The train driver in the courtyard

Just as dawn was breaking, the crowing of Xu Damao's roosters echoed from outside the courtyard wall.

Li Aiguo sat up in bed, rubbing his lower back, his knuckles making a "creaking" sound as he pressed down.

I had a long-awaited reunion with Chen Xueru yesterday, and I was so excited that I'm still feeling a bit sore and numb.

He grinned. People always say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but in his opinion, it's more like absence makes the heart grow fonder than being single. The warmth of absence is even stronger than that of a newlywed couple.

As usual, I carried an enamel basin, intending to brush my teeth and wash my face by the pool in the middle courtyard.

As soon as he stepped out of the house, Liu Haizhong's earth-shattering roar came from the front yard.

Peek inside.

Good heavens, the second uncle gripped a shiny, brass-buckled leather belt and slapped it across his palm.

"Get your butts sticking out!"

Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu exchanged a bitter look and moved closer to the wall.

Banggeng followed behind, his neck hunched, the three of them sticking their butts out high.

Liu Haizhong raised his hand and slapped them, making several crisp "smack" sounds. The three boys grimaced and howled in pain.
"Are you beating the child so early in the morning?" Li Aiguo greeted him with a smile.

"Aiguo, you're finally back! Look at these three little brats, they've gone too far! They dared to piss in my wine jug!" Liu Haizhong said angrily.

"Wait a minute, Uncle, the color is wrong too. Could there be a mistake?" Li Aiguo stopped. These young boys often had short tempers, and their urine was yellow.

"That pot of wine I had was Shaoxing wine," Liu Haizhong said quietly. "I drank more than half of it before I realized the taste was off. When I asked the three of them, they wouldn't admit it!"

"."

Li Aiguo was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Alright, Second Uncle, you can have fun. I won't stop you from setting the rules."

Amidst the three people's wailing and howling, Li Aiguo arrived at the pool, where a crowd had already gathered.

Qin Huairu had finished feeding Xiao Huaihua and picked her up to walk towards the backyard.

"Where are we taking the child?" Li Aiguo asked Xu Damao, who was standing next to him, as he rinsed his mouth.

"Where else could we go? Qin Huairu went to work, and there was no one to take care of Xiao Huaihua, so we entrusted her to an old lady. I heard that Yi Zhonghai was very unhappy about it, and his face was very long. It was only after the old lady made the final decision that it was agreed."

“The old lady is indeed a good person.” Li Aiguo nodded and spat out the mouthwash.

The compound has been relatively peaceful lately. After Bang Geng was poisoned last time, Liu Haizhong treated him like his own son, and he didn't hold back when it came to beating and scolding him.

The Third Uncle's family was busy with Yan Jiecheng's wedding. The old man went fishing by the river every day from dawn to dusk, telling everyone he met that he was going to hold a whole fish feast to make a good impression.

After brushing his teeth and returning to the room, Chen Xueru had already placed the food on the table.

"Xiao Hongsheng and Xiao Dongfang are still at your older brother's house, right? They have to go to school today. Should you go pick them up or should I?" Chen Xueru asked.

“I can go fast on a motorcycle, I’ll go,” Li Aiguo nodded.

Chen Xueru also owns a scooter, but she thinks it's too flashy and rarely rides it to work.

After slurping down two bowls of cornmeal porridge, Li Aiguo wiped his mouth, slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, and hopped onto his mountain bike.

Before long, they arrived at the tailor shop.

Now, the eldest brother and sister-in-law have all moved into Chen Fangxuan's courtyard.

After all, the eldest brother is the eldest son of the Chen family, and he will have to take over the family business and support his father in the future. This is an unwritten rule in this era.

Li Aiguo didn't go in either; he just honked the horn twice from outside, and Chen Xingjia came out with his two children.

The two children's hands were stuffed full, and their faces were beaming with joy.

"Dad! Look! My uncle bought me a paper windmill, and it's spinning so happily!"

"This is a sugar figurine! It's made by Sun Wukong! It's so sweet!"

Even after Chen Xingjia and Zhao Qingfang gave birth to Jiu Jin, they still treated their two nephews like their own sons, always giving the two children the best food.

Li Aiguo handed Chen Xingjia a cigarette and was about to leave when Chen Xingjia stopped him.

"Patriotism, there's something... I just don't feel quite right about it."

Chen Xingjia was an honest man who didn't talk much. He rarely initiated conversations with Li Aiguo, except when it was about crucial matters.

