Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 126 Old Favors and Lingering Memories, Craftsmanship Passed Down

The morning mist hadn't yet dissipated, and a thin layer of dampness clung to the blue brick floor of the Hongxing Courtyard. Lin Chen had just pasted the training course's enrollment notice on the old locust tree at the courtyard gate when a familiar bicycle bell rang from the alleyway. A bulging blue cloth bundle was strapped to the back of the bicycle, and two net bags of apples hung from the handlebars. It was Sha Zhu returning from the military region's guesthouse.

"Xiao Lin, is Lao Yi back?" Sha Zhu stopped the car and asked gruffly, but his eyes unconsciously glanced in the direction of Yi Zhonghai's house in the Central Court. His chef's uniform was neatly ironed, and there was a "Advanced Worker" badge on his collar. Compared to his slovenly appearance in the steel mill canteen, he looked much more presentable.

Lin Chen smiled and nodded, pointing to the newly posted notice: "He came back yesterday evening. The police station found out that it was a problem with the finance department back then, and it had nothing to do with Grandpa Yi. That's why we're preparing a skills training class, and Grandpa Yi specially went to buy new teaching materials."

Sha Zhu's gaze fell on the notice. The words "Red Star Steel Rolling Mill Craftsmanship Inheritance Class" in bold were particularly eye-catching. Below, the instructors were listed: Yi Zhonghai (Forging), Lin Chen (Drafting), and Liu Guangtian (Precision Machining). He stroked the apple net bag on the handlebars, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I...I bought some things and wanted to go see Aunt Yi."

Lin Chen noticed his unease and took the bundle from his hands: "Let's go, Aunt Yi just steamed some cornbread and was talking about you. She drank a big bowl of the chicken soup you sent yesterday and said it tasted even better than when she used to eat it in the cafeteria."

As the two entered the courtyard, they heard Aunt Yi humming an old tune in the kitchen, the clatter of pots and pans creating a cheerful sound. Yi Zhonghai was sitting at the stone table revising his lesson plan, his pencil flying across the paper, a well-worn copy of "Fitter's Manual" lying open beside him. Seeing Sha Zhu, he paused, then smiled, "Zhuzi's here, come sit down. I was just talking to Xiao Lin about asking you to give a lecture on canteen knife maintenance when the training course starts. Your knife-sharpening skills are truly exceptional."

Sha Zhu's face flushed red. He put the apple on the stone table and nervously twisted the hem of his clothes. "Uncle Yi, please don't say that. I learned all that myself. But you, you taught me how to identify steel grades back then, I've always remembered that." He suddenly remembered something, took out a brown paper envelope from his pocket, and stuffed it into Yi Zhonghai's hand. "This is my bonus for this month. Take it and buy some tools for the training class."

Yi Zhonghai pushed the envelope back, his expression turning serious. "Zhuzi, we appreciate your kindness, but the training course is funded by patent revenue, so we can't accept your money. If you truly want to help, teach your knife-sharpening skills to the apprentices; that's more valuable than anything else." He opened his lesson plan, pointing to a page. "Look, I specifically set aside a lesson for knife maintenance, just waiting for you to teach it."

Sha Zhu stared at the densely written notes on the lesson plan, his eyes suddenly welling up with tears. Years ago, when he first entered the steel mill's canteen, he couldn't even distinguish the steel for a kitchen knife. It was Yi Zhonghai who, during his lunch break, explained the different types of steel to him and patiently taught him how to choose the right knife for the right ingredients. Later, when he was suspended after a conflict with Xu Damao, it was Yi Zhonghai who intervened with the factory leaders to save his job. He had never thanked Yi Zhonghai in person for these acts; instead, his calculations about retirement had caused him many disagreements with Yi Zhonghai.

"Uncle Yi, I was confused before," Sha Zhu's voice choked up a little, "I always felt that you were kind to me for a reason, and I kept holding back my anger. It wasn't until I went to the military district guesthouse that I understood your good intentions back then—a skill is the foundation for making a living, and you wanted to teach me your real skills."

