Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 141 A flickering candle reflects regret; past grievances are resolved on the sickbed.

After Aunt Yi's funeral, winter truly took hold in Beijing. The cold wind, whipping up dust, rattled the windows of the courtyard house. In the front yard, Yan Bugui's few garlic sprouts planted under the windowsill, wrapped in tattered straw, barely clung to their greenness in the wind. Every morning when Lin Chen added coal briquettes to the community aid box at the gate, he would see Liu Haizhong, wearing a greasy old cotton-padded coat, hunched over his doorstep smoking, cigarette butts strewn everywhere. But he no longer hurled insults at Liu Guangtian and his brother as he used to.

Ever since Liu Guangtian joined the precision forging group and became a key member of the workshop thanks to the skills taught by Lin Chen, Liu Haizhong has been a completely different person. He used to always say at the dinner table, "Guangqi is the eldest; we'll have to rely on him for our old age," but now he often stares blankly at Liu Guangtian's gleaming toolbox, and occasionally even warms up leftovers for his second son when he comes home late. Liu Guangfu works diligently at the scrap yard, handing over most of his monthly salary home. Liu Haizhong no longer hoards all his money for Liu Guangqi, who has gone far away; instead, he buys his youngest son a pair of sturdy work boots, grumbling, "Don't wear worn-out shoes and embarrass me."

Lin Chen observed this change and felt a sense of relief. He still remembered how Liu Haizhong had made things difficult for him when he first arrived at the steel mill after his rebirth, demanding half a jin of grain coupons. Back then, the old blacksmith's eyes were full of irritability and calculation; now, time and life had worn away his rough edges, revealing a touch of melancholy in his old age. But no one expected that this peace would not last long, and would be completely shattered by a sudden stroke.

The accident happened on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the eve of the Lunar New Year. Qin Huairu's sewing shop had just closed, and she was frying sesame leaves in the courtyard with Jia Dang and Jia Huaihua, the golden aroma filling the entire courtyard. Liu Guangtian had just received his year-end bonus from the workshop, clutching a bulging envelope as he excitedly ran home. He had just pushed open the back gate when he heard a loud crash from inside, followed by Liu's terrified cries: "Guangtian! Quick! Your father has fainted!"

Liu Guangtian's heart tightened, and he rushed into the house. He saw Liu Haizhong lying by the stove, the iron pot in his hand smashed on the ground, scalding rice soup spilled all over the floor, and he was already lifeless, drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth, half of his face twisted to one side. Liu Guangtian was terrified, picked up his father and ran outside, just as he reached the courtyard where he bumped into Lin Chen, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion.

"Brother Lin! Quickly call me a tricycle! My dad's dying!" Liu Guangtian's voice was choked with sobs, veins bulging on his forehead. Without a word, Lin Chen turned and ran towards the repair shop at the alley entrance—where several tricycles for hire were always parked. Qin Huairu also panicked, quickly telling Jia Dang to call Liu Guangfu, who worked at the scrap yard, while she grabbed a clean towel and hurried after him to wipe Liu Haizhong's face.

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital's emergency room was pungent and unpleasant. After examining Liu Haizhong, the doctor told the Liu brothers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong, with a grave expression, "It's a cerebral hemorrhage. You were brought in in time, but the bleeding is significant. Whether you wake up or not depends on fate. Even if you do, you might be unable to move one side of your body." Liu Guangfu had just arrived at the hospital when he heard this, and his legs went weak, almost collapsing to the ground. Lin Chen had to help him up.

Aunt Liu cried her heart out beside him, "It's all my fault! It's all my fault for arguing with him this morning! He said he wanted to send Guangqi some of his year-end bonus, but I wouldn't allow it, saying that Guangtian and Guangfu also have a hard time, and he got angry, saying I was being unreasonable..." Listening to his mother's sobs, Liu Guangtian felt a sharp pain in his heart. He knew his father always thought about his eldest brother who had run away, but all these years, it was him and his younger brother who had stayed by their parents' side, yet their father had never given them a kind look. But now, looking at his lifeless father on the hospital bed, all those grievances suddenly vanished, leaving only a heart full of worry.

For the first few days of his hospitalization, Liu Haizhong remained unconscious. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu took turns watching over him, and Lin Chen visited him at the hospital every day, sometimes bringing chicken soup cooked by Su Qing, and sometimes helping with paperwork. When Sha Zhu heard about it, he also rushed over with two cans of malted milk powder. Looking at Liu Haizhong on the hospital bed, he scratched his head and said, "I used to always argue with Grandpa Liu, but seeing him like this now, it really doesn't feel good. Guangtian, if you have any difficulties, tell me, I'll help you."

