Chapter 82

Xiaoyuan had seen that issue of the *R People's Daily*. Her eyes were drawn to the photos, and while Xiaoyuan was reading the letter, she picked up the photos and began to look through them. Among the dozen or so photos, apart from the one published in the *R People's Daily* and the five in the *R People's Railway*, the remaining seven were new to her, so she started flipping through them one by one.

Tang Wanjun's letter was concise. After praising Xiaoyuan for handling the pregnant woman's emergency, she thanked him for getting up in the middle of the night to help her. She then mentioned that she had mailed the photos to Shidazhu and Zhao Erni, along with a letter asking for their response. They replied that Zhao Erni had been discharged from the Lintai County Hospital after three days and had returned to her hometown in Shandong, and that everything was fine now. She concluded by saying that if Xiaoyuan had the chance to visit Liaocheng, he could come to her place as a guest.

After finishing the photos, Wuyue had a clear idea. Seeing that Xiaoyuan had finished reading the letter, she said, "Xiaoyuan, these photos are very precious. They are the most direct and firsthand evidence of your youth team's active rescue of the pregnant woman. We will definitely need them in the future. I think we should keep them in the Party Office, along with the newspapers that published your story, to form a complete set of records."

"Sure, Sister Wu!" Xiaoyuan agreed without hesitation, then added, "Sister Wu, these photos don't just feature our youth team; they also include the police officers and vehicle inspectors. How about this: I'll take these photos to a photo studio to have them duplicated. The original photos will be kept in the Party Office, and the duplicates will be given to the police officers and vehicle inspectors. After all, they also participated in the rescue, and their units might need these materials."

Xiaoyuan's consideration was thorough. Both the police officers and vehicle inspectors had contributed to the rescue, and their efforts shouldn't be overlooked. Whether it was the passenger service team, the police team, or the vehicle inspection team, any outstanding deeds reported in the newspaper would earn points for their units. The higher the level of the newspaper, the more points they would receive. These points not only meant honor but also additional bonuses, with each point translating into extra money in the final bonus settlement. As a train conductor, maintaining good relations with the "three teams" (police, vehicle inspection, and passenger service) was crucial.

Wuyue, who had worked her way up from a train attendant to a business officer and then to a train conductor before reaching her current leadership position, immediately understood Xiaoyuan's point. She smiled and said, "Why not? Our passenger service work requires the cooperation and support of the police and vehicle inspection teams. I'll take these photos to a photo studio to have them duplicated. The Party Office has the budget for this. You can come to my office to pick them up on the day you leave!"

Wuyue's thoughtfulness, even considering the cost of duplicating the photos, deeply moved Xiaoyuan. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but her genuine concern for him and the fact that he had such a considerate leader made him feel very fortunate.

Xiaoyuan said sincerely, "Thank you, Sister Wu. I'll come to your office the day before I leave. If the photos are ready, I'll take them with me. If not, I'll come back the next time I'm on duty."

Wuyue replied, "Xiaoyuan, don't worry. I'll have them duplicated urgently to ensure you can get them the day before you leave."

After leaving the section, Xiaoyuan headed straight to the railway hospital. Jiang Shan was on duty during the day, so he found her at the hospital, made plans to have dinner and watch a movie after work, and then went to the Tiedong Street. The warehouse was currently empty, but Wang Dahuai and the others had already made it their daily gathering spot. When Xiaoyuan arrived, they were in the large office discussing what to have for lunch.

In less than half a day, Wang Dahuai and the others had already set up the large office. Two desks were placed facing each other, one of which was from the small office. Wang Dahuai had bought another identical desk and a leather-covered chair. Two long benches were placed against the wall, and some folding chairs were also bought. The bed was also moved from the small office.

Currently, Wang Dahuai and the others were still helping Xiaoyuan, and he hadn't explicitly offered them wages, but their enthusiasm was high because they felt they had a proper job and believed that their "Second Brother" would not let them down once he made money. As soon as Xiaoyuan entered the room, they immediately gathered around him.

