The train driver in the courtyard

These two days.

Yi Zhonghai is living a very comfortable life.

After Jia Dongxu passed away, he and an old woman went to the fence to deliver some white flour buns to Sha Zhu and took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart talk with Sha Zhu.

Although Sha Zhu is not as good-looking as Jia Dongxu, he is smarter because he is brainless. His mother died early and his father ran away, making him a perfect caregiver.

Sha Zhu was so moved that tears streamed down his face, and he excitedly called out to Master Yi Zhonghai.

As soon as Sha Zhu comes out, the second caregiver can be on duty in time.

"Just a few steamed buns, and I got a son in return. That's a good deal." Yi Zhonghai rarely took out a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes from his drawer, pulled one out, and started smoking it with relish.

Just then, Yan Jiecheng's howl came from outside.

I heard that Jia Zhangshi led the people of Jiajiazhuang to besiege the courtyard house, and Yi Zhonghai was originally unwilling to show up.

However, upon closer inspection, Li Aiguo's patrol team was in the courtyard, so this time they were guaranteed to win.

That being the case.

Why not go and make a name for yourself?

That's how it is.

Yi Zhonghai, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, a coat draped over his shoulders, and his hands behind his back, walked out of the courtyard.

Seeing Li Aiguo standing not far away, Yi Zhonghai, worried that he would steal the credit, quickly said, "Li Aiguo, this is a matter within the compound. We need to resolve it within the compound's boundaries, so we won't trouble your neighborhood patrol team."

Li Aiguo was about to watch the play when he lit a cigarette and stood at a distance.

"Don't panic, everyone. I approved Qin Huairu's succession. With me here, Jia Zhangshi can't cause any trouble."

When Yi Zhonghai saw Yan Jiecheng, Uncle San, and several residents blocking the entrance, he nodded slightly to them and strode towards the group of people from Jiajiazhuang.

They walked out with great vigor and momentum.

They traveled a thousand miles a day.

An old man walked out of a courtyard house.

If a searchlight were to shine on him at that moment, it would definitely become a famous scene in a zombie movie, where one person fights against countless zombies.

"Yi Zhonghai is really bold." Xu Damao also got off work and joined Li Aiguo to watch the excitement.

"Let's wait and see." Li Aiguo felt that this Jia Zhangshi was a little different from before, and wouldn't be so easy to deal with.

really.

When Jia Zhangshi saw BOSS Yi Zhonghai appear, she strode towards her opponent with the naturalness of someone heading straight for radishes and cabbages in a market.

Behind her was her second husband, Jia Ba, a formidable fighter.

"Old sister-in-law." Yi Zhonghai spat out his cigarette butt, his last act of courtesy, and walked toward Jia Zhangshi, perhaps wanting to express something.

Jia Zhangshi didn't listen to what he was saying at all, or perhaps she was too much like Yi Zhonghai; too much rambling was just a waste of time and only allowed the author to fill in the blanks.

Jia Zhangshi merely glanced sideways to estimate the distance, then drew a black rainbow in the air and splashed the entire dung ladle out.

Nice! All correct.

Almost not a drop spilled on the ground; the water seeped from the ends of her hair to the roots, from her forehead all the way down to her shoelaces.

Xu Damao was also stunned, exclaiming that Jia Zhangshi had shoveled a lot of manure in the commune.

Li Aiguo found his noise annoying; such a wonderful scene couldn't be missed.

The scene shifts to the center of the battlefield—oops, the entrance to a courtyard house.

Amidst the swirling fumes of excrement, Yi Zhonghai uttered a resounding, sky-piercing high note. Despite Li Aiguo's distance, he could still sense the full power, the lingering flow, and the inexhaustible vitality of the sound.

While twisting his body and making strange movements like hopping on one leg, Yi Zhonghai tried to tear off his clothes. It has to be said that Yi Zhonghai was quite capable; he actually managed to take off his coat.

Jia Zhangshi didn't even look at how the weak, pitiful little creature was resisting. She simply turned around, scooped up another spoonful of excrement, and poured it over the creature.

Then, Jia Zhangshi walked past that weak, pitiful little creature that was "dancing haphazardly".

With a mocking smile, she walked directly toward the third uncle and the dumbfounded residents of the courtyard.

As he walked, he dropped the manure scoop, spread his hands out to indicate that he was not carrying any weapons and was only there for friendly negotiations.

The third uncle was so frightened that he retreated repeatedly. Qin Huairu had already hidden in the courtyard. Yan Jiecheng and Yan Jiedi were reluctant to part with such a wonderful scene, so they climbed up a big tree to look down.

