Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 128 Child support cannot sever the bond of blood; the red wedding dress finally warms the he

After the Frost's Descent, a thin layer of frost began to accumulate on the corners of the walls of the Hongxing Courtyard. On the window frame of Yan Bugui's house in the front yard, a half-string of dried red chilies hung, their vibrant colors tinged with a festive air in the hazy morning mist—Yan's youngest daughter, Yan Jiedi, was getting married. But this festive joy, from the very beginning, was shrouded in a chilling sense of calculation, like the frost flowers that form on the windowpane—seemingly translucent, yet prickly to the touch.

Lin Chen learned the news from Liu Guangtian when he went to the steel rolling mill that morning to deliver the newly developed forging mold. While helping to lift the mold, Liu Guangtian lowered his voice and said, "There was a commotion in the front yard all night. Uncle Yan is demanding fifty yuan from Jie Di's son-in-law for child support, or he won't let her marry him. That young man's family are vegetable farmers in the suburbs; where would they get that much money?" Lin Chen paused, a familiar heaviness rising in his heart—Yan Bugui's scheme had ultimately targeted his daughter's marriage.

When Lin Chen returned from the workshop in the evening, the arguing from the front yard had already reached the middle yard. He had just put down his tool bag when he saw Yan Jiedi squatting by the communal pond, crying, clutching a piece of unfinished red embroidery in her hand, the stitches crooked and uneven. Qin Huairu stood beside her, trying to comfort her, holding the fabric she had just altered for Jia Dang's wedding dress: "Silly girl, why are you crying? Your father is just stubborn; how could he really not let his daughter get married?"

Yan Jiedi wiped away her tears, her voice choked with sobs: "Aunt Qin, he wants fifty yuan! Jianjun's family even borrowed money to make my wedding dress, where would they get so much? I told my dad to ask for less, but he said he'd raised me for eighteen years, fifty yuan was too little, and he even pulled out the account book saying I owed him more than that for food and tuition..." Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Yan Bugui's roar from the front yard: "Crying, crying, crying! All you do is cry! Raising you all these years, it's only right that you ask for some upbringing fees! Otherwise, wouldn't I have raised you for nothing these past eighteen years?"

Lin Chen walked over and handed Yan Jiedi a roasted sweet potato he had just bought: "Eat some to warm yourself up. Crying won't solve anything. Does your brother know about this?" Yan Jiedi took a bite of the sweet potato, the steam making her eyes even redder: "My brother came yesterday and had a fight with my father. He said my father sold his daughter, and my father kicked him out." Just then, the front gate creaked open, and Yan Bugui came out holding an account book. When he saw Lin Chen, his expression changed, but he immediately put on the airs of a teacher: "Little Lin is back? Perfect. You're an educated man, so give me your opinion—raising a daughter for eighteen years, food, clothing, daily necessities, education, and writing materials—everything costs money! I've kept a clear record in this account book; fifty yuan isn't much!"

Lin Chen took the ledger. The yellowed pages were densely filled with records of every expense Yan Jiedi incurred: "1949, delivery fee 50 cents," "1955, two pencils, 3 cents," "1960, frostbite cream, 15 cents"... The last page, written in red pen, listed the total: "Raising costs 74.3 yuan, half price 50 yuan." Looking at the tiny handwriting, Lin Chen recalled seeing Yan Jiedi in patched clothes and her hands, festering from the cold in winter, as a child. A mix of emotions welled up inside him: "Uncle Yan, the numbers in the ledger are clear, but family ties can't be measured in numbers. Jiedi is your daughter, not just an account in your ledger."

Yan Bugui retorted, "How can it not count? My monthly salary is only twenty-seven yuan and fifty cents. Do you know how hard it is to raise four children? Now that she's married, she belongs to another family. What's wrong with me asking for some compensation? When her mother gave birth to her, I even treated the neighbors to half a jin of candy. That debt hasn't been settled yet!" Just as he finished speaking, Liu Haizhong from the backyard came over, holding a bone he had just finished gnawing on. "Old Yan, that's not right! I raised three sons and never asked them for child support. A daughter is a precious little angel; you're breaking her heart by doing this!"

Yan Bugui glanced at him: "What do you know? Your son will be responsible for your old age, but a daughter is like water spilled after she's married. If I don't take care of myself now, who will look after me when I'm old?" Su Qing, returning from her sewing stall, overheard this. She was carrying fabric she'd bought for her training class students and said softly, "Teacher Yan, my father used to be a teacher. He often said, 'Raising children is for old age security, saving grain is for famine,' but old age security depends on people's hearts, not money. If you force Jie Di and her husband into abject poverty, will she be able to take good care of you when things get tough for her?"

