The train driver in the courtyard

Chapter 524 Umbrellas are selling like hotcakes, my sister-in-law has a difficult delivery
The setting sun is like blood, and its afterglow fills the entire courtyard, reflecting a warm golden color.

The sky was dyed a faint red by the sunset, gradually getting darker, like the passage of time.

There are more than 20 households in the courtyard, all sharing the same faucet. There are only a few houses but a large population. There are private utility rooms, pots, pans, and spoons everywhere, and there are endless odds and ends.

The sounds of cooking, quarreling, laughter, and crying were intertwined with various emotions, permeating the air, creating a strong smell of fireworks.

The unique charm of the smell of fireworks is not that it is beautiful, but that it is true.

Truth is always the most beautiful.

Life is inherently full of ups and downs, and without pain you can never feel happiness.

Li Aiguo admired the smell of fireworks and walked towards the backyard with a canvas bag, a chicken in one hand and a fish in the other.

The third uncle had been squatting at the door for more than an hour. When he saw him coming, he hurriedly approached him.

"Patriot, are you off work?"

I hope he can keep up the good work in the future.

"I heard that you have invented an automatic umbrella. Can you sell me a few?"

When Li Aiguo submitted the price of the automatic umbrella to Duan Li, Duan Chang Xing patted the table and said, "Good guy, an umbrella costs ten yuan. This guy is not planning to sell it to outsiders at all."

The time came to eight o'clock.

"I'll take the goods first and return the money to you after a few months." The third uncle said while rubbing his hands.

"Sure, an umbrella costs ten yuan."

The third uncle hesitated for a long time and whispered: "Can I pay on credit?"

After getting the definite answer, Xing Duan felt that it was a little difficult to understand the world for a long time.

Gen Hongmiaozheng, my brother-in-law, is a big business owner, but he is just a small business owner. They are not on the same starting line at all.

A long queue formed at the entrance of the locomotive depot, stretching from the gate to the opposite road.

The reason why Li Aiguo dared to sell umbrellas publicly was because he relied on the large platform of the locomotive depot, otherwise he would have been in trouble.

".That, patriotism."

It's better now, but there are more than 2,000 people queuing up at the venue.

Duan Chang Xing held the brake pedal, jumped off his bicycle, and called out to the security officer who was maintaining order.

"I'm busy, Mr. Third." Li Aiguo said hello and prepared to go back to the backyard.

"Umbrella. Is it Li Aiguo's automatic umbrella that sells for as much as ten yuan?"

The group of young people queuing up became excited, and the scene instantly became excited.

The third uncle’s business venture died midway before it even got off the ground.

Li Aiguo was surprised: "Credit?"

It doesn’t matter who you sell to, Li Aiguo doesn’t choose your customers.

After the words fell, the third uncle immediately realized his negligence.

Director Wang said: "Today, Driver Li's studio is selling umbrellas to outsiders. They are all waiting to buy umbrellas."

He is sensitive to information and dares to think and act. If it lasts for decades at night, the third uncle will definitely be a good hand in business.

Duan Chang Xing rode his bicycle to work early in the morning. As soon as he reached the door of the locomotive depot, he felt something was wrong.

"Third uncle, you really have a good plan."

"I can rest assured. If you dare to hack my money, I will kill you!"

The capital city woke up after a night's sleep. The slightly moist air was filled with chaotic sounds, and the passionate day began with the crowing of a big rooster.

"Xiao Wang, why are there so many people here? What's going on?"

Li Aiguo patted the pistol stuck in his waist. He was so frightened that the third uncle trembled and said "dare not" repeatedly.

Several deputy section chiefs have already begun to use their brains to choose a suitable name and distribute these umbrellas as prizes.

The Beijing Locomotive Depot is still as busy today as yesterday.

September 20th, 7:30 in the morning.

"The Locomotive Maintenance Section is recruiting workers? No, why don't I, the section chief, know about it?"

"But when I was picking up scraps, I heard from the guys in the yard that they were planning to buy a few umbrellas and then sell them."

Li Aiguo continued: "It's just Mr. Third, have you ever thought about whether buying low and selling high is considered speculation?"

