The train driver in the courtyard

It was afternoon, the sun was shining directly on the earth, and the heat rising from the ground almost distorted the light.

The train driver's building itself is an iron shell and is not heat-insulated.

With the addition of the furnace as a heat source, the driver's building quickly became a barbecue oven.

The heat in the locomotive was stifling.

Even Lao Zheng and Liu Qingquan are two experienced drivers.

At this time, the heat was a bit unbearable, his face turned red, and beads of sweat kept rolling down his forehead.

From time to time, they wiped their foreheads with their hands, and then looked out through the car windows, as if looking for a cool breeze.

In Huolu Wu Han, this idea became a luxury.

After a while, the clothes of several people were soaked.

If it were this time in the past, everyone would have taken off their clothes.

But now Huang Jing is still standing next to Li Aiguo.

Zheng Shanyuan opened his mouth, as if he wanted to do something, but was somewhat reluctant to do it.

He hesitated for a while, but finally smiled and said, "It's so hot in the driver's building, why don't we all get off the bus?"

Hearing what the inspector said, Lao Zheng, Liu Qingquan and Huang Jing all raised their hands to show their agreement.

Especially Liu Qingquan, who had already run to the side door.

But he was stopped by Li Aiguo.

"Inspector Zheng, that's not necessary. We train drivers are made of iron. How can we be afraid of the heat?"

After being rejected, Zheng Shanyuan was not angry. Instead, he felt relieved and nodded in appreciation.

Lao Zheng and Liu Qingquan looked at each other with thoughtful expressions.

Huang Jing still didn't understand at this time and still looked confused.

Li Aiguo did not explain to her, but smiled and said to the others: "Have you heard the story in the morgue?"

Imagining the eerie and scary morgue, several people couldn't help but shudder.

"Aiguo, what's the story? Tell it quickly." Lao Zheng took the initiative to light a cigarette for Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo smoked a cigarette and spoke slowly: "Before liberation, in a hospital, one day, the corpse carrier in the morgue discovered that a female corpse was missing."

Li Aiguo had heard many ghost stories in his previous life.

But these days many ghost stories cannot be told, as if they were heard by someone with ulterior motives, it might cause trouble.

So Li Aiguo told a "ghost story" without any ghosts.

Along with Li Aiguo's low voice, a tortuous and terrifying story flowed in the driver's building. The originally hot driver's building suddenly became gloomy and terrifying.

(To avoid suspicion of water words, 100,000 words are omitted here.)
Zheng Shanyuan couldn't help but shiver and tightened his collar. Old Zheng and Liu Qingquan couldn't help but snuggle together.

These stories sounded like nothing to later generations, but these guys who had never even read the manuscript felt a chill all over their bodies.

Huang Jing was an exception. She was very brave and her eyes widened when she heard this.

"Master, why did the stolen female corpse turn green? Who stole her?"

Li Aiguo took a puff of cigarette and said slowly: "It turns out that the female corpse was stolen by Dieter, and a bomb was stuffed in her stomach, intending to attack our personnel."

This ending is the icing on the cake. The original horror story instantly becomes a positive story about solving the Dite case.

Huang Jing clapped her hands and said, "Great, this story is so good, Master, please tell me another one."

Lao Zheng and Liu Qingquan also agreed.

For a moment, they all forgot that they were in a furnace.

When Zheng Shanyuan saw this scene, he nodded slightly to show his appreciation.

Being able to solve problems in all kinds of incredible ways is also one of the essential abilities of a train driver.

after an hour.

The bridge guard sent a signal that the bridge was open to traffic, and the train started again.

At this time, Lao Zheng and Liu Qingquan both returned to work.

Zheng Shanyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead and said, "Driver Li, your story is very good, but it's too scary. I'm afraid I'll have a nightmare tonight."

Li Aiguo smiled.

Mr. Lu once said: "Practice makes perfect, and looking at plums to quench thirst is feasible."

Mr. Lu never lied to me!
6:30 p.m.

The two trains returned to Jiang'an Locomotive Depot almost at the same time according to the driving plan.

