The train driver in the courtyard

When Xiao Mei's family revealed that the old Russians planned to build a firework launch site in Sugarcane's house, it quickly caused a huge stir within the extended family.

It has been less than twenty years since the little boy and the chubby boy were born in the notebook, and the power of the firecracker is still deeply engraved in people's memories.

The Western camp immediately took it very seriously and began to contain Russia through various means, including political, economic, and military measures.

International newspapers were full of news criticizing the Russians, with only a handful of members of the Eastern Bloc standing on their side.

Looking at the newspaper, Li Aiguo shook his head helplessly.

In fact, one of the real root causes of this crisis is that the US built a firework launch site in Turkey, which is very close to Russia and could destroy Moscow in just 5 or 6 minutes.

However, while everyone knows about Russia's launch sites, no one knows about the US's. One has to admire the West's ability to control public opinion.

Of course, there are also reasons for this; the Russians are too sloppy in their work.

It's like playing Warcraft III. The human race sends a bunch of peasants to secretly knock on the towers in front of the opponent's base, but before they can knock on the towers properly, the opponent discovers them.

The Russians are currently in a very awkward situation.

But that’s fine too.

All other attention was drawn to the Sugar family. The Cheka, Langley agents, and Mossad also changed their targets and got involved in the major event.

With the pressure on our side greatly reduced, Li Yunlong took the opportunity to give the Indian a good spanking again.

Ah San, clutching his backside, tearfully complained to the clan leader, John Bull, who was also annoyed by the Sugarcane family's crisis.

Why?

Xiao Mei's family has a strategy for getting things done: they especially like to have their younger brother take the lead.

This crisis was no exception; President Kenneth ordered John Bull to keep the large mushrooms deployed in Scotland on "level one alert," ready to deal with the Russians at any time.

John Bull, who thought he was Little America's brother, was now being treated like a lackey, so he was naturally unhappy and was trying to find a way to argue with Little America's family. He had no time to care about the Indians.

Seeing that John Bull couldn't be relied on, Ah San sent someone to Xiao Mei's house, crying and complaining, "Brother, your butt was swollen from being whipped by Li Yunlong. This isn't whipping my butt, it's clearly whipping your face!"

"Who's your elder brother? You don't even deserve the surname Xi!"

President Ken had just learned that the Russians had unknowingly deployed an army of 50,000 men, more than 100 tanks, more than 200 armored vehicles, and a large number of rocket launchers in the Sugar Land.

In addition, there was the Sugarcane family's own army of over 200,000, more than 300 tanks, and over 100 anti-aircraft missiles.

Xiao Mei's family had already devised a plan to infiltrate the area, but now they have to cancel it.

President Ken was furious.

"roll!"

"Hey, okay."

The Indian had no choice but to seek help from the Russians, but after thinking about it, he ultimately decided not to go.

He was afraid the Corn Emperor would slap him.

The Indian can only try to buy time, hoping that Xiao Mei's family and Lao Mao's family can help him after this crisis is over.

The giant mushrooms here are ready for harvest.

Old Cat and a large group of meteorologists were transferred to the Northwest. Before leaving, he had a big drinking session with Li Aiguo at the weather station.

"I estimate I won't be back until the end of the year after this trip."

"Bon Voyage!"

Around 11 p.m., everyone had drunk too much. Li Aiguo rode his motorcycle back to the courtyard house. Fortunately, drunk driving hadn't been checked yet in those days.

As soon as he entered the house, he saw Chen Xueru in the main room, sewing clothes while waiting for him.

"Why are you only coming back now? Yushui waited for you for most of the night and couldn't stay up any longer before going back."

"Is something wrong with her?" Li Aiguo took the tea from Chen Xueru and gulped it down, which made him feel much more energetic.

"Yushui is taking the high school entrance exam tomorrow, and I'd like you to take her to the exam venue," Chen Xueru said playfully, treating He Yushui like a younger sister.

"I really forgot," Li Aiguo said with an embarrassed smile.

If He Yushui gets into high school this year, she will take the college entrance examination in 65, just in time to catch the last train to university.

"I'll take half a day off tomorrow morning to take He Yushui there."

Li Aiguo had indeed drunk too much tonight. He barely exchanged a few words with Chen Xueru before falling asleep.

Chen Xueru, who called him a "stinky man," sniffed in disgust at the smell of alcohol on him, but her hands were very obedient as she helped Li Aiguo take off his clothes and covered him with a blanket.

The next morning, before Li Aiguo had even gotten out of bed, he heard He Yushui's voice coming from outside.

"Brother Aiguo, remember to give me a ride today."

"understood."

