Chapter 41 A little thought

At this time, several big men came down the hillside carrying a large machine.

As an eighth-level maintenance worker, Li Jiandong could tell at a glance that it was the engine of a walk-behind tractor.

Next to them, there were several people lowering water pipes from the top of the slope.

The original intention was to use the engine of this tractor to replace the water pump to pump water upwards.

"Uncle, what are these people doing? Aren't they here to steal water from Cuijiazhuang?"

One of the sturdy men who came later was particularly strong. He walked up to the older man who had just spoken to Liang Ladi and asked.

The older man said disdainfully, "They are people from the machine repair factory who are here for a picnic. Look at their skinny arms and legs. They brought women with them. What can they use to snatch water from us?"

The sturdy man laughed: "That's true."

The machine was quickly carried down, and several strong men placed it where Li Jiandong and others had just set up the pot to stew fish.

Then, someone started to install the pipes and someone started to put oil in the engine.

After the machine and pipe are connected.

The strongest man started to crank the handle and the tractor's engine started to turn violently.

Poof, poof...

The engine made a muffled puffing sound, and after shaking for a while, the sturdy man stopped but the engine did not start.

"what happened?"

The second uncle frowned and asked.

The sturdy man wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and cursed: "Damn it, it seems to be broken."

The second uncle continued to ask: "Could it be that it broke down when we fought with Cuijiazhuang for water last time? I remember they hit the machine several times at that time?"

The strong man shook his head: "Who knows, let me try again."

As he said this, he plugged in the handle and started cranking.

puff puff...

Phew~puff~
It was the same muffled sound from before, completely different from the sound of a normal engine.

Li Jiandong and his companions had just packed up their things and were walking away when they heard the sound of the engine. They casually asked Liang Ladi,
"Liang Ladi, can you tell what's wrong with the engine over there?"

Liang Ladi said: "How can you tell? We haven't opened it for inspection yet."

After saying that, he suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "Master Li, did you hear that their machine is broken?"

Li Jiandong didn't keep the secret and just smiled.

"That's about right. When an engine makes that kind of puffing sound, there are usually only two possibilities. One is that the valve seal is leaking, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply and incomplete combustion. The other is that the spark plug is broken and the ignition is sometimes not working well."

"real or fake?"

Liang Ladi said excitedly, "How about we go over and take a look?"

She doesn't have a master like Li Jiandong to help her like Jia Dongxu.

The fact that she was able to be promoted to level 3 mechanic at such a young age is inseparable from her studious character.

"Just take a look."

Li Jiandong also wanted to confirm his judgment.

The four of them walked back to where they were just now.

The second uncle saw them coming back and frowned and asked,

"Why are you here again? We are busy here. Please stay away and don't disturb us."

There has been drought for a month, and it is inconvenient to water the crops in the village. We have to run a long way to Northeast Ditch to pump water for irrigation.

Crops are usually watered in the evening when the temperature drops.

Although it was just past one in the afternoon, Dongbeigou was too far away from the village, and it would be almost dark by the time all preparations were completed.

In addition, with so many households in the village waiting for watering, if there is a slight delay, the queue behind them will have to wait until the second half of the night.

The second uncle was very anxious, so he spoke impatiently.
Li Jiandong didn't say anything, but Jia Dongxu beside him smiled and walked up to him and asked, "Uncle, your machine is broken, right?"

"Yes, what's wrong?"

The old farmer didn't react for a while and was about to continue to drive Li Jiandong and others away.

Then Jia Dongxu smiled and said, "Nothing, uncle, have you forgotten what we do?"

Second uncle suddenly came to his senses.

The person in front of me is from the machine repair shop.

What does a machine repair shop do?

Of course, they are responsible for repairing machines. If a tractor breaks down in the village, it will be sent to the commune, and then the commune will transfer it to the machine repair shop for repair.

These people in front of me are workers from a machine repair factory. Maybe they can fix their machines?

"Yes, Uncle, didn't you just say that these people are from the machine repair factory on a picnic? Hey, can you guys help us fix the machine?"

