The train driver in the courtyard

Three days later, Li Aiguo submitted two documents to the subway engineering team: "Specific Construction Methods of Subway Grouting Sealing and Barrier Technology" and "Subway Pressure Balance Pipe Technology".

In order to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of these two technologies, the subway engineering team specially invited experts from Changchun Institute of Geology and experts and scholars from the Engineering Bureau to conduct demonstration.

“The engineering waterproofing performance of the grouting seal and barrier can fully meet the needs.”

"The ingenious idea of ​​the pressure-balanced pipe is enough to enable the subway to complete drainage work in time even when encountering heavy rainfall."

"We agree with Comrade Li Aiguo's construction plan."

After discussing for a while, more than a dozen experts and scholars gave a collective opinion.

Liu Guozhang said with a delighted look: "It has been decided. We will select capable personnel to form a construction team. Comrade Li Aiguo will be personally responsible for the waterproofing of the subway project."

Well, our Li Aiguo has now turned into a waterproof guy.

Waterproofing is a very valuable profession in later generations.

If you have a van and take your wife with you, you can make a lot of money by traveling around the streets and alleys.

However, considering the huge scale of the subway project, in order to complete it as soon as possible, Li Aiguo decided to pass on this unique waterproofing skill.

"Captain Zhang, I plan to set up a subway tunnel waterproofing technology training class. Please select a few railway soldiers who are knowledgeable, educated and quick-witted." When Li Aiguo was selecting personnel, he found Captain Zhang of the Railway Corps.

Who are the most reliable? Of course, the people’s soldiers.

Commander Zhang also knew the value of these two technologies, and he saluted Li Aiguo at the time: "Deputy Commander, please rest assured, I promise to send you the best soldiers."

Captain Zhang returned to the base and conveyed the news, and the railway soldiers immediately signed up enthusiastically.

Finally, more than 30 railway soldiers were selected, all of whom had a junior high school education and were veterans for more than three years.

These railway soldiers gathered in a temporary tent, their eyes fixed on a blackboard.

Li Aiguo pointed to the technical parameters on the blackboard with a pointer: "The diameter of the drill hole must be at least 50 mm, and the depth must penetrate the lining layer and enter the water source stratum."

Thanks to Li Aiguo’s dedication in teaching, these railway soldiers studied attentively.

After a morning, the most basic knowledge has been covered.

"Teacher, I don't quite understand. What is the water-cement ratio of two-liquid cement slurry?" A tall railway soldier stopped Li Aiguo at the end of get out of class and handed him a notebook.

He took the initiative to introduce himself: "I am Jiang Gan from the fifth squad of the third company."

Facing this comrade who was a few years older than him, Li Aiguo was a little uncomfortable with the title of "teacher". He was stunned for a moment before he reacted.

"Comrade Jiang Gan, you see, cement slurry needs to be injected under high pressure. If the viscosity is too high, it will not penetrate. If the viscosity is too low, it will not achieve the waterproof effect. After calculation, it can be concluded that the best water-cement ratio is 0.8:1."

"Thank you, teacher!" Jiang Gan didn't even bother to return to his seat. He just stood there and picked up the pen to write it down in the notebook.

Li Aiguo and Jiang Gan’s first encounter ended like this.

He never imagined that decades later, the big man in front of him would become the most famous tunnel waterproofing expert in the country, responsible for the waterproofing of undersea tunnels from the mainland to the islands.

After the completion of the undersea tunnel, it will only take one hour to travel from the island provinces to the mainland by undersea high-speed rail, solving the problem of long commuting time for island residents to work on the mainland.

The curriculum of the subway tunnel waterproofing technology training class is divided into two parts: technical learning and practical work.

In the morning, he had classes. In the afternoon, Li Aiguo took his students into the tunnel and worked with the railway soldiers. His days were happy and fulfilling.

In the evening, Li Aiguo rode his bicycle back to the courtyard.

As soon as I got home, I saw Liu Haizhong and a young man sitting on the sofa, chatting with Chen Xueru.

"Brother Aiguo, Liu Guangqi is here." Chen Xueru stood up and took the canvas bag from Li Aiguo.

Liu Guangqi? Li Aiguo looked him up and down before he recognized him.

Compared with before, Liu Guangqi looks much older, and even has a few strands of white hair on his head at such a young age.

"Brother Guangqi, when did you come back?" Li Aiguo greeted him.

