In the vibrant area where urban and rural areas transition, the roads are like lively silk ribbons. One end is tied to the hopeful fields in the countryside, where rice ears are swaying and fruits and vegetables are abundant. The other end leads to the hustle and bustle of the market, with a surging crowd and a lively atmosphere. Old Qian’s fuel tricycle is just like a loyal old companion, accompanying him through wind and rain, shuttling through streets and alleys. Sometimes, the carriage is filled with bright red apples freshly picked from his own orchard, with the fragrance of the fruit permeating the air, full of the sweetness of the harvest. Sometimes, it is loaded with simple and elegant tables and chairs carefully customized from the woodworking workshop, with the grain of the wood recording the craftsmanship of the artisans. Every trip is filled with his passionate longing for life. And the brake pads of the 302 bearing on the black front wheel interchange drum, which are hidden in the key position of the front wheel, are like silent yet brave “safety shields”, shouldering the important task of protecting people and the vehicle at the moment of braking. The stories behind it are full of ups and downs as well as tender warmth.

Old Qian is in his sixties. He is simple in character and meticulous in his work. He takes good care of the tricycle that has accompanied him for many years. His daily maintenance work is carried out in an orderly and meticulous manner. When the sky was just getting light and the morning sun broke through the clouds, Old Qian got up, took a soft-bristled brush, a clean rag and carried a small bucket of lubricating grease, and then walked vigorously towards his beloved vehicle parked beside the courtyard wall, starting his daily unshakable “vehicle maintenance ceremony”. First, he bent down to carefully check the fuel tank to confirm that there was enough fuel, and carefully inspected the interfaces of the fuel pipes to strictly prevent fuel leakage. Then he gently turned the front wheels and listened attentively, just like an experienced musician appraising musical notes, capturing the slight abnormalities in the sound of the bearing operation to ensure a stable output of driving power. When his eyes locked on the brake pads of the 302 bearing on the black front wheel interchange drum, Old Qian looked solemn and was fully concentrated, as if he were examining a dangerous and important pass that guarded lives.

He crouched down, dipped the brush full of grease, and gently wiped the black powder and debris accumulated on the brake pads due to frequent friction. His movements were gentle, as if he were taking care of rare treasures, for fear that any carelessness would damage the vital parts. After cleaning, he ran his fingers along the edge of the interchange drum to feel whether the 302 bearing was running smoothly or not. At the same time, he gently stepped on the brake pedal. Relying on the sharp hearing he had cultivated over the years, he carefully distinguished the “creaking” sound to accurately judge the degree of fit between the brake pads and the brake drum and the level of braking efficiency. In Old Qian’s heart, these seemingly ordinary brake pads were actually the “lifeblood” of the whole vehicle. Once they malfunctioned, the tricycle would lose control like a runaway mad bull. It would be a minor matter if the precious goods on the vehicle were spilled all over the place. The real disaster would be endangering the safety of himself and passers-by. The consequences were unimaginable.

It was the golden autumn season. The sky was as blue as a gem, and the sunlight was warm but still had strength, making people feel warm when it shone on them. Old Qian filled a tricycle with exquisite tables and chairs and was ready to rush to the market in the neighboring town to find good customers. He put on a cloth hat, wore an old jacket, took a sip of hot tea, hummed a little tune and started the vehicle, setting off on the journey excitedly.

At first, the tricycle was running smoothly on the flat asphalt road in the urban area. Old Qian listened to the “buzzing” sound of the engine and imagined the grand scene of the tables and chairs being snapped up in the market. He was in an especially comfortable mood. Unexpectedly, when he reached a section of the suburban path that was pitted with puddles and full of muddy gravel due to the heavy rain the night before and the repeated rolling of heavy trucks, the crisis was quietly lurking.

Suddenly, a reed chicken rushed out in front. Reacting instinctively, Old Qian slammed on the brakes. In an instant, a sharp “squeak” sound cut through the clear autumn sky. The body of the vehicle shook and trembled violently, but the vehicle didn’t stop steadily as expected. Instead, it slid forward for a certain distance. The tables and chairs in the carriage were knocked about in all directions. Several chairs toppled over on the ground, with their legs hitting the stones, the paint peeling off and the wood chips exposed, making a mess. Still in shock, Old Qian quickly stopped the vehicle to check. His heart seemed to fall into an ice cellar. It turned out that there was something wrong with the brake pads of the 302 bearing on the black front wheel interchange drum. It was found that the brake pads were seriously worn, and some parts were almost worn out. Moreover, many mud clumps and gravel stones were embedded in them, resulting in a loose fit with the brake drum and a greatly reduced braking effect. In this warm autumn sunlight but bad road condition situation, the damaged brake pads were like a “time bomb”. If it was necessary to brake urgently again, the vehicle might be difficult to stop and was very likely to slide into the ditches beside the road or hit the electric poles. The terrible consequences were unimaginable.

