The train driver in the courtyard

As night fell, darkness pressed overwhelmingly over the courtyard.

After Xu Damao finished eating in the evening, he went to bed early.

Liu Lan felt a little strange. After washing the dishes, she touched his forehead with her cold hands.

"You don't have a fever?"

"Silly woman, what are you doing!" Xu Damao's mouth was so cold that he almost jumped up.

Liu Lan was confused: "What are you doing? Go to bed so early. Do you want to do bad things at night?"

"."

Xu Damao didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and explained: "I learned today from Section Chief Zhang of the Publicity Department that our capital will hold a Spring Festival race around the city. If you win the first place, you can become a leader. So, I am going to practice tomorrow morning. "

Can running be practiced in a day and a half?
Don't you go to heaven?

Liu Lan felt that Xu Damao was a bit whimsical, but did not persuade him.

Being a leader is Xu Damao's lifelong pursuit.

I can't persuade you.

It is different from the steel rolling mill’s practice of blocking news.

After receiving the notice that the second Spring Festival race around the city was about to be held in Beijing, the Education Department of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot immediately started screening in the entire section.

After review and competition, a group of athletes were selected from all employees.

Among them is Li Aiguo.

But Li Aiguo has more important things to do now.

Early in the morning, after receiving a notice from Yan Jiecheng.

Li Aiguo rode his bicycle, braved the severe cold and came to the locomotive depot, and knocked on the door of the education office.

After waiting for a response from inside, he opened the door.

Captain Bai, Cao Wenzhi, Lao Zheng, Liu Qingquan, and other comrades from the 131 crew were all there.

Zhao Yazhi saw Li Aiguo coming in and mouthed at him.

"Patriotic, advanced title comes."

Sure enough, I saw that all the 131 crew members had arrived.

She Cuiping, director of the Education Office, said excitedly: “Comrades, after a year of hard work, your 131 private travel group finally stood out from hundreds of private travel groups across the country and won the title of this year’s advanced private travel group.

The award ceremony will be held in the ministry auditorium. After receiving the award, Comrade Li Aiguo will also participate in this year's tea party."

At the tea party, the crew members were all excited, happy for Li Aiguo, and applauded one after another.

Li Aiguo also lifted his spirits.

Of course, the tea party is not just about drinking tea. The main purpose is to exchange friendship and discuss issues between leaders and people from all walks of life.

In particular, the tea party held when the old welcomes the new has important remedial significance.

By the way, in later generations, this kind of tea party also had a special name, called the New Year Tea Party.
Yes, the kind that often appears on TV news.

Compared with the tea party, the award ceremony, which was originally a high-level event, was not that exciting.

In the auditorium of the Ministry of Railways.

"The 131 chartered crew of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot in Beijing, under the leadership of the crew chief and the locomotive chief driver, insists on strengthening the ideological education of the team, constantly improves the overall quality of employees, and strives to create a safe and self-controlled team, with strict discipline, superb technology, and pragmatism. With his style and down-to-earth drive, he overcame various difficulties and is now rated as the national advanced charter crew."

After the words fell, thundering applause erupted in the auditorium.

Captain Bai couldn't suppress his emotions, shrugged his shoulders, and burst into tears on the spot.

Li Aiguo heard from Zhao Yazhi that in order to win this honor, Captain Bai still led the crew to practice their skills even after changing shifts. He had not gone home for three months.

In addition, she has been married for several years without children, and her husband is currently divorcing her.

One can imagine the pressure, but finally getting the honor this time can be considered a relief.

Zhao Yazhi hugged several female flight attendants and cheered for her own honor.

Leader Fuji of the Ministry of Railways personally awarded certificates to the 131 crew.

In addition to certificates, there are also very generous material rewards.

Each person was awarded two pounds of brown sugar, five pounds of rice, an enamel jar and two pillow covers.

This reward made everyone's eyes widen in shock, and they said in their hearts that the General Administration was too arrogant this time.

Li Aiguo didn't mean to be joking. These days, he pays more attention to spiritual rewards and underestimates material rewards.

When the General Administration rewards its employees, it usually gives them a certificate and then sends them away.

Li Aiguo once received a medal without even getting a drink of tea.

The most popular reward is the enamel jar.