Today, the Jia Zhang family is invincible!

The gate of the courtyard house was about to be breached.

Just at this critical moment, a voice came from behind.

"Jia Zhangshi, what you've done has had a terrible impact. Aren't you afraid the police will arrest you?" Yi Zhonghai finally recovered from the biological attack, staggered to his feet, and stood in front of Jia Zhangshi.

“My son is dead. If I, an old woman, don’t take over the family business, I won’t live either. My family has been loyal and virtuous for generations, and we have been devoted to serving the country. How could we end up like this? Just take me away now.”

This was the first time Jia Zhangshi had spoken, and it stunned a group of people.

You still have a guillotine at home, don't you?

Li Aiguo had just lit a cigarette when he almost choked on it. Today, not only had Jia Zhangshi's fighting skills increased dramatically, but her intelligence had also improved.

Yi Zhonghai was also taken aback by Jia Zhangshi's imposing manner. He looked down at the filth on his body, then at the surrounding residents, and frowned: "Everyone, stop crowding here and get on the ground!"

Leftover excrement and urine, even if it's carried for miles against the wind!

The onlookers quickly retreated into the courtyard.

They sensed that Jia Zhangshi wouldn't dare rush into the courtyard.

Then Li Aiguo heard a loud slap, followed by a loud voice cursing his ancestors for eighteen generations, lasting for a full two minutes, with not a single word repeated.

Then everyone in the courtyard came out to watch.

Residents from the surrounding neighborhoods all came out to see.

No one is letting them charge anymore.

Yi Zhonghai is busy.

Jia Zhangshi and Yi Zhonghai were locked in a tangle, rolling around on the ground, while Jia Ba was behind them, slapping them wildly with a dung scoop.

Li Aiguo used the word "rolling" because he didn't know how else to describe their appearance.

Yi Zhonghai will be up there in a moment.

Jia Zhangshi will be upstairs in a moment.

Soon their bodies were tangled together, their four legs intertwined, making it impossible to tell who was on top.

Jia Ba didn't consider that; he'd just attack whoever was on top.

Jia Zhangshi was covered in excrement and urine.

Jiajia Commune needs to buy new manure scoops.

Strange substances were flowing down Yi Zhonghai's forehead, forming long, thin threads.

Its back was covered in a strange paste.

Only Jia Ba fought very seriously, even making a cross on his dung spoon.

Yi Zhonghai simply couldn't take it anymore. If he were to be hit to death with a dung scoop, his reputation would be ruined.

Seeing Li Aiguo standing to the side with his arms crossed, he quickly called out, "Li Aiguo, isn't your neighborhood patrol team doing anything?"

Before Li Aiguo could speak, Xu Damao said sarcastically, "Didn't you just say that this is a matter within the compound and has nothing to do with the neighborhood patrol team? Now you're thinking about Brother Aiguo?"

"."

Yi Zhonghai now regrets it; he should have known better than to stick his neck out.

The third uncle wanted to go up and help, but was forced back by the biological weapon.

Helpless, the third uncle ran over, rubbed his hands, and said to Li Aiguo somewhat awkwardly, "Aiguo, what Lao Yi said just now was indeed inappropriate, but letting Jia Zhangshi continue to make trouble like this is not a solution."

Li Aiguo couldn't just stand by and watch Jia Zhangshi wreak havoc here; the ground was filthy and disgusting.

Li Aiguo finished fixing up his motorcycle, grabbed a stick, and walked over.

Seeing Li Aiguo approaching, Jia Zhangshi turned pale with fright and jumped up from the ground.

Please remember this undeniable fact: if the person holding the gun doesn't fire, even an atomic bomb wouldn't help.

Even a simple stick can cause someone to bleed from the head.

“Li Aiguo, this has nothing to do with you. I am Jia Dongxu’s mother, and it is my turn to take over!” A hint of fear flashed in Jia Zhangshi’s eyes.

This kid is really daring, and incredibly ruthless.

Seeing Li Aiguo step forward, Zhang Gangzhu and several young men from the neighborhood patrol team also stepped out from the crowd and surrounded Jia Zhangshi and the oxcart.

Just moments ago, Jia Zhangshi, who had been so domineering, took two steps back, and Jia Ba quietly threw his manure scoop onto the oxcart.

Li Aiguo walked up to Jia Zhangshi. Jia Zhangshi was short to begin with, and now her legs were slightly bent, making it seem as if she was looking up at a three-story building when she saw Li Aiguo.

"Li, Li Aiguo, we didn't go into the compound, you can't do anything to me!"

