Chapter 108: My conscience hurts
Logging is a big deal. Although Secretary Tang did not place all his hopes on Qi Fang, he still kept an eye on it.
He received the news as soon as the items arrived, and waited for another two days before hearing that the modification was completed.
Qu Mingli came to tell him about it and asked him to go to other cities to find a driver who was used to driving a 50-ton old wood collection truck.
"This was Qi Fang's suggestion. After all, if it's to be different from the previous one, we have to find someone who understands it to try it out."
It was a sound suggestion. Secretary Tang was really worried that everyone on his side would be driving the new Jicai 50, and even if Qi Fang hadn't modified it properly, he wouldn't be able to test it out.
The money wasted is secondary. The real problem is that you actually have to go to the mountains to cut the wood and find that you can't use it.
The reason why Qu Mingli did not look for it himself but asked Secretary Tang to do it was to avoid suspicion, in case Secretary Tang was still worried after the trial.
So Secretary Tang found a way to use his connections to borrow a tractor driver in his thirties from another city. He said he had been engaged in timber collection for six or seven years.
"When the machine first arrived, he was the one who test-drove it. You can be assured he has experience and can drive it with his eyes closed."
This is what the other party said to Secretary Tang. After the person arrived, Secretary Tang personally took him to the machinery factory.
Arriving at the machinery factory, he saw two 50-ton skidders parked in the open space. Secretary Tang looked them over and asked, "Which one was the one that was just renovated?"
"Let's try them all." Qi Fang didn't answer, but said, "Let this master see which one is the new one and which one is the old one."
This is because they are confident that their modifications are the same as the original old hydraulic system, and even experienced tractor drivers cannot tell the difference.
Secretary Tang raised his eyebrows, thinking that although the young man looked cold and indifferent, he was actually quite arrogant to say such words.
However, capable young people usually have a bit of temper, so he didn't say anything, "Then let's try it first."
However, the borrowed Master Tang took a closer look at Qi Fang and thought it was nonsense. If anyone could modify something, then why did they need the original manufacturer?
But it wasn't his money being spent, so Changshan County could do whatever it wanted, it was none of his business.
Master Tang didn't show anything. When he saw Secretary Tang looking back at him, he nodded and got on the tractor with ease.
When I went up to take a look, I found that the other party was probably afraid that I could see it from the outside, so they covered the place where the hydraulic cylinder was originally installed with an iron shell, blocking the hydraulic system tightly.
It is quite unnecessary. Tractor drivers like them deal with tractors all year round. They can tell whether they are used to driving a machine by trying it out first, let alone changing the hydraulic system.
Master Tang took only one look, then looked away, sat down at the operating table, adapted himself to the unfamiliar Jigsaw 50, and began to operate it.
Soon the familiar sound of the engine starting was heard, followed by the hydraulic cylinder supplying oil, and the huge machine rumbled into action.
Secretary Tang, Qu Mingli and Qi Fang were all standing on the periphery, watching him drive a few laps in the open space. Secretary Tang then pointed to the back mountain and signaled him to drive in that direction.
The most important thing for a logging tractor is its mountain operation capability. Running on flat ground is not a big deal; it must be able to cross mountains and ridges.
Master Tang raised his hand to indicate that he understood, and immediately drove the tractor towards the back mountain.
The cold, hard metal tracks rolled across the ground and soon reached the uphill slope. They drove up with full horsepower and there was no lack of power.
By now, Master Tang had found his feeling and had returned to the mountains where he was more familiar. His actions gradually became less cautious than at the beginning.
He first found a steep slope and then a deep ditch, and the tractor successfully drove over them. It really looked like the undulating ivy on the mountains.
Secretary Tang and his companions walked slowly and fell behind, but they still saw the machine moving calmly through the mountains and forests.
"The power should be enough, otherwise we won't be able to climb this slope." They were accompanied by an old tractor driver from the county, who made a judgment at a glance.
As for the mountain, a few people did not go up. They stood at the foot of the mountain waiting for Master Tang to come down. He pointed to another 50-ton skidder and said, "Let's try the traction."
The main purpose of a logging tractor is logging. It is not enough to be able to operate in the mountains, it must be able to haul heavy wood.
