Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 82 Uncle Four's Team

The next day, Yan Hui prepared a mask and cotton early in the morning, then put on a very easy-to-wash T-shirt and shorts, and began his day's work.

It is said that before Uncle Si opened the factory, there were about a month's worth of backlogged orders. Because there will definitely be new orders, Yan Hui will not have a single day of rest for the next two or three months.

Last May Day, it was said that the government required the implementation of a two-day weekend, but Yan Hui didn't know about it at the time. He only heard about it from Lao Guo this May Day.

When Yan Hui heard about this, his first reaction was, "What is a two-day weekend?" He later learned that it was like a weekend break for students.

Yan Hui had never experienced a day like this.

Sizzle.
The boards being cut today are larch. This type of wood is hard and makes a louder sound when cut. Even with cotton in his ears, Yan Hui habitually plugs them with his hands between the wood shavings.

When cutting wood with a band saw, there is a pause of more than ten seconds after each slice is cut. Yan Hui takes this opportunity to quickly collect the wood shavings and then covers his ears after the cutting resumes.

After cutting for less than an hour, the machine began to slow down, and the band saw stopped.

Yan Hui came out carrying a basket of sawdust, realizing that it was time to replace the saw blade.

It was Brother Zhao who came over to disassemble the saw blade again.

The saw blade that has just been removed from the cutting machine is hot and needs to be removed after a while. The disassembly process is quite dangerous, while the installation of a new saw blade is easier. Therefore, Brother Zhao is usually responsible for the disassembly of the first half.

The saw blade was very large and long, and it would take more than ten minutes to disassemble and install it. Yan Hui had a chance to go out and rest for a while.

He loves larch trees so much! If only he could chop larch leaves every day!
During the morning, because larch wood is hard, the saw blade was changed four times, giving Yan Hui four breaks.

When Yan Hui changed the saw blade for the last time in the morning, it was lunchtime. He cleaned up the sawdust off his clothes and prepared to eat.

Passing by the corner of the mill, Yan Hui saw people inside still grinding saw blades, so he went over to see how they were ground.

Hissing sounds.
As Yan Hui approached, he heard the sound of a grinding machine. Although it wasn't as loud as a band saw, it was still quite jarring.

The man grinding was a young man around 20 years old. Yan Hui knew his name was Wang Chao and that he seemed to have graduated from a technical school, but he didn't know anything else.

Wang Chao was wearing something that looked like goggles and was focused on operating the grinding machine, so he didn't see Yan Hui.

Yan Hui watched it intently for five minutes, then went to the door to buy some pickled vegetables and steamed buns. He ate while watching, and watched for more than twenty minutes straight until he understood the process.

After the band saw stops running, you have to wait for the saw blade to cool down before removing it. After removing it, it is sent to the mill.

Wang Chao would place the saw blade flat on the grinding wheel and then fix it in place with a clamp to maintain a suitable angle. He would carefully observe the wear of the saw teeth and adjust the angle as needed, and he would also frequently use a file to file the teeth and a steel ruler to measure them.

Hmm. I can't see anything else about Yan Hui.

After sharpening the last saw blade, Wang Chao wiped the sweat from his body, breathed a sigh of relief, and looked at Yan Hui: "I've been watching you for a while, what's so interesting about this thing?"

"Huh? I've never seen you before." Yan Hui looked at Wang Chao. "You seem to be very dedicated to your work."

"I'm too busy today, cutting this larch," Wang Chao said with a hint of helplessness. "Different types of wood require different grinding angles, and hardwoods are even more difficult to work with." "There's so much to it?" Yan Hui asked, even more curious.

"Well, the grinding wheel is mainly used to eliminate dullness. Different types of wood require different rake angles. Look at this. Cutting is very particular. If you over-cut, the saw teeth height will not be enough. If the cutting is uneven, the force will be uneven when cutting, and the saw blade will easily break. So sometimes you have to use a file." This was the first time Wang Chao had met someone as curious as Yan Hui, so he explained in detail.

As he spoke, Wang Chao tidied up and wiped down his tools, putting everything away neatly.

Grinding saw blades isn't a technical job, and there aren't any strong technical barriers involved. It's just a matter of being attentive and skilled; it's purely hard work. Grinding one saw blade takes about half an hour.

Yan Hui listened attentively for a few minutes, then glanced at the factory clock: "Did I take up your time? Shouldn't you go eat?"

“I’m not in a hurry. I’ve finished sharpening the saw blade. It’ll still be larch this afternoon, but it’ll take at least another hour to get the saw blade delivered to me, right?” Wang Chao said as he washed his hands at a tap.

"That's true, I'll be the one who gets tired once we start working." Yan Hui found this rather amusing.

Cutting softwood is definitely more enjoyable for Wang Chao, as there's not much work to be done each day; cutting hardwood is more enjoyable for Yan Hui, as he gets to rest many times.

“I’m used to it anyway,” Wang Chao said, wiping his hands clean. “Take it slow.”

It was only then that Yan Hui noticed that Wang Chao's right hand actually had four fingers; his little finger had been cut off. Perhaps because the little finger wasn't considered important, Yan Hui hadn't noticed it before.

This startled Yan Hui, but he said nothing and asked nothing.

"You're really dedicated to your work; I need to learn from you." Yan Hui felt he couldn't quite connect with Wang Chao. Wang Chao could explain anything about technical matters, but in everyday conversation, they were difficult to talk about.

"It's alright, it's alright. We can learn from each other." Wang Chao finished tidying up. "I'm going out to eat now."

"Yeah, go ahead."

Not long after Wang Chao left, it was time to start work in the afternoon. Yan Hui put on his dried mask and went back into the basement.

At this moment, Yan Hui suddenly remembered something he hadn't mentioned: he wondered if Wang Chao's goggles would be effective against the sawdust.

Logically speaking, Wang Chao's goggles shouldn't be able to protect against wood chips, but does he have another way? After all, the eyes don't need to breathe.
Lost in thought, Yan Hui's mind wandered again, and a splinter of wood accidentally flew into his eye. He immediately ran outside, washed it with a tap, and then quickly ran back.

Fortunately, he was quick enough that the bottom wasn't full yet.

One afternoon, he was cutting larch. Every time the band saw stopped, he could hear the grinding machine coming from the mill. Sometimes Yan Hui would go over to check on him, but he found that Wang Chao never looked up or spoke while working; he was just focused on operating the grinding machine.

Yan Hui couldn't help but admire the abundance of talent his fourth uncle had. However, considering that his fourth uncle had come to Fengtian in the 1980s and only started opening a factory today, it was not surprising that he had managed to build such a network of connections and a solid team.

Such a team isn't something you can just find anywhere by hiring. If Yan Hui also wants to get rich, following Uncle Si's path might be difficult.

Hmm. Yan Hui still hasn't found a business opportunity.

(Sorry, I was really busy with business today. Why am I even busier on the weekend?)

(End of this chapter)