Chapter 598 Installation
As dusk fell, the incandescent light bulbs in Zhou Yimin's office emitted a slight sound of electricity, casting swaying shadows on the walls.
As five section chiefs stepped into the office one after another, the rustling sound of their leather shoes rubbing against the concrete floor broke the silence.
"Chief Zhou!" Zhou Dazhong spoke first, with half of the corner of a drawing sticking out of his work clothes pocket and a habitual smile on his face.
The other four followed closely behind, some nervously holding their safety helmets, some subconsciously adjusting their crooked ties, and all their eyes fell on Zhou Yimin behind the desk.
Zhou Yimin tapped his fingertips lightly: "I asked everyone to come here this time because I have something to do these few days and I'm not here at the steel plant."
He paused, his eyes sweeping across the doubts on everyone's faces, "If it's a small matter that can be solved, you can do it. If it can't be solved, use my office phone to contact me!"
"Understood!" The five people's unanimous answer echoed in the small office.
"Are there any difficulties you need help solving recently?" Zhou Yimin crossed his fingers and rested them on his chin. The cold wind outside the window hit the glass, casting his swaying shadow on the procurement schedule on the wall.
The five people shook their heads in unison. Zhou Dazhong grinned and said, "With the plan Chief Zhou left behind, we can overcome any difficulty!"
This statement drew the approval of many people, and deliberately relaxed laughter rang out in the office.
In the corridor after the meeting, after the footsteps of the other four people completely disappeared at the end of the corridor, Zhou Yimin reached out and closed the office door ajar, and the iron door hinges made an old creaking sound.
The radiator in the corner suddenly made a clanging sound, startling Zhou Dazhong, who was sorting out drawings, so much that his hands trembled and his pencil drew a crooked arc on the paper.
"Dazhong, I'm relying on you while I'm away." When Zhou Yimin turned around, the halo of the desk lamp cast a dark shadow under his eyes. "If there is anything urgent, just call the village and I will be notified!"
Zhou Dazhong immediately made a promise: "Uncle Sixteen, don't worry, I know what to do!"
The figure of a night shift worker suddenly flashed past the window. The beam of the flashlight swept across the office glass, casting fleeting spots of light on the faces of the two people.
Zhou Yimin stared at his nephew's tanned face and his eyes moved down to the new patch on the cuffs of his work clothes.
The stitches were fine and neat, obviously made by my aunt. "Dazhong, has anything gone wrong recently?"
He picked up the enamel mug and took a sip of herbal tea, the tea leaves swirling at the bottom of the cup.
"Uncle Sixteen, ever since I used the method you suggested, there hasn't been any problems with my butt." Zhou Dazhong smiled, revealing his two rows of white teeth.
Ever since one troublemaker was caught, the remaining one dared not show up, for fear that Zhou Dazhong would catch him or make trouble for him.
After hearing this, Zhou Yimin felt that Zhou Dazhong was quite capable. The two chatted for a while, but seeing that it was getting late, they stopped talking.
Zhou Yimin has to go and get something later.
The dusk was like cotton wool mixed with coal dust, weighing heavily on the red brick walls of the steel plant. Zhou Yimin walked towards the warehouse on the coal slag, the note from Director Hu in his work clothes pocket damp from his body temperature.
The iron door was ajar, and the dim light of the kerosene lamp leaked through the gap, and the smell of rust and engine oil hit me in the face.
"Chief Zhou, what brings you here?" Administrator Lao Li raised his head from behind the account book, and his reading glasses slid to the tip of his nose.
The abacus beads in front of him were still shaking slightly, obviously he had just completed a registration.
On the wooden boxes piled in the corner, several pieces of discarded bearings were shining coldly.
"Come here and get something." Zhou Yimin took out a piece of paper folded into four, with the edges being worn rough.
When Lao Li took it, his fingertips touched the raised steel stamp on the paper. He carefully identified Director Hu's crooked signature under the kerosene lamp, and his Adam's apple moved: "Okay, Chief Zhou, please wait a moment!"