This time it was the strongest one who spoke.

However, when he saw that Li Jiandong and others were very young, he didn't think they had this ability.

“It’s hard to say, but you can try.”

Jia Dongxu said with a smile.

The second uncle thought for a moment and said, "Forget it, you guys are all half-baked.

Even if I ask you to repair it, I guess you won't be able to do it properly, and it would be a waste of time. You'd better carry it back and send it to the commune.

Otherwise, it won’t be delivered before evening, and we’ll have to wait another day to repair it.”

Even though it's only one day late, you have to know that the drought has lasted for a month now.

Many crops in the field have wilted and are about to die. If you water them one day later, a large number of them might die.

"Hey, come on, I was just being modest to you, you guys took it seriously?"

When Jia Dongxu saw that the other party was about to leave, he quickly stepped forward to interrupt them.

The sturdy man also said: "Second Uncle, why don't we let them try? Otherwise, we have to wait two or three days if we send it to the commune. If they really find the problem, maybe we can get it earlier."

Another man also said

"Yes, village chief, it will take at least two days to send the machine over and bring it back. By the time the machine is sent back, our crops will suffer."

"Why don't we let them try first? If it doesn't work, we can just stay up tonight. We should be able to deliver it to the commune in time for tomorrow morning."

My second uncle frowned and thought for a moment. It was indeed a waste of time to send it to the commune and then to the machine repair factory.

The crops are already suffering from severe water shortage, and waiting for two more days will still result in huge losses.

"Okay, why don't you try it first? If you can fix it, the people of Xujiatuan will definitely thank you very much."

Second Uncle spoke to Li Jiandong and others with a serious expression.

Li Jiandong and Liang Ladi stepped forward.

Jia Dongxu and Ding Qiunan stood at the back and watched.

Liang Ladi waved at the strong men.

"tool."

"Ah? We only brought a wrench."

The sturdy man was a little confused. They didn't know how to repair machines, so how could they have maintenance tools? The wrench was used to screw on the joints of the water pipes and the machines.

"I have it in my car. Dongxu, go get the toolbox."

Li Jiandong instructed Jia Dongxu.

His car was repaired from a scrapped car, and it would occasionally have some minor problems.

Therefore, Li Jiandong always has a toolbox in his car so that he can repair it whenever it breaks down.

"Okay, Master. I'll go right away."

Jia Dongxu agreed and ran towards the slope not far away, where the dog stopped.

At this time, the men in Xujiatuan also noticed a truck parked not far away. Their eyes suddenly lit up and they whispered to each other.

Even bicycles are rare here, and it is difficult to see them unless you leave the village.

"That's a motorcycle, it looks really cool."

"This is called a sidecar. Look at the sidecar. It's not there. Only leaders sit there."

"When I went to the commune before, the secretary there was sitting on this. How come these workers in the machine repair factory are also using this thing? Could they be the factory directors?"

"I don't think so. There's no way the factory manager is that young. He looks more like his driver."

Amid the discussion, Jia Dongxu had already brought the toolbox over. Liang Ladi opened the toolbox and started working.

The attention of Second Uncle and others also shifted from Chaizi to Liang Ladi and Engine.

I have to say that Liang Ladi's professional ability is very strong and she is very skilled in disassembling the engine.

After a while, he disassembled the engine and tinkered with it for a while.

Suddenly he exclaimed: "Oh my God, it's really the seal of the intake valve that's broken, Master Li, you are amazing."

Hearing Liang Ladi's exclamation, Jia Dongxu and Ding Qiunan also breathed a sigh of relief.

Jia Dongxu even said with a smile:

"Of course. Look at who my master is. He can even fix a scrapped truck, not to mention a small tractor engine."

Uncle Er and other villagers became excited when they heard this.

Surrounding Liang Ladi, they asked, "Little girl, can you tell what's wrong with this machine? Can you fix it?"

Liang Ladi said: "This machine is already very obvious. The sealing ring of the intake valve is broken, causing the oxygen that should have entered the engine to leak from the sealing ring.

