In that lively area where urban and rural areas transition, the roads are like flexible silk ribbons. One end floats towards the peaceful and simple countryside, where there are endless farmlands and the crops perform the rhythm of life with the changes of the four seasons. The other end plunges into the noisy and prosperous towns, where the heavy traffic is full of opportunities and busyness. Old Sun’s electric three-wheeled and four-wheeled vehicle is just like a loyal companion. For many years, it has accompanied him through wind and rain. The carriage has carried the grains, fruits and vegetables harvested by his own family and the exquisitely hand-made utensils. The compartment has carried the neighbors who were visiting relatives and friends, witnessing every bit of his life. And the universal combination switch hidden on the console is like the “commander” of the whole vehicle, controlling the start and stop of the vehicle, the changes of the lights and the sounding of the horn. The stories behind it are full of thrills and warmth.

Old Sun is nearly sixty years old. He is warm-hearted and kind by nature. Relying on this multi-functional vehicle, he takes on some small transportation jobs between urban and rural areas to earn some hard-earned money to subsidize the family’s living expenses. On weekdays, he regards the vehicle as a precious treasure and is meticulous in the inspection before setting out. The universal combination switch is even more of a top priority. He will press the buttons on the switch one by one, listen carefully to see if there are any abnormal noises at the moment of starting, keep a close eye on whether the indicator lights light up normally, and repeatedly fiddle with the turn signal and headlight adjustment levers to confirm that the turn signals are accurate and the lights can be switched smoothly. Only when everything is in order will he feel at ease to turn on the throttle and set off. In Old Sun’s heart, this combination switch is the “magic needle that calms the sea” for driving. Once it fails, the vehicle breaks down halfway and the light signals go wrong. Whether it is on the dim country roads or in the complicated urban streets and alleys, it may fall into a dangerous situation.

It was a summer afternoon when the rain was pouring down. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, and big raindrops pounded on the ground, and deep puddles quickly accumulated. Old Sun had just delivered the materials for renovating a house to a family in the neighboring village. On his way back, he received an anxious call from his daughter, saying that his little grandson had suddenly had a high fever, his little face was flushed red and he was unconscious. She asked Old Sun to drive to pick him up and take him to the hospital immediately. Old Sun was extremely worried. He hung up the phone and, regardless of the heavy rain, turned the vehicle around and rushed towards his daughter’s home.

The rain blurred his vision. Old Sun narrowed his eyes with difficulty and drove attentively, holding the steering wheel tightly with both hands and wiping the water curtain on the windshield with his cuffs from time to time. When he reached a suburban section that was under construction, the road surface was muddy and full of potholes. The vehicle bumped violently in the accumulated water. Suddenly, there was a crisp “click” sound. Then all the lights of the vehicle went out and the pointers on the dashboard returned to zero. The vehicle slowly came to a stop. Old Sun’s heart tightened and he broke out in a cold sweat. He quickly pulled over to the side of the road and checked by the intermittent lightning light. He saw that there was a crack on the outer shell of the universal combination switch and some buttons had sunk in and showed no sign of bouncing back.

At this moment, calls from his daughter came one after another, and the cries and shouts mixed with anxiety were conveyed. The child’s condition couldn’t afford any delay. Old Sun panicked. Big beads of sweat oozed out on his forehead, and the rain mixed with sweat flowed down his cheeks. He hurriedly took out a simple repair tool kit from under the seat and tried to take apart the outer shell of the switch to find out the fault.

However, the rain was pouring down like a waterfall. The tools were wet by the rain and were slippery and difficult to hold. The screwdriver almost fell several times, and his fingers were scratched because he used too much force. Old Sun managed to unscrew a few screws with great effort, but he found that the internal circuits were complicated and intertwined wetly, and he didn’t know where to start at all. It was hot and humid inside the vehicle, and the rainstorm outside was still raging. The child was still suffering from a high fever. Old Sun was so anxious that he stamped his feet, pacing around like an ant on a hot pan, full of despair and helplessness.

Just when Old Sun was on the verge of breaking down, a passing engineering emergency vehicle slowly stopped. The window was rolled down, and a master with a resolute face and a concerned look stuck his head out and asked loudly, “Brother, what’s the matter? You seem so anxious!” Old Sun seemed to grasp a life-saving straw. Pointing at the broken universal combination switch, he told his encounter with a sob in his voice. Without saying a word, the master put on his raincoat and jumped out of the vehicle. He took a waterproof cloth, professional circuit detection tools and a spare universal combination switch from the vehicle.

It turned out that this master often fought on the front line of emergency rescue. He deeply understood the thorny problems of vehicle breakdowns in bad weather and always kept emergency rescue items in the vehicle. First, he pulled up the waterproof cloth to shelter Old Sun and the vehicle from the rain, and handed a towel to Old Sun to wipe his face and calm down his emotions. Then he skillfully used the detection tools to check the circuits. Finding that there was no major problem, he immediately replaced the switch with the spare one, carefully connected the circuits and repeatedly debugged the functions. In less than half an hour, the dashboard of the vehicle lit up again, the lights returned to normal and the engine also ran smoothly.

Old Sun’s eyes were red, and his voice choked with emotion. He grasped the master’s hand tightly with both hands and was sobbing uncontrollably, saying, “Brother, thank you so much! If it weren’t for your timely appearance, my little grandson would have been in danger. I’ll remember this kindness and will never forget it for the rest of my life!” The master patted Old Sun on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, “Brother, don’t be like this. We’re all away from home. Who doesn’t have difficulties? When we meet, we should help each other as much as we can. You should pay more attention to the vehicle in the future and try not to take the bad roads on rainy days.”

Old Sun restarted the vehicle and drove steadily towards his daughter’s home. After this incident, Old Sun took meticulous care of the universal combination switch. He checked it more rigorously before setting out each time, and also specifically learned the knowledge of circuit emergency treatment. He always kept spare switches and repair small items in the vehicle. Since then, the combination switch has never had any problems again and has steadily accompanied Old Sun as he shuttled between urban and rural roads, witnessing his years of continuous running around for the happiness of his family and a stable life.