Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 391 Let's go fishing!
After Secretary Yang finished speaking, his gaze swept across everyone's faces, and he picked up his teacup, waiting for people to speak.

Chen Fan was a little curious: were they preparing a program for National Day?

How are programs prepared these days, or rather, how have they been prepared in recent years?
Before he could even ask a question, Zhang Wenliang said nonchalantly, "What's there to prepare for? Our militia company will just do a few drills."

As he spoke, he pointed to Yang Xingxiu and said, "Xingxiu, organize a girls' chorus. No need for rehearsal. We'll just sing the same songs as in previous years."

He paused for a moment, then suddenly froze, his voice dropping unexpectedly, "Let's not sing 'Long Live the Emperor,' let's sing something else."

As soon as these words were spoken, the office fell silent. Yang Xingxiu, who had originally wanted to argue with Zhang Wenliang, instantly lost the will to speak.

Even Xiao Liewen sighed deeply, looking dejected. "It's been a year."

Chen Fan sat to the side, pursing his lips, feeling quite empathetic.

Only by living in this era can one truly appreciate the deep respect and love that farmers have for the elderly.

A few days ago, on the anniversary of his death, memorial activities were held across the country, and Chen Fan participated in them.

Although it was a very simple ceremony, and no one was organized to do it on a large scale, only a few people from the brigade headquarters, the sentiment was genuine. Those who were not organized also spontaneously held a memorial service at home.

After a long while, Secretary Yang finally raised his head and said softly, "I forgot to mention earlier that this year's program is different from previous years."

Once everyone looked over, he continued, "When we had the meeting at the commune, Secretary Qian made it clear that the higher-ups are also preparing celebratory programs. Times have changed, and we're not going to do the old things anymore. People below should also put aside their burdens and bring out the programs that they truly enjoy, sing and dance, and have a good time."

Chen Fan turned to Zhang Wenliang and whispered, "What was it like in previous years?"

Zhang Wenliang: "What else could it be like? Just what I just mentioned: singing hymns and performing loyalty dances."

As we all know, hymns of praise say that sailing the seas depends on the helmsman, that life is long and prosperous, and that our hearts are turned towards the sun. The famous "I love Beijing" Tiananmen Square was also born in this era.

As for Zhongwu, the full name should include the character "字" (zi) in the middle.

If we're going to be precise, this dance was the first truly "national dance".

In factories, on campuses, in squares, on streets, and even on train platforms, people dance this dance almost everywhere, especially during important events, when it is a must.

Moreover, regardless of their status, whether they dance well or not, or whether their technique is up to standard, everyone can perform a few dance moves.

In comparison, the square dancing of later generations is far inferior and cannot be compared at all.

Zhang Wenliang continued, "Back in 70, the last large-scale celebration was held in Tiananmen Square. After that, there was no more celebration, only scattered celebrations on the ground, and the programs were the same as what I just mentioned."

Chen Fan suddenly realized, "Oh, I see."

After pausing for two seconds, he said softly, "This year is the first year of 'saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new,' and it's normal that the higher-ups want to draw a line between themselves and the past."

Secretary Yang looked at him and asked, "Xiao Chen, do you have any good ideas?"

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly. "Secretary, you can't just take advantage of me."

A soft laugh rang out in the room.

Anquan looked up at him and laughed, "Aren't you multi-talented? Perform a few shows!"

Chen Fan chuckled dryly twice, glared at him, and said, "If you want to go, then I'll go."

Come on, hurt each other.

But Anquan, acting like a maniac, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Okay, it's settled then!"

Chen Fan's face froze, staring at him in disbelief.

play for real?
Secretary Yang nodded in satisfaction, "You two can both play musical instruments and sing, that's good."

He paused for a moment, then added, "The venue for the performance and the organization of the event also need to be arranged properly."

His gaze swept across the faces of Chen Fan, An Quan, and Yang Xingxiu, as if searching for a suitable target.

Seeing that something was wrong, Chen Fan quickly said, "Secretary, I only have one idea. I don't know anything else. After saying this, it will all be over, whether it's appropriate or not."

Secretary Yang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said noncommittally, "Well, tell me about it first."

Chen Fan grinned and said, "The big wooden boat that the shipping company helped us modify isn't going to be ready anytime soon..."

Before he could finish speaking, Secretary Yang, Captain Zhang, Ye Shubao, and Xiao Liewen had already raised their heads.

Anquan and Zhang Wenliang's eyes lit up, eager to try.

