wavenovel Chapter 2 Mischievous Boy Steals Grain, First Steps in the Workshop
Chapter 2 Mischievous Boy Steals Grain, First Steps in the Workshop
Madam Jia Zhang limped back to the Jia family's backyard. As soon as she pushed open the peeling wooden door, she was choked by the coal smoke that hit her, coughing violently. A few pieces of coal burned in the small coal stove in the main room, the flames flickering weakly like a candle in the wind, unable to dispel the chill that filled the room. Ten-year-old Jia Geng was squatting by the stove, his little hands, red and swollen from the cold, gripping the edge, his eyes fixed longingly on the empty pot on the stove. Hearing a sound, he turned sharply, his eyes full of expectation: "Grandma, did you get it? I'm hungry..."
Seeing her grandson's state, Jia Zhangshi's anger subsided by half, only to be replaced by resentment towards Lin Chen. She slapped her thigh and sat down on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), clutching her still-aching knees and cursing, "Don't even mention it! That little beast must have had some nerve, daring to challenge an old woman like me! And he even threw some kind of ash at me, look how dirty my pants are!" She then shoved the ash-covered pant leg in front of Jia Geng, "If I hadn't tripped and fallen, I would have torn his mouth apart!"
Jia Geng's eyes shifted from expectation to disappointment, and her little mouth trembled as she was about to cry: "What should I do, Grandma? I haven't had a proper meal in three days. I drank three bowls of the wild vegetable soup Mom made yesterday, but I'm still hungry..."
These words pierced Jia Zhangshi's heart like needles. Her son, Jia Dongxu, was paralyzed in bed after a work injury at the steel mill. The family relied entirely on her daughter-in-law, Qin Huairu's, meager wages as a temporary worker at the cotton mill, and the occasional grain coupons "borrowed" from Sha Zhu to survive. With the year-end approaching, the grain jar was nearly empty, and even wild vegetables were almost gone. Looking at her grandson's sallow face, she suddenly remembered the faint aroma of rice wafting from Lin Chen's room—the fragrance that had drifted in when she pried open the window earlier was definitely not something wild vegetables could produce!
A wicked thought slowly took shape in her mind. She leaned close to Jia Geng, lowered her voice, and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Genggeng, Grandma has something to tell you. There's rice hidden in Lin Chen's room, and it smells really good. His window looks sturdy, but there's actually a crack at the bottom. You're small and have slender hands, you can definitely reach in..."
Jia Geng's eyes lit up, but then he became a little scared: "But Grandma, what if he's awake?"
"He just had a fight with me, he must be exhausted and asleep!" Jia Zhangshi patted her chest to assure her, then pulled a sharpened, thin wire from her bosom. "Use this to widen the gap a little more, then go in and drag the rice bag out. Grandma will keep watch at the gate. If there's any noise, I'll cough, and you run!" She paused, then added fiercely, "Remember, if he finds out, just cry and say you're starving and have no choice. The old men and women in the yard will definitely side with you!"
Driven by hunger, Jia Geng nodded, gripped the wire, and headed outside. Jia Zhangshi followed closely behind, hiding at the corner where the middle and back courtyards met, peeking out and watching Lin Chen's window. She thought to herself: once she got the rice, she'd cook a thick porridge for her grandson to tide him over, and hide the rest to eat slowly. If Lin Chen dared to cause trouble, she'd lie down on the ground and accuse him of bullying an orphan and a widow, and see if that old bastard Yi Zhonghai would care!
Unbeknownst to Lin Chen, a second attack on the grain supply was brewing. After finishing his porridge, he felt much better and was sitting at the stove studying the system. While cooking the porridge, he had tried using the system to assess the half-bag of stale rice. The panel immediately displayed the following information: [Item: Stale Rice. Quality: Inferior. Characteristics: Rich in carbohydrates, edible, some grains are moldy and need to be thoroughly washed.]
This identification function is quite useful; it can prevent accidentally eating spoiled food. Lin Chen was pondering whether to use his points to exchange for some clean coarse grains when he suddenly heard an extremely faint "rustling" sound outside the window. This sound was different from the noise Jia Zhangshi made when she pried open the window earlier; it was thinner and lighter, like a mouse gnawing on wood.