"I rushed back as soon as I got the news." Compared with before, Liu Guangqi now seems very reserved. "Brother Aiguo, I have signed up and can go for the review tomorrow."

"This is a good thing."

Having solved his eldest son's work problem, Liu Haizhong was particularly happy: "Aiguo, I have asked your second aunt to prepare a table of dishes, come to my place for a drink in the evening.

Hey, let me tell you, I have a bottle of old wine hidden there. It’s good stuff, much better than Moutai.

We must have a good drink and drink until we are drunk."

Li Aiguo saw out of the corner of his eye that there was a person outside looking into the house stealthily.

Isn’t this Yi Zhonghai?

Li Aiguo: "Okay, I'll go to your house later."

"Okay, I'll go back and stew the chicken first." Liu Haizhong and Liu Guangqi excitedly left the Li family.

Li Aiguo went to Aunt Liu's house and delivered the milk powder he had gotten two days ago.

Now that the child has grown up, Liu Tianquan's wife is preparing to wean the child and then go to the remote mountainous area for exploration again.

Some old ladies and young wives in the compound felt that she was too neglectful of her family, but Aunt Liu and He Yushui both expressed their support.

During this period, the two are preparing to take care of the child.

Milk powder is an indispensable staple food for children.

"Aiguo, here is fifty yuan, take it first." Aunt Liu took the milk powder and stuffed the money into Li Aiguo's pocket while he wasn't paying attention.

"This is too much, Auntie. It's hard to get the milk powder tickets for this milk powder, so the price is actually not expensive." Li Aiguo took out the money and was about to return it.

Aunt Liu grabbed his hand. Although she was old, she was very strong.

"Aiguo, I've lived for most of my life, I know everything, take this money first, I'll have to trouble you later."

In fact, Aunt Liu was not short of money, and seeing that she was so determined, Li Aiguo had no choice but to give up.

As soon as Li Aiguo left Aunt Liu's house, he felt that someone was following him.

Turning around, I saw a head retreating behind the crescent door.

You can tell it’s Yi Zhonghai without asking.

"We ordinary people are so happy today." Humming a song that did not belong to this era, Li Aiguo swaggered to Liu Haizhong's house with his hands behind his back.

When Liu Haizhong saw him, he quickly and warmly welcomed him in.

Four dishes are ready: a chicken stewed with mushrooms, a plate of spicy and sour potato shreds, a plate of peanuts, and a plate of stewed tofu.

"Guangqi, bring out my jar of old wine."

Liu Guangqi carried out a wine jar from the inner room. It looked very simple and rustic, with a mud seal on the mouth of the jar.

Although Li Aiguo is not a wine lover, he can recognize that it is good.

"Second uncle, what do you think of this wine?"

Liu Haizhong broke the mud seal and said reluctantly, "I bought this in Liyongchuan that year. It is said to be a fine wine made from five kinds of grains: sorghum, corn, rice, buckwheat, and glutinous rice. The locals call it Yaozi Xuequ."

Five kinds of grains? Isn’t this Wuliangye?
Li Aiguo also became interested.

"Pour the wine, Guangqi, don't just stand there." Liu Haizhong glared at Liu Guangqi.

Liu Guangqi quickly stood up and poured one into each of their cups.

Li Aiguo was surprised: "Guangqi, have you stopped drinking?"

Liu Guangqi put down the wine jar and smiled: "My wife won't let me."

Li Aiguo raised his eyebrows and asked, "If she doesn't let you, you won't drink?"

Liu Guangqi nodded honestly: "I can't drink it."

"Aiguo, he doesn't want to drink, let's drink together." Liu Haizhong's face looked a little ugly, and he quickly changed the subject.

"When Guangqi returns to the capital, you will have to take good care of him."

Li Aiguo drank one and remembered something: "Guangqi is back. What's his wife's name?"

"Huangmei." Liu Guangqi said.

"Yes, Huang Mei, she is still in Baoding, right? Are you going to live separately in the future?"

"Huang Mei doesn't have a job at the moment, she will come over after a while." Liu Guangqi explained.

Liu Haizhong was embarrassed again.

When Liu Guangqi first started dating Huang Mei, Huang Mei claimed to be a formal employee of the factory.

Who would have thought that after they got married, they discovered that Huang Mei was just a temporary worker.

Later, Huang Mei felt that the work was too tiring and quit her job.

It was embarrassing to talk about these things, so Liu Haizhong stood up again and poured a glass of wine: "Aiguo, come on, let's have a drink."

