The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 281 The Commando Team Launches Another Attack, the Old School Takes on a New Look

Zhou Shanhu pushed the door open, and with a creaking sound, he forcefully pushed open the heavy iron door.

A cold wind blew by, and upon entering the courtyard, a smell of dust mixed with mold and rotting wood hit him, making Qian Jin cough a few times.

This is a fairly large courtyard, which used to be the front yard of a landlord's house and was once the playground of a night school.

Unfortunately, due to years of neglect, the ground is now uneven and covered with thick layers of dead leaves, snow, and unidentified trash.

At the end of the courtyard was a row of single-story houses facing south, in a typical old-style architectural style, with pitched roofs covered with old, dark blue tiles, many of which were broken or displaced.

The walls are made of blue bricks, but in some places the mortar joints have fallen off, exposing the bricks underneath.

Most of the wooden window panes were crooked, and seven or eight out of ten panes of glass were broken. The dark windows looked like listless eyes, indifferently watching the two uninvited guests.

Several classroom doors were hanging crookedly on the doorframes, clearly unusable.

The entire courtyard and school buildings exuded a sense of desolation and decay, as if abandoned by time.

Qian Jin's heart sank; the scene was even worse than he had expected.

However, the school was larger than he had expected, with more main buildings, which was much more important than the dilapidated state of the school buildings.

That's how buying a house works.

Hardware is always much more important than interior design.

It's probably because the leaders saw that the night school was so dilapidated and unusable that they were willing to give it to him for free.

With a mix of disappointment and joy, he walked through the thick dust and fallen leaves into a classroom.

The room was empty, with only a few broken tables and chairs missing arms and legs piled haphazardly in the corner.

Huge spider webs hung in the corner of the roof, and the walls were covered with yellowish-brown stains left by rainwater seepage. Large patches of plaster had curled and peeled off, revealing the rough brickwork underneath.

The ground was an uneven cement floor, covered with thick dust and bird and animal droppings.

The north wind blew in unimpeded through the broken window, making a howling sound. The indoor temperature was not much higher than the outside temperature, and the cold was biting.

"This lousy place is even worse than I imagined!" Qian Jin muttered under his breath, his brows furrowed.

Zhou Shanhu was unsurprised: "Of course. When did the literacy campaign for fishermen start? It was probably done a few years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, right? Anyway, this place has been abandoned since I started school. It's been deserted for more than ten years."

Qian Jin nodded to indicate that he understood.

He kicked the wall.

Okay.

The walls are of excellent quality.

Beneath his large foot, the seemingly dilapidated wall remained completely still.

This is much better than when he took over the supply and marketing cooperative warehouse as a garment processing factory.

Seeing that Lenovo's old, dilapidated warehouse had been transformed into a sturdy new factory, Qian Jin was immediately filled with confidence.

The problem with this old building lies in its interior design; the hardware is fine, and in that respect, it's far better than the two warehouses he acquired before!

The slight frustration he had just felt vanished, replaced by a strong fighting spirit.

Dilapidated means a low starting point, which means there is huge room for transformation!

He carefully inspected the classrooms and the adjacent offices and storage rooms, quickly calculating in his mind the areas that needed repair:

All doors and windows must be replaced, the roof needs to be repaired, the walls need to be repainted, the floor needs to be cleaned and leveled, the electrical wiring needs to be thoroughly inspected and replaced, and then there's the heating...

Heating is the most pressing issue right now.

In the cold winters of the north, without heating, it's impossible to attend classes.

The image of the old house burning coal stoves immediately flashed before my eyes. The danger was too great, and this road was basically blocked.

Moreover, according to his plan, since the school buildings were going to undergo major repairs, he might as well carry out a renovation with a future-oriented perspective.

Not to mention doors, windows, floors, and walls, even the roof and layout of functional rooms need to be changed. It would be best to install pipes and connect the heating system directly!

Qian Jin stood in the empty, cold classroom, looking around at the devastation, and took a deep breath. The cold air made his mind even clearer.

