励志传记(当今奇人周兴和)第二章第四节
寄人篱下太无奈
Too helpless to rely on others
“大漠黄沙，望瘦天涯。几片黑色的羽毛，抖落于祁连山下。目之所及的无非是，断壁残垣枯树昏鸦……”这是一个诗人对西北荒凉景象的描绘。
"Desert of sands, looking at the thin horizon. A few black feathers fluttered down from Qilian Mountain. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but a broken wall, a dead tree, a raven in the evening..." This was a poet's description of the desolation of the northwest China.
而今，周兴和来到甘肃高兰县的心境，比这位诗人描绘的还要荒凉，还要焦虑，还要悲哀。
Now, Zhou Xinghe's mood in Gaolan County, Gansu Province, was more desolate, more anxious and more sorrow than the poet described.
“这简直就是一群乌合之众！”这是1985年夏天的一个早晨，周兴和一起床，就听到工地上几个工段长卷起工人们的工资，甚至饭票逃离工地的消息！
"What a rabble!" It was one morning in the summer of 1985. As soon as Zhou Xinghe got up, he heard the news that several foremen on the construction site had made off with the workers' wages and even the meal tickets and ran away from the construction site.
“兴和，这个事你要赶快想个办法呀，要马上把他们追回来！不然，这里的工程就要泡汤了呀！”建筑工地的负责人马经理此时已经完全束手无策了，他焦急地要周兴和赶快去把这些人追回来。
"Xinghe, you must do something, and get them back at once! Otherwise, the project here will be ruined!" Manager Ma, who was in charge of the construction site, was at a loss for what to do. He anxiously asked Zhou Xinghe to go and take them back.
“这种事，你该早点采取措施呀！”周兴和说。
"You ought to have done something about it earlier!" Zhou Xinghe said.
“我该采取的措施都采取了，可没想到这些人最后会这样干哪！”
"I did all the things I was supposed to do, but I didn't know these people would do this!"
“好吧，我去追就是了，但能不能把他们追回来，我可不敢打包票。”周兴和想了想，跳上一台卡车，就往兰州火车站追去。
"Well, I'll go after them, but I'm not sure I can get them back." Zhou Xinghe thought about it, jumped into a truck and chased to Lanzhou Railway Station.
工地上出现这样的情况，其实早在周兴和预料之中。
The site had such a situation, in fact, was early expected by Zhou Xinghe.
1984年，周兴和组建的“东风建筑工程队”，加入了“三台县富顺建筑工程公司”。又是他四处奔走，通过一些关系，承揽到甘肃兰州高兰县的一项水泥厂建设工程。当时的工程造价为790万元，相当于今天7000—8000万元，应该是一项很不错的建设项目了。
In 1984, Zhou Xinghe formed "Dongfeng Construction Engineering Team" and joined "Santai County Fushun Construction Engineering Company". He also went around, and contracted to build a cement plant in Gaolan County, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province. The project cost at that time was 7.9 million yuan, equivalent to 70 to 80 million yuan today, which should be a very good construction project.
工程落实后，周兴和回到三台县，当即给公司马经理建议：由于这项工程施工质量高，工期又紧，但公司的技术力量太弱，技术人员和施工人员奇缺，很难胜任这项工程，应该到其他建筑公司多聘请一些技术人员参与这项工程。同时，第一二期工程的利润，要让这些技术人员多获得一些。这样，表面上好像吃了点亏，但在两年时间里，就可以为我们培养出一批工程技术人员来。这些技术人员，将来就是公司的一笔财富。
After the project was contracted, Zhou Xinghe returned to Santai County, immediately suggested to the company’s Manager Ma: due to the high construction quality of the project, and the comstruction period was limited, while the company's technical force was too weak, in the shortage of technical personnel and construction personnel, so it was difficult to be competent for the project, and should go to other construction companies to hire more technical personnel to participate in the project. Meanwhile, the project's profits in the first and second phase shall allow these technical personnel to share more. This might seem to be a disadvantage, but in two years, we would have trained a number of engineers and technicians. These technicians would be an asset to the company in the future.
可这马经理不但不懂管理，还自信而又自负，把建筑这样的工程项目，当成像在农村修房造屋一样简单，当成组织一群村民们修个堰塘那么容易。他完全听不进周兴和的建议，于1985年初，不切实际地组织起近200人的建筑大军，大造声势说支援大西北建设，敲锣打鼓为这支大军送行。这让周兴和暗暗叫苦：在这200人的队伍中，只有7个人是砖瓦工和钢筋工，其余的人都是刚放下锄头粪桶的农民呀！
But Manager Ma was not only ignorant in management, but also confident and conceited. He thought that to build a project like this was as easy as to build a house in the countryside, or as easy to organize a group of villagers to build a dam. He did not listen to Zhou Xinghe's suggestion, in early 1985, unrealistically organized the construction team of nearly 200 people, and said to support the northwest construction, to see off this team by beating drums and gongs. Zhou Xinghe complained in his heart that, out of the 200 people, only seven were the bricklayers and rebar workers, while the rest were farmers who had just put down their hoe and dung buckets.
