Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 143 The warm kang melts the ice marks, the old tent turns to dust.

For the first two weeks after Yan Bugui returned home, a faint smell of Chinese medicine always lingered in the courtyard. On the windowsill of the west wing of the front yard, different herbs were dried every day, including angelica for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and achyranthes for strengthening muscles and bones. These were all high-quality herbs that Lin Chen had asked a friend in the pharmaceutical company to get. Su Qing had even specially written down the time for decocting the herbs and the contraindications, carefully copied them onto red paper with a brush, and pasted them on the door frame of the Yan family's main room.

Yan Jiedi kept her promise and moved back to her parents' home for half a month. Every day, she would get up before dawn, first putting the clay pot on to boil the medicine, then fetching water from the public pool to wash her father's face and hands, and finally serving him warm millet porridge. Yan Bugui was initially very uncomfortable, lying in bed not daring to move, afraid of troubling his daughter. Later, seeing Yan Jiedi's gentle movements when feeding him medicine and her focused eyes when changing his dressings, he gradually relaxed. Occasionally, he would tell his daughter a few funny stories from her school days, such as how she once got first place in the class and secretly bought a piece of fruit candy, but because she couldn't bear to part with it, she put it in her pocket and melted most of it.

That morning, Yan Jiedi was trimming her father's nails when Yan Bugui suddenly sighed, staring at the chilblains on her hands. "That winter was particularly cold. You insisted on buying new cotton shoes, but I thought they were too expensive and wouldn't buy them for you. You squatted at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative and cried all afternoon." Yan Jiedi paused, then smiled and said, "Dad, I've long forgotten. Besides, didn't you still buy them for me later? You hid them under my pillow and secretly slipped them to me while I was asleep." Yan Bugui was stunned, his cloudy eyes welling up with tears. "You still remember? I thought you held a grudge against me for a long time."

"I resented it for a while," Yan Jiedi said frankly. "On the day I got married, you asked for fifty yuan for child support, and I was resentful. But later, when I gave birth, you braved the heavy snow and took a two-hour bus ride to see me, secretly slipping me twenty yuan to buy an old hen to nourish my body, and then I stopped resenting you." She wrapped her trimmed nails in a tissue. "Actually, I know that you were just too afraid of being alone when you got old, which is why you kept such a tight budget."

Yan Bugui remained silent for a long time before slowly pulling out the new notebook from under his pillow. He turned to a blank page and said, "Please write this down for me: I owe Jie Di a pair of cotton shoes, an old hen, and... all the care she's given me these past few days." Yan Jie Di chuckled, "Dad, I already said I won't keep accounts. If you really feel bad about it, when you get better, teach my son arithmetic, he'll be starting elementary school next year." Yan Bugui's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, "Okay! Okay! I'll teach him abacus, I guarantee he'll do even better than the school teachers!"

The neighbors in the courtyard often came to visit. Qin Huairu would bring a bowl of stewed soup almost every day, sometimes pork rib soup, sometimes chicken soup, and she always remembered to bring some freshly mended fabric to show Aunt Yan how to make a comfortable mattress for Yan Bugui. "Teacher Yan, you have to turn over a lot because of your injury, so the mattress needs to be made of soft, fine cotton fabric. I cut two pieces for you, and I'll have Aunt Yan sew cotton stuffing into them so it won't feel uncomfortable," Qin Huairu said, placing the fabric by the kang (heated brick bed). "Jia Dang is off today, shall we have her come over and read the newspaper to you to keep you entertained?"

Sha Zhu was even more enthusiastic. Every day after get off work at the military guesthouse, he would stop by Yan's house first, either bringing some freshly steamed buns from the canteen or carrying firewood he had brought from the countryside. Once, he heard that Yan Bugui wanted to eat braised pork hock, so he specially learned how to make it from the guesthouse's chef, bought the largest pork hock, and stewed it in his own kitchen for an entire afternoon until it was tender and falling off the bone. He then wrapped it in lotus leaves and brought it over. "Uncle Yan, please try my cooking. It's no worse than the old brands in the city!" Sha Zhu said, picking up a piece with his chopsticks and feeding it to Yan Bugui.

Yan Bugui chewed on his pork knuckle, suddenly remembering something from decades ago: "Shazhu, when you were little, you stole my family's pickled radishes. I chased after you and yelled at you, and you even turned around and threw stones at me." Shazhu scratched his head and chuckled, "I was ignorant back then! Besides, you didn't really hold it against me later, and you even secretly gave me half a cornbread." Aunt Yan added from the side, "That's right, that year there was a famine, and your father saved his own food rations and shared some with the kids in the yard, but he was too stubborn to admit it."

