The train driver in the courtyard

In the following days, Li Aiguo lived a very fulfilling life.

During the day, I tinker with V8 engines in the studio; at night, I go home and have kids; and in my spare time, I read a few books.

As the engine parts were manufactured one by one, Li Aiguo began to work with Yu Shu to plan the assembly process.

The General Administration's Road Safety Office is still investigating the person who wrote the anonymous letter, but there's no news yet.

After all, there are so many newspapers these days, it's hard to find out who forged the words.

In the courtyard.

After becoming the work group leader, Liu Haizhong worked tirelessly from early morning to late at night, showing great enthusiasm and so busy that he didn't even have time to discipline his children.

This made the residents of the compound look at Liu Haizhong with new respect.

Some people don't lack the desire to work; they simply lack the opportunity.

Yi Zhonghai's life was relatively peaceful.

Lately, he's been keeping a low profile at the factory, and when he gets home, he stays indoors and doesn't go out, only reading newspapers.

"Hey, old woman, where are our newspapers?" Yi Zhonghai opened the cabinet and found that all the old newspapers were gone.

An older woman came out of the kitchen, poked her head out, and said, "Dongxu borrowed it. It seems he said he wanted to study the major policies and guidelines carefully."

"He's studying?" Yi Zhonghai felt something was off about this.

They simply assumed Jia Dongxu was selling those newspapers as scrap paper and didn't take it seriously.

After all, I chose this person to take care of me, so I have no choice but to accept it now.

Xu Damao walked to the door and heard the sounds inside, and he also felt that something was wrong.

"Jia Dongxu loves studying? Are you kidding me? Is he up to his old tricks again?"

Xu Damao narrowed his eyes slightly, deciding to find a way to catch Jia Dongxu out of his weakness.

There was no other reason; I just simply didn't like Jia Dongxu.

Time is like the belt of a man in his thirties or forties—it gets tighter and shorter.

In the blink of an eye, a week or two has passed.

Inside the workshop, Li Aiguo looked at the assembled V8 engine and felt a sense of anticipation.

Assembling this engine is extremely difficult.

Not only did they work for more than a week, but they also built a simple dust-free workshop to ensure the precision of the assembly.

Nitrogen was borrowed from a chemical plant for cold loading, and only then was this finished product made.

"Alright, everyone, put your clothes on now." Li Aiguo took off his gloves and threw them on the table.

At this moment, Yu Shu, Director Zhang, and several veteran technicians were all wearing only underwear.
I was wearing a raincoat from the umbrella factory, and it felt so cool and refreshing on my skin. I couldn't wait to put it on.

Upon hearing Li Aiguo's words, he quickly took off his raincoat and put on his own clothes.

Li Aiguo felt that the scene was somewhat familiar, like a scene of a drug master cooking, the only difference being that the reading material had been replaced by an engine.

When it was Li Aiguo's turn to get dressed, these guys all turned around in unison, cursing under their breath, "You good-for-nothing!"

The engine was fixed on a special platform, the fuel supply line was connected, and the electric ignition was installed.

Li Aiguo personally turned on the switch.

The engine started instantly, and the pistons in the cylinders spun rapidly.

"It worked! We succeeded!"

Yu Shu and Director Zhang hugged each other tightly; this was the engine they had built with their own hands.

"Go and report to the section chief."

While arranging for Yu Shu to record the operational data, Li Aiguo also gave instructions to Director Zhang.

A moment later, Section Chief Xing arrived with several section leaders.

It's not unusual for the Qianmen Locomotive Depot to be able to manufacture steam engines for trains, but manufacturing car engines is a first for them.

"That's it?" Section Chief Xing looked at the engine, still somewhat incredulous, and couldn't help but rub his eyes.

"It's too early to say. It's only just started running, so we should test it again." Li Aiguo originally wanted to use instruments to test the engine's operating status, but he didn't have the instruments available in later generations.

"Run it for a few hundred hours and see. If there are no problems, then it's a success."

"We'll do it your way." Section Chief Xing didn't realize that he had developed a habit of thinking that as long as he listened to Li Aiguo, nothing would go wrong.

"If you need anything, just let me know."

