Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 139 Mutual assistance breaks down barriers, a warm breeze disperses the crowd in the courtya

October in Beijing finally brought a hint of autumn chill. The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated when the communal water tap in the courtyard began to gurgle. Qin Huairu was washing freshly collected fabric with Jia Dang; their voices, mingled with the soft popping of soap bubbles, created the earliest sounds of daily life in the courtyard. Lin Chen returned from his morning exercise, having just finished the closing posture of his Tai Chi, when Liu Guangtian pushed a worn-out bicycle into the courtyard. A bulging cloth bag was strapped to the back seat, and his face showed barely concealed anxiety.

"Good morning, Brother Lin!" Liu Guangtian stopped his bike as soon as he saw Lin Chen, sweat streaming down his face. "My dad had a relapse last night, he was having trouble breathing, and I wanted to take him to the hospital, but this bike can't carry two people. Do you think you could..." He scratched his head sheepishly before finishing his sentence. Ever since Lin Chen helped him get into the precision team, he felt he was troubling the other too much, and he was particularly hesitant to ask for help.

Without saying a word, Lin Chen took the cloth bag from the back of the bicycle: "Don't waste time, I'll go call Sha Zhu. His tricycle is sturdy. The three of us can carry Master Liu to the clinic." As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Zhu came back from outside carrying an aluminum lunchbox. A faint aroma of meat wafted from the lunchbox—he was now a cook at the military district guesthouse and could bring back some scraps from the kitchen every day.

"Zhu Zi, don't go to the Jia family. Master Liu is sick. Help him get to the hospital!" Lin Chen called out to him. Sha Zhu was stunned for a moment, glanced in Qin Huairu's direction, and saw that the other party just looked up and smiled, without coming up to talk as usual, so he readily agreed: "Okay! I'll go unload the truck right away!" His tricycle was parked at the gate of the courtyard. It was a discarded vehicle from the guesthouse. Although it had a piece of paint missing, its load-bearing capacity was excellent.

The three hurried to the backyard. Liu Haizhong was leaning against the headboard, coughing, his face flushed. Aunt Liu was wiping away tears beside him, clutching a crumpled prescription. "I told you to drink less, but you wouldn't listen!" Aunt Liu complained as she helped tidy up. Liu Haizhong waved his hand, about to say something but was interrupted by another cough. Seeing Lin Chen and Sha Zhu enter, his eyes were filled with guilt: "I've troubled you again..."

"Uncle, don't say that, let's go!" Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian supported Liu Haizhong's arms, while Sha Zhu supported his back. The three of them carefully helped him onto the tricycle. Aunt Liu wanted to go with them, but Lin Chen stopped her: "You stay home and watch over Guangfu, and boil some more hot water. We'll be back after we take the doctor to the clinic." As he spoke, he took five yuan out of his pocket and gave it to her, "If any neighbors ask, just say we went to the clinic."

The tricycle chugged out of the alley, leaving Aunt Liu standing at the door, wiping away tears. Qin Huairu appeared at the backyard gate, holding a neatly folded piece of coarse cloth. "Aunt Liu," she said, "don't worry, I've asked Jia Dang to watch the locust blossoms. I'll stay with you and wait for news." Jia Dang, understandingly, added, "Grandma, I'll help you light the fire. I'll call you when the water boils." Aunt Liu grasped Qin Huairu's hand, her rough palm warm, and choked out, "I always thought your family was calculating, but now I know they're all honest people..."

Yan Bugui, who lived in the front yard, witnessed this scene. He was squatting by the door sorting through the scraps he had just collected, and before he could even straighten the wire in his hand, he put down his tools and went back inside. Aunt Yan was mending Yan Jiecheng's old clothes. Seeing him come in, she asked in confusion, "What's wrong? What happened outside?" Yan Bugui didn't answer. He pulled out a cloth bag from under the kang mat. Inside was ten yuan that he had saved for half a year. After hesitating for a long time, he still put it in his pocket.