Liu Dali from the Jiangan Locomotive Depot jumped off the train and yelled at the assistant driver and the fireman: "Why didn't you stop me?"

The assistant driver and the fireman hung their heads and said nothing, but their eyes showed some dissatisfaction.

Many leaders are here now, including Section Chief Xing. Section Chief Meng of the Jiangan Locomotive Section felt embarrassed when he saw Liu Dali making trouble.

He strode up and asked, "What's going on?"

The assistant driver couldn't help himself any longer, and raised his hand and said, "Report to the section chief, Liu Dali left the driver's building when he encountered no obstacles or emergencies during the driving process, and took the two of us with him."

As soon as these words came out, Meng Duanzhang's face changed drastically.

According to regulations, train drivers cannot leave the driver's building without permission.

Even if someone was killed, only one of the driver and co-driver could get out of the car, but Liu Dali actually took the entire driver team with him.

He asked with a straight face: "Liu Dali, you are also an experienced driver, how could you make such a low-level mistake."

Liu Dali said depressedly: "Duanzhang, the weather is too hot, the inspector asked us to get off the bus to cool down."

Meng Duanchang immediately understood that this was also a test.

The purpose of the test is to check the train drivers' knowledge of rules and regulations.

Obviously, Liu Dali did not pass the test.

Huang Jing finally understood why Li Aiguo didn't get out of the car, and said angrily: "Master, Zheng Shanyuan is your friend, and you promised to give him some wine, but he cheated us like this.

Fortunately, Master, you are alert, otherwise we would be as embarrassed as those people in Jiangan Locomotive Depot."

Li Aiguo said: "Friendship is friendship, but we can't put down our duties. Zheng Shanyuan is an inspector and is carrying out his duties. There is nothing wrong with that."

Section Chief Meng felt that he had lost face and wanted to save face, so he glanced at the 131 driver group.

He suddenly turned his head to look at Section Chief Xing and asked, "Old Xing, were you also asked to get off the bus by the inspector?"

"He shouted, but our driver Li is a tough guy who can stand the heat very well, so he didn't get out of the car." Director Xing's face was full of joy.

Meng Duanchang: “.”

At this time, Liu Dali was still defending himself, saying that he had not made any mistakes and that he was just following the inspector's orders.

Seeing him constantly shirking responsibility, Section Chief Meng asked angrily, "There were seventeen or eighteen people standing on the tracks. If the inspector told you to hit them, would you hit them?"

"."

Liu Dali was speechless.

As a train driver, there is only one iron rule, and that is to abide by all rules and regulations.

There is only one exception to this iron rule - to prevent an accident or to save the lives of passengers or passers-by.

Obviously, the hot weather is not a reasonable excuse.

Meng Duanchang then said: "Li Aiguo from the 131st driver team can comply with it, why can't you comply with it?"

Liu Dali was speechless.

Liu Dali looked at Li Aiguo, and a hint of hatred flashed in his eyes.

He knew that he had lost points inexplicably this time, and it would be impossible for him to surpass Li Aiguo through hard power.

Looks like some tricks are needed.
The 131 driver team took the lead in the first day of driving.

Section Chief Xing was particularly happy and decided to treat the comrades in the driver team to a big meal in the name of celebration.

In the evening, the sunset is like blood.

The sunset glows on the densely packed earthen buildings of Wu Han, shining brightly like burning flames, adding a touch of contemporary color to this ancient city.

The pedestrians on the street no longer looked as impatient as they had in the early morning, and were walking in groups of three or four.

In the crowd, Li Aiguo followed Director Xing to a restaurant and immediately frowned.

The restaurant's exterior wall was dilapidated, but the sign above the door looked new, as if it was a newly opened restaurant.

The key point is, this is a breakfast shop.

There were a few simple tables and chairs in the restaurant, no wine vats for sale, and no chefs carrying large spoons.
"Minsheng Dessert House? Chief Duan, is this what you call a feast?" Lao Zheng also felt something was wrong.

Xing Duanchang spread his hands and said, "I'm paying for this dinner myself."