"Wait, I seem to have forgotten to wash my hands." Li Aiguo stood up, and before Liu Haizhong could react, he washed his hands in the basin, and poured the water out through the window.

A scream was heard outside the window.

"Who is it?" Liu Haizhong quickly stood up and looked, but there was no one outside.

"Maybe it's a stray dog." Li Aiguo leisurely returned to his seat, picked up a peanut and took a bite.

Crunchy.

Yi Zhonghai returned home soaking wet like a drowned dog, and the aunt was very surprised to see him.

"Old Yi, what's wrong with you?"

"Don't mention it, isn't it that kid Li Aiguo?!" Yi Zhonghai always felt that Li Aiguo did it on purpose, but he couldn't say it out loud.

After all, if someone knew that he was peeping through the window, he would lose all his face as a man.

"Are you going to cause trouble for Li Aiguo again?" The middle-aged woman wiped him with a towel and said, "Can't we just live a good life?"

"What do you know, old woman? Liu Haizhong has already joined Li Aiguo.

He took out the jar of old wine. I begged him many times back then, but he refused.

If this continues, sooner or later Li Aiguo will snatch me away."

Yi Zhonghai slammed the table suddenly.

An old lady thought Yi Zhonghai was a little funny.

How could Li Aiguo be worthy of the position of a master in a courtyard house?
However, she also knew that Yi Zhonghai had gone crazy and it was useless to persuade him.

After drying himself, Yi Zhonghai went into the house and went to sleep.

"Why did you sleep like this today?"

"I will get up at three o'clock tomorrow to go to the workshop to work, and strive to get the advanced worker title as soon as possible, and be promoted to the ninth-level worker, and then settle accounts with Li Aiguo."

Hearing this, the aunt secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Yi Zhonghai has finally made some progress over the years.

It was already 8:30 in the evening when Li Aiguo left Liu Haizhong's house.

The two children had already fallen asleep, and Chen Xueru was sitting on a chair helping him sew clothes.

Seeing this, Li Aiguo remembered something, turned around and went into the house and took out three towels.

Chen Xueru looked up and was startled to see the rough man holding three towels and looking at her with ill intentions.

This rough guy is going to play tricks again?
Although the tricks are nice and addictive, the body can’t take it.

"Brother Aiguo, I can't do that today. I'm having my period."

".You misunderstood." Li Aiguo felt as if he had turned into a ruthless pile driver.

"I want you to sew these three towels into a scarf."

"Ah?!" It was the first time that Chen Xueru heard of such a practice.

Li Aiguo briefly introduced the situation.

The work at a subway construction site is hard and the environment is harsh. If you had this kind of scarf, you could use it to wipe sweat during the day, use it as a pillowcase at night, use it as a mask when it’s windy, and cover your face to keep out the cold in the winter.

"Four-purpose scarf?" Chen Xueru was also surprised by Li Aiguo's imagination.

But after thinking about it carefully, she realized that this thing was indeed feasible. "I'm afraid using only a towel won't work. It won't last long. Well, I have some thick spun yarn here."

Chen Xueru stood up, stuck out her butt, rummaged through the box, and took out a piece of thick cloth.

This cloth is both strong and absorbent.

Life is wonderful if you have a little tailor as your wife.

The next day, Li Aiguo hung a four-purpose scarf around his neck.

Early in the morning, railway soldiers and local workers gathered together to listen to the speech of Captain Zhang.

Whoosh, whoosh. A gust of wind came and everyone covered their noses and mouths.

Only one person calmly tied the scarf around his mouth.

The tunnel was extremely hot and stuffy, and beads of sweat rolled down the workers' foreheads into their eyes, making them feel extremely sour.

Only one person very calmly wiped his forehead with a scarf.

At night, the workers had headaches from lying on stones as pillows.

Only one person very elegantly took off his scarf, made it into a pillow, and lay on it beautifully.

Everyone was surprised that Li Aiguo was wearing a scarf. It was so hot, and he was not afraid of getting prickly heat.

It’s just that due to Li Aiguo’s identity, others were embarrassed to give suggestions and just gave Li Aiguo the nickname "Scarf Man".

Now seeing that the scarf man was living a leisurely life, the railway soldiers and workers couldn't help themselves.

Captain Zhang personally went into the tent and handed Li Aiguo a sunflower.

"Aiguo, your scarf is quite useful."

“Yeah, I think it’s useful too.”