Cao Wenzhi hugged the enamel jar and was so happy that he couldn't help but smile. The red words "National Advanced Package Crew" on it are so beautiful.

In addition to the 131 crew winning the advanced crew group, other awards were also presented at the conference.

For example, outstanding charter crew members, Youth Civilization, etc.
Conductor Zhang Xiumin from Qindao Train 22 won the Outstanding Individual Award for her personal strength.

After receiving the certificate, Zhang Xiumin was not particularly happy. She walked up to Commander Bai and stretched out her hand: "Comrade Bai Yuejie, the reason why I lost to you this time is not because of any problem with my personal strength, but because you have more skills." Good team member.”

"Having good comrades is also a strength in itself, what do you think?" Bai Yuejie puffed up her chest, not to be outdone.

Zhang Xiumin did not expect to receive such an answer. After being stunned for a moment, she smiled bitterly.

She saw Li Aiguo standing nearby and said with a smile: "Driver Li, on the train, you promised to treat me to dinner when we arrived in the capital. How about it? I'm already here now."

Aggressive, this conductor is completely different from his behavior on the train.

"Of course, but not at noon. How about at night." Li Aiguo puffed up his chest.

"What?" Zhang Xiumin's eyes widened: "Are you planning to cheat?"

Zhao Yazhi stepped forward and said with some pride: "Driver Li is going to attend a tea party later."

"Tea Party" Zhang Xiumin was stunned at first, but after she figured it out, her expression suddenly changed.

She looked Li Aiguo up and down.

He was suddenly discouraged. He looked at Commander Bai and said, "Bai Yuejie, our 252nd crew did not lose unjustly this time."

Bai Yuejie felt sad in her heart.

She pays more attention to the competition for advanced crew than anyone else.

The Qindao 252 crew is no lower than the 131 crew in terms of discipline, passenger praise, and overall safety score.

It is said that the ministry also hesitated about the ownership of the advanced charter team.

But later it was said that an old chief mentioned Li Aiguo's name when he inspected the ministries.

The next day, the ownership of the advanced package crew was determined.

Of course, this is just a rumor, no one will believe it.

After the awards are given.

Captain Bai, Cao Wenzhi and the others decided to go to Donglaishun for a dinner. The group of people just held the certificates and swaggered through the crowded streets.

Feeling the envious looks from passers-by, several people raised their heads.

What a glory!
At this moment, they feel that no matter how much they have put in in the past, it is worth it!
This is the characteristic of these years. For the sake of honor, people can risk their lives.

However, Li Aiguo had to rush to attend the tea party.

I got on my bicycle and ran back, changed into clean clothes, and drove all the way to No. 23 Taipingqiao Street in Beijing.

This is also where the Wulao Hot Pot Banquet was held in later generations.

The tea party of the Ministry of Railways was held in groups.

Leaders of ministries and commissions, leaders of research institutes, leaders of locomotive equipment factories such as Sifang Factory and Zhuzhou Factory, as well as leaders of railway bureaus from all over the country, and celebrities from all walks of life gathered together.

Li Aiguo was led to the area where the Beijing Bureau was located.

Liu Guozhang had already been sitting at the round table and waved to him: "Patriot, come to the teacher."

Li Aiguo's reputation within the Ministry of Railways was already considerable at this time. Several leaders present raised their heads when they heard his name.

"Is this little driver the one that Professor Lao Maozi praised so much?"

"Okay, Lao Liu, we finally have a talented person on the railway, and you beat him to it. This is not kind!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I was originally a patriotic primary school teacher!"

Looking at Li Aiguo now, Liu Guozhang felt a sense of emotion in his heart.

When Li Aiguo showed his kindness to him, he thought that this guy was interested in his status.

Liu Guozhang accepted this student based on the friendship between teacher and student and because the boy was good at things.

Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, as a teacher, he would be proud of his students? What a big deal!

Not many workers can attend the tea party!
Li Aiguo didn't think anything was wrong, and started eating melon seeds after sitting down.

On this occasion, he could only listen.

Drinking tea, eating melon seeds, eating melon seeds, drinking tea. Li Aiguo seemed particularly busy.

Liu Guozhang couldn't laugh or cry when he saw him like this.

"Boy, please pay attention to the situation."

"Teacher, this is a tea party, so of course you have to eat and drink well." Li Aiguo scratched his head and said with a naive smile: "I am a worker, I don't know that much."

