Chapter 51: 51. Chapter 51: Director Jia's Steamed Buns

Chapter 51: Director Jia's Steamed Buns

"Thank you, Sister."

Li Aiguo accepted a cup of hot tea from a middle-aged woman.

Having finished checking all the paperwork, the thin old man took out several forms and asked Li Aiguo to sign them.

"Alright, take these documents and report to the Passenger Workshop."

Li Aiguo nodded.

The locomotive depot was similar to a factory; based on different functions, the depot was divided into various workshops.

The Passenger Workshop (operating passenger trains), the Freight Workshop (operating freight trains), the Maintenance Workshop (repairing locomotives), the Preparation Workshop (servicing locomotives), the Equipment Workshop (handling miscellaneous tasks), and the Dispatch Workshop (dispatching trains).

Of course, the number and types of workshops were not fixed and could be reorganized or merged at any time based on actual circumstances.

"Your position is train driver. According to the ministry's regulations, your monthly salary is 102 yuan, and your grain ration is 43 catties."

Li Aiguo couldn't help but clench his fists.

To be a train driver right upon starting work—this was the ultimate dream for many railway workers.

A monthly salary of 102 yuan was comparable to an eighth-grade master craftsman in a typical factory.

Due to the specialized nature of the job, the grain ration was a full 43 catties, whereas workers in a factory only received 31 catties.

Of course, within the locomotive depot, the job with the highest grain ration wasn't the train driver, but the stoker, whose monthly ration reached as high as 52 catties.

However, that was earned through pure sweat.

Hearing Li Aiguo's work arrangements, the gazes of the people in the office grew even more fervent, all filled with envy.

The thin old man said with a smile, "By the way, my surname is Zhao. I am the deputy section chief of the Personnel Section. You can come directly to me if you need anything in the future."

"Since I'm free right now, I'll take you to the Passenger Workshop myself."

The people in administrative units were all seasoned veterans.

Though they weren't sure if this kid had a connection to Section Chief Xing, it never hurt to build a relationship in advance.

Li Aiguo, naturally, was more than happy to oblige, calling him "Uncle" with every breath, which made the thin old man even more excited.

As they left the office, the old man suddenly stopped. "Aiguo, you're eighteen this year. Haven't you started dating yet?"

After receiving a satisfactory answer, the old comrade's face lit up with joy, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"At your age, you should be getting married. Only by settling your personal affairs can you better devote yourself to your work."

"I have a niece working in the crew group. I think you two would be quite a good match."

Just as Li Aiguo was about to politely decline, a female comrade wearing a crew uniform approached from the opposite direction.

The woman appeared to be in her twenties, with a full figure. The buttons on the chest of her uniform were nearly strained, her hips were shapely, and her legs were well-proportioned and long, exuding a sense of feminine intelligence and efficiency.

The woman greeted the old man with a smile, "Uncle, are you busy?"

Li Aiguo looked at her full figure, then back at the old man.

The old man gave an awkward laugh. "I have two nieces. This one is my eldest niece, Zhang Yazhi; she's a broadcaster for the crew group on Train 131. The other one is on Train 211."

"Are you going to introduce a partner to Xiao Cui?"

Zhang Yazhi widened her eyes as she sized up Li Aiguo. "Don't say that, this young man actually looks quite spirited and dignified. He's not like my man, who's always sickly and listless. He barely moves a muscle at night before lying there motionless. It's so boring."

*How can this girl speak so bluntly?!*

Li Aiguo had seen plenty of this in his previous life, so it didn't bother him much.

The old man's face flushed with embarrassment. "Yazhi, what nonsense are you talking? A young lady should be more modest."

"What lady? I'm already a 'yellow-faced wife' [a weary housewife]."

The corners of Zhang Yazhi's mouth curled slightly with a look of grievance as she turned to look into the distance. "I won't say more. The crew group is bringing in new recruits today, so I have to hurry. If I'm late, Chief Bai will lose his temper again."

