Chapter 301: The Shrewd Little Wife

Sunday morning.

Li Dayong got up early, rode his bicycle in a sprint, and arrived at the staff dormitory area of the Jingbei Institute of Technology.

This was still an area of old, dilapidated single-story houses; the school's new staff buildings were limited in number and not enough for all the teachers to move into buildings.

Li Dayong walked to the door of a single-story house and called out in a low voice, "Teacher Cao, Teacher Cao?"

"Eh eh, wait a moment, I'll be ready immediately."

Not long after, a male teacher in his thirties pushed out a bicycle that was three-tenths new and rode with Li Dayong toward the outside of the school.

After the two pushed their bikes away from the dormitory area, Li Dayong asked, "Teacher Cao, did I come too early today? I didn't disturb your family, did I?"

Teacher Cao said dully, "No, we were already awake."

Li Dayong looked at the beard on Teacher Cao's face that he hadn't had time to shave, and eventually became dull as well.

This Cao Zhisheng was the lecturer who taught Li Dayong "Mechanical Fundamentals." His temperament was somewhat dull, but he was actually a very good person. No matter what time or occasion, as long as a student asked him a question, he would definitely explain it clearly to the student.

Li Dayong had stayed in Hong Kong for nearly a month, dismantled the industrial sewing machines there countless times at the Fenghua Clothing Factory, and had also accumulated many questions.

After returning, Li Dayong asked Cao Zhisheng for advice, and as a result, Cao Zhisheng immediately asked him about the specific situation.

Li Dayong didn't dare to say that he had gone to Hong Kong. If the school found out about the incident where he fought seven people in Hong Kong and even ended up in the police station and court, it might be very troublesome.

So Li Dayong only said that during the summer vacation, he went to a fellow villager's clothing factory to experience life, and seeing that imported second-hand sewing machines all required foreign exchange, he had a patriotic heart, and so on.

Cao Zhisheng first praised Li Dayong, then wholeheartedly explained all the questions to him, but when Li Dayong asked him "Can we make it ourselves?", Cao Zhisheng was also unsure.

Because there is a gap between theory and practice, the finished products made in research institutes might not necessarily be mass-produced, let alone graphics that only exist on blueprints?

And after Li Dayong communicated with Li Ye, he proposed the idea of "paid imitation" to Cao Zhisheng, which was actually counterfeiting.

Cao Zhisheng initially thought Li Dayong was joking. Besides, it wouldn't sound good for a lecturer to take a student's money.

But when Li Dayong said that once the research was successful, there would be a reward of at least 3,000 yuan, he was finally moved.

Cao Zhisheng had two children at home, his mother was a rural resident and was ill all year round, and his wife's family also needed money sent monthly. The couple's total salary of a little over 100 was really stretched.

If there could be 3,000, no, as long as there were 1,000, the quality of life at home could be refreshed.

It's hard to say about color TVs and refrigerators, but electric fans and washing machines could always be bought, right? His mother wouldn't have to carry her back pain to wash clothes all day long.

So Cao Zhisheng contacted three classmates, took on this job, and soon had results.

But this job was a "private job," so Teacher Cao made an appointment with Li Dayong to come out early this morning to avoid being seen by neighbors asking questions.

Not long after Li Dayong left the school gate, he pointed to a place not far away and said, "Teacher Cao, let's eat first! A new mutton soup shop opened over there. I've eaten there and the taste is good."

"I can get this reimbursed at my fellow villager's factory. We don't know how busy we will be today, so we must eat two more bowls!"

"You can get it reimbursed?" Cao Zhisheng nodded and said, "That's fine. It's indeed very busy today. We have to go to the research institute first, and then go to the Nancheng Third Machinery Factory..."

The reason Cao Zhisheng achieved results so quickly was actually thanks to his two classmates who happened to work in the same industrial chain.

This has to be said about the industrial foundation accumulated by the mainland over decades of quiet development.

Li Ye knew a very, very small example in later generations.

At that time, an enterprise had been importing a small elastic component, but because the yield rate was too low, that overseas enterprise was going to stop production, and no suitable substitute could be found anywhere in the world. Finally, they even found military units.

Military units indeed had them, but the finished product rate was only one-tenth, and the procurement price was even more touching.

Just when the procurement manager was anxious, he got news from a classmate group that a certain research institute specifically studied elastic metals. After some contact, the yield rate was over 90 percent.

So don't look at the mainland's industrial level as very backward, but there are countless research institutes, countless machinery factories, and even more technical workers who have dedicated their whole lives. No one knows how many talents they hide and how great their development potential is.

And how many people have the skills but spend half their lives serving tea and pouring water, and finally lie flat completely.

After two large bowls of mutton soup, Li Dayong and Cao Zhisheng felt warm all over.

After paying the bill, Cao Zhisheng urged Li Dayong to leave quickly, but Li Dayong said, "Let's wait for someone, and then go together."

Cao Zhisheng asked in surprise, "Wait for someone? Wait for what person?"

Li Dayong smiled and said, "The person who procures sewing machines! We have researched a new product, so we must sell it to have benefits!"

Cao Zhisheng thought for a moment and said, "That's fine, but we must tell them first that the product is still in the trial production stage. If there are any small problems, it's normal."

Li Dayong said, "Don't worry about this, they also know the business."