There is no turning back; we can only face the challenge head-on!

It was already past four in the afternoon. It was cloudy, snowing, and there was no sun. Although it wasn't even evening yet, the room was already pitch black.

Qian Jin didn't want to waste time, so he had Zhou Shanhu ride his motorcycle back and call over all the key members of the assault team who weren't setting up their stalls.

One bicycle after another arrived, and a dozen or so people gathered in the dilapidated building.

Qian Jin explained the situation, and Mi Gang subconsciously said, "Chief Qian, why do we always have to clean up these dilapidated houses?"

Zhou Shanhu chuckled and handed Qian Jin a military water bottle.

The kettle was hot to the touch, clearly indicating that it had just been filled with hot water.

He laughed and said, "This is not junk. Let me tell you, Captain Mi, this place used to be the ancestral home of a wealthy landlord in Haibin City. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, you would have to call anyone who owned a house here a 'master'!"

Qian Jin unscrewed the kettle lid, took a sip of hot water, and said, "Old Zhou is right. Don't be fooled by how dilapidated the houses here look; they're not rubbish at all. They're all good things."

“Isn’t this place just closer to the beach and Silver Beach?” The others shook their heads. “The workers’ new village is valuable now; this place has become dilapidated.”

Qian Jin secretly thought that these people really didn't know anything about the business.

A good location is always in the heart of a city.

but……

There are indeed many dilapidated houses in the old city nowadays. Once the government opens up the real estate market, he can buy several more houses.

The thought flashed across my mind.

Because he found it unfeasible.

Some dilapidated houses in the old city are indeed worthless now, and ordinary people don't know their value, but the country doesn't allow them to be traded.

Once the government allows the trade, the residents of the old town will be incredibly shrewd, knowing full well the value of the old town. If they want to buy it then, they'll have to pay a high price.

"Chief Qian, this area also needs renovation? That's quite a project!" Shi Zhentao rubbed his hands together, his breath steaming in the air, his brows furrowed deeply.

"All the doors and windows need to be replaced, the roof needs to be repaired, the walls need to be plastered, the floor needs to be leveled, and the electrical wiring..."

He pointed to a few dark, cracked old electrical wires dangling under the eaves, "These things look scary, we might have to replace them all."

"The key issue is that it's freezing cold here, which not only makes the work difficult for the brothers, but also makes it hard to find materials."

Su Changshun walked around the house, tapping and knocking, carefully checking the extent of damage to the doors and windows and the sturdiness of the walls:
"The door and window frames are quite damaged and need to be reinforced or rebuilt."

"The plaster on the walls needs to be scraped off and repainted. The key issue is heating. Chief Qian, you just said we need to solve the heating problem here? Good heavens, how are we going to solve such a large area of ​​buildings?"

Qian Jin remained silent, then asked, "Are these houses even worse than the two warehouses we repaired before?"

Chen Xing, who had just been promoted to captain of the eighth team, said frankly, "That's impossible. The structure of this building is much better than that of the warehouse. The problem is, there are a lot of buildings here. My dear Captain Qian, there must be fifty or sixty buildings here, right?"

"There are more buildings behind us! Damn, we brothers have never repaired any of them!"

Jiang Dabao, the foreman of the electrician team, nimbly climbed up a crooked utility pole next to the wall.

After inspecting the lead wire, he jumped down again, his face grave: "Chief Qian, this line is no good. It's too old, the insulation is crumbling, and several joints are corroded."

“These are all fire hazards. All the wiring must be replaced, and the switches and sockets in the house also need to be replaced.”

Su Changshun pointed to the building behind: "I just went to check, and some bastards from somewhere pulled all the electrical wires down..."

Zhou Shanhu coughed.

Zhu Tao asked him with concern, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold?"

Zhou Shanhu blinked, speechless.

He's that scoundrel who stole the electrical wires.

The electrical wires in the buildings behind are all copper wires; once extracted, they can be melted down into copper blocks and sold for a high price.