At that time, all around were empty fields, with golden rice ears dancing gently in the wind. On the road, except for the occasional grain trucks that roared past and raised large amounts of dust, there were hardly any people in sight. Old Qian’s tricycle carrying the “injured” brake pads was like a lonely boat drifting in the rough sea full of raging waves and hidden reefs, in a very dangerous situation. He was extremely anxious. Fine beads of sweat immediately oozed out on his forehead. The back of his clothes was instantly soaked through by sweat and clung tightly to his back. He quickly moved the vehicle to a relatively stable mound beside the road and tried to remedy the situation in a flustered manner.

Old Qian tremblingly took out a simple repair tool kit from under the seat of the vehicle, took out tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers, and tried to clean the embedded objects and repair the worn parts. However, the warm autumn sunlight seemed to add some heat at this time. Sweat blurred his eyes, his fingers trembled, and he couldn’t hold the tools steadily. When using the screwdriver to turn the screws, it slipped and lost its force, and the wrench could hardly tighten the nuts. After repeated attempts, the problem of the brake pads remained stubborn. Helplessness and anxiety were intertwined in his heart. The feelings of frustration and heat were churning and boiling in his heart, and he was almost desperate.

Just when he was full of worry and felt helpless, a passing agricultural tricycle motorcycle slowly stopped. The window was rolled down, and a kind-faced uncle with a weather-beaten appearance and a simple and honest look stuck his head out and asked with concern, “Brother, what’s going on? It’s not easy to travel on the road these days. Is there something wrong with your vehicle?” Old Qian hurriedly pointed at the brake pads and told him what had happened. Without saying a word, the uncle took a jack, professional repair tools and a spare set of brake pads of the 302 bearing on the black front wheel interchange drum from his vehicle. It turned out that the uncle ran a large farm by himself. He often drove back and forth to transport agricultural materials and sell agricultural products. Knowing that the road conditions were dangerous, he was used to keeping emergency items in the vehicle to prepare for unexpected needs.

The uncle jumped out of the vehicle and walked to Old Qian’s vehicle. First, he handed Old Qian a towel to help him dry the sweat and calm his nervousness. Then he skillfully operated the jack to lift the vehicle body, removed the damaged brake pads. He cleverly used long-nosed pliers to remove the embedded mud clumps and gravel stones, and then carefully polished the uneven parts on the surface of the brake drum caused by friction with sandpaper to make it smooth and shiny. Then he took out the spare brake pads, installed them steadily in place, calibrated the distance between them and the brake drum, tightened the screws, and gently stepped on the brake pedal to test. With the clear and crisp “creaking” sounds, the brakes regained their previous sensitivity and steadily “returned to their positions and fulfilled their duties”, giving the tricycle reliable braking guarantee again, which finally put Old Qian’s hanging heart at ease.

Old Qian’s eyes were red, and his voice choked with emotion. He grasped the uncle’s hands tightly and thanked him repeatedly. He insisted on giving the uncle a set of exquisite tables and chairs. The uncle couldn’t refuse and took them. Then he smiled and told Old Qian, “Brother, you should be more careful when driving on these bad roads in the future. These brake pads are related to the safety of the whole vehicle. You can’t be careless at all!” Old Qian nodded vigorously, keeping it firmly in mind.

After this incident, Old Qian’s care for the brake pads of the 302 bearing on the black front wheel interchange drum reached an extreme level. Before setting out each time, he would conduct a detailed and comprehensive inspection, not only examining the appearance and cleaning the surroundings, but also simulating emergency braking situations to check the braking effect. After returning the vehicle, he would wipe and maintain it with a dry cloth, regularly check the tightness of the screws and reinforce the connection of the components. Since then, the brake pads have never had any problems again and have steadily accompanied Old Qian as he continued to be busy shuttling between urban and rural areas, witnessing his every year of working hard for a living.