The train driver in the courtyard

It was rush hour, and residents were returning home in twos and threes.

Seeing their disheveled appearance, they knew there was some juicy gossip to be had, and they all crowded around.

"Da Mao, what happened?" Zhang Gangzhu, carrying a string of pig intestines, walked in front and grinned when he saw Xu Da Mao's unfortunate appearance.

Xu Damao bought new clothes these past two days and has been showing them off in the courtyard quite a bit, which Zhang Gangzhu has long disapproved of.

Liu Lan also came home from get off work and rushed over, grabbing Xu Damao by the collar.

"Xu Damao, you bastard, did you go and provoke some young girls again and get caught? Huh!?"

Xu Damao was heartbroken at the moment, and upon hearing this, he quickly waved his hand: "Wife, I swear to God, it's not what you think."

"What's wrong?!" Liu Lan had already started rolling up her sleeves.

Xu Damao was arrested a while ago, and she was already holding back her anger. She endured it for the sake of her children, but now she dares to cause trouble again?
Do they really think Liu Lan is an easy target?

"It was Jia Dongxu! That bastard was always looking for trouble. He's useless and loves to play games, so we got beaten up as a result." Xu Damao pointed angrily at Jia Dongxu, his eyes red, as if he wanted to tear Jia Dongxu apart.

In his haste, Xu Damao's words became somewhat incoherent, but Li Aiguo still understood them.

This story begins when the group returned to Jiajiazhuang Commune to attend Jia Zhangshi's wedding banquet.

After Jia Dongxu turned into a dung beetle, it was obvious that he could no longer attend wedding banquets.

The people on the donkey cart originally planned to return to the courtyard house so that Jia Dongxu could change his clothes.

Yi Zhonghai felt that it was taking too much time and he would not be able to get to Jiajiazhuang Commune in time.

Xu Damao came up with a good idea: find a small river, kick Jia Dongxu in, and let him wash in the river.

Jia Dongxu expressed his opposition at the time.

However, the others agreed that the minority should submit to the majority, and Jia Dongxu was kicked out.

Although the process was somewhat tortuous, the result was still good.

When the donkey cart arrived at Jiajiazhuang Commune, Jia Dongxu had already changed into a brand new look.

Jia Dongxu had been soiled by a donkey, spent most of the day in the river, and then walked the whole way in wet clothes in the wind, so he was already seething with anger.

When they arrived at Jia Ba's house, Jia Dongxu started acting like a big shot, demanding to sit in the head seat, but Jia Ba didn't tolerate it at all.

Without saying a word, she slapped Jia Dongxu twice across the face. Jia Dongxu covered his face, looking incredulous: "Mom, this old bastard hit me!"

Madam Jia stepped forward and advised, "Dongxu, Jia Ba is your father. He's disciplining you for your own good."

"Even my own father has never hit me."

Jia Zhangshi couldn't understand why her father had changed so much. She stood up and shouted, "My father is a worker. I don't have such a good-for-nothing father!"

Worried that Jia Ba would be angry, Jia Zhangshi quickly stepped forward to stop Jia Dongxu, and said with a stern face, "How can you be so insensible? Quickly apologize to your father. From today onwards, Brother Ba is your real father."

"Mother, you've changed, you've changed." Jia Dongxu was struck dumb.

According to Xu Damao's description, his eyes were wide open like a donkey's at the time, which Zhang Gangzhu found ridiculous.

When Jia Dongxu heard Xu Damao talking about the Jiajiazhuang Commune, he tried to stop Xu Damao, but Xu Damao kicked him to the ground.

"Hurry up, what happened next?" The old women and young wives all gathered around, giving a thumbs up. This was practically a family drama, so exciting!

Encouraged, Xu Damao stepped on Jia Dongxu and recounted everything that followed.

Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Yi Zhonghai was worried that the wedding would be ruined, so he quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“Dongxu is a good boy. He has been very generous and open-minded in your remarriage. Jia Zhangshi and Jia Ba, you need to give him some time to adjust.”

