Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 118 A thief secretly steals the money from the bones; wise words awaken a lost heart.

The brass signboard of Chenqing Tool Shop had only been up for three days when the chilly autumn fog, accompanied by a light rain, enveloped the capital. Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian were in the shop adjusting a newly modified manual cutting machine. The sparks from the turning grinding wheel were extinguished by the rain outside the window, leaving only wisps of smoke. Su Qing was hunched over the counter checking accounts, her nose red from the cold, glancing occasionally at the clock on the wall—in half an hour, it would be time to deliver the improved wrenches to the textile factory.

"Brother Lin, this cutting machine has enough power, but the grinding wheel wears out a bit too quickly." Liu Guangtian turned off the machine, picked up the worn grinding wheel, and examined it. "If we could find a more wear-resistant material, we could process ten more parts a day." Lin Chen took the grinding wheel, scanned it with the system, and the panel immediately displayed the data: [Ordinary corundum material, hardness 6.5, it is recommended to fuse with silicon carbide to increase it to 8.2]. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a series of urgent knocks on the courtyard gate, mixed with the shrill cries of a deaf old woman.

The group exchanged glances and hurried towards the central courtyard. There stood the deaf old woman, leaning on her cane, at her doorstep. The brass lock on the doorframe was warped from being pried open, and the wooden door was ajar. Seeing Lin Chen approach, she rushed forward, grabbing his arm, her cloudy eyes filled with tears: "Little Lin, my money! The money I hid under the mat on the kang (heated brick bed) is gone! That was my savings for my funeral, accumulated over ten years!"

Lin Chen helped the old lady up and gestured for Liu Guangtian to call He Yushui—her husband, Li Jianguo, was the local police officer and the most reliable person to handle this kind of thing. Su Qing then took gloves and a flashlight from the tool shop and carefully pushed open the door: "Grandma, don't worry, let's check the scene first, so we don't disturb the evidence." The room was a mess; the kang mat was overturned, the wooden box was overturned on the ground, several old clothes were scattered everywhere, and the incense burner in the corner was broken. Incense ash mixed with rainwater seeped in through the window cracks and accumulated in a small puddle on the floor.

"I went out this morning to pay respects at my dead husband's grave, and I checked the lock before I left," the old woman said, trembling. "When I came back, I found the lock had been pried open, and the bag of silver dollars and twenty yuan in cash under the mat on the kang were all gone!" Lin Chen squatted down to examine the lock. There were obvious pry marks on the lock cylinder, and a bit of dark red paint was still hanging on the edge. He shone his flashlight on the ground and found half a blurry shoe print on the edge of the kang, about size forty.

"These shoe prints are from rubber-soled shoes, and the pattern is very unique, like the safety shoes issued by the factory," Liu Guangtian said, leaning over. "A few days ago, Xu Damao swapped safety shoes with me, and his pair had this pattern. But because there was a hole in the sole, I didn't swap with him." Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat. Ever since Xu Damao was demoted for forging letters, he had been holding a grudge against everyone in the compound, especially the deaf old lady who had always used her status as a "martyr's family member" to pressure him. The two had long been enemies.

At this moment, He Yushui and Li Jianguo rushed over. Li Jianguo took out his notebook and, while taking notes, asked, "Grandma, think again, has anyone mentioned money to you recently? Or has anyone visited your house?" The old lady thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped her thigh and said, "The day before yesterday, Xu Damao came to borrow a light, and while I wasn't looking, he glanced at the kang (heated brick bed) several times! I felt something was off about him then, but I never thought he would actually dare to steal my money!"

Li Jianguo frowned. "Suspicion alone isn't enough; we need evidence." He crouched down to carefully examine the scene and quickly found the half-shoe print. "This shoe print is crucial. If we can find the corresponding shoes, we can convict them. Lin Chen, who in your compound wears size 40 work shoes?" Lin Chen was about to speak when he heard Xu Damao's voice from the backyard. He was arguing with someone, his tone arrogant: "Why should I show you my shoes? You suspect me of stealing? I think you're framing me!"

When everyone arrived at the backyard, Xu Damao was standing at the door with his arms crossed, facing Yan Bugui. Yan Bugui held an account book in his hand, his face flushed with anger: "I was just asking if you had left the house this morning, why are you so angry? There was a theft in the yard, everyone has an obligation to cooperate with the investigation!" Xu Damao glanced at Li Jianguo, his eyes flickered, and his tone softened slightly: "Officer Li, I was adjusting the equipment at the movie theater this morning. If you don't believe me, ask Old Wang from the projection team."

