Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 136: Needle and Thread Sew a New Path, Warmth Fills the Courtyard Neighborhood

A few days after the deaf old lady's funeral, a brand-new wooden sign was hung at the gate of the Jia family's courtyard in the middle courtyard. The five characters "Qinhuai Ru Sewing Shop" were written in red paint. The font was not very neat, but it was written by Old Zhou, who cooked at the canteen, at Sha Zhu's request. The strokes had a kind of honest strength. A bamboo basket was hanging below the wooden sign, containing several samples of mended clothing. There were work clothes with neat patches and children's cotton-padded jackets that had been altered to fit well. The sunlight shone on them, and even the stitches showed a kind of seriousness.

That morning, just as dawn broke, Qin Huairu had already set up two old wooden tables in the courtyard. The tables were scraps that Lin Chen had salvaged from the factory's waste pile, which Liu Guangtian had helped to sand and paint, making them smooth and flat, perfect for laying out fabric. Jia Dang, carrying her schoolbag, was on her way to school. As she passed by the tables, she helped her mother arrange the sewing basket. The scissors, thimbles, and spools of thread inside were all neatly stacked, something the mother and daughter had put away together the night before.

"Mom, I'll trim the loose threads for you when I get home from school," Jia Dang said softly. She knew her mother had been exhausted lately, taking care of young Huaihua and running the sewing shop. Her dark circles had gotten quite heavy.

Qin Huai patted her daughter's head and handed her a steamed bun wrapped in oil paper: "Take this and eat it. Be careful on the road. I've already fed Huaihua rice cereal. Aunt Liu will come over to help me watch her for a while." As soon as she finished speaking, she heard footsteps coming from the courtyard gate. Looking up, she saw Aunt Yan from the front yard carrying a bowl of hot millet porridge.

"Huai Ru, I just cooked some millet porridge. I'll bring you and Huai Hua a bowl." Aunt Yan put the bowl of porridge on the table, looking at the sewing stall that had been set up, her eyes full of approval. "This stall is really well set up. I mentioned it to the old neighbors yesterday, asking them to come and patronize your business whenever they have sewing jobs."

Qin Huairu quickly thanked her, her eyes welling up with tears. Since Jia Zhangshi returned from her labor camp and toned down her arrogance, and after the funeral of the deaf old lady, the neighborhood relations in the courtyard were much more harmonious than before. Before, she always tried to gain sympathy by feigning pitifulness and scheming to steal Sha Zhu's lunchboxes to supplement her family's income, but she lived in constant fear. Now, thanks to her needlework, she had won everyone's respect, and even Aunt Yan, who used to rarely interact with people, took the initiative to help.

Just then, Aunt Zhang came in carrying a jacket with torn cuffs: "Huai Ru, congratulations on your opening! Look at this jacket of mine, the cuffs are torn, could you mend it for me? I need the kind that you can't tell the difference."

Qin Huairu quickly agreed, took the jacket and examined it carefully, saying, "Don't worry, Aunt Zhang, I'll use thread of the same color to sew the edges, and you can't tell it's been repaired. You can pick it up this afternoon." She took out a small notebook and carefully wrote down Aunt Zhang's name and the pickup time. Lin Chen had taught her this, saying that business should be transparent to avoid future disputes.

Just after seeing Aunt Zhang off, Sha Zhu came in from outside carrying a lunchbox. He had just finished get off work at the canteen, and the lunchbox contained two steamed buns and a small dish of stir-fried vegetables. "Sister-in-law, congratulations on your opening!" Sha Zhu handed over the lunchbox. "This is breakfast for you and Huaihua. I saw you were too busy to cook."

Qin Huai didn't immediately accept it as she used to. Instead, she smiled and waved her hand, "Shazhu, thank you for your kindness, but I can earn money now, so I don't need to trouble you anymore. You should keep this steamed bun for yourself, or take it to Yushui." She knew that she used to rely on Shazhu's help, which not only prevented him from saving money but also affected his relationship with He Yushui. Now that she was independent, she couldn't continue like before.

Sha Zhu paused for a moment, then understood, and a relieved smile appeared on his face: "Sister-in-law, that's the right way to think! Okay, I'll send some over to Yu Shui tonight. By the way, I have a colleague in the cafeteria whose wife wants a new cotton-padded jacket. I recommended your place to him, and he'll come to take her measurements this afternoon."

Qin Huairu thanked her quickly, feeling increasingly at ease. She sat down, picked up Aunt Zhang's jacket, threaded her needle, and began mending. Sunlight filtered through the climbing vines on the courtyard wall, casting dappled shadows on the table. The locust blossoms inside were fast asleep, occasionally murmuring softly. The courtyard was quiet, save for the soft rustling of the needle and thread through the fabric. This was a peaceful day Qin Huairu had never known before.

