Chapter 142 Educated Youth in the 1970s (Part 6) I Want to Build! I Want to Learn...

The next morning, Song Ce led Qin Tiezhu to Huoxian County.

The county town was bustling with activity today, with stalls lining both sides of the streets and shouts of vendors filling the air. It was Qin Tiezhu's first time visiting the county town with his master, and he was incredibly excited, looking around with his eyes practically unable to take it all in.

Seeing this, Song Ce patted the back of Qin Tiezhu's head and said, "Tiezhu, stop looking at this for now. We need to get down to business."

"Yes, Master!"

Coincidentally, there was a farm machinery station on the street corner where they got off the donkey cart, so Song Ce thought he would try his luck there first.

As soon as Song Ce entered, he saw an old mechanic wearing black-rimmed glasses standing next to the agricultural machinery station counter. The old man took the parts drawings that Song Ce handed him, looked at them again and again, smacked his lips and shook his head, "Young man, the crankshaft, nozzle and piston ring you want are all in high demand at the station. We don't have the first two, and we do have two sets of the last one in the warehouse, but they have already been ordered by the county."

Hearing what the master craftsman said, Song Ce was disappointed but didn't say anything. He took back the blueprints, thanked him, and then walked out with Qin Tiezhu.

“Master, Jiaoxing Recycling Station is just east of the old supply and marketing cooperative. I usually take the broken glass and scraps of cloth I collect there to sell. Today, when I came out with you, Master, I brought all the junk over beforehand, look…” As he spoke, Qin Tiezhu gently patted the bamboo basket that Song Ce was carrying for him.

Just then, the old craftsman suddenly knocked on the counter, squinted at the young man in front of him who made people feel good at first sight, and chuckled, "Young man, wait a moment."

Song Ce turned around and smiled, "Master, what's wrong?"

"A few days ago, several towns nearby scrapped a batch of old machines and sent them to the Zhouli Scrap Metal Recycling Station. You can go there and see if they have any parts you need. Jiaoxing mainly collects old books and scraps; they don't really have any large machines."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Master, how do I get to the Zhouli Scrap Metal Recycling Station?"

The experienced worker came out and pointed out the direction to them, saying, "Once you leave this street, head north. Zhouli Waste Recycling Station is right across from the county timber factory."

Upon hearing this, Song Ce quickly thanked him and led Qin Tiezhu toward the north of the city.

Although the sun wasn't scorching at the end of May, the two men's backs were soaked with sweat from their hurried walk. They wound their way through several streets before finally seeing a large courtyard enclosed by a corrugated iron wall.

Upon approaching, the master and apprentice noticed a wooden sign hanging on the large blue iron gate, which read in red paint: Zhouli Scrap Metal Recycling Station.

The gatekeeper was a sprightly old woman who waved her palm-leaf fan to stop people as soon as she saw them coming.

"What do you do? Do you collect or sell scrap?"

Song Ce wiped the light sweat from his forehead and smiled, "Auntie, the tractor in our brigade has broken down. I'd like to take my apprentice in to take a look and find some replacement parts."

The old woman, holding a palm-leaf fan, looked Song Ce up and down. "Do you have a letter of introduction?"

“Yes!” Song Ce took out the letter of introduction that Qin Guangde had written in advance from his pocket and handed it to the old lady.

Seeing this, the old woman nodded, leaned closer to look at the letter of introduction, and clicked her tongue, saying, "Xinhe Village, right? Okay, you can go in! There are quite a few old machines piled up in the backyard. Whether you can find a suitable one depends on your skills, young man!" With that, the old woman opened the door to the side, gesturing for the two to go in.

"Thank you, ma'am!"

As soon as the master and apprentice entered the recycling station, Song Ce smelled a strong odor of rust. He couldn't help but look over and saw piles of rusty farm machinery gathered in the northwest corner, with various scrap iron and timber piled up beside them. Qin Tiezhu sniffed hard and couldn't help but sneeze.

"Tiezhu, hold on a second, get your weapon." Song Ce stretched out his hand to Tiezhu.

"Yes, Master!" Qin Tiezhu quickly bent down, took out a wrench from his basket, and handed it to Song Ce.

Looking at the mountain of old machines before him, Song Ce began to examine each one for its specific model. Qin Tiezhu wasn't idle either, following Song Ce's instructions on the way, searching through the pile of scrap for usable items.

The master and apprentice worked all day at the Zhouli scrap metal recycling station and finally found all the parts needed for the tractor in the brigade.