Yang Xingxiu jumped up and excitedly exclaimed, "Using boats as stages, performing on the boats, and having the commune members watch from the dike—that would be a really lively scene!"

Secretary Zhang nodded in deep agreement, "This is a perfect opportunity to showcase the great development of Lujiawan."

Secretary Yang stopped chasing Chen Fan for the program and immediately looked at Ye Shubao, "Old Ye, when did the shipping company say it could be delivered?"

Ye Shubao, "The latest is September 30th."

Zhang Wenliang then added, "It would be best to rehearse two days in advance to make it easier. After all, it's on a ship, and the space is limited, so we definitely need to familiarize ourselves with it first."

Anquan stood up and walked out, saying, "I'm going to check on the progress over there."

After taking only a few steps, she reached out and pulled Chen Fan, saying, "You have a lot of influence, come with me."

Chen Fan scratched his head. "I'm not worried about the ship's progress. At most, I'll ask them to send more people. But I'm wondering if the trainees we send can keep up with the schedule?"

This is a large boat over 20 meters long, and it uses a proper ship propulsion system, unlike the small rowboats used nowadays, which can be started with a paddle motor and have a sail at the bow. With a few members who know how to handle the sail, they can easily dock and leave the shore.

Large ships are different. If you don't control the direction and distance well, you might end up "crashing" into the dock every day. Although all ships need to bump into the dock to come to a stop, there are requirements for the force used. A skilled operator will only lightly touch the anti-collision tires when docking, while an unskilled operator can smash a large part of the dock.

If they keep crashing into it a few more times, both the dock and the ship will have to be rebuilt.

So when the wooden boats over there were just being renovated, we sent a few people over to learn how to drive and work as sailors; they were trainees in a very short-term training course.

Chen Fan was pulled away by An Quan and walked outside, and the others also stood up.

Xiao Liewen said with his hands behind his back, "Go and take a look. Look at the boat and the people. It would be best if they learned it. If they didn't, they can keep practicing. At worst, we can ask the shipping company to help bring the boat back."

Captain Zhang walked alongside him, nodding as he said, "That's right, big ships are not like small boats; they're much stronger. Crashing into the dock is no small matter. We have to wait until they've mastered their craft."

The eight people left the brigade headquarters one after another, some on bicycles and some on horseback, and headed to the water transport company together.

……

Once on the levee, Yang Xingxiu rode her bicycle with her father on the back.

Secretary Yang, with his feet on the shelf and his hands gripping the back seat, looked at Chen Fan and said, "You earned a propeller for the team and also used your connections to open so many stores in the prefectural committee. We said last time that we would give you a reward, but after discussing it over and over, we still don't know what to give you."

Captain Zhang, riding his bicycle nearby, naturally picked up where he left off, "Let's build you a house. Your house was only finished a few days ago, and you were supposed to get a bicycle as a reward. You have the bicycle voucher but don't use it to buy one, you just ride a horse every day..."

The mare immediately flicked her tail, raised her head proudly, and neighed twice.

Captain Zhang was immediately startled and almost fell off the riverbank. He wobbled and barely managed to steady the handlebars, then couldn't help but laugh and curse, "This beast is almost a monster."

Chen Fan smiled and patted the mare's neck. The little mare instantly calmed down and trotted slowly.

Xiao Liewen shook the reins, ran to Captain Zhang's side, and laughed, "You have a horse but you don't ride it? Who gave you permission to ride a bicycle?"

Captain Zhang rolled his eyes, too lazy to pay him any attention.

Secretary Yang smiled and continued, "Now you have a new house, you ride a tall horse, you have electric lights and running water, and even the outhouse has been built inside the house."

The building has electric lights and telephones; it's just a telephone away from entering a communist society. It's so different from when I first came here.

We don't know what you need right now, why don't you suggest one yourself?

Chen Fan laughed and said, "You're letting me carry it myself, aren't you afraid I'll ask for a big ship?"

Safety huffed and puffed as he pedaled his bicycle. “A large ship costs two or three thousand for the hull alone, four or five thousand for the propeller, and then there are other miscellaneous parts. The cost of a ship alone is seven or eight thousand. You dare to ask for such an exorbitant price.”

Secretary Yang laughed and said, "A big ship is definitely out of the question. Giving you a small boat is more like it." Everyone else also burst into laughter, and no one took Chen Fan's words seriously.

There are some privately owned small boats or slightly larger dhows, but a large boat, whether it's 20 meters or 10 meters or more, is absolutely impossible!

