mchenry-crisis.org Chapter 193 Family Bonds and Support for Growth
Chapter 193 Family Bonds and Support for Growth
The morning mist in the courtyard had not yet dissipated, and the dew on the locust leaves reflected the dappled sunlight. Lin Chen had just finished washing up when he heard the soft ringing of a bicycle bell at the courtyard gate. Liu Guangtian, dressed in a crisp navy blue overall uniform with a nameplate that read "Deputy Technical Director of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill" pinned to his chest, pushed in a slightly worn Forever brand bicycle, with a bulging canvas bag strapped to the back seat.
"Good morning, Brother Lin!" Liu Guangtian's voice was much more composed than when he was young. Although there were fine lines at the corners of his eyes, he still carried the cheerfulness he had back in the forging workshop. "Knowing you were coming today, I specially asked the factory for half a day off. Let me take you to my place first, and then we'll go back to the factory for lunch." As he spoke, he stepped forward and took the suitcase from Lin Chen. The Shanghai brand watch on his wrist had a worn dial, but it was a gift from Lin Chen when he was promoted to technician.
Su Qing led Xiaoyu out, carrying gift boxes prepared for Liu Guangtian's family: "Guangtian, this is southern silk, to make a new dress for your sister-in-law; and this is a model airplane kit for Jianjun, I heard he likes mechanics." Xiaoyu, holding the locust flower cakes Grandpa Wang had given him yesterday, looked up and asked, "Uncle Guangtian, is your factory bigger than Dad's? Dad said you're now the deputy technical director, even more capable than Grandpa Yi back then!"
Liu Guangtian laughed heartily at the question, reaching out to pat Xiaoyu's head: "Your father is just being modest. He's now a nationally renowned precision manufacturing expert. I, the deputy factory director, am practically his apprentice." He pushed his bicycle and led the way, saying as they walked: "My home is in the steel mill's residential compound, not far from here. It's a two-bedroom apartment we were allocated back then, and it was renovated two years ago. Jianjun's gotten older, so we partitioned off a small study for him."
The red brick buildings in the residential compound stood in neat rows, and many sycamore trees were planted in the open space in front of them. Several elderly people were doing morning exercises with their children. Just as I reached the third unit, I saw a boy in a middle school uniform squatting on the ground repairing a bicycle. His bangs were damp with sweat, and the way he held the wrench in his hand was somewhat reminiscent of Lin Chen from back then. "Jianjun, look who's here!" Liu Guangtian called out. The boy looked up sharply, his eyes lit up when he saw Lin Chen, and he almost dropped the wrench.
"Uncle Lin Chen!" Liu Jianjun rushed over, hastily wiping the grease off his hands. "My dad told me yesterday that you were coming back, but I didn't believe him. Look at my bicycle, the chain fell off, and I'm trying to figure out how to put it back." Lin Chen squatted down, picked up the chain, and examined it, gesturing with his fingers around the gears. "The chain is stuck in the freewheel. You have to lift the rear wheel first, and then slowly straighten the gear spacing." As he spoke, he took out a mini wrench from his tool bag. This was an alloy tool he had fused with using the system; it was lightweight and extremely hard. In a few quick movements, he put the chain back in place and also adjusted the brake pad clearance.
Liu Jianjun stared wide-eyed at the wrench, reaching out to touch it. "Uncle, this tool is really useful, even better than the wrench in my dad's workshop. If I had a set of tools like this, I could definitely fix the old radio in the yard." Lin Chen smiled and handed him the wrench. "Take it if you like. Uncle made it himself. If you encounter any problems fixing things in the future, just call Uncle anytime."
Liu Guangtian's wife, Zhao Xiulan, was already waiting at the entrance of the building. She was wearing a faded polyester shirt and carrying an enamel basin filled with freshly cut watermelon. "Xiaolin, Su Qing, come in and rest. Jianjun cleaned up the study yesterday, saying he wanted to play with Xiaoyu." The furnishings inside were simple but tidy. A family photo hung on the wall of the living room, showing Liu Guangtian and his wife with their two children. The background was the forging workshop of the steel rolling mill, and one could still make out a few details of the scene where Lin Chen taught Liu Guangtian forging back then, even in the blurry background.