Li Aiguo didn't respond, so he eased off the accelerator and waited for him to continue.

“One of your sister-in-law’s coworkers has been acting strangely lately.”

Chen Xingjia looked around and said in a low voice, "Didn't your sister-in-law once want to drag Xue Ru to a fortune teller because she couldn't have a child?"

Xue Ru gave her a severe scolding, and she never went back. Later, she gave birth to a baby weighing nine pounds.

When one of her coworkers found out about this, he thought that his sister-in-law had gotten pregnant because of a fortune teller, so he asked for the address and went there.

More importantly, this worker lost more than ten yuan in wages over two months, which was supposedly given to the fortune teller.

Your sister-in-law was worried about her coworker's safety and tried to dissuade him several times without success, so she thought of asking you for help.

When Li Aiguo recalled this incident, he realized that fortune-telling was unreliable and had even reminded Chen Xueru of it. However, he didn't pay much attention to it after his sister-in-law became pregnant.

In those days, a dozen or so yuan was no small amount; it was enough for an ordinary family to eat for half a month. The matter was indeed quite serious.

"What's that coworker's name?"

"Liu Cuihua. I'm really out of options, that's why I'm asking you for help. You're quick-witted and better at handling things than I am."

"Brother, we're all family. I'll help look into this." Li Aiguo had originally planned to drop his child off at the studio for a test drive, but he changed his mind now.

"Go back to the factory first, and I'll let you know as soon as I have any news."

After dropping the two children off at home, Li Aiguo turned his motorcycle around and headed south to Tongluo Lane.

As soon as I turned into the alley, I saw a group of people gathered under the old locust tree, making a lot of noise.

Several street patrol members wearing red armbands were surrounding a conspicuously dressed thug.

The man with the green skin had his hair slicked back with a thick layer of slicked-back hair, which shone brightly in the sunlight. He was wearing a wrinkled leather jacket with the collar open.

The thug was arguing with his teammates, spitting everywhere.

"Dude, you look unfamiliar. Where are you from?"

The thug stuck out his neck and shouted, "What are you doing? What are you doing? Who are you people, daring to block my way!"

"Don't be angry, buddy, hand over the flashlight you just stole from the supply and marketing cooperative!" The leader winked when he saw that the thug didn't move.

The young man was stunned, not expecting to be caught red-handed, and even tried to resist.

Two teammates nearby reacted quickly, slamming him to the ground and twisting his arm behind his back with a "crack," causing him to wince in pain.

The leader of the team pulled a brand new flashlight from his waist.

Just then, the sales clerk from the supply and marketing cooperative came running out, panting. As soon as she saw the flashlight, she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll teach you to steal, I'll teach you to steal."

The saleswoman kicked the thug twice, then turned to the leader of the team: "Dajunzi, I really have to thank you this time. I was just helping a customer buy some soy sauce when my flashlight was stolen."

"Auntie, don't call him Dajunzi, this is our team leader Ma!" a team member said loudly.

With a "smack," Ma Dajun delivered a powerful slap to the back of his head: "What did the captain teach you? You have to get along with the masses! Stop putting on airs! Take this guy to the police station right now and hand him over to Captain Liu!"

The young team member, after being reprimanded, dared not utter a sound, and vented his anger on the thug, kicking him twice before grabbing him by the collar and dragging him to the police station.

Life was tough in those days, and everyone hated petty thieves the most. Let alone getting kicked a couple of times, even if something serious happened, no one would speak up for these thugs.

After seeing the salesperson off, Ma Dajun straightened his red armband, leaned against the wall, squinted in the sun, and felt incredibly happy.

In his early years, he was also a layabout in the alley, wandering around with local thugs and almost going astray into petty theft.

Thanks to the captain, who brought him into the patrol team, the monthly subsidy of ten yuan was not much, but he enjoyed the job very much and worked with great enthusiasm.

She usually does small things like helping to find chickens and cats, and persuading young couples to reconcile and stop arguing.

Even catching a thief today is considered a "major case" in his eyes.

"When will I be able to do something really important and get some recognition?" Ma Dajun leaned against the wall, squinting in the sun, thinking to himself with a sense of satisfaction.

Suddenly, a cigarette was offered to him.

Ma Dajun opened his eyes, immediately stood up straight, and gave a clumsy salute: "Captain! Ma Dajun, the leader of the third group, reporting for duty. Please give instructions!"

"Take a break!"

It was Li Aiguo who arrived.

