Chapter 41 Chapter 41 Spring goes and autumn comes
Factory 431, Plant 1 Engineering Office.
Jingle Bells——
As soon as the bell rang, engineers who had no work on hand immediately got up and either went to the cafeteria to eat or rode their bikes home.
Soon, there were only two people left in the huge office.
Luo Shunli stopped copying and looked up at the largest desk by the window. Shi Xiangming was organizing his work and seemed to be getting ready to leave work.
"Brother Shi."
Although it is called the Engineer's Office, there are actually only three engineers in it, and the rest are all technicians, Luo Shunli is one of them.
Among the three engineers, there is only one chief engineer. Shi Xiangming's status in the office is self-evident.
"Let's have dinner together?" Shi Xiangming put the hand-polished parts into a box and wiped the table clean. His movements were always unhurried and pleasing to the eye.
Luo put down his pen smoothly and quickly took out his lunch box from the drawer.
"I'll return the notes to you after I finish copying them this afternoon."
"It doesn't matter when. Once you practice the basic principles a few times, you will be able to fully understand the contents of the book."
"I have to learn the contents of the book thoroughly before I dare to start. The error tolerance rate of the linked milling machine in our factory is too small. Once a problem occurs, it will affect the operation of the entire factory."
You know your own worth very well, and you can't just rush into it based on your passion.
Shi Xiangming was a little surprised, then he smiled and nodded: "Humility is a good thing, but you must not be afraid to take action, otherwise you will never be able to take the next step."
"I understand." Luo Shunli said seriously.
Shi Xiangming continued, "I will inspect the milling machine tomorrow. You can try it yourself."
"Really?" Luo Shunli was overjoyed.
As long as Shi Xiangming is there to guide me, mistakes can be pointed out at any time. This is a very rare practical opportunity.
Shi Xiangming just nodded and stopped talking about studying. Instead, he affirmed Luo Shunli from another perspective: "Since you were selected to join the R&D team, you should believe in your abilities."
The selection of R&D team members was carried out through a meeting of twelve engineers from four factories.
As the project leader, Shi Xiangming did not recommend any candidates in order to avoid suspicion, but made the final decision on each recommended candidate.
Shi Xiangming was actually surprised that Luo Shunli was recommended. He did not expect that he was recommended by two engineers from the same office.
Without real skills, the R&D team can’t do their job.
"There are still many things to learn in the future. I hope you don't think I'm too long-winded, Brother Shi."
When someone called him a scoundrel, Luo Shunli could respond calmly, but when someone praised him, he was totally at a loss and could only laugh foolishly.
"As long as you're asking about work, it's fine. I have to rely on your sister-in-law for my life." Shi Xiangming smiled.
"It seems that my sister-in-law is the most powerful one."
Luo Shunli waited at the door for a long time before Shi Xiangming slowly took out two lunch boxes from the drawer.
"Did you bring lunch today?"
Shi Xiangming narrowed his eyes, a smile flickering in his eyes, and even his voice seemed to be much softer when he mentioned Wang Nian.
"Your sister-in-law saw that I was busy recently, so she specially roasted beef for me, saying that it can replenish my energy."
"No wonder I smelled the fragrance in my dream before dawn. It turns out that my sister-in-law had been busy for a long time." Luo Shunli smiled.
"We brought a lot of beef. You can try some later."
The two walked out of the office one after another. Shi Xiangming handed the lunch box to Luo Shunli, then turned around and locked the door.
In the entire office building, only their office had to be locked, and there were only two people with the key. If Shi Xiangming and another person fell ill at the same time, no one else would be able to enter the office.
"Xiang Ming!"
At the end of the corridor, Luo Yongde stopped in the distance, his expression hidden in the darkness, but one could only feel his extreme anxiety from his rapid breathing.
"Factory Director."
"Dad, what's wrong with you?"
Luo Yongde's voice choked with sobs, he stepped out from the shadows, his face filled with sadness.
"Our beloved people's prime minister... has passed away."
This day.
The sky was gloomy and the entire Chinese people were immersed in common sorrow.
***
Winter goes and spring comes, and midsummer quietly fades away.
The memory of last year's frost seems to have long gone. This year's summer came early and lasted long. As late autumn is approaching, I can only wear a thin shirt when going out.
So many things happened this year that the entire 431 Factory and even the entire country were in a dark cloud.
It was not until the end of October that news of a great event spread throughout the streets and alleys, and life seemed to be gradually returning to normal.