Yi Zhonghai patted him on the shoulder and sighed, "I did have selfish motives back then, wanting you to take care of me in my old age. But later, seeing you just getting by in the cafeteria, I got anxious. You have a talent for cooking; if you could refine that skill, wouldn't that be better than just flipping woks in the cafeteria? Now that you've made something of yourself, I'm relieved." He turned to look at the kitchen, "Your auntie said yesterday that she hadn't had your braised pork in a long time."

These words were exactly what Sha Zhu wanted to hear, and he immediately rolled up his sleeves: "I just happened to bring a piece of pork belly, so today I'll let you two try my cooking!" As he spoke, he walked towards the kitchen, and just as he reached the door, he bumped into Aunt Yi, who was carrying a basin of water.

"Zhu Zi?" Aunt Yi's eyes widened in surprise, and she almost dropped the basin of water in her hand. "Why are you here? Come in quickly, it's chilly outside." She pulled Sha Zhu's hand and led him into the house, looking him up and down. "Your clothes look really smart, much more impressive than when you were at the factory. I heard you're a chef at the military guesthouse? No wonder you smell so good."

Sha Zhu was a little embarrassed by the praise and scratched his head: "Auntie, I brought you some apples and bought a piece of pork belly. I'll make you braised pork today." He glanced at the cooking training course materials on the table, picked them up and flipped through them. "Look at these materials, they're even more detailed than the textbooks I used when I learned to cook."

Aunt Yi wiped her eyes and said with a smile, "Old Yi stayed up all night to write these, saying he wanted to pass on the best skills. Yesterday, the first thing he did after returning from the police station was to go to the bookstore to buy teaching materials, saying he couldn't let his apprentices down." She lowered her voice, "Actually, I know he wants to teach these young people everything he didn't finish teaching you back then."

Sha Zhu paused, looking at Yi Zhonghai's neat handwriting on the lesson plan, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Back then, he always felt that Yi Zhonghai was holding back when teaching his craft, until he later took on apprentices himself and realized that true skill transmission is never achieved overnight, but rather requires gradual guidance based on the apprentice's aptitude. Yi Zhonghai's strictness towards him back then was actually to help him build a more solid foundation.

Soon, the sizzling sound of stir-frying filled the kitchen, and the aroma of meat wafted out through the cracks in the window, making the children at the gate swallow hard. Qin Huairu returned from outside with Jia Geng, carrying newly bought fabric. Seeing the enrollment notice at the gate, her eyes lit up: "Xiao Lin, is this training class really starting? Jia Geng has been looking forward to learning a trade for a long time."

Jia Geng quickly stepped forward and handed the small hammer in his hand to Lin Chen: "Brother Lin, look at the hammer I learned to polish from Brother Guangtian yesterday. Can you teach me something new today?" The hammerhead of the small hammer had been polished very smoothly, and the handle was carefully engraved with anti-slip texture, showing that a lot of effort had been put into it.

Lin Chen took the hammer and nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad, you've improved. Uncle Yi is back today, let him explain the forging process to you. By the way, where's the new work clothes your mom made for you? Registration for the training course starts tomorrow, you need to look presentable."

Qin Huairu patted Jia Geng on the back with a smile: "It's been ready for a while now, hidden in the closet. I'm just waiting to wear it on the first day of class." She looked in the direction of Yi Zhonghai's house, smelling the aroma of meat wafting over, "Shazhu is here too? That kid, he's really made something of himself now, even thinking of visiting Mr. and Mrs. Yi."

Just then, Yan Bugui returned from outside carrying a cloth bag, his face beaming with joy: "Good news! Good news! I went to the street office to complete the formalities, and our training class can be considered a poverty alleviation project of the street office. Not only can we apply for subsidies, but we can also give priority to recruit disadvantaged young people from the street office!" He put the cloth bag on the stone table, took out an account book and an abacus, "I calculated that, with the expected income from the patent, we can buy three precision grinding machines and add ten sets of forging tools, which is enough for thirty apprentices."

