Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 135 The lonely old woman's soul returns to the dust, a thin coffin and light tomb revea

The May breeze carried the sweet fragrance of locust blossoms, drifting over the gray bricks and tiles of the Hongxing Courtyard, yet it couldn't dispel the silence in the low-ceilinged side room in the backyard. Just as dawn broke, Aunt Zhang, responsible for cleaning the courtyard, noticed the deaf old woman's door was ajar. Usually at this time, the old woman would be sitting on a small stool in the doorway, basking in the sun, humming a tune no one could understand. Aunt Zhang tentatively called out "Old woman" twice, but received no response. Pushing the door open, she found the old woman curled up on the earthen bed, covered with her blue cotton-padded jacket, patched seven or eight times, already lifeless.

Aunt Zhang's scream shattered the tranquility of the courtyard. The first to rush over was Lin Chen, who lived next door. He had just finished washing up and was preparing to go to work in the workshop when he heard the scream. He grabbed his coat and hurried to the backyard. Upon entering, he first checked the old woman's carotid artery and then her breathing, confirming she had been dead for some time. Only then did he restrain the panicked Aunt Zhang, saying, "Aunt Zhang, don't panic. Don't touch anything in the house. I'll go call the police."

The news spread like ripples through the courtyard. Yan Bugui, in the front yard, was about to eat his newly bought fried dough sticks when he heard the noise. His hand paused, and he instinctively reached for his account book—he remembered borrowing half a scoop of cornmeal from the old lady three years ago, and hadn't yet calculated the interest. But as soon as his hand touched the lock of the camphor wood chest, he remembered his resolve to tear up the account book a few days ago, and silently withdrew it. He sighed to Aunt Yan, "Alas, she's gone so suddenly. A pitiful person indeed."

Qin Huairu, who was braiding Jia Huaihua's hair in the middle courtyard, dropped the comb on the table with a "clatter" upon hearing the news. She paused for a moment, then grabbed the apron draped over the back of the chair and wiped her hands. "I'll go see her. The old lady is all alone; someone has to take care of her." Jia Dang, understanding the situation, picked up her mother's sewing basket. "Mom, I'll go with you and help you deliver things."

Sha Zhu, carrying soy milk and fried dough sticks he had just bought from the cafeteria, bumped into Lin Chen, who was running to the police station, at the gate of the courtyard. After hearing the news, he shoved the lunchbox into Qin Huairu's hand: "Sister-in-law, please keep an eye on things for me. I'm going to help Xiao Lin." The usually carefree man had no smile on his face at this moment, and his steps were even faster than usual.

When Li Jianguo from the local police station arrived with his officers, a number of neighbors had already gathered in the courtyard. He squatted down by the kang (a heated brick bed) to examine the woman and inquired about the circumstances of her discovery. Finally, he stood up and said to the crowd, "The preliminary assessment is that she died of natural causes, likely due to organ failure from old age. According to regulations, we need to contact her family to handle the funeral arrangements. Does anyone know if the old lady has any relatives?"

The courtyard fell silent instantly. No one knew where the deaf old woman's relatives were. She had lived in the courtyard for nearly twenty years and had never seen any relatives visit her. Yi Zhonghai had always said she was a martyr's family member, that her husband had died in battle and she had no relatives, and everyone believed him. It wasn't until Lin Chen exposed her forging the martyr's family certificate that everyone realized she wasn't a martyr's family member at all, but her true background remained a mystery.

"I'll go to the neighborhood committee and ask if there's any record of her," Lin Chen said. He looked at the frail old woman on the kang (a heated brick bed), remembering how she had passed away quietly in his previous life, and how the neighborhood committee had hastily buried her. He couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. No matter how many scheming things the old woman had done in the past, now that she was gone, she couldn't be left without a proper resting place.

Li Jianguo nodded: "Alright, I'll check it out for you too. Xiao Lin, thank you for making this trip. Let us know as soon as we have any news." He knew that Lin Chen was reliable and familiar with He Yushui, so he could pay more attention to things on his end.

When Lin Chen went to the neighborhood office, Yan Bugui was squatting at the old lady's door, scribbling in a small notebook. Qin Huairu and Jia Dang were tidying up inside, carefully folding the old lady's old clothes, while Sha Zhu was chopping firewood in the yard to start a fire so the body wouldn't smell if left out too long. Seeing Lin Chen return, Yan Bugui stood up and greeted him: "Little Lin, any news from the neighborhood office?"

Lin Chen shook his head, his face showing exhaustion: "I searched for a long time but couldn't find her file. The former director said that the old lady moved here in 1948. Back then, it was a time of war and chaos, and the registration information was incomplete. They only knew that her surname was Wang, but they didn't know her given name." He paused and added, "We also asked Li Jianguo, but there are no records of her relatives in the old files of the police station."

The atmosphere in the courtyard became heavy again. Sha Zhu threw the axe on the ground: "What should we do? We can't just leave the old lady like this, can we? If all else fails, the families in our courtyard can chip in and buy her a simple coffin and find a place to bury her." Although he had had conflicts with the old lady before, he felt really bad seeing her all alone.