After ten years of revolutionary movement, the country was celebrating this great event.
For Factory 431, the most interesting topic during this period was the announcement of the establishment of the factory's R&D team and the group of college students assigned by the government.
This group of educated youth were assigned to various villages during the Down to the Countryside Movement. They were unable to return to the city for various reasons, and were allocated to various factories after coordination.
But for Wang Nian, the former obviously had a greater impact on her.
"The porridge is warm in the pot. Do you want to take it to the office or eat it at home?"
First of all, the R&D team had too many things to coordinate, and Shi Xiangming was more than one or two times busier than others. He left home early and came back late every day, and he couldn't even have a peaceful breakfast.
Shi Xiangming was busy packing up the data files he had sorted out last night. He just turned his head back casually and said, "Just deal with the couple at home. I have a meeting tonight. You don't have to wait for me to eat."
The gloomy first half of the year caused all work in the factory to be put on hold, and this past month or so it's like the pace has been accelerated, with everything having to be worked overtime.
"Then put the bowl on the table after you finish eating. I will take Shuwen to school first."
In the eyes of others, housewife Wang Nian is also busy.
Shi Shuwen put down his bowl of porridge and could only hold a bun in one hand and eat it on the way to school.
Wang Nian put a straw hat on Shi Wan, stuffed a few burlap bags into the backpack, and hurriedly called the brother and sister to go out.
She originally wanted to wait until the weather got cooler before picking chestnuts, but as the Mid-Autumn Festival was getting closer and the weather didn't get any cooler, she could only go into the mountains in the morning when it was relatively cool.
"I want to go pick chestnuts, too." Shi Shuwen watched his sister proudly carrying the small basket on her back, and the envy of her sister was gone. "Can't you wait until tomorrow, when we have a day off, to go?"
"Tomorrow is a holiday and many people will go into the mountains." Wang Nian threw the full water bottle into the backpack and explained in a gentle voice: "We can go into the mountains again tomorrow."
"Keep your word." Shi Shuwen held out his little finger, and Wang Nian hooked it helplessly, and urged again and again: "Today is the commendation meeting, don't be late."
After saying that, the mother and her two children hurried out the door.
Due to the continuous increase in the number of employees' families, the factory started building a new family building before the New Year, and the main passage was widened by one third.
In order to make way for the main road, the school gate was moved to the side, facing the small square of the school.
"I made you unable to get up in the morning. You deserved it for being late."
Running to school with Wang Nian and her son were Liu Chaoxian and her son.
Zhang Liye had a sleepy head and his mother's voice went in one ear and out the other. In the middle of the conversation, he even took the time to snatch a bun from Shi Shuwen.
After a lot of effort, the few of them managed to reach the school gate before the bell rang.
Wang Nian let out a long breath.
"Xiaohui's belly is so big, she must be pregnant with twins, right?" Wang Nian suddenly said after watching the children enter the teaching building.
At the entrance of the vegetable market across a small square from the school gate, Huang Xiaohui was writing today's vegetable list on the blackboard at the entrance.
His abdomen was bulging, and he had to raise his hand to write two words before slowly putting it down. It was so heavy that it seemed difficult for him to even raise his hand.
"Single baby." The smile on Liu Chaoxian's face disappeared instantly. He didn't even bother to walk over and say hello. Instead, his voice became colder: "It's only been less than seven months."
"If the fetus is too big, it will be very painful during delivery." Wang Nian frowned.
Although I have never given birth to a child, I have read many stories about rivals who deliberately make their opponents pregnant so that the fetus is too large and causes a difficult birth.
The factory hospital does not have the ability to perform caesarean sections, and if the fetus is too big, giving birth will be a real nightmare.
What's more, Huang Xiaohui had just suffered a miscarriage a few years ago, and getting pregnant and giving birth so soon would do double the damage to her body.
In early February, when the whole country was still immersed in grief, Huang Xiaohui suddenly had a stomachache in the middle of the night and was sent to the hospital.
Later, Zhou Yuying privately revealed to Wang Nian that Huang Xiaohui had suffered heavy bleeding due to external trauma, and had to induce labor early on for the baby, who was already more than five months old.
This is actually equivalent to a birth, and the damage caused to the body cannot be underestimated.
Unexpectedly, just over a month later, Zhou Yuying saw Huang Xiaohui going to the gynecology department for a pregnancy test.
Pregnant again!
"Now, apart from Xie Hua, who else does she listen to?" Liu Chaoxian was also quite helpless.
