pertwk Chapter 21 Sharpening one's blade and concealing one's edge arouses jealousy, which in tur
Chapter 21 Sharpening one's blade and concealing one's edge arouses jealousy, which in tur
As the morning light of the twelfth lunar month just peeked over the gray-tiled eaves of the Hongxing Courtyard, Lin Chen set out with his toolbox. Passing the pond in the central courtyard, he saw Qin Huairu squatting there washing clothes. Jia Huaihua, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, sat on a stone bench beside her, her little face red with cold. He paused, remembering Qin Huairu's sincerity when she gave him the eggs the night before, and still went over to "kindly" remind her: "Sister-in-law Qin, it's not too late to wash them after the sun comes out. The water's so cold, don't let the child get cold, and it'll also delay your morning technical training."
Qin Huairu's movements abruptly stopped, and she almost dropped the washboard into the water. She looked up, forcing an unnatural smile. "Good morning, Comrade Lin. I was thinking of finishing this work so I wouldn't be too busy when I get back tonight. Don't worry, I'll definitely go to the workshop to learn the techniques from you." As she spoke, she subconsciously pulled down her rolled-up sleeves, trying to cover the skin on her wrists that wasn't red from the cold—she had specially changed into a worn-out cotton-padded jacket this morning, but had forgotten that Lin Chen had exposed her disguise last night.
"Hmph, Xiao Lin, you're just being nosy!" Yi Zhonghai's cold snort suddenly came from beside the stone table. He slowly walked over, carrying an enamel mug. "Qin Huairu has it tough raising three children. You have to nitpick over washing her clothes? If she misses out on learning her skills, I, as her teacher, will naturally say something to her. It's not your place to interfere." As soon as he finished speaking, he gave Qin Huairu a wink. The implication in his eyes couldn't be clearer—with my backing, you don't need to be afraid of Lin Chen.
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow and didn't argue further. He understood Yi Zhonghai's intentions. Last night, seeing that he had been promoted to deputy team leader, Yi Zhonghai wanted to use the master-disciple relationship with Qin Huairu to win her over. Now, seeing that he was strict with Qin Huairu, Yi Zhonghai was afraid that his disciple would actually become skilled and escape his control, so he deliberately went against him. He calmly opened the system panel and used the "item photography" function to take a picture of Qin Huairu's wrist. The panel immediately displayed the message "Skin temperature 23℃, no signs of frostbite." He stored the evidence in the system space and turned to walk towards the workshop: "Master Yi is right. I was just reminding you. Sister-in-law Qin knows what she's doing."
Qin Huairu watched Lin Chen's retreating figure, a wave of panic washing over her. Yi Zhonghai's protection gave her a sliver of hope, but the calm look in Lin Chen's eyes when he exposed her last night made her dare not truly let her guard down. She quickly finished washing the last few pieces of clothing, entrusted Jia Huaihua to Aunt Li next door, and hurried to the steel rolling mill with the "Fundamentals of Fitter" book Lin Chen had given her. When she arrived at her precision forging station, Lin Chen was already waiting for her with the blueprints.
"First, learn the basic symbols on the blueprint with me." Lin Chen spread a simple parts blueprint on the workbench and pointed to the lines, saying, "This thick solid line is the outline of the part, the thin dashed line is the invisible outline, and look at this arrow, that's the dimension line..." He explained in detail, matching each symbol with the finished parts in the workshop, but Qin Huairu was completely confused, her pen scribbling messily on the draft paper. She hadn't been focused on the technical aspects to begin with, and these dry lines seemed more difficult to her than gibberish.
"Deputy Team Leader Lin, busy, huh?" A sarcastic voice rang out, and Liu Haizhong, a cigarette dangling from his lips, swaggered over. He'd just been demoted to a level six blacksmith and lost his team leader position, and was seething with anger. Seeing Lin Chen explaining techniques to Qin Huairu, he immediately found an excuse to vent. "Hey Lin, you just got promoted and you're already taking on an apprentice on your own? That's not right, is it? Besides, Qin Huairu is Master Yi's personal apprentice. Aren't you afraid Master Yi will be unhappy if you rush to teach her?"