However, it is not the logging season now, so there is no wood to haul, so we can only try towing another logger 50. Usually, when they need to repair the machine, they also find another machine to tow.
Master Tang quickly stopped the machine and without asking anyone else to help, he and the tractor driver from Changshan County used a wire rope to hang the other one on the back.
After making sure it was strong enough, Master Tang went up again. Seeing that everyone had retreated to a safe distance, he started the machine.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the wire rope was tightened little by little, and then, without seeming to take too much effort, the log collection machine 50 at the back was successfully towed up.
The tractor driver from Changshan County watched from the side and said, "It should be the old 50 skidder. It has good pulling power."
Master Tang thought so too. After the test, he stopped and said to Secretary Tang and Qu Mingli, "It should be the old batch of materials 50."
Anyway, it was quite smooth to drive. He didn't feel any traces of modification. It was even smoother than his own.
Secretary Tang subconsciously glanced at Qi Fang, but Qi Fang's expression remained unchanged. "Try another one."
Master Tang didn't say anything and turned on another one. He came here to test the machine anyway, so he had to try it no matter what.
The hydraulic system of this machine is also covered with an iron shell, and its position is the same as the previous one, making it impossible to distinguish.
Master Tang sat down and started the machine as usual. After driving for a while, he couldn't help frowning.
Then they went up the mountain, climbed the slope, and crossed the ditch. Master Tang's brows were getting tighter and tighter. After testing the traction, he didn't get off the tractor for a long time.
He didn't get off the machine until everyone else gathered around him, but his brows were still furrowed. Secretary Tang felt a sinking feeling in his heart, "It's so different from that one?"
He just watched it from a distance and felt that it was no different from the previous one. Could it be that he was an outsider and didn't understand?
But even if he was an amateur, wasn't there an experienced tractor driver next to him? He didn't seem to notice anything wrong.
Secretary Tang was already thinking about just calling it a day or asking Qi Fang to make some changes, but then he saw Master Tang raise his eyes and ask, "Both of your machines are old Jicai 50s, right?"
He was stunned, and the others around him also looked surprised. They looked at each other and did not rush to speak.
This made Master Tang look at Qi Fang and ask, "Did you just copy the old Jicai 50 and install the same one?"
That should be impossible. After all, the budget is there, and the money was approved by Secretary Tang himself, and it is only one-third of the entire hydraulic system.
Secretary Tang also turned to look at Qi Fang, but Qi Fang asked Master Tang, "Which one do you think is more convenient to use?"
This obviously denied Master Tang's guess, causing a look of surprise on his face. "Aren't they the same?"
He was a little surprised by this. When he was driving them just now, he thought they were all the same and didn't notice that any of them looked modified.
But since Qi Fang asked, he thought about it carefully, then pointed to the first one, "This one, it drives more smoothly."
Qi Fang didn't say anything, but got on the machine directly and started to remove the iron shell covering the hydraulic system.
Master Tang followed immediately, then the tractor driver from Changshan County, then Secretary Tang and Qu Mingli, all waiting below to see the result.
Then the things were taken apart. Master Tang was the first to look at them and the first to express his surprise. "Isn't it?"
Now everyone didn't need to go up and check. No one knew better than Master Tang, who had been driving it for six or seven years, whether it was the hydraulic system of the old Jiji 50.
However, Qi Fang still got on another machine and removed the metal shell. Master Tang went to take a look, and the surprise on his face turned into a complicated expression, "It really isn't it."
This means that Qi Fang not only modified the hydraulic system of the old Jid 50, but also made it smoother and more convenient than before?
Not to mention Master Tang, everyone in Changshan County was stunned. The tractor driver from Changshan County couldn't hide his surprise, "How did you do that?"
Qi Fang's expression remained unchanged. "It's not that I modified it well, it's just that the old Jicai 50 has been used for many years and is worn out."
Compared with the old Jimu 50, this batch in Changshan County has only been used for four years, and the wear and tear in all aspects is indeed less.
But even if he just modified it to be the same as the old hydraulic system, that's still impressive, right? How much did it cost to modify it?
No one spoke for a moment, and finally Secretary Tang looked at Qu Mingli and said, "You are indeed capable."