These words immediately eased the tension on the scene.

There are countless instances where stepsons dislike their fathers; even Dorgon couldn't handle it, let alone a mere Jia Ba.

The people in the commune understood and invited the group to sit down, even bringing out teacups and pouring tea for them.

Jia Ba, however, was confident that Jia Dongxu had him cornered, and now he insisted that Jia Dongxu call him "father."

“I married Jia Zhangshi, so I am Jia Dongxu’s father. This brat doesn’t even call me ‘father,’ which is extremely unfilial!”

Yi Zhonghai didn't expect Jia Ba to be such a master of moral blackmail. He was about to make another move when Jia Dongxu couldn't hold back any longer.

He stood up and gave Jia Ba a big shovel.

Jia Ba never expected his son to dare hit his father, and he was hit squarely in the face.

The people in the commune were not happy about this, and immediately four or five commune members surrounded them.

People in Jiajiazhuang Commune tend to favor their relatives over those in the right. Although Old Jia also came from Jiajiazhuang, he hadn't been back for many years and didn't have many relatives in the commune.

Jia Ba has seven brothers, and his nephew is even the commune secretary. How could he be afraid of a few city people?
Several young men rushed up and gave Jia Dongxu a beating. Yi Zhonghai tried to use his verbal skills, but he also got beaten up.

This matter had nothing to do with Xu Damao; he was just standing by and watching the show.

Unexpectedly, Jia Dongxu shouted at Xu Damao, "Brother Damao, hurry up and get started!"

Well, by the time Xu Damao reacted, the commune members had already rushed up.

"It's only because I know a little bit of martial arts that I've been beaten to a pulp." Xu Damao recalled the scene at the time, saying that at least fifty members of the commune came at him, and he was outnumbered, which is why his clothes were torn.

Jia Dongxu raised his hand below: "Don't listen to him. Xu Damao was beaten by an aunt in the village, and there was only one aunt."

The onlookers: "."

Xu Damao pulled Jia Dongxu up and said angrily, "If it weren't for you, I would have been beaten. I'll let it go since we're neighbors in the compound, but you have to pay for these clothes."

"Dream on, it wasn't me who hit you." Jia Dongxu spat.

Xu Damao raised his fist, ready to beat Jia Dongxu, but several residents quickly stopped him, and Liu Lan also grabbed Xu Damao's arm.

Jia Dongxu was already injured, and if they started fighting again, it could cause a huge mess.

Finally, Liu Haizhong stepped in and took the group to the steel mill's clinic, where they received simple first aid without paying any money.

The residents in the courtyard were discussing today's hottest gossip, all wondering why Jia Zhangshi had become love-struck.

Second Aunt put forward a novel viewpoint: "It's a match made in heaven for Jia Zhangshi to marry Jia Ba. Think about it, she doesn't even need to change her name."

The third uncle agreed: "That's right. If Jia Zhangshi marries a man surnamed Liu, she'll have to change her name to Liu Zhangshi."

Li Aiguo was somewhat amazed by the way Uncle San thought. It was just a woman surnamed Zhang marrying a man surnamed Zhang. What should she be called?

Zhang Zhangshi?
[If anyone knows the answer, please reply: _____]

In the following days, Xu Damao kept chasing Jia Dongxu for money to buy clothes, but Jia Dongxu ignored him. The two fought several times, with each winning and losing.

Yi Zhonghai took four or five days off before he dared to go back to work, waiting for the injuries on his face to heal a little.

Yan Jiecheng ran fast and was the least injured. These past few days, he has often gone out to meet Yu Li.

Although the courtyard house team suffered a loss this time, Jia Zhangshi will never return. The neighborhood committee removed Jia Zhangshi from the list of residents in the area.

The residents were fairly satisfied with the result.

Early the next morning, Li Aiguo rode his motorcycle to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

The Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop now houses a group of experts, including Zong Xianfeng, Zhou Gaoyuan, and Chief Engineer Tan.