Li Aiguo responded, got dressed, washed up with a basin, and ate.

After finishing these chores, they finally arrived at Aunt Liu's house.

The Liu family had a very lavish meal today, and they even boiled two eggs for He Yushui, skewering them on a chopstick.

"Eat quickly, so you can get a perfect score on the test."

After finishing her meal, He Yushui prepared her exam admission ticket and stationery, walked out the door, and waved to Aunt Liu: "Mom, I'm going to take the exam."

"Don't be nervous, it's okay even if you don't pass the exam," Aunt Liu advised.

It was during working hours, and the residents in the compound all knew that He Yushui was going to take the high school entrance exam, so they all greeted her.

Of course, there were bound to be some whispers behind her back, with many residents feeling that He Yushui shouldn't be in high school.

These days, attending a vocational school is much more advantageous than attending high school. After graduation, you can be assigned a formal job, and you can start working and get married sooner.

Riding a motorcycle on the streets of Kyoto is a beautiful sight, and the young girls and older women on the roadside stare wide-eyed.

Whether they were watching Li Aiguo or that racing motorcycle, we don't know.

"Brother Aiguo, I'm going into the exam room now, goodbye."

Good luck on your exam, and goodbye.

After dropping He Yushui off at the examination hall, Li Aiguo returned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.

Li Aiguo is now not only involved in Project 116, but also has to supervise the subordinate workshops of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Although it's just supervision, all the work must be done properly in order to prevent anyone from causing trouble.

In particular, many people nowadays hold onto outdated ideas, believing that once they have a secure job, they can work hard for only a few days and then relax for a few days.

They don't even consider that wealth doesn't appear out of thin air; the golden rice bowl is earned through everyone's hard work.

Moreover, given the special circumstances of that era, Li Aiguo could not bring up some of the views of later generations. He had to find ways to improve production efficiency and quality under the existing system.

Li Aiguo spent the entire day busy.

When He Yushui returned to the courtyard house in the evening, he had finished his exams for the day and was chatting with Chen Xueru at home.

Upon seeing Li Aiguo enter, He Yushui excitedly greeted him.

"Brother Aiguo, today's exam went very well. I'm sure I'll get a high score."

"How did it go so smoothly?" Li Aiguo asked with a smile.

"We had a Chinese exam this morning and a rectification exam this afternoon. Do you know what the essay topic was for the Chinese exam?" He Yushui asked excitedly, her eyes wide.

Before Li Aiguo could answer, He Yushui excitedly said, "The essay topic is a letter to Yue Nan Nan!"

"Brother Patriot, you were right! It really is related to current events."

Li Aiguo was also somewhat bewildered.

When He Yushui predicted the essay topic, he remembered that the topics in recent years seemed to be related to the international situation, so he talked about some things related to the monkeys.

Surprisingly, my prediction came true.

"I read the news reports about Shao and Yue Nan before the exam, so I'm sure I'll get a high score on the essay." He Yushui puffed out her chest and said, "Brother, what reward will I get if I do well on the exam?"

"If you get a high score this time, I'll treat you to a ride on a duck boat in the park," Li Aiguo said with a smile.

"Okay, you promised, so you have to be a witness, sister-in-law." He Yushui jumped up and down, which Chen Xueru said made her act like a girl.

It was already close to evening when He Yushui returned to the Liu family home, and Chen Xueru began cooking.

Li Aiguo sat with his three children under the eaves, set up a tea table, and leisurely enjoyed the picturesque scene full of everyday life.

Sudden.

A series of hurried footsteps broke the tranquility of the courtyard.

"Patriotism, hurry, something's happened."

Upon seeing that the visitor was Lao Zheng, the stoker from the crew, Li Aiguo stood up in surprise and asked, "Lao Zheng, what happened?"

"Master Cao Wenzhi has had an accident and has been taken to the railway hospital," Old Zheng said anxiously.

Cao Wenzhi was Li Aiguo's mentor. When Li Aiguo joined the locomotive depot, Cao Wenzhi took good care of him.

Upon learning of this situation, Li Aiguo immediately sent the three children home, told Chen Xueru that he would not be back for dinner that night, and then rode his motorcycle towards the railway hospital.

On the way, Li Aiguo roughly figured out what had happened.

This matter is somewhat related to Li Aiguo.

With the expansion of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, a large amount of materials are transported in and a large amount of products are transported out every day, making freight operations extremely busy.

Cao Wenzhi was supposed to rest these past two days, but upon learning that Qin, the chief driver of freight train 1687, was ill, he voluntarily took on the initiative to work overtime.

While helping transport a batch of parts for two-headed donkeys to Baoding, the train suddenly derailed and crashed into a cornfield after passing the Xiaosigang switch station.