Qian Jin listened to their report with a calm expression.

After the lively discussion subsided, he said, "I know there are many difficulties, but there are always more solutions than problems!"

"Time is tight and the task is heavy. We need to get the school in good condition before the Chinese New Year."

"There's also the issue of heating, which is a crucial problem. Let's all think of a solution..."

He shared his idea of ​​converting the night school into a training school with everyone, and also shared the feedback he received from the Civil Affairs Bureau and the Fire Brigade.

In a word.

This building absolutely needs renovation!
Everyone fell silent for a moment, their brows furrowed.

Zhou Shanhu tentatively asked, "One stove per room, which school doesn't use this for heating these days, right?"

Qian Jin shook his head: "The fire brigade won't approve it. Rural schools can use this method for heating, but urban schools don't allow it for safety reasons. They say they're afraid of causing fires or carbon monoxide poisoning."

Su Changshun immediately retorted: "Nonsense..."

"Whether he's talking nonsense or not, besides, I don't plan to use an iron stove to burn coal for heating," Qian Jin interrupted him.

"Then use an electric stove? I saw on TV that some residential communities in the capital and Shanghai have started using electric stoves for heating. Electric stoves won't cause carbon monoxide poisoning," Zhou Shanhu said.

Jiang Dabao laughed: "You expect the power lines here to power the electric furnace? Don't even think about it! Besides, we wouldn't be able to afford the electricity bill!"

He waved his hand, stating his position firmly: "An electric stove is definitely not going to work. With this broken circuit, even electric blankets are unusable for so many people in the school!"

Just then, Shi Zhentao's gaze inadvertently swept over an empty diesel drum lying in the corner of the yard.

This is an old-fashioned iron bucket, covered in rust. I don't know if it was kicked or what, but the bucket is dented in one section.

Upon seeing this, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly walked over and kicked the bucket, producing a dull and grating "thump-thump" sound.

"Chief Qian, look at this," Shi Zhentao said, pointing to the large oil drum. "Isn't this thing sturdy enough? Can we modify it and turn it into a big furnace?"

Zhou Shanhu shook his head helplessly: "Why make it into a big furnace? They don't allow coal stoves."

Shi Zhentao patted the cold iron bucket with his rough, large hands: "It's not a coal stove, it's not going to be put in the classroom, it's going to be like those universities, we'll set up a boiler room."

“Listen to me, these oil drums are still too small. Chief Qian, you must have connections since you were a leader in Jia Port. Find those large iron oil drums that are used on ships in maritime shipping.”

The group looked at him, completely bewildered.

Shi Zhentao gestured and said, "At the end of last month, I went to my second uncle's place. He works at a marble factory in the suburbs. It was very cold in the factory, so they installed a makeshift heating system. I thought we could do it too."

"I was staying in the boiler room to keep warm at the time, and that's when I learned about this makeshift heating system, because I was thinking about whether I could get one for my building."

"It's a pity that we can't do it in our community because we don't have a place to use it as a boiler room, but the school has many buildings and there are boiler rooms available."

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes, there was a boiler room back when we were in night school."

He kicked open a door.

The ground inside was covered in dust mixed with a lot of coal slag.

Shi Zhentao came over and found an open space, gesturing: "Get a large oil drum for ships and put it here."

"We'll find a blacksmith to fix it up, cut open the lid, make a big opening on the side of the barrel to serve as a furnace door, build a furnace chamber inside with bricks or refractory mud, and then make a few holes in the top of the barrel to connect a long chimney to vent the smoke out."

"The key is at the bottom of the barrel, a certain distance off the ground, where we weld a 'water jacket,' like in a boiler room. When we light a fire, the flames and hot air go out from the outside of the water jacket to heat the water inside."

"Thick pipes were connected to both the top and bottom of the water jacket, leading to each classroom. Thick straw ropes were wrapped around the pipes for insulation. In this way, the hot water circulated in the pipes, which would heat the classrooms, wouldn't it?"

