Fusion System: Rebirth in a Courtyard - Bird Fighting Chronicles

Chapter 133 A stroke after drinking leads to a hospital bed; the prodigal son Zhang is busy fulfilli

In March, Beijing finally shed its biting chill. The old locust tree in the courtyard sprouted tender yellow buds, and the wind rustled down delicate petals. Liu Haizhong squatted on his doorstep, clutching a crumpled piece of red paper in his hand. His fingertips repeatedly stroked the gilded characters "Factory-Level Outstanding Apprentice," and the smile on his lips was like the newly blooming dandelions in the corner of the yard, bursting forth uncontrollably.

"Dad, you've been working all morning, the food's getting cold." Liu Guangtian came out of the house carrying a bowl of corn porridge, still wearing the blue work clothes from the steel rolling mill, with some smudged machine oil on his cuffs. He had just returned from the workshop, his face showing fatigue, but his eyes were bright—yesterday the factory announced the list of outstanding apprentices, and he was not only on the list, but also promoted to deputy leader of the precision forging group, his salary rising to fifty-eight yuan, more than the old technician who had been learning from Liu Haizhong for half his life.

Liu Haizhong suddenly looked up, stuffed the red paper into his coat, and nearly knocked over the bowl in his son's hand as he stood up. "What's cold! Dad's happy today. With this good news, I won't even feel the coldness after a couple of drinks!" He patted Liu Guangtian's shoulder so hard that his son stumbled. "Come on, come inside with Dad. Let your mother kill a chicken, and we'll celebrate properly!"

Aunt Liu was squatting in front of the stove tending the fire when she heard this and quickly stood up: "Husband, there's only one old hen left at home. We need to save it to nourish Guangfu. That boy works at the scrap yard, and he's so tired that he falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow every day." Her voice was soft and gentle, carrying the timidity that had been suppressed for many years. As she spoke, she secretly glanced at her husband's face.

"What's there to fix!" Liu Haizhong's voice suddenly rose, shaking the dust off the roof beams. "He's made something of himself! He's become the deputy foreman of the workshop! This is a momentous event for our Liu family, what's killing a chicken? Even if I had to bring out my bottle of Xifeng liquor that I've been keeping for three years, it would be worth it!" As he spoke, he crawled under the bed and pulled out a bottle wrapped in several layers of plastic. The label on the bottle was yellowed, but he wiped it until it shone.

Liu Guangtian frowned: "Dad, I have to go to the factory this afternoon to learn the new blueprints from Master Lin, so I can't drink. Besides, this honor isn't just mine; it's all thanks to Master Lin's guidance back then, and the basic skills you taught me." As he spoke, he tried to grab the bottle from his father's hand, but Liu Haizhong dodged it.

"I know Master Lin's place. I'll personally bring him a pig's head to thank him another day!" Liu Haizhong unscrewed the cork of the wine bottle, and a strong aroma of wine instantly filled the air. He poured himself a full bowl, and then wanted to pour one for his son, but seeing Liu Guangtian wave his hand, he didn't insist. He picked up the bowl, took a sip, smacked his lips, and sighed, "Back when I entered the steel mill, I was the same age as you, and I thought I could make something of myself. But after twenty years, I'm still just a level six forger. Now, my son is much better than me! A hundred times better!"

When Aunt Liu came out with a plate of scrambled eggs, she saw Liu Haizhong drinking and rambling on about the past. He started with his "glorious deeds" as a dockworker, then talked about how he was ostracized by the older technicians in the factory, then his disappointment in his eldest son, Liu Guangqi, and finally circled back to Liu Guangtian, repeating the same few phrases over and over: "My son is successful." She knew her husband was suffering; his years of temper and favoritism were just him venting his frustrations on his children. Now that his second son had finally succeeded, the knot in his heart should be untied.

"Dad, drink less. Your old leg pain hasn't healed yet." Aunt Liu put a piece of egg in his bowl and gently advised, "Guangtian was just promoted. He'll have a lot to do in the future. Don't interfere with his important work."

"What delay! My son is the deputy group leader now, there's plenty of time later!" Liu Haizhong took another big gulp of wine, his cheeks flushed red, and his eyes began to glaze over. "Back when Liu Guangqi got married, I took out half my life savings, and what happened? He ran off with his wife and father-in-law without even sending a word back! Guangtian and Guangfu are so filial..." He suddenly choked up as he spoke, grabbed the wine bottle to pour it out again, but was stopped by Liu Guangfu who had rushed back.