From deep within the warehouse came the creaking sound of wooden boards sliding, mixed with Lao Li's vague mumblings.
Five minutes later, the sound of cart wheels rolling over gravel ground came from far away, and the waterproof cloth wrapped around the solar water heater fluttered in the wind.
The metal surface of the collector tube reflected the halo of the kerosene lamp, casting tiny spots of light on the ground.
"It's so heavy!" Old Li wiped the sweat from his forehead, leaving dark sweat stains on the back of his work clothes.
He caught a glimpse of Zhou Yimin taking out a cigarette box and his eyes suddenly widened - it was a Daqianmen cigarette with a golden pattern printed on it. In those years when supplies were scarce, even his own leader was reluctant to smoke a whole pack.
"Master Li, this is a token of my appreciation." Zhou Yimin stuffed the cigarette into the other person's hand, and the cigarette box wrapper made a crisp rustling sound.
Old Li's Adam's apple rolled violently, and his rough fingers stroked the gold-plated words on the cigarette box, as if he had touched some treasure: "This is not acceptable! This is just..."
Before he could finish his words, Zhou Yimin had already forced the cigarette into his work clothes pocket.
The cold wind blew up the coal dust on the ground and hit the two people's faces.
Old Li seemed to have made up his mind. He turned around and pulled the hemp rope: "I'll help you tie it up tightly!"
He tiptoed onto the back seat of the motorcycle, and his cracked fingers tied knots deftly, and the hemp rope made a slight sound as it rubbed against the metal.
When the last knot was fastened, he patted Zhou Yimin on the shoulder and said, "Go slowly on the road!"
Zhou Yimin got on the motorcycle, and the roar of the engine scared away the sparrows under the eaves.
In the rearview mirror, Lao Li was still standing at the door of the warehouse, holding an unlit cigarette between his fingers. His figure gradually shrank into a small black dot, blending into a blurred silhouette with the huge outline of the steel plant behind him.
As dusk climbed over the eaves of the courtyard, Zhou Yimin pushed a cart carrying a solar water heater and turned into the alley with difficulty.
The iron-wrapped solar collector tubes shone with a cold light in the setting sun, immediately attracting Aunt Zhang who was picking vegetables at the gate of the yard.
When she straightened up, there were still a few pieces of vegetable leaves on her apron: "Yimin, what are you pushing? The iron lump is reflecting light!"
This question sounded like a rallying cry.
Grandpa Zhao, who was lighting the coal stove, put down the fire tongs, and his little granddaughter wearing a red scarf jumped and followed behind him.
Aunt Wang, who was hanging clothes to dry, leaned out, and the sheets on the bamboo poles were blown up by the wind. Even under the old locust tree, which was usually the quietest, the sound of chess pieces colliding at the chess stall came to an abrupt end.
More than a dozen pairs of eyes stared at the new items on the cart, and a flurry of discussions immediately broke out.
"Can this thing be eaten?" Old Sun squinted his eyes and moved closer, his pipe almost poking the solar collector.
"Don't touch it!" Zhou Yimin stretched out his hand to protect the equipment. "This is a solar water heater produced by the steel plant!" He patted the cool iron shell. "It can boil water as long as there is sunshine. No coal or electricity is needed. Put it on the roof and you can take a hot bath anytime."
These words were like a stone thrown into a deep pool.
Aunt Zhang's rolling pin stopped in mid-air, and Uncle Zhao's smoking of his pipe also stopped.
You have to know that in the days when supplies were regulated by coupons, coal briquettes were more valuable than meat coupons.
Aunt Wang leaned forward, her voice full of obvious excitement: "Yimin, how much coal tickets can we save!"
There was an immediate rise of responses from the crowd, some counting on their fingers, and some muttering in low voices about the amount of coal briquettes they had used at home.
"Yimin, how did you get here in the courtyard?" someone in the back row of the crowd suddenly asked.
In an instant, all eyes were focused on Zhou Yimin.