"Water heating? It really is a makeshift heating system!" Qian Jin laughed. "Wow, Captain Shi, you're quick-witted! You can even build a heating boiler?"

Shi Zhentao said with a hint of pride, "I was doing this at my second uncle's workplace back then, hehe."

"Get more oil drums, put more boilers side by side, and get some iron pipes. As long as the oil drums are big and thick enough, and the iron pipes can be matched with them, then the boiler body and heat sink will be ready."

"However, welding and pipe laying must be done carefully, and the sealing must be done well to prevent smoke and water leakage."

Zhu Tao figured it out too, and a smile appeared on his dark face: "Hey, making use of waste, this is a good method, and it's safe enough."

"The chimney leads outside, and the smoke and sparks are all in the barrel. It burns coal, and the fire is strong enough. As long as the chimney is tall and unobstructed, the fire department should be able to accept it. It's much better than just putting a coal stove inside the house!"

Qian Jin nodded repeatedly as he listened.

The wisdom of the masses is boundless.

Isn't this just the most primitive, locally adapted earthen boiler heating system?

It is low in cost, uses locally sourced materials, and has relatively controllable safety.

Zhou Shanhu understood, then poured cold water on the idea, saying, "You guys have a great idea, I know what you're going to do, but let me tell you, it's useless, basically useless!"

"How big is the boiler for heating in that building? How much coal does it burn? It's definitely warm."

"I know about the kind of earthen heating system you're talking about, Stone. To be honest, comrades, when I was in the barracks, the leaders and instructors used this kind of thing."

"But it was taken apart after less than one winter. It really wasn't very useful. We still need to replace it with a proper heating system!"

"Don't even think about proper heating. There aren't many buildings on Taishan Road that have proper heating," Zhao Bo shook his head.

Mi Gang also said, "Don't even mention Taishan Road, the workers' new village of Qian Zongdui doesn't have heating either. Now only the cadre buildings of some good units have heating."

"If you ask me, Chief Qian, let's not count on the heating in the room. Just seal all the back windows with plastic sheeting, and make sure all the doors and windows are sturdy and airtight. That will be just as warm!"

Qian Jin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head decisively: "No, we must fix this earthen heating system."

Earthen heating systems are indeed not warm enough.

But the problem is...

You can buy a proper large boiler in the mall!
These boilers have a powerful heating capacity, but their origin cannot be explained if they are brought out rashly.

If we start with earthen heating first, and then secretly replace the earthen boiler with a standard boiler of the future, then no one will have anything to say.

Then we can hire a boiler operator who is more discreet, or even find a mute person to work as a boiler operator, which can help solve the employment problem for deaf and mute people in society.

Kill two birds with one stone!
This solidified Qian Jin's idea of ​​building a makeshift heating system: "Shi Zhentao, you're quick-witted, I have to give you credit for that!"

The idea that flashed into his mind was approved on the spot by the leader, and Shi Zhentao was very pleased, chuckling to himself.

Qian Jin instructed, "Follow this approach. Zhentao, you are a key technical expert. You are responsible for designing the pipeline and chimney layout. Make sure the drawings are detailed to ensure smooth circulation."

"As for the oil drums and the blacksmith, I'll figure that out. Modifying the main body of a boiler room furnace shouldn't be a problem."

"Zhu Tao, you will be in charge of all the work at the mobile canteen. Zhao Bo, you and Su Changshun will come over and lead the team to clean up."

"First, clear all the garbage and debris out of the yard, then organize manpower to prepare for painting the walls, replacing the windows and doors, and repairing the ground and roof!"

"That's all for today. It's snowing, so we can't go up on the roof. But judging from the overcast skies, the snowfall isn't too heavy, and it'll probably stop tonight. So, we'll all come over tomorrow to conduct an inspection."

"Tell me immediately what materials you're missing, and I'll get them all sorted out next week!"

