Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 455: New Business Repair Shop You Think So Far Ahead
In the room, Liu Xuemin placed the tea in front of Xu Ning and said, "The engine has been soaked in water. There is no guarantee that it can be repaired."

Xu Ning pretended not to understand and said, "Why? I was thinking of welding a motorcycle and riding a donkey upside down after I fix it!"

Liu Xuemin was stunned, and asked, sitting opposite him: "What does it mean to ride a donkey upside down on a motorcycle?"

Mounting a motorcycle engine on the rear wheel rack of a donkey-type motorcycle is a product that has only become popular in the late 90s. Nowadays, most donkey-type motorcycles on the streets are pedaled by the feet, because motorcycle engines are difficult to obtain and are extremely expensive.

Xu Ning sat quietly, drinking tea while explaining to him the principle of riding a donkey backwards on a motorcycle. Liu Xuemin was also a craftsman, and he understood Xu Ning's explanation immediately.

"You mean to remove the front fork and front wheel from the motorcycle, weld the handlebars to the grip of the donkey, and insert the accelerator directly into the steel pipe... I understand! But it still needs brakes and a fuel tank, but it can't move with just an engine."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "It is quite troublesome. Isn't that why I came to Brother Liu?"

Liu Xuemin smoked a cigarette and smiled: "Just because you call me Brother Liu, I will do it for you! I will take you to see the master chef later and let him study it..."

"Hey, Brother Liu, don't be anxious. Just listen to me."

"You said."

"If this motorcycle can be made, it will be unique in Qing'an, and the principle is not complicated. People who know the business can learn it at a glance. I think Brother Liu should find a trustworthy person to go to the city or provincial capital to think about opening a motorcycle repair shop. Can't we make money by modifying it ourselves?"

Liu Xuemin was stunned when he heard this, and clapped his hands, "Right! Brothers are smart, this job can really make money. There are still many scrapped motorcycle engines in our agricultural machinery station warehouse. It would be a waste if we sell them as scrap. If we repair them... Haha! Brother Xu, do you want to participate in this job?"

Xu Ning immediately waved his hands and said, "Oh my god, please don't let me get involved. I have a lot of things waiting to be done at home. Brother Liu, how much risk do you take to help me build a four-wheeler? I'm just giving you an idea. You can study the rest on your own. If you really can't think of a solution, you can find my brother Bin, and you two can study together."

Liu Xuemin was stunned and said, "You really don't want to participate? Why do I feel like you are deliberately using my help to repair the engine as an excuse to talk about making money?"

"Hahaha, Brother Liu, stop imagining things. I just thought of it out of the blue."

Liu Xuemin smiled and said, "Okay, no matter whether you did it intentionally or not, Brother Liu has taken note of it. But if you want to get this done, you still have to help me find someone."

"Who?"

"He's good at talking. Zhibin and I have jobs, so we can't just do it blindly."

Xu Ning was stunned: "Brother Liu, what about your relatives?"

"Well, it's not that I don't want to help them, it's just that I can't do anything about it. Two years ago, I bought them two four-wheelers, but when they were returned to me, the blades, tires, and drive shafts were all broken. They even stole shovels and pickaxes. I was convinced..."

Xu Ning nodded and said, "Then I'll recommend someone to you, Qian Shude, the manager of the supply and marketing cooperative. He also knows my brother Bin. I won't get involved in how to assign the three of you to research."

"Qian Shude? Shouldn't he be in charge of the supply and marketing cooperative?"

"He usually has a lot of free time. He just sits and drinks tea in the supply and marketing cooperative. It's a pretty easy job. If you want to do business with him, you can give him a car and let him run around the streets and the city."

Otherwise, Qian Shude would have to go to the city, as his wife would be teaching at a high school next semester, so he would have to go at least twice a week. Besides, he didn't have a car, so he could only ride a bicycle. If he discussed with Liu Xuemin and Hu Zhibin about setting up a motorcycle repair shop, wouldn't it be much more convenient for him?

However, Xu Ning did not mention the fact that Qian Shude's wife was going to teach in the city. He just needed to mention it briefly. It would be bad if he talked about it too much.

"Well, I'll contact them this afternoon. Shall we go find the master craftsman now? You talk to him in detail and it would be best if he could draw a sketch. After that, I'll have him weld a few motorcycles in our street to try."

Xu Ning stood up and said, "Okay, Brother Liu, after we finish talking to the chef, let's go directly to your house. I have to pay you a visit."

"Hahaha, okay!"

"I think you are home now. I went into the mountains yesterday and killed a deer. I'll give you half a deer to try."

Liu Xuemin had just put on his clothes when he heard this and turned around and said, "Brother Xu, you are so thoughtful."

"Hey, the animals in the mountains don't cost money, isn't this a good idea from yesterday?"

Liu Xuemin smiled and asked, "How is your house going?"

"Very good, now the foundation is finished..."