Professor Xia Zhongsu from the Red Star Computing Institute also arrived with more than a dozen computer researchers.

Among them was Professor Gillotti, whose father was an expert in a large machinery factory, making him practically half a machinery factory worker. Half of his blood was in computers and half in industrial equipment, making him perfectly suited to compiling industrial software.

After arriving at the studio, Professor Gillotti found Li Aiguo's office.

"Patriot, I have something I need your help with."

“Just say what you need to say, we’re old friends.” Li Aiguo had a very good impression of Professor Gillotti.

The former director of the Minsk Computer Institute has been working diligently here since he arrived, and he has also helped the Red Star Computing Institute bring in many computer experts from Russia.

"My wife is pregnant," Professor Gillotti stammered for a long time before finally managing to utter the sentence.

Li Aiguo was also stunned by the news.

Professor Gillotti is over fifty years old this year. Last year, Professor Gillotti married a researcher who was the daughter of an old Mao Zedong. Li Aiguo attended the wedding banquet.

She's pregnant?!
"Well, old Ji, you're still going strong, like a withered tree coming back to life." Li Aiguo rarely saw Professor Jilotti, who was usually so serious, in such an awkward moment, so he made a couple of jokes.

“I didn’t expect this either,” Professor Gilotti sighed. “I had already made up my mind to dedicate my life to computer research.”

"Is there anything I can do?" Li Aiguo asked directly.

"That's right. Anna still holds her nationality there. According to your regulations, the child's household registration follows the mother, which will cause problems for the child's schooling."

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo also felt that he was in a difficult situation.

The policy of having a child's household registration follow the mother applies to citizens of the same country.

There are currently no explicit regulations on how to resolve situations like Anna's.

The baby is due in a few months, and it's impossible to send him back to the Russians.

Li Aiguo came up with an idea.

"How many years has Anna been here?"

"It's been three and a half years, and she is currently a first-level researcher, having received three commendations."

"That's about it. If Anna is willing, she can apply for citizenship for special talents. Go back and find the leaders in your department and ask them to help with the application."

With the application of computers in various fields, the Red Star Computing Institute is becoming increasingly important and needs more outstanding talents, including many foreign talents.

Given that there are currently no relevant regulations in China, the Ministry of Railways has made a small exception.

Special talents can apply for citizenship, and once approved after assessment, they are considered family.

The assessment is very rigorous. Take the first batch of Russian experts for example, only five people have obtained certificates so far, while the others are just long-term residents.

"This is a good idea."

Professor Gillotti's eyes lit up. She gratefully offered Li Aiguo a cigarette, lit one for herself, and continued to ask, "Which daycare center is better?"

Li Aiguo: "."

He felt that the Russian was being a bit too hasty; the child hadn't even been born yet, and he was already thinking about schooling.

I still suggest that Professor Gillotti send his child to the preschool at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot in the future.

After all, the Red Star Computing Institute is also an industry of the Ministry of Railways, and the two are essentially one entity, which complies with the park's entry requirements.

"Thank you, thank you," Professor Gillotti said repeatedly.

Subsequently, the studio held a conference and finalized the project to develop a milling-turning composite machining center.

With more people, the work gets done, and the basic framework was completed in just half a month.

It cannot compare to the high-end composite machining centers of later generations.

This is a large lathe that combines several functions such as turning, milling, drilling, boring, and tapping. It looks particularly rustic, yet it is full of industrial beauty.

The first thing to test is the milling function, using an alloy material that can be machined into fan blades.

Li Aiguo conducted experiments and made adjustments simultaneously.

Computer experts then write programs based on the adjusted parameters to enable future computer control.

"Patriotism, could we use this thing to manufacture the boom of an excavator?" a wild car expert asked.

The development of the excavator is still underway, and they have encountered a problem: the boom of the excavator manufactured by State-owned Factory 317 is not precise enough, and two booms have already been scrapped.