Old Sun knocked his pipe against the sole of his shoe, his eyes shining with anticipation. Aunt Zhang's hands, which were holding her apron, tightened unconsciously, as if she had already seen the scene of steam coming out of her own water tank.
Of course Zhou Yimin understood those burning eyes.
He touched the equipment on the cart, thinking of the quilts drying on the adobe house in his hometown, and his grandmother's thrifty look, saying, "I'm not loading it in the courtyard, I'm going to take it back to my hometown for my grandparents to use. I won't need much by myself!"
These words made the air suddenly quiet.
Aunt Zhang sighed softly, and Uncle Zhao lit his pipe again, the sparks flickering in the twilight.
There were sporadic exclamations from the crowd: "Yimin is such a filial child."
“The old man is so lucky”
But there was an undisguised sense of loss in his voice.
Zhou Yimin pushed the cart towards his house. Behind him he could hear footsteps in groups of three or two, occasionally mixed with whispers of regret.
When the rooster crowed for the first time, Zhou Yimin got up, opened the shop space, and bought today's flash sale products.
Then he put on his coat and went out.
He reached out and brushed away the thin layer of ice that had condensed on the solar water heater. The metal collector tubes glowed coldly in the dim morning light, as if they still carried the chill of the warehouse last night.
The water heater in the truck bed was tied tightly with three layers of thick hemp rope, and the outermost layer was wrapped with a waterproof tarpaulin bought on credit from the supply and marketing cooperative.
Zhou Yimin got on his motorcycle, and the old engine vibrated and trembled, making the house keys in his work clothes pocket jingle.
The old locust tree at the entrance of the alley was hung with icicles, and its branches collided with each other in the wind, making a crisp sound, as if it was seeing him off.
The asphalt road out of the city was covered with a thin layer of frost, and the wheels made a crisp squeaking sound as they rolled over it.
The eastern skyline was pale, and the village in the distance was still immersed in the gray-blue morning mist. Zhou Yimin shrank his neck, and his fingertips, which could not be covered by the cotton gloves, were already numb from the cold.
But when I thought of my grandfather who kept coughing in the adobe house in my hometown, and my grandmother who always saved hot water for him to wash his face, I unconsciously tightened the accelerator.
When we passed by the Red Star Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the morning fog was thick.
Old Wang, who was behind the counter, had just taken off the door panel when he saw Zhou Yimin passing by with the huge vehicle. He shouted at the top of his voice, "Yimin, what's that?"
The words were torn into pieces by the howling north wind.
Zhou Yimin raised his hand to say hello, but did not slow down - he had to get home before noon so that the solar water heater could be installed when the sun was at its hottest.
The motorcycle turned onto the dirt road leading to Zhoujiazhuang, and the dust raised by the wheels was covered with frost particles and fell on his trouser legs.
The morning mist gradually dissipated, and when the sun peeked out from the clouds, Zhou Yimin heard the crowing of roosters in the village.
He stepped on the accelerator, and the white mist from the motorcycle's exhaust pipe merged with the morning fog, carrying him and the solar water heater that was the result of countless efforts, towards the village where smoke was gradually rising.
As soon as Zhou Yimin's motorcycle rolled over the stone bridge at the entrance of Zhoujiazhuang village, the roar of the exhaust pipe startled the sparrows on the locust tree.
The cart carrying the solar water heater was bumping on the dirt road. The metal collector tubes refracted tiny rays of light, like a handful of stars, instantly attracting Xiulan who was drawing water from the well.
Her hand trembled, and the barrel slammed back into the water with a thud, splashing water that sparkled in the morning light.
"Uncle Sixteen! What is this lump of iron?" Xiulan shouted at the top of her voice, with unwashed vegetable leaves still stained on her apron.
These words sounded like the sound of a gong. Aunt Li who was feeding the chickens, Uncle Zhao who was working in the fields with a hoe, and even the old men squatting at the foot of the wall to bask in the sun, all came over slowly, leaning on their crutches.