Li Jianguo took out the handcuffs and waved them: "Whether it's a frame-up or not, we'll find out when we come back to the police station. Or you can bring out your shoes now and let us see them. If we can clear you of suspicion, it'll save everyone trouble." Xu Damao hesitated for a moment, then turned and went into the house to get a pair of work shoes. Sure enough, there was a hole in the sole, and the tread pattern matched the shoe print at the scene perfectly. More importantly, there was a bit of incense ash on the toe of the shoe, exactly the same as the incense ash from the broken incense burner in the old lady's house.

"This...this is from when I was fixing the old lady's chimney yesterday!" Xu Damao hurriedly explained. "Her chimney was clogged, and I was just trying to help her unclog it. I accidentally got this on my shoe." Lin Chen stepped forward and pointed to the dark red paint on his heel: "What about this paint? The paint on the old lady's door frame was freshly painted last year, and the color is exactly the same as the paint on your shoe. You can't exactly say that it was from fixing the chimney too, can you?"

Xu Damao's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he collapsed to the ground. Li Jianguo stepped forward to handcuff him and was about to take him away when Xu Damao's wife, Lou Xiao'e, ran out of the house with a cloth bag in her hand: "Officer, the money is here! He hid it under the bed this morning, and I found it while tidying up!" The cloth bag was opened, and sure enough, there were several silver dollars and a stack of brand-new cash inside, which were the old lady's lost belongings.

"Xu Damao, you heartless bastard!" Lou Xiao'e cried, hitting him. "How many times have I told you not to steal? You just wouldn't listen! Now look what's happened, you're going to jail. What will we do then?" Xu Damao hung his head, his voice hoarse: "I didn't do it on purpose. I was just resentful after my pay cut, and I felt that the old lady's money wasn't cleanly earned, so I wanted to steal it to make up for my loss..."

Watching Xu Damao being led away, Lou Xiao'e squatted on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Qin Huairu walked over and patted her back: "Xiao'e, don't cry. Let's think of something. Xu Damao acted impulsively this time. If we can get the old lady's forgiveness, maybe we can get a lighter sentence." Lou Xiao'e looked up, her eyes red and swollen: "But the old lady hates him to the bone, how could she forgive him?"

Lin Chen pondered for a moment, "I'll go talk to the old lady. Although she's stubborn, she's reasonable. Xu Damao didn't cause too much damage this time. If he can take the initiative to compensate and apologize, there might be a chance." Su Qing took out five yuan from her pocket, "Take this money, buy some fruit to visit the old lady, and be sincere." Lou Xiao'e took the money and said gratefully, "Thank you. If Xu Damao can get out, we will definitely repay you properly."

When Lin Chen brought Lou Xiao'e to the deaf old lady's house, the old lady was sitting on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) wiping away tears. Seeing Lou Xiao'e, she immediately hardened her face: "What are you doing here? Did you send your husband to steal my savings for my funeral?" Lou Xiao'e knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times: "Grandma, I apologize to you on Xu Damao's behalf! He made a mistake in a moment of confusion. I've already recovered all the money. This is ten yuan I saved, as compensation. We will definitely serve you well from now on, bringing you tea and water, and we will never dare to do it again."

The old woman looked at the money on the ground, then at Lou Xiao'e's swollen eyes, and sighed, "It's not that I'm heartbroken about the money, it's that I'm heartbroken. I'm just an old woman living alone, relying on this little bit of money to support myself. How could he have the heart to do this?" Lin Chen spoke up at the right moment, "Grandma, Xu Damao was indeed wrong this time, but he has learned his lesson. Lou Xiao'e is a woman raising a child alone, it's not easy for her. If Xu Damao really goes to jail, they won't be able to live." It's better to give him a chance to atone for his sins in the future.

He Yushui also chimed in, "Grandma, Li Jianguo said that if you can write a letter of forgiveness, Xu Damao will only be detained for fifteen days at most, and the fine will be reduced. If he really goes to jail, he might hold a grudge against you, and it will be even more troublesome when he gets out. It's better to be lenient and let him work for you to pay off his debts." The old lady was silent for a long time, then picked up the paper and pen by the kang (a heated brick bed): "I can write a letter of forgiveness, but on one condition: after Xu Damao gets out, he has to fix the chimney in my house and carry water for me for six months, and he can't ask for wages."

