Huang Wenqiang practically leaped up from the field.
It was immediately obvious that this young man must be a leader from the county.
“Su Jiaxuan is from our commune.”
The young man frowned slightly at Huang Wenqiang’s anxious demeanor.
“Then could you please call Comrade Su Jiaxuan for me?”
“Do you need something from him? I can pass on the message.”
The young man glanced back at Huang Chaoying, who was following him.
“Director Huang, I’ve already told you—I’m here to find Comrade Su Jiaxuan. This is a task assigned to me from above, and I must bring him back before this afternoon.”
Huang Wenqiang’s expression turned cold.
In the commune, the Party Secretary held a higher position than the Director, which was why he, as a nephew, dared to act arrogantly in front of his uncle.
But now, this comrade from the city didn’t even acknowledge him.
Where did that leave the dignity of a Party Secretary?
However, Huang Wenqiang didn’t dare to throw a tantrum in front of a superior leader. He could only force a smile as he walked over to Su Jiaxuan, lowering his voice to issue a warning.
“Don’t say anything you shouldn’t. Otherwise, think about your wife and child!”
Upon seeing Su Jiaxuan, the young man proactively extended his hand and introduced himself: “Hello, Comrade Su. My name is Ge Guoqiang, and I’m an officer from the County Agricultural Machinery Bureau.”
Su Jiaxuan nodded politely, introduced himself, and then waited for Ge Guoqiang to explain his purpose.
“It’s like this: our machinery bureau just received a batch of harvesters. Originally, they were to be piloted at Hongxing Commune, but after one use, they broke down. Our maintenance technicians have never seen such advanced equipment. I heard that last night, during the film screening in your commune, you were the one who repaired the generator.”
“So, the bureau director specifically ordered me to invite Comrade Su to help repair the harvesters.”
The more urgent the situation, the more desperate they became. Unable to find anyone in the city, they started scouring the communes below for talent.
Su Jiaxuan glanced back at Shen Fujuan but asked an unrelated question:
“How long will it take to return?”
Ge Guoqiang’s smile faltered for a moment. “Probably one or two days? If we can’t fix it right away, we’ll have to trouble you and a few other skilled comrades to help study it. This harvester is a Beijing brand, a newly developed model. We also need a detailed maintenance guide.”
The people nearby listened in stunned silence, especially Huang Wenqiang.
He never expected that his unintentional actions last night would pave a golden path for Su Jiaxuan!
Seeing someone he had suppressed about to surpass him, Huang Wenqiang was displeased.
“Officer Ge, you’ve just met Comrade Su and don’t understand his personality. He’s a man of few words. Without his wife, he can’t communicate with others. Perhaps you should look for someone in another commune?”
Shen Fujuan stood farther away and couldn’t hear what they were saying clearly.
But judging by Huang Wenqiang’s expression, she knew he was up to no good.
Unexpectedly, Ge Guoqiang nodded to Su Jiaxuan.
“Alright, then let Comrade Su’s wife accompany him. We’ll arrange a dormitory for you, with meals and accommodation provided. Any other requests?”
Su Jiaxuan shook his head, and a smile spread across Ge Guoqiang’s face.
“Our bureau chief has promised that if this harvester can be repaired, he will reward us with a bushel of white flour!”
A bushel of white flour!
As soon as such a generous and tempting reward was announced, the eyes of everyone around lit up.
Mixed with some bran flour or pumpkin flour, a bushel of white flour could last at least a month!
It meant the entire Su family wouldn’t have to go hungry!
Under the envious gazes of the onlookers, Su Jiaxuan walked up to Shen Fujuan and explained the current situation.
Then, the two of them followed Ge Guoqiang and left together.
Watching their departing figures, Huang Wenqiang was seething with anger.
He turned around and glared fiercely at the other onlookers.
“They have the skills to repair planes and cannons—do you? All you do all day is envy others for eating well, without even looking at how much your worthless bones are worth! Get back to work in the fields!”
…
Ge Guoqiang had arrived in the mechanical bureau’s official vehicle.
The tall Beijing-brand jeep parked at the village entrance was particularly eye-catching.
A crowd had already gathered around, inspecting the vehicle.
When they saw Ge Guoqiang leading the two “bad elements” who had been sent down and politely inviting them into the car, they were all stunned.
Just how much influence did these two “bad elements” have? Even the leader from the county had to treat them with such respect?
Ge Guoqiang sat in the passenger seat, cautiously observing the two in the back.
They were a perfect match—talented man and beautiful woman, sitting together as if they were made for each other.
Su Jiaxuan carried an air of calmness, with the steadiness of a scholar, clearly different from the troublemaker Huang Wenqiang from earlier.
“Comrade Su, what did you do before?”
“Aerospace research.”
“Mainly in which area?”
Ge Guoqiang was just feeling a bit bored and wanted to learn more about this Comrade Su.
But he didn’t expect the other’s gaze to suddenly sharpen, like a bone-scraping knife sweeping over him.
“It involves state secrets.”
“I heard Comrade Su came from the capital? Are you used to it here?”
Su Jiaxuan gave a noncommittal “hmm,” speaking as little as possible.
His experiences in the capital had been too profound, honing his already reticent nature to an even greater degree.
Shen Fujuan quickly chimed in with a laugh: “Officer Ge, judging by your accent, you don’t sound like a local either, do you?”
Ge Guoqiang nodded with a hint of pride: “When the country was first founded, they said we should develop the Northeast. My parents packed their bags and brought me here.”
No wonder. Ge Guoqiang looked slick and polished, not like the rugged Northeasterners, but more like a southerner.
Chatting idly, the jeep came to a smooth stop at the entrance of the mechanical bureau.
Ge Guoqiang led the way, taking them into the courtyard to see the broken harvester.
Agricultural machinery during this period was still quite crude. The harvester needed to be paired with a tractor to operate.
And its appearance was rugged and straightforward.
Seeing them enter, a man who looked like a leader waved to Ge Guoqiang.
“These are the expert talents sent down from various communes in our county. Work together and figure out how to repair this harvester.”
The harvester looked relatively new, though its wheels were still caked with mud.
It seemed it had just been dragged back from the fields not long ago.
“Let me introduce myself first. I’m from Xiangnan. I studied physical mechanics in university, specifically focusing on machinery, but this is my first time handling such large agricultural equipment.”
Among this group, there were even those who studied chemistry, all hastily brought here.
Su Jiaxuan, however, was the most likely among them to fix the harvester.
After listening to their introductions, the director nodded and said, “Everyone, feel free to repair it boldly. There will be a reward if you succeed, but be careful not to damage it further. Otherwise, we won’t be able to explain it to the county authorities!”