Li Aiguo readily agreed and was about to continue tidying up the remaining parts when a long and loud "whoosh" sound came from outside.

Then came a series of questions.

"Does Aiguo work here?"

"Comrade, you can't go in."

"No, I made an appointment with Aiguo. I am Old Wei from Weizhuang Commune."

Hearing the noise outside, Li Aiguo told Director Zhang to continue his work, and he and Section Chief Xing left the studio.

Outside the workshop, two oxcarts were parked, with several burlap sacks on them, presumably having just delivered mountain goods to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

At this moment, Village Chief Wei was explaining to Xiao Zhang from the fire brigade.

Now, the firefighters on duty also act as security guards at the studio, and their pay is five tomatoes every week.

"Xiao Zhang, this is an acquaintance." Li Aiguo greeted Xiao Zhang, then looked at Village Chief Wei and asked, "Village Chief, what brings you here?"

"Section Chief, you're here too." Village Chief Wei greeted Section Chief Xing first, then looked at Li Aiguo and said:
“That experimental field is about to be harvested. You told me last time to go to the site and keep an eye on it.”

Li Aiguo has been so busy lately that he really neglected this matter.

"Section Chief, I'd like to ask you for a day off."

"Why are you asking for leave? You're the head of the studio, you can arrange your time freely. But what's with this experimental field of yours?"
"Isn't one greenhouse enough to keep you busy?"

Section Chief Xing used to see Li Aiguo growing vegetables and corn in the greenhouse and thought he was doing it for fun. How did he end up creating an experimental field?
"I planted several corn kernels in the greenhouse, and one of them mutated."

Section Chief Xing exclaimed in surprise: "Mutation?"

"The corn that doesn't look like its parents has a higher yield."

“Hey, I’ve actually mentioned this before. My neighbor, Old Zhao, and his wife both have single eyelids, but they had a child with double eyelids. That child is incredibly strong,” Yu Shu interjected.

"That's not a mutation, it's just that Old Wang next door got into trouble," Li Aiguo said quietly.

"what!"

Seeing that he didn't understand, Li Aiguo didn't explain further. He turned to Section Chief Xing and continued, "I heard that hybrid seeds have a high yield, so I was thinking of expanding the planting area of ​​this corn to see if it can really increase production."

Section Chief Xing knew that Li Aiguo liked to tinker with strange and unusual things, so he didn't pay any attention and waved his hand, saying, "You've been busy for so many days, you should take a break."

A deputy section chief standing nearby seemed to remember something and interjected, "Our locomotive depot has also reclaimed a lot of land and often worries about grain seeds. If these seeds can really increase production, we should plant some too."

The deputy section chief's words turned a private matter into a public one.

However, this is also good. Li Aiguo was worried about not being able to expand the area of ​​the experimental field. Now that he has farmland on both sides of the railway, he can get more samples.

"Here's the plan: let Lao Liu from the logistics department accompany Aiguo," Section Chief Xing decided decisively.

Several technicians from the studio, along with Yu Shu, also wanted to join in the fun. They were all from Beijing and had never participated in agricultural labor before.

"That's good. Now that the government is advocating for the union of workers and peasants, these kids need to get some experience too."

The team expanded rapidly. Li Aiguo selected a few people and instructed those who stayed behind to keep an eye on the engine and make sure it didn't stop.

The planting plan at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot has now been formalized.

The task was overseen by Director Liu of the Logistics Department, who also specially invited several agricultural experts from the College of Agriculture.

When the deputy section chief brought Li Aiguo to the logistics department, Director Liu was discussing the next planting plan with agricultural experts.

Upon seeing Li Aiguo enter, an agricultural expert stood up to greet him: "Aiguo, what brings you here?"

Li Aiguo was stunned for a moment before recognizing the other person: "Professor Wu, what are you doing here?"

Professor Wu is now darker and thinner than before. If it weren't for the tattered straw hat he was still wearing, Li Aiguo really wouldn't have recognized him.

"You two know each other? That's great! Professor Wu is an expert we specially hired from the agricultural park to guide the employees' families in farming," the deputy section chief explained with a smile.