Since Secretary Tang had praised him, Qu Mingli had to be modest and modest. "We have to wait and see what happens when the weather gets colder. Will there be any impact?"
The previous batch that used the hydrostatic system had problems due to the cold weather. He had just expressed everyone's last concern. Secretary Tang pondered for a moment and said, "We'll see when the time comes."
No matter what, Qi Fang has made the changes, and they are pretty good. Next we will see how it performs in winter and whether it can be used for a long time.
After returning home, Secretary Tang asked Qu Mingli, "How many tractors in our county are in serious condition? I'm afraid they won't be able to continue logging this winter."
"I'll have the small repair shop below do some statistics," Qu Mingli said. "The data reported from last year's maintenance shows that at least three or four of them are not optimistic."
"Let's see if this modified one can be used. If there are no problems by next month, we'll modify two more before logging begins."
Secretary Tang pondered. After all, if those machines were not modified, they would probably have problems even when they were on the mountain, and it would still cost a lot to repair them.
Qu Mingli ran into Qi Fang on the road and told him what had happened. Qi Fang, however, asked him, "What are the bureau planning to do with the components that were replaced in the hydrostatic system?"
Qu Mingli had never considered this. Generally, these discarded parts are treated as scrap.
But since Qi Fang asked, he must have a plan, so he asked: "Do you want it?"
"Yeah." Qi Fang didn't deny it. "I want to see if the original hydrostatic system can be improved."
In fact, the project he and his teacher had was almost completed when it was forced to stop. In the past few years, he has been thinking about it over and over again, trying to figure out how to improve it.
But thinking about it over and over again wouldn't be as useful as actual experimentation. He didn't want to give away his teacher's hard work, and Wu Xingde had already said he would never restart the project.
He could only use these discarded accessories and conduct experiments bit by bit. What if that day came as Yan Xue said?
Qi Fang himself didn't realize that he was gradually gaining confidence that that day would eventually come, as if his current hibernation was a preparation for that day.
He didn't realize that when he said this, his expression remained calm, but his eyes were bright, and there was a hint of spirit in them.
Qu Mingli actually liked this young man's behavior and smiled. "Then I'll tell your factory and let you handle it."
"Thank you." Qi Fang thanked him sincerely. Qu Mingli looked at the direction he was riding his bike and asked, "Ready to go home?"
"Go pick up Yan Xue." But Qi Fang was not riding towards the training center, but towards the No. 1 Middle School of the County Forestry Bureau.
Yan Xue was taking an exam there today, and the school specially added a seat for her at the back of the classroom. The other people in the classroom didn't know her and thought she was a new transfer student from somewhere else.
Yan Xue hadn't sat in the classroom like this for some years, whether in her previous life or this life. When she first got the test paper, she was in a daze for a moment.
However, when she saw the questions above, she calmed herself down, wrote her name at the beginning of the paper, and began to answer in an orderly manner.
Yan Xue looks young, and compared with some children who look very mature in their teens, it doesn't look out of place for her to sit here.
But the calm temperament she possessed was very different, causing the boy sitting next to her to look at her, then at her paper, and then completely focus on it.
She wrote it pretty fast, huh? Is this new female student such a good student? Is she just guessing?
Since he was just guessing when writing it himself, the boy just copied down two questions. After the test, he checked the answers with others in the class and found out that they were correct!
He went to look for Yan Xue again, but she had already walked far away. This happened in the next few classes. Yan Xue suddenly became the mysterious female classmate in the class.
As the mysterious female classmate Yan Xue walked out of the school gate, she saw a familiar tall figure in the crowd.
The man was leaning against his bicycle. When he saw her, he turned and said something to the person next to him. The other person immediately opened the thermos and poured out a bowl of milky white ice cream.
The thermos was specially made with a wide mouth that could fit popsicles in, unlike the thermos at home.
The man gave Yan Xue a dime and handed the ice cream and spoon directly to her. "Are you done with the exams?"
It was July and the weather was indeed a bit hot. Yan Xue took it and took a sip, and instantly felt the coolness melting in her mouth.
"The exams are over. The results should be out in a few days." Yan Xue took two bites. It was not convenient to let the man taste it outside, so she simply left some at the bottom of the bowl.