Well, so that's why Jia Zhangshi didn't rush into the courtyard for so long. The onlookers burst into laughter.

Yi Zhonghai's old face is now as red as a monkey's bottom.

Li Aiguo looked down at Jia Zhangshi: "Do you think our neighborhood patrol team's patrol area is limited to the courtyard house?"

Jia Zhangshi was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood. Far from being afraid, her eyes lit up: "You mean as long as we don't cause trouble in the neighborhood, everything will be fine? Okay, okay, let's go now."

Jia Zhangshi turned around and walked towards the oxcart.

"Wait!" Li Aiguo spoke again when he saw that the people were about to leave.

Jia Zhangshi turned her head and looked at Li Aiguo with disbelief: "What?"

Li Aiguo pointed to the filth on the ground: "It's cleaned up."

Everyone's expression changed slightly. What was she thinking, making such an unreasonable old hag like Jia Zhangshi clean the house?

But the next second.

Jia Zhangshi actually took out a broom and a winnowing basket from the oxcart.

The commune members jumped off the oxcart, some sweeping the floor, others shoveling manure, and in no time the ground was clean.

Li Aiguo was now certain that these members were Jia Zhangshi's dung-collecting friends; otherwise, they wouldn't be so skilled in their work.

Of course, Li Aiguo couldn't bring himself to say that.

After cleaning up, the group jumped onto the oxcart and set off.

The residents who were watching were talking.

Jia Zhangshi beat up Yi Zhonghai.

Jia Zhangshi cleaned the ground.

Jia Zhangshi planned to continue causing trouble for Yi Zhonghai and Qin Huairu outside the neighborhood.

Everyone said they were calm.

I'm not afraid of things getting out of hand, and I don't mind hearing lots of bragging.

Now that the situation has eased, everyone is increasingly looking forward to excitement. The residents are discussing it among themselves and are beginning to look forward to a brighter tomorrow.

At this moment, Yi Zhonghai only wanted to slap himself hard.

This had nothing to do with him; he just wanted to show off, and ended up getting himself into trouble. An older woman cleaned the feces off Yi Zhonghai while complaining about his meddling.

"Don't worry, I'll go to the factory tomorrow. As long as Qin Huairu takes over, Jia Zhangshi won't be able to cause any trouble."

Li Aiguo didn't pay attention to these matters because the railway authorities had already received a call from Gennady, and they could sign the purchase agreement soon.

When Li Aiguo arrived at the ministry, the delegation from the Matorsk Heavy Machinery Plant had already arrived.

"Hello, patriotic comrade."

The agreement was drafted in advance, and Gennady quickly signed his name on the agreement after shaking hands with Li Aiguo.

According to the agreement, Lao Mao Tie will purchase 100 oil tanker trains in the first batch, totaling 2,400 carriages.

The price of each car is 300,000 rubles, with a total price of 30 million rubles. The down payment is 20%.

This number seems like a lot.

However, it's important to understand that there were no transnational oil pipelines at that time. Russia's oil exports were either transported by sea or via the Eastern European railway line to Western Europe, and these oil tanker trains were far from sufficient.

It sounds unbelievable that the Eastern bloc would sell oil to the West.

In fact, just think about how Uzbekistan was beaten bloody by the Russians in later years, and it wasn't until several years later that they shut down the natural gas pipelines within their territory.

Even back then, we were planning to negotiate with John Bull about the introduction of military radar.

Within this large family, the relationships between the various households are extremely complex.

Far away.

Since Lao Mao Tie couldn't pay the full amount in cash, Dong Da Tie took out a list that had been prepared beforehand.

The content above is very rich, including grains, steel, oil, furs, and so on, all of which are Russian specialties.

Ultimately, both parties agreed that half would be paid in cash and the other half in kind.

The leaders of the ministries were thrilled to see the agreement finally signed.

This export shipment wasn't the largest ever, but it was Lao Mao Tie's first purchase.

More importantly, a batch of grain that was originally planned to be shipped out can now stay here.

The agreement was implemented immediately after it was signed.

While Dongda Railway was arranging the production of oil tankers, Laomao Railway was starting to procure supplies.

A few days later, the first train, with more than ten wagons fully loaded with goods, slowly pulled into Manzhouli Railway Station from the Russian side.

Guan Shaoshan, a wheel turner at Manzhouli Station, was not surprised to see the Russian train approaching.

Manzhouli served as a bridgehead for trade with Russia, and in the past, a train loaded with goods would be sent to Russia every few days.

They usually go fully loaded with goods and return empty.

This time, the situation seems different.