He handed a cigarette to Ma Dajun and said with a smile, "Third team leader, do me a favor. This afternoon after get off work, follow up with a female worker at the lumber mill."

"Captain! Is she an enemy agent? A bad person lurking among the people? Don't worry, we'll keep a close eye on her and make sure she doesn't get away!" Dajunzi perked up.

"Ahem, that woman is my sister-in-law's coworker," Li Aiguo said quietly.

"what?!"

Li Aiguo didn't hide anything from Dajunzi and briefly explained the situation, instructing him: "Follow Liu Cuihua and see where she goes and who she meets. Don't act rashly, understand?"

Li Aiguo took out five yuan from his pocket and handed it over.

"Captain, what are you doing?" Ma Dajun blushed and quickly pushed it back.

Li Aiguo's face turned cold: "Comrade Ma Dajun, this is the case-handling fund, take it."

Upon hearing the word "funding," Dajunzi finally accepted it.

After Li Aiguo left, Ma Dajun immediately gathered the members of Group Three and lowered his voice: "Comrades! The captain has assigned us an important task! This afternoon, we're going to follow a target. It's a matter of great importance, so everyone stay alert!"

****
Some time wasted.

When Li Aiguo arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, it was already close to eight o'clock.

The minibuses parked in the workshop looked like toys compared to the large trains, but they were also more exquisite.

Wild car experts are leading a team to install fans.

Li Aiguo originally wanted to develop car air conditioning, but after some consideration, he gave up because it was too fuel-consuming and the technology was not mature enough.

As a tool of productivity, minibuses are required to be sturdy and durable.

Seeing Li Aiguo approach, the wild car expert exclaimed, "Brother Aiguo! There are only a few wires left to connect, it'll be done in the blink of an eye!"

Li Aiguo replied "No rush," picked up his canvas bag, and went into the next-door lounge. Just as he put the bag on the corner of the table, he heard a commotion in the courtyard.

Upon coming out, I saw Section Chief Xing leading a group of men, women, and children toward me, clutching a small notebook that looked like a work record sheet in his hand.

"These are the families of the motorcycle engine workshop workers. They live in those tenement buildings on the outskirts of the city and will be taking the commuter bus to work from now on. When they heard that we had built the minibus, they all rushed to come and test drive it."

Most of the workers in the motorcycle engine workshop are experienced masters who were transferred from Jichun Automobile Factory in Northeast China.

The dormitory buildings at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot were insufficient, so they built new houses for them in the suburbs.

Li Aiguo greeted the workers' families with a smile, then stood in front of the minibus and looked around, feeling that something was amiss.

He suddenly slapped his forehead.

"If we don't have a train ticket, we should at least draw up a temporary one, right?"

Li Aiguo asked Zong Xianfeng to run to the education office, and he quickly returned with red paper and paste. He pasted the three large characters "Experimental Vehicle" on the front of the vehicle.

A handmade license plate with the words "Test 001" was pasted on the back of the car.

Ok.

This is more like it!
"Aiguo, why don't you drive?" Section Chief Xing knew that Li Aiguo liked driving, especially big trucks, so he offered his suggestion.

"Okay, I'm coming." Li Aiguo boarded the minibus and started the engine.

Section Chief Xing addressed the family members of the employees who participated in the road test.

"Listen up, everyone! Once we're on the road, no one is allowed to make a sound! Especially when we're crossing the railway, everyone sit quietly!"

The employees' families, who were chatting enthusiastically, all laughed: "Don't worry, Section Chief! We promise to sew our mouths shut with a sewing needle—no, we'll prick up our ears and listen to your commands!"

That's how it is these days; employees' families and leaders don't have much formality between them, they're as close as family.

Although the technology of minibuses is not as difficult as that of tunnel boring machines and bulldozers.

However, since the lives of everyone on the bus were at stake, Li Aiguo checked the vehicle's condition even more carefully than before.

He first stepped on the gas and drove for a while, then had the wild car expert and Zong Xianfeng open the engine compartment to check it before shouting from outside, "Everyone get in the car, let's go!"

The minibus doors were equipped with electric motors. Li Aiguo pressed a switch, and the doors swung open with a whoosh.

The employees' families boarded the bus and each took a seat. Section Chief Xing wanted to sit in the back, but several young wives stopped him, saying, "Section Chief, you should sit in the front passenger seat. You have a better view from there."

"Okay, okay." Section Chief Xing sat down and said to Li Aiguo, "Drive slowly and be careful."