The engine will not have enough oxygen to burn, so it will make a puffing sound and fail to ignite. "

"It's very easy to fix it. All we need to do is replace the sealing ring. But you don't even have a repair tool, so you definitely don't have this sealing ring, right?"

Second Uncle and others nodded repeatedly.

They don't know how to do maintenance, so why would they need sealing rings? Ordinary machines don't need these things.

What's more, there are countless types of sealing rings, and it will be useless even if you replace them if you can't find the right model.

"Little girl, oh no, mechanic, you guys are in charge of this, you should know where the seal is, right?"

The second uncle became humble and even changed the way he addressed Liang Ladi.

The others also looked at her expectantly; whether the crops could be watered today depended entirely on her.

Liang Ladi usually works in a machine repair shop and has repaired many tractor engines. She is familiar with the models of sealing rings in various positions.

Hearing this, he said happily: "Don't worry, I have this kind of sealing ring in the dormitory of the machine repair factory. It only takes half an hour to go back and forth. Just wait a moment and I will be back."

After saying that, he turned to Li Jiandong and said, "Master Li, can you lend me your son-in-law for a while?"

"What's wrong with that? Dongxu, take Xiaoliang back with you. Be careful on the road."

Li Jiandong handed the house key to Jia Dongxu.

"Okay, master."

Jia Dongxu took the key and was overjoyed. The thought of being able to ride on the bike alone and take Liang Ladi with him was so romantic.

Watching the two leave, Li Jiandong said to the villagers,
"Everyone, please find a cool place to rest for a while. There's nothing wrong with your machine. You can continue to use it after the sealing ring is replaced."

The second uncle said gratefully: "Master, I am really sorry for what I said just now. I was a little harsh, please forgive me for being magnanimous."

Li Jiandong waved his hand and smiled: "It's okay, we understand."

Li Jiandong took Ding Qiunan to sit down under the shade of a tree nearby.

The villagers also found places to enjoy the cool air.

Half an hour later, the sound of exhaust could be heard from afar.

Second Uncle and the villagers stood up nervously, and soon saw Liang Ladi and Jia Dongxu coming back.

"Master, here are the keys for you."

Jia Dongxu still felt a little unsatisfied.

Liang Ladi was already holding the sealing ring and went over to start installing the engine. Within a few minutes, the engine that had been disassembled into a mess was installed intact.

"Let's start it and give it a try."

Liang Ladi grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, rubbed the engine oil on her hands, and spoke to her second uncle and others.

The sturdy man picked up the crank and walked forward. This time, the machine started after only a few turns.

"It's water-filled, and the machine is working well."

"Hurry up, get the people at the back ready, and tell everyone to get ready to water."

The villagers shouted excitedly. Except for the second uncle and the strong man, everyone else ran towards the top of the slope. The pipe was so long that it would definitely require a lot of people to watch it, otherwise no one would know if it was intercepted by other villages along the way.

"Thank you so much, mechanic. Without your help, I don't know how much crops would be ruined. You are the benefactors of our entire village."

The second uncle bowed repeatedly towards Liang Ladi.

Although it seemed that Liang Ladi didn't do anything, she quickly repaired the machine.

But without their help, the village might have suffered considerable losses today.

"Uncle, don't thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Master Li. I tell you, you are lucky to have met him today. If it were someone else, even if he could fix your machine, it would probably take half a day."

Liang Ladi had always admired Li Jiandong, and after this incident, she admired Li Jiandong even more.

He didn't even look at it, but just listened to the sound and determined where the problem with the engine was.

Even Wang Gang, the most talented level 6 mechanic in the factory, might not be so sure.

"Thank you, thank you."

The second uncle thanked him repeatedly and bowed to Li Jiandong several times.

Li Jiandong joked,
"You're welcome, old man. It's just a small favor for us. Next time we come to fish here, just don't chase us away."

Uncle Er realized it was a joke and started laughing.

"Master chef, please stop laughing at me. Today, it was me, Xu Lao Er, who failed to recognize the great man.

So, you guys come to my house tonight, and I'll ask my wife to make two more dishes to thank you."

