Siheyuan: Starting from a Truck Driver

The last shovel of coal was thrown into the burning furnace, and the flames jumped, warming the furnace cavity.

The hot water boils and high-pressure steam rushes into the engine, driving the piston to rotate rapidly.

The piston drives the wheels through the connecting rod to spin wildly.

"boom--"

Li Aiguo felt relieved when he heard an almost imperceptible sound. It was the sound of the right wheels returning to the track.

At this moment, his back was covered with cold sweat, his steps became weak, and he fell into his seat.

There are still countless unfulfilled ambitions in this life.

Erase the humiliating history, find a perfect partner and have children, and form a team that loves football.

And those hungry storytellers in Tianjin are looking forward to an improvement in their lives.

And, help Wang Da Kui marry the woman who will return home in time.

Unconsciously, life has become filled with many more entanglements.

Although Cao Wenzhi and his companions did not hear the sound clearly, their keen senses detected the turning point the moment the carriage stabilized.

Master Zheng collapsed on the ground and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I thought I was really going to see my mother this time."

"Boy, you did it!"

Cao Wenzhi walked over, grabbed Li Aiguo who was still on the steel chair, and lifted him up together with Liu Qingquan.

"Master, be careful, don't hit your head."

Li Aiguo had no choice but to obey his master's eccentric personality.

There are many ways to celebrate, such as drinking two bottles of beer, eating two kilograms of braised food, and having a roasted leg of lamb.

Do you have to hug someone to express your congratulations?

The ecstasy after surviving cannot be described in words. Li Aiguo covered his head and laughed heartily.

Glancing at the driver's cabin, he was slightly stunned.

I saw that the old cat had returned to the radio station at some point and was concentrating on fiddling with the radio knobs.

There was no sadness or joy on his face, no sign of fear or excitement, as if the crisis that had just occurred had never existed.

"Master, we haven't reached our destination yet, and the mission isn't over yet!"

"Hmm."

Cao Wenzhi suddenly realized what was going on and immediately ordered Liu Qingquan and Master Zheng to return to their jobs.

"It was really thrilling just now. You take a break and I'll replace you for a while."

Seeing that Cao Wenzhi volunteered to replace him, Li Aiguo did not refuse.

He staggered over to the old cat and sat down, leaning against the car, breathing heavily.

The old cat withdrew his gaze from the radio and gave him a deep look: "You are quite good."

How can this performance be called 'good'?

Li Aiguo sat up straight, took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to the other party.

"Don't smoke this, try this."

The old cat waved his hand and took out a small white bag.

He took out one and handed it to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo looked at the cigarette and was stunned.

Because it is much wider than ordinary cigarettes and is golden orange in color, it is obviously a big one.

Oh, it's a cigar.

In this era, there are cigars in China? !

Can anyone who knows the inside story tell me the answer?

Seeing that Li Aiguo was a little hesitant, Lao Mao smiled and gave the answer:

"Shifang Tobacco Factory developed 35 formulas, which were sent to Beijing after passing the test. This is sample number 13."

Well, it’s the one in history.

Li Aiguo nodded, took it, struck a match and lit it.

Hiss...hoo...

The strong aroma of tobacco permeates, with a primitive flavor.

You'll first feel the smooth smoke, followed by the aroma of roasted tobacco and wood, with hints of sweet florals and citrus.

Honestly, it tastes really good.

It's just a little thick, and it feels a bit uncomfortable in the mouth when I smoke it.

Seeing Li Aiguo inhaling like an exhaust fan, with clouds of smoke coming out of his nostrils, the old cat smiled bitterly and shook his head:

This young driver is very skillful, but he has a bit of a weird temper.

Most people who get this kind of meaningful cigar usually choose to keep it well and not really enjoy it.

But he was like an addicted smoker, and his cigarettes were used up in a blink of an eye.

However, truly capable people may be somewhat different from ordinary people.

The old cat thought he understood the mentality of this kind of people, and when he was about to put the white bag away,

Unexpectedly, Li Aiguo quietly picked up the remaining cigar and quickly slipped away.

"Can you only repay my life-saving favor with a cigar?"

Li Aiguo spoke righteously, as if his question was justified.

He put the cigarette into his pocket and fixed his eyes on the kerosene lighter in the old man's hand. The lighter was made of copper, with strange English letters engraved on the surface and inlaid with brightly colored shells from the deep sea. It looked quite precious.

The old man seemed to have noticed his thoughts a long time ago.

He pretended to yawn and calmly put the lighter back into his pocket. This lighter was a ZIPPO seized from the Japanese division commander on the front line. It carried special meaning and could not be given away casually.

Train driver Cao Wen had been keeping an eye on the two men. Seeing Li Aiguo being so casual with the old man, he couldn't help but secretly sweat for Li Aiguo. He had performed many missions before and knew the behavior style of this kind of person.

This kind of people should not be joked with, even if they just pass by each other, they must be avoided. At this moment, Li Aiguo was undoubtedly pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.

He wanted to stand up and remind them, but the carriage was passing a curve and needed to slow down. He quickly pulled the brake valve of the carriage and looked back.

