The next day, Little Baiguo had recovered from her fever and had turned back into her obedient little self.

After three days of fever, she had begun to gain some chubby cheeks, looking like she might become a little fatty.

But in just three days, that fat had disappeared, and she looked a bit thinner.

Lin Yongcheng kept his promise and began teaching Lin Yongliang how to drive a tractor, while Bai Ji stayed home to take care of the child.

However, she noticed something was different.

After Little Baiguo’s fever subsided, she became very greedy.

At lunch, Bai Ji was holding her when Little Bai Guo acted like a hungry little bird, opening her mouth every time Bai Ji moved her chopsticks, waiting to be fed.

By the end of the meal, Little Baiguo had been eyeing the food the whole time, but didn’t manage to get a single bite.

Bai Ji felt a little sorry for her.

But her clothes were soaked with saliva.

Sigh… what a loss!

Xiao Baiguo, feeling the wetness on her clothes, became a little withdrawn.

She thought her mouth hadn’t grown properly and drooled uncontrollably.

She wiped her mouth and touched her clothes again.

Hmm… a bit dissatisfied.

She turned her head and wiped her drooly little hands on Bai Ji’s clothes, finally cleaning them up.

Then, she wiped her mouth again, this time without getting saliva on it.

Relieved, Bai Ji was speechless.

Little rascal, using mom’s clothes as a napkin?

If you were two years older, you’d be getting a spanking, you know?

“Our little obedient baby is learning to beg for food,” Li Qiurong said, bringing a handkerchief to wipe Xiao Baiguo’s mouth. “Grandma is going to cook some rice porridge. You’ll have rice soup to drink soon.”

Xiao Baiguo tilted her little head and let her help wipe her mouth, even though she didn’t know what rice soup tasted like, she just wanted to try it!

Just thinking about it made her mouth water again.

“Be careful and wipe her mouth clean when she’s drooling,” Li Qiurong handed the handkerchief to Bai Ji. “Also, change her into a clean outfit.”

Once Li Qiurong left, Bai Ji poked Xiao Baiguo’s little cheek.

“Becoming a drool monster!”

Xiao Baiguo didn’t like that and quickly turned her face, burying it in Bai Ji’s arms, intentionally rubbing it a couple of times, and leaving Bai Ji covered in drool.

Yu Yu wasn’t a drool monster!!

Yu Yu was just a little baby whose mouth hadn’t grown properly, so she drooled.

Once she grew up, she wouldn’t drool anymore.

Learning to drive the tractor wasn’t hard, and Lin Yongliang was a careful person.

By the end of the day, he had learned most of the basics.

After a few more days of practice, he would almost have it down.

As for repairing the tractor, it was too complicated to teach in a day.

Plus, they lacked the proper tools. Lin Yongcheng only taught him how to solve common problems, which would be enough for him to handle.

The next day, Lin Changjin went to the commune to deliver a gift, borrowed the tractor for another day, and topped up the fuel money.

Lin Yongcheng spent half the day teaching him, then left him to practice on his own.

A master can only guide you in; the rest is up to the disciple.

He had taught what needed to be taught, and now it was up to Lin Yongliang to practice.

That afternoon, Lin Yongcheng returned to the county alone, but the news of him teaching Lin Yongliang how to drive a tractor quickly spread through Shanglin brigade, creating a huge stir.

Who wouldn’t be interested?

Any technical skill meant there would be no shortage of opportunities.

Not to mention the coveted tractor work, even carpentry and masonry, which were hard physical jobs, saw many people visiting with gifts, hoping to learn the skills.

Lin Yongcheng quietly taught a non-relative like Lin Yongliang, and once the news spread, it caused even more attention than when Lin Yongjia and Lin Yongye moved to the city.

Old Man Lin had heard about it too, and he couldn’t help but curse.

“Why didn’t he teach his two brothers? But he had the time to teach Lin Yongliang? What relationship does Lin Yongliang have with him? He’s just an ingrate!”

Lin Yongcheng had helped his two brothers find jobs in the city. In Old Man Lin’s heart, although he cursed, he still felt his son was useful—he would think of his brothers when something good came up.

Once the news of Lin Yongliang learning to drive the tractor spread, it wiped out all of Lin Yongcheng’s goodwill.

Old Man Lin was heartbroken!!

He was heartbroken about the money spent and the things given away, which nearly caused a rift between his sons. His family had almost faced disaster because of this.

If only Lin Yongcheng had been willing to teach his own brothers to drive tractors, none of these problems would have happened.

They could have sent Lin Yongjia to the city for work, and Lin Yongye could have driven the tractor, helping at home without needing to leave.

How did it end up like this?

The Lin family was divided into the old and the young.

Grandma Lin was eating dinner, but it felt like chewing wax.

She disdainfully said, “What’s so impressive about driving a tractor? Let the third son teach his two older brothers how to drive a car!”

Stethoscopes and steering wheels, two of the most stable jobs of the current era.

Thinking of the stethoscope, Grandma Lin suddenly regretted it.

