Chapter 53: The Cause

Along the gravel path of the locomotive depot, Li Aiguo and Cao Wenzhi wove their way between the gaps of towering steam locomotives.

Reaching a secluded spot away from prying eyes, Cao Wenzhi came to a halt.

"I originally thought Deputy Director Liu was on duty today, but I never expected Jia Changyi to step in personally."

"Did he assign you to train number 142?"

Li Aiguo nodded and recounted the events that had just transpired.

Hearing this, Cao Wenzhi’s expression turned indignant. "That old Jia! I had heard rumors that he was hooked up with Liu Chunhua, but I refused to believe it at first."

"You mean Liu Chunhua, the former head of the education office?"

"Who else could it be!" Cao Wenzhi glared as he spoke.

"Liu Chunhua is no simple woman. She was originally the daughter of a rich peasant in Bama Village on the outskirts of the city. With striking looks and a flirtatious nature, she was taken in as a concubine by a wealthy merchant from the capital right after turning eighteen.

After liberation, the merchant fled the capital, and Liu Chunhua returned to Bama Village, where she married an honest, ordinary man. Later, our railway bureau established a maintenance station in Bama Village. Because Liu Chunhua was skilled at cooking, the maintenance station frequently invited her to prepare meals for the leadership, with her only compensation being a single cornmeal bun each time.

Later on, Deputy Director Liu went to the maintenance station to inspect the work..."

At this point, Cao Wenzhi took the cigarette Li Aiguo offered him, struck a match, and lit it.

Hiss...

Exhale...

Taking a deep drag, he let out a heavy sigh.

"Speaking of Deputy Director Liu, back in the day, he was a top-tier figure in this locomotive depot. Though not from the Railway Corps, he was highly capable and worked with relentless dedication. During the construction of the Lanzhou-Urumqi Railway, he toiled bitterly on the worksites for twenty-two consecutive months. Right before the line opened to traffic, he patrolled through the night and eliminated three major hazards on the tracks. Because of this, he received commendations from the ministry. After entering the locomotive depot, he worked with extraordinary fervor, earning the title of Railway Advanced Worker year after year.

Unfortunately, Deputy Director Liu’s greatest flaw was his inability to keep his trousers zipped. If not for Liu Chunhua, he would have already been promoted to depot director.

At the time, Deputy Director Liu was merely a workshop director at the depot. Somehow, the two of them hooked up.

Liu Chunhua threw a massive scene—crying, making a fuss, and threatening suicide—until she finally divorced her husband and became a temporary worker at the maintenance station. I heard she had to compensate her husband's family with fifty catties of corn flour just for them to let her go.

Not long after, Deputy Director Liu was promoted to deputy director of the depot, and Liu Chunhua managed to get herself transferred into the depot as a temporary warehouse worker. After muddled years of climbing the ranks through her slick and sophisticated social skills, she actually ended up as the head of the education office."

Li Aiguo listened in utter astonishment. "This woman certainly seems capable."

"Sometimes, excessive capability isn't necessarily a good thing," Cao Wenzhi said with a smile. "Even though Liu Chunhua holds the title of director, she was never given a formal cadre establishment; instead, she holds an administrative position via a factory worker quota. The reason behind that traces back to a single remark your father made years ago.

Back when our depot held a general assembly..."

After listening to Cao Wenzhi's account, a wave of complex emotions stirred within Li Aiguo. He never imagined that the root of all this trouble stemmed from his father's righteous and outspoken words at a general assembly years ago. Because of an old grudge, Liu Chunhua had harbored bitter resentment against him, repeatedly using her authority to suppress and retaliate against him.

Such a petty and small-minded woman.

Yet, Li Aiguo didn't take it to heart. As a time traveler, how laughable would it be if he allowed himself to be manipulated by a mere woman!

"Master, this is a new society now. We must break away from feudal customs, so the traditional master-apprentice kowtow ceremony isn't necessary." Li Aiguo fished a paper package out of his canvas bag and handed it over. "Still, as an apprentice, I ought to show some token of respect."

