Chapter 69: The Blueprint of the Range Hood

When she woke up, she felt refreshed and energetic, but as she went downstairs, she found no sign of Yan Rushan; only Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo were in the hall.

"Good afternoon, Comrade Zhong," Hao Nan greeted.

Zhong Yuxiu responded with a smile, "Good afternoon. Has Comrade Yan not come?"

"No," Hao Nan replied, rising from his seat. "Are you looking for Comrade Yan?"

Tian Shangguo turned away, seemingly unable to bear watching. "Comrade Zhong, Comrade Yan might be busy and unable to come. Are we heading to the school now?"

"Not yet." Disappointed, she quickly suppressed her feelings. "Comrade Hao Nan, could you please go to the Yan household and see if Elder Yan is home? If he is, ask him when the parts, tools, and casings I requested will be ready."

Hao Nan nodded and left.

Tian Shangguo spoke up, "Comrade Zhong, you’re not going to the school today?"

"Not for now. I’ll go in the evening." There was nothing to do this afternoon; even if she went, she’d only sit and read. No courses had been arranged for her, nor had her work been clearly defined. She was told to assist Professor Ding, but he preferred to handle minor matters himself and hardly needed her help.

As for major matters, her current status didn’t allow her to get involved.

The two waited in the hall for quite a while, but Hao Nan still hadn’t returned. Zhong Yuxiu checked the time—already three in the afternoon.

"Comrade Tian, I’ll head upstairs. If Comrade Hao Nan returns, have him come find me."

"Alright."

With that, Zhong Yuxiu turned and went upstairs, entered her room, closed the door behind her, and headed straight for the laboratory.

"Goudan, where are my range hood blueprints?"

"Honored master, your blueprints are in the drawer." Goudan unplugged the charging cable, walked to the computer desk, opened the second drawer, and pulled out a set of blueprints from the bottom layer, presenting them to her with both hands. "Master, your blueprints."

"Thank you." She took the blueprints, spread them out on the desk, and finished the incomplete sections. After careful consideration, she revised the design, and the resulting blueprint depicted a compact wall-mounted machine. Calculations showed it could be as small as fifteen inches, with all internal components being the latest models. If successfully developed, it would certainly handle the loss during exhaust effectively.

Deep in concentration, she was unaware that downstairs, Hao Nan had arrived with Yan Guofeng, his grandson, and a middle-aged man at the Zhong residence.

Tian Shangguo immediately saluted upon seeing them. "Good day, Elder Yan."

"And to you as well." Yan Guofeng’s face was gentle and unassuming. "We’re here to see Comrade Zhong. Do you know if she’s available?"

"Comrade Zhong didn’t know you were coming. Please wait in the hall," Tian Shangguo replied, glancing at Hao Nan. "Comrade Hao Nan, Comrade Zhong asked you to go upstairs and find her when you returned."

Hao Nan understood and said to Tian Shangguo, "I got it. Please entertain Elder Yan and this comrade; I’ll fetch Comrade Zhong."

The comrade in question was the middle-aged man who had accompanied them.

"Alright," Tian Shangguo agreed.

Hao Nan then turned to Elder Yan, "Forgive the delay."

"No matter, it’s hardly a delay. Please have Comrade Zhong come down and meet Comrade Xi Nian," Yan Guofeng said as he and his companions followed Tian Shangguo to the hall and took seats on the sofa, while Hao Nan headed upstairs.

The second floor was quiet, and though Hao Nan tried to tread lightly, faint sounds could still be heard. It was these subtle noises that Goudan sensed first, alerting its master. Zhong Yuxiu was still contemplating the feasibility of various aspects of her blueprint, considering whether further modifications were necessary.

"Master, Hao Nan is coming upstairs."

"Hmm?" Zhong Yuxiu snapped out of her thoughts, locking away her ideas. "Hao Nan’s here?"

Goudan replied, "Yes, master, he’s nearly at the door."

"Go open the door."

"Yes, master." Goudan moved off, while Zhong Yuxiu rolled up her blueprints and put them back in the drawer.

Knock, knock, knock...

No sooner had Hao Nan knocked than Goudan opened the door, catching him off guard. He quickly smiled, "Goudan, it’s you! I’m here to see Comrade Zhong."

"She’s coming." Leaving the lab, Zhong Yuxiu walked to the door and stopped. "Comrade Hao Nan, what did Elder Yan say?"

"Elder Yan said everything is ready and will be delivered by evening." He paused briefly before continuing, "But Elder Yan is here now, together with Comrade Yan Rushan and a man named Xi Nian. Elder Yan requests that you come downstairs to meet them."

She suddenly recalled that Yan Rushan had said he could no longer handle liaison work and that someone would be replacing him.

"I understand. I’ll go down now. You and Comrade Tian entertain Elder Yan."

"Yes." Hao Nan saluted and went downstairs.

Zhong Yuxiu returned to the lab, opened the drawer, took out the blueprints, and followed after him, saying, "Goudan, you may start preparing dinner—put the soup on early."

"Understood, master. Goudan will accompany you," Goudan answered calmly, waiting for her to lead.

"Let’s go." With the blueprints in hand, she led Goudan downstairs. At the stairway, she saw Yan Guofeng sipping hot tea. Zhong Yuxiu smiled, "Elder Yan, sorry to keep you waiting."

Yan Guofeng turned and saw the roll of paper in her hand, his face blooming with a smile. "I’ve only just arrived. It’s I who interrupted your research."

"That’s far too serious," she replied, descending lightly and taking a seat on the sofa. Goudan went to the kitchen. Zhong Yuxiu unfurled the blueprints and presented them to Yan Guofeng. "Elder Yan, this is the design I just finalized. See if it’s feasible. If it can be made, I want mine to be the first installed."

"Let me have a look." With a new direction for research, Yan Guofeng forgot all about the silent Xi Nian beside him. He accepted the glasses handed by his eldest grandson, put them on, and examined the blueprints, relying on the parts names and data provided by Zhong Yuxiu to analyze whether current technology could manufacture it.

After reading through, Yan Guofeng removed his glasses and pondered in silence.

Zhong Yuxiu didn’t interrupt, patiently waiting. After some time, Yan Guofeng looked up and spoke slowly, "Comrade Zhong, I’ve reviewed the component specifications. It can be made, though it may take some time. We will devote ourselves to the research."

Still more research? She had already simplified it as much as possible; it shouldn’t be too difficult to make. She sighed softly—ultimately, technology was simply too backward.

Zhong Yuxiu nodded, "Alright. If there’s anything unclear, have someone come ask me."

"With your help, they should progress faster." Yan Guofeng felt a certain tension in his heart ease at her willingness to assist for the first time. "But, what is this for?"

"It’s nothing major—just for extracting kitchen fumes."

Yan Guofeng: "..."

Yan Rushan stepped in to explain, "Grandfather, I know a bit about the range hood Comrade Zhong mentioned. Its function is to remove the smoke and grease produced when cooking. You wouldn’t know since you don’t cook, but when preparing meals, the fumes are quite heavy. Without proper ventilation, after making a meal, the smell of oil and smoke clings to you, which is quite unpleasant."