Era: Craftsmen in the Siheyuan

Chapter 6 Repairing the Bell
Chen Xueru's eyes turned and she said: "Bring this thing in together."

Xu Deyong blinked and said, "Sister, I won't sell it."

Chen Xueru said calmly: "I remember that my old Hou had a toolbox..."

Xu Deyong immediately changed his words and said: "Sister is different. I will listen to my sister in everything."

He untied the rope, hugged the clock and followed Chen Xueru upstairs.

Chen Xueru said: "Put the things there first. Have you brought the wine?"

Xu Deyong put down the clock and took out a bottle of wine from his pocket and said, "Don't worry, we are a gentleman who never breaks his promise."

Chen Xueru said: "You are just a three-wheeler. You should be a gentleman and stop putting gold on your face."

Xu Deyong smiled and was noncommittal.

Chen Xueru took the wine and looked at it carefully, nodded and said: "Yes, if you get it again in the future, bring it to me so that I can treat guests and give gifts."

Xu Deyong nodded and said, "Okay."

Getting there depends on luck, but that doesn't stop him from agreeing first.

Chen Xueru slowly took out a card worth five yuan, a card worth three yuan, and a card worth two yuan.

Yes, you read that right, at this time there was money with a face value of three yuan, and due to our country’s backward printing technology, the large denominations of three yuan, five yuan, and ten yuan were printed by the great northern countries.

Among them, ten yuan, commonly known as "big black ten" and "big white edge", were not officially circulated until the end of [-].

Later, due to the deterioration of relations between the two parties, these three types of large-denomination banknotes were withdrawn within a time limit in [-], stopped from circulation, and a new generation of banknotes printed by themselves were used.

Xu Deyong rubbed his hands in surprise and said, "So many, sister, you are so open-minded."

Chen Xueru said: "Don't be happy first. If your clock can be repaired, help me take a look at the grandfather clock over there. It will slow down a bit as time goes by. If you repair it, you can take all the money. If you can't repair it, you can only take it." Seven dollars.”

Xu Deyong looked at the floor-length clock standing not far away. It was made of fine red sandalwood and seemed to have some history at first glance.

As the saying goes, this big grandfather clock can still operate normally, but it is a little inaccurate after a long time. Most likely it is because it has not been lubricated for a long time, or there is a small problem with the swing wire.

It's easy to say, but most people don't dare to dismantle it casually.

Xu Deyong said: "Well, sister, where are the tools?"

As he spoke, he took off his hat and put it aside, looking at Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru's eyes flickered, she paused for a moment on Xu Deyong's face and said, "Follow me."

Xu Deyong smiled and followed Chen Xueru to a utility room.

"It should be in the corner, go and look for it yourself." Chen Xueru pointed with her delicate white hand.

Xu Deyong nodded and went in, and soon found a wooden toolbox with many miscellaneous old things in it. He glanced around and found something very interesting.

So he walked over and took it out and said, "Sister, can this thing still be used?"

Chen Xueru raised her eyebrows and said: "It can't be used long ago, why do you want it?"

Xu Deyong said with a smile: "It's still my sister. You can see my intention at a glance, so you can just sell it to me as scrap."

"Hey." Chen Xueru rolled her eyes at him and said, "I won't sell it."

The smile on Xu Deyong's face condensed. Chen Xueru was so open-minded. What he thought was a sure thing actually failed?
"But..." At this time, Chen Xueru changed her voice and said: "I can give it to you, but the premise is that you have to be responsible for repairing my grandfather clock. If it can't be repaired, you can take it out for me to repair, and you will bear all the costs yourself. "

Xu Deyong's smile continued and he said, "Okay, just do what my sister said."

This bitch is really good at teasing people with her tongue, making people move forward one after another, and she firmly takes the initiative!

Xu Deyong took the things out and put them aside, then opened the tool box. There were quite a few tools inside. He took out a screwdriver and opened his clock, and soon the structure inside was revealed.

Precise links, dozens of small gears meshing with each other, full of mechanical beauty.

Sure enough, the pendulum reed connected to the pallet fork at the back of the watch movement was broken. If this thing is broken, the clock cannot run.

It may also be because it has been dropped and has not been maintained. The gears show signs of shifting and rust.

After checking it himself, he already had an idea.

Chen Xueru was originally curious, but when she saw him turning the clock core over and over, she said impatiently: "Do you know how to cultivate? Don't waste time here."

Xu Deyong put down the clock core and said with a smile: "Sister, don't be in a hurry when repairing things. You must consider and observe all aspects. Now I have a plan in mind."

Chen Xueru glanced at her beautiful eyes and said, "Then what are you waiting for?"

Xu Deyong spread his hands and said, "I need clock oil, but I can't buy it here."

Chen Xueru raised her chin slightly and said, "Put the things here, go and buy them."

Xu Deyong said: "Sister, please do your work first. I'll be back as soon as I can."

After saying that, he took his hat and trotted downstairs.

Seeing this, Chen Xueru couldn't help but twitching her lips, "Young man, don't mention it, he's quite handsome!"
If you can repair a clock, you have a lot of skills!
Her eyes fell on the red wooden box that Xu Deyong had brought out before. Could it be that he could repair this too?

Thoughts flashed through her mind, and she went downstairs to check out the store.

Xu Deyong pedaled three wheels very fast. He asked two watch shops to buy watch oil, but it was really expensive. A small bottle costs [-] cents and a large bottle costs [-] cents.

He spent two cents on a large bottle, which he might need in the future, and another five cents on a pendulum reed the size of a fingernail.