Qi Fang noticed it, took it and ate it silently bite by bite, then handed the bowl back to the ice cream vendor.
Seeing that he was happy to pay, the stall owner rinsed the bowl with water and asked with a smile: "It's so hot, why don't you buy another bowl for your sister?"
Qi Fang looked over immediately and asked, "How do you know she is my sister?" with a gloomy look in his eyes.
The stall owner was immediately confused. If she is not your sister, why are you waiting for her here? Isn’t it the junior high school exam today?
Seeing that the other person's eyes were about to turn strange when looking at Qi Fang, Yan Xue quickly pushed the man and said, "Go back. I'll buy some ice cream for Grandma and Ji Gang later."
As for little Qi Yanyu, just take a bite to taste it. Children will get diarrhea if they eat too much cold food.
But she couldn't let the little guy know that she and Qi Fang had already eaten outside, so Yan Xue smiled and said, "If Yan Yu doesn't eat, mom and dad won't eat with you either."
So although the little fat boy was greedy, he was successfully coaxed into submission. He even handed the spoon that he had not licked clean to his mother so that she could have a taste as well, which made Yan Xue feel a little guilty.
But it only lasted for a moment. The next day, Yan Xue carried the fat boy on her back and ate popsicles at the company. It had been hot recently, so the few of them would buy popsicles and bring them over from time to time.
A few days later, the results came out. Yan Xue not only passed the exam successfully, but also did well in all subjects. She could submit her file when school started.
It just so happened that she had her junior high school diploma, which meant she had transferred to another school, but she didn't usually attend classes in school.
As this work came to an end, the wood ear mushrooms that Yan Xue had grown in cans finally grew out.
When we first heard that ear buds were available, everyone in the center found it incredible. Everyone changed their clothes and went in to see them, including Zhuang Qixiang.
After all, Yan Xue only said to give it a try. Who would have thought that wood ear mushrooms could actually be grown using sawdust?
But when people went in to check day by day, they found that not only were ear buds growing in the sawdust, but they were also growing bigger and bigger and soon matured.
Half a month later, they harvested the first batch of fresh wood ear mushrooms. Although the mushrooms were small, they were indeed harvested.
Zhuang Qixiang personally watched people picking the sawdust. He was amazed at how the cans worked. "Can sawdust really be used like this?"
Tree stumps and wood that does not meet the standards are still wood. These are the sawdust left over from wood processing. When you take them home to burn in the fire, you will complain that they burn too slowly.
In fact, using canning bottles to grow bacteria is somewhat similar to cultivating strains at the beginning. You both need to wait for the mycelium to fill the canning bottle, and it takes about 30 days.
However, if you want to grow fruiting bodies later, you must simulate the growth environment when the logs were planted as much as possible.
Yan Xue and Guo Changan divided the cans into arrays, with different lighting, humidity, and temperature, and the appearance of ear buds was also obviously different.
The best growing ones are those in cans that have mycelium growing all over them and are kept at room temperature, shaded and moisturized. Spray water every day and ear buds will appear in about ten days.
This batch of wood ears was also the first to be harvested. After picking them and drying them, Yan Xue got a pot and built a simple stove in the yard of the breeding center.
"Let's compare them all, from the degree of water absorption and expansion to the taste. We can make and stir-fry them right here at work and eat them right away."
Since transferring to the cultivation center, Zhuang Qixiang has done a lot of things he had never done before, such as selling mushroom strains, organizing tours, and now doing food reviews.
However, since they are in the technical field, they have to figure out some things themselves first. He didn't say anything and carefully made the comparison according to what Yan Xue said.
Compared with those grown on logs, the wood ear mushrooms grown on sawdust are obviously thinner, and the flesh is not as thick as those grown on logs.
After soaking, they are fried in a pan and have a soft and glutinous texture. If they are fried too big, they may even become soft, unlike those grown from logs which have a chewy texture when chewed.
"It doesn't taste very good." Zhuang Qixiang pointed at the plate of sawdust with his chopsticks, and the others nodded.
But Zhou Wenhui thought about it and added, "Old people and children should like it, especially those who don't have many teeth."
Although people can get dentures these days, many elderly people are reluctant to spend the money and would rather eat something watery and soft.
