In this area, the fields are all dry.

A wheeled tractor works just fine for plowing, and the tractor even has new tires, making it very stable when running.

The plowing machine behind the tractor is advanced and hydraulic, so it can adjust its height without needing someone to sit on it and make adjustments like in the 1950s and 1960s.

While the tractor was plowing the field, two strong oxen were also plowing nearby.

At first, they moved at the same pace, but gradually, the tractor continued steadily and at a constant speed, while the oxen began to slow down.

Especially after one round trip, the oxen needed a rest.

Moreover, while the tractor was plowing, a machine could simultaneously break up the soil clods.

However, after the oxen plowed, they still needed to harrow the field, which was very cumbersome.

An hour and a half later, Cheng Rushan asked Jiang Lin, “Are you tired? I’ll take over.”

Jiang Lin replied, “No need for you to take over. Let Shang Zonghui do it. From now on, the young ones will be responsible for driving.”

Jiang Lin let Shang Zonghui take over the driving, while she stayed in the tractor to guide the plowing, to avoid any mistakes or crooked lines.

Because the cab was small, one person sat in the seat, and the other had to sit very close.

Cheng Rushan put his arm around Jiang Lin’s waist to help her down, saying, “You take a rest. I’ll teach him.”

Jiang Lin then went to find the children.

She saw Wensheng leading Dabao and Xiaobao, all barefoot, running wildly in the plowed field, picking up pupae, especially the big bean worm pupae, which they would take home to cook and eat.

It was still cold, so being barefoot wasn’t a good idea.

Jiang Lin quickly told them to put their shoes back on.

Shang Zonghui felt relieved to see Cheng Rushan taking over the tractor.

Even though the cab was ventilated on all sides, being alone in there with Jiang Lin made him nervous.

He could smell the faint fragrance on Jiang Lin, and it made his heart race and his hands tremble so much that he couldn’t drive properly.

Watching Jiang Lin drive from below seemed easy, but he realized once he tried that it was much harder than it looked.

Shang Zonghui either steered the tractor crookedly, got the plowing depth wrong, or stalled the engine.

He was much worse than Jiang Lin.

Despite the chill of early spring, sweat was pouring down his forehead, which was quite embarrassing.

Cheng Rushan patted his shoulder and said, “In the field, you don’t have to worry about driving into a ditch or hitting someone. Relax. Don’t focus on the front of the tractor; look ahead towards the end of the field. Use the furrows in front as a reference and try to drive in a straight line.”

Sitting next to Jiang Lin and watching her drive was enjoyable for Cheng Rushan, but watching Shang Zonghui was stressful.

After a few round trips, Shang Zonghui started to get the hang of it.

Cheng Rushan jumped down from the tractor and said, “There’s no special trick to it. You just need to practice.”

He pointed to a few other young guys, “One of you go up and help him check if he’s driving straight, and learn by watching.”

The young men were eager to learn and picked things up quickly.

After running a few laps with the tractor, they got the basics down.

So, Jiang Lin only got to show off for half the morning before Cheng Rushan took her home.

They got back a bit early, and Yan Runzhi was still at the embroidery workshop and hadn’t returned yet.

Jiang Lin sat on the edge of the kang, leaning against the kang cabinet, reading a book.

After turning a couple of pages, she said to Cheng Rushan, “Is it easy to buy a sewing machine now? It would be great if the women had a sewing machine for their sewing.”

Cheng Rushan handed her some washed red dates and replied, “A sewing machine costs around seventeen or eighteen industrial coupons, about the same as a bicycle.”

Jiang Lin calculated that since they didn’t get industrial coupons in the countryside, they would need to get them from the city.

She thought about writing to Xu Aimei to ask for help in buying one.

Cheng Rushan leaned against her, with his arm resting on the kang cabinet.

His long fingers tapped on her book, “You could ask me for help.”

Jiang Lin tilted her head and gave him a sideways glance, “Hmph, I can’t afford your help!”

Industrial coupons in exchange for favors? No way!

Cheng Rushan smiled at her, teasingly, “I’m just asking for three. Can’t you afford that?”

Jiang Lin replied smugly, “I have another idea. I’ll ask Tao Zhen for help. She’s pretty capable now, working in the supply and marketing cooperative. She knows how to get things done.”

Cheng Rushan asked, “And I’m not capable?”

Jiang Lin grinned mischievously, “You’re capable, oh so capable. I’m really scared of you.”

The two of them joked around for a while.

Wen Sheng and Dabao and Xiaobao ran back home, holding a broken bowl filled with worms to feed the chickens.

“Mom, look how many I dug up,” Dabao and Xiaobao said proudly, showing Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin was horrified!

She immediately jumped onto Cheng Rushan’s back, “Get it away!”

Xiaobao said, “Linlin, don’t be afraid. They’re very nutritious. The chickens love them.”

Dabao added, “Let’s go feed the chickens. They’ll lay more eggs for us to eat.”

Wen Sheng quickly took the bowl away, so it wouldn’t scare their mom.

Cheng Rushan carried Jiang Lin to the yard to watch them feed the chickens.

He turned and laughed, “So, my empress is afraid of worms.”

Jiang Lin playfully bit his ear, “No, I’m most afraid of you.”

Cheng Rushan said, “I’m leaving tomorrow. Are you happy?”

Jiang Lin’s heart skipped a beat.

She pressed her face against his cheek and kissed him, “Be careful out there. Make sure to eat on time. Don’t just make do with whatever. If I find out you’re eating cold buns with cold water, I’ll be so mad I won’t talk to you again. You’ll be sleeping on the floor!”