The two of them were chatting about family matters as they walked out, and when they walked out of the office building, they saw Li Fuqiang and his elder brother chatting.

"Old Jin, you're just right here. This is my brother Xu Ning."

Lao Jin nodded: "I know. I recognized him when he got off the car just now."

"Brother, this is the master craftsman from our agricultural machinery station. He can repair four-wheelers, motorcycles, and trucks. Just talk to him directly."

Xu Ning stepped forward and shook hands with him, saying, "Brother Jin, this is what happened..."

After he finished speaking, Lao Jin was silent for a moment, then said, "Then let's take the engine to the repair shop first. You can draw a blueprint. I don't think it will be a big problem."

"Okay! Big brother."

Li Fuqiang turned around and went to the passenger seat and took down the motorcycle engine that had been soaked in water. Lao Jin felt at first glance that the chances of repairing it were slim, but he did not say it on the spot. After the four of them walked into the repair room, Lao Jin found a pencil and draft paper, and Xu Ning took them and started to draw a sketch.

"Yes! This thing works on the same principle as a motorcycle."

Liu Xuemin said, "Old Jin, let's try making a few. It just so happens that we don't have much work these days, so it would be nice to make some extra money."

Lao Jin didn't quite understand and just said, "Ah..."

"I'll talk to you in detail when I get back. You can take a look at this engine first. My brother and I are going out for a while."

"Row."

Lao Jin watched the three people leave and stood there muttering, "Can you make money from doing this?"

Liu Xuemin sat in the passenger seat and pointed out the road. He and Xu Ning talked in detail about renovating the repair shop. Even if Xu Ning was unwilling to participate, he could still provide some ideas, such as what kind of business a repair shop would involve. Xu Ning told him that he could weld sheds for donkeys, stick plastic film, weld car frames, repair bicycles, mend tires, etc. Aren't these all businesses?

It was impossible for Xu Ning to tell Liu Xuemin all the information about this matter. He had to let him figure it out on his own. What Liu Xuemin meant was that he and Hu Zhibin would put up money to set up a repair shop, use their connections, import steel pipes, scrapped motorcycles and other things, and let Qian Shude be the nominal boss. They would then give 20% of the profit to the mechanic, 20% to Qian Shude, and he and Hu Zhibin would each get 30%.

Whether this arrangement was appropriate or not was not Xu Ning's business. Anyway, Liu Xuemin had already revealed his idea, and he had forgotten it after hearing it. Why did Liu Xuemin tell him? Isn't Qian Shude his friend? It's that simple.

Liu Xuemin wrote down what Xu Ning said in the phone book and said, "Old Jin has two apprentices, but our agricultural machinery station can't accommodate them, so they went out to be self-reliant. When the time comes, recruit them back. They will be in charge of the street, and Old Jin will go to the city. How about that?"

"Very good, Brother Liu, you have to sign a contract, and it's best to find a guarantor."

"Understood. I'll talk to Zhibin and Manager Qian later. Have you told Manager Qian?"

Xu Ning shook his head: "I only had this idea when I arrived at the agricultural machinery station. We are talking so much and Lao Qian doesn't know anything." "Okay, Qiangzi, turn into the third house in the alley ahead."

After saying that, the car turned into a narrow alley. The alleys in the street are small, about two and a half meters wide. Large trucks cannot turn around after entering and can only reverse the same way.

Liu Xuemin has two houses on the street, one is an old bungalow and the other is a staff building in a county compound. However, his father doesn't like living in a building, so Liu Xuemin, his wife, children, and his father live in the two bungalows.

After the car stopped, Liu Xuemin shouted towards the yard, and then his wife and children came out. Six or seven seconds later, an old man with silver hair and a cane staggered out of the door. The old man looked energetic, but he had a chronic disease in his left leg. Now that he is old, he has to use a cane, otherwise he cannot stand steadily.

Xu Ning got off the car carrying cigarettes, wine and biscuits. Li Fuqiang trotted to the back of the car, carried half of the deer in the car on his shoulders, and walked towards the gate of the courtyard.

When Liu Xuemin saw it, he was surprised and said, "Oh my god, how come this deer is so big?"

Xu Ning smiled and said, "The big male deer weighed more than 200 kilograms when alive. After it was gutted, the remaining half weighed more than 80 kilograms. Brother Liu, the deer penis and deer skin have all been given to relatives at home, so don't be picky."

Liu Xuemin chuckled and said, "Why should I complain? Such an old and heavy deer would take a family of us a week to eat just one meal!"

Turning his head, he saw the old man, his wife, and the children coming out. He waved and said, "Dad! This is my brother Xu. I heard that you like venison, so I sent it here specially. Take a look at this guy's stuff."

The old man grinned and said, "Ah! This kid is thoughtful. Let your two brothers go into the house quickly, don't stand at the door."

"Uncle, sister-in-law."

"Hey, come on in, bro."

The three of them walked into the courtyard, and the old man said with a smile: "Usually Xuemin doesn't bring friends home, it seems that you two have a good relationship."