Around noon, Lin Chen and the other two finally brought Liu Haizhong back. The doctor said it was just a flare-up of his chronic bronchitis, prescribed some anti-inflammatory medication, and advised him not to drink alcohol anymore. Liu Haizhong leaned against the blanket, watching Lin Chen and Sha Zhu bustling around, his eyes reddening: "I used to always argue with you guys, and even tried to steal your food rations, I wasn't human..." Lin Chen poured him a glass of warm water: "Uncle, let's not dwell on the past. We're in the same hospital, we should help each other out."

Sha Zhu chimed in, "That's right. If you're ever feeling unwell, just call out and I'll take you to the hospital. My tricycle's just sitting idle anyway." His words made Liu Haizhong feel even more guilty, and he turned to scold Liu Guangtian, "From now on, learn from your Brother Lin and Sha Zhu, and don't end up like me, living a muddled and aimless life!" Liu Guangtian nodded quickly and served the two of them the millet porridge that Qin Huairu had just brought.

As they were talking, Yan Bugui lifted the curtain and walked in, handing a cloth bag to Aunt Liu: "Take this ten yuan. Use it if it's not enough for your medicine." Aunt Liu was taken aback and quickly declined: "Teacher Yan, this is too much! We have our own money!" Yan Bugui said sternly: "Take it! I used to be too calculating, but I've come to terms with it now. We're neighbors, and I can't just watch you suffer." He paused, his voice lowering, "Jiecheng said he'll send me money every month from now on. I don't need this much."

Watching this scene, Lin Chen suddenly had an idea. Before going to work in the afternoon, he knocked on doors one by one, inviting everyone to gather around the stone table in the central courtyard that evening, saying he had important matters to discuss. The news spread quickly, and before evening, several small stools were set up in the central courtyard. Even Aunt Yi, who rarely went out, came out leaning against the wall—since Yi Zhonghai went to prison, she rarely interacted with her neighbors, and this time she only agreed to come out because Qin Huairu said there was good news.

The setting sun cast long shadows on the stone table. Lin Chen looked at the neighbors gathered around and cleared his throat, saying, "I've invited everyone here today to discuss something. This morning, Master Liu fell ill, and if it weren't for me, Sha Zhu, and Guang Tian helping out, I really wouldn't know what to do. There are many elderly people in our neighborhood, and everyone has their emergencies. I'd like to propose a 'neighborhood mutual assistance' program, where everyone can keep each other company and help each other through life."

As soon as he finished speaking, Sha Zhu was the first to chime in: "I agree! I work at the guesthouse, so I'm well-informed. If anyone needs to buy something in high demand, I can help them bring it over; and if anyone is sick, my tricycle is always available." Liu Guangtian also said, "I learned some electrical skills in the workshop, so if anyone's light bulb is broken or their water pipe is clogged, I'll fix it for free."

Qin Huairu, holding the locust blossoms, said gently, "I'm pretty good at needlework. If anyone needs clothes mended or a small garment made, just come to me. I used to always be calculating, but now that I make a living from this sewing shop, I realize that helping each other is better than anything else." Jia Dang chimed in, "I can help everyone watch their kids and copy their homework!" This made everyone laugh.

But as they laughed, the courtyard fell silent. Aunt Yi twisted the hem of her clothes and said softly, "My husband is like that... We're just grateful that everyone doesn't mind, how could we possibly trouble others?" Her voice was filled with grievance. Ever since Yi Zhonghai went to prison, she always felt ashamed in front of her neighbors, afraid that others would gossip about her behind her back.

Lin Chen quickly said, "Aunt Yi, please don't say that. Uncle Yi made a mistake, that's his problem, you're innocent. If you have any trouble buying grain or fetching water in the future, just tell us and we'll help you." Sha Zhu also nodded, "That's right, although Uncle Yi schemed against me before, you never made things difficult for me, I'll remember that kindness."