Chen Fan himself didn't take it seriously.

However, Secretary Yang's words gave him a sudden inspiration. He spurred his horse to stand in front of him, smiled, and whispered, "You really want to reward me with a small boat?"

Secretary Yang was slightly taken aback, looked up at Chen Fan sitting on horseback, his eyes full of surprise, "You really want a small boat?"

Chen Fan chuckled and said, "If you're serious, then I'll be serious. However, the small boat I want is a bit special; it needs to be custom-made."

Secretary Yang blinked. "What do you mean by 'custom-made'?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "I designed it myself. It's a little bigger than a regular small boat, but no one would think it's a big ship."

He paused for a moment, then added, "It's hard to say right now. When we get to the repair shop, they have blueprints, and I'll draw them for you."

After saying that, he laughed and said, "Even if it exceeds the limit, it doesn't matter. As long as the team helps me prepare the timber, I'll buy it myself."

As the production team's breeding farm gradually got on track, he transferred all the wild rabbits he was raising in his backyard to the breeding farm, even dismantling and moving the cages over.

Since it wasn't the end of the year yet, the cages were mostly filled with baby rabbits, so the profits were less than expected.

Now that Ye Shubao was wealthy, he rounded it up to exactly 1000 yuan. Adding this to what he had saved up before, Chen Fan had a total of over 1600 yuan in cash in his suitcase.

He hadn't counted the exact amount, but it would definitely be more than enough to buy some timber, and maybe even a second-hand boat handling machine.

Both outboard motors and boat handling motors can be considered small marine propulsion devices.

However, the outboard motor can only be operated from the stern, while the steer motor has an additional transmission system, allowing the steering wheel to be mounted at the bow, just like on a large ship.

The speedboats commonly seen in later generations, with people steering at the front, were equipped with boat handling machines.

(A speedboat with a boat-handling machine. In 74, Liuzhou Machinery Factory and a factory in Shanghai held a competition for self-made boat-handling machines on Taihu Lake, and Liuzhou Machinery Factory won by a landslide.)
Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, Secretary Yang chuckled, "Since you say it's a small boat, even if it's a bit bigger, how much timber would it use? Okay, I agree to this."

He really didn't care about a small boat. Including the cost of wood and labor, would it cost 200 yuan? Even if Chen Fan said it was a bit bigger, the cost would be at most 300 yuan.

Who wouldn't be happy to trade something worth 300 yuan for a large ship propulsion system?
And for Chen Fan, it wasn't a loss either.

It's just like doing business. Without Lujiawan, Secretary Tian would never have agreed to reward him with a set of propellers after the repairs were completed. At most, he would have applied for a few dozen yuan in labor costs, which would have been considered quite good.

And a thruster? What do you, an individual, need such a machine for?
Only through collective action can the interests be maximized. As the middleman, Chen Fan is content as long as he gets a share of the profits; he shouldn't think too much about anything else.

So don't be fooled by the fact that the small boat and the propeller are so disproportionate; it's the biggest piece of meat that Chen Fan can get his hands on.

After Secretary Yang finished speaking, Ye Shubao laughed and said, "When we get to the repair shop later, let's see if they're available. If they are, wouldn't it be better to ask them to rebuild it? The team will cover the labor costs. Consider this little boat a reward from the team to you."

With all four leaders present, the decision was made in just a few words.

The group sped along and quickly arrived at the repair shop.

When Cui Baozhang, the manager of the repair shop, saw so many people coming, he was very surprised. After he understood the reason, he silently calculated for a while, then patted his chest and said, "No problem, I will arrange a few more workers here, and I guarantee that it can be completed in another week."

Secretary Yang quickly calculated with his fingers, "So that's September 27th?"

Cui Baozhang smiled awkwardly, "Not counting today."

Secretary Yang grinned and said, "The 28th is fine too. Two or three days of preparation is enough."

Cui Baozhang laughed and said, "Don't worry, the hull has actually been completed a long time ago. Now we're just waiting for the paint to dry completely before launching it. Also, the cabins on the deck need to be installed. If we can finish ahead of schedule, we'll deliver it to you earlier."

At this moment, Chen Fan stepped forward and asked softly, "Director Cui, is the cabin two stories high?"

Cui Baozhang turned to look at him and said with a smile, "You said you wanted two floors, so we definitely made it two floors. The lower floor is the engine room, you could call it a half floor, and the upper floor is the cockpit and lounge. It's all built according to the modifications you suggested back then, and we even used a lot more wood."

