Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 258 Running a Boiler is Not Simple (Monthly Tickets+)

Xiao Wei chuckled and said, "It's okay, I'll drive you. You forgot we have a car."

Xiaobing paused for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "Right, right, we have a car now. Dad, help me squeeze the toothpaste." He jumped off the bed without even putting on slippers and went to the washbasin. After washing his face a few times, Xiaobing paused again, frowning as he stood there thinking. After a long while, he turned to Xiaowei and said, "I don't have to go to school today."

Xiao Wei's dad chuckled and handed the towel to his youngest son, saying, "Wipe it off, the water's everywhere."

Xiao Wei burst into laughter.

Xiaowei's mother walked in and stood on the floor, saying, "What are you laughing at, you three? Xiaowei, why are you taking so long to call someone? Hurry up and come out to eat."

The family changed their shoes and walked out of the house towards the dining room. Xiao Wei's father asked, "What does Xiao Hao eat all day long?"

Xiao Wei thought about it and realized he hadn't really paid attention to it. He said, "I didn't ask. I don't know what he eats every day."

Xiao Wei's dad walked quickly towards the boiler room and said, "You guys eat, I'll call Xiao Hao."

The three of them entered the dining room, where Xiaowei's mother had already brought out and set the food. After they sat down, Xiaowei said, "Let's make an opening in this wall when it gets warmer in the spring, then we won't have to carry the food around like that." Xiaowei's mother glanced at it and said, "That's fine, it's not necessary, it's just a few steps."

Xiao Wei's father pulled Hao Xiaodong in and said, "This guy, he just cooks dry rice and pickled vegetables every day. It's been over ten days, and you haven't even asked him how he is doing. Sit down, Xiao Hao, you can come over and eat from now on, you don't need to cook for yourself."

Xiao Wei said, "So you guys didn't come either. All these things here were just bought. We've only been here a few days. Where are we going to get food?"

Hao Xiaodong laughed and said, "It's okay, I'm used to it. You can't cook well every day at work, just enough to fill your stomach is fine."

Xiao Wei said, "Brother Hao, you take care of my dad for the day, and then go back to the other side tomorrow. The old grain station area over there will be open for business soon, and we need to keep an eye on the cooking during the day. Brother Yu can't manage it all by himself."

Hao Xiaodong said, "Is it okay? I'll stay a few more days. But I can relax a bit more now that Brother Zhang is here. I just need to go home before this afternoon. Boilers aren't just about adding coal; you have to know how to read the gauges and control the fire. Just removing the slag will take me several days to learn."

Xiao Wei's father said to Hao Xiaodong, "Don't listen to his nonsense. Before I came here, I spent a night at the boiler room at his Uncle Wang's workplace. The boiler operator there said that for heating boilers weighing more than half a ton, at least three people are needed, and for those weighing less than half a ton, at least two people are needed. If only one person is watching, something bad will definitely happen. You stay here and wait until I'm familiar with the place before we switch jobs. Then I'll have him find someone else over there."

Xiao Wei was taken aback for a moment and said, "Is that so? I thought it was just a matter of adding coal every now and then, burning more during the day, and keeping the fire down at night so it doesn't go out, right?"

Hao Xiaodong laughed and said, "It's not that simple. You said that was a small stove for a household. You can't do this to a big one. You'll be lighting the stove every day, and it won't get hot and will just waste coal. Your dad is right. According to regulations, two people are required to operate this stove per shift in the factory. But we don't need to be so particular. Two people are enough to keep an eye on it."

Xiao Wei's father served Hao Xiaodong some food and said, "There are four or five gauges on that stove, like water pressure, air pressure, and chamber pressure. If it were as simple as you say, would you need a certificate to operate a stove and be called a senior engineer?" Operating a boiler in a factory requires a boiler operator's certificate; not just anyone can do it.

Xiao Wei laughed and said, "I really don't know anything about this. Okay, Brother Hao, you can pour for my dad here and then eat here. I'll find another place over there. The row of houses with the grain store in the back are about to open, and we need to keep an eye on the cooking during the day. Brother Yu can't manage it all by himself. If he comes over during the day, there will be no one at night."

Hao Xiaodong said, "If you really need someone else, why don't you let my brother try? He has a stoker's license, and that stove is small, so it shouldn't be a problem. If it doesn't work out, you can get someone else, okay?"

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, that saves me the trouble of asking Brother Xiao for more people. Isn't he coming today? I'll just tell him directly that he and Brother Yu can switch jobs. I'll find someone else to do the odd jobs."

Hao Xiaodong said, "Thank you so much, really. I'm at my wit's end. I don't have any other way to make money, and it's really too much for me to support two companies all by myself."

Xiao Wei smiled and said, "It's okay, everything's fine now. With your whole family working, life will definitely get better and better."

Hao Xiaodong chuckled a few times and said, "Then I really have to thank you for your help. Don't worry, you can order around my family of three as you please, and we'll make sure they get the job done."

Xiaowei's dad said, "It's not easy for anyone, take it slow. We can't understand the world these days, but things are generally moving in a better direction. Take it slow and don't rush. You're still so young, you have a long life ahead of you."

After finishing their meal and tidying up, Hao Xiaodong and his father went to the boiler room. Xiaobing, no longer sleepy, ran around the yard, looking at everything and finding something new. Xiaowei's mother put the food in the steamer to heat it up, saying, "This is clean, but it's not as good as the big stove. The fire is too strong."

Outside, Sister Shang and her group came in through the small door, laughing and joking as they entered the old building. Guan He quickly walked to the boiler room, handed the two large lunchboxes she was carrying to Hao Xiaodong, and then followed him into the old building. Hao Xiaodong opened the lunchboxes and looked inside: one box contained braised pork with vermicelli, another contained stir-fried diced meat with homemade pickled vegetables, and a packet of dried salted fish. He happily put them away.

The young soldier came running in and asked, "Brother, what are those people doing?"

Xiao Wei said, "Our workers make bread. That building is a factory."

The soldier licked his lips and asked, "Is the bread tasty?"

Xiao Wei patted Xiao Bing on the head and said, "If you're craving something, just say so! 'Is bread delicious?' You've never had it before!"

The little soldier hid behind his mother, embarrassed, and said, "I want to eat bread."

Xiao Wei said, "I'll give it to you for lunch. You just ate, can you even fit any more in your stomach?"

The soldier patted his stomach and said, "Okay, don't forget."

Sister Shang came over and said as she entered, "Young boss, that place is ready to go today. You can drive over and take the stuff and the others there."

Xiao Wei said, "This is my mom, this is my brother, and my dad is in the boiler room. Mom, this is Sister Shang. She manages the food factory for us. She's good at her job and can do everything." Xiao Wei's mom smiled and nodded to Sister Shang.

The soldier asked, "You know how to make bread?"

Sister Shang smiled and said, "Yes, do you want to eat some?"

The little soldier followed his mother again: "I want to. My brother said he'll give me some this afternoon."

Xiao Wei said, "Let's go, I'll drive. I forgot to tell Liu Hongliang yesterday, just call him later. He can drive this car from now on, and we'll ask him for rides." Sister Monk went out, backed the car out of the garage, and drove it to the entrance of the old building. Several women carried large and small bags and loaded the prepared items into the car. The back was full, and the front door was almost full as well. It was only because the Hiace had a lot of space in the back door that it could fit everything.

(End of this chapter)