After Zhang Yazhi left, the old man rubbed his hands awkwardly. "Aiguo, don't mind her. My niece just has that kind of personality—very outspoken and casual."

"That temperament is a good thing; it keeps her from bottling things up."

"My younger niece is different. She's educated, a junior high graduate, and very refined." The old man persisted, "Would you consider it?"

Li Aiguo said, "Uncle, I've just joined the crew group and haven't achieved anything yet. I don't want to think about marriage matters for the time being."

It was no joke; matchmaking in this era wasn't like the later years where you could go on three dates a day.

If you went on too many blind dates, your reputation would suffer, and people would think you were unreliable.

Others wouldn't introduce good partners to you.

In the original story, Shazhu failed to settle down because he went on too many blind dates without success.

Eventually, even the matchmakers stopped coming to his door.

Before going on a blind date, it was best to get a sense of the woman's background.

"It's a good thing for a young man to prioritize his career."

The thin old man seemed somewhat sympathetic.

Li Aiguo pulled a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to the old man. "Uncle Zhao, I am deeply moved by your concern. Here, have one."

"Heh, Xiangyanghua! I remember Section Chief Xing loves this brand of cigarettes."

The old man's eyes sharpened. He took the cigarette and lit it with a smile. "My niece really lacks luck then..."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the entrance of the Passenger Workshop.

Though called a workshop, it was actually a row of buildings.

Besides the meeting room and the workshop director's office, there were staff dormitories, a canteen, and restrooms.

Sometimes, when drivers or crew members returned late from their runs and couldn't make it home, they would bunk in the dormitories for the night.

The director of the Passenger Workshop was named Jia Changyi.

He was roughly in his thirties, white and chubby, with a double chin and toad-like eyes.

When he saw Li Aiguo, although he wore a smile, Li Aiguo felt a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Comrade Aiguo, I've heard all about your achievements."

"You are an outstanding talent of our locomotive depot."

"Good steel must be used on the cutting edge. The regular driver of Train 145 is sick and hospitalized and cannot work recently."

"Therefore, I have decided to appoint you as the regular driver for Train 145."

Train drivers were divided into two types: regular drivers and assistant drivers.

A regular driver also served as the crew leader, managing assistant drivers, stokers, and other staff.

In addition to the driver's salary, they also received substantial subsidies every month.

Under normal circumstances, it would take seven or eight years for an assistant driver to become a regular driver.

What did they mean by "a pie falling from the sky"?

This was it.

Well, there were no pies in this era; it was more like meat-filled buns falling from the sky.

Li Aiguo looked at Jia Changyi, who was smiling like a Buddha, and a strange light flashed in his eyes.

The thin old man also hadn't expected that the assistant driver he brought would turn into a regular driver in the blink of an eye. He was momentarily stunned.

Then, he frowned

"Old Jia, according to the rules, a driver like Aiguo who has just obtained his license needs to hone his skills on the line for two years before becoming a regular driver."

"Sigh, Old Zhao, our workshop is currently short on regular drivers."

Director Jia waved his hand and said heroically, "During his driving exam, Comrade Li Aiguo achieved the first double-perfect score in the history of our entire locomotive depot. This is enough to prove his ability to operate steam locomotives."

"The general depot and Section Chief Xing both place great importance on Comrade Li Aiguo."

"We should break with old customs and boldly give Comrade Li Aiguo more responsibility."

Valuing young people and promoting talent was, after all, a good thing.

Director Jia's words occupied the moral high ground, leaving the old man with no way to argue.

However, the thin old man still felt something was off.

In his impression, Director Jia was not someone who loved talent.

Why had his temperament changed today?

If it were anyone else, the old man would have finished the handover and left without offering further help.

But this young driver he had brought seemed to have a significant connection to Section Chief Xing.

Furthermore.

The young driver had offered him a cigarette and called him "Uncle."

Because of these things, he felt he should offer a few words of advice from the sidelines.