Chapter 33: Disposal
“Step aside, I want to see Director Liu!”
“Liu Ergou, get out here right now!”
“You tricked me in the woods when I was just a teenager, took everything, and acted like nothing happened—don’t even think about it!”
...
Li Aiguo was leaving the logistics department with Zhou Tiehu after collecting reward supplies.
Passing by the office building, he heard a woman shouting upstairs.
Looking up—
Hey, isn’t that Liu Chunhua?
But she was a far cry from her usual polished self.
Her hair was disheveled, her labor cloth shirt torn in a scuffle with the security guard, revealing bright red underwear.
Jumping and cursing, she looked utterly miserable.
When Liu Chunhua saw Li Aiguo, hatred blazed in her eyes.
A sudden notice had come from the administrative office, stripping her of her position as Director of the Education Office at the Front Gate Locomotive Depot and transferring her to the Education Office of the Hanggou Maintenance Work Zone as director.
Putting aside the fact that her rank had been lowered by one level—
The Hanggou Maintenance Work Zone lay in the middle of the Baocheng Railway, situated on a barren desert plain, desolate for dozens of miles around.
Liu Chunhua had heard it was filled with swirling yellow sand and severely lacking water; the workers drank muddy water daily.
The maintenance workers there rarely bathed, and their bodies emitted a strong stench.
Moreover—
The desert was home to many wild wolves.
Even though the maintenance workers carried guns, they were frequently attacked by starving wolves, with casualties occurring from time to time.
Additionally—
The maintenance crew was all male, and sending a woman to handle ideological education was a clear message.
The depot’s arrangement was plainly meant to force her to resign.
And the mastermind behind it all was none other than Li Aiguo!
Seeing Li Aiguo standing in the sunlight, smiling so brightly, Liu Chunhua’s anger nearly made her grind her teeth to bits.
Ignoring the communications officer, she stormed down the stairs and marched straight up to Li Aiguo.
“Li Aiguo, you are truly heartless!”
She shouted furiously, her voice rumbling like distant thunder, carrying far and wide, drawing the attention of everyone in the courtyard.
People stopped in their tracks, gathering around.
Zhou Tiehu, seeing Liu Chunhua like an angry lioness and fearing Li Aiguo would be at a disadvantage, tried to shield him.
Li Aiguo waved him off lightly, signaling he was fine, then stepped forward, eyes fixed on Liu Chunhua.
“Director Liu, stop this nonsense. Your transfer to the Hanggou Maintenance Work Zone was the decision of the depot committee.
“Though Hanggou is remote, it remains an important part of our locomotive depot, and ideological education there must not be neglected.
“Precisely because conditions are harsh, it shows the depot’s trust in you.
“You should feel honored, so why make such a scene here?
“Are you dissatisfied with the depot’s decision?
“Do you think the conditions at Hanggou are too difficult and want to be a deserter?
“If that’s the case, it only proves you have a problem with your mindset!”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Li Aiguo’s series of mortar-like words left Liu Chunhua speechless.
No matter how upset she was, she couldn’t admit she was afraid of hardship and wanted to run away.
Her face flushed crimson, brows furrowed into a knot, veins visible on her arms.
Breathing heavily, she finally calmed down.
With a sneer, she said, “You sharp-tongued brat, don’t think that just because you’ve won the favor of the depot leaders, you can do whatever you want.
“We’ll see about that!”
Realizing she couldn’t gain an advantage, Liu Chunhua stumbled away.
She had to find Deputy Director Liu quickly.
Otherwise, resignation was her only path.
After Liu Chunhua left, the crowd burst into laughter, giving Li Aiguo thumbs-up.
Liu Chunhua was notorious for stirring up trouble, often bullying others with her sharp tongue.
Seeing her silenced by Li Aiguo was immensely satisfying.
...
“Aiguo, Liu Chunhua will definitely resign, so no need to worry.
“Her brother Liu Erfeng only ranked fifth in the exam, so he’s sure to stay in the depot.
“You need to keep an eye out,” Zhou Tiehu warned, watching Liu Chunhua’s retreating figure.
The exam results were already announced.
Li Aiguo topped the list with perfect scores.
Second place was Han Dongfang from the Harbin Locomotive Depot.
Third was Zhang Dahua.
According to regulations, the top three could directly become assistant drivers.
The others had to start as stokers if they wanted to become train drivers.
Those unwilling or who failed the driver exam could take other positions in the depot.
In this era, a vocational school diploma was worth far more than a bachelor’s degree in later times.
As long as you had the diploma, the state assigned you a formal job.
“Day after tomorrow, don’t forget to handle the procedures at the street office, then report to the depot on time.
“If Cao Wenzhi accepts you as an apprentice, don’t refuse.
“He’s skilled, highly respected, and has a close relationship with Director Liu.
“Learning from him will greatly benefit your future.”
“Uncle Zhou, I’ve got it all noted down. Don’t worry, I know what to do.”
“Hmm, you’re much less troublesome than that kid Zhou Ke.”
Li Aiguo chatted briefly with Zhou Tiehu, but his mind was on fixing his bicycle. They agreed he would visit Zhou’s home that evening, then he left.
...
In this era, plastic bags were nowhere to be found, nor were specialized woven bags common.
Finding a bag to hold the premium flour was not easy.
To prevent the flour from leaking, the logistics department specially gave Li Aiguo a flour sack.
The flour bag was made of tightly woven cotton, with “Produced 1956” printed on the front—likely the production date, Li thought.
On the back, in bold red letters, were “Supervised by WX City Grain Company” and “Private Wolf Claw Flour Mill.”
It seemed that the public-private partnership was not fully established yet; private factories still existed in remote areas.
Carrying the flour bag and a can of cooking oil, Li Aiguo walked down the street, looking every bit the most handsome guy around.
Passersby cast envious glances his way.
It was hard to tell whether they admired the handsome young man or the flour sack.
...
Returning to the courtyard at noon, the air was filled with the rich aroma of cooking smoke as every household lit fires.
Just inside the door, Li Aiguo ran into Third Auntie.
She was crouched picking vegetables, but when she saw the flour bag, her eyes lit up.
Dropping her vegetables, she hurried over.
Wide-eyed, she stammered, “Aiguo, the bag... the bag...”
She was so flustered she couldn’t finish her words properly.
“The bag contains premium flour, a reward from the locomotive depot,” Li Aiguo said calmly.
“Can... can I have the bag for Auntie?” Third Auntie finally managed to ask.
Li Aiguo looked at the flour sack, surprised. “What do you want the bag for?”
He had assumed she wanted to snatch some of the premium flour.
...
“Oh, you’re so young,” Third Auntie said animatedly.
“This bag is made of cotton cloth; it’s very useful! Small pieces can be made into towels or pillows. A piece as large as this could be enough to make a skirt for Yan Jiedi...”
Suddenly realizing something, she fell silent, looking at Li Aiguo shyly, feeling a bit of regret.
After saying so much, she hoped Li Aiguo wouldn’t feel sorry for the bag and refuse to give it.
Without hesitation, Li Aiguo nodded, “Alright, once the flour inside is used up, I’ll give the bag to you.”
A single flour sack wasn’t precious to him.
Besides—
He was curious to see if a skirt printed with “Private” on one side and “Produced” on the other would look beautiful on Yan Jiedi.
...