Yi Zhonghai came out of the house, holding a newly written course schedule: "I've discussed it with Lao Yan. The training course will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions. The morning session will cover theory and drawing, and the afternoon session will be practical training. Liu Guangtian will lead the basic class, I'll lead the advanced class, and Xiao Lin, you'll be responsible for overall technical guidance." He looked at Qin Huairu, "Sister-in-law Qin, you're good at needlework, could you help mend the apprentices' work clothes? The cost will be covered by the training course's budget."

Qin Huairu nodded quickly: "What's the problem? Leave it to me. I just happened to run a sewing stall with Jia Dang, so I have some skills in making work clothes." She felt a warmth in her heart. Ever since she stopped scheming for Sha Zhu's lunchbox and started making a living by sewing, the neighbors' attitudes towards her had gradually changed. This respect, earned with her own hands, was more precious than anything else.

Sha Zhu carried a plate of braised pork out of the kitchen, and the aroma instantly filled the entire courtyard: "Dinner is served! Uncle Yi, Aunt Yi, try my braised pork. Has it improved since then?" The braised pork on the plate was bright red, fatty but not greasy, and sprinkled with a few scallions, making it look very appetizing.

Yan Bugui was the first to step forward, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece, chewed it, and his eyes lit up: "Not bad, not bad, even better than the ones in big restaurants! Zhuzi, if you teach your apprentices this skill, they can open a small restaurant and make a living in the future."

Sha Zhu smiled and waved his hand: "This is a cook's skill, it's different from blacksmithing. But if the apprentices want to learn, I can teach them a few home-style dishes, it'll be a good skill for them." He put the plate on the stone table and turned to the kitchen to get other dishes, "I also stir-fried some greens and stewed some tofu soup, both home-style dishes."

Lin Chen went to call Liu Guangtian and his brother over for dinner. He had just reached the backyard when he heard the two brothers arguing inside. Liu Guangfu, holding a blueprint, frowned and said, "Brother, your forging process is wrong. It'll waste materials." Liu Guangtian pointed to a spot on the blueprint: "You don't understand. This process uses more materials, but it ensures the precision of the parts. Brother Lin said precision is the most important thing."

Lin Chen pushed open the door, picked up the blueprints, and looked at them. "Guang Tian is right. In the early stages, it's better to use more materials to ensure precision. However, Guang Fu's idea also makes sense. We can optimize the forging molds to ensure precision while saving materials." He picked up a pen and drew a few lines on the blueprints. "Look, adding a guide groove at this position will reduce material waste."

The Liu brothers leaned forward, their eyes lighting up as they looked at the modifications on the blueprints. Liu Guangfu scratched his head: "Brother Lin is really something. This modification will save a lot of materials. I'll go to the workshop tomorrow and make a new mold to try it out."

"Let's eat first, then we can talk in detail." Lin Chen patted the two on the shoulders. "Shazhu made braised pork, and if we don't go soon, Lao Yan will eat it all. By the way, tomorrow is training course registration. You two are in charge of registration and qualification verification. Be careful and don't make any mistakes."

When the three arrived at the courtyard, the stone table was already laden with food. Besides braised pork and green vegetables, there were also steamed cornbread and corn porridge made by Aunt Yi. Everyone sat around the table, chatting and laughing as they ate. Sunlight filtered through the branches of the old locust tree, casting a warm glow on everyone's faces.

"Oh, right, Xiao Lin," Yi Zhonghai suddenly remembered something, putting down the cornbread he was holding, "Yesterday at the police station, I ran into my old colleague, Master Zhang. He's retired now and has quite a few old-fashioned forging tools. He said he'd like to donate them to our training class. Shall we go take a look this afternoon?"

Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "That's great! Although old-fashioned tools are not very efficient, they can help apprentices better understand the principles of forging. I was just thinking of visiting Master Zhang to ask him about traditional forging techniques."

