Chapter 53: The Reason

Chapter 53: The Reason

On the gravel path of the locomotive depot.

Li Aiguo and Cao Wenzhi wove through the gaps between the steam locomotives.

Reaching a secluded spot, Cao Wenzhi stopped in his tracks.

"I thought Deputy Director Liu was on duty today. I didn't expect Jia Changyi to step in personally."

"Did he send you to Train 142?"

Li Aiguo nodded and recounted what had just happened.

Hearing this, Cao Wenzhi’s expression turned indignant. "That old Jia... I’d heard rumors that he and Liu Chunhua were involved, but I didn't believe it."

"The former Head of the Education Office, Liu Chunhua?"

"If not her, then who!" Cao Wenzhi said, his eyes widening.

"Liu Chunhua is no simple woman. She was originally the daughter of a rich peasant in Bama Village on the outskirts of the city. She was beautiful and flirtatious; as soon as she turned eighteen, she was taken in as a mistress by a wealthy merchant from Beijing. After the liberation, the merchant fled the city, and Liu Chunhua returned to Bama Village and married an honest man. Our railway built a maintenance station in Bama Village. Because Liu Chunhua was a good cook, the station would often invite her to cook for the leaders, and her payment was usually just a couple of steamed corn buns."

"Later, Deputy Section Chief Liu went to the maintenance station to inspect the work."

At this point, Cao Wenzhi accepted the cigarette Li Aiguo offered and lit it with a match.

*Sss...*

*Whoosh...*

He took a deep drag and sighed.

"Speaking of Deputy Section Chief Liu, he was considered one of the top figures in the locomotive depot back in the day. Although he didn't come from the Railway Corps, he was capable and a hard worker. During the construction of the Lanxin Railway, he worked tirelessly on the construction site for twenty-two consecutive months. Even before the line opened, he conducted overnight patrols and eliminated three hazards on the tracks. Because of that, he received commendations from the Ministry. Once he joined the locomotive depot, he worked exceptionally hard and was named a Railway Advanced Worker every year. Unfortunately, Deputy Section Chief Liu's biggest flaw was that he couldn't control what was in his pants. If it weren't for Liu Chunhua, he would have been promoted to Section Chief long ago. At the time, he was only a workshop director in the locomotive depot. Somehow, the two got involved. Liu Chunhua made a scene—crying, shouting, and even threatening suicide—until she divorced her husband and became a temporary worker at the maintenance station. I heard her husband's family only let her go after she compensated them with fifty catties of cornmeal. Later, Deputy Section Chief Liu was promoted to Deputy Section Chief of the locomotive depot. Liu Chunhua also entered the depot, working as a temporary worker in the warehouse. After a few years of maneuvering skillfully, she actually became the Head of the Education Office."

Li Aiguo listened, dumbfounded. "That woman seems quite capable."

"Sometimes, being too capable isn't necessarily a good thing," Cao Wenzhi said with a smile. "Although Liu Chunhua is the Head, she isn't part of the official cadre establishment; she serves in a technical role instead of an administrative one. The reason for that goes back to a single sentence spoken by your father years ago."

"Back when our locomotive depot held that large assembly..."

After hearing Cao Wenzhi's words, Li Aiguo felt a wave of melancholy.

He hadn't expected that the root of the matter was his father's righteous words spoken at a meeting many years ago. Because of an old grudge, Liu Chunhua had harbored resentment toward him and had used her power several times to retaliate against him.

This woman was truly petty.

However, Li Aiguo didn't take it to heart. As a transmigrator, it would be ridiculous if he were manipulated by a woman!

"Master, we live in a new society now. We must break away from old feudal customs; there's no need for formal apprenticeship rituals."

Li Aiguo reached into his canvas bag and handed over a paper package. "But as a disciple, I should still show my respect."

Cao Wenzhi looked at Li Aiguo in surprise. He wiped his hands on his trousers and reached out to take it.

The package was wrapped tightly. Using his thick fingers, Cao Wenzhi gently peeled back the edge of the newspaper.

The sight of pure white, high-quality flour met his eyes, and a look of emotion appeared on his rugged face.

As a regular driver, Cao Wenzhi was not short on food. But this was high-quality flour, and it weighed a full two catties; even for him, it was a rare luxury. More importantly, it was a token of his apprentice's sincerity. He knew Li Aiguo's situation—that he lived alone and had a difficult life. He could have sold the flour to improve his own living conditions, yet he thought of his master instead.

Cao Wenzhi was a man of bold character who usually didn't care for trivialities and even dared to curse at the Section Chief, yet now the corners of his eyes grew moist. He turned away slightly and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "I'll accept it this time. Don't do this again in the future."

"Yes, sir."

As they spoke, they entered the lounge.

The entire crew of Train 131 stood up in unison when they saw the two men arrive.

Cao Wenzhi pulled Li Aiguo into the center of the crowd and introduced him loudly

"This Comrade Li Aiguo is my apprentice, and he will be the assistant driver for our Train 131 crew!"

Li Aiguo smiled and greeted everyone. "Comrades, we come from all corners of the country and have come together for a common goal. If I do anything wrong in the future, I ask for your understanding."

From within the crowd, a spirited woman in her thirties stepped forward.

She wore a white short-sleeved uniform and a wide-brimmed hat, with a conductor's triangular armband on her chest.

She was all smiles. "Since he is Master Cao's apprentice, his skills must be up to par. If our crew pushes hard, we might even win the 'Advanced Crew' title this year."

Her voice was crisp and loud, like raindrops hitting a glass window, marking her as a woman with a bright and straightforward personality.

Cao Wenzhi introduced, "Aiguo, this is the conductor of Train 131, Comrade Bai Yuejie, the regular shift conductor."

The conductor is the highest administrative officer on the train, responsible for all matters on board, and is usually the leader of the service crew. In this era, long-distance trains operated on two shifts—the regular shift and the relief shift—taking turns managing the train.

"Hello, Sister Bai," Li Aiguo said sweetly.

Bai Yuejie looked at Li Aiguo with satisfaction. The young man was handsome yet rugged, standing there like a pillar. He was outgoing and showed no intimidation when facing leadership, making him perfect for working on a train.

"Old Cao, you've taken on a good apprentice this time."

"Of course. Comrade Aiguo was a 'double hundred' scorer this year; he's a model driver for technical skills," Cao Wenzhi said proudly.

Subsequently, Cao Wenzhi introduced Li Aiguo to the crew's attendants, announcers, porters, water carriers, and train attendants. Most of these comrades were women, with the exception of the porter and the water carrier. Among them, the water carrier was a petite woman who kept eyeing Li Aiguo with a strange look.

Li Aiguo found it odd, but before he could ponder it, he spotted Zhang Yazhi, the niece of an old veteran from the Personnel Department, in the crowd.

To Li Aiguo's surprise, she was the train's announcer.

At this moment, she had changed into her professional white short-sleeved uniform. The white fabric had a light-reflecting effect that made her figure appear more prominent and full.

Zhang Yazhi had recognized him as the man walking with her uncle the moment he entered. Thinking of the bold, suggestive things she had said in front of him, even her outgoing personality couldn't stop her from blushing.

"Comrade Zhang Yazhi, we meet again."