"Understood, Section Chief." Li Aiguo replied, shifted gears, released the handbrake, and the minibus slowly drove out of the workshop.

The busy workers outside heard the commotion and rushed over.

Li Aiguo also managed to stop the car in time.

"My goodness, this is the minibus we made, it's really big."

"This thing is much better than taking the bus. That thing has a big bulge on its back and it runs out of air all the time."

"Section Chief, if this minibus project is completed, will it be prioritized for our locomotive depot?" a locomotive depot leader asked from outside, peeking through the car window.

"That goes without saying. I've already made plans to purchase a dozen minibuses for commuter transport." Section Chief Xing is now quite wealthy and powerful.

"I heard there will be two buses a day from now on? Going in the morning and coming back in the evening?" someone asked.

"The commuter bus picks you up right at the factory gate and takes you home."

The employees were even more excited upon hearing the news.

"Oh, that's great! Now I can sleep in a little longer in the mornings."

Zhou Ke was riding his motorcycle out on business when he saw the minibus and quickly came over.

He walked around the minibus and said, "Patriotism, this thing is pretty big. It should be able to carry quite a few suspects, right?"

Li Aiguo: "."

On-site staff: "."

Section Chief Xing pointed at Zhou Ke: "Get lost. The suspect can use a four-wheeled vehicle. One is not enough. Drive more."

Li Aiguo: "."

After the commotion, the wild car expert realized it was getting late, otherwise he wouldn't be able to get back by noon.

Li Aiguo honked the horn twice, and only after the workers parted to make way did he drive the minibus out of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

In those days, driving a large truck was an honor, but it was also very difficult. Not to mention the bumpy and narrow roads, the key issue was that outside of Beijing, oxcarts and donkey carts would frequently pass by on the suburban roads.

I always have to slow down so as not to disturb the small animals.

Li Aiguo focused on driving, while the untrained car expert and Zong Xianfeng inspected the various parameters of the minibus, including the onboard electrical system, fan, windshield wipers, and horn. The main focus was on the vehicle's structure.

"At a speed of 80, the vehicle remains stable."

"Speed ​​120, vehicle stable."

"At a speed of 150 km/h, the vehicle remains stable."

Li Aiguo originally intended to increase the speed, but the engine's power was limited, and a speed of 150 was already a serious speeding violation. The normal speed for a minibus like this is only 40.

The roof rack was also tested.

By the time we finally reached the destination and then back, it was already noon.

The employees' families had to rush back to pick up their children, so each of them grabbed four steamed buns from the canteen and left.

Section Chief Xing looked at Li Aiguo and said, "Comrade Aiguo, what do you think of this vehicle?"

“We can get on the road now. Have the workshop build a few in the next few days, do some testing, and then report back. What do you think?” Li Aiguo stood up and poured a glass of water for Section Chief Xing.

Section Chief Xing took a sip of water and nodded: "Minibuses are related to passenger safety, that's to be expected. But what about this vehicle?"

"Let the fleet run it first, and get it to cover more mileage so we can find problems more effectively." Li Aiguo remembered that cars in his previous life often underwent road tests for hundreds of thousands of kilometers, but those were data obtained from test benches.

The road test distance for minibuses cannot be as high, but it is more effective.

That's how it is these days; once you have an idea, you'll find a way to make it happen.

Once the problem is identified, then we find ways to solve it.

If you're afraid of everything, you won't get anything done.

Section Chief Xing nodded: "Okay, reporting later is also for safety reasons. I'll go and notify the transport team now to arrange a driver to drive."

After Section Chief Xing left, Li Aiguo remembered a problem: driving a minibus should require an A1 driver's license, but it seems that such a license did not exist in this era.

Li Aiguo is also a licensed person, but he can only drive small vehicles and small trucks, not large buses.

Just as he was pondering this, Lan Xiang, accompanied by a driver in his forties, knocked on the office door.

"This is Master Chen. He's not the best driver in the team, but he's definitely the safest driver," Lan Xiang introduced, pointing to the driver.

Having the best driving skills and driving safety are two different things; what a minibus commuter vehicle needs is safety.

Li Aiguo shook hands with Master Chen and explained how to operate the minibus. While Master Chen was getting familiar with the minibus, Li Aiguo took the opportunity to ask Lan Xiang about the driver's license.

"Oh, truck drivers all have special driver's licenses," Lan Xiang said, handing over Master Chen's driver's license.

Li Aiguo took it and glanced at it; sure enough, it was different from his driver's license.