"I agree." Qin Huairu came out of the house, holding a faded silk jacket in her hands. "This is the old lady's most treasured garment. I think the material is quite good; it must have been worn by her when she was young. I'll mend it for her so she can leave this world with some dignity."

Yan Bugui looked down at the notebook in his hand, which read, "Coffin estimated at fifty yuan, funeral clothes at twenty yuan, funeral expenses at thirty yuan." He gritted his teeth and said, "I'll pay twenty yuan and keep the books, making sure every penny is spent transparently." He used to be very calculating, but this time, facing the deceased, his calculations faded, replaced by a greater sense of awe for life.

Looking at everyone, Lin Chen felt a warmth in his heart: "Don't worry about the money, I'll cover it. Although the old lady made mistakes in the past, we were still neighbors after all. We not only need to arrange her funeral, but also erect a monument for her so that she will have something to remember her by." He had just received his workshop bonus and had some spare money. Moreover, he wanted to use this opportunity to make the neighborhood relations in the courtyard more harmonious.

"How can that be? How can we let you pay for it all by yourself?" Sha Zhu said anxiously. "I'll also contribute twenty. I have meal tickets at the cafeteria, and I don't usually spend much money."

"I'll contribute ten yuan," Qin Huairu said. "I've earned some money from mending, so I can do my part."

Grandpa Wang, Grandma Zhang, and others all offered to contribute money and effort, and Lin Chen couldn't refuse, so he agreed to let everyone chip in. Yan Bugui volunteered to be the housekeeper, and with the 150 yuan they had collected, he went to the coffin shop to buy a coffin. He displayed his bargaining skills to the fullest, managing to get a thin coffin that originally cost 50 yuan down to 40 yuan, and even got the shopkeeper to throw in a free coffin pillow.

After buying the coffin, Yan Bugui went to the fabric store to buy cloth for the funeral clothes. He didn't buy anything expensive, but chose a sturdy piece of blue cloth. When he got back, Qin Huairu and Aunt Yan started working together, making the funeral clothes overnight. Under the lamplight, the two women sewed away. Qin Huairu thought of how the old lady used to follow Sha Zhu around asking for food, and how she even helped Yi Zhonghai scheme to take care of Sha Zhu in his old age. She felt a mix of emotions. Aunt Yan, on the other hand, remembered how the old lady would occasionally give her a few pieces of candy. Although it wasn't much, it was a token of her affection.

Lin Chen and Sha Zhu went to a public cemetery in the suburbs to arrange a burial plot. The cemetery manager was deeply moved when he heard they were helping an elderly woman living alone with her funeral arrangements. He chose a sunny spot for them and even waived half the burial fee. On the way back, Sha Zhu suddenly said, "Lin, what did the old lady gain in her life? She pretended to be a martyr's relative her whole life, deceiving people her whole life, and in the end, she didn't even have any relatives."

Lin Chen looked at the poplar trees by the roadside, their leaves rustling in the wind: "Everyone wants to live with dignity. Perhaps she was afraid of being bullied, so she made up that identity. In the end, she was still a pitiful person." He remembered that after the old lady passed away in his previous life, no one in the courtyard was willing to take care of her. In the end, it was the people from the neighborhood who wrapped her in straw mats and buried her. Now, to receive such treatment can be considered as fulfilling her wish for dignity.

The next morning, the coffin was carried into the courtyard. Yan Bugui directed several strong young neighbors to carefully lift the old lady into the coffin. Qin Huairu dressed the old lady in newly made burial clothes and covered her with the silk jacket. Jia Dang combed the old lady's hair; although her hair was already gray and sparse, she combed it very carefully.

At the funeral, almost all the neighbors from the courtyard came. Lin Chen and Sha Zhu carried the coffin at the front, with the Liu brothers, Guangtian and Guangfu, following behind to support it. Yan Bugui scattered paper money along the way, while Qin Huairu and several female neighbors followed at the back, weeping quietly. Although the old lady had been quite cunning in her life, no one mentioned those past events at this moment. Everyone used the simplest way to send her off on her final journey.

Upon arriving at the cemetery, everyone worked together to lower the coffin into the grave. Lin Chen took out a pre-carved tombstone, inscribed with "Tomb of Old Lady Wang," without birth or death dates or the names of relatives, yet it exuded solemnity. After the tombstone was erected, everyone took turns bowing to the old lady. Yan Bugui stood before the tombstone, murmuring to himself, "Old lady, may you rest in peace. May you be reborn into a good family in your next life, with sons and daughters, and a lively and joyful life."

After returning from the cemetery, Lin Chen set up a few simple tables in the courtyard to treat the neighbors who had helped. At the table, Yan Bugui took out his account book and listed the expenses for everyone: "The coffin cost forty yuan, the funeral cloth fifteen yuan, the needle and thread two yuan, the tombstone thirty yuan, the cemetery fee twenty-five yuan, and the paper money and incense eight yuan, totaling one hundred and twenty yuan. We raised one hundred and fifty yuan, leaving thirty yuan. I think we should donate it to the neighborhood orphanage; it'll be a way for the old lady to accumulate some good karma."