At the time, commune members were working in the fields by the roadside. When they saw the train derail, they immediately ran to help, and Cao Wenzhi was rushed to the hospital.

"Master Cao is an experienced train driver, how could he still make such a basic mistake as speeding? This month's safety bonus for our locomotive depot is secondary; Master Cao might be in big trouble." Old Zheng sighed from the back.

Train drivers are not prohibited from causing accidents, but they are prohibited from causing accidents due to basic errors. At best, they will be punished, and at worst, they will be held criminally liable.

"How do you know it's because of speeding?" Li Aiguo gripped the handlebars tightly, turned the motorcycle, and roared into the hospital.

"That train wasn't fully loaded, and the tracks had just been inspected. Even an apprentice shouldn't have been able to overturn it."

"Perhaps there are other reasons."

Li Aiguo did not blindly trust Cao Wenzhi's skills.

Instead, these experienced drivers become increasingly cautious the more they drive, making it virtually impossible for them to make basic mistakes.

But what exactly caused this accident?
After thinking for a moment, Li Aiguo parked his motorcycle in the hospital's bicycle shed.

After inquiring with the nurse on duty, Li Aiguo learned that Cao Wenzhi had already undergone surgery and was now in a ward, out of danger. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief and, following the nurse's directions, went to the second floor of the inpatient department and opened the door to a ward.

Cao Wenzhi was lying on the hospital bed wearing a hospital gown, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead and one leg trapped between wooden sticks.

"Master, are you alright?"

Seeing Li Aiguo arrive, Cao Wen glared at Lao Zheng who followed him in: "Lao Zheng, I was just trying to keep you from disturbing Aiguo, and my injury is nothing serious."

“Master, you are injured. How can I, as your disciple, stand idly by?” Li Aiguo walked over and sat down by the bed.

"Oh, it's just a minor injury. It's a pity about that train. It will probably need major repairs this time, which will delay a lot of transportation work."

Cao Wenzhi didn't care about his own injuries at all; instead, he was concerned about the train, which sounds somewhat unbelievable.

However, in this day and age, if train drivers had to choose between their own safety and the safety of the train, many would choose to save the train.

A middle-aged woman entered with a little girl.

"Old Cao, why are you being so cautious?"

"Grandpa, are you injured?"

“Master’s wife, Master’s injuries are not serious, so don’t worry too much,” Li Aiguo said as he stood up.

"Sigh, my eyelids have been twitching these past few days, I always feel like something bad is going to happen. If I had known, I should have stopped your master." The master's wife was very regretful, as if Cao Wenzhi's injury was related to her.

Seeing that his teacher's wife was too emotional, Li Aiguo smiled and said, "Teacher's wife, now that Master is injured, you also have to take care of Senior Sister's child. You must not fall down."

Hearing this, the teacher's wife calmed down a little: "Yes, yes, Aiguo, you're right, I must not fall down."

At this moment, a nurse came in to change the dressing on Cao Wenzhi's leg. Li Aiguo saw that the ward had quieted down and was about to ask the attending physician about Cao Wenzhi's condition when several comrades wearing gray Zhongshan suits came in from outside.

The leader was a young man with a buzz cut.

"Don't move!" His triangular eyes glared suddenly, and his voice rose sharply. "All irrelevant personnel, get out! The General Administration's Security Section needs to take a statement from the suspect!"

Li Aiguo was supporting his teacher's wife's arm to help her catch her breath when he heard this, and his brows furrowed.

He understood the safety department's eagerness to investigate the accident, but their attitude was really unsettling.

He patted his teacher's wife's hand to reassure her, and was about to help her walk towards the door when he heard the young man speak again.

The young man pointed at the nurse who was changing the dressing and said, "Don't change the dressing yet, hurry up and get out."

The nurse looked bewildered: "The injured person has a laceration on their leg, and the wound is very deep. If the dressing isn't changed, it could easily become infected."

"What are you babbling about? You're delaying our accident investigation. Can you take responsibility for that?" The young man said sternly, and immediately stepped forward to take the medicine tray away.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed his arm.

"Which unit the hell are you from? How dare you obstruct the General Bureau's investigation?" The young man grimaced in pain, but still stubbornly continued to threaten, "Let me tell you, I'm Deputy Team Leader Hu from the Security Section. Believe me or not, I'll detain you as a suspect too."

"Ah! It hurts! It hurts!"

Li Aiguo slightly increased the pressure on his hand, and Deputy Team Leader Hu's words were cut off by a cry of pain.

He was hunched over like a shrimp, with veins throbbing on his forehead.