Li Aiguo took Zhou Ke and Huang Jing to transport the automatic umbrella from the studio to the gate.

"I don't have much money, but don't worry, we are neighbors, and I will definitely not cheat you."

Li Aiguo instantly understood that this guy was going to use his umbrella to sell it at a high price, and then pay back the principal. .

As soon as these words came out, the third uncle suddenly woke up and his face turned a little pale.

But he was stopped by the third uncle.

Looking at the small eyes behind the tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses, Li Aiguo admired the third uncle a little.

Li Aiguo picked up the metal speaker and shouted: "Everyone line up for me. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be disqualified from purchasing."

What surprised Duan Chang Xing was that the group of big courtyard boys, who had always been unruly, now lined up obediently.

Li Aiguo continued: "Because the number of Red Star automatic umbrellas is limited, in order to prevent scalpers from reselling them, we are now adopting a limited sales approach. One person can only buy one umbrella."

Umbrellas costing ten yuan apiece were subject to a purchasing restriction policy just like refined flour. Duan Chang Xing also opened his eyes.

The saying of purchase restrictions is so common in these days, and the young people in the team who were preparing to resell suddenly lowered their heads.

Li Aiguo continued: "Before the sale, I want to tell you the essentials of using the automatic umbrella. Every time you press the switch, you must use gentle force.

After using an umbrella on a rainy day, you should wipe the umbrella surface and the ribs clean. It is best to wipe them with tung oil. This is called maintenance.

If improper maintenance causes the umbrella to malfunction, our Red Star Studio will not be responsible for repairs. "

After hearing this, Xing Duanchang's eyes almost fell down.

In this old section chief's impression, an umbrella is just a tool.

Take it out when it rains and put it away when the rain stops. How can it be so valuable?

These people are no longer buying umbrellas, but buying an uncle to take care of them at home.

What he didn't expect was that instead of objecting, the big boys nodded frequently.

"Look, it's an automatic umbrella. If it were just like an ordinary umbrella, we wouldn't buy it!"

Li Aiguo was not surprised by these people's reactions.

The luxuries of later generations went even further than he did.

Clothes cannot be washed, and leather bags cannot hold heavy objects. The only thing that is more practical is the brick worth 9999. It can be used as a real brick to knock those fools who buy luxury goods to the ground.

After explaining the precautions, the sales officially started.

For the first time, Duan Chang Xing saw the spending power of the big courtyard boys in the capital.

Umbrellas cost ten dollars each, and these guys don't bat an eye.

In just a moment, two thousand umbrellas were sold out.

The guys who didn't buy the umbrellas were still a little reluctant.

"Comrade, do you have any more? I have money."

"It's gone, it's gone! You know what the limit is! Leave quickly."

Li Aiguo drove those guys away without politeness.

He packed up, put all the money into a canvas bag, and took Huang Jing with him to continue today's driving mission.

Duan Zhang Xing also woke up at this moment, pushed his bicycle, and rushed over to call out to Li Aiguo.

"Patriot, with such an umbrella, our maintenance section can earn several dollars, right?"

Li Aiguo raised his wrist to see that the departure time was approaching, and told Huang Jing to inspect the locomotive first.

"Master, don't worry, I will definitely take it seriously."

Seeing Huang Jing walking quickly towards the station with cheerful steps, Li Aiguo felt that this little apprentice seemed to be of some use.

He took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Duan Chang Xing.

"Mr. Duan, after calculation, excluding production costs, transportation costs, logistics costs, and warehousing costs, the net profit of an automatic umbrella is six yuan and thirty-two cents."

"Cough cough cough!" Duan Chang Xing was stunned by this number. He took a deep breath and coughed violently as the smoke choked his lungs.

After a while, it finally calmed down.

"Selling five umbrellas for six yuan and thirty-two cents." Duan Chang Xing saw Yan Jiecheng taking happy little steps to deliver the news in the maintenance section, and said: "Selling five umbrellas is enough for Yan Jiecheng's salary."

He suddenly became energetic: "Patriot, why are we only selling two thousand umbrellas? We can sell more."

"Things are rare and expensive. If you sell too many of these things, they won't be able to sell for the price."

