Back to the 80s Machinery Factory

Chapter 388 He can teach the next class.

Is that amazing?!

Although they knew from their first class meeting that the Literature Committee had written a "Practical English Communication Handbook," those everyday conversations were quite different from the professional economic theories they were now translating on-site.

Teacher Lian looked at Chen Luyang with shining eyes, as if she had seen a great treasure. She smiled as she watched him translate.

After Chen Luyang finished translating, Teacher Lian waved happily, gesturing for Chen Luyang to sit down.

"Chen Luyang is absolutely right. Her translation is accurate and gets the meaning right."

"Everyone should learn from Chen Luyang and improve their English. Don't always think about borrowing notes from sophomores, juniors, and seniors."

"What is the original text? It is the source. What you should be doing is understanding the original text and being able to explain the theory."

"Don't just stuff the glossary of professional terms the school gave you into your book cover and use it as a pillow. Memorize it—it'll be useful!"

"Alright, let's continue talking about steamed buns."

Teacher Lian looked at the students in the classroom and said:

"At first, a single bun can relieve your hunger, which is the greatest satisfaction; but the more you eat, the less satisfaction you get, and it can even become a burden."

"This is the law of diminishing marginal utility."

Teacher Lian paused, looked at the many students still in a daze below the stage, and suddenly smiled:

“I know some people haven’t recovered yet. They’re saying, ‘What does steamed buns have to do with economics?’ Well, let me put it another way.”

"You have one dollar in your pocket and want to buy something to eat. Do you want to buy a steamed bun first, or candy first?"

The audience almost unanimously shouted, "Buy steamed buns!"

Teacher Lian laughed: "That's right! If you're hungry, you'll definitely buy steamed buns to fill your stomach first."

"After you've eaten your fill, you can spend a dime to buy a fruit candy to try."

He waved the chalk around and asked, "What if you buy all candy right from the start?"

Someone chuckled quietly: "He'll get a scolding when he gets home!"

Teacher Lian nodded: "Not only will your parents beat you, but you'll also regret eating a couple of bites yourself."

"What?"

"Because you misplaced the marginal utility of that one dollar."

Teacher Lian paused for a beat, then emphasized:

"When you're hungry, a dollar to buy a steamed bun is a lifesaver; when you're stuffed, a dollar to buy candy is a waste."

"This is called: as your consumption increases, the satisfaction from each dollar decreases—diminishing marginal utility."

……

The class is over.

Another group of students rushed to the podium and surrounded it to ask questions.

Chen Luyang had just stuffed the book back into her bag and hadn't even stood up when she was stopped by several people.

"Chen Luyang, could you please repeat the sentence about marginal utility that you just translated? I didn't remember it completely..."

"Chen Luyang, is that how you pronounce the word you just mentioned? I remember my teacher used to pronounce it differently..."

"Chen Luyang, could you help me check if I translated this sentence correctly? I tried to translate it, but it doesn't feel quite right."

"..."

These students come from all over the country and are of varying ages.

But at this moment, they all rushed to Chen Luyang's side.

no way,
You can ask your teacher if you have any questions about theories and concepts in the course.

However, these details, pronunciation, reading, and word choice are precisely where it's easiest to get stuck and where it's hardest to speak up.

They were too embarrassed to ask the teacher, so they could only try asking Chen Luyang.

Chen Luyang never expected to be surrounded by so many people.

There were too many people, and he didn't know who everyone was. He just answered the questions of whoever put their books and notes on his desk.

Some people stood to listen, some squatted to take notes, and even the people in the front row surrounding Teacher Lian were looking this way.

In an instant, the once quiet and orderly classroom was divided into two groups.

A group of people surrounded Teacher Lian, asking "Why?"
A group of people surrounded Chen Luyang and asked, "How do you do it?"

Overall, it seems that there are more people surrounding Chen Luyang.

After all, even the teacher's lessons are simple and easy to understand; every sentence is easy to comprehend. The rest is just a matter of slowly going back to digest and comprehend them.

However, some fundamental flaws and minor shortcomings in knowledge require guidance from "little teachers" like Chen Luyang.

At the podium, Teacher Lian was still explaining the relationship between marginal utility and demand price to several students.

As he got into the conversation, he suddenly glanced up and saw that Chen Luyang's group was surrounded by a large crowd, just like a vegetable stall at an early morning market.

The students half-squatted, leaned against, or held up their notebooks and handed them over, chattering away with questions.

He's even more popular than I am!
Teacher Lian raised an eyebrow.

"...Let him teach the next class so I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Teacher Lian laughed and cursed, then picked up his teacup and left.