Sha Zhu put down his chopsticks: "I'm free this afternoon, so I'll go with you. Master Zhang taught me how to sharpen knives back in the day, so I'll go visit him."

After the meal, the three men brought gifts to Master Zhang's house. Master Zhang lived in a small courtyard on the outskirts of the city, which was filled with all kinds of forging tools, from large anvils to small chisels. Upon seeing Yi Zhonghai and his companions, Master Zhang was overjoyed and showed them around his tool shed.

"These tools represent my life's work," said Master Zhang, stroking an old anvil with a look of reluctance in his eyes. "My son works in another city and doesn't want to learn this craft, so these tools would be a waste if they stayed in my hands. When I heard that you were going to hold a training course, I thought I'd donate them to you so that these old tools can continue to be used."

Lin Chen picked up a chisel and used the system to examine it. He found that the chisel was made of high-carbon steel, and although it was somewhat worn, its sharpness was still excellent. He exclaimed, "Master Zhang, these tools of yours are treasures! Parts forged with these tools are just as precise as those forged with modern tools."

Master Zhang laughed: "Of course, I used these tools when I forged parts for military enterprises back in the day. But now young people prefer machines, and no one wants to learn this hard work anymore." He looked at Yi Zhonghai, "Old Yi, I heard you were wronged, but thankfully you're alright. It's a good thing you're running training classes; you must pass this craft down and not let our ancestors' skills die out."

Yi Zhonghai nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, we will definitely teach them well so that more young people can learn this craft. When the training course starts, I would like to invite you to give the first lesson to the apprentices, to talk about the history and principles of traditional forging."

Master Zhang readily agreed: "No problem! As long as I can pass on my skills, I'll do anything. I also have a few handwritten forging notes here, which I'll give you as well. They contain my life's experience."

When the three men carried the tools donated by Master Zhang back to the courtyard house, a large group of young people who had signed up had already gathered at the entrance. The Liu brothers were busy registering people, while Qin Huairu and Jia Dang explained the course structure to everyone. Seeing the old-fashioned tools Lin Chen and his friends had brought back, the young people curiously gathered around.

"What kind of tool is this? It looks so old," a young man in blue overalls asked, pointing to the anvil.

Yi Zhonghai explained with a smile, "This is called an anvil, a core tool in forging. Don't let its age fool you; it was used to forge military parts back in the day. Tomorrow, Master Zhang will come to give you a lecture and explain in detail how to use these tools."

The young people immediately became excited, crowding around the anvil to discuss it. Lin Chen, observing the scene, opened the system panel, which displayed: [The host has successfully implemented the craft inheritance project, gaining support from industry veterans. The "Craft Inheritance" buff has been upgraded, increasing apprentice learning efficiency by 80%. 15000 points have been gained, bringing the total points to 58100. New feature unlocked: Traditional Craft Improvement, which integrates traditional tools with modern technology to enhance forging efficiency.]

Sha Zhu walked up to Lin Chen, looked at the bustling courtyard gate, and sighed, "I never expected this courtyard to be so lively. We used to always argue over trivial things, but now we're running training classes together. It's really great."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded: "Because everyone understands that it's better to work together than to scheme against each other. Passing on a craft is not just about teaching techniques, but also about passing on the spirit of the craft. As long as everyone is of one mind and works together, we can accomplish even more in the future."

As the sun set, the young people who had signed up gradually dispersed, leaving behind a stack of registration forms. Yi Zhonghai and Yan Bugui sat around the stone table, checking the registration information, while the Liu brothers were organizing the tools they had just brought back. Qin Huairu and Jia Dang were preparing dinner in the kitchen, and Sha Zhu was helping everyone out.

Standing at the courtyard gate, Lin Chen looked at the enrollment notice hanging on the old locust tree, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment. He knew that the opening of the craft training class was just the beginning. In this era full of opportunities, as long as they upheld their craftsmanship and united their hearts, they would surely be able to carve out their own niche in the tide of reform and opening up. And those past grievances and entanglements had long since been transformed into the most precious memories of the courtyard house through warmth and inheritance.