"That's right." Although Duan Chang Xing doesn't understand the sales concept of luxury goods, he still understands this truth. "It's a pity that I can only earn so much money. Now our General Administration's business is getting bigger and bigger, and life in the locomotive depot is not easy. I originally thought of earning more money and giving bonuses to employees. Come on, it’s a pity”

Li Aiguo said: "Of course we can't just sell two thousand handfuls of rainwater."

"You just said that this is a limited quantity. If more are produced, it won't be valuable."

Li Aiguo said: "It is true that we can only produce 2,000 umbrellas with five stars, but we can change the style.
Such as hammer umbrellas, sickle umbrellas, and even locomotive umbrellas.

Because this series of umbrellas are completely different from the five-star umbrellas, it is not considered a violation of limited sales. "

Duan Chang Xing's mouth grew bigger and bigger as he heard it, and finally he couldn't close his mouth.

After a while, a slightly distorted sound came out of his throat.

"Patriot, I see you have thick eyebrows and big eyes, why are you so cunning!"

"Approved?"

"Approved! Absolutely approved! I'll go back to the office right away to hold a meeting of leadership!"

You are a bastard if you don't make money, so Xing Duanchang is naturally not a bastard, and he immediately realized the money scene of the automatic umbrella.

Because the instant noodles stall was too large, most of the profits were taken away by the General Administration and distributed to the package crews in various places.

Automatic umbrellas are different. The high price has determined that they cannot be as popular as instant noodles.

This is actually a good thing for the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

The Qianmen maintenance department can completely handle the production and sales of automatic umbrellas.

Even if only 10,000 automatic umbrellas are sold every year, it is enough to pay bonuses to the employees in the locomotive depot.

The wages of employees in the locomotive depot are not low, but most of the workers have families to support and live on those wages, which makes life difficult.

With this money, the workers' lives would be much easier.

The reason why the employees of the locomotive depot can regard the locomotive depot as their home and work hard for the development of the railway is because the leaders of the locomotive depot really treat them as brothers and sisters.

The expanded production project of automatic umbrellas was approved by the segment leaders by unanimous vote.

Duan Chang Xing personally went to the General Administration to obtain a supply quota for a batch of materials, and coordinated the production work with the Hongqi Umbrella Factory.

Although the production steps of automatic umbrellas are complicated and difficult to produce, the processing fees are also relatively high. The Hongqi Umbrella Factory stopped the production of a batch of old-fashioned umbrellas at that time.

Automatic umbrellas printed with various patterns were produced one after another, transported to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, and put on the market one after another.

To prevent counterfeiting, a unique serial number is engraved on the handle of each automatic umbrella.

As Li Aiguo expected, the emergence of a series of automatic umbrellas did not dispel the desire of those big-time people to buy automatic umbrellas.

Instead, some older men became keen on collecting automatic umbrellas. They bought one of each kind and hid it in their own cabinets, so that they could show their "strength" to the little girls.

There are even some rare umbrellas that have been fetched very high prices.

Of course, these are all things for later.

After the automatic umbrella was handed over to the locomotive maintenance department for production, Li Aiguo returned to his former leisure.

I live a happy life with Chen Xueru every day, and my job is to drive a big train.

It's just that compared to before, there is one more apprentice.

For tasks like serving tea and pouring water, you no longer need to do it yourself.

Huang Jing is the daughter of Huang Dache. Although she is a girl, she still has the blood of a train driver flowing in her bones, and she has made rapid progress.

In just over a month, Huang Jing mastered Master Zheng's coal shoveling skills.

Master Zheng made suggestions several times behind Huang Jing's back and wanted Huang Jing to become a formal train driver apprentice, but Li Aiguo rejected them all.

Before becoming a train driver, Li Aiguo once wondered why those employees who did not have a professional background had to work as stokers for a long time in order to become train drivers.

After staying in the locomotive for more than a year and experiencing countless hardships, Li Aiguo finally understood.

Being a stoker and shoveling several tons or even dozens of tons of coal every day is an exercise and test for those workers.

Only after passing these trainings and tests can the locomotive depot safely entrust the lives of thousands of people to his hands.

Huang Jing seemed to be aware of this 'hidden rule' and did not show any dissatisfaction. Instead, she shoveled coal more actively while driving.