Li Aiguo knew that several milling machines had been independently developed in China, but the boom was as long as 6.3 meters, which was too big to process.

The machining precision of those milling machines is also insufficient; their milling of planes and grooves differs from the international leading level.

Li Aiguo believed that his milling and turning machining center should reach world-class standards, primarily performing milling and turning operations, supporting multi-directional cutting such as face, radial, and eccentric cutting. Now, however, he realized it lacked the capability to process large parts, so he decided to address that first.

Larger excavators will require even larger hydraulic cylinders in the future.

The hydraulic shaft of the tunnel boring machine also needs to be upgraded.

This equipment is only suitable for processing small parts, which is far from sufficient.

"Patriotism, how about we conduct a test first? I'll call two cranes over and use the booms to process it?" The wild car expert, acting on his instincts again, started to think crookedly.

In the past, Li Aiguo would not have minded using such unorthodox methods; as long as it solved the problem, it was a good solution.

However, since the milling-turning machining center is the core milling-turning lathe of the future, it will need to be upgraded and transformed sooner or later, so it's better to take this opportunity to get it done.

"Wait a moment, I'll go find the section chief and apply for some materials. Let's increase the area of ​​the processing table first, and then we'll get started."

The locomotive depot does have the alloy steel plate we need, but it was just delivered from Anshan Iron and Steel Group and the stress hasn't been relieved.

It is difficult to eliminate stress in steel plates of this thickness using thermal effects; the stress can only be removed naturally by leaving them outside.

If the stress is not relieved, the precision will change in a short time, requiring recalibration and repair.

In more serious cases, it can even affect the entire composite machining center.

Li Aiguo was not nitpicking.

The Russians recently released a batch of materials, including the famous JS3 tank scrapping incident.

In 1945, 400 JS3 tanks developed various steel plate cracks after being deployed to the battlefield due to the large area of ​​steel plates used, the lack of effective stress relief, and problems with the welding process.

More than 50 JS3 tanks were deemed beyond repair due to excessive cracks and were declared scrapped.

The total loss caused by the accident was 500 million rubles, which is equivalent to 12 billion yuan in today's purchasing power.

The handling of the incident was also very "Russian," with more than 60 people in charge being arrested and imprisoned.

Li Aiguo didn't want to produce a bunch of inferior goods.

Section Chief Xing hasn't been in the office for the past few days.

The motorcycle workshop has upgraded its equipment, and he's busy coordinating with several machinery factories to complete the installation as soon as possible.

In the afternoon, Li Aiguo was busy in his studio when Section Chief Xing learned from Yan Jiecheng that Li Aiguo had something to do, so he rushed over.

"Section Chief, have some water." Seeing that Section Chief Xing was covered in sweat, Li Aiguo stood up, poured some cool tea, and handed it to him.

The herbal tea was made from cow hooves grass sent by Weizhuang Commune, with white sugar added, making it refreshing and cooling.

"This stuff is pretty good. Have the materials department buy more and send it to all the workshops." Section Chief Xing took a couple of sips of his drink and handed the task over to a deputy section chief.

"Section Chief, I need to talk to you about something. I'd like to request some materials from you."

"Just apply to the materials department if you need any materials. They've already coordinated with the ministry." Section Chief Xing sat down again, looking puzzled.

“The materials this time are a bit special. I would like to apply for two cannon barrels, the kind that have never been fired, about 6.5 meters long,” Li Aiguo replied.

Section Chief Xing's mouth dropped open: "A cannon barrel?"

"This is used as the track. The main material also needs an alloy steel plate that is 26.5 meters long, 4 meters wide, and 115 millimeters thick."

Li Aiguo continued, "Both of these need to be at least three years old since they were manufactured."

Section Chief Xing was speechless: "What are you trying to make with all this cannon barrel and steel plate stuff?"

"I'm currently building a composite machining center, and I'm thinking of making the equipment bigger so that it can process large parts in the future," Li Aiguo briefly explained the situation.