She glanced at Grandpa Lin’s expression and whispered, “If I had known the third son was so stubborn, I shouldn’t have torn my face with the Bai family. We could have let that Bai person teach the children in our family. He taught Lin Zhijun and his sibling, so he could teach our children too, they’re relatives…”

At the time, they hadn’t thought about it.

Their minds were filled with the thought that Bai Ji couldn’t have children, their son was still young and had a bright future, he couldn’t be dragged down by Bai Ji.

They never thought about letting their own kids learn medicine from Bai Shu, and because of their inferiority when facing educated people, they couldn’t even raise their heads and were unwilling to ask Bai Shu for help.

Now, thinking about it, they really regretted it!

They couldn’t lower their heads to ask for help, but they could have had Bai Ji ask! At that time, Bai Ji was living at their house.

Wouldn’t it have been easy for her to do this small favor?

It was all so unfair to Lin Zhijun and his sibling.

Grandma Lin became angrier the more she thought about it, to the point that she couldn’t even finish her dinner.

Grandpa Lin was also fuming. His face turned a deep, liver-like color.

They had no foresight and never considered teaching their two sons to drive. After all, the tractor belonged to the mine, and the public property couldn’t be used by Lin Yongcheng to teach the two brothers.

Now that Lin Yongliang had given them hope, he regretted it.

And then there was the issue of studying medicine.

They didn’t have the conditions to teach driving, but studying medicine shouldn’t be difficult, right?

All they had to do was ask his father-in-law for a word. Such a small thing, but Lin Yongcheng couldn’t even help his own family or his nephews.

Bai Zhu teaching Lin Zhijun and his sibling was fine, but teaching their own relatives should have been expected! But Lin Yongcheng and his wife never mentioned this.

Once again, Lin Yongcheng was about to bear the blame.

“That little beast…” recalling how Lin Yongcheng had once called him a beast, he almost said the last word aloud but stopped himself, switching to another curse: “That ingrate! We didn’t think of it, but did he not think of it? He’s traveled all over the place, seen and heard more than our whole family combined. We didn’t think of having the kids learn medicine, did he not think of it? He just didn’t want to help!”

The two old folks were so upset they couldn’t finish their meal.

Neither of the two daughters-in-law spoke up.

After all, such things didn’t need their input.

If they could gain something from it, they would be happy if it fell to their own children, not someone else’s. If the old couple wanted to go to Lin Yongcheng and make a scene, they wouldn’t stop them.

…

The Lin couple couldn’t bring themselves to ask for help, but many others weren’t as shy.

For those who came to ask for help, Bai Zhu simply responded a few times: “Yongcheng has gone to the county. I don’t know when he’ll be back. To learn to drive a tractor, you need a tractor. He can’t get through to the commune. Even if he’s willing to teach, he’s unable to do so.”

Want to drive a tractor? First, you need a tractor.

Without equipment, what’s there to teach?

And besides, the main person isn’t even at home. What’s the use of coming to us?

The commune’s tractors aren’t something anyone can borrow. Even if you do manage to borrow one, you’ll have to pay for the fuel yourself. Do you still expect to take advantage of public property?

The people who came were sent away by Bai Shu’s simple words. He made it clear that it wasn’t that Lin Yongcheng wasn’t willing to teach, but that they didn’t have the means.

If you don’t have a tractor, how can he teach you? What will he teach with?

You have no conditions, so don’t even talk!

The villagers returned empty-handed.

Lin Yongliang was thrust into the limelight, and in a single night, many people became jealous of him.

But what good is jealousy?

He had a capable father who could borrow a tractor from the commune, and he was lucky that Lin Yongcheng was willing to teach.

Lin Yongliang remembered the information Lin Yongcheng had shared and personally went with Lin Changjin to the Hongkang commune.

They were in urgent need of a tractor driver for road repairs, and after the father and son made the trip, the job was secured.

All they had to do now was wait for the project to start, and then he could begin working.

The monthly salary was quite a bit, a full thirty-six yuan!

Father and son were ecstatic for a long time.

They rode their bicycles home.

When they were near the village entrance, Lin Changjin reminded his son, “Don’t go around showing off about your job. Keep it quiet, no need to draw attention.”

“Dad, don’t worry!” Lin Yongliang wasn’t foolish. “I won’t show off. When the time comes, I’ll teach my older brothers and second brothers.”

“Teach your brothers… Yongcheng?”

“Don’t worry, Yongcheng is broad-minded.”

Lin Changjin was also moved, but shook his head.

“Yongcheng’s broad-mindedness is his own matter. We still need to follow some rules. Whether or not he agrees is his decision. But you haven’t even asked him once, can he be comfortable with that? Asking for his opinion is a way to respect him as a teacher. You’re still too young; you’re lacking in some manners. You should learn how to behave.”

Lin Yongliang nodded. “Dad, please teach me more.”

Back in the village, Lin Yongliang kept the news about his new job secret, telling no one but his wife, not even their children.

The villagers were envious, but he simply smiled, letting them say whatever they wanted.

Once you’ve learned the skills, they’re yours.

No matter how jealous they are, they can’t take it away from you.

Besides jealousy, what else do they know?

Nothing!