Wang Dahuai had some money left from what Xiaoyuan had given him for emergencies. After setting up the room and buying the desk and bed, he still had over 400 yuan. When Xiaoyuan returned from his trip, Wang Dahuai wanted to give the money back, but Xiaoyuan refused, telling him to keep it for emergencies and for meals with the team.

This time, buying the additional items cost another 200 yuan. Wang Dahuai showed Xiaoyuan the small office, where the bed, desk, and new armchair were all brand new. After Xiaoyuan said he would use the small office exclusively, Wang Dahuai had made sure to get the best quality items!

Wang Dahuai, having money, didn't spend it recklessly but was frugal and careful. Each time the team ate, they went to the market to buy the cheapest items. For example, the last lunch was steamed buns with cucumber and soybean paste, and dried tofu with scallions. Today, they were also arguing about what to have for lunch.

Xiaoyuan was satisfied with the small office and, after hearing their argument, smiled at Wang Dahuai and said, "Dahuai, you're too frugal. How can you always give the team cucumber with soybean paste and dried tofu with scallions? You should at least get some pork head meat and sausages."

Wang Dahuai just chuckled but didn't respond. Xiaoyuan patted Wang Dahuai's shoulder and said, "Alright, let's do it this way. I have something else to do, so I won't stay to eat with you."

As Xiaoyuan left, Wang Dahuai and the others saw him off. He told Wang Dahuai, "Dahuai, I'll be on duty again the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, keep checking on the cargo. Find Uncle Liu who delivered the goods last time and see if our shipment has arrived. If it has, have him arrange for delivery. Remember to pay him fairly, as we will be working with him long-term."

Xiaoyuan's reply to Tang Wanjun and his date with Jiang Shan don't need to be detailed. On the day he was to go on duty, he went to Wuyue's office to pick up the duplicated photos. Wuyue had been very thoughtful, printing individual photos for each person in the pictures, so everyone could have one. Xiaoyuan was very grateful.

While doing the cleaning in the depot, Xiaoyuan handed the photos to the police chief Wang Keqin, the vehicle inspector Zhao Baocheng, and the dining car chief Yang Dali. The dining car was collectively contracted, so there was no bonus system, and Yang Dali treated the photos as a keepsake. Wang Keqin and Zhao Baocheng, however, were overjoyed.

When Wang Keqin and Zhao Baocheng returned to their respective units with the *R People's Daily* and requested bonus points, the leaders refused, citing that the report only mentioned the train team and briefly mentioned the police and vehicle inspectors without naming them. The photos were also too small to identify anyone clearly. A good deed reported in the *R People's Railway* would earn the crew 10 points, which translated to an additional 5-6 yuan in bonuses per person. The *R People's Daily*, though not specifying, was the country's top newspaper, and the points it awarded were more than double those of provincial or ministerial-level newspapers.

Xiaoyuan's photos solved this problem, as one of them was the same as the one in the *R People's Daily*, clearly showing Wang Keqin, Shichuan, and Zhao Baocheng. This made them extremely excited.

The trip went smoothly, and on the third day, the crew returned to Guhe. Wei Wei was on night duty and knew Xiaoyuan would arrive in the morning, so she specially came to the station to meet him. Xiaoyuan saw the type of makeup box he had bought for her before at Huanghai, but felt that buying the same one again would be repetitive. So, he bought two more elegant makeup boxes for 26 yuan each, which delighted Wei Wei. After thanking Xiaoyuan, she told him that her sister would invite him to dinner the next evening, and Xiaoyuan agreed with a smile.

Back at the dispatch office to sign off, Xiaoyuan noticed that Secretary Guo Xiaoquan of Director Xu's office was there. Guo Xiaoquan pulled Xiaoyuan aside and said, "Conductor Xiaoyuan, I've been waiting for you today. You helped Director Xu a lot last time, and he wants to invite you to dinner at his home tonight!"

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PS: Hehe, I was working overtime at the office and just got back, so the update was delayed. Sorry!