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing immediately perked up. A composite machining center is already quite remarkable, and if it can process large parts, it's even more impressive.

"Let's go take a look." Section Chief Xing instructed the deputy section chief to prepare herbal tea for the workers, while he followed Li Aiguo to the composite processing center.

Section Chief Xing then noticed that in just a few days since he last visited, the enormous machine had already been assembled.

The frame of the current composite machining center is already over ten meters long, which is considered a large lathe.

Li Aiguo is now saying that he wants to continue increasing the length, eventually reaching more than 20 meters, which would be larger than a house.

People in this era valued size and admired the mighty flow of steel.

"The bigger the better, we workers just love big stuff." Section Chief Xing looked at the frame of the machining center and nodded in admiration: "This thing can be used to process large military equipment in the future, right?"

"It should be possible," Li Aiguo nodded.

"Okay, I'll contact them for you right now, but it will probably take a while."

After leaving the studio, Section Chief Xing returned to his office and called the ministry to report.

When the ministry leaders heard that it was a request from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop, they were about to agree immediately. However, when they heard that it required cannon barrels and 26.5-meter-long steel plates, they were dumbfounded.

Forget about the cannon barrels; the First Machinery Plant should have some in stock, and they could trade them for beer.

The key is that this 20-meter-thick alloy steel plate is not an ordinary material; I've never even heard of it.

"Old Xing, wait a minute, I need to report to Leader Teng."

After hanging up the phone, the ministry leader knocked on the office door and reported the situation to Leader Teng.

"I was wondering why the Qianmen Locomotive Depot hadn't made any moves lately, but I didn't expect Aiguo to be working on something good again." Leader Teng stroked his chin.

Having served as a leader for many years and personally helped establish the Datong Locomotive Factory, he certainly knew what a milling machine capable of processing parts over 6 meters long meant.

Moreover, Leader Teng believed that what Li Aiguo produced was definitely a good thing.

Mountain motorcycles produced by the Qianmen Locomotive Depot are of high quality and have low maintenance costs, and have now become an essential item for railway workers' weddings.

After the scooter was sold overseas, it was known as the "Red Star Scooter" because of its reliable quality.

Mountain motorcycles were also exported to Africa along with Hongxing Mining, and the black people in the Third World gave a thumbs up when they talked about the products from China.

Ever since we taught the Indians a lesson, they've been crying and complaining everywhere. Now, with the promotion of motorcycles, our reputation is getting better and better, and almost no one is speaking up for the Indians anymore.

You won't sell me cheap and reliable motorcycles, and you won't help me with my mining operations, so why should I speak up for you?!

This is a manifestation of soft power.

Other factories didn't work out.

Another domestic motorcycle manufacturer took advantage of the opportunity presented by Hongxing scooter's overseas expansion and sought help from the foreign trade department, thus getting a free ride.

As a result, 500 motorcycles were sold, but more than 100 were returned, leaving the foreign trade department in a sorry state and losing a lot of money.

“We should support it.” Leader Teng snapped out of his thoughts and handed the task over to the corresponding leader.

This leader had been involved in procurement for many years and was very familiar with various materials in China. He quickly contacted the First Machinery Plant, and two cannon barrels that had been stored for four years were sent on a freight train bound for Beijing.

The more than 20-meter-long steel plate did not pose a challenge to this leader.

"The Navy's Shipyard 301 once planned to build two Russian BHC-type boats, but the shipbuilding plan was canceled due to some special reasons, and a large number of materials are still stored in the warehouse."

After learning of this news, Leader Teng personally contacted Leader Liu.

Subsequently, a steel plate used to manufacture warships was loaded onto a ship, intended to be transported by train through Tanggu Port.

Li Aiguo was relieved to hear this news; with these two materials, the processing center was on track.

The next day, the first batch of turbo fans was manufactured.

Thanks to the addition of a reverse turbine module, the noise level is much lower than planned, similar to the survey results.