Around noon, Lin Chen returned home from get off work and stopped by the Jia family's courtyard. He saw Qin Huairu busy taking measurements for an elderly neighbor, with five or six garments piled on the table awaiting mending. He smiled and nodded, "Sister-in-law Qin, business is good."

Qin Huairu looked up and saw Lin Chen. She quickly stopped what she was doing and said, "Little Lin, come in and sit down. Thanks to your reminder last time, I decided to make a living by sewing. Now I feel much more at ease." She remembered Lin Chen's advice that "it's more reliable to earn a living with your skills than to scheme." Now she truly understood the meaning behind it.

Lin Chen walked into the courtyard, looked at the fabric and needles on the table, and said, "I see your business is doing quite well, but the table is a bit small. If you get more orders in the future, it might not be enough. I have a few spare iron plates in my workshop. I'll bring them over to you tomorrow and have Guangtian help me weld a larger worktable and make two shelves to store the fabric and finished products. That way, it will be neater."

Qin Huairu quickly declined, "Xiao Lin, how can I accept this? You helped me find customers last time, and now you want to work at my desk. I don't know how to thank you enough."

"We're all neighbors, it's only right to help each other out." Lin Chen waved his hand. "Besides, opening your sewing shop will not only allow you to earn money, but it will also benefit the neighbors in the courtyard and the surrounding area, which is a good thing. Oh, by the way, I brought you something." He took out a small wooden box from his bag and handed it to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu opened the box and saw a brand-new pair of tailor's scissors inside. The blade was sharp and the handle was polished smooth and rounded. "I had someone buy these from Shanghai. They're specially made for tailors and are much better than ordinary scissors," Lin Chen explained. He knew that the scissors Qin Huairu had been using before were left by Jia Dongxu. They were dull and difficult to use, making it hard to do delicate work.

Qin Huairu held the scissors, her hands trembling with excitement, and her eyes reddened again. She knew that such a pair of Shanghai-made tailor's scissors cost a lot of money, and Lin Chen was genuinely helping her. "Xiao Lin, I'll remember this kindness. If you ever need any mending work, just bring it to me, and I won't charge you a penny."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Sister Qin, you don't need to be so polite. It was just a small favor. By the way, have you thought about expanding your business in the future? For example, besides mending, you could also make some ready-made clothes to sell. There aren't many nice ready-made clothes on the market right now. If you make them well, they'll definitely be popular."

Qin Huairu paused for a moment, then shook her head: "I haven't thought that much about it. It would be good enough if I could do the mending well. Besides, making a garment requires a lot of fabric and capital, which I can't afford right now."

"We can raise the capital slowly. If you don't have enough, I can lend you some first," Lin Chen said. "You're skilled and meticulous, so making clothes will definitely be no problem for you. I can help you design a few novel styles, such as embroidering some simple patterns on the cotton-padded jacket, or altering the cut of the pants to make them fit better. They'll definitely fetch a good price."

Qin Huairu's heart stirred. She had actually considered making garments herself, but had never dared to try. Now, with Lin Chen's support and guidance, she suddenly had the courage: "Then I'll try making a few pieces first. If they sell well, I'll expand the scale."

Lin Chen nodded, chatted with her for a few more minutes about the design details, and then turned and went home. He knew that Qin Huairu had only schemed against others because she was forced by life's circumstances, but now that she had a skill to make a living, her inherent kindness had come to the fore. Helping her set up her sewing shop would not only allow her to completely break free from her previous lifestyle, but also make the neighborhood relations in the courtyard more harmonious.

In the afternoon, the colleague that Sha Zhu had introduced arrived as expected. He was a middle-aged man in his forties named Master Wang, who wanted to make a cotton-padded coat for his wife to wear in the winter. Qin Huairu took out several design sketches that Lin Chen had drawn for her and showed them to Master Wang. Master Wang saw a design with plum blossom patterns embroidered on the cuffs and collar and immediately liked it: "This is the one! My wife loves plum blossoms the most, it will definitely look beautiful if it's made like this."

Qin Huairu carefully measured Mr. Wang's wife's measurements, confirmed the color and material of the fabric with him, noted down the details, and arranged to pick up the goods a week later. After seeing Mr. Wang off, Yan Bugui came over with an old Zhongshan suit and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Huairu, could you alter this Zhongshan suit for me to make it smaller? My youngest son, Jiekuang, is going to be a teacher at school, and he doesn't have a decent set of clothes."