He left, but Chen Luyang suffered.

Why are these people asking me questions one after another, without end?
He ate little this morning and now his stomach hurts from hunger, so he wants to go to the cafeteria for a meal.

However, he couldn't tell them to leave, so he could only answer one question after another.

Finally, others couldn't stand it anymore.

As the students entered the classroom for the next class, Tao Runze spoke:

"Let's stop asking questions here for now, so we don't take up the classroom for the next class."

Chen Luyang immediately looked at Tao Runze with immense gratitude.

With Tao Runze in charge of maintaining order, everyone gradually dispersed and left the classroom.

At that moment, Chen Luyang finally relaxed his shoulders and let out a long breath.

I can finally breathe again...

He felt like he was about to suffocate because a bunch of people had surrounded him.

Stepping out of the classroom,

Chen Luyang was so hungry that her chest was practically touching her back.

Instead of going to the library with Tao Runze and his brothers, he went to the cafeteria and got himself a pancake.

He'll have to eat lunch anyway, so he'll just have something to eat now.

After making the pancakes, Chen Luyang was about to take them back to his dorm to eat when he turned around and burst out laughing.

At one of the cafeteria windows, Cui Shaojie was packing up some food.

Cui Shaojie looked extremely hungry.

After taking the steamed bun, Cui Shaojie didn't even wait to return to his dormitory; he stood there and took a big bite.

I was chewing when...
Cui Shaojie discovered Chen Luyang, who was observing him.

Instantly, Cui Shaojie's face turned red from his ears to the roots of his neck.

Chen Luyang walked over, holding up the flatbread in her hand: "I'm hungry too."

Cui Shaojie swallowed the bun in his mouth and said to Chen Luyang, "I was hungry during class and kept thinking about buns."

"I have class, I have to go now!"

With that, Cui Shaojie waved to Chen Luyang, then, with a steamed bun in his mouth and his schoolbag on his back, rushed towards the teaching building.

Chen Luyang has no class next period.

He looked like a demon, munching on a flatbread as he walked towards the school's phone booth. After paying, Chen Luyang picked up the receiver and dialed a number.

He spends every day at school, not only studying but also teaching his classmates and planning the welcome party.
There was simply no time to go back to the car maintenance and repair center.

Chen Luyang was unsure and wanted to make a phone call to ask about the situation.

The phone rang twice.

Then, a clear and bright female voice came from the phone.

"Hello, this is Jinba Auto Repair and Maintenance Center."

"Where are you from????!"

Chen Luyang almost dropped the phone, thinking she was hallucinating.

"This is Jinba Auto Repair and Maintenance Center," the female voice on the phone replied again.

Chen Luyang was stunned.

My car maintenance and repair shop is staffed entirely by men; where would I find a woman?!
Besides, isn't Li He the person in charge of the reception desk?

Li He's using voice changing technology now? ???
"Is Lu Quan here?" After a brief moment of calm, Chen Luyang asked.

"Yes..." The woman's voice on the phone paused, then tentatively asked:

"Are you Chen Luyang?"

Chen Luyang: ...? ? ? ?

"I am Chen Luyang."

The woman's tone on the phone immediately changed:

"Chen Luyang, you're really something! You went to Peking University and you couldn't even hear me?"

Chen Luyang's eyes widened: "Jiang Xiaohua???"

The woman's voice on the phone sounded displeased: "Of course it was me! You're such a bad friend, you can't even recognize my voice when other people are making noise?"

The tone of voice carried strong emotions.

Even through the phone line, Chen Luyang could almost see Jiang Xiaohua rolling her eyes at him.

"Holy crap...it really is you!"

Chen Luyang was at a loss for words, unsure whether to be happy or surprised. He never expected Jiang Xiaohua to appear on the phone.

"Give me a break, you're the one who's not being fair!"

"You left without a word, without even saying goodbye. Engineer Cao missed you so much that he fell ill several times and is now as thin as a mantis."

Jiang Xiaohua spat at him: "You're the mantis!"

Chen Luyang couldn't help but ask, "...Wait, what's going on? Why did you come to our car maintenance and repair center and answer the phone?"

Jiang Xiaohua said, "I saw it in the newspaper and came here myself. Director Lu then assigned me to answer the phone and work at the reception desk."

"Seriously... Chen Luyang, you're really something. You got into Peking University and run a repair center. Where did you get all that ability?"

Chen Luyang and Jiang Xiaohua hadn't seen each other for a long time, and when they suddenly got in touch, Chen Luyang was overjoyed and couldn't help but gloat:

"Talent always shines on its own; it's easily discovered and can't be hidden!"