Liu Xuemin said: "It's good to be serious. My brother can help us find a way to make money."

"Really? That's great. You brothers can work together, but I have to be clear in advance. Don't let money hurt your relationship."

Xu Ning said, "Don't worry, sir. I'm just talking, but Brother Liu will handle the details himself."

Liu Xuemin walked quickly into the house, laid the table against the wall flat, and Li Fuqiang placed half of the deer directly on it.

His wife quickly grabbed the basin and filled it with water, saying, "Brother Li, wash your hands. Here is soap."

"Hey, thank you, sister-in-law."

Liu Xuemin lifted the door curtain and went into the house with Xu Ning. He put the cigarettes, alcohol and biscuits on the floor cabinet and said, "What happened to my uncle's legs?"

"I got this from the war. There's a shrapnel in my cortex that hasn't been removed. When I was young, it hurt when it was cloudy or rainy. Now that I'm older, it hurts almost all day long."

The old man and Li Fuqiang stepped into the house and said, "I have an old illness and it can't be cured. So let's just live like this."

"Then why didn't you go to a big hospital in the province?"

Liu Xuemin said: "I went to the provincial hospital for a checkup, and the doctor said that surgery was not recommended. With the current level of medical care, it is very likely that I will be unable to walk after the surgery because the shrapnel is in the operculum..."

"No way, is this child a native of Qing'an?"

Xu Ning nodded: "Yes, uncle, I am from Qing'an Village of the forest farm."

Liu Xuemin helped his father sit down and said, "Dad, he is the Xu Ning who I told you about yesterday who bravely stood up for justice in Sandahe. This is Li Fuqiang! The two of them shot and killed two bandits, who had ten lives on their hands!"

"Hey! Hero!" The old man's eyes lit up.

Xu Ning waved his hands and said, "Uncle, what kind of hero am I in front of you? You are the hero. Without you, there would be no peaceful life for us now."

Anyone can say nice things, but Xu Ning hit the nail on the head. He has skills in chatting with old men and knows what they like to hear and what they don't like to hear. So his words evoked the old man's memories, but he didn't want to talk more about the war. Whenever he thought about it, sadness would well up in his heart.

Liu Xuemin's father was a very open-minded man, not as stubborn as the other man who had carried a gun. He has reflected on what he had experienced until now. In a word, it was the poem "March of the Chariots" by Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty.

Seeing that Xu Ning was chatting so well with his father, Liu Xuemin felt even more fond of him. His wife also brewed the best tea and gave Li Fuqiang a box of Shilin. Originally, Liu Xuemin's family wanted to keep the two of them at home for lunch, but Xu Ning said frankly that he had guests at home and really couldn't make time, so after chatting until half past ten, he and Li Fuqiang got up and said goodbye.

Liu Xuemin followed the two to the gate of the courtyard, turned to his wife and said, "You can prepare the venison in the evening, whether it is making dumplings or cooking. I will be back after get off work. Zhibin and his two friends may come by then, so you can prepare it."

His wife waved her hand: "Okay! Er Ning Qiangzi, you two should come often."

"Hey, go back, sister-in-law."

The three men got into the car, and Li Fuqiang drove the car back out along the same route, turned the steering wheel to make the car go along the road, and drove towards the agricultural machinery station.

"Come back in a week. Even if the engine you brought can't be repaired, we have extra ones in the warehouse. I'll ask Lao Jin to make you two."

Xu Ning said with a smile: "Brother Liu, one is enough."

"No, we have to buy two. This thing will definitely be convenient for transporting goods, and it doesn't cost much. Don't be polite."

Liu Xuemin got out of the car, closed the door, and waved: "Go back quickly, I will go find Manager Qian and Zhibin later."

"Okay, let's go, Brother Liu."

"..."

On the way home, Li Fuqiang said, cigarette in mouth, "This thing went pretty smoothly."

Xu Ning said, "Brother Liu is a good man. If it were someone else, I would not have agreed so readily if I had walked into his house empty-handed to ask him to do something. Brother Bin's face is very useful."

"Well, can this repair shop make money?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter to us how much we earn. What I'm thinking about is, when Brother Liu, Brother Bin and Brother Lao Qian finish building the repair shop, we can't just repair motorcycles, we have to repair cars in the future, right? Then Biao and Tian En will have a place to go."

"Oh my god, you think too far ahead. I haven't even thought of this."

Xu Ning rubbed his forehead and said, "There is no other way. I have to do what I promised. Biao and Tianen are my younger brothers. If I don't worry about them, who will? Besides, my uncle and second uncle are also very supportive of what I want to do."

"Yeah, that's true... You said before that you were short of money to contract the field, and that my uncle and second uncle were going to spend all their savings."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "We'll talk about the matter of the venue after the notice comes down. By then, every family will have to invest a little, and we'll share the profits uniformly during the summer of the New Year."

"Okay, whatever you say is what I don't understand."

(End of this chapter)