On the morning of the seventh day, Liu Guangtian was wiping his father's hands when he suddenly felt his father's fingers twitch. A thought struck him, and he quickly went over and called out, "Dad! Dad, wake up!" Aunt Liu and Liu Guangfu, who had just arrived, also gathered around, their eyes full of expectation. After a long while, Liu Haizhong slowly opened his eyes a crack, his cloudy gaze sweeping over his children by the bedside. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

After the examination, the doctor said the condition had improved, but it still needed to recover slowly, and the subsequent rehabilitation treatment would cost a lot of money. Liu Guangtian gritted his teeth and said, "Money is not a problem. I've saved some over the years. If it's not enough, I'll borrow more." Liu Guangfu also quickly said, "I have money too. I've already talked to the scrap yard owner. I can do more work and get a few months' salary in advance." Liu Haizhong, who had just woken up, heard the brothers' words. Tears slowly welled up in his cloudy eyes, and he moved his head slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

After being discharged from the hospital and returning home, Liu Haizhong became completely paralyzed in bed. His right side was completely immobile, and his speech was slurred, only able to make "woo-woo" sounds. His mother, Liu Dama, was elderly and finding it difficult to care for him, so Liu Guangtian took a long leave from his workshop and stayed home to look after his father. Liu Guangfu went to work at the scrap yard early every morning and returned home in the evening to bathe and massage his father.

Lin Chen came to check on Liu Haizhong almost every day, sometimes helping him turn over, sometimes chatting with Liu Guangtian about rehabilitation precautions. He noticed that although Liu Haizhong couldn't speak, he understood everything. Once, when Lin Chen was explaining methods for strengthening hand muscles to Liu Guangtian, Liu Haizhong's gaze followed Liu Guangtian's hands, a complex expression on his face. Lin Chen knew that Liu Haizhong was definitely hiding something, especially his guilt towards his two sons.

That evening, as Lin Chen entered the backyard, he heard Liu Guangtian's voice, trembling with suppressed sobs: "Dad, don't get agitated, talk it out." He quickly went into the house and saw Liu Haizhong lying on the kang (a heated brick bed), his face flushed red, his left hand tightly gripping Liu Guangtian's hand, muttering something unintelligible, tears streaming down his face. Liu Guangfu stood to the side, his eyes also red.

"What's wrong?" Lin Chen asked softly. Liu Guangtian wiped away his tears and said, "When I was massaging Dad just now, I told him that Guangfu got a bonus today and bought you a new cotton-padded coat. Dad got so excited and kept pointing at the box over there on the wall, as if he had something to say to us." Lin Chen looked in the direction Liu Haizhong was pointing. It was an old wooden box that Liu Haizhong used to store tools when he was young. Later, it was placed in the corner and filled with some old clothes.

"Aunt Liu, could you please open the box and take a look?" Lin Chen turned to ask Aunt Liu, who was standing to the side. Aunt Liu nodded, quickly moved a stool, and used it to take the box down. The box was locked, and Aunt Liu searched for a while before finally finding the key under Liu Haizhong's pillow. Inside the box, besides a few old clothes, there was a package wrapped in red cloth.

Liu Guangtian picked up the package and gently opened it. Inside was a yellowed account book and a small packet wrapped in oil paper. The cover of the account book was titled "Expenses for Guangqi's Wedding," and it was filled with detailed records of every penny Liu Haizhong had spent on Liu Guangqi's wedding, from small things like buying a pound of brown sugar to large things like the bride price for the bride's family. Inside the oil paper packet was a crumpled stack of money and a photograph of Liu Guangqi in his youth.

Liu Haizhong stared at the account book, his tears flowing even more fiercely. His left hand trembled as he pointed at the account book, then at Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, whimpering as if apologizing. Liu Guangtian looked at the familiar numbers in the account book and suddenly remembered his childhood: he wanted a fountain pen, but his father said he had no money, yet he bought his older brother a new watch; he remembered how his cotton-padded coat was torn in winter, and his father told his mother to mend it and wear it again, but he bought his older brother a new military overcoat. Those past grievances that had once made him feel wronged now turned into heartache in the face of his father's tears.

"Dad, we know what you're thinking." Liu Guangtian held his father's left hand, choking back tears. "The past is the past, we don't blame you. You should take good care of yourself and get better. When you're better, we'll take you to the temple fair and buy you your favorite donkey rolls." Liu Guangfu also came over and held his father's other hand, saying, "Dad, my brother and I will take good care of you and Mom, don't worry."