Everyone agreed, and Lin Chen handed the remaining thirty yuan to the neighborhood director, specifically instructing that it be donated in the name of the deaf old lady. The director was very moved and said he would write the old lady's name on the orphanage's monument of merit.

That evening, the courtyard returned to its usual tranquility. Lin Chen sat at her doorstep, gazing at the stars, her heart at peace. Sha Zhu approached and offered her a cigarette: "Little Lin, thank you for today. Without you, the old lady wouldn't have been able to leave this world so gracefully."

Lin Chen took the cigarette, lit it, and took a puff. "No need to thank me, we're all neighbors. Besides, this is the result of everyone's hard work." He looked at Sha Zhu and said, "Don't always let Yi Zhonghai scheme against you for your retirement. Save some money and be kinder to the rainwater; that's better than anything else."

Sha Zhu scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "I know, I was stupid before, always being used as a pawn. I will work hard from now on, save money to get married, and live a good life." He thought of the debt he owed He Yushui in the past and decided to go to the textile factory to see his sister tomorrow and buy her some good food.

The lights in Yan Bugui's house stayed on very late. Aunt Yan brought the children some freshly boiled sweet potatoes. Yan Jiedi picked one up and handed it to Yan Bugui: "Dad, have some." Yan Bugui took the sweet potato, took a bite, and the sweet taste spread in his mouth. He looked at the children and suddenly said, "From now on, we don't need to divide the food according to the number of people. Eat as much as you want."

The children were stunned. Yan Jiefang asked in disbelief, "Dad, really?"

"Really." Yan Bugui nodded. "It was Dad's fault before. He was always scheming over trivial matters and made the atmosphere at home tense. From now on, we'll live a good life as a family, sharing meals and money." He broke the sweet potato in his hand into several pieces and gave one piece to each child. "Come on, let's eat together."

The children took the sweet potatoes and ate them with relish, their faces beaming with long-lost smiles. Watching this scene, Aunt Yan's eyes reddened, and she secretly wiped away her tears. She knew her husband had truly changed; this home, finally, felt like a home again.

At Qin Huairu's home, Jia Geng was helping his mother clear the dishes. Looking at the smile on his mother's face, he whispered, "Mom, when I was taking the old lady home today, I remembered that I used to steal her candy, and she didn't scold me."

Qin Huairu patted her son's head gently and said, "The past is the past. You must never steal again. Look at Uncle Lin and the others, they earn their money with their own hands and live an upright life."

Jia Geng nodded: "Mom, I understand. I will study hard in the future, like Uncle Lin and Brother Guangtian, to become a key technical worker, earn lots of money, and give you and my sisters a good life."

Qin Huai smiled with relief; she knew her son had truly grown up. She used to rely on scheming against Sha Zhu to make a living, but now she understood that earning money with her own hands brought her peace of mind. Looking at the moonlight outside the window, she felt a brightness she had never felt before.

A few days later, Lin Chen received a certificate from the neighborhood committee that read "Person of Kindness" and was signed by the neighborhood's orphanage. He posted the certificate on his wall, not to show off, but to remind himself that kindness is never weakness, but a strength.

Yan Bugui has also changed a lot. He no longer spends his days meticulously calculating accounts, but instead dedicates more time to his family. Every day after get off work, he helps Aunt Yan with housework and tutors the children. On weekends, he takes the children to the park and buys them candied hawthorns. The neighbors in the courtyard all say that Teacher Yan seems like a completely different person.

One day, Lin Chen ran into Yan Bugui in the workshop. He was helping a young colleague calculate his wages. Yan used to be very meticulous when calculating wages, but this time he was very serious, patiently explaining to his colleague how taxes were deducted and how overtime pay was calculated. Lin Chen smiled and said, "Instructor Yan, you're getting more and more generous these days!"

Yan Bugui smiled sheepishly, "I was so foolish before, always thinking money was the most important thing. Now I realize that a harmonious family is better than anything else." He patted Lin Chen on the shoulder, "Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be obsessed with money."

Lin Chen smiled but didn't speak. He knew that Yan Bugui's change wasn't just because of the deaf old lady's death, but also because he had come to a realization. Some truths can only be understood through experience, and once understood, it's never too late.

Life in the courtyard house remained ordinary and mundane. Occasionally, minor frictions would occur between neighbors, but the scheming and backstabbing of the past were gone. Lin Chen continued his technical innovations in the workshop, while Sha Zhu worked diligently in the canteen, occasionally bringing food to Qin Huairu's children—but this was no longer a calculated act of charity, but pure neighborly affection. Qin Huairu's sewing shop business flourished, Jia Dang was admitted to a vocational school, and the family's life became increasingly prosperous.

That evening, Lin Chen returned home from get off work and saw Yan Bugui leading the children in flying kites in the yard. The kites soared high, and the children's laughter echoed through the yard. Qin Huairu and Aunt Yan sat by the door chatting, knitting sweaters. Sha Zhu leaned against the doorframe, watching this scene with a simple, honest smile on his face.