In the area where urban and rural areas connect, the roads are like lively silk ribbons, linking the quiet fields in the countryside with the hustle and bustle of the markets. Old Zhang’s fuel tricycle is just like a diligent old servant, carrying his hopes for making a living as it shuttles through streets and alleys. Sometimes, the carriage is filled with bright yellow pears from his own orchard, with a lingering fragrance of the fruit, full of the richness of the harvest. Sometimes, it is loaded with hand-woven bamboo baskets, with the craftsmanship embodied in the textures. Every trip is a passionate pursuit for life. And the aluminum brake cover, which is silver in color and has 15 holes and is installed at the key part of the brake, is like a silent guard. It hides behind the scenes but firmly controls the lifeblood of safety. The stories behind it are full of twists and turns as well as warmth.

Old Zhang is over fifty years old. He is simple and meticulous in his work and takes extremely good care of the tricycle that has accompanied him for many years. When the morning sun just peeked out and the sky began to turn white in the east, Old Zhang got up, put a rag in his pocket and carried a small pot of engine oil, and then walked vigorously towards his beloved vehicle, starting his daily “vehicle care ritual”. First, he bent down to carefully check the fuel pipes and the fuel tank to prevent leakage and ensure the fuel level. Then he gently turned the wheels and listened attentively, just like an experienced musician distinguishing musical notes, checking the sound of the bearing operation to stabilize the driving power. When his eyes fell on the aluminum brake cover with 15 holes on the tricycle, Old Zhang had a solemn look on his face. He knew very well that it was related to the safety of braking, as if he were examining a critical pass for life.

He crouched down, dipped the rag in oil, and gently wiped the dust and stains accumulated on the brake cover due to long-term use. His movements were gentle, for fear that a little too much force would damage its delicate structure. While wiping, he ran his fingers along the 15 holes to feel whether the ventilation was smooth, so as to predict the heat dissipation efficiency of the brake. In Old Zhang’s heart, although this brake cover was small, it was like the “safety valve” of the whole vehicle. Once it malfunctioned, the tricycle would lose control like a runaway wild horse. Not to mention that the goods would spill and endanger passers-by, he himself might also be in danger, and the consequences would be unpredictable.

It was midsummer, and the scorching sun was like fire, baking the earth hot. The air was filled with heat waves. Old Zhang filled a tricycle with fresh pears and planned to rush to the morning market to get a good price. He put on a straw hat, hung a towel around his neck, took a big gulp of cold tea, hummed a little tune and started the vehicle, plunging into the scorching journey.

At first, the tricycle was moving slowly and steadily on the brick road in the urban area. Old Zhang listened to the “putt-putt” sound of the engine and imagined the grand scene of transactions in the market. He was in a fairly good mood. When he reached the suburbs, the heavy rain the night before had caused the road surface to be pitted and muddy, and heavy trucks had also rolled out ruts one after another. The crisis was quietly lurking.

Suddenly, a hen looking for food rushed out in front. Reacting instinctively, Old Zhang slammed on the brakes. In an instant, a sharp “squeak” sound pierced through the heat waves. The body of the vehicle shook and trembled violently, but it didn’t stop as expected. Instead, it slid forward. The pears in the carriage rolled down, and many of them fell into the mud pits, with their skins scratched and the juice oozing out, making a mess. Still in shock, Old Zhang quickly stopped the vehicle to check. His heart sank to the bottom. It turned out that there was something wrong with the aluminum brake cover with 15 holes on his tricycle. It was found that most of the holes were blocked by mud, which hindered the heat dissipation of the brake. Frequent braking caused the internal parts to overheat and malfunction, and the braking effect was greatly reduced. In such a hot and bad road condition situation, the faulty brake cover was like a “time bomb”. If it was necessary to brake urgently again, the vehicle would be difficult to stop and might slide into ditches or hit obstacles. It was extremely terrifying.

At that time, the surrounding area was empty. Only a few drought-tolerant green plants drooped listlessly under the scorching sun. On the road, there were only occasional engineering vehicles passing by with dust flying up, and people were rarely seen. Old Zhang’s tricycle carrying the “injured” brake cover was like a lonely boat trapped in the rough sea full of raging waves and hidden reefs, in a very dangerous situation. He was extremely anxious. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and the back of his clothes was soaked through. He quickly moved the vehicle to a mound beside the road, trying to remedy the situation.

Old Zhang tremblingly took out a tool kit, took out tools such as wrenches and screwdrivers, and tried to clean the mud and repair the vehicle. However, being baked by the heat waves, his eyes were blurred by sweat, his fingers were weak, the wrench could hardly grip tightly, and the screwdriver slipped. After repeated attempts, there was no result. Helplessness and anxiety were intertwined in his heart. The feelings of heat and frustration 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 four-wheeled vehicle slowly stopped. The window was rolled down, and a kind-faced, honest and simple uncle stuck his head out and asked with concern, “Brother, what’s going on? It’s unbearably hot today. Is there something wrong with your vehicle?” Old Zhang hurriedly pointed at the brake cover and told him what had happened. Without saying a word, the uncle took professional tools and a spare aluminum brake cover with 15 holes and came over. His family ran a farm, and he often drove to transport agricultural materials, so he knew the hardships of the road and was used to keeping emergency parts.

The uncle got out of the vehicle, first handed Old Zhang a bottle of ice water to help him quench his thirst, cool down and calm his nervousness. Then he skillfully used tools to lift the vehicle body and removed the damaged brake cover. He cleverly used long-nosed pliers to take out the mud, carefully brushed the hole walls to clean them, then installed a new cover, 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 “returned to their positions and fulfilled their duties”. Old Zhang’s hanging heart finally settled down.

Old Zhang’s eyes were red, his voice choked with emotion. He grasped the uncle’s hands tightly and thanked him repeatedly. He insisted on giving the uncle several bags of fresh pears. The uncle couldn’t refuse and took them. Then he smiled and told Old Zhang, “Brother, you should pay more attention when driving on bad roads in the future. This brake cover is related to the safety of the whole vehicle. You can’t be careless at all!” Old Zhang nodded vigorously and kept it firmly in mind.

After this incident, Old Zhang took extremely good care of the aluminum brake cover with 15 holes. Before setting out each time, he would carefully check its appearance, clean the holes and test the braking. After returning the vehicle, he would wipe and maintain it and check the tightness of the screws. Since then, it has never had any problems again and has steadily accompanied Old Zhang as he has been busy shuttling between urban and rural areas, witnessing his years of working hard for a living.