Lin Chen glanced up at him, his tone calm: "Master Liu, this was approved by Director Zhou. The workshop is short of skilled fitters, and since Sister Qin is willing to learn, I naturally want to teach her. As for Master Yi, we already discussed it last night, and he even asked me to keep an eye on things." He deliberately emphasized the words "approved by Director Zhou." Liu Haizhong, who was most wary of his superiors, noticed the change in his expression, but he was still persistent: "Approval is one thing, but what if teaching your apprentice during work hours affects the production schedule?"
"Don't worry, Master Liu, I've already finished today's task ahead of schedule." Lin Chen pointed to a pile of forgings next to him. "These were all forged according to the blueprints, with a dimensional error of no more than 0.1 millimeters. If you're not sure, you can take them to be inspected." Liu Haizhong leaned over to take a look. The forgings had smooth surfaces and regular edges, even better than when he was a team leader. He was speechless for a moment, spat out a cigarette butt in annoyance, and turned to leave.
Watching this scene, Qin Huairu's admiration for Lin Chen grew even stronger, but she still couldn't understand the blueprints in her hands. She gritted her teeth and mustered her courage to ask, "Comrade Lin, these lines are too complicated, what should I do if I can't remember them?" Lin Chen thought for a moment, then took out a piece of scrap iron and a chisel from his toolbox: "I'll make you a physical model, and you can refer to the blueprints." As he spoke, he picked up the chisel and gently tapped the scrap iron.
The chisel seemed to come alive in his hands; each strike was incredibly precise. Before long, a piece of scrap metal was transformed into a small model of a part. Qin Huairu, observing the patterns on the model matching the lines on the blueprint, suddenly understood. Excitement gleamed in her eyes: "I get it! This protrusion corresponds to the solid line on the blueprint, and this groove is the part marked by the dotted line!" Lin Chen nodded: "Good. Try it yourself with a piece of scrap metal; chisel out the basic shape first."
Qin Huai picked up the chisel and tried to strike it like Lin Chen, but as soon as she applied force, the chisel veered off course, leaving a crooked mark on the scrap metal. She tried several times, either missing the mark or not applying enough force; her palms were red from the hammer handle, and beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Several coworkers nearby couldn't help but chuckle: "She says she wants to learn a skill, but she can't even hold a chisel properly." "Exactly, I think she's better off staying home and taking care of the kids."
These words pierced Qin Huairu's heart like needles. She put down her chisel, her eyes reddening. She suddenly remembered how, back in the fitter's workshop, whenever she learned a skill, Yi Zhonghai would only give her a perfunctory few words of instruction, never letting her actually practice, and would say, "Women are weak and won't learn these things well." Over time, she really believed she had no talent. But just now, when Lin Chen taught her, she clearly understood the blueprints, so why couldn't she make it?
"Don't rush, hold the chisel steadily, and apply force with your wrist, not your arm." Lin Chen walked over and gently supported her hand from behind, adjusting her grip on the chisel. "Look, the chisel tip needs to be aligned with the line you're drawing, and when the hammer falls, it needs to be fast, accurate, and powerful." His voice was soft, yet it carried a reassuring strength. Qin Huairu's cheeks flushed slightly. She tried it according to his method, and the chisel indeed stopped veering off course, drawing a neat line on the sheet metal.
"I did it!" Qin Huairu shouted excitedly, her eyes shining with an unprecedented light. Lin Chen released her and stepped aside: "Keep practicing, practice makes perfect." He looked at Qin Huairu's focused expression and nodded inwardly. Actually, Qin Huairu wasn't stupid; she had just been deliberately misled by Yi Zhonghai before and had focused all her energy on playing the victim to get food stamps. Now that she had calmed down and was learning, her progress was quite fast.
