The train driver in the courtyard

The train sped along the tracks, gradually disappearing from sight.

After seeing Li Yunlong off, Li Aiguo rode his bicycle leisurely through the streets, surrounded by the lively atmosphere of daily life.

Primary school students carrying handmade backpacks were playing around, a young woman sitting in the back seat blushed and hid behind a man, and several good Samaritans were looking around for an elderly woman crossing the street.

The only difference was that many young people carrying water buckets appeared on the street.

"It seems the water shortage in the capital has become severe again."

The bicycle had just turned the corner of the alley when it almost collided with a figure.

The figure reacted quickly, dodging the bicycle with two single-leg hops; it was clear the person was a trained athlete.

Uh... It's Xu Damao. It's alright then. This kid often rides his bicycle on mountain roads, so this kind of unexpected situation is nothing new to him.

"Brother Da Mao, is there a water shortage at home?" Li Aiguo stopped his bicycle steadily by bracing himself with one foot.

"It's our patriotic brother who's back."

Xu Damao looked at the two tin buckets and, seeing that they were undamaged, breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Yes, the tap water in our compound has been cut off. The neighborhood office notified residents that they should go to the well at the east gate to get water."

"No wonder so many people are carrying water because the water's been cut off." Just as Li Aiguo was about to ask a few more questions, Zhang Gangzhu and several other young men ran out of the yard carrying buckets of water.

"Aiguo, hurry up and fetch water! I heard that the water supply in our neighborhood has been cut off. If you're late, you won't be able to get a spot."

Li Aiguo's family has a large water tank that stores a lot of water, so he doesn't have to worry about water issues.

Considering that Aunt Liu's house might be short of water, he pushed his bicycle and went home.

Yi Zhonghai was standing at Jia Dongxu's door, knocking on it.

"Dongxu, hurry up and come out to fetch water."

Jia Dongxu opened the door: "Master, Huairu hasn't come back yet."

"You're a man, waiting for a woman to fetch water?" Yi Zhonghai suppressed his anger, considering that he had just fallen out with Jia Dongxu a few days ago.

“Master, as the saying goes, oxen plow the fields, dogs guard the yard, roosters crow at dawn, and women carry water, turn the waterwheel, and manage household chores. Shouldn’t Qin Huairu be doing these things?”

Jia Dongxu's statement is actually not wrong.

In the commune, because male members had to do heavy physical work such as digging irrigation ditches, carrying water was indeed a woman's job.

But this is the city, and families with men in their households would never allow anyone to show up.

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback by Jia Dongxu's matter-of-fact attitude. After a moment of hesitation, he said, "Isn't your wife not home? Hurry up. I've heard that residents of several nearby compounds are going there. If they're late, they won't be able to get any water."

Seeing Yi Zhonghai get angry, Jia Dongxu reluctantly took the carrying pole and bucket and went out the door.

Upon seeing Li Aiguo, he snorted coldly and followed Yi Zhonghai away.

At this time, the residents in the compound were all busy after receiving the notice.

If there are able-bodied men in the family, they will carry the water.

In households without able-bodied men, women and children have to step in.

People always need water, and whether they carry it on their shoulders or lift it by hand, they have to get the water home.

Li Aiguo went home, but Chen Xueru hadn't returned yet, so he went to Liu Haizhong's house to borrow a carrying pole and buckets, which he then hoisted onto his shoulders and swayed as he walked out of the courtyard.

Zhang Gangzhu and Xu Damao were still waiting outside. When they saw him coming, they urged, "Aiguo, hurry up."

"coming."

The well at the east gate is quite old.

There are clean and bright blue stones beside the well platform, with dark green moss growing in the crevices, and the iron windlass handle is smooth and shiny.

In recent years, the well had been almost abandoned because of the tap water supply in Beijing, but now people are crowding around it again.

"I heard that in addition to our street, the Zhengyangmen area has also lost water."

"Yes, I wonder when we'll have running water."

"Given the severity of the drought, we'll have to wait a while. By the way, I heard you have a niece who's eighteen this year, right? My second son works at a lumber mill. Could you set them up?"