Lou Xiao'e quickly agreed, "No problem! Not just six months, but a year or two is fine too! We will definitely take good care of you!" After writing the letter of forgiveness, the old lady handed it to Lin Chen: "Please give this to Li Jianguo for me, and tell him that I forgive him. But if he dares to act recklessly again, I will never forgive him!" Lin Chen took the letter of forgiveness and breathed a sigh of relief—he wasn't sympathizing with Xu Damao, but he didn't want to see Lou Xiao'e and her child in dire straits. After all, in this era, it was too difficult for a woman to raise a child alone.

After dealing with Xu Damao's matter, Lin Chen returned to the tool shop and saw Yan Bugui holding an abacus, calculating accounts with a furrowed brow. "Teacher Yan, what's wrong?" Lin Chen went over and asked. Yan Bugui sighed, "The two hundred yuan we pooled together last time, after buying steel and used machine tools, only left us with a little over thirty yuan. Lou Xiao'e came to borrow money to pay Xu Damao's fine just now, and I couldn't bear to refuse, so I lent her twenty yuan. Now we only have a little over ten yuan left, and if we buy more raw materials, it won't be enough."

Su Qing frowned as well: "The textile factory won't settle the payment until the beginning of next month, and we're really short on cash right now. How about I borrow some money from my cousin? She's an accountant at the supply and marketing cooperative, so she should have some spare cash." Lin Chen shook his head: "No need, I have a solution. They still owe me fifty yuan for the machine tool I repaired for the military region last time. I'll go pick it up today; that should be enough to tide us over."

Just as he was about to leave, Liu Haizhong walked in carrying a bulging cloth bag. "Xiao Lin, I've brought you some money!" Liu Haizhong placed the bag on the counter; it was full of loose change and a few grain coupons. "This is the thirty-five yuan I saved from selling scrap yesterday, plus ten jin of grain coupons. You can take it and use it first. Brother Guangtian said the tool shop belongs to all of us; we can't let you shoulder the burden alone."

Qin Huairu followed her in, carrying a handkerchief pouch. "I have fifteen yuan here," she said, "my bonus for this month. It's not much, but it's a token of my appreciation. Xiao Dang said she won't buy snacks anymore and will invest the money she saves in the tool shop." As she spoke, Jia Dang ran out from behind, clutching a few cents. "Brother Lin," he said, "this is fifty cents I saved from selling scrap metal. Here, take this too!"

Looking at the people before him, Lin Chen's eyes welled up with tears. He recalled the time when he was first reborn; this courtyard was filled with scheming and strife, everyone resorting to any means for their own benefit. But now, everyone was working together, contributing money and effort to the tool shop's development. This camaraderie was more precious than anything else. "Thank you all," Lin Chen's voice choked with emotion. "With you all here, our tool shop will definitely get better and better. I'll accept this money first, and pay you all back once the payments are settled. Consider it a loan, not an investment."

Yan Bugui waved his hand: "No! We agreed before, once you're in, you're in. There's no going back. I've already drafted the shareholding agreement, and everyone's investment and profit-sharing ratio are clearly written down. If you all have no objections, please sign it." He took out the agreement, which stated: Lin Chen and Su Qing each hold 30% of the shares, Liu Haizhong and his son hold 15%, Qin Huairu and her daughter hold 10%, Yan Bugui holds 10%, and Sha Zhu holds 5%. A clause was added at the end of the agreement: If anyone encounters difficulties, everyone should help each other, and the tool shop will give priority to hiring those in need in the compound.

"I have no objection!" Sha Zhu suddenly walked in from outside, carrying a lunchbox. "I just came back from the cafeteria. I heard you guys were discussing investing, so I'll invest five yuan too! It's not much, but it's my contribution. From now on, I'll take care of all the delivery work for the tool shop, I promise I'll be there whenever you call!" He opened the lunchbox, revealing steaming hot braised pork. "This is something I made especially for everyone, to celebrate our tool shop officially becoming a joint-stock company!"

Everyone sat together, eating braised pork and discussing the tool shop's development plan. Yan Bugui suggested, "We could collaborate with schools to make small tools for students' craft classes. The profit margin might not be high, but the volume is large and stable. I know a few school principals; I'll talk to them tomorrow." Liu Guangtian said, "I want to improve the cutting machine blades, using the silicon carbide material that Brother Lin mentioned. This would double the efficiency and save costs."