Before Qin Huairu could practice for long, Jia Zhangshi's loud voice rang out from the workshop door: "Qin Huairu! You heartless bastard! We're almost starving at home, and you still have the nerve to loiter around here!" Jia Zhangshi, her hair disheveled, rushed in, grabbed Qin Huairu's arm, and dragged her out of the workshop. "Come home with me! Either go ask Sha Zhu for food coupons, or go cry in the street. It's better than wasting time here!"
Qin Huairu stumbled from the tugging and struggled, crying, "Mom, stop it! I'm learning a skill from Comrade Lin. If I learn it well, I'll get a raise, and we won't have to worry about food and clothing anymore!" "Learning what skill!" Jia Zhangshi scolded, spitting as she spoke. "That's men's work! What can a widow like you possibly learn? I think you've been fooled by Lin Chen! He just wants to take advantage of you!"
Upon hearing this, the workers in the workshop all stopped what they were doing and looked over, their eyes filled with ambiguity and curiosity. Lin Chen's face darkened. He stepped forward and grabbed Jia Zhangshi's wrist, his voice as cold as ice: "Aunt Jia, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. My teaching Sister Qin her skills was arranged by the workshop. If you continue to spread rumors and cause trouble here, I'll get the neighborhood committee and the factory security to settle this!"
Jia Zhangshi's wrist ached from his grip, and she struggled, shouting, "Let go of me! It's none of your business if I'm talking to my daughter-in-law! You're just a young brat, how dare you interfere in our family affairs? I think you don't want to stay in this courtyard house anymore!" As she shouted, she threw a tantrum and rolled around, trying to lie down on the ground. Lin Chen was prepared and released her grip beforehand, causing her to miss and fall solidly to the ground.
"Murder! Lin Chen is hitting people!" Jia Zhangshi lay on the ground, wailing and slapping her thighs. "Everyone, come quick! The newly promoted deputy team leader is hitting people! He's bullying us, a widow and her children!" Her cries attracted a larger crowd, even alerting the workshop foreman, Director Zhou. Director Zhou frowned and walked over: "What's going on? What are you doing here during working hours?"
Jia Zhangshi immediately scrambled to her feet and rushed to Director Zhou, sobbing and crying, "Director Zhou, you have to stand up for me! Lin Chen bullied my daughter-in-law, forcing her to learn some crappy skill, and he even hit me! My Qin Huairu is a widow raising three children, it's not easy for her, how could he be so heartless!" Qin Huairu quickly explained, "Director Zhou, it's not like that, Comrade Lin didn't hit her, she fell down on her own."
Director Zhou looked at Lin Chen, his eyes questioning. Lin Chen calmly said, "Director Zhou, you can ask the workers in the workshop what happened. Sister Qin was learning a skill when Aunt Jia came to cause trouble and spread rumors that I took advantage of her. I just stopped her; I didn't hit her. If you don't believe me, you can check if she has any injuries, or you can ask Master Wang and the others nearby."
Master Wang and the others nodded hurriedly, "Yes, Director Zhou, Deputy Team Leader Lin didn't hit anyone; Aunt Jia fell on her own." "We all saw it; Aunt Jia started spreading rumors." Director Zhou's face darkened as he looked at Jia Zhangshi and said, "Aunt Jia, Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill is a state-owned enterprise, not a place for you to throw a tantrum! If you cause trouble here again, I'll have the security department send you to the police station!"
Seeing Director Zhou's firm attitude and with so many coworkers testifying, Jia Zhangshi suddenly felt uncertain, but still stubbornly insisted, "I... I'm only doing this for my daughter-in-law's own good! What's the use of learning a skill? Can it put food on the table?" Director Zhou sneered, "Why can't learning a skill put food on the table? Lin Chen was promoted to deputy team leader based on his skills, and his salary is higher than your son's before he died! If Qin Huairu can learn a skill well, she'll be a key technical worker in the workshop, and she won't have to worry about food. If you really care about her, don't hold her back here!"