Huang Xiaohui didn't know what was wrong with her, but after she married Xie Hua, all her former close friends gradually became distant from her.
Sister Xu tried to persuade Huang Xiaohui several times, but Xie Hua instigated her to the point that Huang Xiaohui almost broke off the relationship with her godmother.
Naturally, Liu Chaoxian gradually stopped associating with Huang Xiaohui because of Xie Hua's weirdness, and when they occasionally met the two on the street, they were almost like strangers.
Wang Nian and Huang Xiaohui were just acquaintances at best, and naturally they would not normally talk about each other's family life, so their relationship had not changed much.
"If this girl continues like this, she will suffer great losses in the future." Wang Nian sighed.
"Don't worry about her." Liu Chaoxian rolled his eyes in annoyance and forced the words he wanted to say down his throat.
The main reason for the falling out with Huang Xiaohui was not Xie Hua, but the bad words Huang Xiaohui said about Wang Nian.
Wang Nian has not been pregnant for a year after marriage, but the couple is not worried. Instead, Huang Xiaohui openly and secretly mocks Shi Xiangming for marrying a hen that can't lay eggs.
At that time, Liu Chaoxian retorted - it is better for a hen not to lay eggs than a hen that lays eggs randomly.
"Respect personal destiny and let go of the sentimentality of helping others." Wang Nian smiled and reached to the side with his right hand, only to feel a handful of air.
Looking towards the kindergarten, I saw Shi Wan lying outside the fence and Wu Zhenzhen inside the fence.
"Auntie Wang Nian." When Wu Zhenzhen saw Wang Nian coming over, she immediately called out excitedly, "Hello, Auntie Liu."
"Isn't the kindergarten closed today?" Wang Nian walked over and touched Wu Zhenzhen's little braid.
The primary school is open because they have a commendation ceremony, and the kindergarten probably doesn’t have classes on weekends.
Wu Zhenzhen looks much better since the kindergarten agreed to take the child over and let her study and eat two meals in school for free.
"Mom and Uncle Feng are out for something, so no one is at home." Wu Zhenzhen smiled, and the bun in her hand was obviously given to her by Shi Wangang just now.
"No one at home" is just a euphemism. What it actually means is that the door is locked and there is nowhere to go, so I have to come to kindergarten.
"Are there teachers in the school?" Wang Nian asked again.
"No, Teacher Hu is not here." Wu Zhenzhen smiled shyly and took a bite of the bun: "I will go back after playing in the afternoon."
"Then come with us to the mountains to pick chestnuts, and auntie will stew chestnut braised pork in the evening." Wang Nian waved at her.
"good."
The little girl turned around and ran, her braids flying high in the air, and even her back revealed her joy.
"If it weren't for your family, Zhenzhen's personality would definitely not be so lively."
“Everyone contributed.”
Among the five families on the first floor, Wu Zhenzhen ate the most at Wang Nian's house, followed by Liu Chaoxian and Sun Xiumei's families. Even Zhong Manli occasionally brought out some food.
It may be a bit of an exaggeration to say that I ate at hundreds of restaurants, but it is certain that the number of times I ate there was much more than at home.
"You are going to host a banquet tomorrow, how about I go and help?"
Several people were waiting for Wu Zhenzhen at the school gate. Liu Chaoxian was quite interested in the news that Wang Nian was going to be the chef for the banquet.
"No salary." Wang Nian smiled.
This year has been an eventful one. Due to various reasons, Li Yan's wedding banquet was postponed twice in a row and was finally scheduled on the last day of this month.
And now there is no need to worry about being reported, so the number of banquet tables has been increased by ten or so, which will be a real test of Wang Nian's ability to cook a big pot of rice.
"Just provide meals." Liu Chaoxian actually just wanted to see Wang Nian cook in person. He was free at home anyway.
"Call Liye, there will be a lot of delicious food tomorrow."
"That silly boy must be so happy."
While chatting and laughing, they came to the wall where Wang Nian discovered the wild kiwi fruit last year. The wall that collapsed this year has been rebuilt.
The wall is only half a person's height, and you can easily climb up by placing bricks on the side of the wall.
The two adults climbed up first. Wang Nian looked to the other side and immediately exclaimed in surprise: "Huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"I remember the kiwi tree was there, why is it gone?"
The wild kiwi fruit tree that could be seen from a distance was now nowhere to be seen, not to mention the kiwi fruits, not even the shadow of the tree.