Mi Gang hesitated for a moment, then said, "Chief Qian, I reckon the thing we need most here is wood."

"We'll have to replace all the doors and windows. When the school opens, we'll need desks and chairs, and even bookshelves and such. All of that will require wood, a lot of wood!"

Qian Jin replied without hesitation, "Then I'll take care of the wood problem. I can handle that!"

He acted swiftly and immediately assigned tasks.

The labor shock brigades now have a large number of members, and a large number of people certainly means greater strength.

Apart from the People's Mobile Canteen, the People's Clothing Factory, and the People's Mobile Repair Shop, which remained open as usual, all other members of the task force came to No. 120 Kunlun Mountain on Sunday to conduct a collective sanitation campaign.

Just as Qian Jin had predicted, the snow stopped that very night.

So the following Sunday, this long-forgotten, dilapidated courtyard on Kunlun Mountain Road was instantly brought to life by the enthusiastic work chants.

After years of silence, the air began to fill with various smells and sounds.

Quicklime mixed with water produces steam.

The freshly sawn wood emitted a pleasant fragrance, the metal objects clanged as they were struck, and the team members exhaled puffs of white breath and shouted loudly.

The yard is like a battlefield!
Shi Zhentao led a team of strong and capable men, like warriors charging into battle.

They wielded shovels and brooms, clearing away the withered branches, fallen leaves, rubble, and discarded debris that had accumulated in the yard for who knows how many years.

Large brooms swept across the uneven ground, raising clouds of dust. The team members, wearing simple masks or simply covering their mouths and noses with towels, worked with great enthusiasm.

Qian Jin saw it and immediately sent someone to bring two boxes of cotton masks from his home. They're warm and dustproof!
Moreover, the design of this cotton mask has remained unchanged throughout history; the 21st-century product is almost identical to the design from 1980.

The team members were delighted to receive two cotton masks each.

They are happy to work for the collective, and there are always protective supplies distributed, such as masks or gloves.

The weather was really cold, so Qian Jin went home and bought some fleece-lined warm earmuffs.

He rode his motorcycle back with two large boxes on his back and called out, "Come on, team leaders, come and collect your work safety supplies. This time, we're collecting earmuffs."

These earmuffs are the most common type of integrated, elasticized warm earmuffs, which are cheap in the mall, costing only two yuan each.

But its warmth retention is undeniable.

It's made of thick plush, extra large and thick, with a soft steel frame inside, so it can be folded up and carried.

very convenient.

For the 21s, this kind of thing was too outdated in design, and young people didn't like to wear it.

But for today's trends, the design and materials are too fashionable.

After receiving his earmuffs, Zhao Bo quickly pulled up the scarf and put them on his ears.
"Hey, this stuff is great, it's comfortable, soft and warm."

"Can you hear what I'm saying?" Chen Xing asked with interest.

Zhao Bo looked at him in confusion: "Huh? What?"

Chen Xing chuckled: "Where did this idiot get that scarf? Did he cut a section off the leg of his mother's wool pants?"

Shi Zhentao, who had just put on his earmuffs, said, "I was thinking of asking him too, but I was too embarrassed to ask. How can there be such an ugly scarf?"

Chen Xing was about to burst out laughing when he suddenly froze: "You can hear me even with earmuffs on?"

Shi Zhentao nodded.

He turned his head in horror, and Zhao Bo kicked him in the butt, sending him flying into Zhou Shanhu's arms.

Zhou Shanhu asked in astonishment, "Why is she throwing herself into my arms?"

Wearing warm earmuffs and a cotton mask together keeps your head warm.

Amidst the swirling smoke and dust, a considerable amount of trash was cleared away.

The pebbles in the flower bed were cleared away, leaving trash everywhere.

Come over with the trolley.

Truckloads of garbage were hauled away, and the yard gradually revealed its original outline.

Next, the cleaning work moved indoors.

The team members initially swept spider webs and cleaned dust and trash from the corners of the balcony with brooms.