He pointed at Li Aiguo: "Professor Wu, Aiguo has set up an experimental field in a nearby commune and is about to harvest it. Do you want to go and keep an eye on it?"

During their last meeting, Professor Wu heard Li Aiguo mention that he wanted to work on corn seeds. He thought Li was joking, but it turns out he actually did it.

Since I had no other work to do after that, I readily agreed.

Considering the large number of people on this trip, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot dispatched a truck.

The group arrived at Laowei Village Commune after a bumpy ride, where the commune members were already waiting at the edge of the fields.

Upon seeing the corn in the field, Professor Wu's expression changed, and he quickly opened the car door and ran over.

"Such a big ear of corn." He picked a golden ear of corn, held it in his hand, and turned to ask Old Wei, the village chief, "How much fertilizer did you use?"

“It’s the same as any other field,” Village Chief Wei replied.

"And how often do you weed and turn the soil?" Professor Wu continued to ask.

"I don't remember. I just did it while I was hoeing other fields."

Village Chief Wei finally realized what was happening and puffed on his pipe, saying, "Professor Wu, this field is only called an experimental field; it hasn't actually received any special treatment."

We take care of these fields the same way we take care of the others. At most, we send someone to chase away the birds a little closer to harvest time.

Professor Wu became excited: "Harvest it quickly, I need to know the yield per acre immediately."

Village Chief Wei turned to look at Li Aiguo, and only after Li Aiguo nodded did he allow the villagers to enter the fields.

During harvest season, everyone in the commune goes out to work, and schools are closed for the holidays.

They took whatever tools they could find: sickles, shovels, ropes, carts, and a few little guys even carried hoes taller than themselves into the field.

No one would find it strange, much less think that these children have been wronged.

The commune members split into two groups: the women carried baskets and picked corn in front, while the young and strong men, with their children, took sickles and cut the corn kernels from behind, bundled them up, and took them to the field to dry so they could be used as firewood.

The commune members were busy as bees, and the staff at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot were also too embarrassed to be idle.

Especially when they saw a teenager carrying a large bundle of corn stalks, several young people immediately wanted to go in and help carry them.

“Tuck an old piece of clothing around your neck.” Li Aiguo stopped them and picked up a towel. The young men followed suit.

Carrying corn stalks is a tough and tiring job; the rough corn leaves can rub your neck raw.

If someone doesn't know how to do the work and rashly takes on the task, they won't be able to turn their neck at night.

As basket after basket of corncobs were brought out, Professor Wu became nervous.

"Don't drop the corn cob."

"Even if the corn falls on the ground, we have to pick it up."

"Hey, bring the smaller one back too."

He asked Village Chief Wei to bring the only steelyard balance in the village, and called a few young men to keep an eye on the field while preparing to weigh the crops at any time.

"Thirty pounds."

"Seventy catties."

"Fifty-eight catties."

"Finally, the total yield per mu was 1032 jin!"

Looking at the numbers on the paper, Professor Wu was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but rub his eyes.

The yield of a little over a thousand catties was not high; in later generations, the yield of corn per mu (a Chinese unit of area, approximately 0.067 hectares) reached 1500 to 1700 catties.

However, it should be noted that chemical fertilizers were not yet widely used in China at that time.

Wheat typically yields about 100 jin per mu, sorghum about 140 jin, corn about 110 jin, and millet about 120 jin.

Later, when superior varieties such as Golden Queen and Huangxian Erma Ya were promoted, the yield of corn in the experimental fields was only 500 jin per mu.

Once she was sure she wasn't seeing things, her breathing became rapid.

"1032 jin (566 catties), Lao Zhao!"

Professor Zhao stared intently at the numbers, his brows furrowed, and he did not answer him.

Professor Wu didn't seem to care and continued, "Even the corn seeds we imported from Russia didn't yield this much. It's a miracle that this abandoned land can produce 1032 jin per mu!"

Hearing this, Li Aiguo became interested and asked, "Since we introduced corn seeds from the Russians, why haven't we promoted them on a large scale?" "Don't even mention it. You know that the Russians love growing corn and love selling their own corn seeds to their little brothers. They're shouting slogans like '1,500 catties per mu.'"