A thought struck him, and he quietly moved to the window, peering through the hole. The morning light had already filled the courtyard, and he could clearly see a small, thin figure crouching under the window—it was Jia Geng! The child was gripping a wire, struggling to pry open the gap at the bottom of the window frame, his little face flushed red.
Lin Chen's eyes instantly turned cold. Jia Zhangshi, having failed to steal herself, had actually instigated her grandson to do it! Truly, the upper beam is crooked, and the lower beam is crooked too! He didn't speak immediately, but quickly considered a solution. If he simply chased the child away, Jia Zhangshi would definitely throw a tantrum; if the child was hurt, he'd have no way to explain himself. He needed to think of a way that would both intimidate her and avoid giving her any grounds for criticism.
His gaze fell on a paper packet on the stove—it was talcum powder he'd brought back from the countryside yesterday, intended for sharpening tools. Talc is fine and smooth; if it gets in your eyes, it will sting so badly you can't open them, but it won't cause real injury—perfect for dealing with Jia Geng. Lin Chen quickly grabbed a handful of talcum powder, wrapped it in a thin piece of paper, poked a few small holes in it, and quietly walked to the inside of the window, crouching down in front of the widened crack.
Jia Geng, outside the window, had pried the gap wide enough to fit a hand. He cautiously looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he took a deep breath and slowly reached his right hand in. His hand groped in the darkness and soon touched the pottery jar against the wall—Lin Chen had deliberately moved the jar closer to the window to lure him in.
Just as Jia Geng's fingers touched the edge of the pottery jar, Lin Chen suddenly squeezed the paper packet tightly. Talc powder sprayed out through the small hole, landing right on Jia Geng's face as he peered in.
"Ah—my eyes!" Jia Geng screamed, pulling his hand back as if burned, covering his eyes and rolling on the ground. Tears mixed with talcum powder flowed down, and he stomped his feet in pain.
Hearing her grandson's screams from around the corner, Jia Zhangshi was terrified. Forgetting to keep watch, she stumbled over and hugged Jia Geng tightly: "Genggeng! What happened? What happened to your eyes?"
"Grandma, it hurts... my eyes hurt so much..." Jia Geng cried his heart out, unable to open his eyes at all.
Madam Jia looked up at Lin Chen's window and saw him open it, holding an empty paper package. She immediately understood what was going on. She grabbed Jia Geng and wanted to rush up to confront him, but Lin Chen's cold gaze stopped her in her tracks.
"Aunt Jia, keep an eye on your grandson." Lin Chen's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the courtyard could hear him. "I keep talcum powder for polishing tools in this room. If someone sticks their hands in and gets it in their eyes, they can't blame anyone else." He paused, deliberately raising his voice, "Besides, breaking into someone's house through a window to steal things will get you arrested and reprimanded by the neighborhood committee if word gets out. Don't let it implicate the whole courtyard!"
These words struck a nerve with Jia Zhangshi. In this era, moral failings and theft were extremely serious matters. Once the neighborhood committee took notice, not only would it affect Qin Huairu's job, but even Jia Dongxu's work injury compensation, who was paralyzed in bed, could be impacted. Looking at her grandson crying his heart out in her arms, and then at the neighbors peeking out from around them, she could only grit her teeth and swallow her anger. Carrying Jia Geng, she headed home, not forgetting to utter a harsh threat: "Lin Chen, you just wait!"
Lin Chen snorted coldly and closed the window. He knew this wasn't over, but at least it would temporarily intimidate the Jia family. He didn't dare to be careless, so he found some wooden planks, nailed the gaps in the window shut, and placed an overturned bucket behind the door—if anyone pushed the door, the bucket would fall down and make a sound, adding another layer of defense.
After finishing these tasks, Lin Chen sat down again to study the system. He remembered that there were still quite a few miscellaneous items in the storage room, and perhaps he could identify some useful things. He opened the system panel, found the "Item Identification" function, walked to the door of the storage room, and scanned the miscellaneous items inside.