Liu Guozhang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He looked up and looked at the quarrel over there.

This kid is smarter than anyone else!

After the meeting.

Li Aiguo did not leave, but was led to the corridor on the second floor by a gray tunic suit.

On both sides of the red-painted wooden door stood people in gray tunic suits. Their waists were bulging, and their vigilant eyes were scanning Li Aiguo.

"I'm sorry, comrade, we need to search you." Li Aiguo knew the rules and raised his hands high.

Knowing that he was going to attend the award ceremony and tea party, Li Aiguo had already put the pistol at home.

The man in the gray tunic suit was very cautious. He carefully searched Li Aiguo's body and made sure that he was not carrying any weapons before gently knocking on the door.

"Report to the chief, Driver Li is here."

After a while.

There was a response from inside the house, and the door was opened in a gray tunic suit.

"Comrade driver, thank you for your contribution. We finally meet!" A middle-aged man wearing glasses asked the man in a gray tunic suit to leave. After the door closed, he extended his hand to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo was in a state of confusion all the way. He was originally attending a tea party. Which big boss could he summon?
He suddenly woke up when he saw the middle-aged man recalling the memories in the history book of his previous life.

"You are Li"

"Hey, please call me Comrade Farmer. We are comrades on the same front. There is no distinction between high and low." The farmer enthusiastically held Li Aiguo's hand.

Although Li Aiguo could face the bandits without changing his expression, now he saw a farmer like the uncle next door, but he was so excited that he couldn't speak.

The farmer was particularly kind. He took Li Aiguo's hand and asked him to sit down.

"Patriotic comrade, with the results of your mission on Qindao, we not only successfully locked down the enemy's Blackfish, but also pulled out a deep nail. Your trip to Gan Province also helped us attack the enemy at home. You’ve done a great job raising a mole!”

Li Aiguo straightened his chest and said loudly: "Report, when I joined the organization, I swore that I would be a member of the organization in life and a ghost of the organization in death. I am willing to shed every drop of blood for the organization!"

The farmer has been keeping a close eye on Li Aiguo.

His eyes, which had seen through countless enemies, did not see any hypocrisy in Li Aiguo's expression.

The momentum is like a rainbow.

Be open-minded.

resourceful.

Extremely alert.

This person is a trustworthy talent!
The farmer nodded heavily: "Comrade Patriot, don't be nervous. The reason why I want to meet you in person today is just to chat. You may not know me, but I am actually quite approachable."

"Yes, he's quite kind, just like my uncle."

Li Aiguo said excitedly: "Hey, speaking of it, I really feel that you are very similar to my uncle from far away. His surname is also Li. Do you think you are very destined?

In other words, are we really relatives?
You also know that before liberation, the situation was chaotic and many relatives lost contact.

Our two families might be one family! "

"."

The always resourceful farmer fell silent at this time.

He remembered that in Li Aiguo's files, the archivist specifically recorded a word called "climbing along the pole."

Thirty minutes later.

Li Aiguo walked out of No. 23.

The autumn clothes were already sticky on my back, and my hands and feet were trembling a little.

Even if there was nothing wrong with him, even if the farmer was really kind, he still felt on pins and needles.

This is not to say that Li Aiguo is timid, but when facing a character like the farmer, even if he sits there motionless, you will still feel endless pressure, like a big mountain standing in front of you.

This is power!
This meeting with the farmer was not without its benefits.

The farmer clearly told him that the work of Old Cat and Swallow was smooth and safe.

Although the country is safe now, the five-person team often encounters dangers due to their special work.

What Li Aiguo fears most now is receiving news from the Northwest.

Having carried out several missions with a team of five, Li Aiguo has already regarded them as family.

Seeing Li Aiguo walking into the crowd, he merged into the crowd like ordinary people and disappeared without a trace.

Wow
After closing the black curtains, the farmer took out a notebook from his pocket.

The notebook is actually an old account book with a black lacquer cover.

He took out his glasses from his coat pocket, put them on, and opened his account book.

There are names recorded inside, some of which have been crossed out.

Click, took out the pen, turned to the nearest pages, and scratched the word 'trust' behind Li Aiguo's name on the tip of the pen.

The black ink looks alluring under the dim light.