靠这样一群人，就要去承建水泥厂这样大的工程么！周兴和这时是寄人篱下，人微言轻，公司领导根本没把他的建议当回事！
Relying on such a group of people, it was impossible to undertake such a big project - the construction of a cement plant! Zhou Xinghe at this time was dependent on others, and the company leadership did not take his suggestion seriously!
这样荒唐的事，在改革开放初期，其实是屡见不鲜的。
In fact, such absurd things, in the beginning of the reform and opening up, were common.
这支浩浩荡荡建筑队伍，登上向北的火车，过秦岭，穿秦川，进西北，大部分人都还是第一回坐火车，一路上大家都情绪高昂欢天喜地。可到了高兰县工地一考核，这些人所报的钢筋工、砖瓦工连一点基本的常识也没有。
This huge construction team boarded the train heading north, crossed the Qinling Mountains, crossed Qinchuan and entered the northwest China. Most of the people were in high spirits and happy all the way for their first-time journey by train. But when they arrived the site in Gaolan County for assessment, these people were reported as the rebar workers or bricklayers, but they actually did not even have a little basic knowledge.
这时，公司领导完全还可以采取紧急补救措施，马上组织这些人学习、培训后再上岗。但习惯了在农村大呼隆种庄稼的领导，坚持要让这些人员边干边学。领导不懂管理，工人不懂技术，这个团队就像一群放出蜂巢的马蜂，各行其是乱飞乱蛰。由于工地管理混乱，时间不长，有的工人就将破铜烂铁、板车内带等偷出去卖钱，半夜跑到附近农村偷吃地瓜水果。进而，有些人还跑到农民家去偷鸡摸狗，在附近惹是生非打架斗殴。
At this moment, the company leader still could take emergency remedial measure, to organize these people to learn and train immediately, before working. However, the leaders, accustomed to growing crops collectively in rural area, insisted that they could work while learning. The leaders didn't know the management, the workers didn't know any technology, and the team was like a group of hornets released from the hive, acting wilfully. Due to the site management chaos, not after a long time, some workers stole the scrap metal and cart tube out to sell for money, or ran to the nearby countryside to eat the sweet potato or fruit at midnight. Moreover, some people even went to the farmers' houses to steal things, or cause trouble and fight nearby.
这样混乱的局面持续了不到半年，由于工程质量屡次检查都出现问题，不久前，工地上就传出建设方要勒令停工的消息——这下好了，几个工段长听到这个消息后，经过一番密谋，如今竟卷起工人们的一点工钱，脚下抹油想溜之大吉。
Such chaos lasted less than half a year, due to the problems frequently appeared in the engineering quality inspection, not long ago, on the construction site came the news that the construction company would have to stop work. Well, several section foremen took the workers' wages and wanted to run away after hearing the news.
这样的队伍，其实就是一群乌合之众呀！
Such a team, in fact, was just a rabble!
还好，周兴和赶到兰州的第二天，就在火车站找到了这几个卷款欲逃的工段长。
Fortunately, Zhou Xinghe arrived in Lanzhou, and found those section foremen on the second day in the railway station.
“我说你们几个蠢猪呀，怎么招呼都不打一个就跑了呀！”一路上，周兴和早想好了对付他们的办法。多年在外应付各种突发的情况，他不但具备了处理突发事件的智慧，还练就了比较好的口才。见到逃走的几个人后，周兴和并不着急，他只是不疾不缓地对几人说道，“马经理是贷款到这里来搞工程的，他才希望你们这样干呢！你们不知道吧，马经理早就通知公安机关，在进站口等着抓你们，说你们是卷款潜逃！”
"You stupid pig, why you ran away without a word!" Along the way, Zhou Xinghe had already figured out how to deal with them. After years of dealing with various emergencies, he not only had the wisdom to deal with emergent conditions, but also had a better eloquence. Seeing the runaways, Zhou Xinghe was not in a hurry, but just said to them in a leisurely manner, "Manager Ma came here with a loan to do the project, and that's what he wanted you to do! Do you know, Manager Ma had already notified the public security organs, waiting to catch you at the entrance, he said you took all the money to abscond!"
“是么？”几个人听周兴和如此一说，不但没跑，反而都主动凑了上来。
"What?" Those people listened to Zhou Xinghe said so, and gathered up initiatively instead of running away.
“我清楚，你们现在带走的只是一点小钱，更多的资金不在你们身上。你们这一跑——那好了，马经理的贷款和工地上的亏损，就会全部算在你们头上，你们就是满身是嘴，也说不清了呀！”
"I know that what you take with you is only a little money, and more money is not with you. But if you run away - well, Manager Ma's loan and the loss on the site will all be on you, so you can't explain clearly with all your mouths!"