A series of messages immediately popped up on the panel: [Item: Broken wooden crate. Quality: Damaged. Characteristics: Loose wood, no use value.] [Item: Old hoe. Quality: Poor. Characteristics: The iron hoe blade is chipped, the wooden handle is cracked, can be repaired and used.] [Item: Pottery jar. Quality: Common. Characteristics: Good sealing, can be used to store grain.]...
While sweeping through the corner, a special notification suddenly popped up on the panel: [Found special items that can be fused: Rusty Copper Lock x1, Broken Copper Piece x3. Can be fused into a "Simple Copper Key". Consume 5 points to fuse?]
Lin Chen's eyes lit up. He remembered that the rusty iron lock on the wooden cabinet had been locked for a long time, and inside were some of the original owner's identification documents and food coupons. If he could fuse them to create a copper key, he might be able to open other locked items. He immediately selected "Yes".
[5 points deducted, fusion begins... Fusion successful! Obtained item: Simple Copper Key x1.]
A small, gleaming brass key appeared in his hand, its shape perfectly fitting the lock on the wooden cabinet. Lin Chen quickly walked to the cabinet, inserted the key, and gently turned it. With a "click," the lock opened. Inside the cabinet was indeed a cloth bag containing the original owner's household registration book, his certificate for being sent to the countryside, five jin of grain coupons, and three yuan—all the original owner's belongings remained when he returned to the city.
Holding the heavy grain coupons and money, Lin Chen felt much more at ease. With these, at least for the short term, he wouldn't have to worry about food. He hid the grain coupons and money under the rice in the earthenware jar, and put his identification in his inner pocket before starting to get ready—today was the day he was to report to the steel mill, and he absolutely couldn't be late.
Lin Chen found the only relatively clean blue work uniform, put it over his patched underwear, and then slipped on his cloth shoes with windproof and warm insoles before stepping out of the room. The courtyard was already bustling with activity. Yan Bugui in the front yard was calculating accounts with an abacus, muttering something to himself; Yi Zhonghai in the middle yard was carrying a toolbox, seemingly on his way to work; and Liu Haizhong in the back yard was scolding his sons, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu, for being lazy at work.
Seeing Lin Chen emerge, Yi Zhonghai stopped and sized him up. As the eldest son of the family in the courtyard, he nominally managed all the affairs of the compound, but in reality, he was only focused on grooming Sha Zhu to be his son-in-law in his old age, and didn't care much about the other young people in the courtyard. However, he had witnessed the conflict between Lin Chen and Jia Zhangshi yesterday and knew that this newcomer was not to be trifled with.
"Xiao Lin, are you going to report to the steel rolling mill?" Yi Zhonghai's tone was somewhat tentative.
"Yes, Uncle Yi." Lin Chen nodded politely. He knew what Yi Zhonghai was thinking, but now was not the time to break ties with him; he still needed to maintain a facade of politeness.
"Perfect timing, I'm going to the steel rolling mill too, let's go together." Yi Zhonghai said, and walked out of the courtyard first. Lin Chen followed behind him, thinking to himself: Yi Zhonghai is an eighth-level fitter at the steel rolling mill, and he has a lot of prestige in the factory. If he can get along well with him, he might be less bullied in the workshop. But he can't rely on him too much. In this day and age, it's better to rely on yourself than on anyone else.
It takes more than half an hour to walk from the courtyard to the steel rolling mill. Along the way, Yi Zhonghai would occasionally ask Lin Chen about his experience of cutting in line, but Lin Chen would only give unimportant answers. When they were almost at the factory gate, Yi Zhonghai suddenly stopped and lowered his voice, saying, "That Jia Zhangshi is a woman who loves to take advantage of others, but don't take her too seriously. Her family is not well-off; Dongxu is paralyzed in bed, and Qin Huai is raising three children on her own. If you really push her too far, she's capable of anything."
Lin Chen sneered inwardly; this was someone pleading for the Jia family. He remained outwardly calm: "Uncle Yi, rest assured, I'm not one to start trouble, but if anyone tries to bully me, I won't tolerate it."
