corrosion
For the next few weeks, life at the construction site seemed to have returned to a somewhat normal trajectory. Production at the beam yard continued as planned, and after Liu Feng's transfer, the on-site supervisors became much more cooperative. But Lan Tongtong's heart could no longer return to its former calm.
Deputy Director Feng Chang's "instructions" on "design redundancy" and "flexibility" pierced her heart like a thorn. Initially, she felt anger and resistance, but gradually, a sense of powerlessness began to creep in. She watched Deputy Manager Chen Xueping cheerfully manage the project progress, and saw the construction team turning a blind eye to minor flaws as long as they didn't affect the overall situation. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.
She began subconsciously observing how veteran construction workers and technicians handled problems. She discovered that while they weren't without principles, they were certainly more flexible. For example, if the spacing between rebars slightly exceeded specifications, as long as the placement wasn't critical, they'd say, "Forget it, it's already tied. We'll be more careful next time." If there was a slight misalignment in the formwork joints, as long as it didn't affect the appearance or structure, they'd simply polish it with a grinding wheel and forget about it. Even tiny bubbles on the concrete surface were often ignored, as long as they weren't in a critical area.
At first, Lan Tongtong would argue, citing regulations. But the responses she received were often: "Xiao Lan, don't be so serious. This small error doesn't affect safety." "The construction schedule is so tight, we can't afford to delay rework." "Look, Lao Zhang and the others are doing it. It's okay!"
She recalled Feng Chang's words and Chen Xueping's decisive handling of the segregated concrete. She began to wonder if she was truly too young, too rigid. Was she, as they said, unable to "consider the overall situation"?
A subtle change quietly took place in her.
She no longer nitpicked over every detail like she used to. When workers tied rebar slightly farther apart than permitted by regulations, but it still looked fairly even, she hesitated, then chose silence. When formwork wasn't cleaned thoroughly enough, but it didn't seem to affect the concrete's appearance, she swallowed the criticism that was about to come out of her mouth. She began to mentally weigh: How serious is this "flaw"? How much will rework cost? Is it truly "insignificant"?
She told herself that this was simply adapting to the environment, a sign of "maturity." She hadn't abandoned her principles, but had simply learned to "focus on the big picture and let go of the small details." But every time she "let go," a small knot would creep in her heart. The "ruler" she had once polished to a shine, the one she used to measure everything, seemed to be gradually worn down by reality, covered in dust.
She occasionally thought of Mo Zhichi. Brother Mo seemed even busier lately, rarely appearing at the beam yard except for inspections of key nodes. She wondered what Brother Mo would think of her current "flexibility" if he knew. She was a little afraid to think about it, and a little hesitant to face it.
The days passed in this inner tug-of-war. Lan Tongtong felt like a fish in a river, trying to swim upstream but being dragged along by the current, drifting involuntarily downstream. She didn't know where she would end up, only that the inexperienced, unyielding self seemed to be drifting further and further away. The dust from the construction site not only settled on her hard hat and work clothes but also quietly eroded the boundaries of her once clear principles.
That afternoon, the beam yard planned to pour concrete for a new box girder. The construction team had already completed the reinforcement and formwork installation, and was waiting for Lan Tongtong to conduct the final inspection before pouring.
As usual, Lan Tongtong took the blueprint and checklist and carefully checked every detail. When she examined the inner surface of the formwork, her brow furrowed. There were several obvious old scars and small potholes on the formwork, clearly not having been thoroughly cleaned and polished as required.
"Captain Wang, this formwork is not good." Lan Tongtong pointed at the flaws and said seriously, "Look at these places, they are not polished smooth. The surface of the poured concrete will definitely be rough, affecting the appearance quality and not meeting the acceptance standards."
Foreman Wang, the shift leader, put on an ingratiating smile and offered a bottle of water (which Lan Tongtong waved away). "Lan, you have a good eye! There are some minor issues in these places. But you see, they're relatively out of the way, so they don't affect the structural safety. This formwork has been used so many times, so it's inevitable that it's a little damaged. If we have to rework and polish everything, today's pour will definitely be delayed. Can you please be flexible? We'll definitely pay more attention next time!"
"No." Lan Tongtong was firm. "Appearance quality is also part of quality. It must be polished smooth before acceptance."
Foreman Wang's smile froze for a moment, and he immediately pulled Lan Tongtong to a deserted corner. He lowered his voice, with a hint of helplessness and a hint of "you know what I mean," "Lan, I know you're principled. But we have to be realistic, right? The deadline is so tight, and the boss is pushing for progress every day. So, please be so kind as to offer this small gift. Buy some water with it. Consider it a favor from our brothers, giving us a way out."
As he spoke, a thin red envelope was quickly stuffed into the pocket of Lan Tongtong's work clothes.
Lan Tongtong felt as if she had been scalded. She suddenly wanted to take it out and return it: "Captain Wang! What are you doing? Take it back!"
Foreman Wang, however, held her pocket tightly, his face still showing that bitter expression. "Lan Gong, Lan Gong! Don't! It's not much money, just a small token of my appreciation! You know, our work is not easy, and we will be deducted if we fail to meet the deadline! Just consider it a favor! This little problem is really not a big deal! I promise it won't happen again next time!"
Lan Tongtong's hand froze. The thin red envelope felt like a red-hot iron, scalding her heart. She thought of the financial strain of her parents' constant medication, her own meager salary, Feng Chang's advice on "flexibility," and Chen Xueping's way of handling the situation... A huge wave of embarrassment, temptation, and powerlessness washed over her mind.
"This...this really isn't possible..." Her refusal became weak and her voice became smaller and smaller.
Foreman Wang was a shrewd man. He immediately noticed her hesitation and struck while the iron was hot, saying, "Don't worry, Engineer Lan! Heaven and earth know, you know, and I know! No one else will know! If anything happens in the beam yard in the future, the brothers will fully cooperate with you!"
After some hesitation, the thin red envelope finally remained in her pocket. She didn't insist on polishing the template anymore, but simply signed her name on the checklist and said in a dry voice, "Next... I must pay more attention next time."
"Of course, of course! Thank you, Engineer Lan! Thank you so much!" Foreman Wang left with many thanks.
After passing the inspection, the pump truck roared to life as it began pouring concrete. Lan Tongtong stood there, watching the gray-black concrete flow into the flawed formwork, feeling as if something had clogged her heart, making it feel heavy and dirty.
She subconsciously touched the red envelope in her pocket, feeling the distinct texture of paper money against her fingertips. There might only be a few hundred yuan in it, but it felt like a thousand pounds, weighing her down, making her breathless. She knew what she had lost was far more than a few hundred yuan could measure.
The bottom line she had been carefully guarding was quietly lost at this moment due to the difficulties of reality, the influence of the environment, and a trace of luck. She betrayed her principles and also betrayed Mo Ge's expectations.
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