Returning to 1949, I decided to hand it over to the state.

After arranging things in the workshop, the sky had completely darkened.

The hot air blowing through the factory area felt dry and irritating on people's faces.

A red glow still emanated from the direction of the blast furnace in the distance, and the intermittent sounds of metal clashing could be heard.

Jiang Fan followed Song Ningyi out of the repair workshop and walked towards the perimeter of the factory area.

He originally thought that the so-called accommodation arrangement would mostly mean stuffing him into some kind of workers' dormitory or just clearing out an empty room.

But as they walked, the sounds of people around them gradually faded away, and the road under their feet turned from a factory road into a slightly narrow dirt road.

Not far from the factory area, separated by a fence and a few old trees, a small wooden house appeared before him.

The wooden house looks quite old.

A wooden fence surrounds the gate, and the yard is very tidy.

A pile of chopped firewood sat in one corner, and several shovels and pickaxes leaned against the wall, clearly indicating that it had been maintained for many years.

Song Ningyi stopped and pointed to the small wooden house, her tone becoming lighter.

"Here it is."

Jiang Fan glanced over instinctively, and felt a sense of relief wash over him.

This place is much better than he had imagined.

As Song Ningyi pushed open the courtyard gate, she introduced the place to him:

"This is the home of an old worker in our factory. His surname is Meng, and his name is Meng Tai. You can just call him Master Meng."

"You can stay here for the time being. The sheds over there in the factory area are crowded and chaotic, and it's not convenient for people like you who have returned from abroad to stay there."

Jiang Fan was nodding casually when he heard the name "Meng Tai," and his half-open grin froze instantly.

Meng Tai?

To others, this name might just be that of an ordinary worker.

But for him, it was not like that at all.

He knew all too well what the name meant.

Meng Tai, a veteran hero of Ansteel.

He was a person who had been specifically commended by the central government, and was almost inextricably linked with words like "Anshan Iron and Steel," "industrial construction," and "New China."

Jiang Fan's gaze involuntarily fell on the small wooden house again.

So you've moved into this family's house?

He was momentarily stunned.

Having traveled back to 1949 and infiltrated Anshan Iron and Steel Group, he had just shown off his skills to the leaders and technical staff, and now he was about to move into Meng Tai's house.

This series of events, let alone in reality, would seem too fantastical even in the historical novels he had read before his transmigration.

But then, an indescribable sense of excitement slowly welled up from the bottom of my heart.

Those names, eras, and figures that once only existed in textbooks, documentaries, archives, and display cases are now standing vividly in front of me.

This time, am I truly participating in history?

The moment the thought popped into his head, even he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

"Comrade Jiang? Comrade Jiang!"

Song Ningyi called out twice.

Jiang Fan suddenly snapped out of his daze, realizing he was staring blankly at the wooden door. He quickly exclaimed "Ah!" and replied:

"Hey, hey, Comrade Song."

Song Ningyi looked at him with a hint of suspicion.

"What are you thinking about? Didn't you hear me talking to you?"

Jiang Fan coughed lightly, quickly suppressing the surging excitement in his heart, and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

"Nothing, nothing, I just think this place is pretty nice."

"Of course."

Song Ningyi pursed her lips, a hint of smugness in her expression, as if she was satisfied with her thoughtful arrangements.

"Master Meng is a good person. Everyone in the factory knows he's a steady guy. If you stay with him, it'll save you from feeling out of place when you first arrive. Besides, he can also mentor you."

She paused, then added:

"But Master Meng hasn't finished work yet. I'll wait here with you for a while, and when he comes back, I can tell him what's going on."

Jiang Fan nodded: "Okay, thank you, Comrade Song."

Actually, he had originally planned to take a stroll around before it got completely dark after settling in, and see what the Anshan Iron and Steel Workers' Area looked like in this era.

Since Song Ningyi had already said that, he felt embarrassed to run around, so he had no choice but to give up.

Song Ningyi led him into the courtyard, found two stools in the corner, sat down first, and then gestured to Jiang Fan.

"Have a seat, Master Meng should be back soon."

Jiang Fan sat down as instructed.

The courtyard wasn't large, but it was very quiet.

Although it's not far from the factory area, the sounds of the machines become distant and faint here, leaving only the occasional summer breeze that sweeps under the eaves, carrying a faint, fragmented sound.

At first, neither of them rushed to speak.

After a while, Song Ningyi spoke first.

"Comrade Jiang, where did you stay when you were abroad?"

"Um?"

Jiang Fan turned to look at her, and his heart tightened instantly.

foreign?

He's never been abroad.

But right now, everyone assumes he "came back from abroad," so he can't very well undermine himself and has no choice but to grit his teeth and keep going.

"Where to stay..." he pretended to think for a moment.

"It depends. It's not fixed. Sometimes I stay near the school, and sometimes I stay in the dormitory where I work."

These were basically words he had seen while watching videos before.

He cobbled together bits and pieces of his experiences as an international student, a working professional, and someone sharing a dormitory to get by.

It's not entirely nonsense, though.

Song Ningyi did not suspect anything; instead, her eyes lit up slightly.

"Are buildings all particularly tall overseas?"

Jiang Fan chuckled, knowing she was just curious, and continued, "..."

"There are tall buildings and there are not tall buildings. There are more tall buildings in big cities, but in small places, they are just so-so."

"However, the streets are neater than ours, there are more machines, and there are also those four-wheeled cars."

"Cars..."

Song Ningyi repeated the sentence softly, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes, and she seemed lost in thought.

She sat on the bench, her hands on her knees, thought for a moment, and then asked:

"Are their factories the same as ours? Are they also constantly making a loud rumbling noise and emitting smoke?"

"That's more like it."

Jiang Fan nodded.

"Once the machines are running, it's impossible to find a quiet place. Their equipment is newer, and their procedures are more detailed. They follow the established processes for many tasks, unlike us, where we have to repair and piece things together as we go, figuring things out and getting things back to normal as we go."

At this point, he casually added:

"However, they don't have the same drive as us, and in terms of efficiency, they might not be as good as us."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fan was momentarily stunned.

This was said so smoothly, it even had the tone of someone watching industrial documentaries or historical materials in later generations.

Fortunately, Song Ningyi didn't think too much about it and just sighed softly.

"Our foundation is still too weak."