Li Aiguo's driver's license has a yellow cover with the words "Ordinary Motor Vehicle Driver's License" written on it, but this one has a red cover with the words "Professional Motor Vehicle Driver's License" written on it.

"Only with a red license can you drive large buses and trucks; a regular driver's license can only drive cars and jeeps."

Mr. Chen had already become familiar with the vehicle and drove the minibus out of the workshop.

After the minibus drove away, Zong Xianfeng and the wild car experts began manufacturing the next minibus.

The locomotive depot decided to use this test vehicle as a commuter vehicle, specifically for transporting employees between the city and the suburbs.

This is how safety can be tested on congested roads and dirt roads.

As soon as the end-of-get off work bell rang, the first batch of employees rushed onto the minibus, which then roared away from the locomotive depot.

Li Aiguo packed up his things and was about to leave work when he saw Yan Jiecheng standing at the entrance of the transportation team, chatting with a few employees. He called out, "Jiecheng, why aren't you home yet?"

"Brother Aiguo, isn't there a commuter bus today? I want to wait for it," Yan Jiecheng said excitedly.

There's only one shuttle bus, which can only carry a few dozen people at a time. It has to make one trip and then come back to pick up the next batch.

Everyone was excited and didn't mind waiting for the bus.

Li Aiguo greeted several employees and rode his mountain bike back to the courtyard house.

Chen Xueru has returned. Li Aiguo didn't mention Liu Cuihua's matter and was waiting for Dajunzi to report.

As darkness fell, there was a sudden knock on the courtyard gate. Zhang Gangzhu poked his head in and said, "Aiguo, I ran into Dajunzi at the gate. He said he needs to talk to you!"

Li Aiguo put on his coat and headed outside, but Dajunzi quickly pulled him to the wall and whispered, "Captain, we didn't keep an eye on her today. Liu Cuihua went straight home after get off work."

"."

Li Aiguo really overlooked this matter; his sister-in-law couldn't possibly organize operations every day.

"Let's keep an eye on it tomorrow, no rush."

"Then I'll go back."

"Have a meal before you leave!" Li Aiguo urged him to stay.

"No, my grandma is still waiting for me to cook at home." Dajunzi is a filial child who cooks for his grandma every day.

Li Aiguo didn't try to stop him and turned back to the courtyard house.

A roar of an engine sounded outside, and a minibus screeched to a halt in front of the courtyard house.

The car door opened, and Yan Jiecheng walked in slowly with his head tilted back.

Xu Damao clicked his tongue in amazement: "Jiecheng, what kind of car is this?"

"This minibus is so comfortable! The seats are made of foam cushions, so it's not bumpy at all. It's also fast; it only took less than ten minutes to get from the front gate locomotive depot to here," Yan Jiecheng excitedly introduced.

"Ten minutes, right?"

"You don't believe me? Let's wait until tomorrow. You're not from our Qianmen Locomotive Depot, so you can't ride this train anyway," Yan Jiecheng said smugly.

"You're picky about who gets on the bus?" Xu Damao asked impatiently.

"Of course, this is our Qianmen Locomotive Depot's commuter bus, and employees ride it for free."

These words not only moved Xu Damao, but also Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, and several other employees of the steel rolling mill.

Although the courtyard house is not far from the steel rolling mill, if there were a shuttle bus, it wouldn't be so bad in wind and rain.

"How about we suggest it to the factory tomorrow?"

"Yes, I heard from Director Zhao in the logistics department that the factory plans to cooperate with the bus company and use those old-fashioned buses as commuter buses. They're not as comfortable as this bus."

"Second Uncle, you're the workshop foreman, it's most appropriate for you to talk to the factory!"

Several residents looked at Liu Haizhong.

Yi Zhonghai, who had initially been very enthusiastic, left grumbling after seeing the situation.

After Liu Haizhong found out the origin of the minibus, he clicked his tongue twice and said, "Aiguo has done another great thing."

As the workshop director, he felt he should also take on the responsibility.

The next day, Liu Haizhong waited early at the door of Deputy Factory Director Li's office.

"Factory manager, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot has produced a minibus. I heard it's very fuel-efficient and fast. It takes less time to make two trips than a large-scale bus."

Deputy Factory Director Li was worried about the commuter bus issue when he heard this: "Was it something the workshop came up with?"

After receiving an affirmative reply, Deputy Factory Director Li went into his office and picked up the phone: "Aiguo, I heard your minibuses are pretty good. Get one for us."

(End of this chapter)