Not long after, Li Dayong saw Li Yue's Volga.

Pei Wenhui stretched her head out from the passenger seat and said to Li Dayong with a smile, "I saw you from far away. You came so early!"

Li Dayong smiled and said, "Not early, not late, just right. This is Teacher Cao from our school, an expert in light industrial technology."

Pei Wenhui hurriedly got out of the car, greeted Cao Zhisheng very politely, and then invited him to get in the car.

Cao Zhisheng and Li Dayong first deposited their bicycles for a dime, and then sat in the back seat of the Volga.

However, Cao Zhisheng was very suspicious. The two girls in front were younger than each other; how did they look like the procurement party?

The group arrived at the research institute, called Cao Zhisheng's classmate Duan Zixiong, and then went to the Nancheng Third Machinery Factory, where they found Cao Zhisheng's classmate Tang Mingtai.

Actually, Li Dayong originally thought about paying the research funds after the blueprints were out, but Tang Mingtai served as the deputy director of the workshop at the Third Machinery Factory, and because of the convenience of his position, he got the results out without his own money.

"Yo, Old Cao, you're even sitting in a Volga. You're more spirited than our factory director!"

"Don't talk nonsense. The procurement party is here! Hurry up and take us to see the product."

"Procurement party?"

Tang Mingtai was somewhat surprised, because he thought Li Dayong, Li Yue, and Pei Wenhui were all Cao Zhisheng's students!

Arriving at the workshop, several people saw a "bare and hairless" sewing machine.

No spray paint, no polishing, and even missing some small parts, but the basic structure was considered complete.

Tang Mingtai introduced, "We conducted technical breakthroughs based on the blueprints and samples you provided. The difficulty was indeed not small, but now it is finally up to standard."

Cao Zhisheng didn't speak, went up and checked carefully, and nodded after a moment.

But Pei Wenhui took out a set of needles, thread, and cloth from her backpack, started threading the needle with nimble hands and feet, and then moved a stool to start sewing on the spot.

Li Yue leaned over to Li Dayong and whispered, "Your partner's two hands are tender and white, looking like a young lady from a big family, and she can actually do this?"

Li Dayong said, "She has suffered a lot since she was a child. In order to support her brother's university education, she even dropped out of school for a year to help others sew clothes and earn tuition for her brother!"

Li Yue suddenly realized, looking at Pei Wenhui, who was thin and small but operated the sewing machine very fast, her eyes were suddenly different.

Pei Wenhui used up all the sewing thread she brought in one breath before standing up and saying, "This is still not good. The needle speed is significantly lower, and the stability is also worse than the sample machine. The noise is too loud..."

Cao Zhisheng, Duan Zixiong, and Tang Mingtai were all somewhat embarrassed. They were either university lecturers, research institute technicians, or workshop directors, but the things they researched together were sprayed by a little girl as nothing.

And this is called "technical standard"? Just fooling for money, right?

Tang Mingtai pondered for a while and said, "Little Comrade, we have also tested it. This sewing machine is much better than the industrial sewing machines on the market. Isn't your requirement too high?"

Pei Wenhui said neither impolitely nor unmoved, "But now overseas standard sewing machines have 8,000 stitches per minute, right? You can't even reach 6,000 stitches..."

"Overseas? You want to reach the standard of imported sewing machines?"

Tang Mingtai couldn't help laughing.

Who doesn't know that imported sewing machines are easy to use!

But if a sewing machine wants 8,000 stitches per minute, the inertia of the reciprocating motion of the machine head will be very large, and the requirement for the strength of the reciprocating mechanism is too high, which is not something that can be done casually.

Pei Wenhui looked at Li Dayong, also somewhat helpless. Although she supported Li Dayong's research, too poor is too poor. If it is really used in the factory, the sewing workers will scold their mothers.

Li Dayong sighed and whispered to Pei Wenhui, "I have discussed this problem with my brother. If we can meet the basic requirements, we should try to be self-sufficient."

Pei Wenhui nodded, and then said to Cao Zhisheng and others, "I understand everyone's mood, but the minimum standard must reach 6,000 stitches, and the vibration must be reduced again. I will settle the research expenses for the first stage for everyone first..."

"I will pay again next time, but if it still doesn't meet the requirements, then there is no way. If the workers don't use it smoothly, it will affect the product quality. Please understand."

Pei Wenhui opened her small bag and counted money from it, but as she counted, she frowned.

She looked up at Cao Zhisheng and others and said very embarrassedly, "I don't have enough RMB. Is it okay to match it with some US dollars?"

"..."

Tang Mingtai and others looked at each other and nodded silently.

But when Pei Wenhui counted out 800 US dollars at an exchange rate of one to two, the mood of the three suddenly became different.

"6,000 revolutions per minute, right? We can do it. Give us some time."

"As long as we replace it with a micro-motor produced in Shanghai, the vibration can be reduced by at least another 20 percent."

"We will redesign the rotating part, and we will definitely be able to reduce the noise."

Li Yue pulled Li Dayong and secretly gave a thumbs up.

"Your family's ancestral grave probably smoked green smoke, otherwise how could you, kid, meet such a shrewd little wife?"

Li Dayong's big cow eyes clicked multiple times, but he still didn't say a word in the end.

This sister's temper is much fiercer than Li Ye's. ===== CHAPTER 302 =====