"Old Guan! What are you standing there for? Get to work!" The captain's shout came from behind.

Guan Shaoshan stubbed out his cigarette butt on the anvil at his feet, grabbed a wrench, and ran toward the train.

The Russians use a 1524mm wide gauge, while we use the international standard gauge with a 1435mm spacing.
Every time a Russian train reaches this area, the train chassis and wheels need to be replaced and upgraded.

During a break from work, Guan Shaoshan approached Old Liu, the train driver who had come to take over the shift: "Old Liu, what's going on today? Why are the wagons fully loaded?"

Old Liu was watching the leaders on the railway check the goods list, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of his clothes. His voice was low but couldn't hide his excitement: "What's wrong? All the goods on this train were obtained by us in exchange for train equipment!"

"Really?" Guan Shaoshan also got excited. Having worked here for so many years, he often saw large quantities of supplies being transported there, and you can imagine how he felt.

We've finally seen the supplies return.

"Of course it's true! There are still dozens of train cars waiting!" Old Liu patted his shoulder, then scratched his head in slight annoyance.

"I heard it's a new piece of equipment that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot came up with, and the person in charge is a national model worker who used to be a train driver... I just learned about his deeds a couple of days ago, how could I have forgotten his name!"

"Li Aiguo?" Guan Shaoshan blurted out.

"Yes, yes, that's the name." Old Liu nodded emphatically.

"We, the people who work on the railway, have exchanged so many good things for what we produce. Great, great!" Guan Shaoshan felt he had never done such a satisfying job before.

Not only him, but all the other employees at the freight station were also listening to the commotion, and their faces were full of enthusiasm.

The track-changing work, which normally takes an hour and a half, was completed in just one hour this time.

At this time, Dongda Railway also completed the acceptance work, shook hands with the person in charge of Laomao Railway, and ordered the train to start.

The freight train, billowing black smoke, sped along the dark railway towards the interior, like a surge of fresh blood coursing through veins.

"Dear patriotic comrade, our first batch of goods has been delivered, and my work here is finished. I estimate I will be going back tomorrow."

Li Aiguo learned of the arrival of the supplies from Gennady.

Gennady is an expert at getting things done.

After the agreement was signed, they did not slack off; instead, they requested to visit the manufacturing workshop of the oil tanker train.

Since this part was not classified, Li Aiguo accompanied Gennady to the Changxindian Locomotive Factory.

Gennady also proposed some targeted improvements to make the tanker trains more adaptable to the extreme low temperatures in Russia.

Li Aiguo himself is a technician. These past two days, he and Gennady have been spending time in the workshop. Over time, despite their different positions, they have developed a tacit understanding as friends.

Gennady was one of the older generation of train designers, with solid technical skills and a deep understanding of diesel locomotives.

In the past two days, Li Aiguo has learned a lot from Gennady.

Gennady was also amazed by Li Aiguo's foresight.

The two strolled along a secluded path near the Changxindian Locomotive Factory.

Gennady suddenly stopped and looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he smiled bitterly and said, "Comrade Patriot, please believe me. Before I set off, I did not know Anton's purpose. I only thought he was the person in charge of surveillance."

When the agreement was signed, both sides tacitly avoided mentioning Anton, as if he had never existed.

“Old Gen, I believe you.” Li Aiguo stopped and looked at Gennady.

This senior engineer had done his best in the negotiations, and the improvements he proposed were the result of painstaking effort; he was a true technologist.

"That Anton...where is he? Never mind." Gennady was still a little worried about Anton, but after saying it, he felt it was inappropriate and hesitated.

“He’s somewhere you can guess.” Li Aiguo answered directly, without beating around the bush.

“Sigh…” Gennady sighed heavily, his brows furrowed. “I really don’t understand why the higher-ups sent Anton here. We should be brothers! If we really lack technology, we can sit down and learn from each other, help each other, why resort to this ‘stealing’ tactic?”

Li Aiguo looked at the chimney of the workshop in the distance, his voice becoming deeper: "Perhaps some people don't treat 'brothers' as equals."

The air was silent for a few seconds before Gennady quickly changed the subject, deliberately lightening his tone: "Let's not talk about that. The temperature here is really high; the days with snow in winter must be short, right?"

Li Aiguo didn't follow up on the topic. His gaze darkened, and he seized the opportunity to ask, "Lao Gen, how much do you know about Anton's background? Who sent him?"

This is also what Li Aiguo couldn't understand.

Logically speaking, the Russians should now be aware that their biggest enemy is the United States.