"That's easy. We'll arrange for them to meet when we have time."

The area around the well had become a social gathering place, with people chatting while queuing to draw water.

Because there were too many people fetching water, and fearing an accident, Director Wang of the Subdistrict Office, along with several Subdistrict Office staff, stood by to maintain order.

"It's my turn." The person at the front of the line was the Third Uncle.

He rushed forward and vigorously cranked the well pulley with both hands. With a creaking sound, a full bucket of well water was brought out.

Once both buckets were full, the old man picked up his long, thin carrying pole and walked outside. He approached a few women and whispered, "Do you need water? I'll deliver it to your house for free. Just give me some scrap if you have any."

These days, people do a lot of manual labor. Don't underestimate these women; they can carry bags weighing over 100 pounds. How could they possibly accept the old man's "fair trade"?

"No need, thank you."

"Hey, do you want some?" The old man was about to ask an older woman.

Xu Damao shouted at the top of his lungs, "Comrade Sprout Potato, the street office staff are watching you closely. Aren't you afraid they'll accuse you of speculation and profiteering?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm exchanging my labor for scrap, not speculating." The old man was very stubborn, but he was a little guilty. Seeing that no one would accept his offer, he could only carry the water and leave quickly.

A burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

“Patriotism, it’s our turn. Let me help you.” Zhang Gangzhu filled two buckets with water and reached out to help.

"I can do it myself." Li Aiguo had used this thing before.

Standing at the wellhead, I immediately felt the coolness of the well water. The bucket was tied to the rope, and when I picked up the pulley, I didn't shake it violently, but rather turned it rhythmically in circles.

In no time at all, the two buckets of water were brought out.

Seeing that Director Wang and the street office staff were so busy that their mouths were dry, he carried a bucket of water over and said, "Aunt Wang, have some water to cool off."

"It's Aiguo." When Director Wang saw that it was Li Aiguo, he didn't stand on ceremony. He found an enamel bowl, scooped out a bowl of water, and drank a few mouthfuls.

The street office staff also had a few sips of wine before heading off to get busy.

Li Aiguo then picked up the enamel bowl and scooped out a bowl of water. This water was clearer and had a sweet taste compared to tap water.

"Aunt Wang, how long will this water outage last?"

"It's hard to say. We contacted the waterworks, but there's a drought and the reservoirs are running low on water."

“This can’t go on forever,” Li Aiguo said, looking at the people in line.

The young men were fine, but the older ones were finding it hard to handle.

"Yes, our neighborhood has also organized people to deliver water to residents with mobility issues, but we don't have enough manpower."

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo suggested, "We can have our neighborhood patrol team join in and form a volunteer water delivery team."

"Hey, how come I didn't think of that? Aiguo, you've solved a huge problem!" Director Wang's eyes lit up.

Li Aiguo called Zhang Gangzhu over and explained his idea for a volunteer water delivery team.

"This is great news! We can be proud again." Zhang Gangzhu nodded repeatedly.

Every time the neighborhood patrol team completes a mission, the residents and the community write letters of commendation.

Although Zhang Gangzhu didn't care about these things, he was promoted one level because of the commendation letter from the street office last time.

Now that the opportunity has arisen, we certainly can't miss it.

"Go and gather the team members. Remember, participation must be voluntary. Absolutely no moral blackmail."

Zhang Gangzhu understood Li Aiguo's meaning, nodded, and then ran off.

Li Aiguo was concerned about delivering the water back, so he joined the water delivery team, chatted with Director Wang for a few words, and then prepared to leave.

Sudden.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. The sound of a rope falling into the water could be heard in the distance.

"Jia Dongxu, what are you doing? You can't even fetch water properly. Now look what's happened, the rope has fallen down." The nearby residents complained.

"I didn't want to either, but who knew this bucket would be so disobedient?" Jia Dongxu said stubbornly.

Li Aiguo went over and took a look, and immediately understood what was going on.

The bucket isn't actually heavy; it only weighs a few dozen kilograms.

The key is to maintain a steady pace when turning the wheel.