We tried it, and the yield in the experimental field was only a little over 300 jin per mu. How can this be promoted?!

Li Aiguo remembered that the reason he was called the "Corn Emperor" was because he loved growing corn.

After all, corn yields are high, which can fill people's stomachs, so it can be considered a good thing.

However, the Corn Emperor encountered a big conman, the biology expert Senko.

Senko not only screwed himself over, but also many of his underlings. Fortunately, we withstood the pressure and were spared from his harm.

"Looks like the Russian brothers are really short of corn seeds," Li Aiguo muttered to himself.

However, he has no intention of getting involved now; only by providing timely assistance can he maximize his benefits.

After Professor Wu confirmed the yield to be 1032 jin per mu, he raised a question: "Aiguo, if we plant corn in the standard experimental field and apply more fertilizer, wouldn't the yield be even higher?"

Li Aiguo offered them cigarettes, lit one for himself, and after taking a puff, said, "I don't understand biology, but I think whether grain seeds are good or not should be determined by actual yield, not by the numbers on a report card."

Li Aiguo did not continue speaking, but Professor Wu and Professor Zhao already understood what he meant.

"Yes, some places are indeed going too far these days."

"Ahem, Lao Wu, this isn't something we should be discussing." Li Aiguo knew Professor Wu's temperament and subtly reminded him.

Professor Wu, who had attended several meetings and understood the current situation, nodded and said, "Now that we have such good seeds, our corn yield will definitely increase."

"Old Wu, come here for a second." Professor Zhao, who had been staring at the notebook with his head tilted to the side, pulled Professor Wu aside.

"What are you doing?"

"Old Wu, is it possible that this commune is cheating? We encountered something like this in another commune a while ago."

The grain from several acres of land was combined and made to look almost real.

His voice wasn't loud, but the wind blew, and the other members of the commune nearby heard it clearly, which made them all angry.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Shan, the militia captain who was already burning with rage, strode forward and grabbed Professor Zhao by the collar!

With a loud thud, he was thrown back to his feet, and a fist the size of a bowl was about to smash down:
"You four-eyed idiot! You're blind and heartless! How dare you slander our commune for falsifying information?!"

How dare you, a bespectacled man, tarnish the glory of the poor and lower-middle peasants of Weizhuang!
"The grain we grow is the result of our hard work and sweat, and you dare to smear it? You're asking for it!"

"Wei Shan! Stop! Put your fist down!" At this moment, a voice came from the side, stopping the militia captain's fist.

Upon hearing this shout, Wei Shan subconsciously loosened his clenched fist slightly, but he didn't let go of the hand gripping his collar, his neck stiffening: "Brother Aiguo! He... he's smearing our commune! He's smearing the revolutionary consciousness of the poor and lower-middle peasants of Weizhuang!"

Li Aiguo walked between the two men and first sternly said to Wei Shan, "Put it down! What kind of behavior is this? Is the consciousness of poor and lower-middle peasants just about talking with their fists?"

You must distinguish between contradictions among the people and contradictions between ourselves and the enemy!
His thinking is flawed; criticism and education should be the primary approach. Your fists won't solve the problem; they'll only damage the image of us poor and lower-middle peasants and intellectuals!

These words struck at Wei Shan's Achilles' heel.

Now the commune is in meetings all the time, and Wei Shan understands all these big principles.

Wei Shan slowly loosened his grip, but was still unconvinced: "But why doesn't he believe us?!"

These members may not have realized it, but Li Aiguo understood Professor Zhao's concerns.

"Professor Zhao, we still have a few acres of land that haven't been harvested yet. If you think we're cheating, you can keep an eye on things from the side."

The onlookers nodded in agreement: "That's right, seeing is believing. You stand here and see if we're up to any tricks!"

Professor Zhao looked around the cornfield and said, "With so many of you and the corn stalks so dense, even if something is done, I wouldn't be able to tell."

The commune I visited last month had people bury the corn cobs in the ground beforehand.

What we see first isn't necessarily true; this is going to be difficult.

Li Aiguo didn't care whether Professor Zhao believed him or not, since there was no need to explain to him, and planned to continue harvesting the next experimental field.

