Scholars in the courtyard.

Chapter 2616 Meeting in the Hospital
ps: (The plot of Chapter 2617 has been modified for some reasons, and will also need to be modified later, alas~)

(I hope you guys will forgive me.)
Yanzhou.

It was seven o'clock in the evening and it was still light.

Yang Xiaotao came to the guesthouse at Shi Yi's invitation.

Following behind him were Zhan Lei and two guards who followed from the airport.

Shi Yi and two other people sat together, while the two guards were accompanied by Shi Yi's secretary.

As soon as we sat down, the food was served.

Yang Xiaotao took a look and saw three bowls, all filled with noodles.

This is also a local specialty, it is both a noodle and a dish.

Shi Yi picked up the bottle and was about to pour wine for Yang Xiaotao, but Yang Xiaotao quickly stretched out his hand to stop him, "I can do it myself."

"No, this wine is mine."

Shi Yi insisted, so Yang Xiaotao had to let go.

After the wine was filled, Shi Yi sat aside and sighed.

"Bu Yang, I never thought something like this would happen!"

As he spoke, Shi Yi's face was filled with self-blame.

Zhan Lei, who was standing by, also lowered his head in annoyance, "Minister Yang, this matter is my fault. It was me who failed to take good care of Secretary Li."

"I am willing to accept any punishment."

As soon as Zhan Lei finished speaking, Shi Yi immediately took the responsibility, "Director Zhan, this matter was our negligence, it has nothing to do with you."

"Yang Department."

The two wanted to talk more, but Yang Xiaotao waved his hand and picked up the wine glass on the table, "Stop talking. I know Lao Li's temper. He is a person who can't sit still and works very hard."

"Fortunately, this time it didn't get to the worst."

"Let's do this for Lao Li's health."

As he spoke, Yang Xiaotao raised his glass. The other two picked up their glasses, and the three of them clinked their glasses together before drinking it all in one gulp.

After eating two mouthfuls of noodles, Yang Xiaotao asked about the work here.

Zhan Lei first reported on the production situation of the steel plant. Since taking over the task of constructing the rails for the Changyan Railway, the entire steel plant has been extremely busy.

If Li Hongfeng had not fallen ill this time, he would still be in charge of production in the workshop.

"Now the workshop's steel output is gradually increasing, the workers' technical level is also improving, and the production capacity has met the railway's needs."

Zhan Lei finished speaking, and then added, "We pay great attention to safety issues. After the last accident, we worked hard on safety."

"All workers must be familiar with the operating procedures. Those who are not familiar with them will be criticized once, punished twice, and transferred to another position and reduced in salary if they are not familiar with them three times."

Yang Xiaotao heard Zhan Lei's report and nodded with satisfaction.

Obviously, the other party used all the management methods he learned in the machinery factory.

"Combining work and rest, comrades are also human beings. We can organize some entertainment activities after this busy period is over."

Yang Xiaotao suggested.

Zhan Lei nodded immediately, then smiled and said, "Our steel mill has also formed a 'women's volleyball team'. Once the training is done, I will tell Director Yang and go to the headquarters to learn from him."

Hearing this, Yang Xiaotao smiled and said, "Then you have to tell the female comrades to be prepared to endure hardships."

Zhan Lei listened and smiled.

After saying this, Shi Yi talked about the construction of the Changyan Railway.

"This time we are building a railway from Yanzhou to Chang'an, with both ends moving forward at the same time."

“Preliminary surveys have required more than 300 kilometers of construction, including more than 200 bridges and more than 110 tunnels.”

"In addition, nearly 100 villages need to be relocated and collective land needs to be expropriated."

"This is more troublesome than we thought."

Shi Yi said, picking up the wine glass and taking a sip himself, he said sadly, "Director Yang, we are not mentally prepared enough."

Yang Xiaotao asked, "Didn't they say the railway would help?"

"With their help, what else do you have to worry about?"

After saying this, Shi Yi's face turned even worse.

"Their focus is now on the southwest. We don't know when the main force will be transferred here."

Yang Xiaotao looked at the other party carefully and felt that the other party was insincere, or it was more like an excuse.

However, he didn't know much about the railway situation, so he didn't say more.

"By the way, Commander Yang, I heard that Sijiu City has built a tunnel boring machine?"