At this moment, Yan Bugui cleared his throat and pulled a small notebook from his pocket—not the old account book, but a brand-new exercise book. "I was thinking that since it's mutual assistance, there should be some rules to avoid future conflicts." He opened the notebook, on which were written several rules in neat handwriting: "First, each family will provide one person to help, with young people helping the elderly with heavy work, and the elderly helping the young people with childcare; second, if anyone has an emergency, everyone will lend a hand without paying, but we can remember the favor and repay it later; third, we will meet once a month on the 15th to discuss each family's difficulties and think of solutions together."

Everyone was stunned. They hadn't expected Yan Bugui, who was usually so calculating, to have thought this through so thoroughly. Aunt Yan explained with a smile, "He stayed up half the night writing this, and I even helped him revise it several times." Yan Bugui said somewhat embarrassedly, "I used to be too calculating, which hurt family relationships. Now I understand that neighborly affection is also affection, and it should be cherished."

As Aunt Yi looked at the notebook in Yan Bugui's hand, tears welled up in her eyes. "Teacher Yan, you're right. We should have some rules. Although I can't do heavy work, I can sew shoe soles and make insoles. I'll make them for free for any child who needs them!" Her words made the atmosphere in the courtyard even more lively. Everyone started discussing and refining the rules.

As they were discussing, footsteps sounded at the courtyard gate, and Xu Damao walked in carrying a cloth bag. He had just finished get off work at the scrap yard, and his face was still covered in dust. Seeing the scene in the yard, he paused for a moment and was about to walk back. "Master Xu, come and sit down!" Lin Chen called out to him, "We were just discussing neighborhood mutual assistance, why don't you give us your opinion?"

Xu Damao hesitated for a long time before finally walking over, saying awkwardly, "I've done a lot of things I've wronged everyone in the past, how can I possibly help you guys..." He used to always go against Sha Zhu and even spread rumors about Lin Chen; now, thinking about those things made him blush. Sha Zhu patted him on the shoulder: "Let bygones be bygones! You work at the scrap yard; if someone has scrap metal to sell, you help them get a price estimate, isn't that helping too?"

Xu Damao's eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly: "Sure! I know Old Wang at the scrap yard. If anyone wants to sell scrap, I'll help them get a little extra money! If anyone has old appliances that need repairing, I can give it a try. I learned a bit at the factory before." He took out an old radio from his cloth bag. "I fixed this yesterday. If anyone wants to listen to it, they can take it."

Applause rang out in the courtyard. Even Grandpa Wang, who was usually quiet, smiled and said, "Now this should be a proper courtyard! We used to always be fighting, how could we possibly live peacefully? Now it's great, everyone helps each other out, life will definitely get better and better." He paused, looked at Lin Chen, and said, "Lin, we all admire you for taking the lead in this. You should be the leader of this mutual aid group!"

Everyone agreed, and Lin Chen quickly waved his hand: "No need for a group leader, let's choose a representative. Instructor Yan is meticulous and will be responsible for recording the rules; Sha Zhu is strong and will be responsible for doing the heavy work; Qin Huairu is meticulous and will be responsible for taking care of the elderly and children; Liu Guangtian is technically skilled and will be responsible for repairing things. I'll just help out." He knew that only by involving everyone could this mutual aid group last.

Once the plan was agreed upon, everyone began to divide the tasks. Yan Bugui took out a notebook and wrote down each family's special skills; Sha Zhu pushed the tricycle to the middle of the yard, saying it would serve as a "mutual aid vehicle" from now on; Qin Huairu brought Aunt Yi a bowl of freshly brewed ginger soup to warm her up; Xu Damao helped Grandpa Wang move the scrap piled up at the door onto the tricycle, saying he would help him sell it the next day.

As the moon rose, the lights in the courtyard were still on. Lin Chen stood to the side, watching the busy figures of his neighbors, feeling particularly at ease. Su Qing walked over at some point, holding a coat in her hand: "It's getting chilly, put this on." She had just returned from working overtime in the finance department, and seeing the scene in the courtyard, a relieved smile appeared on her face, "I knew you could get this done."