"."

Captain Zhang was silent for a moment.

He rubbed his hands and said with a smile: "If possible, I also need a few here. Can you help me get them? Don't worry, the project funding will be in the big account."

"They're just a few scarves. I'll give them to you." Li Aiguo counted the thick cloth at home and patted his chest generously.

"How many do you want?"

Head Zhang was very happy: "That's great, let's start with 10,000 pieces and distribute them to the local workers."

Li Aiguo: "."

He took a deep breath, coughed twice, and straightened his face: "Let's talk about leaving the big tent."

Head Zhang: “.”

In the end, Captain Zhang ordered 15,000 scarves in the name of the engineering command.

Scarves may not seem to have much technical content, but if you want the soldiers and workers to use them with confidence and comfort, you still have to select a group of experienced tailors.

It just so happens that Li Aiguo has this connection.

"What? Fifteen thousand scarves." When Chen Fangxuan heard the news, he looked at his son-in-law in disbelief.

He couldn't understand why he, the son-in-law of a train driver, liked scarves.

"Dad, Aiguo is now helping with a war preparedness project, and the project requires a scarf." Chen Xueru explained quickly.

In order to maintain secrecy, the construction of the Beijing Metro has been carried out under the banner of a "war preparedness project."

"So it's a team issue. That's easy. It's just 15,000 pieces. I'll find Lao Chen, Lao Wang and the others right away. More than a dozen of our tailor shops will work day and night, and we can get it done in three to five days." Chen Fangxuan is now a well-known activist in the district, and he agreed immediately.

"The raw materials are provided by the Engineering Logistics Department, and the processing fee for each towel is six cents." Li Aiguo was just about to explain the fees.

Interrupted by Chen Fangxuan.

"Working for the team and asking for money, isn't this a slap in my face?"

"Dad, my dear brother, let's settle the accounts clearly," Li Aiguo advised.

Chen Fangxuan stood up and said with a straight face: "When the enemy attacked our house, the soldiers in the team saved us. Did the soldiers ask for money? Lao Wang's wife was kidnapped by Lao Hei, and the soldiers rescued his wife. Did they ask for money?"

"If we're going to settle accounts, then we have to settle all of these accounts!"

"You" Li Aiguo didn't know how to explain for a moment.

He originally thought that an old tailor like Chen Fangxuan, who had lived since before the liberation, would not care.

Now I think he was wrong.

These old people all have a thick account in their hearts.

They can clearly tell who are their own soldiers.

"Aiguo, just listen to your father this time. In fact, I've always wanted to repay this favor to the team, but I just never had the chance." Chen Xueru pulled Li Aiguo's arm.

Seeing that his father-in-law was really angry, Li Aiguo had no choice but to agree.

However, he reminded Chen Fangxuan that we can develop our own style, but we cannot morally force others to develop their own style.

"Aiguo, don't worry. Your father has been a businessman for so many years, so he understands this principle."

After Chen Fangxuan agreed immediately, he visited more than a dozen tailor shops in the capital.

When the private managers of the tailor shops heard that they were supporting the team, they all expressed their support.

Three days later, 15,000 scarves were delivered to the construction site by GAZ trucks.

Li Aiguo picked up one at random, checked the quality, and immediately became happy.

The quality is top notch.

The key point is that there is a five-pointed star embroidered with red silk thread on each scarf.

After learning the whole story, Zhang shouted, "You see, the people are so supportive of our work. If we slack off in our work, how can we be worthy of them?"

"Sorry!" The railway soldiers and workers were also moved and shouted in unison.

"Then what should we do?!"

"Work hard and complete the project with quality and quantity!"

The deafening roar echoed over the construction site.

After being equipped with the four-purpose scarf, I don’t know whether it was the scarf that played a role or the red five-pointed star on the scarf that played a role, but the progress of the project was significantly improved.

The four-purpose scarf has become the symbol of Beijing subway construction workers.

Later, even the leaders and technicians who worked in offices applied for scarves.

After receiving the second batch of scarves, Team Leader Zhang contacted the street offices where the tailor shops were located through the project logistics department, and sent award certificates and a batch of refined white flour to the tailor shops in the name of gratitude.

"These soldiers...why are they so distant?" Chen Fangxuan looked at the fine white flour and stomped his feet in anger.

Time is like money in your pocket.

In the blink of an eye, more than half of it was spent.

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed.