Yi Zhonghai glanced at him but didn't say anything more. He knew Lin Chen understood what he meant, but he didn't intend to persuade him any further—in this era, being too cowardly was indeed unacceptable, and Lin Chen's ruthlessness might allow him to gain a foothold in the steel mill.
Stepping through the gates of the steel rolling mill, Lin Chen was immediately awestruck by the sight before him. Inside the massive factory buildings, steel furnaces roared with intense heat, molten steel flashed blindingly as it was poured, and the deafening roar of machinery filled the air. Workers, clad in heavy overalls and hard hats, toiled amidst the high temperatures and noise, their faces etched with weariness yet unwavering determination. This was the backbone of industry in that era, supporting the nation's development with their sweat and blood.
Yi Zhonghai took Lin Chen to the Labor and Personnel Department to complete the registration procedures. The staff member handed Lin Chen a letter of introduction, informing him that he had been assigned to the forging workshop and would be apprenticed under Wang Tieshan, a level six forging worker. "Master Wang is skilled, but he's also very straightforward. You should learn from him diligently and not be lazy," the staff member instructed.
Lin Chen accepted the letter of introduction, thanked the officer, and followed Yi Zhonghai towards the forging workshop. The forging workshop was the toughest and most tiring place in the entire steel rolling mill—high temperatures, loud noise, and a high risk of injury. In his previous life, the original owner of this body couldn't endure the hardship and, coupled with being schemed against by the Jia family, made a mistake in the workshop and lost his job. But Lin Chen wasn't afraid. In his previous life, he was a military engineer with in-depth knowledge of machinery and forging. Given the opportunity, he was confident he could do better than anyone else.
Stepping into the forging workshop, a wave of heat hit you. In the center of the workshop, a large forging hammer was hammering a red-hot iron block with a series of "bangs," sparks flying everywhere. Yi Zhonghai pointed to a middle-aged man in the corner who was sharpening tools and said, "That's Master Wang Tieshan. You go ahead, I'll go to the fitter's workshop first."
Lin Chen nodded, walked to Wang Tieshan's side, and respectfully handed over the letter of introduction: "Hello Master Wang, I am Lin Chen, the new apprentice. Please give me your guidance in the future."
Wang Tieshan looked up and glanced at Lin Chen. His face was covered with small scars, marks from burns inflicted by sparks. His eyes were sharp as knives, revealing a ruggedness honed from years of working with steel. He took the letter of introduction, glanced at it, then looked Lin Chen up and down, frowning: "So frail, can he handle the work of a blacksmith?"
"Don't worry, Master, I can handle it." Lin Chen straightened his back. "I spent three years working in the countryside, and I've done all kinds of heavy work. I have plenty of strength."
Wang Tieshan didn't speak, but pointed to a pile of scrap iron next to him: "Move this scrap iron to the corner first, and come find me when you're done." After saying that, he lowered his head to sharpen his tools, clearly wanting to test Lin Chen first.
The pile of scrap metal weighed several hundred pounds, each piece incredibly heavy. Lin Chen knew this was his master's first test, so without complaining, he rolled up his sleeves and started moving it. His physical constitution was only 3 points, making moving the scrap metal extremely difficult. He was drenched in sweat and his arms began to ache after only a few pieces. But he gritted his teeth and persevered, silently repeating to himself with each piece, "Hold on, I'm earning my own living!"
The other workers in the workshop gave the new apprentice strange looks when they saw him moving scrap metal. A young worker came over and said, "Hey newbie, don't be silly and move it. Master Wang is just deliberately making things difficult for you. Go offer him a cigarette and say some nice things, and he won't let you move it."
Lin Chen looked up at him and recognized him as another apprentice in the workshop named Li Jianguo. He smiled and shook his head: "Thank you, brother, but I'll carry it myself. This is a task given to me by my master, and I have to complete it." He knew that Li Jianguo meant well, but he didn't want to take shortcuts from the start—in the forging workshop, real skills matter, and taking shortcuts won't get you far.
Li Jianguo was stunned for a moment, not expecting Lin Chen to be so stubborn, then shrugged and walked away.
