The leader’s secretary came in the morning, while the three children were downstairs reading and doing homework.

Although Er Bao was primarily focused on sports training as an athlete, he still had summer homework to complete.

However, in the past six months, since becoming an athlete, he had become quite lax about his studies, leading to a significant decline in his academic performance.

As a result, he relied heavily on Yi Bao for help with his homework.

With Yi Bao around, Er Bao wouldn’t ask San Bao for assistance, as being the older brother came with a sense of pride.

Er Bao was quite accepting of his declining grades; after all, he was now an athlete.

He no longer wanted to exert effort on something that felt so challenging.

Nevertheless, Er Bao hadn’t completely given up on his studies.

He had resolved to put in effort in foreign language classes.

This determination stemmed from the impact of the recent World Junior Sports Games.

He couldn’t understand a word when the foreigners spoke.

To be honest, he had faced some teasing during the competition.

When he first stepped onto the field, being “small” in front of the foreigners made him the target of ridicule.

Although Er Bao couldn’t understand their words, he could read their expressions and clearly saw their mocking looks.

Yet, without evidence and unable to speak their language, he could only swallow his pride.

But Er Bao was not one to back down easily.

Since there was no one to help him abroad, he resolved to learn the foreign language himself.

Consequently, during his future athletic career, he became known for his ability to communicate in multiple languages, having practically mastered the languages of over half the countries in the world.

“Hello! I’m sorry to come at such a bad time,” the leader’s secretary said, arriving not alone but with an unfamiliar male colleague, his assistant.

“Welcome, welcome!” Ning Shu greeted them.

She was with the children, helping them with their homework.

Even if her skills were lacking, she could still assist middle schoolers, especially since she herself graduated from a regular high school.

“Uncle!!!” Er Bao exclaimed, his eyes lighting up like lightbulbs upon seeing the leader’s secretary.

He gazed at him with awe, as if the secretary were a rare treasure.

The leader’s secretary found this reaction amusing yet a bit overwhelming; he understood the clear admiration in those bright eyes. “This is my assistant, Comrade Cai,” he introduced his colleague before diving into the main topic. “We are here today primarily to discuss the rewards for Lin Hairui.”

“Please, have a seat,” Ning Shu invited them. “Yi Bao, go prepare some iced green tea for our guests.”

Er Bao, being the focus of today’s visit, was also involved in hosting.

“Alright!” Yi Bao hurried off, his mind racing with anticipation. Did Er Bao’s reward include a car?

The leader’s secretary had fond memories of the iced green tea from his last visit, especially since it was summer, and it was incredibly refreshing.

Once seated, the leader’s secretary and his assistant enjoyed the iced green tea before discussing the rewards.

“Comrade Ning…” Naturally, the rewards needed to be discussed with the adults. “Regarding the rewards for athletes, the state has established internal policies. Since this pertains to athletes, the details will only be shared among them. Here’s how it works: every athlete participating in each competition, regardless of whether they win a medal, will receive a reward.

Then, the rewards will differ based on the number of bronze, silver, and gold medals earned…

For the gold medals, if an athlete earns six gold medals, they will be rewarded with a car.”

At this point, the leader’s secretary paused, glancing at Er Bao.

As he had expected, disappointment was evident on Er Bao’s face; the boy looked utterly stunned, prompting the leader’s secretary to stifle a laugh.

Er Bao thought to himself, feeling a pang of sadness as he realized the car was out of reach.

But at least now he had a clear goal: he had already won two gold medals, so he just needed to win four more.

He figured Da Mao and Tie Dan could wait a bit longer for him.

Ning Shu hadn’t anticipated this outcome but found it understandable; after all, cars were quite a luxury in this era. “Well, let’s just wait a bit. I believe our Er Bao can do it.”

“Yeah,” Er Bao nodded emphatically, his confidence restored.

The leader’s secretary continued, “Don’t be anxious; there’s more to share. There’s also a stipulation regarding those who have already won gold medals.

Athletes can claim their rewards as long as they make up the remaining gold medals in their subsequent athletic careers.

If they reach a certain age and are no longer suited for competition, they must pay a fee if they haven’t yet achieved six gold medals.

The fee will be calculated by dividing the value of the car by the six gold medals, and then multiplying the result by the number of gold medals they still need to earn.”

“Huh?” Er Bao was taken aback.

Er Bao was confused and didn’t quite understand.

But Ning Shu understood. “So, our family Er Bao now has two gold medals. We can have the car first, and Er Bao can earn the remaining four gold medals later. If he can’t earn them, we can pay the remaining amount for the car ourselves.”

Ning Shu said this partly for the benefit of the three brothers, fearing they might not understand.

