Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 12 Jia Geng Follows, Sweet Potatoes Test the Waters

As the social gathering ended, dusk was approaching. The setting sun cast long shadows of the steel mill's chimneys, slanting across the gray bricks and tiles of the Hongxing Courtyard. Lin Chen, clutching the industrial vouchers given to him by Section Chief Zhang and carrying the braised pork knuckle He Yushui had asked for, walked briskly home. Just as he turned past the old locust tree on the east side of the factory area, he felt a sticky gaze on his back, like a spiderweb in late autumn, coiling around his spine.

He deliberately slowed his pace, his fingertips subtly gliding over the system panel in his pocket. A pale blue screen unfolded in his mind: "Target locked: Jia Geng, age 10, distance 3 meters, status: moderate alertness, carrying tool: homemade iron hook (concealed in sleeve)." Lin Chen's lips curled into a cold smile—this little brat has indeed inherited Jia Zhang's craftsmanship; even his tools for stealing are so complete.

In his past life, Jia Geng was like this, taking advantage of his young age and thin build, he would specifically target the cracks in his neighbors' windows and doors, stealing things and stuffing them into the hollow of the old locust tree where Jia Zhangshi hid her stolen goods. Once, Lin Chen had saved up half a bag of corn through a window crack with this iron hook, and when he discovered it, only an empty bag remained, which made Lin Chen so angry that he fell seriously ill. Now that he's caught him red-handed, this brat deserves a lesson.

Lin Chen turned around, not heading towards the main gate of the courtyard house, but instead turning into a narrow alley next to it. This alley was a shortcut for the factory workers to go to and from get off work, with piles of discarded bricks and timber on both sides. It was deserted in the evening, making it a good place to "settle accounts." He deliberately shook the oil paper package of the braised pork knuckle, and the aroma of oil mixed with the smell of meat wafted out. The footsteps behind him became noticeably more disordered, and their breathing became heavier.

A soft "glug" came from behind. Lin Chen glanced back and saw half a dirty face peeking out from behind the pile of bricks, bangs stuck to his forehead—it was Jia Geng. The boy, realizing he'd been discovered, hurriedly shrank back, but his movements weren't swift enough, and the iron hook in his sleeve clanged against a brick. Lin Chen pretended not to hear and continued walking, already having a plan in mind.

He pulled out the dried sweet potatoes he had prepared that morning from his canvas bag—they were processed from coarse grains he had redeemed with system points, originally intended as his night shift rations. Lin Chen deliberately broke off half a piece, making a "crunch" sound as he bit into it, the sweet aroma spreading through the alley. The footsteps behind him caught up again, this time closer, and he could hear Jia Geng's suppressed swallowing.

Reaching the fork in the alleyway, Lin Chen "accidentally" dropped a piece of dried sweet potato on the ground. He had deliberately tampered with it, mixing some fine sand into it—something he had intentionally left when removing the rust that morning; the grains were fine but enough to gnaw on his teeth. He took two steps forward and heard hurried footsteps behind him, followed by the rustling sound of someone picking it up.

"Cough cough—" Jia Geng had just stuffed the dried sweet potato into his mouth when he was choked by sand and started coughing. His face turned bright red, but he couldn't bear to spit it out and chewed it hard with a frown. When Lin Chen turned around, he saw Jia Geng quickly stuff the remaining half into his clothes, with half of the iron hook in his sleeve sticking out and gleaming coldly in the setting sun.

"Jia Geng, what are you doing following me?" Lin Chen crossed his arms, his tone calm. Jia Geng was startled and took two steps back, leaning against the brick pile. His eyes were defiant, and he said with a stiff neck, "I'm not following you! I'm just passing by!" His gaze kept drifting to the braised pork knuckle in Lin Chen's hand, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Lin Chen squatted down to face him, pointing to the sweet potato bits at the corner of his mouth: "You think you can find my dried sweet potatoes just by passing by? I walk through this alley every day and I've never seen any food on the ground." He paused, deliberately lowering his voice, "Did your grandma send you? I haven't settled the score with you for stealing my corn last time."