Yang Xiaotao nodded after hearing this, and Zhan Lei beside him laughed and said, "Lao Shi, you asked the right person!"

Seeing Zhan Lei speak, Yang Xiaotao was no longer in a hurry. Shi Yi turned to look at the other party with curiosity on his face.

Zhan Lei explained, "This shield machine! It was designed by our Yang Department and given to the First Machinery Department to make."

Shi Yi suddenly became nervous. Seeing Yang Xiaotao smiling but not saying anything, he immediately understood what was going on. He quickly picked up his wine glass and admired him sincerely, "Minister Yang, you are really a genius!"

Yang Xiaotao picked up his glass and accompanied him, "You're too kind, I'm just doing my job!"

"Besides, I just provided the design. The fact that it was made possible was the result of the concerted efforts of the comrades in the First Ministry of Machine Building."

Shi Yi shook his head after hearing this. He knew in his heart that without a design, there would be no point in using his best efforts.

Otherwise, with so many factories and workers across the country, why do they all use the alliance's design drawings?
Isn’t it because we lack top-notch talent in high-end design?
And Yang Xiaotao in front of him is definitely one of the best.

This is a talent!
Yang Xiaotao's words were modest, but he couldn't underestimate them.

As they spoke, the three of them picked up their glasses and drank them all.

"Yang Bu! That! This..."

Shi Yi put down the cup and hesitated to speak. Finally, thinking of the difficulties on the construction site, he gritted his teeth and asked, "Can we use this shield machine first?"

Yang Xiaotao knew the other party's plan when the other party first mentioned the shield machine.

So he smiled and said, "Sure!"

Shi Yi originally wanted to say a few more words, but after hearing Yang Xiaotao's straightforward agreement, he was still a little dazed.

After a moment, he immediately reacted and could no longer suppress the smile on his face.

"Thank you, Director Yang, thank you. I'm speaking for the workers on the construction site. Thank you..."

Shi Yi was very excited and expressed his gratitude repeatedly.

Yang Xiaotao had long been aware of Mr. Chen's plan, and this was also the intention of the Ministry of First Machine Building.

You know, Yanzhou is a "holy land" in the hearts of Huang Lao and his generation.

Many people have always wanted to do something for the "holy land".

This is also why so many people came forward to help after the Changyan Railway was proposed.

"But Lao Shi, there is only one tunnel boring machine here. If we want to complete the task, we have to work together."

Shi Yi nodded, "I know!"

Then he picked up the wine glass again, "Come on, Chief Yang, I, Old Shi, have nothing to say, thank you!"

……

Just as Yang Xiaotao and the other two were having dinner, at the hospital gate, a tractor with black smoke coming out of its chimney was heard rushing into the hospital with a "bang bang bang" sound.

The middle-aged man in the car looked anxious, and the sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks, leaving a trail of gray marks.

His hair was a mess, with straw visible from time to time.

The middle-aged man didn't bother to clean up. He held down the shaking handle with his arms and walked forward along the road.

People on both sides of the road were curious when they saw the tractor running in, and then they looked at the person being held in the truck bed.

He was an old man, his hair was all white and he looked quite old.

At this time, he was lying in the truck bed, with his right leg held in someone's arms and pressed down hard.

"Doctor, doctor, come quickly!" When he arrived at the door, the middle-aged man stepped on the brakes barefoot to stop the tractor. He ran to the outpatient clinic without turning off the engine, shouting loudly at the same time.

Soon, two nurses heard the noise and came out to inquire about the situation.

"Doctor, my uncle has been bitten by a longworm. Come, go and have a look."

Hearing the middle-aged man's words, the nurse did not dare to slack off and quickly took people forward to check.

"What kind of snake is that?"

"The kind with a triangle head, grey... in the car!"

The middle-aged man quickly described what happened, and the people in the car carried the old man down on their backs, while someone else carried out a dead snake.

The nurse frowned immediately after seeing it, and then sighed, "It's a poisonous snake, a viper, send it to the emergency room quickly..."

There was a panic at the door and the old man was soon sent to the emergency room.

The middle-aged man followed the nurse to the front desk to register his information.

"The patient's name!"

"Chen Changqing!"

"age!"

"Fifty-two!"

"address!"

