In 1992, a small village owner became the richest man in the village by owning a car.

Chapter 349 Asking Old Liang for Help: The Repairman's Welding Skills

"Old Ji, who's that? Working in the rain." Yu Dawei led a group of people to the new dormitory.

The new dormitory was just renovated, and Lao Ji and his brothers moved in a couple of days ago. The heated kang bed is very warm, but the downside is that it uses a lot of firewood.

There were three large communal sleeping quarters made of rammed earth. The outermost room had a large stove with two large iron pots. Near the south wall were wooden bundles for burning firewood and corn cobs.

Yu Dawei's decision to build this dormitory with adobe bricks seems quite wise in retrospect.

Firstly, this type of house can be renovated faster than so-called brick and tile houses, basically taking only one to two months to complete. Secondly, the cost is relatively low, making it the most cost-effective option for Fanfan Repair Shop at present.

Yu Dawei's gaze wasn't just on everything at Fanfan Repair Shop in front of him; he was looking at what was to come.

If Fanfan's repair shop is done well, then both the dormitory-style accommodation and the small rooms next door will need to be redesigned.

Given the current state of technology, many specialized lifting equipment for repairs cannot be used. Yu Dawei then thought of building a simple facility first, whether it be a repair shop or a place to stay.

As technology advances, the style of dormitory reconstruction may change. Water and electricity systems will be upgraded, and facilities such as showers and toilets will need to be added later.

However, given that the town doesn't even have a sewer system, it's simply unrealistic.

Therefore, Yu Dawei's current method of building houses using rammed earth is a good option for Fanfan Repair Shop.

"It's Taozi, with two apprentices, finishing up what they didn't do yesterday." Old Ji added firewood to the stove. "Yesterday, these lads put the gearbox gears on the wrong thing, and Taozi gave them a good scolding."

"They deserve a scolding. They're already this careless since they've just started in this line of work. How can we expect them to work alone in the future? Who are they?" Yu Dawei picked up the pot lid, found it was full of water, and put the lid back on.

“Wu Zhuang, that’s the kid who blocked the carriage yesterday.” Old Ji knew that Yu Dawei didn’t have a very good impression of those apprentices, so he explained.

After putting the lid on the pot, Yu Dawei remembered that the kid was Taozi's apprentice. He was fairly well-proportioned, didn't look very old, and had a rather irritable temper.

“Here’s what we’ll do: set a six-month probation period. If things go well after six months, you’ll become a full-time employee in the factory, with the lowest salary without bonuses. If you perform well next year, you’ll get bonuses and commissions.” Yu Dawei leaned closer to Lao Ji and whispered, “If things don’t go well after six months, you can choose to leave or continue as an apprentice for another six months. If that still doesn’t work out, then we won’t take you on.”

“Let’s refine the details of this proposal a bit more, and then we’ll tell the apprentices about it.” Yu Dawei made this proposal mainly to put some pressure on the apprentices.

A six-month trial period is enough time for them to learn how to disassemble and assemble most mechanical parts.

Even the most slow learner, Sun Shunli, could learn to drive in two months, so Yu Dawei felt that there was nothing he could force himself to do that he wouldn't be able to do in the future.

Having witnessed Sun Shunli's growth firsthand, Yu Dawei's opinion of the so-called "idiot" changed somewhat.

As long as you put in the effort, even a fool won't be too far behind; this is the result that Yu Dawei has witnessed firsthand.

"Okay, boss." Old Ji nodded, knowing that his boss had some issues with those kids.

Actually, he was wrong about that. Yu Dawei's main goal was to standardize the various rules, regulations, and procedures of Fanfan Repair Shop.

Having your own company standards ensures that you work with purpose, instead of just wasting your time aimlessly.

Later, Yu Dawei planned to obtain several professional titles.

For example, you start as an apprentice, then a junior repairman, an intermediate repairman, a senior repairman, and then a master repairman...

Of course, his mind was in a mess, and he would have to slowly sort it out later.

He wanted to use this method to inspire everyone to be ambitious, to work for themselves first, and then for the factory, and to strive to realize their own life's value.

Afterwards, Yu Dawei asked about the recent situation at Lao Ji's factory, including the number of field rescues and the recent customer flow.

Overall, I'm quite satisfied.

The number of wilderness rescues may not be large, the main problem is that contacting Fanfan Repair Shop is quite difficult, and someone has to come to the shop each time.

This problem is easy to solve. Yu Dawei thought that he would get a telephone before winter, when the wilderness rescue season is in full swing.

This way, people who live far away can directly find a place to call Fanfan's repair shop.

Old Ji then mentioned the repair shop's daily customer traffic, which is currently better than in the first month after the Lunar New Year, with many customers coming from neighboring towns.

Among the several towns under Qingxian County, some are rich and some are poor, but Luhe Town is among the worst, practically on the verge of being labeled as impoverished.