"Ah, that's okay." Lao Zheng quickly closed his mouth.

Being able to get Director Xing to pay for the meal out of his own pocket is an achievement in itself, so what else do I need?

However, Li Aiguo underestimated this restaurant.

Although the restaurant is small, it has a wide variety of food.

There are sweets such as Humijiu, Huanxituo, Youxiang, as well as snacks such as three-fresh bean skin, pan-fried buns, siu mai, mianwo, and chicken comb dumplings.

Among them, the three-fresh bean curd is particularly delicious.

The skin is golden in color, slightly crispy on the outside, yet very tender and smooth on the inside. You will be pleasantly surprised every time you take a bite.

When you bite into the bean curd skin, the delicious taste and aroma overflows.

Li Aiguo had also eaten bear paws before, and couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"Duanzhang, the place you picked is really good."

Xing Duanchang drank rice wine and said proudly: "Don't be fooled by the small door curtain of this restaurant, it is very famous in Wu Han.

It is a public-private partnership formed by the merger of two time-honored glutinous rice noodle shops, Fuluju and Fuxingju, which have decades of history.

Because it is located at the corner of Zhongshan Avenue and Minsheng Road, it is named Minsheng Dessert House.

In particular, the restaurant's private manager Guo Chunshan was a famous chef.

Now in Wuhan Town, only Laotongcheng's ace master Gao Jinan can compare with him."

Li Aiguo nodded in admiration: "You can have a good meal anywhere. If you want to experience the local customs and culture of a city, it's best to come to a snack bar like this."

"Master, you explained it very well. I felt the profound philosophy." Huang Jing applauded.

Lao Zheng and Liu Qingquan also nodded in agreement.

"We thought the same thing, but we just couldn't express it. After listening to what driver Li said, everything suddenly became clear to us."

Duan Chang Xing: "."

Today, in order to show off, he asked many of Wu Han's old friends and finally found out the details of this famous restaurant.

As a result, the person who was pretending to be cool became Li Aiguo.

Director Xing Duan ultimately blamed the cause on Huang Jing.

Maybe I should take in an apprentice. Just when Section Chief Xing was worried about showing off, Liu Dali from Jiang'an Locomotive Section was also worried about his future.

He is already in his thirties this year, and has never been promoted because of his problematic background and a dark history before liberation.

If I can't win the honor of "first pass", I may only be a small train driver in this life.

Liu Dali’s biggest dream in his life is to become a leader.

Just drinking tea and reading newspapers in the office every day can earn you a high salary and make you feel superior to others.

"No, I can't let Li Aiguo take away what belongs to me!"

Liu Dali finally made up his mind. He took out a wrench and a candle from the drawer, put them around his waist, and pulled down the hem of his work clothes to cover them.

He pushed open the door and walked out of the dormitory, just in time to meet the driver Jiang Shan who was returning to the dormitory after taking a shower and carrying an enamel basin.

"Liu Dali, where are you going so late?" Jiang Shan greeted him.

Liu Dali laughed and said, "Brother Jiang, the dormitory is too stuffy. I'm going out for a walk."

"Are you in a bad mood, Dali? We become train drivers to contribute to the country's economic development, not to win honors.

Even if we don’t get the first pass qualification this time, it doesn’t matter.”

Jiangshan was a little worried about Liu Dali and wanted to do some ideological work on him.

"Brother Jiang, don't worry, I'm fine. But it's a bit too hasty to talk about who will win now."

After saying that, Liu Dali turned around and left.

Looking at his back, Jiangshan scratched his head.

He always felt that this kid was a little strange today.

The Jiang'an Locomotive Depot is very quiet at night. The employees who have been tired all day have returned to the dormitory to rest. There are only a few staff on duty at the station waiting for the night train to return.

Liu Dali greeted the attendant, Lao Chen, and handed him a cigarette.

"Old Chen, is the locomotive of the 131 driver parked here?"

"How can that be possible? Your two Patriotic model locomotives are parked in the maintenance workshop."