When corn was mentioned, Jia Geng's eyes flickered, but he still stubbornly insisted, "Who stole your corn! You dropped it yourself! My grandma said that whoever finds something in the yard owns it!" He had learned Jia Zhangshi's twisted logic perfectly. Lin Chen sneered inwardly, but remained calm on the surface. He took out a piece of dried sweet potato without any sand from his bag and handed it over.

"There's no sand in this piece, eat it." Lin Chen's tone softened. "I know your family has it tough, feeding three children, and your mother earns little as an apprentice in the factory. But stealing isn't a skill. Look at me, I repair tools for the factory with my skills, and the factory manager even gives me bonuses." He waved the industrial coupons in his hand. "This is what you earn through your own skills; it's much more reliable than stealing."

Jia Geng stared at the dried sweet potato, swallowed hard, but didn't take it. His grandmother had taught him not to accept things from strangers, especially not from someone like Lin Chen who was "not to be trifled with." But the sweet aroma of the dried sweet potato was too tempting. He hadn't eaten any decent dry food for three days; he'd only eaten half a cornbread at noon, and now his stomach was growling with hunger.

Lin Chen noticed his hesitation, placed the dried sweet potato on the brick beside him, and stood up: "Take what you want, but don't steal anything again. If your father were still alive, he wouldn't want to see you like this." When Jia Dongxu was mentioned, Jia Geng's eyes darkened. He didn't have much of an impression of his father, only remembering that his grandmother always said that his father was "cursed to death" by Qin Huairu, but she never mentioned how his father slacked off in the workshop back then.

Lin Chen turned to leave, but Jia Geng stopped him: "You're lying! My grandma said you're a bad person who stole our family's food coupons!" Lin Chen turned back and saw the child clenching his fists, his face full of stubbornness. He sighed inwardly; this child had been brainwashed too deeply by Jia Zhangshi, and it would probably take him a while to come to his senses.

"Whether I'm a bad person or not, you can see for yourself." Lin Chen pointed to the alley entrance. "Your mother works herself to death in the factory every day, and after get off work she still has to do laundry and cook for you, while your grandmother rests at home and lets you go out to steal. Do you think that's right?" Jia Geng was stunned. He had never thought about this question before. In his mind, his grandmother was always right. His mother should work, and he should "contribute to the family income."

Lin Chen said no more and turned to walk out of the alley. He knew these things couldn't be rushed; he had to guide them slowly. Just as he turned into the main gate of the courtyard house, he saw Jia Zhangshi leaning against the doorframe, a pipe in her hand, her eyes fixed on the alley entrance with a sinister glint. Seeing Lin Chen, her expression immediately changed, and she greeted him with a forced smile: "Little Lin, just back from the factory? Did you see our Gengzi? That child hasn't come home all afternoon; I was so worried."

Lin Chen understood immediately; the old woman was keeping watch here. He said calmly, "I saw her. She's picking up dried sweet potatoes in the alley. Aunt Jia, not to criticize you, but the child is growing; he needs more food. It's not good to let him pick up other people's things." Jia Zhangshi's smile froze for a moment, then she said with a forced smile, "This child is naughty, running around aimlessly. Thanks for reminding me, Lin."

Lin Chen ignored her and walked straight into the central courtyard. Just as he reached the door of his side room, he saw Sha Zhu squatting on the steps smoking, his face looking rather grim. Seeing Lin Chen, he stood up: "Brother Lin, Xu Damao just told me he's going to report you for selling tools illegally at the factory office. You'd better be careful." Lin Chen smiled and handed him the braised pork knuckle: "Your sister gave this to you, take it. I know what's going on with Xu Damao. I've signed the waste recycling register in the workshop; he can't sue me."

Sha Zhu took the braised pork knuckle and scratched his head. "That's good. By the way, I just saw Jia Geng come out of the alley, chewing on something, and his pockets were bulging. Did he steal something from you?" Lin Chen shook his head. "Nothing, I just gave him a piece of dried sweet potato. Sha Zhu, let me ask you, are you really planning to keep supporting the Jia family like this?"

