78: Bringing his wife and children to Harbin Institute of Technology

At 7:30, Chen An arrived at his post on time, holding a process parameter record sheet filled with details. He handed the sheet to Ye Bingwen and said solemnly, "Director Ye, these are the final data that Professor Cai finalized last night. He requires that production be carried out strictly according to this standard today, without the slightest deviation."

Ye Bingwen carefully checked the parameters and immediately assigned tasks, saying, "Let's go with these parameters. The three of us will work together. Xiao Jun will keep a close eye on the equipment parameters, Master Li will be responsible for mold assembly and material cutting, and Chen An will record the entire production process."

The three of them agreed in unison and quickly threw themselves into the trial production work. They worked until 2 p.m., when the last sample was successfully completed. Chen An immediately took out the testing tools and carefully checked each one. After all the tests were finished, he breathed a long sigh of relief, his face beaming with joy, and reported, "Factory manager, this batch of samples is all qualified. There are no defective products, the dimensional errors are all within the standard range, and the appearance is also intact."

Ye Bingwen stepped forward and examined the samples, patted Chen An on the shoulder, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work. Pack the samples well and send them to Harbin Military Engineering Institute as soon as possible so that Professor Cai can check them again."

Chen An quickly packed up the goods, took the complete set of production records, and set off to deliver them to the school.

On Friday morning, Ye Bingwen was organizing his lecture notes when the phone in his office suddenly rang.

"Bingwen, I have inspected all twenty samples."

Upon hearing Professor Cai's words, Ye Bingwen's heart tightened slightly, and he quickly asked, "Professor, what was the result?"

"The finished product is excellent. All mechanical, heat resistance, and compressive strength indicators are basically consistent with the data of the best sample, and all are qualified. The performance is also stable enough. The factory can officially start mass production."

Hearing this, Ye Bingwen was completely relieved and said with a smile, "Thank you for your oversight, Professor."

"You're welcome. It's mainly because your process control is really good," Professor Cai then added a few more instructions. "Have Chen An compile the entire set of production data, operation records, and all the details of parameter adjustments, and send them to me. I happen to be missing this practical data for my thesis, and it will come in handy."

"I'll arrange for someone to clean it up right away."

After hanging up the phone, Ye Bingwen immediately called Chen An over and asked him to compile all the data from this trial production and fully cooperate with Professor Cai in writing the paper.

Early Saturday morning, Ye Bingwen packed his bags, boarded the train, and set off back to Daxing Village. Under the old locust tree at the village entrance, Liu Yongqiang spotted him immediately, quickly went up to him, and said with a smile, "Bingwen, I've been waiting for you! Were you tired from the journey?"

"The road was fairly clear. Let's go to Grandpa Zhao's house first."

The two men entered the courtyard. Old Zhao was sitting in the yard smoking, while his wife was lying on the earthen bed inside the house, looking very unwell.

Old Zhao already knew their purpose. Before the two could speak, he sighed and said, "Bingwen, Yongqiang has already told me about moving the equipment. I'm actually willing to work with you; it's reassuring and safe. It's just that my wife's health isn't good, so it's really difficult for her to move."

Ye Bingwen looked into the inner room and said softly, "Uncle, I understand your difficulties. As long as you are willing to move together, the factory will prepare decent employee dormitories. The city is also close to major hospitals, making it convenient to pick up medications and have check-ups. I will take care of all your medical needs."

Old Zhao paused, still undecided, his hand holding the pipe still holding a sliver of light.

They're too old to keep up with the constant back and forth, but the old factory in the village has outdated equipment, few orders, and no future prospects.

Working for Hongqi Machinery Factory is the only way to have a stable future.

More importantly, his wife's medical care has always been his biggest worry.

After a long silence, Old Zhao took a deep drag on his cigarette, then slowly nodded and said, "Alright, Bingwen, I trust you. You've considered everything so thoroughly for our family, so I have nothing to hesitate about. Move!"

After resolving Old Zhao's concerns, the two of them went to Little Sun's house.

Xiao Sun and several other young workers had long heard the news of the successful trial production and acceptance of the Hongqi Machinery Factory, and they had been hoping to work for Ye Bingwen. Compared to staying at the dilapidated factory in the village, the prospects here were much better.

Before Ye Bingwen could elaborate, Xiao Sun made the decision immediately, saying, "Brother Ye, we've wanted to move for a long time. That run-down factory in the village is barely surviving; the equipment breaks down every day, and there's no motivation to work there. We feel much more secure working with you. Whatever you arrange, we'll cooperate!"

Not only did Xiao Sun agree to relocate himself, but he also took the initiative to persuade several undecided coworkers, dispelling their concerns with just a few words.

After that, Liu Yongqiang took out a list of equipment he had checked in advance and handed it to Ye Bingwen, saying, "Bingwen, I've checked it all. There are five pieces of equipment in total: two lathes, one milling machine, one drilling machine, and one small press. The milling machines and press are in good condition and can still be used normally. It's just that one of the lathes is too old and keeps breaking down, so it needs a major overhaul."

After reviewing the list, Ye Bingwen decisively said, "Move all usable equipment to the factory and organize it properly. There's no need to repair that old lathe; moving it there would only affect production efficiency, so just sell it. Use the money from the sale to buy a new one. The relocation will be scheduled for the beginning of next month, so everyone can pack and prepare in advance."

After listening, Liu Yongqiang smiled and replied, "Speaking of which, Xiaojun is also a kid from our village. I was the one who recommended him to learn a trade at your factory. Now he's becoming more and more mature and is fully capable of handling things on his own."

Ye Bingwen nodded in agreement, saying, "Yes, Xiaojun is down-to-earth, eager to learn, and meticulous in his work. He's a rare talent. He hasn't let you down, nor has he let himself down."

After everything was settled, Liu Yongqiang invited Ye Bingwen to have lunch at his home.

After finishing his meal, Ye Bingwen didn't linger and took the afternoon train back home, not wanting to delay the factory's production schedule on Monday.

On Saturday morning, An'an woke up earlier than anyone else.

Ye Bingwen was still asleep when he felt someone patting his face.

Opening her eyes, An'an, lying on the edge of the bed with bright, sparkling eyes, excitedly shouted, "Daddy, get up! Let's go to Sun Island!"

Ye Bingwen squinted at the window; it was just barely dawn. He said helplessly, "An'an, what time is it?"

An'an said confidently, "It's six o'clock! The sun is already up!"

Ye Bingwen reached out and patted her head, smiling. It was six o'clock; the sun had indeed risen, but not that early. He coaxed, "Let Daddy sleep for another ten minutes."

An'an pouted, refusing to back down: "No way! You promised! We pinky swear!"

An'an held up her little finger and waved it in front of him. Ye Bingwen had no choice but to sit up and get dressed.

Zheng Shuyun was already in the kitchen, porridge was cooking in a pot, and pickled vegetables were being chopped on the cutting board. She saw Ye Bingwen come out with his messy hair, a slight smile playing on her lips, and asked, "Did An'an wake you up?"

Ye Bingwen yawned and said, "I woke you up. We made a pinky promise, you can't stay still."

An'an ran out after her, already changed into a red dress with little flowers embroidered on the neckline. Her hair was still messy and uncombed. She called out anxiously, "Mommy, quickly comb my hair! I want to braid it into two braids!"

Zheng Shuyun laughed and said, "What's the rush? The boat isn't going anywhere."

An'an stomped her foot and said, "What if it runs away?"

Zheng Shuyun shook her head and took a comb to braid her hair.