“Correct, Comrade Ning understands very well. Also, this car is new, not old or broken. We’ve set the factory value of the car at 24,000 yuan, which means each gold medal is worth 4,000 yuan. It’s quite a coincidence that the country just started mass-producing Dongfeng cars this year, and you are lucky enough to get one of these vehicles,” the secretary to the leader remarked, seeing the irony in the situation.

If it had been last year, this reward car plan probably wouldn’t have succeeded, as the country had not yet begun mass-producing cars at that time.

Ning Shu was part of the car-owning class in the future; although she had bought a relatively inexpensive car worth over 100,000 yuan, she had some knowledge about cars.

She had heard of Dongfeng cars before.

She never expected to encounter them in this era.

“That really is a coincidence,” Ning Shu was a bit surprised.

It turned out the country began mass-producing cars in 1978, and private cars started becoming common around 1980.

“Indeed… Of course, gold medals can be exchanged for cars or money; this is a reward given by the state. According to what has been stated, each gold medal corresponds to a reward of 4,000 yuan, so you can decide whether you want the money or the car,” the secretary continued.

A gold medal worth 4,000 yuan was quite valuable in this era.

Think about it; a soldier like Lin Guodong, if he were an ordinary soldier, might not even receive 4,000 yuan upon retirement.

Thus, throughout history, having skills always makes a difference.

“No problem, we want the car,” Ning Shu said.

As soon as Ning Shu spoke, the three brothers immediately smiled; they were going to have a car.

“Can you drive?” the secretary asked. “Now that mass-produced cars have already been shipped to the capital, the leader has approved it, and we can reward you with one.

In fact, if every athlete receiving a gold medal were to get a car, but if this batch of cars could not be rewarded to you, everyone would prefer money instead of cars, with some wanting jobs. You’re the only family getting special treatment.”
His words were humorous.

“My mom can drive,” Er Bao hurriedly said. “Can we go drive today?”

In this era, there were no vehicle management offices; as long as there was a leader’s approval, getting a license plate was relatively easy.

However, if you went alone without anyone to guide you, it wouldn’t be that convenient.

“Then we’ll trouble Comrade Cai,” Ning Shu said happily.

On such a hot day, she didn’t want to go out, so having someone come to handle everything and deliver it was great.

Moreover, the cars of that time didn’t have air conditioning, making it hotter inside than outside.

Next, the assistant mentioned some necessary documents and agreements, and Ning Shu cooperated with him to complete everything.

After she finished, the secretary and the assistant left.

Before they left, Er Bao excitedly went to give them two popsicles.

Er Bao thought the popsicles he had given them a few days ago had worked; the car had arrived today.

After the secretary and assistant left, the three brothers lost interest in studying or doing homework.

Not just them, even Ning Shu didn’t have the heart for it, so she didn’t force them.

“Mom, when will that uncle bring the car over?” the usually steady Yi Bao asked eagerly, knowing they had just left.

“I don’t know,” Ning Shu replied. “It will probably be in the afternoon; handling the paperwork isn’t that quick.” She truly didn’t know.

“Mom, when the car arrives, can you drive me to sports school? We can take Da Mao and Tie Dan with us, right?” Er Bao asked, his eyes full of expectation.

Ning Shu: “…It’s possible, but if I drive, with you three brothers plus Da Mao and Tie Dan, I suspect the car will be cramped.”

A cramped car would be sweltering.

Who knows when air-conditioned cars will be invented?

Er Bao didn’t hear the latter part, only that his mother agreed, and he jumped up happily, “Oh, I can ride in a car to school! Mom, when I have a break, can you come pick me up with the car?” They had a two-week break once.

Ning Shu: “…Alright, when Yi Bao and San Bao start school in September, I’ll also take you to school, and Da Mao and Tie Dan can come too.”

“Okay.”

Yi Bao and San Bao smiled too, thinking the same.

Ning Shu laughed along.

These three children seemed eager to show off.

It was likely that when the car arrived, they would stir up quite a fuss in the courtyard.

In fact, that was exactly what happened.

The assistant returned by car at noon, and when the car drove directly to the Lin family’s yard, the three brothers shouted, “Mom, the car is here… Mom…”

Ning Shu was cooking and, upon hearing their shouts, immediately rushed out to see, forgetting about the cooking.

The assistant had already driven the car into the yard; the small house had double doors that opened wide enough for the car to come in.

The assistant, who frequently drove at work, was quite skilled.

He parked the car and approached Ning Shu, who was watching closely, saying, “Comrade Ning, this new batch of cars is a bit different from the previous ones; they have added some features. Let me introduce them to you.”

Ning Shu naturally wouldn’t refuse: “Thank you, Comrade Cai.”

The cars from this era and those from the future differed in functionality; she had become familiar with them when getting her driver’s license, but this new batch of cars had added features, and she was curious about what they were.

“First, Comrade Ning, look here; this is the air conditioning controller. This new batch of cars has added air conditioning functionality,” the assistant enthusiastically explained.

What?

Ning Shu was stunned!