klisemfg Chapter 328 Era: XCMG's Simple-minded Wife 32
Chapter 328 Era: XCMG's Simple-minded Wife 32
As soon as graduation time arrived, Ji Xiaosong applied to return to Hongxing Steel Plant.
Ji Xiaosong stood at the entrance of the experimental workshop, gazing at the familiar yet unfamiliar scene before her.
When she left a few years ago, there were only a few old rolling mills here, but now there are several brand-new blast furnaces, with billowing white smoke coming out of the chimneys.
"Mom! Dad's over there!"
Zhigang tugged at her clothes and pointed to a tall figure surrounded by workers in the distance.
Xu Weidong was squatting on the ground, using the temperature probe he had brought back from Country D to check the temperature of the steel billet.
He was thinner than the last time we met, but his back was ramrod straight, and a patch of sweat stained the back of his work clothes.
"Wei Dong," Ji Xiaosong called softly.
The man turned around abruptly, his face, covered in coal dust, first showing shock, then breaking into a bright smile.
He rushed over, taking three steps at a time, but stopped just before he could hug his wife, looking awkwardly at his dirty hands: "You...why did you suddenly come back?"
"Job assignment after graduation."
Ji Xiaosong took out a transfer order from his bag. "The ministry has specially approved this, allowing me to assist in the research and development of 'Great Wall No. 5'."
Xu Weidong's eyes were frighteningly bright.
Just as he was about to speak, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the workshop.
"The 89th experiment is about to begin!" Lin Xiaomei ran out from inside, paused for a moment when she saw Ji Xiaosong, and then shouted with joy, "Sister-in-law is back! We're saved!"
The testing workshop erupted in chaos.
"Technician Ji is back!"
"The college graduates who are family members of our factory workers are back!"
Old Li dropped the wrench to the ground with a clatter, rushed over in three strides, wiped his rough hands on his clothes several times before daring to grasp Ji Xiaosong's hand:
"Girl, you're finally back! Old Xu has almost worked himself to death these past few months!"
Xiao Wang, squeezed to the front, was so excited he was almost incoherent: "Sister-in-law, the temperature calculation formula you taught me is so useful! We don't have to guess anymore when we're making steel!"
Even Old Zhou, the usually stern head of the equipment department, had tears in his eyes, repeatedly saying, "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."
The workers spontaneously formed a circle, excitedly reporting to her the changes that had occurred during this period:
The newly installed automatic control instruments, the improved casting process, and the banner on the wall that reads "Technical Breakthrough Task Force"
Everyone's eyes were shining, as if her return had injected new hope into this group that had fought for many years.
Xu Weidong stood on the periphery of the crowd, looking at his wife who was surrounded by them, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.
Just then, another commotion arose at the workshop entrance.
A young man in blue overalls and black-rimmed glasses strode over carrying luggage, followed by a girl with a ponytail.
"Zhao Bo reporting for duty!" The bespectacled young man snapped to attention, his voice booming, "Physics Department, Class of '77 graduate, applying to join the 'Great Wall-5' research and development team!"
"And me!" The girl with the ponytail pulled a stack of blueprints out of her backpack. "Shen Hongying from the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, this is my improved design for the temperature control system."
The entire workshop fell silent instantly.
The veteran workers stared wide-eyed.
These college students, the pride of heaven, are actually flocking to their dirty and exhausting steel factory?
Xu Weidong was the first to react, rushing forward to shake Zhao Bo's hand: "Technician Zhao from the northern oilfield? Weren't you assigned to the Ministry of Petroleum?"
"I heard we're going to work on 1800 MPa special steel,"
Zhao Bo pushed up his glasses, his eyes shining brightly behind the lenses. "I'm constantly battling with imported drill bits in the oil field. I just keep thinking, if our own steel were strong enough, we wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation!"
Shen Hongying was already squatting next to the equipment checking the wiring: "Professor Chen said you are short of electromechanical personnel, so I wrote a request for transfer overnight."
She looked up with a bright smile, "Our dormitory 302 can't be without anyone fighting!"
Old Li's lips trembled, and he suddenly turned around and wiped his face hard.
Lin Xiaomei gripped the hem of her work clothes tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Even the most stubborn Zhang Desheng turned his back and pretended to study the steel sample.
"Good! Good!" Xu Weidong's voice choked with emotion, "Our steel plant... what have we done to deserve this..."
"XCMG, you're wrong."
Zhao Bo said solemnly, "We should be grateful for this opportunity. Isn't the country's effort to send us to university precisely for this day?"
Looking at the resolute profile of her former classmate, Ji Xiaosong suddenly recalled the principal's words at the graduation ceremony: "Your generation is destined to shoulder the heavy responsibility of national rejuvenation."
At this moment, this vow is being transformed into concrete action in this oil-stained workshop.
"Don't just stand there!" Old Li suddenly roared. "Xiao Wang, go get my treasured Da Hong Pao tea! Today we're going to give these college students a proper welcome!"
The workers responded enthusiastically; some busied themselves wiping the benches, while others ran to the canteen to borrow teacups.
Amidst this bustling activity, the two generations of builders from the 80s completed a silent relay.
*
The testing workshop was as hot as a steamer.
Ji Xiaosong changed into her long-unused work clothes and stood in front of the improved "primitive nanotechnology processing device".
This equipment, modified from a high-pressure autoclave, looks rudimentary, but it embodies two years of hard work from Xu Weidong and his workers.
“The temperature control is still unstable.” Xu Weidong pointed to the fluctuating needle on the dashboard. “It goes out of control when it exceeds 1200°C.”
Ji Xiaosong carefully observed the equipment structure and suddenly pointed to the pressure valve: "Try adding a water cooling jacket here."
She turned to Shen Hongying and said, "Use the PID control principle that you learned in the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department to make a simple temperature control system."
Shen Hongying deftly pulled out a wrench she always carried with her: "Give me three days!"
In a corner, Zhao Bo and the veteran steelworkers were discussing drill bit materials: "Imported drill bits use tungsten carbide; we could try rare earth modification..."
*
Late at night, the couple studied data in their temporary dormitory.
The three children were sleeping soundly in their cribs.
Xu Weidong gently stroked the dark circles under his wife's eyes: "University... must be tough?"
Ji Xiaosong shook his head and took out a thick stack of notes from his suitcase: "This is biomineralization data that Zhou Yawen helped organize. It may be helpful for understanding nanostructures."
She paused for a moment, then added, "She is now at the Institute of Marine Biology and Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, specializing in the microstructure of seashells."
"Seashells?" Xu Weidong asked in surprise.
“Hmm.” Ji Xiaosong opened her notebook and pointed to the electron microscope image. “The shell is 3000 times stronger than ordinary calcium carbonate because of its nanolayered structure.”
Xu Weidong sat up abruptly: "Like... the nano-precipitation enhancement we're trying to achieve?"
The couple's eyes met under the kerosene lamp, sparking a flash of wisdom.
Everything was proceeding smoothly, but unexpectedly, three months later, a sudden technological blockade made the situation even worse.
Country M announced a complete embargo on special steel production technology, even restricting access to ordinary experimental equipment.
The steel mill had finally managed to obtain an imported spectrometer, but it was detained by customs without cause.