The dull but meaningful days passed day by day.

More than ten days later, Li Aiguo returned to his dormitory after driving. He had just taken a shower and was going to rest for a while before going back.

The dormitory door was knocked open by Huang Jing.

"Master, I just received a call from my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law gave birth and was sent to the hospital."

Sister-in-law gave birth? Li Aiguo has been busy these days and has really neglected this matter.

Chen Xueru told him a while ago that his sister-in-law's due date was within a few days.

"Which hospital were you sent to, Chaoyang Hospital or Workers' Hospital?"

"It seems to be Old Concord."

Hearing this, Li Aiguo's buttoning hand stopped in mid-air.

My sister-in-law is an employee of a lumber factory. She usually goes to the Workers' Hospital for medical treatment, and Chaoyang Hospital is the closest to the tailor shop.

Now it was sent to the old Concorde. There was only one possibility: production was in trouble.

Thinking of this, Li Aiguo didn't bother to make the bed.

Opening the door, he said to Huang Jing: "Please clean up the dirty clothes on my bed and put them in the enamel basin under the bed."

"Don't worry, master." Huang Jing also felt something was wrong and asked with concern: "Master, can you help me?"

"No need. You memorize the drawings of the brake system at night. I will do a spot check when we drive tomorrow."

Without saying a word, Li Aiguo rushed down from the dormitory building, got on his bicycle, and ran all the way to the old Union Square near Chongwenmen.

Lao Xiehe was built on the basis of the palace. There were no separate wards. The wards were laid out like a bathhouse.

Because it is older, the conditions are not as good as those of the newly built hospitals, but there are people coming and going at the gate, and there is an endless stream of patients, including many pregnant women.

There is no other reason, just because here is the best obstetrics and gynecology department in Beijing.

Hospitals are always not a happy place. The moans of patients and the smell of disinfectant in the air are enough to give people an inexplicable sense of depression.

The only difference is the obstetrics and gynecology department. The sound of babies crying can be heard from time to time in the ward, symbolizing the hope of new life.

Li Aiguo followed the address Chen Xueru gave him on the phone and came to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, which was located in the second building on the left.

At this time, Chen Xueru, eldest brother, second brother and Chen Fangxuan were already waiting in the corridor.

Chen Xueru's fair little face was full of nervousness. When she saw Li Aiguo coming, she quickly came over and took his hand.

"How is sister-in-law?"

"The amniotic fluid broke today. She was originally sent to Chaoyang Hospital for delivery, but dystocia occurred, so she had to be transferred here. Now the doctor is giving her a caesarean section."

Feeling that Chen Xueru's hands were shaking, Li Aiguo gently patted her shoulder.

"It's okay. This is the best obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Beijing. My sister-in-law will definitely give birth smoothly."

Chen Xueru was originally extremely nervous, but after hearing these words, for some reason, she instantly relaxed.

Li Aiguo walked over to greet his eldest brother and the others, and asked casually: "Why is it difficult to give birth?"

In these years, female comrades often participated in labor and were relatively strong, so there were not many cases of difficult childbirth.

"The doctor said the baby in Qingfang's belly is too fat." The eldest brother lowered his head in disbelief.

The Chen family's economic conditions are relatively good. Both of them are workers, and Li Aiguo often buys fresh goods from other places.

The sister-in-law hid in the house and showed off her excitement.

Chen Xueru had reminded her several times to be careful not to over-nourish.

It’s just that there is no such thing as overnutrition in these days.

Comrade women can also be proud of giving birth to a chubby boy.

If a child's weight is too small, he will not be able to lift his head.

In this case, the elder sister-in-law and elder brother would naturally not listen to Chen Xueru.

It's just that the child is too fat. As long as a caesarean section is performed, there will be no danger.

Li Aiguo was also relieved.

After more than an hour, the nurse opened the operating room door and walked out.

"Who is the family member?"

"I am the husband of the mother." Chen Xingjia ran over with his hands raised.

"Give birth to a boy, nine pounds!"

"Nine pounds."

Li Aiguo silently gave his sister-in-law a thumbs up in his heart.

(End of this chapter)