Qian went inside and took a look; the wall plaster was ruined.

Kunlun Mountain Road is near the sea, and the humidity is very high in summer and autumn. The wall plaster has become severely moldy, and in many places it is loose and curled.

He then arranged for another team to use trowels and scrapers to scrape the plaster off the walls.

Suddenly.

The scraping sound of the scraper against the wall rose and fell in waves, and the plaster fell off like snowflakes, revealing the relatively solid brick wall or rough ash underneath.

The labor commando teams now have dedicated engineering teams.

This is a secondary team under the commando unit, with its personnel expanded to twenty-four, which is quite a lot at the moment.

The team leader was one of Qiu Dayong's educated youths, but Qian Jin had registered his household registration on Taishan Road. He was now also a member of the labor shock brigade, and his name was Zhou Baozhen.

Zhou Baozhen has shifty eyes and a sneaky look, but she is a top student in the architecture department of Tongji University.

Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. During his university years, he got into a fight with someone, which caused trouble, and he was kicked out of the school. In the end, he could only go to the countryside to avoid trouble.

Now that he's joined the labor commando team, it's like a dragon entering the sea.

Qian Jin respected talent and gave him opportunities to showcase his abilities. Although he was only leading a group of bricklayers to do repairs and maintenance on old houses, at least he had become involved in construction engineering.

There were only five carpenters in the construction team, and they were responsible for repairing doors and windows.

This is a delicate task.

The carpenters first carefully dismantled the old, crooked wooden window frames.

These are the conditions, and everything must be carefully calculated.

So the broken doors and windows that were removed couldn't be thrown away. The usable wood had to be carefully selected to see if it could be reused.

They are experts in this field; this is how they usually work in the various communities along Taishan Road.

A group of people gathered together to examine the broken wooden doors and windows. They used planes to remove the rotten surface, and if the exposed wood was still intact, it could continue to be used—after sanding it smooth, it could last for a few more years.

If the exposed wood is already rotten, then it's completely decayed, but it still has some value.

Throw them into the campfire, and everyone can go over and warm themselves by the fire when they're tired.

The educated youth went to all over the country back then.

Now, those returning to the city have come from all over the country.

Some came back from Yunnan Province, while others came from Inner Mongolia or the Northwest.

These places all have the tradition of singing and dancing around a bonfire, especially the Datiao dance in Yunnan Province and the Guozhuang dance learned from the snowy border areas in Northwest China.

So Qian Jin went out to check the surroundings, and when he came back, he saw many people jumping around the campfire.

Upon seeing him enter, the group of young people who had been dancing joyfully immediately dispersed.

Seeing this, Qian Jin waved and laughed: "Keep the music playing, keep dancing. Unity and tension, seriousness and liveliness, right? We should be lively when it's time to be lively. I'm the captain, not the big boss, why are you all so afraid of me?"

With more people in the labor shock brigades, there are also more rules and regulations for their management.

Qian Jin doesn't spend much time with the commando team on weekdays.

He has indeed become estranged from the commandos below him.

This is inevitable.

He went to the carpentry team to check on the situation.

Zhou Baozhen had already taken the measurements, and several skilled team members set up a temporary workbench in the yard, sawing wood, planing, chiseling, and assembling to make new window frames.

Seeing Qian Jin return, Zhou Baozhen spread her hands helplessly: "Chief Qian, we don't have enough wood. Our team's warehouse doesn't have much wood left. We need wood to repair tables and chairs for the residents in the neighborhood. Can you tell me where we can get some resources?"

Qian Jin said, "You can use these for now. There's plenty of wood. I'll take a day off in a couple of days to get some more."

Several windows were made that very day.

The new windows look nice; the frame is made of pine wood, and the new windows have a pale yellow tint and give off a pleasant pine scent.

The window frame was installed into the windowsill, and the team members carefully cut and placed pieces of clear, clean flat glass into the grooves of the window frame. Then, they carefully applied putty around the edges and smoothed it out, and the window was repaired perfectly.