Li Aiguo ignored his wails and dragged him by the wrist like a sack of potatoes to the ward door. He then let go, and Deputy Team Leader Hu fell heavily onto the concrete floor of the corridor.

The other staff members who had come with him then realized what was happening and rushed over to help him up: "Deputy Team Leader Hu! Are you alright?"

Deputy Team Leader Hu was helped to his feet, clutching his numb wrist, and roared, "You've got guts! State your name! Which unit are you from? I'll make you regret this!"

Li Aiguo leaned against the door frame and gave him a cold glance: "Li Aiguo, Qianmen Locomotive Depot. If you want trouble, let Ma Dele come in person."

With a loud bang, the ward door was slammed shut, shutting out the commotion outside.

"The name Li Aiguo sounds familiar."

“He knows our Section Chief Ma.”

"So what if we know each other? We're just conducting a normal accident investigation. He's obstructing the accident and sabotaging our work. I'm going to call the team leader right now and make sure he's tied up."

Hu Fu felt extremely aggrieved. He had originally hoped to resolve this case as soon as possible and gain a foothold in the security department, which was why he was so eager to interrogate Cao Wenzhi.

Before he could even open his mouth, he was beaten up by the other person's apprentice.

Chilling!
How could this be tolerated!
Hu Fuya shook off his subordinate's hand, limped into the duty room, grabbed the phone and roared, "Team leader! I've been beaten up at the hospital! His name is Li Aiguo, from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot! Tell them to bring him here right now!"

"What? What's that person's name?"

"Li Aiguo."

"Hu Fu, you're in big trouble!"

"Does this person really know our Section Chief Ma?"

"Section Chief Ma? He knows our bureau chief! You mustn't do anything, I need to report the situation to the section chief."

"Huh?!" Hu Fu was stunned, holding the phone.

Is this young driver someone important?

But that doesn't matter. He's doing things impartially. Even if the section chief comes, what can he do?

Besides, even if things escalate, there's still his uncle.

In the ward.

Li Aiguo closed the ward door and returned to the bedside, instructing the nurse to continue changing Cao Wenzhi's dressings.

Cao Wenzhi's lips twitched in pain, but he said with some concern, "Aiguo, they're here to investigate the cause of the accident. They're leaders from the bureau. You'll make a mistake if you do this. It's okay if I change the dressing a little later."

"Master, the accident should indeed be investigated, but these people clearly don't treat us train drivers like human beings. Don't worry, with me here today, nothing will happen."

Li Aiguo did not oppose investigating the accident, but argued that matters should be prioritized.

In this day and age, are workers still not treated like human beings?
The nurse changed the dressing and left.

A moment later, the door was pushed open from the outside, and Ma Dele from the General Administration of Work Safety entered.

"Oh dear, Brother Li, this is all a misunderstanding. I have already criticized Hu Fu. This kid has only been in the safety department for a short time and is eager to get to work. On behalf of the safety department, I apologize to Master Cao for our inadequate work."

As soon as Ma Dele entered, he apologized profusely with a broad smile on his face. Anyone who saw him would think he was a kind-hearted person and that they shouldn't make things difficult for him.

Cao Wenzhi hurriedly waved his hands, then quietly tugged at Li Aiguo's arm: "Section Chief Ma, you're too kind! Deputy Team Leader Hu was just doing his job, and it's understandable that he might have made a mistake in the heat of the moment. We can understand, we can understand..."

Li Aiguo, however, put on a stern face: "Apologize? Old Ma, where is Deputy Team Leader Hu? Could an apology be transmitted remotely?"

"This..." Ma Dele's heart skipped a beat, and the smile on his face froze slightly.

This guy is usually unreasonable, so why is he acting like he's on steroids today?
Could it be that Hu Fu, that scoundrel, really did something outrageous?
Cao Wenzhi didn't expect Li Aiguo to be so persistent, so he grabbed Li Aiguo's arm and said, "Aiguo, I think we should just let this matter go."

"This concerns the reputation of all train drivers at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot! If the safety department is like this, disregarding the lives of train drivers in order to investigate accidents, then we might as well pack up and go home to play in the mud. What's the point of this job?"

These words hit Ma Dele like a stone, and he immediately launched into a tirade against Hu Fu.

You little rascal, you actually dared to keep the truth from me!
He suppressed his anger, turned around and roared towards the door, "Deputy Team Leader Hu! Come in here!"

He turned around and called out, "Deputy Team Leader Hu, come in!"

Hu Fu was already complaining outside. This was hardly someone who knew Section Chief Ma; their relationship was clearly quite good.

Hearing the shouts, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and come in.