Lao Chen took the cigarette and lit it, then suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Dali, I know you may be in trouble this time, but don't worry, you are still the best train driver in our section."

"Old Chen, you are so old, why can't you control your mouth!"

Old Chen had good intentions, but was scolded by Liu Dali and turned away in anger.

"Everyone thought that Li Aiguo was sure to win. How ridiculous."

Liu Dali straightened his collar and came to the door of the maintenance workshop.

At this time, all the workers in the workshop had gone off work, and two security officers, Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhang, were still on duty at the door.

"Thank you for your hard work, brothers."

"It's Liu Dache. Why are you here so late?" Xiao Chen asked with a frown.

"Oh, didn't we make a mistake while driving today? So I thought I'd get familiar with the steam locomotive and make up for the lost points during tomorrow's driving." Liu Dali said.

Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhang looked a little embarrassed.

Liu Dali said, "Last time, didn't I go into the maintenance workshop with Jiang Dache, and there was no trouble?"

"Besides, you are from the Jiangan Locomotive Depot. You can't just watch outsiders take away your honor, right?"

Hearing this, Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhang were a little hesitant. They certainly couldn't just sit back and watch the Beijing Railway Bureau take the lead.

That would be like a slap in their face.

Seeing this, Liu Dali took out two packs of Great China cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed them into the pockets of the two men.

"Are you still worried about my brother's work? Don't worry, there won't be any trouble."

Touching the cigarette box in their pockets, Xiao Chen and Xiao Zhang looked at each other, took out the key and opened the door of the maintenance workshop.

"Thanks!"

Liu Dali struck a match, lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and walked slowly into the workshop.

As the iron door closed again, the workshop fell into darkness again.

The bright moon was covered by dark clouds, and the whole Wu Han sank into darkness.

Finished dinner.

Li Aiguo rubbed his round belly, went to the supply and marketing cooperative not far away, and hung up the phone with Lao Mao.

On the phone, Lao Mao told Li Aiguo in code that everything was normal on the bridge in the past two days and no trace of the enemy was found.

"As the ceremony date draws closer, you must be careful."

Li Aiguo gave some instructions and hung up the phone.

The lights on the road were dim and blurry, with only a few car lights passing in the distance. In the silent atmosphere, Li Aiguo fell into deep thought.

The first two action groups were forced to launch attacks early due to pressure from the other side, even though they knew they were likely to fail.

How come the last action team is so patient?
Did he have a winning plan or had he infiltrated the bridge's security personnel?
Li Aiguo quickly denied the latter idea.

When Zhou Wenzhong first came to Wu Han, the first thing he did was to organize the personnel and re-screen all the security personnel.

It can be said that even small things like secretly pulling a female classmate's hair when he was a child were remembered clearly.

The most taboo thing in doing underground work is to make groundless suspicions about your comrades without any evidence.

In that case, the enemy would be thrown into disarray before they even have time to launch an attack.

"Let the wind blow from all directions, I will remain unmoved!"

Li Aiguo straightened his collar and strode into the crowd.

The next day.

The second day of the driving plan.

Early in the morning, Li Aiguo and Cao Wenzhi came to the station together.

Just like yesterday, Huang Jing first checked the locomotive, and after finding that there was nothing unusual, she signed her name on the dispatch book.

"Patriotic, we must work hard today! As long as we can perform well in today's driving, we will definitely win."

Director Xing patted Li Aiguo's shoulder heavily.

"Captain Duan, don't worry, I will never let you down." Li Aiguo nodded heavily.

As a train driver, the opening of the bridge to traffic for the first time is also very attractive to Li Aiguo.

Afterwards, Section Chief Xing also gave individual encouragement to Cao Wenzhi and the driver team, Liu Qingquan, and Lao Zheng.

Even Huang Jing, a young girl who had just joined the maintenance depot, received instructions.

The Qianmen Locomotive Depot was bustling with activity, but the Jiangan Locomotive Depot was rather quiet.

Because Liu Dali made a low-level mistake yesterday, Section Chief Meng felt that this maiden mission had nothing to do with the Jiangan Locomotive Depot.