Professor Zhao suddenly raised his hand and said, "I'll do it myself."

???

Li Aiguo was somewhat stunned.

What do you mean by "do it yourself"? This is such a big piece of land, you're going to take care of it all by yourself?
"I will personally harvest the corn cobs and weigh them myself. If the yield is not a problem, then I will trust you," Professor Zhao said loudly.

Even though it's just harvesting corn cobs and there's no need to clear the stalks, harvesting such a large area of ​​land is no easy task.

Professor Wu also advised, "Old Zhao, there's no need to be so serious about comparisons. I trust Patriotism."

"I only trust myself," Professor Zhao said in a deep voice.

Village Chief Wei was also worried that Professor Zhao's health couldn't handle it. Seeing that Professor Zhao was persistent, he had no choice but to turn to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo nodded: "The achievements of Weizhuang Commune are right here. The land doesn't lie, and the scales don't lie!"

We engage in production honestly and diligently, growing grain with integrity, to produce more grain for the collective and the country. This is our duty as poor and lower-middle peasants! This is our greatest honor!

The meaning of this statement is quite clear: today's matter is no longer just about output, but also about the honor and disgrace of the commune.

Professor Wu had no choice but to give up when he saw the situation escalating.

Village Chief Wei said, "Comrade Aiguo is right! We have done nothing wrong! Wei Shan, withdraw the people! Let Professor Zhao examine them himself!"

Listen up, everyone! No one is allowed to interfere! Let's be factual and let the experts see things clearly!

"Yes!"

The villagers had never seen such a serious person before, so they all happily withdrew and stood on the edge of the field to watch the excitement.

Professor Zhao pushed Professor Wu aside, found a tattered piece of clothing to wear, and carried a basket into the cornfield.

Trips after trips, their clothes soaked with sweat, yet they never stopped.

These days, agricultural experts are truly down-to-earth and know how to do farm work.

Despite not being particularly strong, he was faster than the top-ranking officer in the commune.

The commune's women's director brought over some cooled boiled water.

Li Aiguo stood up and brought him an enamel mug of tea: "Professor Zhao, have some water. It has some grass in it to clear heat and detoxify."

"Thanks." Professor Zhao was somewhat surprised. He had clearly targeted Li Aiguo just now, yet Li Aiguo's attitude was so kind.

After drinking some water, he continued to work hard, carrying the basket.

People who work in the countryside all understand one thing: work is afraid of people, and people are afraid of standing still.

What does that mean?

No matter how much farm work there is, there is no need to worry. What they fear most is resting. This is also why many young people cannot compete with the older members of the commune.

Young people are strong and work quickly, but they only work for a short while before going off to chat.

On the contrary, the older members, who worked at a moderate pace and could keep working all day without stopping, definitely did more work than the younger members.

Professor Zhao worked for nearly three hours straight, without even having time for lunch.

Once all the corn cobs had been delivered to the field, he quickly called over several young men to begin weighing them.

"Ninety-one jin."

"Seventy-eight pounds."

"."

"How much is it, Lao Wu?" After all the corn cobs had been weighed, Professor Zhao asked urgently, his chapped lips trembling.

"1080 pounds!"

The moment this number was announced, the other members of the commune got excited.

"It weighs several dozen pounds more than before. Let's see what these four eyes have to say."

"Yes, yes, he even thought our commune member had lied to him."

Professor Zhao showed no sign of frustration; instead, he excitedly pumped his fist.

“I picked these myself, there’s no way I could have faked it. We really have found a high-yield corn variety.”

"Old Zhao, do you want to say something to the commune members?" Unlike Professor Zhao, Professor Wu came from the grassroots and understood the grievances in the hearts of these commune members.

"Yes, yes, yes," Professor Zhao said, wiping the sweat from his face with his sleeve. He then addressed the members, "I'm sorry, brothers. I made an error of relying on past experience and doubted you without conducting any investigation. I'm truly sorry."

The members knew that Professor Zhao did not do it on purpose, so none of them held it against him.

Professor Zhao walked up to Li Aiguo and grabbed his hand, saying, "Comrade Aiguo, I'm so sorry."