Lin Chen spent a full hour moving the last piece of scrap metal to the corner. Exhausted and soaked in sweat, he collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, his arms aching so much he could barely lift them. Wang Tieshan came over and handed him a water bottle: "Have some water."
Lin Chen took the kettle, unscrewed the cap, and took a big gulp. The cool water flowed down his throat, making him feel much better. He stood up and said to Wang Tieshan, "Master, I'm done moving."
Wang Tieshan nodded, his eyes showing more approval: "Not bad, you have a tenacity. There are no shortcuts in blacksmithing, you just have to be able to endure hardship and put in the effort." He pointed to an anvil next to him and said, "From today onwards, you will practice swinging the sledgehammer. When you can swing the sledgehammer steadily and evenly, I will teach you the real skills of forging."
Lin Chen was overjoyed, knowing he had passed his master's initial test. He looked at the heavy hammer, weighing at least twenty pounds, took a deep breath, and walked over. He knew this was just the beginning; there was still much to learn to gain a foothold in the steel rolling mill.
Just as Lin Chen was about to pick up the sledgehammer, a commotion erupted at the workshop entrance. A man in blue overalls walked in, his arm around a woman's waist, humming a tune. It was none other than Sha Zhu—He Yuzhu. He had just finished get off work when Qin Huairu cornered him at the factory gate and pestered him for ages before he finally agreed to bring her some braised pork from the canteen that evening.
Sha Zhu paused for a moment when he saw Lin Chen, then recognized him as the new neighbor in the courtyard. He sized Lin Chen up and down, saying with a hint of provocation, "Oh, isn't this the new guy, Lin? What are you doing in the forging workshop? This is tough work; can you handle it?"
Lin Chen's eyes turned cold. In his past life, although Sha Zhu wasn't inherently bad, he was used as a pawn by Qin Huairu and had helped the Jia family bully him several times. In this life, he wouldn't give Sha Zhu a kind look again.
"Whether you can handle it or not is none of Master He's concern," Lin Chen said with a hint of detachment. "But Master He, aren't you afraid of being seen by the workshop foreman, walking around with a woman in your arms during work hours?"
Sha Zhu's expression changed, and he quickly released his grip on Qin Huairu. Although he had some privileges in the canteen, he didn't dare to openly violate factory rules. He glared fiercely at Lin Chen: "Kid, don't push your luck! Believe me, I'll make sure you can't stay in this courtyard house anymore!"
"Then let's give it a try." Lin Chen met his gaze without backing down. "I'd like to see how you make it impossible for me to stay."
"You..." Sha Zhu was so angry that he was about to hit him, but Qin Huairu stopped him. Qin Huairu gave Lin Chen a gentle smile: "Comrade Lin, don't take it to heart by Zhu Zi's words. He's just outspoken. My son Geng Geng was being naughty this morning and offended you. I apologize."
Lin Chen felt a wave of nausea as he looked at her feigned innocence. He knew Qin Huairu was trying to smooth things over; after all, if Sha Zhu caused a scene in the workshop and lost his job, their family would lose an important source of food.
"Sister Qin, you're too kind," Lin Chen said calmly. "Children don't know any better; they'll be fine once they've been taught a lesson. But if this happens again, I won't be so lenient."
Qin Huairu's face turned pale and then red, but she could only force a smile: "Yes, yes, I will definitely teach Geng Geng a lesson. Zhu Zi, let's go quickly, don't delay Comrade Lin's work." After saying that, she pulled Sha Zhu and walked out of the workshop.
Watching the two figures walk away, Lin Chen's gaze grew increasingly resolute. The struggles in the courtyard and the trials at the steel mill had only just begun. But he was no longer the cowardly Lin Chen of his past life. With the system's help, and with his own wisdom and resilience, he was certain he could carve out his own path to survival in this difficult era.
He picked up the twenty-pound sledgehammer, took a deep breath, and swung it with all his might. The sledgehammer struck the anvil with a loud "bang," sparks flying everywhere. This resounding crash not only forged the steel but also forged his will—from this day forward, he would be like that steel, tempered a hundred times, becoming indestructible!