In October 1959, I joined the "Sanmo" Institute on the day of my graduation from school, and it had been thirty-eight years since then. My major was the manufacture and use of abrasives, which led me to be assigned to the first department of the unit—the only active one at that time, the grinding laboratory. Looking back over these 38 years, there have been so many sweet and bitter memories.
Before 63 years ago, "Sanmao" didn’t have office buildings, dormitories, or a canteen. The office was in a few houses on the second floor of the second sand plant’s corner. At that time, there were just dozens of people living and working in that small space. Meetings were held around the corner of the second floor, with everyone sitting around a table or even a ping-pong table. For accommodation, we stayed in a male dormitory borrowed from Building No. 10 of Ersha, sharing a room with two sand workers. We ate in the canteen of the second sand factory, which is now a bathhouse. It can be said that the working and living conditions were quite modest.
The work in the grinding room was closely related to the use of abrasives, as well as with grinding wheel factories, machinery factories, military factories, and light industry plants. This required frequent field visits for investigations and scientific experiments—often involving business trips. Before the 1980s, I spent nearly equal time at the unit and on business trips. In the 1970s, transportation was very limited. There were only a few trains going to Shanghai, and many of them had no seats or berths. Sometimes, I would buy a ticket, but when the train arrived, I couldn’t get on. Some people tried to squeeze into the doors, while others climbed through open windows and stood in the aisles. I once had to bring newspapers or plastic sheets and lie down on the next seat to avoid standing all the way. If I had a berth ticket to Zhengzhou, I would queue up the day before to buy it early, as the pre-sale system was the only way to secure a spot. On some trips, finding a hotel was impossible—many hotels were full, and sometimes I had to sleep in the station waiting room or stay in a nearby bathhouse after midnight.
From 1966 to 1968, I participated in the research on diamond grinding wheels under Comrade Yan Wenhao. We conducted tests in the cutting lab of Wuhan Machine Tool Plant, staying in the factory's single dormitory. I lived in a western room on a double bed near the door, facing the wall. During that time, Wuhan experienced two extremely hot summers. Without air conditioners or fans, the factory provided bamboo chairs for the staff. In the evenings, we moved the chairs downstairs to cool off, and some even went to the river to sleep. I did that too, returning only at dawn. Some nights, I washed with cold water twice just to feel better. The heat was unbearable, and I truly experienced the scorching summer of Wuhan.
Later, we conducted production tests in Harbin No. 1 Tool Factory and Second Tool Factory. I went alone during the freezing winter, staying in a small hotel near the factory. The room had no heating, just a stove. Walking 20 minutes to work each day left my legs with arthritis, and even now, they still cause discomfort. One of the coldest days was in Nanjing, where heavy snow and strong winds made the journey tough. We stayed in a small hotel, both of us covered by thin quilts, yet the room was drafty. Snowflakes came through the cracks, and we didn’t warm up that night. We left the next morning. That project taught me how to write summaries and conduct experiments independently. Also, I met my future wife and started a family.
I also had to return to Zhengzhou to claim reimbursement for train tickets. In the mid-1970s, I was involved in a four-year research project with the Shanghai Machine Tool Plant. I had to travel between Shanghai and Zhengzhou several times a year. Once, I bought a berth ticket five days in advance, but the director asked me to change it because the plant received an urgent notice about a meeting in Nanyang. There were only two flights a week from Shanghai to Zhengzhou, and the fastest available ticket was one day later than mine. He suggested I let Master Lu take the train with my ticket. I explained that I needed approval to fly, but he assured me that Master Lu could switch tickets later, and I could still reimburse using the train ticket. That was my first flight, reimbursed by a train ticket.
During the Cultural Revolution, three events remain vivid in my memory. First, while participating in a revolutionary rebel group, I rode in a truck to a city rally. When turning at Bishagang, the vehicle was too crowded, and the side panel broke open. Most people fell out, and I was dragged down, sustaining injuries that took months to heal. Second, I joined a task force and traveled extensively across cities like Beijing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guilin, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Kunming, and Xi’an. On one trip from Shanghai to Nanjing, the boat was smooth, but the sea voyage from Qingdao to Shanghai was rough, causing many to vomit. Though I didn’t get sick, I felt dizzy. These experiences allowed me to visit most provincial capitals and tourist spots, a rare opportunity. Third, during the Cultural Revolution, the Gang of Four incited violence, and several members of the grinding room were attacked. Three people were forced to commit suicide, including a colleague I worked with for years. His tragic end remains unforgettable.
The grinding room has always been a hub of highly educated talent. It includes eight graduate students and two PhDs: Li Changze, Su Yuhua, Yan Wenhao, Wang Wenjing, Wu Yuying, Qi Zhi, Zhu Feng, Feng Keming, and the two doctors, Li Changze and Zhu Feng. The department also boasts six senior leaders, including deputy general managers and directors such as Qian Weigui, Li Changze, Yan Wenhao, Wang Wenjing, Qi Zhi, and Zhu Feng. Under the leadership of the young team represented by Zhu Feng, “San Mo†has expanded its production base. Products are now sold internationally, and output value increased from 10 million yuan to 200 million yuan by 2012—twenty times higher. As a retired worker who has contributed for over 50 years, I am proud to see this transformation. The old site has become modern and thriving, and I’m deeply satisfied with the progress.
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