几个人再听周兴和这样一说，都有些面面相觑起来。
Those people listened to what Zhou Xinghe said, and all looked at each other in speechless despair.
“伙计们，你们想得太简单了！今天就算你们跑了，跑到别处去打工，当然暂时可以逃避。但，你跑得了和尚还跑得了庙么！马经理肯定会通过公安机关，去找你们的父母和爱人算账，难道你们就忍心让家里的人不得安宁，在家乡造成不良影响么！”周兴和态度很诚恳，他关切地接着对他们说道，“你们就算住旅馆，走的时候也要给店老板打个招呼，被子枕头是否齐全，连这么点规矩都不懂，可惜你们还在社会上闯荡了这些年！”
"Guys, you think too simply! Even if you run away today, to work elsewhere, of course, you can escape temporarily. But, how about your families? Manager Ma will certainly go through the public security organs, to find your parents and wife to pay the money, do you want your families getting in trouble, and causing bad influence in your hometown?" Zhou Xinghe was sincere and concerned for them, "Even if you stay in a hotel, you should tell the boss when you leave, that whether the pillows and quilts are intact, isn’t it? How could you not know these rules and make a living in society for years?"
周兴和不轻不重的一番话，起到了立竿见影的效果，让这几个人当即紧张起来。一时间，他们显得束手无策，进而还相互埋怨起来。
Zhou Xinghe’s words were not light or heavy, and had an immediate effect, to let those people immediately felt nervous. For a moment, they looked helpless and began to blame each other.
“其实你们也不用紧张。我给你们出个主意：你们马上去买几样工地上需要的工具，带回去主动找马经理说理去！就说这几天你马经理不在，我们几个人商量后，到兰州去买工具去了，好早点把工期赶上去。”周兴和主动给他们出主意道，“这样，你们还可以给他说，我们拼死拼活给你干，你还污蔑我们卷款潜逃，我们到底卷了你多少款？叫他说清楚——这样，你们不但钱不退，还要找他报销差旅费哩！”
"You needn't be nervous either. Let me give you an idea: you just go to buy some tools needed on the construction site right away, take them back and find Manager Ma initiatively! Just say that Manager Ma was not here these days, after discussing, we went to Lanzhou to buy the tools, so as to catch up with the construction period as soon as possible." Zhou Xinghe offered advice to them, "In this way, you can also tell him that we have worked hard for you, but you still accuse us of escaping with money. How many monies have we got from you? Tell him to say it clearly - and then you'll not return your money back to him, but ask him for reimbursement for your travelling expenses!"
“这个办法好、这个办法好！”就这样，这几个人不但服服帖帖跟周兴和回到了工地，一路上还给他说不完的好话。
"That's a good idea!" In this way, those people not only obediently followed Zhou Xinghe back to the construction site, but also spoke kindly to him all the way.
但，令人遗憾，甚至悲哀的是：周兴和承揽到的这项工程，才干了不到半年，由于多处工程质量不合格，最后被建设方勒令停工了！工人们干了几个月，不但没拿到工资，连回家的路费和伙食费也没有。领导一走了之后，许多人爬货车或混客车，躲在车上厕所或座椅下，历尽千辛万苦才回到四川。回到家里那一刻，许多人衣衫褴褛，一身污浊，头发比女人的还长，比流浪要饭的叫花子还可怜！到了家门口那一刻，儿子见了父母，妻子见了丈夫的那副狼狈相，不少人一句话都没说，就抱头痛哭起来！
However, it was regrettable, even sad that: Zhou Xinghe contracted the project, and worked for less than half a year, but the construction party was finally ordered to stop working because the quality of many items was not up to standard! The workers worked for months without payment, and even had no money for travel or food to get home. After the leader left, many people climbed onto the trucks or buses, hid in the toilets or under the seats, and went through all kinds of hardships to return to Sichuan. When they got home, many of them were ragged and dirty. Their hair was longer than woman's and they were more miserable than beggars. Arrived at the door, when the son saw his parents and the wife saw the husband of that dispirited appearance, many people did not say a word, just cried on each other!
外出打工的农民兄弟们啊，难怪后来连温家宝总理都要亲自替你们讨要工资！
No wonder, even Premier Wen Jiabao personally asked for the wages of rural migrant workers!
周兴和在干这项工程中，他费力淘神弄得心力交瘁，可公司连差旅费、生活费都没给他报销，半年多时间不但没挣到一分钱，反而负债达4000多元！这，让他深切地体会到寄人篱下的无奈和悲哀，从此更坚定了他个人创业的决心和信心。
When Zhou Xinghe was working on the project, he felt exhausted both mentally and physically. However, the company did not even reimburse him for his traveling expenses and living expenses. Instead of earning a penny, he owed more than 4,000 yuan in debt in half a year. This made him deeply realized the helplessness and sorrow of relying on others, and firmed his determination and confidence of personal entrepreneurship.
