In the urban-rural fringe area filled with a lively atmosphere and the smoke of daily life, the roads are like fine spider webs, connecting the simplicity of the countryside with the hustle and bustle of the marketplaces. Uncle Wang’s electric tricycle is just like his “right-hand man” in life. For many years, it has accompanied him through wind and rain. The carriage has held the fruits that were weighing down the branches in his own orchard, pulled the building materials for the neighbors to repair their houses, and carried the big and small packages when he visited relatives and friends, witnessing every moment of his busy life. And the inconspicuous yet crucial 48V battery charger is quietly hidden in the corner, just like an unsung hero behind the scenes, providing the power for the tricycle’s endurance. The stories behind it are full of twists and turns as well as heartwarming moments.

Uncle Wang is fifty-eight years old. He has a cheerful personality and is warm-hearted towards others. Relying on this tricycle, he takes on some odd transportation jobs to earn some hard-earned money to subsidize the family’s living expenses. On weekdays, he takes extremely good care of his beloved vehicle. It’s an unshakable habit for him to check the tires and brakes before setting out. And he pays even more attention to the 48V battery charger. Every time he charges the battery, he will carefully and gently insert the charger plug accurately into the socket and then steadily connect it to the battery port of the tricycle. He will keep his eyes fixed on the indicator light and only when he confirms that it lights up normally will he feel at ease to go and do other things. In Uncle Wang’s heart, this charger is the “energy supply station” for the tricycle. Once there is a problem with it and the vehicle runs out of power and breaks down, his livelihood will be affected.

It was a chilly winter morning. The sky was gloomy and gray, and the biting north wind howled and swept in, cutting like a knife on people’s faces. Uncle Wang received an urgent order to deliver several large baskets of fresh vegetables to a family in the neighboring village who was holding a wedding. He hummed a little tune, energetically loaded the vegetable baskets onto the vehicle, wrapped his cotton-padded coat tightly around him, put on his gloves, rubbed his hands, and then started the vehicle and set off.

At first, the tricycle was moving forward fairly smoothly on the concrete road in the village. However, as soon as it turned onto the dirt road leading to the neighboring village, troubles came one after another. The road surface had been frozen uneven by the frost of the previous night. The vehicle bumped all the way and the body shook violently. Halfway along the road, the power indicator light on the dashboard suddenly flashed wildly. Then the vehicle’s speed dropped sharply and it slowly came to a stop. Uncle Wang’s heart tightened and he quickly got off the vehicle to check. After a test, he found that the battery power was almost exhausted.

He was extremely worried. Fine beads of sweat oozed out on his forehead. In this desolate and wild place, there was neither a village ahead nor an inn behind. If he couldn’t deliver the vegetables, not only would he delay the wedding of that family, but he would also ruin his own reputation. Uncle Wang thought that he’d better go home first to fully charge the battery and then rush back here. Without delay, he turned the vehicle around and rushed home.

After arriving home, Uncle Wang didn’t even have time to drink a cup of hot water to warm himself up. He rushed straight to the corner where the charger was placed. But when he picked up the charger and took a look, his face turned pale instantly. There was a crack on the outer shell of the charger, and the plug was also a bit deformed. When he got closer, he could even smell a burnt smell. Uncle Wang panicked and tried to insert the plug into the socket in a flurry. But no matter how he fiddled with it, the charger didn’t respond at all and the indicator light just wouldn’t light up.

Watching the time passing by minute by minute, Uncle Wang was so anxious that he stamped his feet, pacing around like an ant on a hot pan. Trembling, he took out a toolbox from the cabinet, planning to take apart the charger by himself to see if he could repair it. However, the screwdriver just wouldn’t listen to his trembling hands. After struggling for a long time, the screws didn’t move at all, and instead, he was left panting with exhaustion.

Just when Uncle Wang was full of despair and felt helpless, there was a knock on the door. When he opened the door, he saw Zhang, the young man next door. With a concerned look on his face, he asked, “Uncle Wang, you look so red in the face with anxiety. What’s going on?” Uncle Wang, as if grasping a life-saving straw, pointed at the broken 48V battery charger and told him all about his encounter. Without saying a word, Zhang turned around and ran back to his own home. He brought a brand-new 48V battery charger, along with a multimeter, an electric soldering iron and other repair tools.

It turned out that Zhang was always obsessed with tinkering with all kinds of electrical appliances on weekdays. He was quite proficient in repairing small electrical appliances like chargers. He always kept several spare chargers at home for emergencies. He skillfully used the multimeter to test Uncle Wang’s broken charger. After a thorough inspection, he found that a key capacitor inside had been broken down, resulting in a short circuit and damage by burning. While comforting Uncle Wang not to worry, Zhang neatly replaced the capacitor with a new one using the electric soldering iron. He also carefully checked the other circuits, straightened the deformed plug, and wrapped the crack on the outer shell with insulating tape for reinforcement. In less than twenty minutes, the charger took on a new look. When it was connected to the battery, the indicator light lit up steadily and the current was input normally.

Uncle Wang’s eyes were red, and his voice choked with emotion. He grasped Zhang’s hand tightly and thanked him repeatedly, saying, “Good boy, thank you so much! If it weren’t for your timely appearance, I really wouldn’t know what to do. I’ll remember this kindness!” Zhang smiled and waved his hand, saying, “Uncle Wang, don’t mention it. We’re all neighbors. Who doesn’t have difficulties? It’s just a piece of cake. You should pay more attention to the charger in the future and don’t bump or knock it.”

Uncle Wang restarted the vehicle and drove steadily towards the neighboring village. After this incident, Uncle Wang took meticulous care of the 48V battery charger. Every time after using it, he would carefully put it away to avoid collision and extrusion. He also regularly wiped the outer shell and checked whether there were any damages to the circuits. Since then, the charger has never had any problems again and has steadily accompanied Uncle Wang as he shuttled between urban and rural roads, witnessing his years of continuous hard work for a living.