He said to the driver and co-driver team in a calm tone: "Do your best and don't feel any psychological pressure."

Jiang Shan and the other members of the driver team all looked depressed and nodded silently.

Liu Dali said cheerfully, "Don't worry, Section Chief. Our locomotive section will definitely win this time."

"Da Li, what nonsense are you talking about?" Jiang Shan saw that he was bragging again and hurriedly pulled his arm.

"Who is talking nonsense? There is still one day left and more than a dozen trains to run. Maybe those people in Qianmen Locomotive Depot will make mistakes." Liu Dali shook off Jiangshan's arm.

Director Meng thought Liu Dali had some clever trick up his sleeve.

Hearing this, he smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Li Aiguo and the others are all experienced drivers. They can drive safely even with their eyes closed. How could they make mistakes?"

“That’s hard to say.”

Liu Dali sneered at Li Aiguo, said something and got on the train.

Their voices were so loud that even Director Xing heard them and warned Li Aiguo and Cao Wenzhi.

"Although the other party has some wild ideas, you still have to be serious and don't be careless."

"Don't worry, Chief!"

Li Aiguo agreed and followed Cao Wenzhi onto the locomotive.

Accompanied by two clear whistle sounds.

Eat, eat, eat
Two heavily loaded trains roared out of the Jiangan Locomotive Depot.

The train and the rails collided with a loud clanging sound, and the morning sun shone on the rails, emitting a golden glow.

The water vapor rising from the locomotive's exhaust valve looks like rainbows.

Steam was spewing from the front of the locomotive, the connecting rods were turning up and down, and it was climbing the hill with a grunt.

From time to time, the whistle would blow loudly, sparks would float from the front of the train from time to time, and the smell of sulfur from burning coal would drift in the wind.

Steam locomotives are the most impressive, with that industrial feel and power!
As a train driver, Li Aiguo was in high spirits and started his driving plan for the new day.

There was no maintenance on the bridge today, so the train quickly passed the Yangtze River Bridge, then turned to the station in front, changed direction, and headed towards the bridge.

The first two driving plans were completed smoothly, and the atmosphere in the front of the car relaxed.

Old Zheng and Liu Qingquan told some jokes that were not so vulgar, which made Zheng Yuanshan laugh.

When they were five kilometers away from the bridge, Li Aiguo suddenly asked, "Old Zheng, is your coal filling rate too high?"

"No." Lao Zheng stopped shoveling and said, "There is no uphill here. I filled the coal according to the rules of 10, 280, 15."

10, 280, 15 are the coal feeding standards for boiler operators, which means that one shovel of coal weighs 10 pounds, and 15 shovels of coal are added within 280 minutes.

This method of coal filling was summed up by workers in long-term work. It can not only maintain sufficient power on flat ground, but also save coal.

Li Aiguo looked at the constantly jumping barometer on the instrument and frowned.

Co-driver Liu Qingquan also noticed something unusual.

"Normally, our train is fully loaded. The amount of coal Lao Zheng put in is not enough to increase the air pressure so quickly."

Once the air pressure exceeds the critical value, it can easily cause a barrel explosion.

Although Li Aiguo was not clear about the reason for the rising air pressure, he immediately asked Liu Qingquan and Lao Zheng to add water.

Lao Zheng immediately shouted at the top of his voice, "Fetch water."

Liu Qingquan immediately stuck his head out to look, and Li Aiguo also turned sideways to observe the situation outside through the observation hole.

When they made sure that there was no one along the railway line, they each responded with "pulling water".

Lao Zheng received the signal and then pulled the joystick.

Zheng Shanyuan nodded frequently as he watched. This operation was the standard procedure for adding water.

The reason why "pulling water" by train is so lengthy is that in order to add water under the high temperature and high pressure in the furnace, the steam mixing valve of the water injector needs to be opened first.

The water vapor in the steam mixing valve is responsible for guiding the emptying water injector. After guiding the water flow, this part of the water vapor needs to be discharged outside the locomotive immediately.

High-temperature and high-pressure steam can easily scald passers-by.

(End of this chapter)