Wang Nian turned around and told the two girls, "Wait here for a while, we'll go explore the way first."
The two nodded obediently and sat down on the sack to play.
Wang Nian estimated the height and jumped down with confidence.
Liu Chaoxian followed closely behind.
The kiwi tree was indeed in the same place as in Wang Nian's memory, but it had been uprooted by someone, and now only a big hole was left.
"What should I do?"
"We didn't go too deep last year. Maybe there are still good things inside." Wang Nian took off the backpack and took only the sickle: "Let's take the child over to pick chestnuts first, and wait for my good news."
Now that we have set out into the mountains, we can't just pick some chestnuts to take home.
Unfortunately, when I got to the tree, I found that even the chestnuts had been picked up first...
There was not a single chestnut in the chestnut shells scattered on the ground. The shells looked dry and wrinkled, so they must have been there several days ago.
Wang Nian helplessly waved his hands: "Then you guys just sit here and rest, I'll walk faster by myself."
"Be careful, don't go too far away."
Wang Nian nodded, picked up a stick, and walked down the slope while beating the grass.
Although the valley is covered with dense forests and the sun is blocked, there are actually signs of human activity coming and going.
Every three months, the security department would conduct an inspection of the forests surrounding the factory, and all the animals were driven into the mountains.
Occasionally you can see tools hidden in tree branches along the way.
Suddenly, a faint fragrance floated in the air, a little sour and a little sweet, especially like the sweet red wine that Wang Nian liked very much in his previous life.
Could it be wild grapes?
Wang Nian was about to go down the slope, but turned around and followed the smell to climb up again.
A small wooden house surrounded by vines appeared before our eyes.
Judging from the extent of moss on the walls, it has been uninhabited for at least five years, and there is no trace of human life around the yard.
Wang Nian stood in front of the collapsed fence and hesitated for a while before he bravely walked towards the house.
There were wooden basins and barrels scattered on the ground in the yard. It didn't look like someone had moved, but more like someone had left in a hurry and didn't have time to clean up.
What if he didn't leave, but died in some corner of the house...
With the mentality of not scaring himself, Wang Nian slowly looked into the collapsed house.
"call--"
After seeing this, I finally felt relieved.
The house was empty, all the furniture and belongings had been taken away, but a broken pot could be seen in the half-collapsed kitchen next door.
It must be that people who hid in the mountains during the war came down.
I continued to follow the smell towards the back of the house and finally found the source of the sweet and sour smell.
The collapsed racks were covered with grape vines, and many purple grapes were lying on the ground, emitting a sweet and sour smell after being gnawed by ants and their skins were broken.
These are not wild grapes, but grapes that have been properly grafted and cultivated.
"How is this not a pleasant surprise?"
Although he lost the kiwis and chestnuts, he gained a grape tree. Looking at the amount of fruit, Wang Nian simply dug it up and planted it so that he can eat the grapes next year.
I picked one at random and put it in my mouth.
The skin is so sour that it makes you shudder, but after spitting out the grape skin, the flesh is still tasted good.
I stepped back to find the roots of the grape vine, and suddenly I stumbled, as my heel seemed to hit something bumpy.
I steadied myself and looked back, and saw a round object.
It looks like... a handle on a pot lid?
Wang Nian squatted down and lifted it up with force. The soil around it cracked into several pieces. He pushed harder...it turned out to be a pot lid!
There is a pot under the lid. I don’t know how long it has been buried, but the pot is surprisingly clean without any dirt.
It didn't look like an iron pot, so the sickle Wang Nian brought came in handy. He quickly dug an opening in the soil to a stone pot as high as his calf.
This is a stone pot, and you can even feel the texture of the stone on the outer wall.
But the inside is smooth and shiny, obviously the previous owner took good care of it and regularly applied oil to maintain it.
I knocked on it with the handle of the sickle, but the echo was dull and the wall of the pot didn't vibrate at all.
It was a delicious pot...and Wang Nian had no idea what the ingredients were.
It seems that the owner of this house thought the pot was too heavy when he left, so he buried it in the soil and waited for the opportunity to pick it up in the future.
But it was gone for several years, and the soil on the pot was overgrown with weeds, and it never saw the light of day again.
"You're mine now!"
The stone pot is just there and no one wants it, but if you want to move it away, it's not something that ordinary people have the perseverance to accomplish.
Wang Nian is not like that.
First, he carried the pot lid back to the chestnut tree, then brought Liu Chaoxian back. Grape lay on the ground, and the two children could also help.
