main room. "A little to the left, a little to the left, yes, right here!" Aunt Liu directed from below, her face full of pride. Passing neighbors stopped and praised Liu Guangtian for his success, while Liu Haizhong stood to the side, his mouth practically stretched from ear to ear.

Lin Chen picked up the scrapped alloy gear and said to Liu Guangtian, "Look at this gear. Although the teeth are worn, the material is still very good. We can melt it down and reforge a small forging mold, which will make it easier to process small parts in the future." As he spoke, he took out paper and pen from his pocket and drew a sketch of the mold. "You calculate how much temperature is needed first, and we'll get started tomorrow."

Liu Guangtian took the sketch and squatted down to calculate it carefully. As the sun set, golden sunlight streamed onto the green tiles of the courtyard house, casting a warm glow. Qin Huairu's sewing stall had already closed, and Jia Dang was helping his mother pack up her needles and thread; Sha Zhu was helping Yi Zhonghai repair the leaky roof; Yan Bugui was leading the children in doing their homework in the yard; and Liu Haizhong was assisting Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian, cleaning rust from the parts.

Looking at the harmonious scene before him, Lin Chen felt a surge of warmth in his heart. He recalled the day he was reborn: the cold earthen bed in the dead of night, the thief's shadow stealing grain from Jia Zhangshi, and the faint blue light when the system activated. Back then, all he wanted was to survive, to take revenge on those who had schemed against him. But now he understood that true rebirth wasn't about gaining benefits through the system, but about warming cold hearts and making the most of broken days with his own hands.

"Master, it's all calculated!" Liu Guangtian's voice interrupted Lin Chen's thoughts. "The melting point of this alloy gear is 1538 degrees Celsius. It needs to be heated with coke, and the holding time will be at least twenty minutes." Lin Chen nodded: "Okay, let's go to the workshop first thing tomorrow morning. I'll teach you how to use a medium-frequency furnace for casting." As he spoke, he took out a newly made thimble from his pocket and handed it to Liu Guangtian. "Here, take this. It's made of high-quality alloy and is more durable than the one you're using now."

Liu Guangtian took the thimble; it was cold to the touch but exceptionally hard, with the words "Striving for Perfection" engraved on it. He gripped the thimble tightly and solemnly said, "Master, I will definitely study hard and become an eighth-level blacksmith like you, bringing honor to our courtyard!"

That evening, Lin Chen returned home, and a system notification suddenly popped up: "Host has helped Liu Guangtian grow into an excellent apprentice, promoting harmonious neighborly relations in the courtyard, earning 1000 points, raising the system level to level 8, and unlocking the 'Equipment Improvement Blueprint' function." Lin Chen looked at the notification on the panel and smiled slightly. He opened the window, and moonlight streamed into the room, illuminating the pile of parts waiting to be modified on the table. In the distance came the laughter of Sha Zhu and Yi Zhonghai, and nearby, Qin Huairu's soft voice instructing Jia Dang on sewing; the entire courtyard was immersed in a peaceful and serene night.

He knew this was just the beginning. As Liu Guangtian grew, as his skills improved, and as the spring breeze of reform and opening up gradually swept across the land, this small courtyard house, and his own life, would usher in an even more prosperous future.