Chapter 53 Foundation Laying Ceremony
The sweltering and humid summer has passed, all the preliminary procedures have been completed, the loan has been approved and disbursed, and the drawings have been finalized. The work that follows will only be more challenging, and the first priority is to find a suitable construction team.
The first place Jiang Suining went to was naturally the architecture firm where her brother Jiang Fengnian worked.
That afternoon, she waited for Jiang Fengnian to come back from work. The two siblings discussed things in their own courtyard in Coconut Grove Village, in the cool autumn breeze.
"Brother, I'd like to entrust the civil engineering work for the cold storage to your construction company." Jiang Suining got straight to the point, spreading out the civil engineering drawings on the stone table. "Site leveling, foundation excavation, management buildings, and perimeter walls—can you handle these tasks?"
Jiang Fengnian is now a key member of the construction company. He carefully looked at the blueprints and estimated the amount of work involved. An excited look appeared on his dark face: "Take it! Of course we can! This is a big job! I'll talk to our team leader, and he'll definitely be happy to take it!"
Jiang Suining had no worries about entrusting this part to her brother, but the core underwater structure, turbine installation, pipeline laying, and special anti-corrosion treatment were far beyond the capabilities of ordinary construction workers and required more professional personnel.
Through Lu Ye's connections, she learned that there was a veteran on the island named Zhao Zhenhai, who had retired from the naval engineering corps a few years ago. He was skilled in machinery and hydraulic engineering and now worked at the county agricultural machinery station, feeling somewhat frustrated. Another veteran was Chen Yongqiang, a shipyard worker on the island who was about to retire and had unique experience in dealing with seawater corrosion and welding seals.
Jiang Suining didn't rush to their house. She first had Lu Ye find out about the personalities and current situations of the two men from the sidelines. Then, she chose a weekend evening, carrying two bottles of good wine and a carton of good cigarettes, and went to Zhao Zhenhai's house.
Zhao Zhenhai was in his forties, with a lean build and the stubbornness of a technician in his eyes. He was somewhat surprised to see Jiang Suining, especially after he understood her purpose.
"Tidal energy cold storage?" He frowned, his tone skeptical. "Comrade Jiang, your idea... is quite bold. But is it reliable? Let me take a look at the blueprints."
Jiang Suining was prepared and handed over the technical drawings of the core components.
Zhao Zhenhai initially just browsed casually, but as he looked at it, his expression became focused, and his fingers traced the transmission structure and waterproof design on the drawings.
“Here… a two-way gear set to adapt to tidal changes? Not a bad idea, but sealing is a big problem…” he muttered to himself.
Jiang Suining immediately replied, "That's why I've come to ask you, Master Zhao, to come out of retirement. You're a veteran engineer who's seen it all. I'm not confident about this new thing without an experienced master like you overseeing it." She was humble and sincere. "As for the wages, it'll be three yuan and fifty cents a day. Once the project is successful, you'll be the technical manager for the later maintenance and operation of the cold storage."
Three yuan and fifty cents a day—this salary was far higher than his current income, and the title of "technical lead" also appealed to him. Zhao Zhenhai pondered for a long time, looking at the exquisite design on the blueprints, then at the determined young woman in front of him. Thinking about his awful job, he had long since given up on it!
With that thought in mind, Zhao Zhenhai finally nodded emphatically: "Alright! I'll take the job! I want to see if we can tame these tides!"
Having won over Zhao Zhenhai, Jiang Suining's confidence soared. The next day, she went to find Master Chen Yongqiang at the shipyard.
Master Chen is a more honest and straightforward person, while Jiang Suining didn't beat around the bush and directly explained the difficulties and her reliance on the master craftsman's skills.
"Master Chen, seawater corrosion and pipe sealing are impossible without your skillful hands. Your wages are three yuan and fifty cents a day. If this project is successful, the maintenance of fishing boats on our island may also benefit from this anti-corrosion technology in the future. We'll have to rely on you to take charge."
Master Chen didn't say much. He listened to Jiang Suining's honest quote and vision for the future, and then looked at the blueprints for the components that required advanced welding and sealing techniques. He took a puff of his pipe and slowly nodded: "I'd like to, but I have a job at the shipyard."
“That’s easy, I’ll handle it.” Jiang Suining had already thought it through. The construction of the cold storage is a key project on the island, and all departments are paying attention to it. Knowing that the two masters agreed, she could find someone to borrow these two people from the factory.
With the core team secured, finding other workers went very smoothly. Jiang Suining even had someone calculate an auspicious time for the start of construction, and the groundbreaking ceremony was held three days later.
***
Early in the morning, Jiang Fengnian led several young men from the construction company to a cleared open space. They used four thick bamboo poles to support a red banner with white characters, which read "Foundation Ceremony for the Nan'ao Island Tidal Energy Experimental Cold Storage," written solemnly with a brush by an elderly gentleman from the village.
The sea breeze was quite strong, making the banner flutter loudly. Several young men had to hold the bamboo pole firmly to stabilize it.