Looking at the pile of parts that were about 60-70% new on the ground, Qin Tiezhu chuckled, his face beaming with undisguised joy: "Master, now that we've found the parts, will our village's tractor be able to be repaired?"

"Hmm." Song Ce nodded, looking at the extra parts, and immediately had an idea. He squatted down, picked up a bearing in good condition, and turned to Qin Tiezhu, saying, "Tiezhu, pack all of these up."

Qin Tiezhu was taken aback and asked, "Master, are we buying so many? This basket might not be able to support them; they're too heavy."

"It's alright, just start by assembling the smaller parts, as many as you can fit. If you can't fit them all, we'll come back another time when we have more free time," Song Ce said.

“Okay, Master.” Qin Tiezhu replied as he carefully packed the small parts that Song Ce had selected into his basket.

Seeing that Qin Tiezhu had worked tirelessly with him at the scrap metal yard all day, Song Ce, seeing that it was still early, simply called his apprentice over and said with a relaxed expression, "We've finished the business, let's go! Master will take you to eat!"

Qin Tiezhu's eyes lit up, and he quickly put the last few parts into the basket, grinning as he asked, "Master, what shall we eat?"

Looking into Qin Tiezhu's bright eyes, Song Ce couldn't help but smile. He pointed in the direction of the Huoxian State-run Restaurant and said, "This is the first time your master has brought you to the county town, so of course we have to have a good meal. I've heard that their pork and cabbage buns are pretty good. Let's go!"

Qin Tiezhu couldn't help but swallow hard, scratching his head as he said, "No need, Master, state-run restaurants are too expensive! I know a small eatery on North Street that sells steamed buns, mantou, and rice! Last time my dad took me there, the mantou were three cents each, much cheaper than the state-run restaurants!"

Song Ce looked at Qin Tiezhu's gloves, which were stained with machine oil, and his Adam's apple bobbed. After a while, he took off the gloves, patted Qin Tiezhu's shoulder, and said casually, "Listen to your master, let's go to a restaurant to eat today. Besides, after we fix the tractor in the village, the brigade might give us a commendation! Let's celebrate in advance."

After saying that, Song Ce took out a few grain coupons from his pocket and said with a smile, "Master, these grain coupons will expire if we don't use them soon, let's go!"

Qin Tiezhu's eyes widened in surprise. "Master, what does 'expired' mean?" he asked.

Song Ce smiled and patted Qin Tiezhu on the shoulder: "Grain coupons are just like crops in our fields. If the harvest season is over, it will be difficult to harvest them again. Master, if these grain coupons expire, they are no different from waste paper."

Qin Tiezhu nodded as if he understood, but secretly thought to himself, "My master is indeed a city person. He's very knowledgeable. He even knows that grain coupons can expire."

Song Ce took the basket from Qin Tiezhu, put it on his back, and led him towards the state-run restaurant.

The storefront of the Huoxian State-run Restaurant wasn't large, but in Qin Tiezhu's eyes, it was incredibly impressive. As soon as the door was pushed open, a rich aroma of meat and noodles wafted out.

Qin Tiezhu stared at the large steamed buns displayed in the glass window, and couldn't help but swallow hard. He followed closely behind his chef, carefully pulling up his trouser legs, afraid of dirtying the floral tiles on the restaurant floor.

The server behind the counter was a woman in her thirties, wearing a blue work uniform, her hair neatly combed. As soon as she saw a customer approach, she raised her eyelids and asked, "Comrade, what would you like to eat?"

"Master, how about... we go to that snack shop on North Street? This place looks expensive." Qin Tiezhu reached out and tugged at Song Ce's sleeve, thinking he was speaking quietly.

Upon hearing this, the counter lady immediately put down her plate and sized up the two men. Just as she was about to say something, the handsome young man skillfully handed over the food coupons, thought for a moment, and said, "Six pork and cabbage buns, and two bowls of shredded pork soup, please."

After Song Ce finished speaking, he looked at Qin Tiezhu beside him and saw him staring at the large wontons on the table next to the guests, his Adam's apple bobbing twice.

"Comrade, could you please have another bowl of wontons?"

The waitress nodded, printed out the ticket for Song Ce at the window, and handed him a small order slip, indicating that he could just take it to the window and wait for his turn.

In those days, dining at a state-run restaurant required not only payment but also food coupons. A meat bun cost eight cents, a bowl of shredded pork noodles cost twelve cents, and a bowl of wontons cost ten cents. Due to the exorbitant prices, many people never had the chance to eat there in their entire lives.