Qin Huairu quickly took the Zhongshan suit and checked the size: "Teacher Yan, don't worry, I guarantee it will fit perfectly. However, the fabric is a bit old, so I'll add a lining inside to make it more structured."

Yan Bugui nodded, a rare smile appearing on his face: "Then I'll trouble you. I'll pay whatever it costs." He used to be very calculating, even keeping track of the cost of buying a piece of candy for his child. Now, seeing Qin Huairu earning a living honestly with his skills, he felt embarrassed to be as calculating as before.

In the following days, Qin Huairu's sewing shop business flourished. Not only did the neighbors in the courtyard come to her, but residents from several nearby streets also heard about it and brought their clothes to be mended or to have new clothes made. The iron plate that Lin Chen brought also came in handy. Liu Guangtian used his off-get off work time to weld a large workbench and two shelves for Qin Huairu. Qin Huairu sorted the fabrics and placed them on the shelves, and the finished products were stacked neatly, making the whole sewing shop look more organized.

To meet orders, Qin Huairu worked late every day. Jia Dang would help her trim loose threads and fold clothes after school, and sometimes even hand her mother scissors and thread needles, becoming her mother's little helper. Huaihua was also very sensible, sitting on a small stool next to her and playing by herself without ever crying. Sometimes Shazhu would get off work early and come over to help chop firewood, fetch water, or watch Huaihua for a while so that Qin Huairu could work in peace.

A week later, Master Wang came to pick up the cotton-padded coat and was overjoyed to see the finished product. Qin Huairu had not only made it according to his chosen style, but also used different shades of red thread to embroider the plum blossom pattern, making it lifelike. The cuffs and collar were also made to fit perfectly. Master Wang tried it on and found it fit him well and looked good. He quickly took out some money and handed it to Qin Huairu, giving her an extra 50 cents: "Huairu, your craftsmanship is amazing! It's even better than what tailors in the city make! This 50 cents is a reward for you. From now on, I'll recommend you to anyone I know who needs clothes made."

Qin Huairu refused to accept the extra money, but Master Wang insisted on giving it to her: "If you don't accept it, you're looking down on me. I'll have to trouble you again in the future." Qin Huairu had no choice but to accept it, and she felt even more motivated.

That evening, after Qin Huai finished calculating her accounts, she discovered that she had earned fifteen yuan that week, more than she made in a month as a cleaner in the workshop. Holding the money, she looked at her three sleeping children and a long-lost smile appeared on her face. She divided the money into three parts: one part for living expenses, one part to buy fabric and needles and thread, and the last part to save for future business expansion.

Just as Qin Huairu's sewing shop was thriving, Jia Zhangshi returned from her labor reform. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw that Qin Huairu's sewing shop was crowded with people, and the tables were piled with fabric and clothes. She immediately felt resentful and said sarcastically, "Oh, you've made a fortune, haven't you? You've turned your house into a general store, and it's so noisy that I can't get any rest."

Qin Huairu, who was mending clothes, looked up and said calmly, "Mom, I'm earning money with my own skills. I'm not stealing or robbing. How did it become a general store? Besides, I work during the day and close up shop long before night. I haven't disturbed your rest."

Madam Jia was furious that Qin Huairu dared to speak to her like that: "You unfilial daughter-in-law, how dare you talk to me like that! I think you've gotten a little money and become arrogant, forgetting who you are! Get this business shut down right now and stay home to serve me properly!"

"I won't close down the stall." Qin Huairu stood up, looking at Jia Zhangshi with a firm gaze. "I need this sewing shop to support my three children and send them to school. If you want to live a good life, I'll leave you some food; if you want to cause trouble, don't blame me for disowning you as my mother-in-law." These days, she has earned money through her own skills, and Qin Huairu has become more assertive, no longer letting Jia Zhangshi bully her as before.

Jia Zhangshi was so angry that she jumped up and down, about to overturn the table, but was stopped by Lin Chen who happened to be passing by. "Aunt Jia, it's not easy for Sister Qin to make a living with her sewing shop. If you cause trouble, it will not only affect the neighbors, but you may also be punished by the neighborhood committee. If you go to the labor camp again, it won't just be for a month or two." Lin Chen's tone was calm, but it carried an undeniable force.

Upon hearing the words "reform through labor," Jia Zhangshi immediately cowered. She had suffered terribly during her month-long reform through labor at the brick kiln last time and had no desire to go back. She glared fiercely at Qin Huairu, muttering, "Let's see how long you can be so smug," before turning and going back into the house.

