Major Heavy Industry: Starting with a Fake Marriage

"This one still works." Huang Deqing picked up a bearing, turned it around, and said, "Just add some grease."

"This one's ruined." He picked up another gear, pointing to the cracks on it. "Replace it with a new one."

After disassembly, the next step was cleaning. Several people squatted on the ground, washing each part one by one with kerosene until their hands were frozen. Zheng Yanxi came to deliver lunch at noon and saw their hands. She frowned with heartache but said nothing. She just went back and boiled a kettle of hot water to bring over.

Modification is the most difficult part.

Based on his experience in compiling teaching materials in Beijing, Jiang Cheng redesigned the structure of the guide rail and lead screw, and added an automatic lubrication device.

Huang Deqing looked at the blueprints, pondered for a long time, and said, "This lubrication device is good. In the past, workers always forgot to lubricate the machines, and the guide rails wore out quickly. With this, they can be used for several more years."

Machining the parts was a major problem. The machine tools in the factory weren't precise enough, and they couldn't produce several key parts. Jiang Cheng remembered Engineer Wu—the friend from the provincial machinery research institute who had helped him before. He made a call, and Engineer Wu agreed to help without hesitation.

"Jiang Cheng, I've heard about your work. You published a book? That's impressive!" Engineer Wu said on the phone. "Leave the parts to me, I'll have them ready for you within three days."

Three days later, the parts arrived as expected. Jiang Cheng opened the package; each one was gleaming and perfectly sized. He picked one up, held it up to the light, and secretly admired it—this was indeed equipment from a research institute; the precision was truly exceptional.

On the day of installation, the workshop was packed with people. Jiang Cheng led a few young workers, assembling the parts step by step, checking each component carefully. Huang Deqing watched from the side, occasionally offering a reminder or nodding in agreement.

By the time the last part was assembled, it was already evening. Jiang Cheng straightened up, his body covered in sweat, and his hands were trembling.

"Give it a try," he said.

Someone switched on the power. The milling machine started turning, the sound steady and without any extraneous noise. A blank was placed on it, and cutting began. The cut surface was smooth and flat, even better than a new machine.

A cheer erupted in the workshop. Several young workers rushed forward, surrounding Jiang Cheng and bombarding him with questions. Director Ma squeezed through the crowd from behind, patted Jiang Cheng on the shoulder, and said, "Chengzi, you're really something!"

Huang Deqing stood outside the crowd, looking at the milling machine. His face was expressionless, but his eyes shone.

That evening, Jiang Cheng treated the technical innovation team to dinner. It was at a small restaurant near the factory gate; they ordered six dishes and two bottles of baijiu (Chinese liquor). They ate and chatted, talking about everything from factory matters to Beijing, and from Beijing to national affairs.

"Master Jiang, what do you think our country will become in the future?" a young worker asked.

Jiang Cheng thought for a moment and said, "It will get much better. A hundred times better than it is now."

"real?"

"Really," Jiang Cheng said, "but we have to make it happen ourselves. Just waiting won't change anything."

The young worker nodded and raised his glass: "Master Jiang, I'd like to toast you."

That night, Jiang Cheng drank quite a bit. On the way home, Zheng Yanxi supported him, helping him walk step by step. The night wind was cold, but his heart was warm.

"Yanxi, do you think I've changed?" he suddenly asked.

Zheng Yanxi thought for a moment: "What has changed?"

"I used to just want to live a good life myself. Now I want more people to live a good life."

Zheng Yanxi looked at him. In the moonlight, his face was flushed, but his eyes were bright. She said softly, "You haven't changed. You've always been this way. You just didn't realize it before."

Jiang Cheng paused for a moment, then smiled. He reached out and took her hand. Their shadows overlapped in the moonlight.

Days passed by, and before we knew it, it was the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the Little New Year.

The factory was closed for the holidays. Jiang Cheng got up early and tidied up the house with Zheng Yanxi. They cleaned the windows, swept the ceiling, and put up paper-cut window decorations, working all day long. When Zheng Yanxi was standing on a stool putting up the window decorations, Jiang Cheng was holding her from below. When he looked up and saw her waist, he suddenly realized that she seemed to have gained a little weight.

"Yanxi, have you gained weight?"

Zheng Yanxi looked down and glared at him: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Jiang Cheng smiled but didn't say anything more. But he had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

That evening, Zheng Huaiyuan invited them to his home for dinner. Zheng Yanxi's mother also returned—she works at a hospital and is usually very busy, rarely getting a break. Seeing Jiang Cheng, she looked him up and down and said, "You've lost weight. You haven't been eating properly outside, have you?"

Jiang Cheng smiled and said, "It's alright."

Zheng's mother shook her head and turned to go into the kitchen. Zheng Huaiyuan sat on the sofa, flipping through the textbook Jiang Cheng had given him, nodding as he turned the pages.

"Xiao Jiang, this book is well written," he said. "Several teachers in our college have read it and said it's much better than the textbooks we're using now."

Jiang Cheng said, "Uncle Zheng, I didn't write it alone. My mentor was a great help, as were the experts from the research institute."

Zheng Huaiyuan waved his hand: "I know. But you deserve the most credit. To be able to write such complex things in a way that workers can understand at a glance, that's not something an ordinary person can do."

He put down his book, looked at Jiang Cheng, and said with an indescribable look in his eyes, "Jiang, do you know what you've done is more effective than a lifetime of teaching. My students, after graduating and going to work in factories, still have to start from scratch. This book you wrote can be delivered directly to the workers, and they can do it just by following the instructions."

Jiang Cheng was a little embarrassed: "Uncle Zheng, you flatter me."

Zheng Huaiyuan shook his head: "It's not an overstatement. It's the truth."

During the meal, Zheng's mother kept piling food onto Jiang Cheng's plate. Jiang Cheng's bowl was overflowing; he couldn't possibly finish it all. Zheng Yanxi watched from the side, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Mom, please don't put any more in his bowl, he can't eat that much."

Zheng's mother glared at her: "What do you know? You've suffered and toiled outside, and now you're back, shouldn't you eat more?"

Zheng Yanxi fell silent and lowered her head to eat. Jiang Cheng secretly glanced at her and noticed that her ears were red.

After dinner, Zheng Huaiyuan called Jiang Cheng to his study.

The study was small, with bookshelves lining three walls, piled high with books. Zheng Huaiyuan took a document from a drawer and handed it to Jiang Cheng.

"Take a look at this."

Jiang Cheng took it; it was an internal notice from the Provincial Machinery Department. It stated: An investigation revealed that the Shencheng Hongxing Machinery Factory's technical innovation team had engaged in irregular operations and unauthorized alterations to equipment structure during equipment modification. They were ordered to immediately cease rectification.

Jiang Cheng's expression changed after reading it.

"Uncle Zheng, when did this happen?"

"Last week," Zheng Huaiyuan said, "Zhou Chuanming's people did it while you were away."

Jiang Cheng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He carefully read through the report and found that the so-called "violations of regulations" listed were all records of his modifications to those few pieces of equipment. Each one was written in a seemingly plausible but ultimately untenable manner upon closer examination.