In the afternoon, Qian Jin stood at the window and looked out.

Very pleased.

With the windows of the first classroom all replaced and fitted with bright glass, the entire building, though still old, seemed to be infused with a soul. Those dark "eyes" became bright and full of life again, and the classroom had a brand-new feel.

This gave Qian Jin unprecedented confidence.

All it takes is replacing the bed with a new wooden one and painting the walls new.

He could then own a very respectable piece of real estate.

In the evening, Shi Zhentao called to Qian Jin: "Chief Qian, come with me to the boiler room."

Qian Jin asked, "What have you managed to get your hands on? It should be another couple of days before we get the iron bucket. I told Dayong to keep an eye out for us, and he said a ship is docking tomorrow, so he'll go check it out."

Shi Zhentao said, "No rush. There are oil drums in the school, right? Let's tinker with them and make a small one to see if it works."

"If it works, we'll use big oil drums to make a proper heating system. If it doesn't, don't bother with it, we'll think of another way."

Qian Jin followed him and asked, "Will this work?"

Shi Zhentao still smiled and said, "Come with me and take a look."

Young people these days are very capable.

After discovering the feasibility of earthen heating, Shi Zhentao selected a few people from the team to form a technical group and began tackling the challenges of the heating project.

The enormous diesel drum was hastily cut and chopped, and now it's been completely transformed beyond recognition.

A round opening was cut at the top, and a thick sheet metal chimney pipe was connected to it, leading directly to the roof chimney.

A rectangular furnace door was opened on the side of the barrel, and the edges were reinforced with iron bars.

The bottom of the bucket is raised with bricks, and a ash removal port is also provided.

Most importantly, a sealed "water jacket" made of thick iron plate was welded around the outside of the barrel, like putting an iron coat on the oil barrel.

Qian Jin squatted down to look and saw that a large inlet and outlet were welded to the top and bottom of the water jacket, respectively.

Seeing this, he looked up and laughed: "Well done, is this the result of your day's work? Pretty impressive."

The educated youth were incredibly skilled with their hands; the earthen boiler they made was crude, yet it was already usable for starting a fire.

Shi Zhentao also expressed some regret: "Our skills are not good enough to build a furnace inside with bricks and cement, otherwise this boiler might have been able to be used for heating."

The boiler, converted from an iron drum, was securely placed on the furnace base.

Qian Jin examined it carefully. The base was made of bricks and had good ventilation underneath, not much different from the boiler base in their unit's boiler room.

That's truly remarkable.

There are many talented people in the labor commando teams.

To build a traditional earthen heating system, a boiler alone is not enough; pipes also need to be laid.

But this is a project. Labor shock brigades can do it, but they need to develop a special project plan, which will take a long time.

There is no need to lay pipes directly now, because laying pipes is a major project that requires digging up the ground and even the corners of the building walls to run the pipes.

Shi Zhentao just wanted to test whether the idea of ​​earthen heating was reliable, so they installed pipes around the boiler room.

That made things simple. The team members took thick iron pipes that had been coated with anti-rust paint and either set them up under the eaves or laid them along the base of the wall, securing them securely with clips.

Thick straw ropes were tightly wrapped around the outside of the pipes, and then layered with old cloth strips to form a makeshift insulation layer.

If this idea is feasible, then eventually the pipes will be connected to each classroom, and radiators will be installed in the middle of the pipes.

They neither have the means nor the need to do so now.

But Shi Zhentao is very serious about his work.

He has tried his best to simulate the conditions under which the earthen heating system would be in actual use.

A sheet metal water tank was installed high up in the boiler room, which he called an expansion tank and water replenishment point.

Qian Jin didn't understand; he had never seen a traditional earthen heating system before, and he didn't even know how it should work.

However, once the idea proves to be feasible, he knows who can help.

Chen Jingdi, a mute man, works at a guesthouse.

He would visit Chen Jingdi almost every two months. He knew that Chen Jingdi was knowledgeable about everything, including plumbing, electricity, heating, and gas.