Cheng Rushan laughed, “I wouldn’t dare. I’ll listen to my wife. We have a small charcoal stove with us, so we can have hot meals and hot water.”

Because Jiang Lin cared so much, Cheng Rushan took her words to heart.

Dai Guohua used to be less particular, but seeing Cheng Rushan being so meticulous, he followed suit.

Now, when they boiled water, they would grill some slices of salted meat on a wire mesh.

Of course, they’d sip a bit of wine, but Cheng Rushan wouldn’t let Dai Guohua drive if he drank.

Following Jiang Lin’s advice, Cheng Rushan didn’t drink while driving, didn’t smoke, and when he had downtime, he would read books or snack on sunflower seeds.

Cheng Rushan’s obedience made Jiang Lin inexplicably happy.

Because he was leaving the next day, she was especially tender and cooperative with him that night, making even his steely resolve melt into softness.

As a result, she didn’t even know when he left the next morning.

Since getting the tractor, the Yanghong Brigade had become proud and confident, standing tall in the entire commune.

Marriages and weddings in the brigade became much easier because having a tractor meant the work was less tiring but still earned work points!

Jiang Lin was invited to help, and every day she led a group of strong young men to plow, harrow, and plant fields.

Not only did she earn ten work points a day, but the brigade also rewarded her.

Under Jiang Lin’s leadership, Shang Zonghui and a few other young men learned to drive the tractor.

Every evening, they gathered to learn how to maintain and repair it, making sure it was always spotless.

Now, Jiang Lin was the idol of the young men.

Although they didn’t dare to say it, each one hoped to find a wife as beautiful and capable as her.

In the past, without a tractor, spring plowing and planting from the second month of the lunar calendar would keep everyone busy until almost the Dragon Boat Festival when it was time to harvest wheat.

Both men and women were exhausted. Now, with the tractor, plowing and planting were much easier and faster.

After the ground completely thawed around the Qingming Festival, the brick kiln became busy.

The brigade decided to allow each household to keep two laborers to help with planting and weeding while the others could go to work at the brick kiln.

For example, planting cotton required only women and children for tasks like sowing and covering the seeds.

Drawing water was now done by animals, as they were freed from plowing and needed to be kept busy.

This year, planting felt much easier and quicker.

With the tractor, Jiang Lin and the others could transport sand, cement, and coal efficiently.

They even offered to deliver bricks and tiles to buyers for a fee.

As a result, people from far and wide came to buy bricks and tiles, leaving their addresses and deposits, and the tractor delivered the goods to their doorsteps.

In this seller’s market, where having money didn’t always guarantee you could buy goods, their service of delivering bricks and tiles to your door was exceptionally thoughtful.

The brigade leaders realized they were making money effortlessly!

Eventually, even some of the brigade cadres, who had initially hesitated, thinking it was beneath them to make bricks alongside the commune members, couldn’t resist.

Seeing others earning one, two, or three yuan a day, they too eagerly joined the brick kiln to make money.

The brick kiln became even busier, opening several more kilns.

To avoid damaging the fields, Jiang Lin had people dig clay from nearby riverbeds.

There were mountains and several rivers around, some of which had silted up.

This allowed them to dig clay and clear the river channels at the same time.

When the fields had less work during the summer, the strong laborers from the Yanghong Brigade went to make bricks and fire them.

The weaker laborers stayed back to weed and tend to the cotton fields.

They found this arrangement to be the best, as it didn’t delay farming work or making money.

Jiang Lin also organized a construction team. When there was construction work, they did that; otherwise, they made bricks.

The team had ten core members, all skilled workers who could act as masters, with temporary helpers assigned as needed.

Now, two-thirds of the households in Shuihuai Village had tiled roofs, in red, gray-blue, or gray mortar.

They were no longer afraid of heavy rains. Even if the roofs leaked a bit, it wasn’t severe.

The remaining third of the households were planning to build new houses this year.

Even if they couldn’t build three rooms, they built at least one.

Brick houses were cleaner and safer than mud ones.

In her spare time, Jiang Lin designed some new-style farmhouses, drawing inspiration from modern architecture.

For instance, she designed single-story houses with lofts.

If someone could only afford to build two rooms, they could build a single-story house with a loft.

Previously, houses were built with walls and gables, with beams laid across and a roof on top.

These houses were tall and spacious but collected dust, making the roof hard to clean.

Jiang Lin’s design included adding a loft or half-floor where people could sleep.

This design was ideal for young couples with one or two children or families with older children who needed separate sleeping areas.

It was much better than having teenage sons and daughters sleeping on the same kang.

The village embroidery workshop was also thriving.

Cheng Rushan obtained industrial coupons to buy a sewing machine.

Jiang Lin also asked her family and Tao Zhen for help, gathering another one.

With the sewing machines, Yan Runzhi felt as empowered as the brick kiln did with the tractor.

Following Jiang Lin’s advice, she made more artistic items with simple, rustic embroidery instead of traditional intricate designs.

These products sold better and were easier to make.

Jiang Lin also described how to make clasp-frame bags, which were small handbags and wallets that girls particularly liked.

Yan Runzhi and a few other skilled women produced sellable items within three days, which were very popular.

Under Jiang Lin’s leadership, Yan Runzhi felt like she had her own business.

The elderly woman felt rejuvenated and more beautiful, envied by the younger women.

Meanwhile, Cheng Yunzhi was busy with the ancestral hall and the exhibition room, improving and compiling the village history and family records.

He felt so fulfilled that he had no time to dwell on any sadness about his daughter or anyone else.