Before they could finish speaking, they both burst out laughing.

"Let's get down to business. You can work here now, but there's no salary," Chen Luyang said seriously.

The repair center was a small branch of the machinery factory in Pian'er City. All personnel, staffing, and salaries were arranged by the provincial machinery factory.

The factory's personnel department hasn't expanded its workforce yet, and Chen Luyang doesn't have the money to pay her salary.

"It's alright. My home is here, I won't starve," Jiang Xiaohua said casually.

“Okay! I reckon I can get back to the center around October 1st. See you then… By the way, did you tell Engineer Cao about your return?” Chen Luyang asked.

"Not yet." Jiang Xiaohua's voice sounded a little melancholy.

"Just say it! The phone number is right there. Tell him not to keep worrying about you!" Chen Luyang said, getting a little anxious.

They say old women are ruthless!

Cao Qinghang was like an idiot, waiting for Jiang Xiaohua day after day at the machinery factory, remaining chaste.

And then that old woman came back without saying a word!
"I'm a little scared...and a little nervous." Jiang Xiaohua lowered her voice as if afraid others would hear her.

Although it was arranged by my family, there was nothing I could do about it.

But given that she left without saying goodbye first, I wonder if Cao Qinghang will be angry, or... if she has already started going on blind dates.

"My dear little aunt, what are you so afraid of!" Chen Luyang said helplessly.

"If you still want to be with Engineer Cao, just give him a call. If you don't want to be with him anymore, just give him a call and make it clear. What are you so nervous about, you're both grown women?"

"You're the old hag!" Jiang Xiaohua's voice was laced with anger.

"Anyway, it's your business, you two can handle it. I'm an outsider, so it's not appropriate for me to interfere. But you still need to make things clear."

Chen Luyang charges for phone calls, so he doesn't have that much time to provide Jiang Xiaohua with relationship advice.
"Where is Director Lu? Get Director Lu on the phone."

"Director Chen?!"

A short while later, Lu Quanyou's voice came through the phone.

Before Chen Luyang could even ask, Lu Quanyou gave a brief account of Jiang Xiaohua's situation.

Chen Luyang said, "If she wants to stay here, let her work here. Ask the factory about her salary and see if they can give her a temporary job. We shouldn't let her work for us for nothing."

How's the repair center doing lately?

Director Lu glanced back at the three workers—Zhang Guoqiang, Tan Rensong, and Liu Kangwen—who were frowning and gritting their teeth, squatting in front of a Shanghai-plated car, and only reported good news, not bad:

"It's going very smoothly! Several mechanics have come over in the last couple of days, and Master Zhang and his team are still working on their cars."

Chen Luyang said, "Okay! Uncle Lu, you've worked hard. I just started school here and have a lot to do. I'll probably be able to go back around the National Day holiday."

"Take care of whatever comes up this month, and communicate more with the factory."

Director Lu chuckled and said, "Don't worry, don't worry."

After hanging up the phone, Director Lu's smile vanished. He walked back to his work area and asked:
How's the car repair going?

"It won't work, the parts won't fit." Zhang Guoqiang looked at the bolt in his hand, his forehead covered in sweat from his hard work.

This Shanghai-brand sedan was delivered to the government yesterday.

The driver said the accelerator was stuck and it was difficult to start in cold weather, and he wanted them to help take a look.

After inspection, Zhang Guoqiang and his team discovered that the core problem was a loose and aging connection between the carburetor and the intake manifold.

No problem.

However, the specifications of the parts for the Shanghai brand are incompatible with those of the cars manufactured by the provincial machinery factory. The bolt sizes are different, the positions of the sealing rings are different, and the angles are also different.

Without the spare parts, things will be difficult.

"Can you think of a solution?" Director Lu stood beside him, his brows furrowed.

The car repair center has only been open for a few days, and every customer who comes in for repairs could become a long-term client.

Moreover, the other party was driving a government vehicle.

Regardless of whether it's due to incompatible parts or some other problem, if the car can't be repaired and has to be returned, the repair center's reputation will be ruined.

Zhang Guoqiang, Tan Rensong, and Liu Kangwen were also anxious.

Just as the three craftsmen were figuring out how to solve the parts problem,
Suddenly, Zuo Zhuo seemed to remember something and spoke:

"Master, I spent a few days doing parts standardization experiments with the technical workshop. Our factory's screw threads are too tight, while theirs are too wide. If we make a sealing ring with soft copper wire and then do a soft treatment on the interface, it might work!"

Upon hearing Zuo Zhuo's words, the three experienced craftsmen's eyes lit up!

"Let's give it a try!"

(End of this chapter)