These words left Jia Zhangshi speechless, her face flushed red, unable to utter a word. Director Zhou then looked at Qin Huairu: "Qin Huairu, tell me yourself, do you want to continue learning the skill, or go back with your mother-in-law?" Qin Huairu glanced at Lin Chen, then at Jia Zhangshi, gritted her teeth, and said, "Director Zhou, I want to continue learning the skill!"
"Alright!" Director Zhou nodded. "Starting today, you'll be learning the technology from Lin Chen. The workshop will arrange a two-week off-the-job training period for you, and your salary will continue to be paid. If anyone dares to cause trouble in the workshop again, send them directly to the security department!" After saying that, he glared at Jia Zhangshi and turned to leave. Jia Zhangshi didn't dare to cause any more trouble and glared fiercely at Qin Huairu: "You just wait!" After saying that, she slunk away.
After the commotion subsided, the workers in the workshop changed their attitude towards Lin Chen and Qin Huairu. Before, everyone thought Qin Huairu only knew how to play the victim to get food stamps, but now, seeing her determination to learn the skills, they respected her more. Lin Chen's calm handling of the situation also made everyone admire his ability and decisiveness even more. Master Wang leaned over and said, "Little Lin, we really owe you a lot just now, otherwise this would have dragged on indefinitely."
Lin Chen smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a small matter." He looked at Qin Huairu and noticed that she was looking down, her face pale. He comforted her, "Don't worry, the workshop has your back. Your mother-in-law won't dare to cause trouble again. Focus on learning the skills; that's the foundation for your future." Qin Huairu looked up, her eyes filled with gratitude. "Comrade Lin, thank you. If it weren't for you today, I definitely wouldn't have been able to learn the skills."
Over the next few days, Qin Huairu studied with exceptional diligence. Lin Chen devised a detailed learning plan based on her individual needs, patiently guiding her step-by-step from understanding blueprints to practical operation. Qin Huairu also put aside all distractions, arriving at the workshop early every morning and returning home late at night. Even when blisters formed on her hands, she simply treated them briefly before continuing to practice. Sha Zhu watched this with a mixture of relief and disappointment—Qin Huairu used to always revolve around him, but now she was completely focused on her technical skills, even spending less time talking to him.
After work that day, Sha Zhu stopped Lin Chen and handed him a package of oiled paper: "Lin Chen, this is some braised pork hock I brought back from the guesthouse. Try it." Lin Chen took the package and smelled the rich aroma: "Brother Sha Zhu, thank you. But why did you suddenly bring me something?" Sha Zhu scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I wanted to thank you for teaching Qin Huairu her skills. I always thought she couldn't live without me, but now I realize she can live a fulfilling life on her own."
Lin Chen smiled and said, "This is the result of her own efforts, it has little to do with me." As the two were talking, they saw Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and Yan Bugui huddled together, whispering something around the stone table in the middle courtyard. When they saw Lin Chen and Sha Zhu approaching, the three of them immediately shut up, and Yi Zhonghai even pretended to pick up his teacup and take a sip.
"Xiao Lin, Sha Zhu, come and sit down." Yi Zhonghai beckoned to the two of them, his tone seemingly gentle, but his eyes held a hint of scrutiny. "I heard that Qin Huairu has been very diligent in learning her skills lately, and her progress is quite rapid. It seems your teaching methods are quite good." Lin Chen sat down and smiled faintly: "Sister-in-law Qin is talented and hardworking, so it's natural that she's making rapid progress."
"Talent is secondary; the main thing is that you're willing to teach." Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses and said meaningfully, "But Xiao Lin, you've just been promoted and you're already teaching Master Yi's apprentice so diligently. Aren't you afraid people will say you're trying to steal Master Yi's limelight? After all, Master Yi is an eighth-grade fitter in our steel rolling mill; he's a technical authority."