Lin Chen watched Jia Zhangshi's retreating figure and said to Qin Huairu, "Sister-in-law Qin, if she causes trouble again, just go to the neighborhood committee or Li Jianguo. Don't be afraid of her."

Qin Huai nodded and said gratefully, "Thank you, Xiao Lin. I always have to trouble you."

"Don't mention it, neighbors should look out for each other." Lin Chen smiled. "By the way, I've contacted a fabric factory for you. They have wholesale fabrics there, the quality is good, and the prices are cheap. I'll take you to see them tomorrow."

Qin Huairu quickly expressed her gratitude, feeling even more thankful to Lin Chen. She knew that her current success was inseparable from Lin Chen's help and guidance, and even more so from her own hardworking hands. She secretly resolved to run the sewing shop well, not only to provide a better life for her children, but also to prove through her actions that earning a living with one's skills was more reliable than any other scheme.

The next day, Lin Chen took Qin Huairu to the fabric factory. The factory manager was an old acquaintance of Lin Chen's, and seeing that Lin Chen had brought people, he gave her the most favorable price. Qin Huairu picked out several brightly colored and thick fabrics, enough to make dozens of garments. Back at the courtyard house, she began to busy herself with cutting and sewing, and Jia Dang helped her. The mother and daughter were very busy and happy.

Two weeks later, Qin Huairu had twenty different styles of clothing made, including women's cotton-padded jackets and blouses, as well as children's coats and trousers. Lin Chen helped her set up a small stall at the entrance of the courtyard, hanging the clothes on racks. The colorful clothes attracted the attention of many passersby.

"This dress is so pretty! How much is it?" A young woman passing by stopped and asked, pointing to a pink women's blouse.

"Ma'am, this cardigan is made of good material and is finely crafted. It's only three yuan," Qin Huairu quickly stepped forward to introduce it. "If you like it, you can try it on. If it doesn't fit, I can alter it for you."

The young woman tried it on and thought it fit perfectly, so she bought it immediately. With her first customer, business went much smoother. In less than a day, she sold fifteen out of twenty garments, earning over forty yuan. Qin Huairu held the money, her hands trembling with excitement. This was the first time she had earned so much money from making her own clothes.

That evening, Qin Huairu prepared a sumptuous meal and invited Lin Chen, Sha Zhu, Liu Guangtian's family, and Yan Bugui's family to celebrate together. The courtyard was filled with tables and chairs, children chased and played around, and adults raised their glasses and chatted, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.

Yan Bugui took a sip of wine, looked at Qin Huairu, and said, "Huairu, I misjudged you before. I didn't expect you to be so skilled and capable. If you ever need help with bookkeeping at your sewing shop, just come to me. I won't charge you a penny."

Liu Guangtian also said, "Sister-in-law Qin, if you need any physical work in the future, such as moving fabric or repairing tables, just tell me, and I'll be there whenever you call."

Qin Huairu stood up, raised her glass to everyone, and said, "Thank you all for your help and care. I, Qin Huairu, owe everything I have today to your support. I will definitely make the sewing shop even better in the future and live up to your expectations."

Looking at the lively scene before him, Lin Chen felt very gratified. He knew that Qin Huairu's transformation was just a microcosm of the changes in the courtyard. As everyone worked hard to make a living with their own hands, the scheming and conflicts of the past would eventually be replaced by this warm neighborly affection.

From then on, Qin Huairu's "Qin Huairu Sewing Shop" became increasingly famous. She not only hired two laid-off female workers from the neighborhood to help her, but also rented a small storefront on a nearby street and moved the sewing shop there. After graduating, Jia Dang also joined her mother's sewing shop, and the mother and daughter ran the business together, making it more and more prosperous.

Seeing that Qin Huairu was making money, Jia Zhangshi dared not cause any more trouble. Instead, she took the initiative to help take care of Huaihua and sometimes even went to the shop to help out. Qin Huairu did not mistreat her either, giving her some pocket money every month so that she could live comfortably in her old age.

Life in the courtyard continued day by day. Although there were occasional minor frictions, there was more warmth in mutual help and care. Lin Chen continued his technical innovations in the workshop, while Sha Zhu worked as a cook at the military guesthouse, his life becoming increasingly comfortable, and he even married a virtuous wife. Liu Guangtian became a key technical member of the workshop, and Liu Guangfu opened a small hardware store with stable business. Yan Bugui also changed his previous calculating ways, and his relationship with the children became increasingly harmonious.

As night falls, the lights in the courtyard houses come on one by one, casting warm shadows through the windows. The laughter of children, the conversations of adults, and the clatter of sewing machines blend together to create a scene full of everyday life.