The turbo fan is also equipped with a speed controller with five speed settings, with the fifth setting being the highest and the first setting the lowest.

After testing each component in the laboratory, Li Aiguo, along with a group of untrained automotive experts, installed them in the motorcycle workshop.

Turn on the switch, and the fan starts spinning.

Even at a distance of about ten meters, you can still feel the strong wind, and the temperature inside the workshop seems to have dropped several degrees.

The strong airflow made Li Aiguo's clothes flutter, but the blueprints in the cabinet three meters away remained completely still.

The wild car expert scratched his head: "Strange, does the wind even know its way around?"

"Because this type of fan has a duct, the air pressure is relatively high, and the energy concentration effect is strong," Li Aiguo explained with a smile. "This is also why the air volume is so large."

The wild car expert nodded: "I understand. This fan is like a cannon, sending the wind directly over, while the ceiling fan is like a shotgun, firing at a large area."

"I guess so." Li Aiguo felt that he should attend night school for a few more years.

After learning that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot had manufactured high-powered fans, the Ministry of Railways also planned to install several of them in several large offices.

In those days, without air conditioning, holding meetings during the day was like taking a sauna; the more people there were, the hotter it got.

"I happen to be going to the ministry on business later, I'll take it with me," Section Chief Xing said to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo considered that the department might not know how to install it, so he asked a wild car expert to accompany him on the trip.

"The office ceiling is too low, remember to adjust it to the lowest setting."

"understood."

After Section Chief Xing and the wild car expert left.

Li Aiguo went back to the workshop and got busy again. The cannon barrel had been loosened and needed to be processed into a track.

In the afternoon, turbine fans were installed in several large offices of the Ministry of Railways.

"The airflow seems a bit strong."

"It's much bigger than a ceiling fan."

"That's right." After discussing it for a while, no one paid any attention to the fan.

The Ministry of Railways was in charge of railway transportation nationwide, and people from various departments came to handle their business in an endless stream.

Inside the department, Director Chen and Technician Zhang from the Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing Plant were coordinating the transportation of a batch of supplies with their superiors.

Director Chen was in charge of coordination, while Technician Zhang sat beside him, waiting to provide his professional experience when formulating the transportation plan. A gust of wind blew by, and Technician Zhang felt much cooler.

He sensed something was wrong, but couldn't quite put his finger on it.

After Director Chen finished coordinating, he nudged Zhang, the technician, and asked, "Zhang, what are the requirements for transporting that batch of supplies?"

"Huh?!" Zhang, the technician, snapped out of his daze and said, "The batch of main rotors the factory needs is for the Z-5 helicopters. During transportation, we must ensure that they are not bumped or knocked down. Especially..."

The railway department doesn't transport Z-5 helicopters very often. Zhang, the technician, explained everything in detail, covering all the precautions from loading to transportation and unloading.

The railway department also needs to determine the transportation plan based on the actual situation, so the two temporarily stayed at the railway guesthouse.

Zhang Jishu lay in bed, then remembered something was wrong.

"Why aren't you turning on the fan?" Director Chen walked in, turned on the knob, and the ceiling fan made a creaking sound, causing papers on the table to fly everywhere.

Director Chen cursed and reached for the papers, but Technician Zhang jumped up and shouted, "Director Chen, don't move!"

"What's wrong?" Director Chen was startled.

"Director, today at the Ministry of Railways, there were so many papers, and not a single one flew away, did you know that?" Zhang finally remembered.

He felt a strong wind at the time, but on the desk not far away, there was a stack of papers that did not move at all.

"What paper? I didn't notice it."

"Director, Director, are we going to the Ministry of Railways again tomorrow?"

"The plan will be finalized tomorrow, but we'll need to review it again."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jishu lay back down on the bed, put his hands under his head, and stared at the ceiling: "Why is there wind on this side but not on the other side when we're only a few meters apart?"

(End of this chapter)