I saw that the two of them were already chatting and laughing happily.

"Young comrade, which master taught you how to drive a train just now?" the old man asked.

Li Aiguo replied with a smile: "Oh, you may not know this, but my father is a train driver."

The old man laughed and said, "Don't fool me. He is at most an assistant. His skills are not up to standard. It's hard to even say he is average."

Li Aiguo added: "Maybe I have a special talent. Whether you believe it or not is another matter, but I firmly believe it."

"Forget it, I'll just believe it for now. When I get back to the capital, I'll have to treat you well to thank you for saving my life."

"I have a picky eater and a bad stomach, so I only go to Lao Mo's. If I go to other places, I'm afraid I'll have diarrhea within a few days." He talked about his favorite restaurants.

……

The two talked side by side like close friends. Cao Wen was stunned by all this.

How can this be?

(The total mileage of the railway from Beijing to Alashankou is 4245 kilometers, and the theoretical maximum speed of a front-mounted steam locomotive can reach 80 kilometers per hour. Conventional operating trains are often limited to less than 60 kilometers per hour for safety. But in order to rush to rescue, the speed of the train is constant at 80 kilometers per hour. When the drivers have physiological needs, because they need to work in shifts and cannot stop, they will directly open the door behind the lookout seat and solve it on the moving train)

After going through untold hardships, the rescue train finally entered Alashankou early in the morning two days later.

"Comrade Driver, there are a lot of people ahead. It looks like we are almost there."

The co-driver Liu Qingquan retracted his face, which had been reddened by the sun, and reported. It was the hottest summer day, and the ultraviolet rays were strong in the border areas due to the high altitude. Liu Qingquan's head had been exposed for days, as if he was about to become a "barbecued" version of a crayfish.

On the radio, the old cat's voice came: "Sisisisi, sweet potato, this is mashed potato, the sweet potato is ripe and can be dug out!"

Li Aiguo knew that they were about to reach their destination without a translator. He was immediately excited and gently pulled the brake handle.

The train gradually slowed down and slowly stopped on the track.

puff-

With a loud deflation sound, the door opened.

Dozens of young comrades in yellow mottled uniforms and wide-brimmed hats came up.

Their faces were filled with anxiety, and their eyes were sparkling with anticipation.

"Commander-in-chief, you are finally here!" Zhang Gong, the chief of the rescue team, led his team members to get off the train and ran over excitedly. He held Li Aiguo and Cao Wenzhi's hands tightly in front of the train window and said with gratitude: "Dear railway workers, this time, thanks to you for overcoming many difficulties, we were able to get to Alashankou on time."

"Once we successfully complete the rescue mission, I will apply to my superiors to commend you for your merits!"

"The rescue will begin now, and we look forward to seeing you next time!"

After saying that, he immediately began to direct the team members to unload the rescue excavator.

Li Aiguo stabilized the train, checked the interior of the cab with Cao Wenzhi and others to make sure everything was correct, and then jumped down to the ground on the track. The bumps in the past few days had exhausted him, and he felt particularly at ease when he stepped on the solid ground.

It was dawn now.

The morning mist was thick, and in the distance, Ala Mountain stood tall like a sword piercing the sky, breaking through the mist. Surrounding the barren Gobi Desert, Ala Mountain was full of greenery, with tall and lush primitive coniferous forests, and the sound of pine waves in the wind made people feel peaceful.

"Let's go, patriotic. Local friends have prepared trucks and we can return to the capital." After driving the rescue train to the designated location, the driver team's mission was accomplished.

Because the track ends here, the train cannot turn around and can only stay on the railway temporarily, waiting for the dispatching bureau to send a locomotive to tow it back.

These follow-up matters will be the responsibility of the local maintenance department.

Li Aiguo and his team members had to change to Jiefang trucks, travel more than 200 miles to the county town, and then take a train back to Beijing. When Cao Wenzhi's voice sounded behind him, Li Aiguo threw away his cigarette butt, gazed at Alashan affectionately, and quickly ran towards the truck.

Cao Wenzhi, Liu Qingquan and others had already been sitting in the truck. They were exhausted after two days and two nights of long-distance travel and urgently needed to return to rest.

Just as Li Aiguo was about to climb out of the car, he heard another shout: "Driver Li, please wait!"

Looking back, he saw Zhang Gong and Lao Mao walking towards him side by side.

"Comrade Li Aiguo, the rescue team is about to enter the mountain to carry out rescue operations. I hope you can also participate."

Mr. Zhang stated his purpose straight away.

"I'm a train driver and I have to rush back to drive the train." Li Aiguo hesitated.

He is not an expert at rescue and even if he goes in it may be of no help.

Engineer Zhang then explained: "This was Comrade Lao Mao's suggestion, and we have already notified your locomotive section."

Li Aiguo looked at the old cat, and the latter winked at him mischievously, seeming quite proud of his suggestion.

This made Li Aiguo frown slightly, not quite understanding the purpose of Lao Mao's action.

However, facing the rescue team's request, he could not refuse. Zhang Gong used the word "notify", which meant that the order could not be disobeyed.