Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 742 Full of Confidence

Old Zhang turned over in the warm bed, reached out to feel for the old alarm clock on the bedside, squinted his eyes and looked at it, "Oh, it's time to get up again!" He muttered, kicked off the quilt, and got up. Old Zhang's name is Zhang Jianguo, an old worker in the state-owned Red Star Machinery Factory. In this factory, he can be regarded as a technical backbone. With a wrench in his hand, he can manipulate machine parts to perfection. After a simple wash, Old Zhang put on the blue work clothes that were washed a little white but neatly mended by his wife, took down the military green shoulder bag with the words "Serve the People" printed on it from the wall, smoothed his hair in front of the mirror, and then opened the door and walked out. The family area has long been bustling. The adults are in a hurry, reminding their children not to be late for school, and greeting each other. The children, carrying their clean schoolbags, run to school in groups of three or five, chattering. Lao Zhang met his neighbor Lao Li. They smiled at each other and walked side by side towards the factory. Along the way, they talked about the quality of the new batch of parts that arrived in the factory and whether the production targets for this month could be completed on time. When they arrived at the factory, Lao Zhang put on his gloves skillfully, walked to the lathe he was responsible for, and started his day's work. The machines in the workshop roared, the sound of metal collisions was endless, and the air was filled with the smell of engine oil. Lao Zhang stared at the parts in his hands with full concentration, his eyes were focused and firm, the lathe rotated rapidly, and the wrench in his hand turned each screw accurately, as if carving a fine work of art. "Lao Zhang, this batch of parts is urgent, you have to hurry up!" The workshop director Lao Wang came over and patted Lao Zhang on the shoulder and said. "Don't worry, director, it won't be delayed!" Lao Zhang answered confidently without raising his head. He knew in his heart that in this era of vigorous construction, the factory's production tasks were orders, and they must be completed with quality and quantity. At noon, the factory's loudspeaker sounded on time, announcing that lunch break time had arrived. Lao Zhang and his co-workers came to the canteen, which was bustling with people. Everyone lined up, holding their own lunch boxes, waiting to get food. Although the food was not rich, it was enough to fill the stomach in that era of relative scarcity. Lao Zhang took his lunch box and found an empty seat to sit down, eating and chatting with his co-workers. The topic ranged from today's work to the radio storytelling they listened to last night, and then to the study of their children at home. Laughter echoed in the canteen. The afternoon work was still busy, and Lao Zhang and his co-workers did not dare to slack off. Finally, the whistle for the end of get off work sounded again. Lao Zhang rubbed his sore shoulders, packed up his tools, and dragged his slightly tired body home. Back in the family area, Lao Zhang saw the dim light coming out of his window from a distance, and a warm feeling suddenly surged in his heart. Pushing open the door, his wife Li Cuilan was busy in the kitchen with an apron on, and the aroma of food filled his nose. "You're back. Are you tired from working today?" Li Cuilan asked while she was frying the dishes in the pot. "Not bad, just like usual." Lao Zhang put down his bag, walked into the kitchen, and helped his wife get a bowl of rice. At the dinner table, Lao Zhang's son Xiaohu and daughter Xiaoli were happily discussing school matters. Xiaohu is in the third grade of elementary school. He is a naughty little guy who has made a lot of trouble in school. "Dad, today Xiaoming in our class secretly read a comic book in class and was discovered by the teacher. The teacher was very angry!" Xiaohu said with a beaming face while eating his meal. Lao Zhang frowned and said, "Don't learn from Xiaoming. You have to listen carefully in class, understand?" Xiaoli nodded obediently and said, "Dad, I got 60 points in the test today, and the teacher praised me!" Lao Zhang showed a gratified smile on his face, touched Xiaoli's head, and said, "My Xiaoli is trying to make her proud. Keep working hard!" After dinner, Xiaohu and Xiaoli went back to their room to do their homework. Lao Zhang and Li Cuilan were sitting in the living room, watching TV and chatting. There were some news programs on TV, all about national construction. Lao Zhang watched with great interest and expressed his opinions from time to time. Li Cuilan was knitting a sweater on the side, occasionally interjecting a few words, talking about the interesting things she encountered in the vegetable market today, which vegetable was fresh and cheap, and which housewife quarreled with the stall owner over a few cents. At this time, the doorbell suddenly rang. Lao Zhang opened the door and it turned out to be Lao Sun from the opposite door. Old Sun had a worried look on his face. As soon as he entered the room, he said, "Old Zhang, you have to help me with some ideas. I don't know what's wrong with my kid recently. His grades have plummeted. I talked to his mother about it, but he still talked back. What can I do?" Old Zhang quickly asked Old Sun to sit down, handed him a cup of tea, and said, "Don't worry. The child is grown up and has his own ideas. You have to communicate with him well, don't always beat or scold him, otherwise he will be more rebellious. Tell me first, what abnormal behavior has he had recently?" Old Sun sighed and told him the child's situation in detail. Old Zhang listened carefully, analyzed the problem with him, and made suggestions. Li Cuilan also interjected from time to time and gave some of her own suggestions. Before he knew it, it was past nine in the evening. Old Sun stood up and said goodbye, gratefully: "Old Zhang, thanks to you, I will try it as you said when I go back." Old Zhang smiled and said: "We are all neighbors, why should we be polite? We can't be careless about children's affairs." After seeing Old Sun off, Old Zhang yawned and prepared to wash up and go to bed. Although this day was busy, it was full of the fireworks of life. In this factory family area in the s, every family has its own story, with laughter, tears, troubles, and hopes. Old Zhang knows that life is like a machine in a factory. Although ordinary, it is constantly running and creating their own life. At night, Old Zhang lay in bed, listening to the occasional train whistle outside the window, and his thoughts gradually drifted away. He remembered his youthful appearance when he first entered the factory, the days when he and his fellow workers overcame technical difficulties, and the growth of his children, and his heart was full of emotion. In this ordinary life, he felt a real happiness, which came from the fulfillment of work, the warmth of family, and the mutual help between neighbors. He knew that in this era, every worker was a screw in the construction of the country, small but indispensable. With this thought in mind, Lao Zhang gradually fell asleep with a smile on his face, as if in his dream, he had started a new day full of hope.