He turned to look at Secretary Yang and said, "We didn't add any extra money."

Secretary Yang smiled broadly, "Thank you, thank you."

After a pause, he extended an invitation to Cui Baozhang, "Come to our Lujiawan Wharf on National Day, which is near Team 6. I'll treat you to drinks then."

Cui Baozhang: "I appreciate your kind offer, but unfortunately, our shipping company also has a celebration event that day, so I can't get away."

Captain Zhang immediately said, "Then come along when you send the boat off."

He pointed at Chen Fan as he spoke, "Teacher Chen has come up with a fresh cooked dish, so come and have a taste."

Cui Baozhang's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately nodded and smiled, "Then if we go, we must try Teacher Chen's cooking."

Taking advantage of the pleasant conversation, Secretary Yang gestured to Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, you said you wanted to draw a diagram, so draw it and let Director Cui take a look."

Cui Baozhang asked curiously, "What picture?"

Chen Fan laughed and said, "I want to build a small boat myself, but it's not like an ordinary small boat. I also want to add a boat handling machine to it."

Cui Baozhang's eyes darted around slightly. "You want to build a speedboat?"

Speedboat?

Secretary Yang and the others exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Wenliang looked at Chen Fan in surprise, "What do you need a speedboat for?"

Chen Fan glanced at him. "It's convenient for fishing in the river."

The group was speechless. At least you said it was convenient to go to the prefectural committee and the county town, which was somewhat sincere. Go fishing on the river? How could you even say that?

Chen Fan then looked at Cui Baozhang and asked, "Director Cui, can you build this speedboat repair shop?"

Cui Baozhang shook his head repeatedly and said, "This is very difficult. It's not that shipbuilding is difficult, but the main problem is that it's hard to buy the boat handling equipment."

You may not be aware that the boat handling machines used in our country are basically all imported. Imports are subject to strict quotas. The purchase quantity is determined in the previous year based on the needs of various units across the country. It is almost impossible to apply for purchases on short notice.

As for domestically produced ones, although since the 60s, several units, including Liuzhou Machinery Factory and Shanghai Machinery Factory, have been tasked with developing them independently, only Liuzhou Machinery Factory has made any progress so far.

However, all of the "Seagull" brand HO-16 boat handling aircraft produced by Liuzhou Machinery Factory were made for military use, and civilian units could hardly buy them. If they wanted to buy one, they could only try to purchase the Type 127 boat handling aircraft.

This boat handling machine is still in the acceptance phase, with only small-batch trial production. Rumors in the industry suggest it's already slated for a major science and technology award next year; countless organizations want it, and buying one would be virtually impossible.

In the end, he shrugged and said, "So if you want to build your own speedboat, it's basically impossible. Don't even mention you. Even the two speedboats of our water transport company only have a propeller mounted on the back. The boat control machine in front of the driver's seat depends on whether the local water police unit has one. Anyway, I've never heard of anyone having one."

After he finished speaking, Chen Fan blinked. "So troublesome?"

Cui Baozhang pursed his lips and nodded, "Hmm."

Chen Fan hesitated for two seconds, then asked, "What about the old machine? Can we buy one?"

Cui Baozhang stroked his chin. "It's hard to say. It's like a diesel engine; it depends on luck."

Chen Fan couldn't help but feel a little helpless. He had seen the shipbuilding materials which included information on the operation and use of boat handling machines, and he had thought that these things were already widespread.

But that makes sense; these days, most speedboats are equipped with outboard motors, and those with control motors are indeed rare.

Well, to put it bluntly, he hasn't met him yet.

Cui Baozhang looked at him and asked, "Do you still want your little boat?"

Chen Fan turned to look at him, smiled and said, "Sure, we can just put a paddle motor in the back first, and then replace it with a boat handling machine when we have the chance later."

He was secretly thinking that he should go to the machinery warehouse of the municipal committee's scrap metal company again someday to see if there were any suitable spare parts. As long as the material was suitable, he could borrow the precious machine tools from the repair shop and modify a boat handling machine himself.

The Liuzhou Machinery Factory wanted to independently produce boat handling machines using our country's own materials. The biggest challenge was how to make the materials meet the requirements of the engine. The intricacies involved were similar to those of later independently developing automobile engines.

Chen Fan, on the other hand, only cares about making it usable. In comparison, the difficulty level immediately drops from the sky to the ground, making it much more feasible.

(End of this chapter)