Liu Guangfu had just finished get off work at the scrap yard, covered in dust, and carrying a half-sack of flour—Lin Chen had asked him to bring it back after helping him dispose of scrap metal. "Dad, how much have you drunk? You'll be drunk if you drink any more!" He snatched the bottle, screwed on the cap, and put it on a high shelf. "Master Lin said that my brother and I should learn the skills well and try to get into the precision group in the future. We brothers can earn money together so that you and Mom can enjoy a comfortable life."

"Good! Good son!" Liu Haizhong slapped the table and laughed. He got up to pat Liu Guangfu on the shoulder, but as soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and the figures in front of him became double. He swayed and mumbled, "It's okay, Dad's not drunk." The next second, he fell straight down, his head hitting the threshold with a loud thud.

"Dad!" Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu exclaimed simultaneously, rushing to his side to help him up. The bowl in Aunt Liu's hand clattered to the ground, shattering into pieces. She threw herself beside her husband, her hand trembling as she checked his breath, tears instantly welling up in her eyes: "Dad! Wake up! Don't scare me!"

Liu Haizhong's face was deathly pale, his lips were crooked to one side, and he was making "woo-woo" sounds. He couldn't move his right hand and right leg, and only his left hand was twitching unconsciously. Liu Guangtian had seen workplace accidents before, so he quickly calmed down: "Guangfu, go find Master Lin! He knows people at the hospital! I'll carry Dad to the entrance and wait!" As he spoke, he squatted down and let Liu Guangfu help him lift his father onto his back. As soon as he stood up, he felt a weight on his back—although his father had been an alcoholic for many years, his frame was still intact, and the weight of more than 150 pounds made his legs tremble.

At that moment, Lin Chen and Su Qing were arranging the saplings they had just bought in the yard, planning to plant them in the empty space in the corner. Hearing the cries coming from the Liu family's house, the two exchanged a glance and rushed over. Seeing Liu Guangtian carrying Liu Haizhong out, Lin Chen immediately went forward to help: "What happened? They were fine just now!"

"My dad drank too much and suddenly collapsed!" Liu Guangfu was sweating profusely, his voice trembling with tears. "Master Lin, please think of something!"

Lin Chen felt Liu Haizhong's pulse, then examined his eyes. His expression turned serious. "It looks like a stroke. We need to get him to the hospital right away! Su Qing, go home and get my money and food coupons. I'll carry Old Liu to the street corner to wait for the tricycle!" He said, taking Liu Haizhong from his arms and hoisting him onto his back. He strode towards the courtyard gate. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu followed closely behind, while Aunt Liu locked the door, clutching a cloth bag containing the family's meager savings of a few dozen yuan and a few food coupons. She jogged after them.

The hospital emergency room reeked of disinfectant. Liu Haizhong lay on the hospital bed, still mumbling incoherently, his left hand tightly gripping Liu Guangtian's clothes. The doctor, having just finished the examination, removed his stethoscope and told everyone, "He's suffering from hemiplegia due to a brain hemorrhage compressing a nerve. Luckily, he was brought in in time, otherwise he wouldn't have survived. He'll be hospitalized for observation for two weeks. Whether he recovers depends on how well he's cared for."

A 50 yuan deposit was required to complete the hospital admission procedures. Grandma Liu turned her cloth bag inside out, but could only scrape together a little over 30 yuan. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded, "Doctor, could you give us a few more days? We'll go home and raise the money right away!"

"The hospital has a rule that you can't be admitted if you don't pay the full deposit," the doctor said with some difficulty.

"I'll pay." Lin Chen took out fifty yuan from his pocket and handed it to the nurse, then took out ten yuan and stuffed it into Liu Guangtian's hand. "Take this money first and buy some nutritional supplements. I've already asked Su Qing to contact He Yushui. Her husband is a local police officer and knows the head nurse at the hospital, so the follow-up care will be easier."

Liu Guangtian clutched the ten yuan note, his fingers trembling. He remembered how his father used to beat and scold him, and how he had given all the family savings to his older brother, Liu Guangqi; he had harbored resentment towards him. But now, looking at his aged father on the hospital bed, and thinking of Lin Chen's help over the years, his eyes suddenly welled up with tears: "Master Lin, we will definitely pay you back this money in the future!"

"Take care of your dad first." Lin Chen patted his shoulder. "I'll talk to the workshop foreman and get you and Guangfu a two-week leave to take good care of your dad. Don't worry about the technical stuff; I'll teach you when you get back."

