Reborn in 1977

Hearing Chen Fan's words, Zhang Wenliang casually said, "Aren't big ones and small ones the same? Since you only like to eat small ones, why not make them all small?"

Zhang Juemin took a bite of the rice ball and felt his mouth full of savory oil. "Wow, there's腊肉(preserved meat)?! Your living conditions are pretty good."

He then looked at Chen Fan and followed Zhang Wenliang's words, saying, "That's right, your rice balls are some big and some small, they shouldn't be made by one person, right? If we didn't come with you, would you have thrown away the big ones?"

Chen Fan shrugged, ignoring who said that, and slowly ate the rice ball, smiling and saying,

"Throwing them away is impossible. Originally, Captain Ye didn't say to have someone accompany me, so these rice balls were all for me to eat, so the size didn't matter. But now that you guys are here, I can't just eat while you watch, right? So naturally, I have to pick and choose."

Zhang Wenliang turned his head and glared at him, "Why do I feel like I'm eating your leftovers?"

Chen Fan grinned, "You can also think of it the other way around, your big ones, my small ones, I'm eating your leftovers."

Zhang Juemin didn't care about whose leftovers he was eating. He swallowed a fist-sized rice ball in a few bites, then took another one from Chen Fan's hand. After eating two rice balls in a row, he waved his hand to stop.

The three of them had brought water bottles. After finishing their meal and drinking some water, they squatted aside to smoke, waiting for the driver to come.

After a while, a middle-aged man wearing a cyan blue work uniform swaggered over, loudly scolding, "Who the hell told you to smoke here? Are you blind? Didn't you see the sign on the wall? Get the hell away."

Chen Fan and the others were stunned. Were they being scolded?

He looked back and, sure enough, there was a piece of A4-sized red paper pasted on the wall, with the words "Smoking is strictly prohibited here" written on it in brush strokes!

Zhang Wenliang frowned, preparing to scold back. He had been a militia company commander since he was a teenager, and now, seven or eight years later, he had never been scolded by anyone except his elders and the leaders of the brigade. How could he tolerate this person daring to scold him?

But before he could open his mouth, Zhang Juemin grabbed him.

At this time, Chen Fan obediently threw the cigarette butt on the ground, stood up and stomped it out with his foot, and smiled at the man, "Sorry, I didn't see the sign on the wall just now, we won't smoke anymore."

The man was stunned when he saw Chen Fan, and asked softly with some hesitation, "Are you Teacher Chen from Lujiawan?"

In this era, the average height of people was generally not high, especially in the southern regions. It was normal for men to be around 1.6 meters and women to be around 1.5 meters, and even shorter ones were not uncommon. And men over 1.7 meters and women over 1.6 meters were considered relatively tall, and even had an advantage in finding a partner.

Of course, there were also taller people, but in the Nanhu Commune area, it was indeed very rare to see a big guy like Chen Fan who was 1.8 meters tall. In addition, he looked fair and handsome, with a face even better-looking than movie actors. Combining these characteristics, one could draw a conclusion.

Chen Fan wasn't surprised. Many people on this street knew him, and one more didn't make a difference.

He immediately nodded with a smile, "Yes, I am Chen Fan from Lujiawan."

The man laughed apologetically and took two steps forward, saying, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't recognize you right away."

He then explained in a low voice, "I'm the driver. There's oil on the bus, and the seats are all made of cloth. Also, I don't know when engine oil seeps out in the driver's seat. If it hits a spark, a bus can be burned down immediately."

Chen Fan was immediately enlightened and quickly apologized, "Sorry, sorry, we didn't know."

Zhang Wenliang, who was still a little indignant on the side, also straightened his eyes and dared not say anything more. He wasn't lacking as a militia company commander, but the driver was much more powerful than him, known as someone who wouldn't trade even for a cadre. Moreover, it involved the safety of a car. If a fuss was really made, he wouldn't be in the right, no matter who he went to.

After calming down, he couldn't help but glance at Chen Fan, muttering "little monster" in his heart. He was clearly at the height of his youth, but he didn't have any temper when scolded. It was really strange.

He didn't know that Chen Fan wasn't lacking a temper, but was planning to find a dog later, use a rice ball to bribe it, and have it tear the man to pieces.

Of course, he had definitely dismissed this idea now.