"This photo was taken ten years ago. Jianjun had just started elementary school that year, and Guangfu had just opened his hardware store." Zhao Xiulan poured tea for everyone and pointed to the photo with emotion. "Back then, Guangtian had just been promoted from apprentice to technician. He always said that without your guidance back then, he wouldn't have made it this far. He would read through the forging manual you wrote every night before bed. The pages were worn out from reading it so much that I had someone rebind it with a plastic cover."
Liu Guangtian took a wooden box from the bedroom. Inside, several notebooks were neatly arranged, the top one being Lin Chen's handwritten forging manual from years ago. The yellowed pages were covered with dense annotations, some indicating precise forging temperatures, others showing sketches of improved molds, and even a few pages with sample labels for workshop parts. "Look here," Liu Guangtian said, turning to a page and pointing to a red-pen annotation, "Back then, you said that loose bolts on the forging press could be tightened with an alloy wrench. I tested it many times afterward and recorded the torque data here. The factory still uses this method to inspect equipment."
Lin Chen took the manual, his fingertips tracing the familiar handwriting, as if he had returned to the forging workshop of yesteryear. Back then, Liu Guangtian would pester him with technical questions every day after get off work, even taking notes in his notebook during meals. Once, to overcome a complex forging problem, the two of them stayed up for three consecutive nights in the workshop, finally successfully forging a qualified part using a mold designed by Lin Chen. That technical improvement also saved the workshop a considerable amount of raw materials.
"By the way, Brother Lin, there's something I've been wanting to discuss with you." Liu Guangtian's tone suddenly became hesitant. He gave Zhao Xiulan a wink, and his wife, understanding, got up and took the two children to the study. "Jianjun is taking the college entrance exam this year, and he insists on applying for mechanical engineering, saying he wants to work in a technical field like you. But although our salaries are stable, supporting a college student is still a bit of a strain, especially since the lab equipment and materials for mechanical engineering are expensive. My wife and I are really worried about this."
Before Lin Chen could speak, Su Qing interjected, "Guangtian, don't worry about this. You and Guangfu helped us a lot back then, and now that the child needs to go to school, we definitely have to help. Jianjun is so talented; we can't let tuition fees hold him back." Lin Chen nodded and took out a bank card from his briefcase: "There's 20,000 yuan in here, enough for Jianjun's tuition and living expenses for four years of university. This isn't a loan; it's my sponsorship for the child. If he wants to pursue graduate studies in the future, I'll support him too."
Liu Guangtian quickly waved his hand to decline, "Brother Lin, this won't do, it's too much. We can scrape together the tuition if we're frugal, we can't keep troubling you. You helped me find an apprenticeship and taught me skills back then, I already owe you too many favors." Lin Chen held his hand and said earnestly, "Guangtian, do you remember when I first returned to the city, and Liu Haizhong made things difficult for me in the workshop, who secretly brought me steamed buns? It was you. When I had a fever and was bedridden, who helped me get leave and buy medicine? It was still you. I've always remembered these favors, and now helping my child with his education is something I do willingly."
Suddenly, the laughter of two children came from the study. Lin Chen and Liu Guangtian went over to see what was happening and found Xiaoyu explaining a model of a precision instrument to Liu Jianjun, while Liu Jianjun took out his own mechanical drawings and asked Xiaoyu for advice. "This child has loved mechanics since he was little. He's taken apart and reassembled everything in the house, from the alarm clock to the radio," Liu Guangtian said, looking at his son's back with pride. "Last time the school held a science and technology festival, his model of a small forging press won first prize. The judges all said he has a talent for mechanics."
Lin Chen picked up the blueprints on the table. They depicted a simplified forging press structure, with dimensions accurate to the millimeter, and stress analysis of key components. "These blueprints are quite good, much better than mine were at eighteen," Lin Chen said approvingly. "Jianjun, mechanical engineering is tough, but as long as you're willing to study hard, you'll definitely have a bright future. Your uncle's company has a lot of advanced equipment; you can intern there during winter and summer vacations and learn practical operation from the engineers."
Liu Jianjun's face flushed with excitement as he nodded vigorously, "Thank you, Uncle Lin Chen! I will definitely study hard and become a technical expert like you and my dad in the future." He took out an iron box from the drawer, which contained all the certificates and trophies he had received since childhood. The most eye-catching one was a medal engraved with "Little Inventor." "This is what I won last year when I participated in the city's Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition. The model I made was based on the forging mold design that you improved back then."