There used to be a flour mill on the south side of the town. In the early 1980s, it was incredibly successful, attracting visitors from the county to learn from its example. Perhaps due to ambition or a lack of drive, the flour mill, over time, became a cornerstone of the era and a stepping stone for others to go further.

So when Yu Dawei heard that cars from several neighboring towns were coming to repair the equipment, he was genuinely happy.

This at least shows that their Fanfan Repair Shop has an advantage compared to repair shops in other towns.

After getting a general understanding of the situation, Yu Dawei found the sheet metal and steel pipes that Brother Duan had brought and prepared to weld things like ovens and grills.

Because the rain wasn't heavy, when Yu Dawei went out to get something, he saw several more masters taking their apprentices out to work on cars.

Yu Dawei glanced at it and then looked away. Perhaps it was because he had a lot of work to do today, or perhaps it was because he saw Squad Leader Tao working. Whatever the reason, as long as he did what he was supposed to do and didn't slack off, that was a good thing.

Six pieces of sheet metal were brought in total, all of them three thicknesses. To be honest, these sheets of sheet metal were actually quite thick.

Yu Dawei's ideal sheet metal is about one thickness, since he's not a professional in this field and only eats it a few times a year.

After it's finished, it'll probably just sit in a corner of the yard collecting dust.

But since we've already brought it here, let's start cutting it.

He took out the cutting machine he had brought back from the Eighth Bureau Equipment Factory, connected it to the power strip using a long power cord, and Yu Dawei specially covered the power strip with a plastic sheet to prevent it from short-circuiting when it rained.

The cutting was done under the eaves outside the dormitory, since that place could at least provide some shelter from the rain.

The cutting machine is practically brand new; it's probably something the factory bought but didn't use much, or perhaps there were a lot of them.

In early March, he brought all the repair equipment from the equipment factory back. There was no place to put it in the house, so he put it in the northwest corner near the toilet and covered it tightly with two layers of large plastic sheeting. He weighed the bottom edges down with iron blocks and wooden blocks to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.

As far as I can remember, there were at least three cutting machines brought back, including large, medium, and small models. The one that Yu Dawei has is a small one, but it should be able to cut steel plates of 3 thicknesses without any problem.

For the oven, first cut three identical iron sheets, then cut a square patch for each side according to the dimensions.

As for the lid, Yu Dawei plans to find a thinner sheet of iron and make a curved lid to leave enough space for the roasted lamb inside.

Finally, use a thin sheet of iron to punch a hole and create a space for storing carbon.

"After the yard became your own, didn't it feel completely different?"

Just as Yu Dawei was thinking about the sheet metal problem, Boss Liang, who was smoking a cigarette, came out from the doorway.

Ever since he got the recipe from Uncle Si, Boss Liang has become radiant and confident. He no longer hesitates when talking to his wife and displays a strong sense of masculinity.

It's unknown whether his past dreams will be realized in the future.

"It's alright. I rarely come back. It's just that when I come to the factory occasionally, I can feel that Brother Duan's courtyard is truly now owned by Yu." From the moment Yu Dawei first came into contact with the courtyard, to later thinking that he could use it for repairs, and then to finally buying it, he had been very careful all the way.

He was afraid that, like before, he would take too big a step and tear his balls.

Judging from the current development of Fanfan Repair Shop, buying this yard will definitely be a profitable venture in the future.

"By the way, don't you have the Fourth Master's formula? Could you get some medicine for me when you have time these next couple of days?" Yu Dawei put down the tin sheet in his hand, looked up at Boss Liang, and said, "Don't use your modified version, just use the one from the Fourth Master's formula. And please copy the formula down for me as well."

"What's going on? You're so young, could it be... that you're impotent?" Boss Liang looked down at Yu Dawei with a suspicious gaze.

“Look at me, I’m as strong as an ox, do I look like I can’t do anything?” Yu Dawei lowered his head and began welding a crank handle and an iron fork with thin steel pipes: “I wanted to get something for my second uncle. Don’t ask me the specifics, just do as I say.”

"I understand, I understand." Boss Liang smiled, indicating that this kind of thing is something only men do, and he understands it all too well. "I'll get the medicine ready tomorrow, and I'll put the prescription directly in the bag for you. When you run out, just have your second uncle get the medicine accordingly."

As if he had just thought of something, Boss Liang squatted down next to Yu Dawei and said, "Also, I went to see Uncle Si a while ago and he told me that he has developed a new formula. I'm planning to try it out. Are you interested?"

"Don't mess around." Yu Dawei turned his head and frowned deeply. "Every medicine has its side effects. Don't let the happiness you've finally got in your hands slip away again."

"No, no, I trust Uncle Si." Boss Liang assured him confidently.

"Whatever you want." Seeing his resolute attitude, Yu Dawei stopped insisting.

While the two were talking, the iron fork and crank handle were already welded on. Yu Dawei then used an angle grinder to make two notches in the middle of the oven, and placed the fork on it. The size was just right.

One more chapter, to be posted at 12 o'clock.
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(End of this chapter)