There were seven or eight tables in the restaurant, each covered with a large blue and white checkered tablecloth. Qin Tiezhu found a corner to sit in against the wall, where a standing fan was blowing cool air into the restaurant.

Qin Tiezhu couldn't resist reaching out and touching the glass tabletop. It was cool and smooth, much smoother than the wooden table at home. After touching it, he quickly withdrew his hand, stealing glances at the people around him, his heart pounding. This was his first time eating at a restaurant; he absolutely couldn't make a mistake and embarrass the chef!

Soon, the waitress called Song Ce over to bring the food. Qin Tiezhu stared at the wontons on the other customer's table, somewhat embarrassed, and asked, "Master, what...what is this?"

Looking at Qin Tiezhu's dark red face, Song Ce said gently, "These are wontons, similar to the boiled dumplings we make at home, just different in shape."

"Oh..." Qin Tiezhu nodded, looking down at the fragrant shredded meat soup in the bowl. It contained shredded meat, radish slices, vermicelli, and tofu, a large bowl full of it, which made his eyes widen.

"Eat quickly, Tiezhu, it won't taste good when it gets cold."

"Hey! Master!" Qin Tiezhu first handed Song Ce a pair of chopsticks, and then took a pair for himself and put them into his noodle bowl.

Qin Tiezhu ate his meal with great satisfaction, finishing every last drop of the noodle soup and wonton soup. No wonder there's an old saying: "A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home." This child is at the age where he's growing; how can he not eat his fill?

When they left the state-run restaurant, the sun was already setting. On their way back, the master and apprentice passed the agricultural machinery station, where the bespectacled old man was sitting at the entrance reading a newspaper.

As soon as he saw Song Ce, he waved enthusiastically: "Young man, did you find the parts?"

"Thanks to your guidance, Master, we found it!" Song Ce took two quick steps and said gently, "It was unloaded from two old tractors. It's about 60-70% new. We can replace it and continue using it."

The master craftsman nodded and chuckled, "Not bad, young man, your skills are good, and your eyes are sharp too. There are indeed some good things hidden in that pile of junk in Zhouli, it just takes some effort."

Song Ce smiled and picked up the conversation, saying, "It did take some effort, but this trip wasn't in vain." The old master nodded, chatted with him for a few more minutes, and then waved for the master and apprentice to hurry back so as not to miss their journey back to the village.

Qin Tiezhu looked up at the sky and asked with some concern, "Master, won't it be too late for us to go back?"

Song Ce shook his head slightly and reassured her, "It's alright, let's go!"

Qin Tiezhu followed his master and got into the donkey cart they had found. The cart driver said "Oh," and slowly drove the cart back to the village. At that moment, a gentle breeze swept by, stirring up waves of wheat in the field.

"Master, do you think if we can fix the farm machinery this time, our village will be able to save a lot of effort during the wheat harvest this year?" Qin Tiezhu asked in a low voice, leaning against his master's thin back.

Song Ce nodded, gave an "Mmm," and gazed at the distant village, saying leisurely, "Yes..."

Before we knew it, the sunset had painted the entire sky a bright orange-red. In the distance, wisps of smoke could be faintly seen rising from the village, creating a peaceful and serene scene.

An hour later, the master and apprentice dismounted from the donkey cart at the village entrance and walked into the village one after the other. As they passed the old locust tree at the village entrance, they faintly heard laughter and conversation coming from under the tree. Upon closer inspection, they saw several villagers sitting on stone benches, chatting idly.

"Hey? Aren't these the new educated youth comrade and Tiezhu boy? What did you two go about together? Why are you only just getting back?" One of the middle-aged men, with a kind face, noticed them approaching and called out loudly.

Song Ce smiled slightly and replied politely, "Oh, it's Uncle Yu. I took Tiezhu to the county town today."

“Great, the county town is great…” Uncle Yu was taken aback, seemingly not expecting that this unfamiliar educated youth actually knew him.

Little did he know that Song Ce had developed a photographic memory during his long missions. He could recognize not only Uncle Yu, who had spoken to him, but everyone in Xinhe Village at a glance.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the villagers, Song Ce left with Qin Tiezhu.

"Guozhong, Guozhong? What are you standing there for?" A villager next to him patted Liu Guozhong, who was staring blankly at the backs of the master and his apprentice, and muttered.

Liu Guozhong snapped out of his daze and quickly responded. He still had half a half-smoked pipe between his fingers, the embers flickering on the butt, making it impossible to discern his expression.

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Author's Note: [Sunglasses]