Having witnessed Chen Jingdi's abilities, Qian Jin had the idea of ​​recruiting him to his own side.

This kid is incredibly capable; he's a natural-born master of plumbing and electrical work.

However, the guesthouse was planning to give Chen Jingdi a permanent position. Considering that in this era, having a proper job with a government-appointed position was the best way out in life, he did not bring Chen Jingdi to the labor shock brigade for his own selfish reasons.

He was on a tour when two young men ran over carrying a small machine: "Captain Shi, the water pump is here!"

Qian Jin chuckled, "Oh ho, you even found a water pump?"

Shi Zhentao laughed and said, "It was borrowed from the high-pressure water well in our street. Actually, this water pump is no good either. I don't know what kind of old equipment it was taken from. It breaks down every few days."

Qian Jin said, "If you need a water pump, I can arrange that."

"That's great! How can a boiler room be without a water pump?" Shi Zhentao exclaimed with delight. "The water pump is the heart of the boiler room; it's the core of the power system."

An electrical wire was pulled over.

Flames roared and steam billowed from the earthen boiler.

A group of young people waited, holding their breath.

After the water pump was tested and connected to the pipeline, Shi Zhentao started the water pump as the cold water was heated.

A series of heavy, booming sounds rang out.

Hot water was immediately pumped into the pipes.

A young man reached out and touched the pipe at the water pump connection, cheering, "It's hot! It's hot!"

"Don't get too excited yet, we have to see how the water circulation goes," Shi Zhentao said, but a smile appeared on his face.

They were definitely celebrating too soon.

The water pump made a few noises and then suddenly went silent.

The hot water immediately stopped flowing.

Shi Zhentao got anxious: "Damn it, it's failing at the crucial moment. This damn water pump just won't work."

Qian Jin said, "I have connections in the hardware factory, so I'll go find them and get a good water pump."

The water pump definitely needs to be purchased from the online store.

However, using the hardware factory as an excuse was fine. He had delivered things to the hardware factory during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. The People's Clothing Factory and the hardware factory usually had a good relationship, which was common knowledge within the labor shock brigade.

Just as he was about to leave, Zhao Bo came over and shouted, "Damn, you guys are really bold! You dare to power this crappy wiring on me? And with a high-powered thing like a water pump?!"

Qian Jin understood: "A short circuit?"

Zhao Bo nodded: "Chief Qian, tell Shi Tou and the others not to mess around. Water, fire, and electricity are all merciless. One wrong move and it could be a fire or someone could be electrocuted!"

The trial heating work for the earthen heating system was thus aborted.

Shi Zhentao was quite unwilling to accept this.

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder to comfort him: "It's okay, the heating test just now went well, the rest is just a cycle."

"I think this earthen heating system is successfully made. We can get right to the big work now."

"Once Qiu Dayong brings the large iron bucket, I'll immediately take it to the blacksmith's shop and have the blacksmiths properly modify a few boilers!"

Shi Zhentao was a little worried: "How about we try somewhere else?"

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Let's pull a few waves down, it's getting dark—comrades, let's retreat!"

Su Changshun turned around and shouted, "You guys go first. We've almost finished applying the lime water here. Wait until we're done before you leave, otherwise it's too cold today and the lime water will condense and be wasted tomorrow."

With more people, the work progresses faster.

The walls had been cleared, so in the afternoon Su Changshun led a team to paint the exterior walls with lime.

The team members used long-handled brushes to apply the thick, pungent quicklime slurry repeatedly to the rough but clean walls.

The old plaster has been completely removed, so now we can apply the plaster.

The snow-white lime water covered all the stains and blemishes, and as the water evaporated, the wall gradually became white and smooth.

Although the smell was pungent, the sight of all that was brand new and white gave off a clean and refreshing feeling.

Qian Jin stood at the entrance, gazing at the school building.

The school is open.

Just around the corner!

(End of this chapter)