Sha Zhu's face darkened. He squatted on the steps and took a deep drag on his cigarette. "I didn't want to either, but it's not easy for Sister Qin to raise three children, and Dongxu helped me before." Lin Chen sat down next to him and took out a photo of Jia Geng's sleeve hook scanned by the system—he had secretly taken it in the alley earlier. "Look, Jia Geng has even learned to steal with a hook. It was all taught to him by Jia Zhangshi. The way you're helping them isn't helping them, it's harming them."

Sha Zhu stared at the photo in silence. He remembered the last time he went home, he discovered his work boots were missing. Later, he saw Jia Geng wearing them in the Jia family's yard. Qin Huairu said she had "found" them, and he hadn't thought much of it at the time. Now, he realized they were stolen. Lin Chen patted him on the shoulder: "Don't send them food coupons anymore. If you really want to help, teach Qin Huairu a skill so she can earn money on her own."

Sha Zhu nodded and stood up. "I understand. By the way, I'll save you two steamed buns at the canteen tomorrow. I haven't thanked you yet for exposing Qin Huairu's tricks last time." Lin Chen smiled and declined. "No need, I have my own food coupons. But you, save some for your sister. It's not easy for her, a girl working in the textile factory." Sha Zhu's eyes brightened. "I know. Last time Yu Shui had a fever, I didn't buy her fever reducer, and I've felt really bad about it."

As the two were talking, they heard Jia Zhangshi's loud voice ring out in the yard: "Gengzi! Where did you get those dried sweet potatoes? Did you steal them?!" Then came Jia Geng's crying: "Uncle Lin gave them to me! He gave them to me willingly!" Lin Chen and Sha Zhu exchanged a glance and laughed. Sha Zhu stood up: "I'll go check on him, don't let Jia Zhangshi bully the child."

Lin Chen returned to the house, closed the door, and opened the system panel. The recording from the alleyway played automatically, first the sound of Jia Geng's footsteps, then his coughing as he chewed sweet potato chips, and finally his conversation with Lin Chen. System notification: "Successfully collected evidence of Jia Geng's attempted theft, points +50. Side quest triggered: Correct Jia Geng's thieving habits, quest reward: 300 points, unlock 'Youth Guidance' skill."

Lin Chen rubbed his temples; this task was rather interesting. He walked to the window and looked out at the Jia family's courtyard by the moonlight. Jia Zhangshi was hitting Jia Geng with a feather duster, cursing, "You good-for-nothing! I told you to steal his braised pork hock, and what did you do? You came back with just a piece of dried sweet potato!" Jia Geng was crying his heart out. Qin Huairu ran out of the house, wanting to stop him but not daring to, and could only plead from the side, "Mom, don't hit him anymore, Gengzi is still young."

"Does being young mean you're useless?" Jia Zhangshi shook off Qin Huairu's hand, pointed at her nose and scolded, "If you weren't so incompetent, unable to even pass the fitter's exam, would our family be so poor? Sha Zhu didn't bring food today, it must be Lin Chen's fault! Tomorrow I'll go to the factory and make a scene, he'll suffer!" Qin Huairu's eyes reddened, but she didn't dare to argue back. She could only squat down, hug Jia Geng in her arms, and secretly wipe away her tears.

Lin Chen could clearly see that Qin Huairu's hand was still red, obviously because the rouge she had applied while feigning helplessness at the social gathering that afternoon hadn't been completely washed off. He remembered the alkaline powder He Yushui had given him and an idea formed in his mind. Just then, a notification popped up on the system panel: "New items detected in the tree hole where Jia Zhangshi hid stolen goods, suspected to be stolen eggs." Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. This old lady was still up to her old tricks; she had just had her grandson fail to steal anything, and now she was doing it herself.

He picked up the dried sweet potatoes from the table and went into the yard. Jia Zhangshi was still cursing, but when she saw Lin Chen, she immediately shut up, her eyes wary. Lin Chen walked up to Jia Geng and squatted down: "Gengzi, did you like those dried sweet potatoes? I have some more. If you want some, come with me to the workshop tomorrow and help me hand you some tools, and I'll give you some."