If you're in a hurry and your hand slips, the pulley will turn back, and the bucket will fall quickly into the well, easily breaking the rope.

Director Wang of the neighborhood office was also anxious when he saw that the rope had broken.

Without bothering to argue with Jia Dongxu, they quickly asked the street office staff to find an iron hook, and with great effort, they managed to pull the rope up again.

By the time Li Aiguo arrived with the neighborhood patrol team carrying shoulder poles, the rope had just been tied.

"Director Wang, Dongxu really didn't do it on purpose," Yi Zhonghai was still explaining.

When Director Wang saw Li Aiguo approaching, he ignored him and said to Li Aiguo, "You know all the elderly and widowed families in our neighborhood. I'll leave the water delivery to you."

After saying that, Director Wang seemed to remember something and turned to look at the residents: "Our neighborhood's volunteer patrol team is going to deliver water to the elderly living alone. Anyone who wants to join can sign up with Comrade Aiguo. Those who participate in the water delivery will receive food coupons first."

The young people in the neighborhood had long wanted to join the patrol team, but due to the team's discipline, the patrol team had never recruited from outside.

Now that they could help deliver water, work with the patrol team, and receive priority in receiving food coupons, everyone raised their hands.

"I, I, I'm signing up."

"I'll be going home later, but it's so hot outside, I can't stay there. I might as well deliver water."

"And I."

Before long, more than a dozen young people, both men and women, joined the volunteer water delivery team. If Li Aiguo hadn't stopped them, there would have been even more.

"There are less than two hours until dark. In order not to delay everyone's work tomorrow, we need to deliver the water to the residents' homes as soon as possible!"

Li Aiguo gave a brief speech.

Yi Zhonghai tugged at Jia Dongxu's arm and gestured with his chin toward Li Aiguo: "Dongxu, go help deliver the water."

"I'm not going, it's too tiring, Master." Jia Dongxu pouted, "These people are all idiots, just like Li Aiguo."

Yi Zhonghai was only trying to help Jia Dongxu. He knew that delivering water would definitely earn him extra points in the future, so when he saw that Jia Dongxu was unwilling, he had no choice but to give up.

"Let's go!" Li Aiguo didn't say much more and waved his hand.

The women were responsible for drawing water from the well, while the men were responsible for carrying it. They cooperated very well.

Under the pale glow of the setting sun, wooden doors were knocked open, buckets of water were poured into dried-up water tanks, and faces were filled with joy.

"This is a really good time. When we run out of water, someone delivers it to our homes."

"Yes, before liberation, this little bit of water would have cost at least several large coins."

Amidst the discussions, the sky gradually darkened, and the water delivery was successfully completed.

Considering that water would be delivered the next day, Li Aiguo instructed the young people to gather at the well at 6:30 pm the following day.

"Captain, I'll be there right away."

"This is much more fun than going ice skating with those guys."

"I never thought that I, Xiaolitian, would be called a good person one day."

"Captain, don't worry, I will definitely hold myself to high standards in order to join the neighborhood patrol team."

Director Wang of the neighborhood had been watching from the sidelines, and seeing that several troublemakers had now transformed into activists, he felt a pang of unease.

I originally thought the neighborhood patrol team was tough, which made the troublemakers in the neighborhood behave, but I didn't expect that they were just eager to join the patrol team.

Li Aiguo's move was a perfect two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

The night was quiet.

Li Aiguo returned to the compound, which was now pitch black except for the warm light from the Li family's house streaming through the glass and onto the road.

Before she even knocked, Chen Xueru heard footsteps and opened the door.

"Brother Aiguo, you're back. Hurry up and wash up and have something to eat." Chen Xueru took the carrying pole and bucket, filled a basin with water, and handed over a towel.

Li Aiguo quickly washed up and sat down at the table. "What time do you get off work?" he asked while drinking cornmeal porridge.

"Around seven o'clock, our neighborhood also lost water. Old Zhang from the neighborhood office organized people to fetch water, and we had to help out." Chen Xueru picked up a palm-leaf fan to fan Li Aiguo.