Lin Chen would come every two days to check Yan Bugui's wounds and use the system to assess the recovery progress. That day, he had just finished changing the old man's dressing when Yan Jiecheng arrived with his son, Yan Xiaowei. Yan Xiaowei, a kindergarten freshman, timidly hid behind his father, clutching a drawing in his hand. "Dad, I brought Xiaowei to see you," Yan Jiecheng said, placing a net bag containing apples and bananas on the table. "I've been busy at work and haven't been able to come often, please don't mind."

Yan Bugui's eyes lit up when he saw his grandson, and he quickly beckoned, "Xiaowei, come here and let Grandpa see." Yan Xiaowei hesitated before walking over and handing over a drawing. "Grandpa, I drew you." The drawing, crookedly drawn, depicted an old man wearing glasses, sitting in a chair, with a small figure next to him holding a bowl. Next to it was written, "Grandpa is drinking soup." Yan Bugui took the drawing, his hands trembling. He looked at it several times before carefully tucking it into his notebook. "Good! Well drawn! Grandpa will teach you arithmetic from now on, okay?"

Yan Jiecheng stood to the side, watching his father and son interact. His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but didn't. Lin Chen saw what he was thinking and pulled him to the courtyard gate: "Jiecheng, actually your dad has always been very proud of you. Last time I was sorting through his old things, I found your award certificate from when you were recognized as an advanced worker, wrapped tightly in plastic and hidden at the bottom of a box." Yan Jiecheng was stunned, his eyes instantly reddening: "I thought he only doted on Xiaowei... When I got married, he spent all his savings to buy me a house, and I still complained that it was too small."

"That's how old people are; they don't say it, but they remember it all." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "What your dad longs for most now is for the whole family to sit down and have a meal together. If you have time, bring Xiaowei back to visit more often; it's better than buying anything." Yan Jiecheng nodded, and as he turned to walk into the house, his steps were much lighter than before. He went to the kang (heated brick bed), picked up the thermos, and poured his father a cup of water: "Dad, when you're better, I'll take you to the Summer Palace. I heard they've built a new long corridor there." Yan Bugui's hand trembled, and he almost spilled the water. He quickly nodded: "Okay...okay..."

As the days passed, Yan Bugui's wound healed quickly, and by early April, he was able to walk slowly with crutches. Every morning, he would take a stroll in the yard, checking on the vegetables Qin Huairu had planted, chatting with Sha Zhu about the interesting things that happened at the guesthouse, and reminding Lin Chen and Su Qing to be careful on their way to work. What made him happiest was that every afternoon, Yan's children would take turns coming over. Sometimes Yan Jiecheng would play chess with him, sometimes Yan Jiefang would tell him about his experiences in the transport team, Yan Jiekuang would help him chop wood and carry water, and Yan Jiedi would come every day to mend his clothes and teach him to read (although Yan Bugui was a teacher, he still didn't quite recognize some simplified characters).

That afternoon, Yan Bugui suddenly suggested treating everyone in the courtyard to dinner. "My injury healed so quickly thanks to everyone's help." He stood by the stone table in the middle courtyard, leaning on his crutch. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear. "I asked Jie Di to buy meat and vegetables. We'll set up two tables in the middle courtyard tonight so everyone can have a good time."

The neighbors were all surprised. Qin Huairu was the first to respond: "Great! I'll help wash the vegetables and cook!" Sha Zhu also raised his hand: "I'll go to the guesthouse to borrow two big plates and a few bottles of good wine!" Lin Chen said with a smile: "Then Su Qing and I will go buy some fruit and snacks. The kids will definitely like them." Yan Bugui looked at everyone's busy figures and felt warm inside. He couldn't help but feel ashamed when he thought about how he used to always hide from his neighbors for fear that others would borrow his things.

As evening fell, two large tables were set up in the courtyard, laden with dishes: braised pork hock and braised fish made by Sha Zhu; stir-fried shredded pork with green peppers and scrambled eggs with tomatoes by Qin Huairu; chicken soup stewed by Yan Jiedi; and braised duck and cold black fungus salad bought by Lin Chen. Children ran around the tables, chattering and laughing, filling the courtyard with joyful sounds.

When the meal was served, Yan Bugui was ushered to the head seat by everyone. He picked up his wine glass, his hand trembling slightly: "Dear neighbors, I, Yan Bugui, used to be stingy and calculating, which offended many people. This time, after I broke my leg, not only did you not look down on me, but you also helped me so much. I am deeply grateful." He took a sip of wine and continued, "I used to be afraid that no one would take care of me when I got old, so I valued money more than anything else, and I even neglected the affection between my children and parents. Now I understand that no matter how much money you have, it's not as good as having family and neighbors by your side."