For the first three days of his hospitalization, Liu Haizhong remained in a semi-comatose state, repeatedly calling out "Guangqi" and "my money." Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu took turns staying by his bedside. Liu Guangtian was responsible for caring for his father during the day, wiping his body, feeding him, and helping him with urination, while Liu Guangfu kept watch at night, turning his father over every two hours to prevent bedsores. Every morning, Aunt Liu would stew chicken soup and bring it to the hospital. Watching her two sons bustling around, tears streamed down her face, but she also secretly breathed a sigh of relief—before, their home was always filled with her husband's beatings and scoldings, but now, because of this illness, it felt like a home again.

On the morning of the fourth day, Liu Haizhong finally regained consciousness. He opened his eyes and saw Liu Guangtian carefully feeding him a bowl of chicken soup, blowing on it before it touched his lips, afraid of burning him. Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on his son's bloodshot eyes. Liu Haizhong suddenly remembered the past: when Liu Guangtian spilled his rice bowl, he slapped his son; when Liu Guangtian came home late from school, he tied his son to the locust tree in the yard without asking why…

"Water...water..." Liu Haizhong's voice was hoarse like sandpaper rubbing, and tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the pillow and spreading out a small wet patch.

Liu Guangtian quickly put down his bowl, brought over some warm water, and used a cotton swab to moisten his father's lips. "Dad, don't worry, the doctor said you need to rest slowly," he said softly, his tone filled with worry, without a trace of resentment.

Liu Haizhong blinked, watching his son's busy figure, then looked at Liu Guangfu, who was dozing by the bedside, and suddenly choked up: "Guangtian... Dad is sorry..."

Liu Guangtian paused, his eyes instantly reddening. He turned away, wiped his tears, and when he turned back, a smile was on his face: "Dad, let's not talk about the past. You should focus on getting better. Once you're better, I'll teach you to read the new blueprints, and we can work together in the workshop."

These words made Liu Haizhong cry even harder. He remembered how he had used up the money Liu Guangtian had saved for books over six months to help Liu Guangqi get married; he remembered how Liu Guangtian wanted to learn forging techniques, but he found it troublesome and only taught him the basics; he remembered how he always scolded and beat his two younger sons in the yard, while giving all the good to the runaway Liu Guangqi... Now he was bedridden, and the only ones by his side were the two sons he had neglected for half his life.

At noon, Qin Huairu and Jia Dang brought a basket of eggs to visit Liu Haizhong. Qin Huairu's sewing shop business was getting better and better, her clothes were much neater, and she spoke with a straighter back. "Master Liu, please take good care of yourself. We'll take care of things at the hospital." She placed the eggs on the bedside table and took out five yuan to hand to Aunt Liu. "This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't think it's too little."

"Sister Qin, how could I possibly accept this..." Aunt Liu quickly declined.

"When my family was struggling, Master Liu helped me a lot," Qin Huairu said with a smile. "Now that I'm doing better, it's only right that I help you. Jia Geng is also learning skills from Guangtian in the workshop, and Guangtian takes good care of him. I should thank you all."

Standing behind his mother, Jia Dang handed Liu Guangtian a cloth bag: "Brother Guangtian, this is a hospital gown my mom sewed for Grandpa Liu. It's pure cotton and comfortable to wear. I also wrote down some nursing instructions, which I got from the hospital nurses."

Liu Guangtian took the cloth bag, opened it, and saw two clean white cotton shirts inside, with fine stitches and a soft cloth trim sewn around the collar to prevent chafing against his father's neck. His heart warmed, and he quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Sister Qin, thank you, Dangdang."

In the afternoon, Yan Bugui also arrived. He was carrying half a pound of apples. After putting them down, he started calculating: "Old Liu, I bought these apples at the supply and marketing cooperative. They were 80 cents a pound, and half a pound cost 40 cents. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to pay me back. I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't think I'm taking advantage of you." As he spoke, he looked at Liu Guangtian, "Guangtian is the deputy team leader now, and his salary isn't low. You'd better take good care of your father in the future. Raising children is for old age security, so you need to keep track of this, otherwise, no one will take care of you when you're old."

Liu Guangtian frowned, about to speak, but was stopped by Liu Haizhong's gaze. Liu Haizhong looked at Yan Bugui and suddenly laughed, a somewhat desolate laugh: "Teacher Yan, I used to laugh at you for being cunning, but now I realize I don't even have the right to be cunning. I planned to have Guangqi take care of me in my old age, but he ran away; I planned to put on airs in the courtyard, but this is how I ended up. On the contrary, my two sons whom I used to dislike are now taking care of me..." He started coughing again, and Liu Guangtian quickly patted him on the back to help him catch his breath.