"Relying on manpower to deliver water is such a waste of time." After finishing his meal, Li Aiguo lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

"Yes, I heard that the water in the well won't last more than a few days. We might have to bring water from afar, which will be even more troublesome." Chen Xueru went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

"If only we had a water truck, this problem would be solved!" Li Aiguo slapped his thigh suddenly.

"Water delivery truck? What is a water delivery truck?"

Li Aiguo didn't bother to explain and went into the study, taking out drawing paper and a pen.

He built water trucks in the Gobi Desert of Northwest China.

This thing is very simple; it's just a cart with a large metal barrel attached. You just need to cut a water inlet at the top of the barrel and attach a faucet at the bottom.

To filter out impurities, Li Aiguo even added a piece of gauze behind the faucet.

As for how to pump water out of the well, that's even simpler: just install a water pump on the truck.

In less than two hours, a water delivery truck was designed.

The locomotive depot is currently manufacturing a train, and all the necessary tools are ready. It will be completed tomorrow.

Li Aiguo put down his pen, yawned, and went to his bedroom.

At this moment, Miss Chen was fast asleep, and who knows what sweet dream she was having, but a smile appeared on her lips.

Li Aiguo turned off the bedside lamp and lay down on the bed.

A warm body pressed against me.

"How dare you pretend to be asleep! I'll teach you a lesson!"

"lighter."

zzZZ
Early the next morning.

With the water delivery truck project on his mind, Li Aiguo got up early, found a cart in the neighboring compound, attached it to the back of his bicycle, and went to the locomotive depot.

Director Zhang was somewhat surprised when he saw Li Aiguo's bicycle trailer: "Aiguo, what are you doing?"

“We’ve been short of water lately,” Li Aiguo explained his idea of ​​a water truck and asked, “Do you have any spare metal drums in your maintenance workshop? I’ll buy them myself.”

"There are indeed a few waste oil drums, but we still need to report this to the section and go through the proper procedures."

"Then trouble you."

Li Aiguo entered the workshop, where car manufacturing experts and technicians were busy building a bulletproof off-road vehicle. After taking a look around and seeing that everything was normal, he planned to return to his office.

Director Zhang returned excitedly, smiling as he said, "Aiguo, I reported this to the section chief, and guess what?"

Li Aiguo knew his temperament and didn't respond.

Director Zhang continued, "The section chief has spoken. Li Dache did this for the people of the neighborhood. As the saying goes, when one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides. Our railway elder brother must also set an example. The section has decided to sponsor you with a transport vehicle, a truck."

"Oh, thank you so much." Li Aiguo understood that the donation was just a loan, after all, a truck was quite valuable, but this was enough.

"Old Zhang, here are the blueprints. I'll have to trouble you with them again."

"No problem, no problem. We can build a large off-road vehicle, so why can't we build a simple water truck?"

The trucks dispatched by the section were already in place. Director Zhang led the workers to use a crane to lift the large iron barrels onto the trucks, and Li Aiguo asked several employees' family members to clean them out.

Considering that the bumpy ride of the truck could easily cause water leakage, Li Aiguo designed a simple anti-vibration valve, using a spring to buffer the impact of water.

Finally, a double-layer sealing ring was installed to prevent leakage, and only then did the manufacturing work begin.

Sizzling sounds filled the air as sparks flew from the welding machine.

Li Aiguo was busy for a while, then squatted down to take a smoke. At that moment, Section Chief Xing walked over.

"How about patriotism?"

"Section Chief, thank you so much." Li Aiguo went up to the section chief, offered him a cigarette, and lit one for himself as well.

Section Chief Xing, with a cigarette between his fingers, pointed at the water truck and said, "Aiguo, what do you think about using these water trucks on our railway?"

Li Aiguo was stunned for a moment before he understood what Section Chief Xing meant. Railway workers often need to carry out fieldwork, especially when repairing railway tracks, which can take several days or even half a month.

There are villages nearby, which isn't a problem, but if you're in a desolate area, both food and water will become major issues.

