Chapter 55: None of You Can Stand the Sight of a Gun

At the entrance of the kiln factory, Zhao Chuanjia was collecting stones. He sat right at the gate, watching others weigh their loads. Five or six hundred jin of stones only sold for seven or eight dimes. First the cart was weighed, then the cart bed—it went fairly quickly but was undoubtedly hard work. Only at the moment when the villagers finished weighing and received payment did satisfied smiles appear on their faces. All for just seven or eight dimes, and not even every day. Yet they were content. In contrast, Qin Jun, working just half a day, could earn two yuan, which was quite good. Happiness, after all, is relative.

Qin Jun felt somewhat fortunate now, especially since he didn’t have to work in the afternoon. Entering the kiln factory, he saw a group of people working briskly. There was still plenty to do in the afternoon—breaking stones, handling the coal bricks, especially the coal, which needed to be formed into blocks and then dried before use.

“Factory director, water is also a problem!” As Qin Jun approached the coal pile, a voice called out. It was Zhao Erwa, the new deputy factory director. Propped up on crutches, he was watching the workers. Getting closer, Qin Jun immediately noticed that Zhao Erwa was missing one foot. His pant leg was tied up awkwardly, making movement difficult without a proper support.

“Water certainly is an issue; we need to find a solution,” Qin Zheng said, nodding at Zhao Erwa. Zhao Erwa greeted Qin Jun and then continued, “Is there a water pump in the village? Would it be more convenient to dig a pond here and use a pump to draw water for storage?”

Qin Zheng replied, “There are pumps in the village, but digging a pond at this time of year isn’t easy.” He was feeling troubled—ever since the factory started, problems kept cropping up everywhere.

Qin Jun found Zhao Erwa more interesting. An employee who raises problems is good; one who comes with solutions is excellent.

“I see there are several old mine pits here—these must be from earlier iron ore mining. We could make do with these for now?” Zhao Erwa suggested, showing he had ideas.

“All right, let’s make do for now,” Qin Zheng agreed, having no better option.

Once agreed, it was time to assign the task. Every village had water pumps—they were essential for irrigation. As for the water source, there was a well to the north of the village. Although somewhat distant, the village’s irrigation system was sufficient.

After solving the water problem, Zhao Erwa brought up raw materials. They couldn’t get more coal, but they could source more bluestone. Currently, the daily demand was twenty tons, but relying solely on villagers to dig wasn’t enough. In the past two days, they could only muster ten to eight tons daily. If not for Qin Zheng leading people with donkey carts to haul from outside, they might have run short.

“We’ve planned ahead for this. For now, we can’t open procurement fully,” Qin Zheng explained, glancing between Zhao Erwa and Qin Jun.

“Since our village can’t supply enough, we’ll involve nearby villages, including Zhaojiawa,” he added.

Zhaojiawa was Zhao Erwa’s small village, now a squad; Qin Jun wasn’t sure which larger team they belonged to. Zhao Erwa looked a bit embarrassed.

“Every village is the same now—strong laborers idling at home in the bitter winter!” Qin Zheng clearly understood the villagers better now.

“If we have needs, naturally we take care of our own first,” Zhao Erwa sighed, saying no more.

That morning, the village captain had ridden his bike to bring him here. Though the captain said nothing explicitly, the meaning was clear. He hadn’t expected to become deputy factory director upon arrival.

After discussing work, Zhao Erwa relaxed noticeably. That’s when he noticed the long gun Qin Jun was carrying. Qin Jun saw the light in Zhao Erwa’s eyes and smiled knowingly. He knew soldiers couldn’t look at a gun without their eyes lighting up, especially veterans. Once they gave up their rifles, they seemed to develop an obsession. Now, faced with a good gun, their eyes gleamed, eager to grab it and examine it.

Qin Zheng also noticed the long gun and his eyes lit up. “Is that your new long gun? Looks more refined and beautiful than the one Qin Feng has!”

Proud, Qin Jun replied, “Of course. That one was a prototype; this is the real piece. Can they be the same?”

“Let me see!” Qin Zheng was unreserved and reached out. Qin Jun knew these men well—he’d seen his second brother behave the same way. So Qin Jun stepped back, dodging the hand, then turned around, refusing to give Qin Zheng a chance.

“I’m going to shoot some birds; tonight we’ll celebrate and welcome Director Zhao and the others,” Qin Jun said.

“You scoundrel, shouldn’t you be working first? I’m the director; otherwise, I’ll dock your pay!” Qin Zheng angrily chased after him, wanting to try the gun.

Before, when Qin Feng had paraded around the village with a gun, Qin Zheng had wanted to snatch it but hadn’t had the chance due to work. Now was the perfect opportunity—few tasks this afternoon meant he could test this impressive long gun.

“Enough! My work’s done, and besides, I’m hunting for you all!” Qin Jun’s agility let him dodge Qin Zheng quickly and run off.

Once Qin Jun was out of sight, Zhao Erwa finally reacted. “This young technician really has skill!”

Qin Zheng beamed with pride. “He’s talented. Just watching him once is enough to learn.”

Zhao Erwa looked astonished. “That legend—could it be true?”

Recent news about the Xiaohe squad had spread through the surrounding ten-mile radius. After all, the new lime kiln factory had a huge impact on neighboring villages. Since the kiln had become known, Qin Jun’s little feats couldn’t remain secret.

“It’s true. You’ve seen the lime—so much burned already,” Qin Zheng said.

“The brick kiln east of the village has also been prepared; I’ve already started having people make brick molds!”

“Qin Jun says he can fire bricks, though none of us have seen it yet. He claims he can do blacksmith work—you’ve seen today’s pot and knife.”

“And this gun—we actually finished the first one the day before yesterday.”

Zhao Erwa was genuinely impressed. He had seen many capable people in his time, but such a talented child was a first.

Others might not know, but Zhao Erwa certainly did. Making iron pots was technical, but making guns was an entirely different matter. Many could make pots, but how many guns had he ever seen made? Especially by a child, and the gun Qin Jun made didn’t seem like a copy.

Having been to Nanyue, Qin Jun had seen large quantities of Soviet and American weapons, not to mention domestic ones. Whatever was useful was prioritized for them. Yet he had never seen a gun as finely crafted and beautiful as Qin Jun’s.

Zhao Erwa itched to try the gun. Despite his mobility issues, he limped toward Qin Jun.

Meanwhile, Qin Jun obediently returned to work. After all, he was the kiln factory’s technician and had to fulfill his duties first.

Of course, every task required thought; brute force wasn’t the way. So he didn’t stray far, instead joining the group breaking stones. The five new workers were young and seemed somewhat educated—perhaps worth cultivating. Although he suspected these young men were sent by Yu Aiguo to steal technology, Qin Jun didn’t intend to hide anything. It wasn’t from selflessness, but firing lime required little skill. Anyone determined enough, willing to waste a few kilns of coal through trial and error, could learn it. It just took time and some cost.

Why didn’t anyone do it? Mainly because the profits were insufficient. Qin Jun predicted that once procurement was fully open, lime kilns would spring up all over the surrounding villages. At that point, who would have taught them? They’d have figured it out themselves or already knew. Profit was the driving force.

Thus, the kiln factory had only a little more than a year of good times left. By 1981, when private businesses emerged, competition would arise. Knowing this, why should Qin Jun cling to exclusivity? Besides, firing lime was slow to make money and incredibly exhausting.