Su Qing's words struck a nerve with Yan Bugui. He waved the account book in his hand, but remained defiant: "I don't care! Fifty yuan, not a penny less! Otherwise, I'll go to the groom's house and make a scene, so they can't marry her!" Hearing this, Yan Jiedi cried even harder, stood up, and ran towards the courtyard: "I won't marry! I'll never marry, and I won't cause you any trouble!" Lin Chen quickly grabbed her and said to Yan Bugui, "Uncle Yan, please calm down. Jiedi is going to try on her wedding dress tomorrow. This isn't a solution. How about this, let's find a place to talk things out and hear what the groom's family has to say."

The man, Li Jianjun, was an honest, unassuming vegetable farmer with dark skin and calloused hands. He had come specifically that evening, carrying two pounds of apples, and stood hesitantly at the gate, afraid to enter. Lin Chen ushered him into his side room and poured him a cup of hot water: "Jianjun, don't rush, speak slowly. Fifty yuan must be difficult for your family, right?" Li Jianjun rubbed his hands, his voice trembling slightly: "Brother Lin, to be honest, my family's harvest was bad this year, and the money for Jie Di's wedding dress was borrowed from relatives. I really can't come up with fifty yuan. But I truly care about Jie Di, and I will definitely take good care of her parents in the future. Please help me put in a good word with Uncle Yan."

Looking at his sincere expression, Lin Chen recalled the hardships he had faced upon arriving at the courtyard house after his rebirth, and an idea formed in his mind. He led Li Jianjun to the front yard, where Yan Bugui was sighing and lamenting over the account books, while Aunt Yan sat beside him wiping away tears, sewing a padded jacket for Xie Di. Lin Chen pushed Li Jianjun forward: "Uncle Yan, you know Jianjun's situation. It's not that he doesn't want to give, it's that he truly can't afford it. If you're really worried about your old age, I assure you, if Xie Di and her husband don't take care of you in the future, I'll be the first to object. Besides, I have a suggestion, would you like to hear it?"

He paused, looked into Yan Bugui's eyes, and said, "Fifty yuan is indeed too much. I think twenty yuan is enough. This twenty yuan is a token of our appreciation from Jie Di and her husband. In addition, Jianjun's family grows vegetables, and they will send you ten jin of fresh vegetables every month, rain or shine. Think about it, ten jin of vegetables will cost more than one yuan a month, and more than ten yuan a year. It's much more worthwhile than saving the money. Besides, Jie Di will come back to visit often, and you can enjoy family time. Isn't that better than holding onto fifty yuan?"

Yan Bugui's abacus clicked a few times as he calculated in his mind: ten catties of vegetables, that's 120 catties a year, enough for him and his wife, and the money saved on vegetables would be considerable. Besides, Lin Chen's words made sense; if he really pushed his daughter too far, she might not come back, and he'd be at a greater loss. But he still couldn't bring himself to say, "Twenty yuan? That's too little! The Xinhua Dictionary I bought for her only cost one yuan and fifty cents!" Lin Chen seized the opportunity, saying, "Uncle Yan, you taught Jie Di arithmetic when she was little, and she can still help the neighbors with their accounts now. That kindness is much more valuable than a dictionary. Besides, Su Qing just told me she made a new wedding dress for Jie Di, made of the finest corduroy. If you're willing, let Jie Di try it on tomorrow; it'll be much more presentable."

Mentioning the wedding dress, Aunt Yan's eyes lit up, and she tugged at Yan Bugui's sleeve: "Honey, let's listen to Xiaolin. Jie Di has never worn a new wedding dress before. We can't let our child go on her wedding day feeling wronged." Yan Bugui looked at the entry in the ledger, "Jie Di bought a dictionary, one yuan and fifty cents," and remembered his daughter as a child, learning arithmetic on his lap. He slowly put down the ledger. After a long while, he muttered, "Fine, twenty yuan it is. But the vegetables can't be missing, not even a pound less!"

Upon hearing this, Li Jianjun was so moved he almost knelt down, and hurriedly said, "Thank you, Uncle Yan! Thank you, Brother Lin! I promise I'll bring you the freshest vegetables every month. If there aren't any fresh vegetables in winter, I'll bring you pickled vegetables and radishes—I won't delay!" Yan Jiedi, standing at the door, heard this and tears welled up in her eyes again, this time tears of joy. She ran into the house, hugged Aunt Yan, and cried, "Mom, I have a new wedding dress!"