At this time, Chen Fan also remembered that he had heard the company's driver say before that his master, in the 60s and 70s, when he was driving long-distance trucks in the army, the first iron rule was that smoking was not allowed in the car, because the cars at that time were basically "big, dumb, and rough". Not much engine oil was added, and it couldn't be pried open. And after so much engine oil was added, as long as the car started running, no matter how clean it was, the engine oil would keep leaking out, and the entire driver's seat was like an oil drum.

The engine oil at that time might have had a different formula from the engine oil later. When it encountered an open flame, especially when sparks landed on the seat, with combustibles present, it was easily ignited. Almost every year, there were incidents of vehicles being ignited due to smoking, and later, strict precautions were taken, and it gradually became less common.

Smoking was not allowed while driving, but there were no requirements for drinking alcohol. As long as you weren't drunk, anything was fine.

Some old drivers even had the habit of "three mouthfuls of wine before getting in the car", because the steering wheels at that time didn't have power steering, and drinking some wine helped to increase strength, making it smoother to steer the steering wheel. In addition, the cars at that time didn't go fast, and there weren't many people on the roads, so as long as you weren't drunk, it hardly had much impact.

This can also be considered one of the differences of the times.

Hearing Chen Fan's words, the driver waved his hands repeatedly, laughing, "It's okay, it's okay, it's fine as long as we talk it out."

He then looked at the three of them, "Are you going to the county town?"

Zhang Wenliang finally caught the opportunity to speak, and immediately pointed at Chen Fan, saying, "Our Teacher Chen compiled a set of 'First Aid Manual' a few days ago, specifically talking about how to save people in an emergency,嘚啵嘚啵嘚啵… …"

Chen Fan tried to stop him from the side, but couldn't.

Being praised so much in person was indeed a little embarrassing.

The driver listened with his mouth open, greatly surprised. After Zhang Wenliang finished speaking, he immediately grabbed Chen Fan's hand and shook it tightly, "Oh my, Teacher Chen, you have immeasurable merit! This is bringing glory to our Nanhu Commune!"

He exclaimed two sentences in a row, and then, without waiting for Chen Fan to speak, he immediately took out the key to open the car door, "Come, come, come, you get in the car and sit down first, I'll start the car right away."

Chen Fan didn't hesitate and immediately got into the car, sitting in the seat behind the passenger seat, and said at the same time, "Thank you, but it's not two o'clock yet, right?"

Zhang Juemin and Zhang Wenliang also followed and found seats to sit down.

The driver had already climbed into the driver's seat, but didn't sit down. Instead, he took out a Z-shaped iron rod from under the seat, then pushed open the driver's seat door and went down, inserting the iron rod into the front of the car and shaking it hard.

Soon the engine roared to life.

Chen Fan was a little confused.

Wait, he had only heard of tractors and trucks being started with a crank, did even buses have to be started with a crank?

The engine started, and the driver quickly pulled out the crank, turned around and threw the crank under the seat, then got back into the car and closed the door, turned his head and glanced at Chen Fan. Seeing that his face was strange, he guessed what he was thinking, and smiled and said, "The engine of this kind of tour bus is still the same as that of a truck, so the starting method is the same, you have to use a crank."

Tour bus?

Chen Fan's eyes rolled slightly, looking around the inside of the minibus, "This kind of car is called a tour bus?"

The driver nodded, rolled down the car window, and smiled, "Yes, a coach is that kind of very long car, a bit like a city bus, these short-distance buses are called tour buses.

The best tour buses now are one from the Shanghai Bus Factory, and the other is the 'Tianjin' brand 620 model from the Tianjin Bus Factory. I heard that some models from their factory can be started without a crank, but unfortunately ours isn't, it's just a car produced by the Jiangnan Bus Factory itself, very old."

Chen Fan chuckled dryly. Okay, another useless piece of knowledge has been added.

At this time, the ticket seller who was sitting at the intersection trotted over, leaned on the driver's seat window, and shouted at the driver, "Brother Meng, there are still several minutes left, why did you start so quickly?"

He had to shout, the engine was too loud, and a quiet voice couldn't be heard.

Driver Brother Meng pointed back at Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen is going to the prefectural committee, he has an important mission, I'll take him to the county to catch the bus first, it's only a few minutes, those who are in a hurry have arrived early, let those who are not in a hurry take tomorrow's bus."

"Teacher Chen?"