There was no platform, no red carpet, only a flat piece of land exposed with sand and gravel, and the locations of several key foundation pits clearly marked with lime powder.
Jiang Suining and Lu Ye arrived by bicycle.
Jiang Suining was dressed smartly today, in a slightly worn blue jumpsuit, her hair neatly combed back, her face showing a hint of fatigue, but more so an irrepressible glow of excitement. Lu Ye, still in his crisp military uniform, stood silently beside her.
Jiang's mother and Liu Hong also arrived, carrying a basket covered with a white cloth. Inside were brown sugar steamed cakes that Jiang's mother had steamed before dawn, symbolizing "prosperity and advancement," which she prepared to distribute to the workers present.
Soon, Zhao Zhenhai and Master Chen arrived one after the other, and the construction workers also gathered in small groups. Lü Aiguo was the last to arrive; he had his own work to do and had taken leave specifically to come.
Fishermen and villagers from nearby villages also came to watch the spectacle. Men and women, young and old, gathered in the outer circle, pointing and whispering, their faces filled with curiosity and doubt.
Most of them had heard that a cold storage facility was going to be built here to freeze seafood, and they were very curious, so they came to join in the fun today.
As most people arrived, the scene gradually quieted down, leaving only the sound of the wind and the rhythmic lapping of the waves against the rocks. All eyes were fixed on Jiang Suining.
Jiang Suining took a deep breath of the cool, salty air, took a few steps forward, and stood under the banner, next to the center of the largest lime circle. She looked around at the familiar and unfamiliar faces before her, and took another deep breath: "Dear veterans! Dear comrades! And dear fellow villagers!"
A slight commotion arose in the crowd, especially among the fishermen, who exchanged incredulous glances.
Jiang Suining paused, then continued, "I know many people think I, Jiang Suining, am fanciful and reckless! But!" Her tone suddenly became more serious, and her gaze sharpened, "Our blueprints were drawn stroke by stroke by experts who know their stuff. Every screw's placement is precisely calculated! The land we're using has been approved by the government with a big red stamp, in black and white!"
She pointed to the barren beach behind her, her arm tracing an arc: "From today onwards, we will use our own hands to turn the lines on the blueprints into solid walls, and the power of the tide into the cold air that freezes fish!"
“This job won’t be easy! We’re bound to encounter difficulties and troubles we’ve never seen before! But,” her gaze swept over Zhao Zhenhai, Master Chen, Jiang Fengnian, and every worker present, “we have experienced veteran engineers like Master Zhao! We have top-notch craftsmen like Master Chen! We have so many hardworking brothers from the construction company! And we have all of us who are willing to give it our all for this new path!”
Her voice carried an inspiring power: "This cold storage facility, once built, doesn't just belong to me, Jiang Suining! It belongs to all of us! It will allow the fish we catch to no longer be sold cheaply because they rot! It will allow our fishing port to fetch good prices even in winter! It will allow our children to remember Black Stone Bay not as a barren wasteland, but as a treasure trove built by our fathers!"
These words resonated with many fishermen, and their doubts were gradually replaced by empathy and reflection.
“Now,” Jiang Suining picked up a brand-new shovel from the side, a bright red ribbon tied to the wooden handle, fluttering gently in the sea breeze, “I hereby declare the foundation stone laid for the Nan’ao Island tidal energy experimental cold storage facility!”
She gripped the shovel handle with both hands, pried up a large clump of damp, gravelly soil, and solemnly placed it in the center of the limestone circle.
This shovel strike, seemingly carrying immense force, shattered the centuries-old silence of Blackstone Bay.
"Great!" Jiang Fengnian was the first to shout loudly, clapping his hands vigorously.
Lu Ye followed closely behind, took the shovel from Jiang Suining's hand, and scooped up a shovelful of soil, piling it onto the newly formed mound.
Next was Lü Aiguo. His movements were slightly awkward, but his expression was extremely solemn.
Zhao Zhenhai and Master Chen exchanged a smile, then each picked up a shovel and stepped forward to add soil. The construction workers and the invited master craftsmen also stepped forward, each contributing a shovelful of soil, which quickly formed a small mound in the center, symbolizing participation and blessings.
Jiang's mother and Liu Hong then lifted the white cloth covering the basket and distributed the still-warm brown sugar cakes to everyone present.
"Come on, everyone, have some food for good luck!"
"From now on, we'll have to rely on all of you for your hard work in this cold storage!"
The workers and onlookers received the steamed cakes, their faces beaming with smiles, and the atmosphere instantly became lively. Eating the sweet cakes and looking at the small mound of earth and the banner fluttering in the wind, a wonderful sense of belonging and participation spread through the crowd.
Jiang Suining stood at the front of the crowd, looking at the small mound that symbolized the beginning, and then at the endless sea in the distance, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Lu Ye walked to her side, gently squeezed her slightly cold hand, and whispered, "It's starting."
"Yes, let's begin." Jiang Suining squeezed his hand back and nodded emphatically.
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