Sha Zhu raised his glass: "Uncle Yan, the past is the past. From now on, we're family! I'll cook braised pork knuckle for you often!" Qin Huairu also said: "Yes, Teacher Yan, if you need anything in the future, just let us know. Everyone in the courtyard will help you." Lin Chen smiled and said: "Teacher Yan, you're so good at abacus calculation. When you have time, teach the children in the courtyard and let them learn about traditional culture."

Yan Bugui nodded repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes: "Good! Good! I'll find my abacus tomorrow and teach the children for free!" He looked at his children sitting beside him: "Jiecheng, Jiefang, Jiekuang, Jiedi, I wasn't good to you before, I was biased, and I even charged you for raising me. I was wrong. From now on, we'll discuss things together and never keep accounts again."

Yan Jiecheng's eyes reddened, and he raised his glass: "Dad, we were wrong too. We shouldn't have been angry with you. We'll come to see you more often in the future." Yan Jiedi also said: "Dad, after you've recovered for a while, I'll take you to my house for a few days, and let Xiaowei play with you." Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang also said that they would take turns taking care of their father in the future.

At the dinner table, everyone ate and chatted, reminiscing about the past in the courtyard and discussing their work and lives. Yan Bugui explained old arithmetic problems to the children, demonstrating how to calculate quickly using an abacus, which the children listened to with great interest; Sha Zhu told everyone funny stories about the military region's guesthouse, making everyone laugh; Lin Chen talked to Yan Jiecheng about technological innovation in the factory, giving him many suggestions.

Halfway through the meal, Aunt Yan brought out a plate with several brown sugar steamed buns. "Old Yan and I steamed these together, everyone have a taste," Aunt Yan said with a smile. "Old Yan said he used to be reluctant to give the children sweets, so now he wants to make up for it." As soon as the children heard there were sugar steamed buns, they all eagerly reached out for them. Yan Bugui smiled and handed one to each child, watching them eat with sugar crumbs all over their faces, he was overjoyed.

After dinner, everyone sat in the courtyard chatting, while the children played games nearby. Yan Bugui, leaning on his crutches, walked over to Lin Chen and said, "Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be lying in the hospital with no one to care for me, and I wouldn't have reconciled with the children." Lin Chen smiled and said, "Teacher Yan, no need to thank me. You've come to your own sense of reality. Family and neighborly affection are the most precious things. As long as you're willing to give your heart, you'll definitely receive a heart in return."

Yan Bugui nodded and looked at the people in the courtyard. Moonlight shone into the courtyard, gilding the gray bricks and tiles with a silvery glow. Qin Huairu was helping Aunt Yan clear the dishes, Shazhu was telling stories to the children, and his children were chatting together, all with smiles on their faces. This scene was something Yan Bugui had never dared to imagine before. He suddenly felt that he had wasted his entire life, and only now was he truly experiencing the taste of life.

From then on, Yan Bugui was a completely different person. He no longer kept his doors closed all day to keep accounts; instead, he opened his gates every day, and the children in the courtyard would run to his house to learn abacus after school. He taught very diligently, starting with the most basic finger techniques, and even created his own mnemonic rhymes to make it easier for the children to remember. He would also proactively help the neighbors in the courtyard with anything they needed, such as helping Qin Huairu calculate her mending wages and helping Shazhu calculate the guesthouse's purchasing accounts. Everyone laughed and said, "Teacher Yan is now the head housekeeper of our courtyard!"

The Yan family's relationship grew increasingly harmonious. Every weekend, the Yan children would bring their families back to have a meal and chat together. Yan Xiaowei became Yan Bugui's little shadow, running to his grandfather's house every day after school to learn abacus from him and to massage his back and legs. Yan Bugui took out his new notebook and wrote down a note every day: "Today, I solved the problem and brought an apple," "Xiaowei learned two-digit addition," "Shazhu brought a pork knuckle," each entry filled with warmth.

That day, Lin Chen and Su Qing returned home from get off work and saw Yan Bugui leading the children in planting trees in the yard. "These are toon trees. They'll sprout next spring, and then everyone can eat toon scrambled eggs," Yan Bugui said with a smile, holding a shovel. Although his movements were a little slow, he was very strong. The children, holding small shovels, helped dig holes, their faces covered in sweat, but they smiled happily.

Su Qing walked over and handed Yan Bugui a bottle of water: "Teacher Yan, take a break before planting, don't tire yourself out." Yan Bugui took the water and took a sip: "Not tired at all! This tree, once planted, will live, just like the friendship in our yard. As long as you water it with care, it will grow lush and verdant." Lin Chen looked at the newly planted Chinese toon tree, and then at the harmonious neighbors in the yard, his heart filled with emotion.