The days are passing day by day, and as the end of the year approaches, the travelers in distant places miss their loved ones especially.

Two brothers, Liu Tianquan and Liu Diquan, sent a package back from other places with a letter attached.

on the letter.

The two brothers said that they would not be able to come back for the Chinese New Year and hoped that Li Aiguo could take good care of Aunt Liu and He Yuyu.

Enclosed is a money order for fifty dollars.

Aunt Liu took the money order and was very happy in her heart, but said angrily: "It's true for these two children. They always have to spend money outside. They send so much money back every time. I, a lonely old woman and Yu Yu, can spend so much money." ah."

Jia Zhang passed by Aunt Liu's door. When she heard this, she licked her face and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law of the Liu family, you are right. You and He Yuyu can't spend so much money, so why not..."

The words have not yet fallen.

Wow.

He Yuyu picked up the washbasin and poured it over her head and face.

"You're such a hateful girl, be careful not to get married in the future." Mrs. Jia Zhang was soaked like a drowned rat.

Mrs. Jia Zhang pinched her waist and wanted to curse a few words. When she saw Li Aiguo striding out, she trembled with fright and ran away.

"Damn old woman, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll tear your mouth apart." He Yuyu felt that he was still angry, so he chased her out and cursed her for a while.

Aunt Liu took He Yuyu's arm and pulled her into the house.

"You kid, don't be like Jia Zhang. She is the kind of unreasonable person."

"Mom, you are so kind."

"They are all neighbors in the same compound. Her family is not easy, so there is no need to be familiar with them."

He Yuyu was a little dissatisfied, but he knew Aunt Liu's temperament, so he had no choice but to give up.

She looked at the package with bright eyes and said curiously: "I wonder what the two brothers put inside."

The postal parcels of this year were composed of two parts.

One part is the postal domestic package details sheet, which indicates the package number and the contents of the package.

The other one is the green package.

The package is made of cloth, which is valuable and can be used as a school bag.

Li Aiguo picked up the scissors and gently opened the package.

There are various supplements in the package, the most abundant of which is wolfberry.

Wolfberry shows a unique dark red color, crystal clear and exudes a faint sweetness, like exquisite red gems.

There is a smooth film on the surface that exudes a natural luster.

At first glance, you can tell that it is Qinghai’s authentic wolfberry.

In addition to the supplements, there is also a wool scarf, which should be for He Yu.

He Yuyu was wrapped around his neck and he was so excited that he circled around the room.

Aunt Liu handed the paper bag containing wolfberries to Chen Xueru: "Chen Xueru, take it back and make tea for Patriot often."

Chen Xueru also knew about Chinese medicine, and she was so embarrassed that she couldn't even lift her face.

back home.

She also held her fist and gently beat Li Aiguo: "The aunt is also urging us to have a child."

"It's better to choose a day than to hit it." Li Aiguo gently grabbed her hand and neck.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became lively.

The sound of firecrackers and laughter turned into a clarion call to attack.

Two hours later.

Chen Xueru lay on the rough man's chest, her fingers scratching on it unconsciously.

"Brother Patriot, didn't the village chief of Weizhuang ask Jia Zhang for money?"

"No, you may not think of Village Chief Wei as a simple and honest person, but it is impossible to be the head of a village and manage more than 2,000 people without some skill." Li Aiguo said with a smile.

He was also a little confused.

It has been several days since Jia Zhang's debt was due. Why hasn't Village Chief Wei come yet?

Chen Xueru turned over and said, "The Chinese New Year is coming soon, do we have to prepare some cooked dishes?"

"Cooked dishes." Li Aiguo thought for a moment and suddenly asked: "Can you make fried dumplings?"

New Year's Eve.

The courtyard is filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

An ox cart swayed along the street to the entrance of the courtyard.

The village chief of Wei Village, Old Wei, led the militia captain and a few commune members and jumped down from the bullock cart.

"Village village chief, should we go to Jia Zhang for money first, or should we give souvenirs to Driver Li first?" Wang asked stuttering.

"Of course I'll give you the gift first."

Village Chief Lao Wei waved to the members: "Put on the sacks and let's go visit Driver Li. By the way, you guys should dust off all the dust on your clothes. Don't throw away the people of Wei Village."

(End of this chapter)