Hearing his son's words, a glimmer of light flashed in Liu Haizhong's cloudy eyes. He nodded vigorously, tightly gripping his two sons' hands with his left, a slow smile spreading across his lips. Lin Chen stood to the side, watching this scene, a warmth rising in his heart. He recalled Liu Haizhong's former domineering manner in the courtyard, the times he had scolded and beaten his two younger sons for Liu Guangqi's sake. Looking at the remorseful old man before him, he suddenly understood that human nature is never black and white. Even the most irritable person harbors love for their children, only they express it in the wrong way.

Since then, Liu Haizhong's spirits have improved considerably. Although he still can't speak, his eyes light up with a smile whenever he sees Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. Every day, Liu Guangtian tells his father about things happening in the workshop, how the parts he processed received praise from the foreman, and Liu Haizhong nods vigorously, as if proud of his son. Liu Guangfu reads the newspaper to his father every night, and when he encounters interesting news, he imitates the tone of the text, making his father laugh heartily.

On New Year's Eve, everyone in the courtyard gathered in the backyard. Qin Huairu brought her own fried sesame leaves and braised pork, Sha Zhu brought a roast chicken from the military guesthouse, and Yan Bugui, unusually generous, brought a bottle of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor). Lin Chen and Su Qing brought Liu Haizhong a new hand warmer and a scarf for Aunt Liu. Everyone sat around the kang (a heated brick bed), enjoying a lively New Year's Eve dinner. Although Liu Haizhong couldn't eat much, he kept a smile on his face as he looked at everyone in the room.

After the meal, Liu Guangtian wiped his father's mouth and said softly, "Dad, next spring when it's warmer, I'll push you in your wheelchair to visit the Summer Palace. Haven't you always wanted to go?" Liu Haizhong nodded vigorously, his left hand tightly gripping Liu Guangtian's, his eyes full of anticipation. Watching this scene, Lin Chen suddenly felt that although this winter was cold, every corner of the courtyard house was filled with the warmth of everyday life.

However, Liu Haizhong's health ultimately failed to withstand the winter. One spring morning, Liu Guangtian fed his father porridge as usual, only to find him lifeless, a peaceful smile on his face, his left hand still tightly clutching the photograph of Liu Guangqi. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu knelt by the bedside, weeping uncontrollably, while Liu's aunt collapsed to the floor, repeatedly murmuring, "He passed away peacefully, peacefully..."

Everyone in the courtyard came to help with the funeral arrangements. Lin Chen chose a clean burial plot for Liu Haizhong, not far from Aunt Yi's grave. On the day of the funeral, the weather was beautiful, the sunlight shining warmly on the tombstone. Liu Guangtian buried his father's account book and the photograph together in the ground, whispering, "Dad, don't worry, we will take good care of Mom, and we will also find my eldest brother and tell him that you have always thought of him."

After the funeral, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu stood before the grave, unable to leave for a long time. Lin Chen walked over, patted the two brothers on the shoulder, and said, "Your father passed away peacefully. He knew you forgave him." Liu Guangtian nodded, wiped away his tears, and said, "Brother Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you, my father and I might never have been able to resolve this conflict." Lin Chen smiled and said, "We're family, no need for such formalities. Living a good life from now on is the best way to honor your father."

Back in the courtyard, the old chrysanthemums in the central courtyard had sprouted new buds, their tender green tips gleaming with vitality in the sunlight. Qin Huairu's sewing shop had reopened; Jia Dang was helping his mother greet customers, while Jia Huaihua chased butterflies in the yard. Sha Zhu, pushing his tricycle, was about to deliver vegetables to a customer when he saw Lin Chen and called out with a smile, "Brother Lin, come over for drinks tonight! I've stewed some ribs!"

Looking at the lively scene before him, Lin Chen felt remarkably calm. He knew that Liu Haizhong's departure had taken away the past conflicts and estrangement, but left behind the most precious kinship. This courtyard house, once filled with scheming and quarrels, had become increasingly warm through countless joys and sorrows. And those past grievances had gradually settled into the most sincere neighborly affection with the passage of time.

As the sun set, golden sunlight bathed the rooftops of the courtyard house, casting a warm glow on the gray bricks and tiles. Lin Chen, holding Su Qing's hand, stood in the courtyard, watching the children play and laughing, listening to the cheerful chatter of the neighbors. He suddenly understood that in this reborn life, what he wanted was not just revenge and survival, but also the warmth and genuine affection that had settled within the everyday life of the community. And all of this was slowly coming true in this small courtyard house.