Lin Chen understood immediately. These three were panicking because Qin Huairu was trying to break free from their control. Yi Zhonghai wanted Qin Huairu to remain dependent on Sha Zhu, thus binding him to support her in her old age; Liu Haizhong was jealous of his promotion and wanted to find an opportunity to suppress him; Yan Bugui, on the other hand, was opportunistic and wanted to fish in troubled waters for some benefit. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I'm just teaching techniques; I'm not trying to steal the limelight. Besides, the technology belongs to the country, not to any one person. If Master Yi is willing, he can also come and instruct Sister-in-law Qin; I'd be more than happy to welcome him."
Yi Zhonghai's face stiffened. He had never intended to actually teach Qin Huairu the core technology; he only saw her as a tool to bind Sha Zhu. Lin Chen's words struck a nerve, leaving him speechless. Liu Haizhong quickly smoothed things over: "Oh dear, we're all neighbors, why are you saying such things? By the way, Xiao Lin, I heard you fixed that old forging press in the workshop? You're really promising for your age!"
"I was just lucky to find the cause of the malfunction," Lin Chen said modestly. But the more modest he was, the more jealous Liu Haizhong became. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly remembered something, a sinister smile creeping onto his lips: "By the way, the factory office recently issued a notice saying they're going to hold a technical innovation competition. The winners will receive a bonus and a certificate of honor, and they'll also get a direct salary increase. Lin, you're so capable, you'll definitely participate, right?"
Lin Chen was taken aback; he hadn't received the notification yet. Yi Zhonghai nodded: "There was indeed such a notification. I heard about it yesterday when I went to the factory office for a meeting. The topic of this competition is 'Improving Precision Forging Dies,' requiring increased forging precision while reducing material waste. This is a tough nut to crack; many veteran technicians don't dare to attempt it lightly."
Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat; improving the mold would perfectly utilize his system's capabilities. His "Fusion of All Things" system could not only fuse objects but also analyze material properties and optimize structural designs. If he could win this competition, he would not only get a raise but also further solidify his position in the workshop, ensuring that Yi Zhonghai and the others would never dare to underestimate him. He smiled and said, "Since it's a technological innovation, of course I'll participate and give it a try."
"Good! That's impressive!" Liu Haizhong clapped his hands, but a calculating glint flashed in his eyes. "I heard that Master Yi is also preparing to participate in this competition. It'll definitely be interesting to see you two (he deliberately referred to Lin Chen and Yi Zhonghai as master and apprentice) competing on the same stage. But Lin, don't be careless. Master Yi has decades of experience in precision forging. As a young man, you might have a hard time matching him."
Lin Chen knew Liu Haizhong was trying to sow discord between him and Yi Zhonghai, but he didn't care. He looked at Yi Zhonghai and noticed a fighting spirit in Yi's eyes. Clearly, Yi Zhonghai didn't want to miss this opportunity to consolidate his position, nor did he want to lose to a young man. Lin Chen smiled: "Master Yi is very experienced; I certainly need to learn more from him. But technological innovation sometimes requires new ideas; perhaps I can bring some surprises."
Upon returning home, Lin Chen immediately opened the system panel to check the information related to "Improved Precision Forging Mold". The system prompt: "Existing mold + alloy steel scrap + ceramic powder can be fused to generate a 'high-precision wear-resistant mold', requiring 5000 points, fusion time 2 hours." He currently has 3200 points, and is still 1800 points short.
To accumulate enough points, Lin Chen went to the workshop's scrap heap overnight. The winter wind was biting cold, but he didn't care. Using the system's "item recycling" function, he collected scrap iron, scrap steel, and old parts one by one. He earned 1 point for every pound of scrap iron recycled, and 5-10 points for every old part. He worked until late into the night, finally collecting enough scrap to reach 5000 points.
Upon returning home, he immediately retrieved old molds from the workshop, scrap alloy steel he had collected, and ceramic powder he had purchased from the black market, and activated the system's fusion function. Under the system's influence, the three items gradually melted into a silvery-white liquid, which then slowly cooled and shaped. Two hours later, a brand-new mold appeared before him. The mold's surface was as smooth as a mirror, with clear and regular patterns. The system panel displayed: "High-precision wear-resistant mold, forging accuracy error ≤0.05 mm, material loss reduced by 30%, service life increased by 5 times."