Jia Geng raised his tear-streaked face and looked at Jia Zhangshi. Just as Jia Zhangshi was about to speak to stop him, Lin Chen said, "Aunt Jia, I'm giving Gengzi a chance to learn a skill. It's better than him staying home every day learning to steal. If he steals equipment parts from the factory one day and gets caught, that would be troublesome." These words struck a nerve with Jia Zhangshi; she was most afraid of something happening to Jia Geng, leaving her with no one to care for her in her old age. She could only awkwardly shut her mouth.

Jia Geng hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Lin Chen handed her the dried sweet potato and said to Qin Huairu, "Sister Qin, if you're free tomorrow, come to the workshop. I can teach you some simple parts polishing techniques; it might help you with your certification exam." Qin Huairu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Lin! I'll definitely go tomorrow."

Lin Chen returned to the house and had just put down his tool bag when he heard a knock at the door. Opening it, he saw He Yushui. She was wearing a light gray work dress and carrying a small cloth bag. "Comrade Lin," she said, "my brother told me you're going to teach Qin Huairu her skills? Don't let your good intentions backfire; she's very shrewd." Lin Chen smiled, took the bag, which contained scraps from a textile factory. "I know," he said, "I just want to try and see if I can pull her back from the wrong path. Besides, it's better for someone else to learn a skill than for her to rely on begging every day."

He Yushui nodded: "That's true. By the way, I heard from my brother that Xu Damao is going to sue you. I've already spoken to my husband, Li Jianguo, who's the local police officer. If Xu Damao really causes trouble, he can put in a good word for you." Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart, not expecting He Yushui to be so loyal: "Thank you, Comrade He. But I can handle Xu Damao. Oh, and about the accounting in the technical department I mentioned to you last time, I talked to Section Chief Zhang about it. He said you could give it a try. You have an interview next Monday."

He Yushui's eyes lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Lin Chen's arm: "Really? Thank you so much, Comrade Lin! I've wanted to quit working in the textile factory for a long time; it's tiring and has no future." Lin Chen smiled and said, "You're welcome. It's because you're educated and deserve this position." He Yushui thanked him repeatedly and then ran home.

Lin Chen closed the door and opened the system panel. His points had accumulated to 200, and the system prompted him to redeem the "Basic Forging Manual." After redeeming it, the manual immediately appeared on the table, its cover titled "Introduction to Precision Forging Techniques." Lin Chen flipped through it; the contents were very detailed, with numerous illustrations, perfect for teaching Jia Geng and Qin Huairu.

Night deepened, and the courtyard gradually quieted down. Lin Chen lay in bed, but sleep eluded him. He knew that teaching Qin Huairu and Jia Geng their techniques tomorrow would definitely attract the attention of Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, especially Yi Zhonghai, who had always used Qin Huairu as a tool to control Sha Zhu and would absolutely not allow her to escape his control. A new contest was quietly brewing.

Suddenly, a slight noise came from outside the courtyard wall. Lin Chen got up and went to the window. By the moonlight, he saw Jia Zhangshi furtively taking a few eggs from a hole in the old locust tree root, stuffing them into her bosom, and then sneaking back home. Lin Chen took out his system and recorded the scene. He knew this was another piece of evidence he could use, and when the time was right, he could teach Jia Zhangshi a lesson.

Lying in bed, Lin Chen recalled his conversation with Jia Geng in the alley during the day, and a more detailed plan formed in his mind. He not only needed to correct Jia Geng's thieving habits, but also ensure that Qin Huairu could truly establish herself through her skills, completely thwarting Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi's schemes. Only in this way could he gain a foothold in this courtyard and pave the way for his future.

Moonlight streamed through the window cracks, falling on the basic forging manual on the table. Lin Chen clenched his fist, silently vowing: in this life, he would not only survive, but thrive; he would carve out his own path in this era through his skills. As for those who plotted against him, he would make them pay the price, one by one.