In the evening, after dinner, the family was chatting when, as usual, Sun Zhengguo handed two envelopes to his wife.
Having long been used to Ning Xiaowei, he didn't stand on ceremony and happily accepted the money. Then came his favorite thing to do—counting the money.
Wow! Zhengguo, how come you have so much money this time? And quite a few tickets too!
Ning Xiaowei's eyes sparkled, and she asked with a greedy expression.
Mr. and Mrs. Sun Dajiang also quickly came over; they were all ordinary people, and no one could escape the common customs.
"This time, we repaired six machines at the No. 1 Steel Rolling Mill, saving the country millions of foreign exchange. That's probably why we gave them a little more."
With his family all there, to avoid causing them worry, Sun Zhengguo offered an explanation.
A few minutes later, Ning Xiaowei finished counting the money and checking the receipts before she began to report.
"One envelope contained 600 yuan and some receipts, another contained 200 yuan, but also bicycle and watch tickets. I might not be able to earn that much money and tickets in two years!"
Upon hearing his wife's account, Sun Zhengguo understood that the 600 yuan red envelope was a token of appreciation from the First Steel Rolling Mill.
The latter, however, was the reward from the Ministry of Metallurgy.
"Mom, Zhengguo brought home 100 yuan a few days ago. This time there's a bit more money. Please keep it! Consider it for our household expenses."
Lin Wencui was happy to see the money her daughter-in-law handed her, but she didn't take it.
“Xiaowei, this is Zhengguo’s money. We won’t accept it. You can keep it yourself. As for household expenses? That’s nonsense. Everything we eat and drink at home depends on Zhengguo.”
Seeing the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pushing each other back and forth, Sun Dajiang chuckled and didn't take it to heart, after all, they weren't short of that amount of money.
"By the way, Zhengguo, when are you and your colleagues coming to our factory for an inspection?"
"Dad, we're going to the Second Steel Rolling Mill tomorrow. Your mill is the Third Steel Rolling Mill, so we'll probably have to wait."
"Hey! Dad, why are you suddenly interested in this?"
Having just finished explaining, Sun Zhengguo, still curious, pressed for more information.
"Hey! It's all because you guys made such a big fuss. Which of these factories under the Ministry of Metallurgy doesn't know about it? If Director Yang asks me one day when your son and his party are coming, I'll know how to answer."
While the father and son were chatting, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on the other side also reached a conclusion.
As usual, Ning Xiaowei took the money, and Lin Wencui accepted the tickets. The young couple could pick them up anytime they needed them.
After the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law divided the money and tickets, Sun Zhengguo checked the time and realized it was getting late; his wife needed to rest.
So he said hello, then took his wife and went back to the courtyard.
The following morning, as agreed beforehand, Sun Zhengguo rode his bicycle directly to the Second Steel Rolling Mill.
At the main gate of the Second Steel Rolling Mill, the security personnel saw Sun Zhengguo and immediately ran over, asking him politely.
"Hello, comrade! Are you Technician Sun?"
Yes! How can I help you?
Sun Zhengguo, who had stopped the car, replied just as politely.
"Oh! That's right. Two comrades have already arrived, but Technician Sun is the only one missing. Our Factory Director Wu specially arranged for me to wait here. Please follow me."
"Thank you, comrade!"
Sun Zhengguo thanked them, then pushed his bicycle and followed the guard into the factory.
The two arrived at the factory manager's office. The security guard knocked on the door and heard a loud voice from inside, like a thunderclap.
"Professor Wu, speak of the devil and he appears; it seems Technician Sun has arrived."
Overjoyed, Factory Director Wu personally went to the door and opened it to welcome Sun Zhengguo.
"Technician Sun, we've been waiting for you for so long."
Before Sun Zhengguo could react, a loud voice rang out, followed by a pair of large hands tightly gripping his and shaking him vigorously up and down.
When they came to their senses, they looked at Director Wu again. He had a rugged face and a military bearing, so he must be a man of strong character.
"Hello! Director Wu, you have a really loud voice, a bit like Zhang Fei, the fierce general of the Three Kingdoms. If you were on the battlefield, one shout from you would surely terrify the enemy."
"Hahaha!"
"This young man is interesting, he's to my liking. Come, let's go inside and have a cup of tea."
Seeing that Director Wu was a man of strong character, Sun Zhengguo made a small joke. Director Wu was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was even happier.
After Sun Zhengguo entered the room, Director Wu personally brewed him a cup of tea.
"Come, Technician Sun, have some tea. You'll feel right at home in our factory. Professor Wu and I have known each other since the Republic of China era, and we've had a good relationship. So don't feel awkward."
As if to confirm what Director Wu said, Professor Wu, who was standing next to him, also nodded.
"Thank you, Wu Changchang."
To show respect, Sun Zhengguo stood up and took the teacup.
While drinking tea, the group discussed the matter of mechanical modification.
Of course, mechanical modification is not something that can be completed in a day or two. What Wu Changchang was most concerned about was the machines that were lying idle in the warehouse.
Professor Wu didn't care about these things; his main focus was on modifying the machinery, and he simply didn't have time to deal with these trivial matters.
As for the machine repair, Director Wu had already found out that it was all the responsibility of this technician, Sun, which is why he was so enthusiastic.
Otherwise, he was a department-level cadre after all. Even if he was a very emotional person, he couldn't possibly be completely without any cunning.
"Professor Wu, modifying the machinery is a long process, and we will fully cooperate. It's just that the machines in our warehouse that are damaged...?"
When the discussion about modifying the machinery was almost over, Director Wu finally couldn't help but reveal his true purpose.
"Haha! Director Wu, you're still so impatient. We've already helped the First Steel Rolling Mill. Given our relationship, why wouldn't we help you?"
Professor Wu was also helpless. Now that the reputation of their trio being able to repair machines had spread, they couldn't afford to favor one over the other, could they?
So I simply agreed without hesitation to avoid giving anyone cause for criticism.
Upon seeing that Professor Wu agreed, Factory Director Wu immediately took action, making several phone calls to instruct the production department, technical department, and workshop to cooperate fully.
At the same time, the logistics department and maintenance department were notified, instructing them to provide logistical support and handle maintenance matters.
Sun Zhengguo did not expect that Director Wu, who seemed rough and unrefined, was actually shrewd, capable, and organized in handling matters.
Before long, the two section chiefs arrived with their men, and Professor Wu was accompanied by the head of the production section to conduct research in the workshop.
The head of the technical department brought a maintenance team to be directed by Sun Zhengguo.
With everyone in place, they all got to work busily.
"Zhengguo, I didn't expect so many machines to be damaged in the second steel rolling mill. We're going to be busy now!"
"Hey! You two technicians, don't you know? When our factory was first built, we received only donated machines, which were supposedly a mix of international brands. Our repair workers had limited skills, so we simply couldn't repair these generic brands."
The head of the technical department explained from the side.
Sun Zhengguo also glanced at them silently. These damaged machines were not only numerous but also varied. He estimated that it would take at least ten days to repair them all.
Even this requires the cooperation of multiple trades, including skilled fitters, forgers, welders, and electricians. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to fix it by himself even by next year.
Fortunately, the factory has no shortage of such talent, so it should be able to finish in about ten days.
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