The children were more like a flock of frightened sparrows, rushing out from the entrances of the alleys. A few brave boys were already standing on tiptoe to touch the tarpaulin on the cart.
"Don't touch anything!" Zhou Yimin jumped out of the car, with mud from the road still stained on the knees of his work pants.
Zhou Yimin said: "This is a solar water heater. It can heat water as long as there is sunshine!"
These words made the air suddenly quiet for a moment.
Uncle Zhao scratched the back of his head, revealing his chapped forehead under his straw hat: "No need for firewood? How much straw would that save?"
Immediately, discussions arose in the crowd. Some people came closer and squinted to look at it, while others reached out and gently knocked on the water tank, making a muffled "dong dong" sound.
Zhou Daqiang's wife squeezed to the front row, and the baby in her arms almost fell out: "Yimin, can this thing be used to bathe the baby?"
The sun gradually became stronger, and Zhou Yimin's neck felt hot.
In order not to waste time, he said goodbye to everyone and continued driving towards home.
In less than five minutes, I returned home and parked the motorcycle.
Pushing open the mottled wooden door, I saw a few stubborn dead leaves still hanging on the old jujube tree in the yard.
Zhou Yimin leaned the cart against the wall, and the sound of metal scraping against the ground startled his grandmother who was feeding the chickens.
The old man's blue apron was stained with corn crumbs. When he saw the huge thing his son brought back, his cloudy eyes widened instantly: "What, what is this?"
"Grandma, this is a solar water heater!" Zhou Yimin didn't even bother to wipe the sweat off his face and took out a toolbox from the truck bed.
The wrench, tape measure, and expansion screws shone coldly in the sunlight. He looked up at the roof of the main room - a few foxtail grasses grew in the gaps between the green tiles, swaying gently in the breeze.
Grandpa came over with his jujube wood cane, his pipe making a crisp sound against the sole of his shoe: "Want to install it on the roof? Will it be stable?"
As he climbed onto the roof, Zhou Yimin's overalls rustled as they were rubbed against the tiles.
He spread out the drawing and laid it on the tiles, held down the corners with two blue bricks, and squinted to compare the dimensions.
The winter sun is not too scorching, but it still makes the back of my neck hot.
"Grandma, hand me the tape measure!" He shouted into the yard and quickly caught the tool thrown up by his grandmother. The red tape measure drew an arc in the air.
Positioning the holes is the most laborious task.
Zhou Yimin missed the power tools of later generations a little. If there were power tools, he wouldn't have to rely entirely on manpower and just hold a screwdriver and keep twisting it hard.
Amid the flying debris, he caught a glimpse of his grandmother standing on tiptoe in the yard, looking around, while his grandfather was squatting at the base of the wall, wiping the screws he had just opened one by one.
The assembly of the bracket is the most challenging part for patience. The collision between the angle steel and the bolts made a crisp clanking sound, and Zhou Yimin's palms were soon rubbed with red marks.
When the triangular bracket was finally erected on the roof, Zhou Yimin breathed a sigh of relief, as he had finally completed the most difficult step.
When it was his turn to install the solar collector tubes, Zhou Yimin deliberately put on gloves.
The vacuum tube glows a faint blue light in the sunlight, as if it contains the warmth of the entire winter.
"Handle with care." He muttered to himself and carefully inserted the tube into the sealing ring of the water tank.
The moment the last pipe was stuck in, grandpa suddenly shouted from below: "Water! Water is coming!"
Zhou Yimin lowered his head and saw his grandmother turning on the faucet in the yard. Clear water flowed through the brand new water pipes and slowly poured into the water tank.
As the setting sun gilded the roof, Zhou Yimin finally completed the final debugging.
He climbed down the ladder, and just as his feet touched the ground, his grandmother pulled him to the stove: "Take a break and have a bowl of brown sugar water!"
Grandpa was walking around the water heater, stroking the metal shell with his calloused hands, muttering to himself, "Okay, okay."
He didn't expect that he could use such advanced things.
(End of this chapter)
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