"It's not that I'm great, it's just that everyone hopes to live a good life." Lin Chen took the coat and draped it over Su Qing's shoulders. "There used to be a lot of conflicts in the courtyard because everyone was only thinking about themselves. Now we understand that we can only go far by helping each other." He looked at Yan Bugui teaching Jia Geng to do his homework, Sha Zhu helping Liu Guangtian fix his bicycle, and Aunt Yi making insoles for Qin Huairu's locust flowers. He suddenly felt that this was what a courtyard house should be like.

In the days that followed, the courtyard house truly changed. Every morning, young people could be seen helping the elderly fetch water and buy food; in the evening, the elderly would play with the children in the courtyard, while the young people would gather together to repair things and chat. Xu Damao helped Grandpa Wang sell scrap metal, earning an extra five yuan, which he then specially delivered to him; Yan Bugui tutored Jia Geng in arithmetic, significantly improving his grades; Sha Zhu used leftover scraps from the guesthouse to cook a pot of meat soup for the elderly in the courtyard, which they shared and ate with great relish.

That day, Lin Chen came home from get off work and saw Aunt Yi sitting in the yard sewing shoe soles. Several pairs of finished insoles were placed next to her, each a different color and with fine stitches. "Little Lin, come and take a look. These are insoles I made for you and Su Qing. They'll be warm to wear in winter." Aunt Yi picked up a pair of blue insoles, embroidered with delicate plum blossoms. "Su Qing is an educated person; she'll definitely like this color."

Lin Chen took the insole, feeling a warm glow in his heart: "Thank you, Aunt Yi, you're too kind." Aunt Yi smiled and said, "What's there to be polite about? I used to feel lonely, but now with you all by my side, life feels much more secure. The blood pressure medication you bought for me yesterday was two cents cheaper than at the pharmacy, and I haven't even thanked you yet."

Just then, Yan Jiecheng came in carrying a net bag filled with fruit and snacks. "Brother Lin, my dad asked me to bring you some things." He greeted Aunt Yi immediately when he saw her. "Aunt Yi, you're here too! I brought you some snacks, please have a taste." Ever since Lin Chen persuaded him last time, he has come back to visit every weekend, and the relationship between father and son has become more and more harmonious.

Aunt Yi took the pastries, her eyes reddening. "Jiecheng, you're such a filial child. I used to think your father was calculating, but now I realize he kept his love hidden in his heart." Yan Jiecheng scratched his head, embarrassed, and said, "I was so immature before, always arguing with my father. Now I understand that his ledger was full of his love for us."

Watching this scene, Lin Chen suddenly thought of his past life. Back then, he was all alone in the courtyard, with no one to care for him when he was sick, no one to help him when he was hungry, and he eventually froze and starved to death in that cold winter. But now, he not only has Su Qing's companionship, but also so many neighbors who help each other. He knows that all of this is earned through his own hard work and sincerity.

In the evening, Sha Zhu returned pushing his tricycle, loaded with fresh vegetables and meat. "Everyone, come quick! The guesthouse is slaughtering a pig today, and I brought you all some pork belly and cabbage!" he shouted, placing the food on the stone table. "Let's make dumplings together tonight and have a good time!"

The courtyard immediately became lively. Qin Huairu and Jia Dang were in charge of kneading the dough, Aunt Liu and Aunt Yi were in charge of preparing the filling, Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian were in charge of rolling out the wrappers, Sha Zhu and Xu Damao were in charge of boiling water, and Yan Bugui was helping the children pick vegetables. Laughter, conversation, and the bubbling sound of dumplings going into the pot mingled together, creating the most pleasant sound.

The dumplings were cooked, and everyone sat around the stone table, eating with great enthusiasm. Yan Bugui put a dumpling on each child's plate, smiling as he said, "I used to be too calculating, and missed out on so much fun. From now on, let's get together once a month so the children can keep each other company." Shazhu took a sip of his drink and said loudly, "That's right! From now on, we're family, and no one can be left behind!"