Cao Wenzhi looked at Li Aiguo in surprise, wiped his hands on his trousers, and reached out to take it.

The paper package was tightly wrapped. Using his thick fingers, Cao Wenzhi pinched the edge of the newspaper and gently unfolded it.

A pile of pristine, snow-white premium wheat flour came into view, and a look of deep emotion crossed his weathered face. As a veteran lead engineer, Cao Wenzhi wasn't short on grain, but this was premium wheat flour—two whole catties of it—which was a rare and precious luxury even for him.

More importantly, it represented the heartfelt sincerity of his apprentice. He knew Li Aiguo's circumstances well: living alone with no family support, life was far from easy. Getting his hands on some premium flour, which could have been sold to improve his living conditions, Li Aiguo had thought of him as his master instead.

Uninhibited by nature and unconstrained by trivialities—a man bold enough to curse out the depot director to his face—Cao Wenzhi now felt his eye corners dampening. He turned slightly, raised the back of his hand, and wiped the corners of his eyes. "I'll accept this token this once, but don't do it again in the future."

"Understood."

Chatting along the way, the two men entered the lounge.

The entire crew of the 131 passenger train stood up in unison the moment they saw the two arrive.

Cao Wenzhi pulled Li Aiguo into the center of the crowd and introduced him in a booming voice:

"This comrade, Li Aiguo, is my apprentice and also the assistant locomotive driver for our 131 passenger train crew."

Li Aiguo smiled and greeted everyone. "Comrades, we hail from all corners of the country and have gathered here for a shared goal. If there is ever anything I do improperly in the future, I ask for your patience and guidance."

From within the crowd, a vibrant and spirited female comrade in her thirties stepped forward.

She wore a crisp white short-sleeve uniform, a peaked cap, and a triangular conductor's armband pinned to her chest. Beaming with a bright smile, she said, "Since you're Master Cao's apprentice, your technical skills must be top-notch. If our crew pushes hard this year, we might just clinch the advanced title!"

Her voice was crisp and resonant, like raindrops pattering against a glass window, revealing her straightforward and cheerful personality.

Cao Wenzhi introduced, "Aiguo, this is the conductor of train 131, our lead train conductor, Comrade Bai Yuejie."

The conductor was the highest administrative authority on the train, responsible for all internal affairs, usually served by the crew leader. Long-distance passenger trains in this era operated on a two-shift rotation, divided into primary and secondary teams responsible for management duties at different times.

"Hello, Sister Bai," Li Aiguo said smoothly, flashing a winning smile.

Bai Yuejie looked at Li Aiguo with satisfaction. The young man was handsome yet possessed a rugged, sturdy build, standing as straight as a benchmark. With an outgoing personality and complete composure in front of leadership, he was perfectly suited for railway work.

"Old Cao, you've really recruited a fine apprentice this time."

"Of course! Comrade Aiguo here scored double hundreds this year and is a skilled pacesetter among engineers," Cao Wenzhi said with evident pride.

Following that, Cao Wenzhi introduced the rest of the crew to Li Aiguo: the train clerk, the public address announcer, the baggage attendant, the water service attendant, and the cabin attendants.

These comrades made up the train service team; aside from the baggage attendant and the water service attendant, the rest were all female comrades.

Among them, the water service attendant was a petite figure who kept casting curious, sidelong glances at Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo found it slightly peculiar, but before he could dwell on it, he spotted Zhang Yazhi, the niece of the veteran personnel department comrade, standing in the crowd.

To his surprise, she turned out to be the train's broadcast announcer.

At the moment, she had changed into her professional short-sleeved white uniform. The optical transmission effect of white fabric made objects appear more prominent and pronounced, making her figure quite literally bursting at the seams.

She was truly deserving of a full and voluptuous description.

The moment Li Aiguo walked in, Zhang Yazhi had recognized him as the man accompanying her uncle. Remembering the bold and uninhibited words she had spoken right in front of him, even with her outgoing disposition, she couldn't help blushing fiercely.

"Comrade Zhang Yazhi, we meet again."