Guo Changan took notes with a pen and a notebook. After everyone finished speaking, he said, "A can can hold about half a pound of fresh wood ear mushrooms."
"More than half a pound?" Everyone was really surprised. A one-meter-long piece of wood could only yield five or six pounds. How big was this can?
Moreover, the logs are made of solid wood, while the cans are made of sawdust. This is just the beginning of the research...
Seeing Guo Changan nod, everyone stopped talking. If the yield was this high, then it really wouldn't matter if the taste was a little worse and the flesh was a little thinner and smaller.
After all, high production means that things can be sold cheaply, which means that many people who couldn't afford it before can now afford it.
"Then how many years can we harvest from this planting?" Zhuang Qixiang pondered for a while and asked a more concerned question.
No one could say for sure. Zhuang Qixiang looked at Guo Changan, who looked at Yan Xue. Yan Xue thought for a moment and said, "We'll know next year."
"Then we'll study it further." Zhuang Qixiang said. Anyway, Yan Xue didn't propose to do it, and he didn't even dare to believe that wood ear mushrooms could be grown with sawdust.
While they were still discussing, the guard from the gate came over. When everyone saw him, they immediately asked him to try it too.
The guard was given a pair of chopsticks and couldn't refuse, but he got down to business first. "There's a woman in her forties at the door who wants to see Accountant Zhou."
Lesbians in their forties cover a wide range. Huang Fengying and Zhou Wenhui's mother are all of this age, as well as Zhou Wenhui's landlord.
Zhou Wenhui went out to check after hearing this, and soon brought the woman in and introduced her to everyone, "This is my mother."
It was the first time for Zhou's mother to come to the center, and she was obviously a little embarrassed. Fortunately, Yan Xue had known her for a long time, so she immediately moved a chair for her to sit on and invited her to taste it together.
Unfortunately, Zhou's mother had a soft personality. She said everything she tried was delicious. She stayed there until Zhou Wenhui got off work at noon, and then left with Zhou Wenhui.
Zhou's mother didn't come in the afternoon. She must have taken a bus back to Chengshui. Zhou Wenhui went to see someone off and then came to work. She didn't look very well.
Yan Xue immediately remembered Zhou Wenhui's father's visit and found a quiet time to ask, "Is there something wrong at home?"
After being confronted by Zhou Wenhui last time, Zhou's father didn't come again, but it was obvious that he wouldn't be quieted down so easily.
Sure enough, Zhou Wenhui's face turned angry. "My dad actually told their factory director that I could arrange for their director's son to come to the center, and even asked my mother to persuade me."
What a huge honor! Not to mention the son of Zhou's father, even the leaders of their county forestry bureau couldn't squeeze anyone in.
Yan Xue was speechless. Thinking about Zhou's mother's character, she asked, "What did my aunt say?"
Speaking of Zhou's mother, Zhou Wenhui finally breathed a sigh of relief. "My mom told me not to interfere. If I did, it would be too much. I had such a hard time finding this job."
Zhou's mother still loves her daughter, otherwise she would not have helped Zhou Wenhui hide the secret from Zhou's father, making Zhou's father think that Zhou Wenhui was really pregnant.
But Zhou Wenhui was still furious. She had already told her father clearly that it was she who sold the old ginseng to the Liu family by her father, and her father still had his eyes on her.
She could ignore him, but it would be annoying if she kept doing that. Besides, Weiguo was still working in Chengshui. What if her father couldn't persuade her and she went to find Weiguo...
Just as I was getting angry, I heard Yan Xue's calm voice ask, "This isn't a solution. Have you ever thought about solving it completely?"
"I thought I had said everything decisively when I got married." Zhou Wenhui was helpless. She was really prepared to pretend that she didn't have a father in the future.
For the next three years, she didn't say a word to her father, and her father didn't say a word to her. Who knew that everything would change once she was transferred to the county and Weiguo was transferred to the town.
This situation of wanting to end it but not being able to do so completely is indeed very troublesome. The key is that Zhou Wenhui is not far enough away, so she can't pretend to be out of sight.
Yan Xue looked at Zhou Wenhui and said, "Since that doesn't work, why not try another approach? It's not about stopping him from coming, but about making him afraid to come again."
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