"From Chenjia Village!"

"Your relationship with the other person..."

"That's our village chief, and also my uncle. In the early years, when we fought against the Japanese, my uncle was the only one left at home..."

The nurse smiled warmly when she heard the middle-aged man say this, "Since you are a hero in the fight against the Japanese invaders, you don't have to pay for the medical expenses for now!"

"That's great, doctor, you must save my uncle!"

The middle-aged man wiped away the tears and sweat mixed with dust, which made his face even more dusty.

"Don't worry, this will be delivered in time, everything will be fine!"

The nurse comforted him, but the middle-aged man was just worried.

……

An hour later, the old man was pushed out of the emergency room. His face was a little pale, but his eyes were open and he smiled at the middle-aged man.

"Tiedan, I'm fine, you go back and help with the work."

"Don't delay!"

The old man spoke weakly, and the middle-aged man was still a little worried when he saw it.

"Don't worry, there are nurses here. I'll give you two IV drips and you can go out tomorrow."

"Then you can come and pick me up."

The middle-aged man nodded after hearing this, "Uncle, you should have a good rest. If you are not feeling well tomorrow, stay for two more days."

"The hospital said that heroes who fought against the Japanese will be given preferential treatment..."

The middle-aged man wanted to say something, but the old man immediately waved his hand and said, "No, no!"

"I told you, we have legs and feet, we can't take advantage of the country..."

After hearing this, the middle-aged man felt a little embarrassed and his ears turned red.

The nurse at the side was deeply moved, so she said, "Old man, you need to stay in bed for two more days so that you can recover."

"Only after you recover can you continue to contribute to the revolution, right?"

The old man grinned and said, "The girl speaks well."

The nurse laughed and then sent the old man to the ward.

The night was dull and the old man lay in bed, feeling very upset.

Although he is about to be buried, who doesn't want to live two more days?

But we have to do it.

Because my family is still here!

One must leave roots in this life.

Otherwise, if I go down, who will spend the money for me?

Rely on these people in the village?

Forget it.

It's all bitter haha.

Besides, my surname is not Chen, so if I put it in the ancestral tomb, it will belong to someone else and has nothing to do with me.

So, let me die this time.

Thinking of this, the old man stretched his body and looked around.

There are three beds left in the ward, but they are empty.

It is the busy farming season now, and hospitalization costs money, so few people can afford it.

Just as the old man was stretching his body, the door opened and a figure walked in.

"Chen Changqing, it's time to eat!"

The man came in and shouted at the old man.

When the old man heard the sound, he just turned his head to look, then continued to look at the ceiling, thinking about his next task.

"This is a dish for you. It contains mutton. I wonder if you are used to eating it!"

As the man was speaking, there was a greasy smell on his body. He was probably someone working in the kitchen.

As soon as he heard what the other person said, the old man immediately turned his head to look at the person who came.

The man was not young, but not tall, with a big round face, small eyes, a thick neck, and a lunch box in his hands.

"I want fresh mutton!"

After the old man finished speaking, the man put down the lunch box and opened it to reveal a box of boiled mutton.

"Eat more, we still have to work next year!"

The person who came put down the lunch box and smiled softly beside him.

The old man stared at the other person without blinking.

"Which side are you from?"

The visitor chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter which side we are on. What matters is that we have a common goal."

After saying that, a matchbox appeared in his hand and he placed it next to the old man's pillow.

"This contains a new type of virus, which is more powerful than the last one. As for how to use it, you know it yourself."

After saying that, he patted the old man on the shoulder and walked out.

Before the visitor even reached the door, the old man suddenly spoke, "You are from over there!"

The man stopped and asked without turning back, "Why?"

The old man sneered, "I smelled the hypocrisy on you when you came in!"

The visitor smiled after hearing this, opened the door, and left without looking back.

The old man watched the door close, then stood up and picked up the matchbox, which was cold to the touch.

After opening it, there was indeed a hollow needle inside, the same as used in hospitals.

There was a flash of determination in his eyes. He pricked his foot with the needle and then threw it into the trash can nearby.

As the old man spoke, there was a hint of self-mockery on his face.

Then he picked up the lunch box, hesitated for a moment, grabbed the mutton and started eating.

"Damn it, this is going to kill me!"