"You're too kind. It's good that this matter has been clarified." Li Aiguo didn't dislike Professor Zhao's type of person; his meticulousness was simply a sign of his responsibility to his work.

In particular, Professor Wu just secretly explained why Professor Zhao was assigned to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot: it was because he pointed out that a certain commune was engaging in fraud.

At this time, the commune members began to harvest corn stalks. After discussing it for a while, Professor Wu and Professor Zhao decided to report the matter.

Li Aiguo stopped them again: "I think we should plant another large-scale crop to determine how the corn seeds perform in various soils and environments before making a decision."

Seeds are crucial to grain yield and whether we can fill our stomachs; we must not be careless about them.

Professor Wu understood this and nodded, saying, "It's good to be there in person. Your railway department's farmland is spread all over the country, covering a very wide area, which is perfect for using as a laboratory."

After speaking, Professor Wu looked at Li Aiguo: "Does this seed have a name?"

Li Aiguo shook his head.

Professor Wu squinted and said, "Generally speaking, seed variety names are often prefixed with the abbreviation of the breeding unit or the promotion area. However, since you came up with this seed yourself, and the promotion area cannot be determined yet, this matter is difficult to handle."

Professor Zhao suggested, "I think we should call it Patriotic No. 1 Corn."

"Patriot No. 1, what a resounding name."

"What a nice name."

Several senior professors and members also agreed.

Professor Wu always felt that Li Aiguo had gotten a great deal. If this seed could be widely promoted, he would surely be remembered in history.

It's just that they chose a good name.

Professor Wu turned to Director Liu and said, "I suggest that next year, Patriotic No. 1 corn should be planted throughout the planting areas on both sides of your railway."

Professor Wu is a breeding expert, and experts have authority. Besides, these seeds were developed by our own colleagues. Director Liu readily agreed: "I'll do whatever you say."

Then comes the issue of seeds.

Director Liu suggested purchasing this batch of corn from Lao Wei Village Commune.

“Patriotism, these seeds can’t be reused, can they?” Professor Wu stopped him and picked up the seeds again to look at them.

Li Aiguo smiled and said, "These are hybrid seeds. The first generation is formed by crossing two parents with different genetic characteristics, combining the advantages of both parents. In the second generation, gene recombination will occur, causing recessive traits to be expressed again, and different traits will be randomly combined."

"I didn't understand agriculture just now, but this person is clearly an agricultural expert." Professor Wu nodded in admiration.

Li Aiguo glanced at the breeding technology (100) on the system panel and smiled without saying a word.

Village Chief Wei and several villagers were puzzled: "Having to buy seeds every year is too expensive."

"Comrades, don't worry, once it's decided to promote this seed nationwide, the higher authorities will provide the seeds," Professor Wu explained. "There's another benefit: if someone tries to steal our seeds, they won't be able to anymore, will they?"

"It's true."

"This thing that patriotism created is indeed a good thing."

"He truly deserves to be called an agricultural expert."

The remaining few acres of corn had also been harvested, and the edge of the field was piled high with bulging burlap sacks.

"Hurry up and send them back; they still need to be dried while the sun is still blazing," Old Wei, the village chief, urged the villagers to get to work.

Several young men from the locomotive depot also stepped forward to help.

I tried to lift the burlap sack, which weighed three or four hundred pounds. My face turned red and my neck bulged from the effort. I could barely lift it, but my steps were unsteady.

Seeing this, Village Chief Wei hurriedly shouted, "Slow down, slow down! Two people can carry one bag! Be careful not to strain your back!"

Li Aiguo had just finished giving Professor Wu his last few words when he turned around and saw this scene.

Without saying a word, he walked over and casually draped his coat over the railing.

He walked up to the largest sack that the young men were trying to move, bent over, knelt down, and exerted force with his arms.

"Hey!"

Amidst the astonished gazes of the commune members and locomotive depot staff, he single-handedly and steadily hoisted the heavy bag of corn seeds onto his shoulder!
"Brother Aiguo is really a donkey!" Yu Shu exclaimed in surprise.

(End of this chapter)