After a short training, Liu Guangqi became a pneumatic hammer operator and went to work at a subway construction site.

Because the project has the nature of "combining peacetime and wartime" (taking into account both civil and military defense), local workers are often mixed with railway troops for work, and Liu Guangqi was assigned to the pneumatic hammer squad of the third company.

He lives in a tent on the construction site most of the time, and only occasionally goes to the courtyard.

Even so, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu's lives became much better because their eldest son returned.

In the past, I was beaten three times in two days, but now I am beaten twice in three days.

Li Aiguo's progress was also very fast.

The waterproofing work of the Garden Metro Tunnel is in full swing, and today has reached the critical node - high-pressure grouting.

Early in the morning, Li Aiguo ate two steamed buns and five eggs, then pushed his bicycle out of the house.

Liu Haizhong had been waiting by the crescent-shaped gate early. When he saw Li Aiguo coming over, he shook Li Aiguo's hand tightly and said, "Aiguo, thank you so much. Guangqi can now get 32.70 yuan a month, plus an allowance."

"You're welcome. This is because Guangqi is capable."

The salary was indeed not much, but considering that Liu Guangqi was able to be transferred to Beijing, Liu Haizhong got a great bargain.

Yi Zhonghai had just walked out of the house at this time. Seeing the two of them, he snorted coldly and walked away with a dark face.

"This old Yi is becoming more and more outrageous." Liu Haizhongyuan planned to take the opportunity to criticize Yi Zhonghai behind his back.

"Second uncle, I have something else to do here, we'll see you later."

Li Aiguo has already run away on his bicycle.

"Hey, this kid"

Li Aiguo rode his bicycle all the way to the apple orchard construction site.

The construction site works in three shifts and is always in operation.

Although it is morning, the weather is still very hot. The railway soldiers and local workers are all sweating and panting, but no one complains.

In order to ensure the progress of the project, a batch of supplies was specially dispatched. Everyone can eat white flour buns every day and occasionally have some meat. Where can you find such a good life?

At this time, the students of the Railway Corps' Water Release Training Class and more than 300 railway soldiers had gathered.

"Everyone should have understood the difficulties of this construction."

"set off!"

Li Aiguo waved his hand, and the railway soldiers strode into the tunnel carrying their equipment.

High-pressure grouting is a mature technology in later generations, but in these years, due to equipment problems, it has certain risks.

"Teacher, let me do it."

Outstanding student Jiang Gan took the initiative to step forward.

Seeing Li Aiguo nod, he quickly walked to the grouting machine.

The roar of the machine starting up caused dust to fall from the rock walls of the tunnel, and the slurry in the high-pressure hose made a gurgling sound.

Li Aiguo stared at the pressure gauge. The pointer was rising at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the red warning line was particularly glaring in the morning light.

"The pressure is stable at 8 MPa!" Li Aiguo shouted at the top of his voice.

Before he finished speaking, the slurry seeped out of the hose joint more and more violently, and the metal texture at the joint squeaked under the heavy load.

There are two options at this time. One is to shut down the machine immediately, then the dried mud will clog the pipe and the entire grouting machine will be scrapped.

Another one turns off the main valve and tightens the interface.

Li Aiguo calculated the probability of an accident and shouted, "Jiang Gan! Close the main valve, everyone retreat!"

At the same time, he picked up the steel hoop from the toolbox beside him and rushed towards the joint that was about to burst in two steps.

The high-pressure hose suddenly vibrated violently. At the moment when the mud gushed out, Li Aiguo tightly put the steel hoop on the interface. Veins in his arms bulged as he tightened the bolts with all his strength.

In the tunnel, Jiang Gan has urgently closed the main valve and the pressure gauge pointer has begun to fall, but the remaining high pressure in the hose is still madly impacting the interface.

"Add another hoop!" Li Aiguo shouted at the nearest railway soldier.

The two men worked together to lock the joint tightly with the second steel hoop, and the splashing of mud gradually weakened.

When the last bit of pressure dissipated, Li Aiguo collapsed to the ground, his work clothes soaked with sweat and starch.

He looked at the frightened crowd and said in a hoarse voice: "Check all the pipes and reinforce each joint with three bolts!"

At this time, outside the construction site, three cars were driving from a distance.

The leading car was a Dongfeng sedan, and the two behind it were Jim brand sedans, all with license plates starting with 00.

After Liu Guozhang received the news, he immediately waited at the door with a team of five people.

(End of this chapter)