The ticket seller turned his head and looked inside, and his eyes lit up immediately, "Oh, it's Teacher Chen, I didn't see you just now, please excuse my poor eyesight, I'll treat you to dinner when you come back."

Chen Fan smiled and waved, then offered another cigarette, "Sorry for the trouble."

The ticket conductor tucked the cigarette behind his ear, his mouth stretching into a wide grin, "What trouble is there in that?"

Then, stepping back two paces, he waved his hand, "Since Teacher Chen has an important task, then let him go first."

Chen Fan quickly said, "No need, no need, just leave on time."

The driver, Brother Meng, engaged the clutch and shifted gears, saying as he started the car, "It's alright, he can just adjust the alarm clock five minutes ahead, and it'll be on time."

The car slowly pulled towards the intersection, then turned east, emitting a long honk, the pedestrians on the road quickly dodging out of the way, and Driver Meng madly stepped on the gas, rumbling forward.

Chen Fan looked back, only to see the ticket conductor fiddling with the alarm clock, and couldn't help but be stunned. Can you even do that?

Now there were only three passengers on the bus, Chen Fan watched as the supply and marketing cooperative, Xinhua Bookstore, state-run restaurant, health clinic, veterinary station, repair shop, stone workshop and other units were left behind, and before long, they drove out of the town and onto a highway with vegetable gardens on both sides.

Driver Meng looked up at the rearview mirror, seeing Chen Fan's curious expression, and smiled, "Teacher Chen, have you never been out before?"

Chen Fan snapped back to reality, smiling and shaking his head, "No, I haven't."

Zhang Wenliang and Zhang Juemin exchanged glances in the back, both understanding the other's meaning.

Luckily, Teacher Chen only forgot where he came from and how to get there, but he still remembers all sorts of skills. If it were the other way around, then he would basically be useless, of no use at all.

Brother Meng glanced at the rearview mirror again and said, "This place is the Nanhu Vegetable Farm. Don't look down on them just because they grow vegetables; they are genuine, full-fledged workers. Their benefits are better than many factories and units."

Chen Fan rubbed his face, inexplicably feeling amused.

Clearly, there are so many villages north and south of the town, and they could easily purchase enough vegetables, yet they still had to build a vegetable farm. He didn't know how the commune leaders' brains were wired.

After passing through this vegetable field and a few scattered micro-scale chicken and duck farms, a long slope suddenly appeared ahead.

Chen Fan, seeing the long levee at the end of the long slope, couldn't help but say, "Is that a riverbank?"

Zhang Wenliang was about to speak, but Brother Meng preempted him, "Yes, that's the riverbank of the river that surrounds your Lujiawan. There's a pier up ahead. From this pier, you can take a waterway directly to the county and prefectural committees, and the prefectural committee is even closer than the county because this river is curved..."

Listening to Brother Meng's rambling, the car suddenly began to climb the slope, and Chen Fan faintly heard Zhang Wenliang and Zhang Juemin both snorting.

He looked back, only to see that both of them were pale and their teeth were clenched, as if they were facing some dangerous situation.

Chen Fan was a little confused, "What's wrong with you guys?"

Brother Meng heard his words, looked up, and smiled, "It's alright, maybe a little carsick."

Then he shouted, "Little master by the window, open the window, it'll be more comfortable."

Well, even now he still doesn't know what the two people in the back are named.

Zhang Wenliang immediately grabbed the window and pushed it back, and a gust of wind blew in, finally giving him a breather.

Chen Fan took the opportunity to introduce them, "The one by the window is our militia company commander. He became a company commander when he was only a teenager, and he's very capable. The older one is our production team's barefoot doctor, and also Company Commander Zhang's older brother. They are both accompanying me to the prefectural committee."

Brother Meng nodded and smiled, "They are all important figures in Lujiawan."

After a polite remark, he continued, "We're going downhill soon, both Master Zhang be careful."

Zhang Wenliang and Zhang Jumin were about to ask how to be careful, when the car suddenly plunged down, and the discomfort they had been suppressing suddenly churned like a stormy sea, and they could no longer endure it. Zhang Wenliang suddenly turned around, stuck his head out the window, and how the two rice balls he had eaten earlier went in, was exactly how they came out now.

Zhang Juemin originally thought he could still endure it, but when the person next to him vomited, he couldn't hold back any longer. He immediately ran to the other side, pried open the window, and stuck his head out in a burst of splattering.