Yan Bugui paused, opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately only sighed, "Take good care of yourself, I'll be going now." As he left the ward, he glanced back and saw Liu Guangfu massaging Liu Haizhong's legs, while Liu Guangtian fed his father an apple. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the three of them in a warm glow. A thought struck Yan Bugui, and he remembered his children with whom he had fallen out, and suddenly the account book in his hand felt heavy.

In the days that followed, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu devoted all their energy to caring for their father. Every morning, Liu Guangtian would bathe and turn his father over, then go to the canteen to get breakfast, which he would then feed his father spoonful by spoonful. He even borrowed some old gears from the workshop and made a simple massager to massage his father's right leg and right hand every day to promote blood circulation. Liu Guangfu was responsible for keeping watch at night. Afraid of oversleeping, he tied his own hand to his father's hand with a rope, so that he would wake up if his father moved.

Lin Chen and Su Qing visited Liu Haizhong almost every day, sometimes bringing nutritional supplements and sometimes helping with household chores. Lin Chen even brought back some Chinese medicinal herbs from the south, which Liu's mother stewed for Liu Haizhong to drink, saying it would promote nerve recovery. He also consulted with doctors at the hospital about rehabilitation training methods and taught them to Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, so they could perform rehabilitation exercises for Liu Haizhong every day.

Two weeks later, Liu Haizhong was finally able to be discharged from the hospital. Although his right leg and right hand were still not fully mobile, he could walk slowly while holding onto the wall. On the day of his discharge, Lin Chen, Qin Huairu, and Jia Dang all came to help. Liu Guangtian carried his father on his back, Liu Guangfu carried the luggage, and Aunt Liu followed behind. The family slowly walked out of the hospital. The sunlight shone on them, warm and dazzling.

The day they returned to the courtyard, the central courtyard was packed with people. Sha Zhu had also made a special trip back from the military guesthouse, carrying a thermos filled with pork rib soup he had stewed. "Old Liu, have some soup to nourish yourself," he said, handing the thermos to Liu Guangtian. "Don't drink so much alcohol anymore; your health is important."

Sitting in his wheelchair, Liu Haizhong looked at his neighbors in the courtyard and suddenly burst into tears. He remembered how he used to scold and beat his children and put on airs in the courtyard, and now, seeing everyone's concern for him, he was filled with guilt. "I was confused before, I'm sorry to everyone..." he choked out.

"Let's not talk about the past," Lin Chen said with a smile. "From now on, focus on getting better, watch Guangtian and Guangfu settle down, and enjoy a peaceful life."

In the days that followed, Liu Haizhong completely changed. He was no longer irritable or arrogant. He spent his days sitting in the yard basking in the sun, watching his sons, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, go to work, and listening to his sons talk about what happened in the workshop in the evenings. Every day after get off work, Liu Guangtian would help his father take a walk in the yard and teach him rehabilitation exercises; Liu Guangfu would massage his father's back and legs and chat with him. Aunt Liu would cook some of her father's favorite dishes every day, and there was much more laughter in the house than before.

One day, Liu Guangtian was helping his father take a walk in the yard when they saw Yan Bugui arguing with his son, Yan Jiecheng. Yan Jiecheng wanted to borrow money to buy a house, but Yan Bugui refused and even took out an account book to calculate how much he owed him in child support. Liu Jiecheng got angry and slammed the door shut, while Yan Bugui sat on the doorstep sighing.

Watching this scene, Liu Haizhong patted Liu Guangtian's hand: "Guangtian, your father used to be as muddle-headed as Teacher Yan, always thinking that raising children to provide for old age required careful calculation. But what happened? What you can truly rely on isn't the numbers in the account book, but your child's heart." As he spoke, he took out a cloth bag from his pocket and handed it to Liu Guangtian, "Inside is some of my hidden savings, and some things your older brother left behind. Take this, use it when you get married. I'm sorry, I didn't treat you well before, I'll definitely make it up to you in the future."

Liu Guangtian took the cloth bag, opened it, and found several dozen yuan and a yellowed photograph inside. The photograph showed a young Liu Haizhong and young Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu. He looked at the photograph, then at his father's aged face, and tears finally streamed down his face. "Dad, I don't want your money, I just want you to be well."