Especially considering the timing, the Russians have already started installing firecrackers at Sugarcane's house, so it's impossible for them to send people here directly to cause trouble.

It's not that the Russians wouldn't dare, but rather that they wouldn't use such a crude method.

Li Aiguo has never underestimated the Cheka.

But Anton was indeed a genuine Cheka.

Even if Anton didn't say anything, Li Aiguo could smell that scent on him.

When this was brought up, Gennady hesitated for a moment, seemingly having some reservations, but he finally spoke up.

"I don't know the specifics, but I heard from the factory leaders that Anton did indeed have a warrant from the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

Li Aiguo was just trying his luck, and seeing that Gennady didn't know much, he didn't press the matter further.

Gennady offered Li Aiguo a cigarette, hesitated for a moment, then took out a notebook from his pocket, tore off a piece of paper, and wrote down an address.

"Patriotism, this is my home address. If you ever get there, please remember to visit my home."

Li Aiguo took the note and put it away.

the next day.

Li Aiguo personally saw Gennady and the Russian delegation off on the international train bound for Moscow.

After a busy day at the studio, I had just returned to the courtyard house when I saw Yi Zhonghai coming back from outside with a bruised and swollen face.

Yi Zhonghai also saw Li Aiguo, turned his head away, looking somewhat embarrassed, and muttered something like, "I accidentally fell into the ditch," before running back in a disheveled state.

"What's wrong with Yi Zhonghai?" Li Aiguo asked with a smile when he saw Xu Damao humming a tune as he returned.

"You don't know yet? Jia Zhangshi and those people from Jiajiazhuang didn't go back," Xu Damao replied.

"Didn't you go back?"

"Yes, they first went to the steel rolling mill to find the leaders, and then they waited for Yi Zhonghai outside the block."

After listening to Xu Damao's words, Li Aiguo couldn't help but chuckle.

Jia Zhangshi's IQ has indeed improved considerably.

This time, Jia Zhangshi was quite cunning. When she arrived at the gate of the steel rolling mill, she didn't cause any trouble. Instead, she raised the plaque and knelt down in front of the gate.

Passersby and workers gathered around to watch.

Upon hearing that Jia Zhangshi's son had died and her daughter-in-law had abandoned her, everyone sympathized with Jia Zhangshi's plight.

Jia Zhangshi neither cursed nor hit anyone, and her son had just died, so the leaders of the steel mill couldn't just handcuff her.

The steel rolling mill was also frustrated. Jia Dongxu's accident was unforeseen, so they should pay compensation and find a replacement.

What does the dispute between Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu over the division of spoils have to do with the steel mill?
When Deputy Factory Director Li found out about this, he simply suspended Qin Huairu's succession procedures, letting the two of them sort things out before deciding who would take over.

“If you don’t let Jia Zhangshi cause trouble in Nantongluo Lane, she’ll bring people to guard outside the steel rolling mill, just waiting to deal with Yi Zhonghai. Oh, and Liu Haizhong got beaten up too.” Xu Damao grinned from ear to ear.

As they were talking, Li Aiguo saw Liu Haizhong walk in.

He was stronger and faster than Yi Zhonghai, but he lost a shoe in the process.

"That Jia Zhangshi is a piece of dung; whoever gets involved with her is doomed." Liu Haizhong was also very frustrated. He shouldn't have agreed to help Qin Huairu just to save face.

Seeing Li Aiguo standing under the eaves, Liu Haizhong walked over and said dejectedly, "Aiguo, this is not easy to handle. Those people are too unreasonable."

Li Aiguo stroked his chin: "If Jia Zhangshi can find people from Jiajiazhuang, then what about Qin Huairu's family?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Haizhong froze on the spot, his eyes darting around rapidly, before finally slapping his thigh hard.

"That's right, let Qin Huairu's family deal with the people from Jiajiazhuang! How come I didn't think of that?"

"Second Uncle, your idea is great! I'll go back and call my parents and relatives right away." Qin Huairu was also exhausted by Jia Zhangshi, and she immediately perked up when she heard Liu Haizhong's words.

Qin Huairu returned to her hometown overnight to ask for reinforcements. She estimated that the Qin family members would arrive in the capital in a few days.

A martial arts movie was turned into a TV series, and the residents of the courtyard house watched it all like a grand show.

These melons keep coming one after another; there's no way we can finish them all.

Li Aiguo stopped watching the drama unfold. The next day, as soon as he arrived at work, Professor Qi from Workshop 116 knocked on his office door.

The old professor seemed to have become more than ten years younger, and excitedly shouted, "Patriotism, our turboshaft engine is assembled!"

(End of this chapter)