I took out two yuan to pay the bill. The boss was an old man in his 50s wearing glasses. While changing the money, he said: "Young man, do you want to repair the clock?"

Xu Deyong smiled and said, "You can see it."

The boss said earnestly: "This clock is a big piece. If you don't understand it, don't repair it randomly. Otherwise, it will easily get worse and worse, and it will cost more to repair it later."

Xu Deyong said: "Thank you for reminding me. I know a little bit about it. At least I won't repair it." "Oh." The boss slowly counted the money carefully and said, "Then who did you learn this craft from?"

Xu Deyong leaned against the counter and looked at the various clocks in the store and said casually: "I didn't learn from anyone, I just figured it out by myself."

Hearing this, the boss looked up and looked at Xu Deyong and said: "You can bring the clock over and I will give you some guidance when repairing it. If you can repair it, how about I accept you as an apprentice in the shop?"

Xu Deyong smiled and said: "Thank you, but I am a three-wheeler. If I work for you, there will be no one to ride."

The boss said: "You can rent out the three-wheeler and make two profits!"

"I'm used to your compliments. I'm afraid I'll cause trouble to you." Xu Deyong said politely.

The boss said nothing more and handed him the change.

Xu Deyong took it, nodded and left, rushing back without stopping.

Huh, part-time job?

He quickly returned to Xueru Silk Shop and greeted Chen Xueru.

Chen Xueru was greeting the guests and waved her hand to let him go up first.

Xu Deyong was not polite and asked the tailor in the shop for some scraps of rags. He went upstairs and concentrated on repairing the clock. He first released the power from the spring, carefully removed the gears, and then dipped some oil into them before using them again. Wipe clean with a cloth….

He concentrated on his work and ignored Chen Xueru's visit. It took him more than an hour to finally handle the watch movement and re-oil the key parts without even letting go of the spring.

Checking it carefully again, he showed a satisfied and satisfied look.

Then wind the clock with the key, and the moving pinions start turning.

over!

Fix the watch movement, install the hands, hang the pendulum, and move the hands to the hour.

"Dang, Dang...!"

The clear and distant bell rang.

Not to mention, I miss it a bit!
"Oh, it's not bad. It seems to have been repaired. It took a while." Chen Xueru came up and praised with a smile.

Xu Deyong adjusted the time, put the repaired clock aside, stretched and said, "I'm not embarrassed at all by lending you my precious land and tools."

Chen Xueru poured him a cup of tea herself and teased: "Master Xu, have a cup of tea, take a rest and continue."

Xu Deyong picked it up and took a sip. He couldn't tell the quality of the tea, so he praised it artfully: "Good tea, but one cup of tea changed me from a younger brother to Master Xu. This is a downgrade."

Chen Xueru poured herself a drink and said, "Don't be such a mouthful, when did I admit that you are my brother?"

Xu Deyong said with a playful smile: "Whether you admit it or not, you are my sister."

After chatting for a few words, Xu Deyong did not forget the business and stood up to start dismantling Chen Xueru's grandfather clock.

This is a big thing, and you can't afford to pay for it if it breaks.

I carefully disassembled it and observed the watch movement inside. It was indeed not a big problem. The balance wire was a little bit missing. Just adjust it. This thing determines whether the clock is accurate or not.

After that, I re-oiled every place and tidied it up neatly. It took about twenty minutes to complete.

Chen Xueru raised her eyelids and said, "Is this good? Are you trying to deal with me?"

Xu Deyong said: "That's not possible. I can't repair it for an hour or two before you believe that I'm not just perfunctory, right? This clock is repaired even if it is sent to a watch shop, but they ask you to pick it up in three days, and then charge you three to five dollars. piece!"

Chen Xueru sighed and said: "Well, let's start with the ugly words. If it's not accurate in ten days and a half, what we said before is not just talk."

Xu Deyong said: "Okay, after I guarantee the repair, I will come over to check when the time comes. If I don't come, you can go to my house to find me."

Chen Xueru rested her elbows on the table, fanned her hands and said, "If anyone wants to find you, take your things with you!"

Xu Deyong said: "Sister, you are busy, I will see you later."

After saying that, the person didn't leave.

Chen Xueru took a sip of tea and said slowly: "Is there anything else?"

"Um..." Xu Deyong seemed a little embarrassed and scratched his head: "Sister, can you lend me this tool?"

The best way to interact with others is to borrow things, return them again and again, and keep borrowing and seeing each other.

No matter what happens in the future, there is no harm in being in touch!
Chen Xueru rolled her eyes, feeling that this boy seemed to be hiding other intentions, and said flatly: "I won't borrow it. I made so much money today, so I can buy it myself."

Xu Deyong suddenly showed a sarcastic look and said: "Can't we save a little bit? Sister, you are busy, I'm leaving."

So I picked up my things and went downstairs, fixed them and went straight home. After all, I couldn't solicit customers with my things.

On the way, he went to the hardware counter and bought a hammer, pliers, boards, screwdrivers, tweezers, nails and other tools. There were more than ten kinds of tools, large and small, which cost him five yuan.

Too expensive!

My net worth shrank by half in an instant, and I couldn’t do repairs without any financial resources. Not to mention buying tools, it took a long time to learn how to do it.

There is no way. Nowadays, industrial products are expensive and knowledge is even more rare. Who can let industry fall behind?

Moreover, electric irons are not yet available, not to mention that digital multimeters have not yet appeared.

Without a multimeter, his skills in repairing radios were in vain….

Well, it’s not in vain. If it cannot be repaired in detail, it can be replaced directly, and it can also be assembled.

For example, the wooden box he brought from Chen Xueru's house, and the ore radio produced before liberation!

(End of this chapter)