"Hu Fu, your actions just now have seriously hurt the feelings of the workers. You should apologize to Master Cao and Comrade Aiguo immediately."

"Section Chief, I was just trying to find out about the accident as soon as possible..." Hu Fu wanted to explain, but before he could finish, he caught a glimpse of Ma Dele's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot.

He shrank back and finally bowed reluctantly to Cao Wenzhi and Li Aiguo, his voice muffled like a mosquito's buzz: "I'm sorry, I was too eager to push things forward just now and my method was inappropriate. I apologize to both of you."

His fists were clenched tightly behind his back, his nails almost digging into his palms. He thought, "I'll remember this debt. A bunch of peasants dare to make me bow down?"

Li Aiguo squinted at Hu Fu, then turned to Ma Dele: "Alright, since you want to investigate, then start investigating now. I'm Master Cao's apprentice, and I'm also very interested in this accident. Section Chief Ma, may I sit in on the proceedings?"

"Of course, Comrade Aiguo, you are an expert in safety and also work for the Qianmen Locomotive Depot." Ma Dele nodded to Hu Fu, signaling him to start working.

Hu Fu took a deep breath to suppress the humiliation in his heart, took out his notebook, and asked Cao Wenzhi a question.

The questions asked were what Cao Wenzhi was doing when the accident occurred, and whether he noticed anything unusual about the train.

"I was watching the dashboard the whole time. The speed was 50 kilometers per hour, which was within the regulations. The train seemed normal. Suddenly, it derailed..."

"The people are fine, the train is fine too?" Hu Fu slammed his notebook shut, his tone laced with sarcasm. "So the train just grew legs and derailed on its own?"

He turned to Ma Dele and said, "Section Chief, I think we should also question the co-driver and the stoker. They might be colluding!"

After Hu Fu led his men to the next ward, Cao Wenzhi grasped Li Aiguo's hand and sighed, "Aiguo, I really didn't make any mistakes, but this..."

Li Aiguo patted the back of his hand and then asked Ma Dele, "Old Ma, is Hu Fu a new guy?"

Ma Dele coughed twice, his eyes darting around: "Cough cough... He used to work in the logistics department of the Handan Locomotive Depot, and he was transferred here not long ago."

Li Aiguo frowned. Being transferred directly from local logistics to the General Administration and promoted further, his background was indeed not simple.

Before he could think it through, Hu Fu stormed back, slamming his notebook on the table: "Section Chief! Their stories are exactly the same, they must have colluded! We have to bring them back to the section for questioning!"

Ma Dele couldn't help but rub his forehead. Did this kid think things weren't getting big enough?
"Can I see the transcript?" Li Aiguo held out his hand.

Hu Fu hesitated for a moment, but still handed over the statement.

"I have just received a report from Xiaosigang switch station. The technicians have conducted a preliminary inspection of the derailed train and have ruled out mechanical failure as the cause of the accident."

"According to them, the accident has nothing to do with them, so the train just derailed for no reason. Do they think our safety department is stupid?"

These words, seemingly a complaint, were actually a way of telling Li Aiguo that there was something wrong here, and that even Li Aiguo couldn't protect Cao Wenzhi.

Old Zheng's heart jumped into his throat, and Cao Wenzhi's face also turned ugly. He believed that he had not made any operational mistakes, but facts are facts. Could it be that he had really overlooked something?

Li Aiguo ignored Hu Fu and picked up the transcript, glancing at it twice.

The co-driver and the stoker gave similar accounts to Cao Wenzhi: before the accident, they were operating the train according to regulations, and the train was traveling at only fifty kilometers per hour.

"What, you also think they colluded?" Hu Fu's expression had turned smug, and he looked at Li Aiguo with a provocative gaze.

Li Aiguo put down the materials, stroked his chin, and asked, "Is it possible that they weren't lying, and the train itself wasn't the problem, but rather the tracks were?"

"The rails? Weren't they just inspected? Driver Li, you've come up with such a lame excuse to cover for your master!" Hu Fu suddenly stood up.

Li Aiguo didn't even glance at him, turning his head to look at Ma Dele.

"Section Chief Ma, I suggest that the tracks at the accident site be inspected."

After a moment's thought, Ma Dele nodded: "Since there are doubts, we should investigate them thoroughly. Tomorrow, we'll go to Xiao Sigang Switch Station together."

"Section Chief, you really agreed to him? Didn't you realize he was deliberately stalling for time?" Hu Fu was getting anxious. He had just inquired about Li Aiguo's situation and was worried that things might get complicated if things dragged on.

"Don't say anything more. You'll come with me to Xiaosigang Switch Station tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)