Li Jiandong said, "Forget about eating. We have to go back soon."

When the second uncle heard this, he was unhappy.

"Don't worry, it's still early. Our village is not far from the machine repair factory. It won't be too late to leave after dinner."

Li Jiandong pointed at Ding Qiunan and Liang Ladi and said,

"Brother, I'm really not being polite with you. In fact, they are from the machine repair factory, and my apprentice and I are from the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill in the city.

The way back would take an hour and a half, and it would be too late to walk after eating."

The sturdy man next to him who had been silent all of a sudden said, "So you are the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill."

"That's a large factory with 10,000 employees. No wonder you have a son. People in large factories are different."

Jia Dongxu said, "Brother, you are wrong. Even in a large factory with 10,000 people, there are only a few who can ride a chariot. My master can ride one because he is an eighth-level worker."

Eighth-level worker, these three words still have power. Upon hearing that Li Jiandong was an eighth-level worker, the second uncle and the strong man became more respectful.

"Jianjun, go back quickly and ask your aunt to catch the two old hens at home. Our benefactor has helped us so much, we can't let them go back empty-handed."

Li Jiandong quickly stopped him: "Brother, it's not necessary. It's just a small favor."

Unfortunately, it was of no use. Xu Jianjun had already run far away, and the second uncle also held Li Jiandong's hand for fear that he would run away.

Unable to refuse the kind offer, Li Jiandong had to stay and wait for the other party to bring the chicken back.

While waiting, my second uncle talked about the hardships of farming. The grain yield was already low, and there were always various natural and man-made disasters, including drought, floods, insects, sparrows, and people.

Before, the reason why Second Uncle was so excited to see Li Jiandong and the others was because people from Cuijiazhuang nearby often came to them to steal water.

Dongbeigou belongs to Xujiatuan, but is closer to Cuijiazhuang than to Xujiatuan.
So, when there is a severe drought and no water for irrigation.
Cuijiazhuang would secretly lay pipes in the northeast ditch of Xujiatuan, and then pump water at night when it was out of sight.

Hundreds of cubic meters of water can be pumped every night, but by the time the people of Xujiatuan need it, there is no water left.

"Those bastards in Cuijiazhuang are easier to deal with. At most, our village sends people to patrol here every night. The sound of the tractor engine is so loud that you can hear it clearly from 20 to 30 meters away. What we are most afraid of are those who come down wearing hats."

My second uncle is also a chatterbox. Once he starts talking about this topic, he can't stop.

Li Jiandong also listened with great interest.
He had not experienced rural life yet, so he just thought he was listening to a story.
Seeing that my second uncle stopped to keep the secret, I couldn't help but ask.
"What does a hat mean?"

The second uncle explained:
"The people wearing hats are the people working at the grain station. They are the rats who usually stay at the grain station drinking tea and reading newspapers.
When the harvest season comes, they come down wearing hats to rob.
The soil in our village is relatively fertile, and the crops grow well, with large, full grains, and are top quality.
But those wearing hats at the two stations sometimes don’t even look at it, and just write it down as second-class.”

"Alas! Being a farmer is so hard. Unlike you workers, you can still get paid regardless of drought or flood."

Li Jiandong fell silent. Life is really not easy for farmers. Farming is hard work!
Especially during the three-year period, many city dwellers who did not farm starved to death, but the farmers who did farm had no food to eat.

There are still 59 years to go until 8, it would be great if we could do something in these 8 years.

"I wonder if Xu Damao can endure the hardship of farming."

"If he can endure hardships, I can let him go to the countryside to learn something about agriculture." Li Jiandong thought to himself.

He knows nothing about agriculture now, but if he gets a hundredfold return, maybe he can come up with something that can help farmers and planting.

At this time, a person came running from a distance.

Xu Jianjun held an old hen in each hand and ran down the slope in a few jumps.

Second uncle shook off his previous decadence, stood up and said with a smile,
"Master Li, I'm sorry to have you listen to me nagging for so long. I have raised these two old hens for a year. You can take them home and keep them for laying eggs."
(End of this chapter)