Around noon, Liu Guangfu arrived with his wife and daughter. He was wearing a T-shirt with the words "Guangfu Hardware Store" printed on it and carrying a large thermos. "Brother, Brother Lin, I brought you some freshly braised pig's head. It's the same recipe you taught me back then, and the taste hasn't changed at all." When the thermos was opened, a rich aroma wafted out, and Xiaoyu swallowed hard at the smell, making everyone laugh.
At the dinner table, Liu Guangfu talked about his hardware store: "Back then, Brother Lin, you taught me how to distinguish the quality of steel and how to repair hardware parts. You also helped me contact several old customers. Now the store is thriving, and residents from several nearby communities come here to buy things. Last month, I even hired two apprentices, both recent graduates. I'm training them using the methods you taught me back then." As he spoke, he took out an account book from his pocket, which contained detailed purchase records and customer information. The handwriting was neat and organized, showing some of Yan Bugui's meticulousness back then, but lacking some of his calculating nature.
"By the way, Brother Lin, there's something I need to apologize to you for." Liu Guangfu took a sip of his drink, a hint of guilt on his face. "Before my father passed away, he gave me the savings ledger he had hidden under his bed. That's when I found out that he had secretly taken scrap steel from the workshop to sell in order to pay for Guangqi's wedding. It was only because you anonymously alerted the workshop foreman that he wasn't fired. My father said before he died that the person he was most sorry for in his life was you, and that we brothers must repay you properly."
Lin Chen put down his chopsticks and remained silent for a moment. "It's all in the past. Master Liu regretted it later. Seeing you two brothers succeed, he must be very gratified. I reminded him back then because I didn't want to see him make the same mistake again. After all, he is Guangtian's father and your mentor." Liu Guangtian sighed. "After my father had his stroke, what he said most often was that he shouldn't have been so biased back then, and he shouldn't have beaten and scolded us two brothers. Before he passed away, he held my hand and said, 'Fortunately, you helped us, otherwise I wouldn't be able to close my eyes in peace.'"
After the meal, Liu Guangtian took Lin Chen to his hardware store. The shop wasn't large, but it was very well-organized. The hardware parts on the shelves were neatly categorized, and a plaque reading "Honest Business Practices" hung on the wall. Several customers were selecting parts, and Liu Guangfu skillfully introduced the products to them. He even repaired an elderly person's reading glasses for free. "Look, this is all thanks to you, Brother Lin. Doing business requires honesty and helping your neighbors," Liu Guangfu said with a smile. "Last month, the community held a charity event, and I repaired dozens of appliances for free. The residents all praised me as a 'good craftsman of the community.'"
Before leaving, Liu Guangtian returned the forging manual to Lin Chen: "Brother Lin, I've made several copies of this manual. One is for Jianjun, one was donated to the factory's technical archives, and I'm keeping one for myself as a memento. Now, the young apprentices in the factory all use it as teaching material, calling it the 'Technical Bible of Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill.'" Lin Chen took the manual and wrote a line on the title page: "Technical skills for survival, integrity for character—a gift to Liu Jianjun, hoping the torch will be passed on."
As the sun set, Lin Chen's family prepared to return to their courtyard house. The Liu brothers, Guangtian and Jianjun, saw them off at the crossroads. Holding the technical manual Lin Chen had given them, Jianjun said firmly, "Uncle Lin Chen, don't worry, I will definitely pass on your skills and spirit, and build more advanced equipment for the country in the future." Xiaoyu, imitating her brother, raised her little fist: "I want to be a technical expert like Brother Jianjun!"
Watching the two brothers and their children, Su Qing took Lin Chen's arm and said, "Look, the seeds you planted back then have now blossomed and borne fruit. Guangtian and his brother are hardworking and down-to-earth, and Jianjun is talented. They will definitely achieve great things in the future." Lin Chen looked at the steel rolling mill in the distance, the white smoke rising from the chimney turning into golden lines in the setting sun. He remembered the days when he sweated profusely here, and the scene when he first taught Liu Guangtian forging. His heart was filled with warmth.
"Actually, I didn't do much. They were just willing to work hard and persevere," Lin Chen said softly. "Just like this steel rolling mill, from the old factory buildings of yesteryear to the modern workshops of today, it's all thanks to the technical skills passed down from generation to generation. All we can do is build a bridge for them, point them in the right direction, and the rest is up to them to walk on their own." The evening breeze carried the fragrance of locust leaves, and the crisp, melodious ringing of the steel rolling mill's closing bell drifted from afar, as if telling a story of the past and foreshadowing hope for the future.