Chen Fan helplessly covered his face. Well, the two tigers of the Zhang family collectively failed before they even started, carsick halfway.

Before setting off, they swore to take good care of me, but who is taking care of whom?

But carsickness is something that can't be helped, one is powerless and can only sigh!

Brother Meng was used to it, controlling the car to slowly descend the slope, and said, "I see you all brought water, rinse your mouths with water first, and then see if you have anything with a scent on you, hold it to your nose, it will be much more comfortable."

After a pause, he added, "When we cross the river and get to Qingshan Commune on the other side, I'll step on the brakes in front of the health clinic, and you can go buy some motion sickness medicine. After taking it, you'll be fine."

Only then did Chen Fan notice that the car was stopped on a slope, with the rolling river water ahead. If they continued forward, they would have to cross the river.

Brother Meng pulled up the handbrake, pressed the horn several times, and a whistle sounded from a ship on the opposite bank.

He rested his hand on the window and turned to smile at Chen Fan, "This ferry boat is managed by the people from the ferry terminal. The ferry terminal and the shipping company are not the same company; it is also considered an independent unit, but they only have this one boat, and only seven or eight people. This boat of theirs is fixed, and they don't even need a helmsman. It's considered a 'small yamen'."

As he spoke, he turned and pointed in the direction of Lujiawan, "If there were a passenger terminal here, you could take a boat to the prefectural committee, but unfortunately, only the county seat has a passenger terminal, so if you want to go to the prefectural committee, you still have to go to the county seat first."

Chen Fan sat in his seat, looking left and right, and seeing the ferry boat on the opposite bank slowly approaching along several steel cables, and then looking at the Yellow River-like water, he couldn't help but feel a sense of novelty.

He had taken planes and high-speed trains, but taking a car on a boat to cross a river, and especially a boat without power, adding up both eras, this was the first time!

This stretch of the river was not short, and the ferry took about five minutes to slowly approach the shore.

This was a ferry boat, and it looked like a mobile floating island. Besides moving back and forth between the two banks by means of steel cable traction, it had no other function.

(It's like this, only a winch without a barge)

Once the ferry was stable, Brother Meng immediately shifted gears and drove forward, carefully driving the car onto it and parking it steadily in the middle of the ferry.

Only then did he turn off the engine, open the car door, and turn to say, "Teacher Chen, both Master Zhang, let's get out and get some air."

Zhang Juemin and Zhang Wenliang got out of the car, supporting themselves on things as if they were battered and broken willows.

Chen Fan also followed them down.

Down below, on the corner of the ferry, a man in his forties or fifties was chatting with Brother Meng, "Seems a little early today?"

Brother Meng handed him a cigarette, leaned on the railing, lit it, took a puff, and then put on an insignificant look, pointing to Chen Fan and saying, "This is Teacher Chen from Lujiawan..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man looked at Chen Fan with a surprised expression, "Oh, Teacher Chen, hello, hello, hello."

Since the man was so enthusiastic, Chen Fan naturally greeted him politely and offered him another cigarette.

As for Zhang Juemin and Zhang Wenliang, they had already gone off to the side, far away from the car, blowing smoke rings.

Brother Meng continued, "Teacher Chen has been specially invited by the Prefectural Health Department to go to the Prefectural Committee to write a book."

The man's eyes widened instantly, "Going to the Prefectural Health Department to write a book?"

Brother Meng, completely oblivious to Chen Fan's awkward expression, said with pride, "Isn't that right? Let me tell you, Teacher Chen is very capable and even knows medicine. He compiled a 'First Aid Manual'..."

Chen Fan stood to the side, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

This ferry boat was the main traffic artery for the east-west movement of Nanhai Commune, and its message-spreading ability was even stronger than Brother Meng's. I'm afraid that before I even arrive at the Prefectural Committee, the news that I'm going to the Prefectural Committee to write a book will spread throughout Gufeng County!

The five minutes it took to cross the river was not enough for Brother Meng to fully express himself, and when the ferry docked, he waved his hand reluctantly, "I'll send Teacher Chen to the county to catch the bus first, and I'll tell you the rest when I get back."

The man immediately nodded, "Then hurry back, I'll be waiting to hear the second half."

Then he waved goodbye to Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, thank you for your hard work, thank you for your hard work."