“This water truck is too simple and can only be used temporarily. If it is to be used as a drinking water supply vehicle, it needs to be redesigned, using thick steel plates, and can be mounted on a truck or railcar.” Li Aiguo analyzed carefully.

"I'm leaving this to you. Get it done if you have the time." Section Chief Xing raised his wrist to check the time and said, "I have to go to a meeting at the ministry. I don't know what happened, but the ministry is urging me to get it done. See you later."

Section Chief Xing got into his jeep and hurriedly drove away.

The water truck was completed in half an hour, and Li Aiguo returned to his workshop to get busy again.

****
As evening fell, the residents returned to their courtyard house and, finding that the taps were still dry, decided to pick up carrying poles and fetch water.

"Honestly, carrying water every day is so annoying," Jia Dongxu said, sounding impatient.

Zhang Gangzhu and several patrol team members prepared to deliver water to elderly people living alone.

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

Suddenly, a shout came from outside.

"Attention residents, attention residents, the water delivery truck has arrived. Please line up if you need water."

"A water delivery truck?" The residents were taken aback and quickly ran out of the compound.

A large truck loaded with tankers was parked outside. Li Aiguo sat in the driver's seat, his hand on the window, leisurely smoking.

Yan Jiecheng, using his big mouth, stood to the side and shouted through a large metal megaphone.

"Patriotism, what's going on here?" Liu Haizhong asked, leaning closer.

"Second Uncle, give me the bucket." Li Aiguo took the bucket from Liu Haizhong and placed it under the tap, then turned it on.

Splash! Clean well water flowed from the tap, and in no time, a bucket was filled.

"This is too easy." Liu Haizhong couldn't help but swallow.

Xu Damao also gasped: "That means we don't have to go through the hardship of carrying water anymore."

Zhang Gangzhu gave Li Aiguo a thumbs up: "Great job, Brother Aiguo, you even came up with such a good idea."

"Hurry up, after you've delivered to our compound, there are still several other compounds that need to be delivered. Gangzhu, you're also responsible for delivering water to the elderly living alone," Li Aiguo urged.

Zhang Gangzhu and the other residents then realized what was happening and rushed forward with their buckets.

Now that water is delivered to our doorsteps, we no longer have to carry it all the time, which saves us a lot of time that could be used for things like disciplining children and cooking. Everyone in the family is beaming with joy.

Only Jia Dongxu looked rather grim.

"If I had known that delivering water would become so easy, I should have signed up for the volunteer water delivery team back then. This is just free help."

Yi Zhonghai looked at him, shook his head helplessly, and then placed the bucket under the tap.

He looked up and saw the residents staring intently, so he could only say, with a sense of frustration, "Thank you for your hard work, Patriot."

"You're welcome." Li Aiguo turned on the tap.

Yi Zhonghai returned home carrying a bucket of water, his face so dark it could drip ink.

An older woman asked curiously, "Old man, Aiguo brought in a water truck, so we don't have to walk miles to fetch water anymore. Why are you still unhappy?"

"Long hair and short brains, what do women know? Every household needs water, and now every household has to be grateful to Li Aiguo. This kid isn't delivering water, he's making the residents owe him favors. This is outrageous!" Yi Zhonghai slammed his hand on the table.

"Patriotism isn't about being that kind of person. You..." The older woman knew Yi Zhonghai had gone astray again, but she couldn't persuade him, so she could only go into the kitchen and continue working.

One water truck solved the water problem for four or five courtyards, and Director Wang of the neighborhood office rushed over when he heard the news.

She circled the water truck, marveling, "Patriotism, the water stored at the well won't last more than a few days. Can this water truck travel long distances?"

"Aunt Wang, this thing drinks gasoline, it can go any distance."

Upon hearing this, Director Wang of the Subdistrict Office nodded and said, "The district is considering how to divert water from the reservoir. I'll go and report to the leaders to see if we can purchase a batch of water trucks from your Qianmen Locomotive Depot. We'll need your help to act as a go-between then."

"Aunt Wang, this is what I should do." Li Aiguo didn't expect the neighborhood committee to have their eye on the water delivery truck, but he was happy to help.