Lin Chen smiled with satisfaction and put the mold back into his toolbox. He knew that with this mold, the championship in the technological innovation competition was his for the taking. But he didn't expect that Yi Zhonghai had already begun to secretly plot to win. The next morning, as soon as Lin Chen arrived at the workshop, he found that his workstation had been moved, and the mold design sketches he had put in the drawer the night before were gone.
"Who moved my drawer?" Lin Chen asked, frowning. His coworkers nearby all shook their heads, saying they hadn't seen anything. Just then, Yi Zhonghai walked over with a drawing, smiling, and said, "Xiao Lin, I saw you drawing a mold design yesterday, so I borrowed it to take a look. Your idea is good, but some parts aren't quite perfect. I've revised it for you; what do you think?"
Lin Chen took the drawings and realized they were indeed his own design sketches, with Yi Zhonghai having altered several key structural elements. He immediately understood: Yi Zhonghai was trying to plagiarize his design! Suppressing his anger, he coldly said, "Master Yi, my design isn't finished yet; I don't need your help with modifications. Besides, isn't it inappropriate for you to take my drawings without my permission?"
Yi Zhonghai's face darkened: "Xiao Lin, I'm just trying to help you! You're a young person, lacking experience. I'm helping you refine the design so you can get a good result in the competition. How can you be so ungrateful?" "Treatise?" Lin Chen laughed. "If Master Yi were truly kind, he wouldn't have secretly taken my drawings and modified key structures. You're clearly trying to plagiarize my design!"
The argument between the two attracted the attention of their coworkers and Director Zhou in the workshop. Director Zhou took the blueprints, looked at them, and frowned, saying, "Master Yi, Xiao Lin is right. It's indeed inappropriate to take someone else's design without permission. Moreover, Xiao Lin's design concept is very novel, and your modifications are superfluous." Yi Zhonghai's face turned red and white in turns. He hadn't expected that his attempt to steal a chicken would backfire, and he would instead be suspected of plagiarism.
Lin Chen felt no sympathy for Yi Zhonghai as he looked at his disheveled state. He knew that from this moment on, his conflict with Yi Zhonghai was completely public. He took out the mold he had made the night before and placed it on the worktable: "Director Zhou, this is a mold I made according to my own design drawings. You can test its performance."
Director Zhou immediately had the raw materials brought in and began forging tests on the spot. When the forging was removed from the mold, everyone was stunned. The forging was extremely precise; measured with calipers, the error was less than 0.05 millimeters, and material loss was reduced by nearly one-third compared to usual. Director Zhou excitedly patted Lin Chen on the shoulder: "Great! Excellent! Lin, your mold will definitely win first place in this technological innovation competition!"
Looking at the perfect forging, Yi Zhonghai was filled with jealousy and resentment. He knew he had completely lost to Lin Chen. Not only was he technically inferior, but he was also about to be surpassed by this young man in both the workshop and the courtyard. With a gloomy face, he turned and walked out, secretly plotting to find an opportunity to take revenge on Lin Chen.
On his way home from get off work that evening, Qin Huairu stopped Lin Chen and handed him a cloth bag: "Comrade Lin, these are some eggs I've saved up, and a pair of gloves I sewed for you. You need your hands to repair the molds and teach me the techniques, so don't get cold. Thank you for helping me out today and exposing Master Yi's conspiracy." Lin Chen took the bag; the eggs inside were still warm, and the gloves were exquisitely sewn with fine stitches.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Qin." Lin Chen smiled. "Learning the skills well is the best way to thank me." Qin Huairu nodded and said with a firm look in her eyes, "I will! I must learn the skills well, support my child with my own hands, and never have to look at other people's faces again, nor be schemed against by my mother-in-law and Master Yi again!"