And Wang Nian... rolled the pot little by little to the wall.
In this way, after working from morning to noon, we finally moved the stone pot and the grape vines back home.
“…”
"If this stew doesn't taste good, you'll probably have to wake up and curse at it tonight."
A stone pot could make Wang Nian so happy that he smiled from ear to ear. After returning home, he would still scrub and wash it for a long time, even brushing every seam of the stone.
"Brush it dry and stew the meat tonight."
Blah--
Finally, rinse it with a basin of clean water and move the pot to the ground to dry.
"What are you going to do with the grapes?"
People are like this... When you see them, you want to pick them all up and take them home, but when you really bring them all back, you don’t know what to do with them.
Grapes are not like chestnuts, which can be kept in the sun for a year or two without any problems.
"I make some grape sauce for the kids to drink, and I can can the rest. I have so many cans left over from making grapefruit peel syrup last year, and this is perfect for use."
"I'll do whatever you do. It's right to learn from you." Liu Chaoxian immediately decided and waved his hand cheerfully: "It's just a waste of candy! I'll be generous today."
"How generous can Miss Liu be? Let me get some of the credit!"
A bright figure approached the family building with brisk steps, and bursts of light fragrance wafted in the air first.
You can guess who the person is just by smelling him without looking at his thoughts.
Zhou Yuying's scent depends on the soap and shampoo she changes from time to time. Wang Nian has never smelled such a variety of scents on anyone else.
"Sister Yuying, how come you have time to come to my house today?"
Zhou Yuying wore a blue and white plaid blouse and a matching headband on her curly hair.
Such a beautiful and slim lesbian walked slowly towards the house, and many gay men on the upper floor followed her step by step.
Liu Chaoxian turned around and glared at Zhang Guiqiang who was also dumbfounded, and twisted his hand hard again out of frustration.
"I'm bothering you again." Zhou Yuying raised her luggage bag, and Wang Nian immediately understood: "Is there something sent from home again?"
"I took the initiative to write home and ask for it." His eyes swept across Wang Nian's apron, and then fell to the stove: "Preparing for dinner?"
How could they cook dinner right after just finishing lunch? It was obvious that Zhou Yuying had something to discuss with Wang Nian.
"Look how happy I am... Come in and sit down."
After welcoming people into the living room, Zhou Yuying's attention was first attracted by several baskets of grapes in the house, and then by the lush scene in the yard.
"You are really capable!"
There are many hardworking and down-to-earth family members of factory workers, but when it comes to capable ones... Zhou Yuying thinks Wang Nian should be considered one.
"I just got some wild grapes, is that all you can do?"
Just as Wang Nian finished speaking, a little girl suddenly jumped down from the chair in front of the desk, followed by another one.
"Auntie Zhou, let me pour you some water."
The little girl was wearing a light yellow overalls skirt, her eyes were curved into crescents, her chubby face had a slight swirl, and her smile was cute and playful.
The other girl's shirt had turned yellow, and there were two patches on her blue cotton pants.
Wu Zhenzhen glanced at Zhou Yuying timidly, and after a long while she mustered up the courage to say, "Hello, Aunt Zhou."
"Sister Zhenzhen, I'll go get some water. Can you go wash the grapes for Aunt Zhou?"
"Okay." Wu Zhenzhen nodded happily.
When Shi Wan said pouring water, she actually ran to Wang Nian and looked at her eagerly: "Auntie, can you pour some grapefruit syrup for Auntie Zhou?"
"You want to drink, right?"
The child’s little trick can also be used to gain some benefits when entertaining guests, so no matter who comes, Wang Nian is asked to pour grapefruit tea.
"Hmm!" He nodded heavily and answered straightforwardly.
Wang Nian got up to make some grapefruit tea. Zhou Yuying was very jealous and deliberately joked: "Xiao Wan, how about you go back with Aunt Zhou... Auntie will give you candy every day."
Shi Wan hugged Wang Nian's waist tightly: "I have a mother, I won't go to your house."
Mom... It was the first time that Shi Wan used this title, and the target was obviously Wang Nian without a doubt.
Zhou Yuying didn't notice it and deliberately said something to amuse the child.
Shi Wan pouted and hid her head behind Wang Nian's legs unhappily. After a few seconds, she suddenly poked her head out again: "Aunt Zhou, how about letting Sister Zhenzhen be your daughter?"
Wu Zhenzhen just walked in carrying some washed grapes.