After all, this thing doesn't cost much, and the large bucket can be recycled.

Subsequently, Director Wang reported the situation of the water delivery truck to the district. The district was worried about how to transport water, and when they saw that there was such a good thing as a water delivery truck, they immediately contacted the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

The locomotive depot office was still a bit confused when they received the call from the local authorities.

What water truck? Do we have one at our locomotive depot?

"The water trucks were just built by Aiguo. Since the local comrades need them, our locomotive depot can provide a batch free of charge." Section Chief Xing was particularly pleased.

Although the railway and local governments are two separate systems, both railway construction and maintenance require local assistance.

In particular, many employees' family members are also local residents, so maintaining good relations with the local community is essential.

In particular, the railway has been doing better than before in the last two years. The ministry has held several meetings to ask all locomotive depots to carry forward the style of an elder brother and provide assistance to the local areas.

"Notify the maintenance workshop to expedite the production of a batch of water trucks to be delivered to the district."

After hanging up the phone, Section Chief Xing lit a cigarette and squinted: "That kid Aiguo has really become a car manufacturing expert. Now he can not only build water delivery trucks, but the ministry is also planning to have Li Aiguo build a special car."

Thinking back to today's car manufacturing meeting, Section Chief Xing felt something was off.

He had assumed it was a meeting within the ministry, but to his surprise, two comrades dressed in black Zhongshan suits invited him to a private office.

The fact that the other party was brought by a confidentiality specialist from a ministry, and that they did not reveal their identities, already indicated that they were not ordinary people.

The questions asked were even stranger, all related to Li Aiguo and his studio.

They asked about everything from when Li Aiguo entered the locomotive depot to when he became a train driver.

They asked about every aspect of the studio.

The focus of the discussion was on Li Aiguo's loyalty and the studio's car manufacturing capabilities.

After the questioning, he also instructed Section Chief Xing to keep the questioning absolutely confidential.

The other party then planned to send someone into the Qianmen Locomotive Depot to retrieve the files.

"Patriotism has been censored countless times, why is it still being censored?"

"That's not right. Even if Li Aiguo is carrying out the most classified missions, he doesn't need to be investigated anymore. What's going on?"

Recalling the scene at the time, Section Chief Xing could understand the other party's intentions.

As Li Aiguo's direct superior, he should bear direct responsibility for Li Aiguo's actions. It was an organizational procedure for the other party to talk to him, but he could not understand the other party's purpose.

"Section Chief, those people have arrived. They need to access the files of Comrade Li Aiguo, Director Zhang, and all the workers in the maintenance workshop." At this moment, the deputy section chief in charge of confidentiality knocked on the office door.

Section Chief Xing stubbed out his cigarette and stood up: "Old Zhou, fully cooperate with those comrades' work, and strictly keep it confidential. Do not let it leak out."

"Understood, I will follow the confidentiality regulations." The deputy section chief nodded.

Xing Duan breathed a long sigh of relief.

If you can't figure something out, don't dwell on it. Just follow the rules and regulations, and you're sure to do the right thing.

Late at night, the black Zhongshan suit that Section Chief Xing had mentioned appeared in Leader Teng's office.

"This is our final review report. Comrade Li Aiguo is fully capable of manufacturing special vehicles, both in terms of loyalty and ability."

"I told you this a long time ago." Leader Teng chuckled as he took the report and flipped through it a few times.

"Sir, as you know, the necessary procedures still need to be followed." The man in the black Zhongshan suit spoke with neither servility nor arrogance.

Leader Teng nodded, took out a document, signed it, and stamped it with a red seal.

"I will have a detailed discussion with Comrade Aiguo tomorrow. At that time, I will have to rely on you to maintain confidentiality during the car manufacturing process."

"You're too kind, this is our job." The man in the black Zhongshan suit took the documents, put them in a file bag, and turned to leave.

Leader Teng leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over the calendar on the table, a smile playing on his lips: "The gift is about to be presented, and nothing is more suitable as a present than a bulletproof limousine."

(End of this chapter)