Su Qing took out a drawing: "This is my tool packaging design. We can make a cloth cover for each tool, embroider the words 'Chenqing Tools' on it, and print our address and phone number on it. This way, it will protect them from dust and also serve as advertising. Sister-in-law Qin and Xiao Dang are good at needlework, so let them handle this." Qin Huairu nodded: "No problem! I'll go buy the fabric tomorrow and make sure we have a sample within three days."

Seeing everyone's enthusiastic participation, Lin Chen suddenly remembered the notification on the system panel. He quietly activated the system, and the panel displayed: [The host has successfully resolved a neighborhood crisis, boosting team cohesion. The "Team Collaboration" buff has been upgraded to 30%. The task "Facilitating a Letter of Understanding to Help Families in Need" has been completed, earning 1000 points. Current total points: 13100. New feature "Equipment Upgrade Blueprint" unlocked, which can optimize existing equipment performance by 50%.]

"Oh, right, I have some good news to share." Lin Chen put down his chopsticks and took out a blueprint. "This is a thread breakage warning device I designed, specifically for textile factories. With this, the female workers can know in advance that the spools are almost empty, so they don't have to check so frequently, which will greatly improve efficiency. If we can make it, textile factories will definitely buy it in bulk, which is much more profitable than selling wrenches."

Liu Guangtian took the blueprints and examined them carefully for a long time: "This design is ingenious! It uses a lever principle to drive the bell; the bell rings when the spool loosens. It's simple and practical. We can make it with the materials we have, and I can make a sample tomorrow!" Su Qing calculated the cost: "The cost of making one is about fifty cents, and we can sell it to a textile factory for one dollar and fifty cents, doubling our profit. If every workshop in the textile factory uses it, we can sell at least five hundred and earn five hundred dollars!"

Everyone got more and more excited as they talked, and they didn't disperse until late at night. Lin Chen and Su Qing stayed at the tool shop to sort out the accounts. Su Qing suddenly said, "Lin Chen, I've found that this courtyard house is becoming more and more like a home. I used to think that this place was full of scheming, but now I realize that as long as everyone is of one mind and works together, even the hardest days can be overcome."

Lin Chen held her hand; it was cold, yet warm. "Yes," Lin Chen said softly, "when I was first reborn, my biggest wish was to survive. I never imagined I would be where I am today. Everyone gave me warmth and trust. I will definitely make the tool shop better and better, so that everyone can live a good life." The rain outside the window had stopped, and moonlight streamed in, shining on their tightly clasped hands and on the brand-new shareholding agreement on the wall. Each signature on the agreement was like a beating heart, full of vitality and hope.

The next morning, Lin Chen took a sample of the thread breakage warning device to the textile factory. Director Wang's eyes lit up when he saw the sample, and he immediately tried it out: "Excellent! Our female workers in the workshop lose a lot of time every day because of thread breakage. With this warning device, efficiency can be improved by at least 20%! I want to order five hundred. If it works well, I'll restock every month!"

After signing the order, Lin Chen had just returned to the tool shop when he saw Xu Damao being brought back by Li Jianguo. Xu looked ashamed and carried a bucket of water. "Brother Lin, Sister Su Qing, I was wrong. I promise I'll work hard from now on, fetch water for the old lady, deliver goods to the tool shop, and never do anything foolish again." Lou Xiao'e followed behind, carrying a basket of eggs. "These are eggs from our own chickens, to help everyone recover. Thank you for pleading for us."

Lin Chen patted Xu Damao on the shoulder: "It's good that you know you were wrong. The tool shop happens to need a deliveryman. If you're willing to come, I'll give you twenty yuan a month, plus two meals. But if you dare to steal again, no one will be able to help you." Xu Damao nodded quickly: "I'm willing! I'll definitely work hard and never do it again!"

The tool shop bustled with activity again. Xu Damao was busy delivering goods to the textile factory, Liu Guangtian and Lin Chen were modifying machine tools, Yan Bugui was discussing cooperation with the school, Qin Huairu and Jia Dang were mending tool covers, Su Qing was checking accounts, and Sha Zhu was greeting customers at the door. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, illuminating everyone's busy figures and reflecting a dazzling light off the bronze signboard of "Chenqing Tool Shop".