The next morning, Su Qing brought over the finished wedding dress. It was a pomegranate-red corduroy gown, with delicate plum blossoms embroidered on the collar and white trim on the cuffs, making Yan Jiedi's fair skin stand out. Qin Huairu also came to help, styling her hair in a new bride's updo and adorning it with a red velvet flower. Yan Jiedi looked at herself in the mirror again and again, beaming from ear to ear. Yan Bugui stood beside her, watching his daughter in her new wedding dress, his lips involuntarily curving upwards, but he deliberately put on a stern face and said, "Don't be so vain. You'll have to work hard at your husband's family home, not be as lazy as you are at home."

The wedding was set for three days later. Although it was simple, all the neighbors from the courtyard came to help. Liu Haizhong asked the Liu brothers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong, to help set up the wedding tent. Liu Guangtian even specially used the craftsmanship Lin Chen had taught him to make an iron jewelry box for Yan Jiedi, engraved with the words "May you have a happy marriage for a hundred years." Yi Zhonghai was also unusually generous, giving a piece of his treasured fabric so that Aunt Yan could make a petticoat for Jiedi. Lin Chen and Su Qing bought the newlyweds a new enamel mug set, printed with the words "Labor is Glorious," both practical and festive.

On the wedding day, Li Jianjun picked up Yan Jiedi on a borrowed bicycle. Before leaving, Yan Jiedi hugged Aunt Yan and cried for a long time. Then she went to Yan Bugui, knelt down and kowtowed: "Dad, I'm leaving. You and Mom must take good care of yourselves. I'll come back often." Yan Bugui turned his face away, wiped his eyes, took a cloth bag from his pocket, and stuffed it into her hand: "Take this, this is twenty yuan. Keep it for yourself. Don't tell anyone I gave it to you, so your brother and the others won't have any objections." Yan Jiedi opened the cloth bag. Inside, besides the twenty yuan, was an old textbook she used to learn arithmetic when she was a child. On the title page, it read, "Jiedi, study hard."

After the wedding procession left, Yan Bugui returned to his room alone and flipped through the account book that was missing a page. Suddenly, he noticed an extra line on the last page, written in Yan Jiedi's handwriting: "Father, I owe you for raising me. I will repay you with a lifetime of filial piety." As he looked at the crooked handwriting, the abacus in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," the beads rolling all over the floor like scattered tears.

A month later, Yan Jiedi and Li Jianjun returned as expected. Li Jianjun carried a sack of rice and a basket filled with fresh cabbage and radishes. Yan Jiedi, carrying a cloth bag, entered the house and called out, "Dad, Mom, we're back!" Yan Bugui, who was calculating the water and electricity bills, paused upon hearing the voices, but deliberately put on a stern face and said, "You're back, so what? Why are you shouting? Where are the vegetables? Are they all in good condition?" Li Jianjun quickly handed over the basket: "Uncle Yan, please count them. This is fifteen catties of cabbage and five catties of radishes, all freshly picked from the ground."

Yan Jiedi opened the cloth bag, inside was a newly made cotton vest: "Dad, this is for you, made with cotton grown by Jianjun's family, it's warm. I also learned how to make braised pork from Aunt Qin, I'll show you my skills today." Watching her daughter's busy figure, Aunt Yan smiled and said to Yan Bugui, "See, I told you, the child cares about us." Yan Bugui didn't speak, but secretly tore off the page from the account book that said "Jiedi owes fifty yuan," crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the stove. The firelight illuminated his face, and a barely perceptible smile lingered in the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

That noon, the aroma of braised pork wafted from the front yard. Lin Chen and Su Qing were organizing training materials in the side room when they smelled the aroma. Su Qing smiled and said, "You see, family affection is like braised pork; it needs to be simmered slowly to bring out its flavor." Lin Chen nodded and looked out the window. The sun was shining brightly, and the red peppers in the front yard were particularly vibrant in the sunlight, like strings of burning lanterns, warming the heart.

From then on, Li Jianjun would deliver vegetables to Yan Bugui every month, sometimes bringing cucumbers and tomatoes he had grown himself. Yan Jiedi also often came back to help Aunt Yan with housework and mend clothes for Yan Bugui. Gradually, Yan Bugui's account book began to show records such as "Jiedi delivered a pair of cotton shoes" and "Jianjun delivered ten catties of radishes," but the words "owed" and "interest" never appeared again.

Once, Lin Chen passed by the front yard and overheard Yan Bugui teaching Li Jianjun how to do accounts: "You need to calculate exactly how much your vegetables cost per pound, so you don't get ripped off. I'll teach you how to use an abacus; it's much faster than calculating by hand." Li Jianjun smiled憨厚ly, his abacus clicking away. Standing at the door, Lin Chen couldn't help but laugh, remembering how Yan Bugui had demanded child support—it turned out that some calculations couldn't withstand the bonds of blood; some accounts could never be settled with an abacus.