Holding the phone, An Ning asked, "Really?"

"Yes, really! I’ve already finished the application. It can be delivered as early as tomorrow."

"Thank you, Director Jin. If you need anything else, feel free to call me again."

"Yes, yes, of course, of course."

On the other end of the line, Director Jin stammered out several "yeses." His main goal, after all, was to build a good relationship with An Ning.

After An Ning left last time, he had taken the blueprints for the new model of bulldozer and the improved production equipment and rushed to the city overnight.

His superiors at the regional machinery bureau had unanimously studied the blueprints and recognized An Ning’s importance.

An Ning hung up the phone, a visible hint of joy on her face.

She left the brigade office and headed to the fields to find Sun Dazhuang.

"Brigade Leader, I have something to tell you."

"What is it?"

Sun Dazhuang wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked eagerly, "What’s happened? Have you invented something new again?"

"No, but is there something you need, Brigade Leader? I could look into it."

"No, no, I was just asking."

Sun Dazhuang waved his hands dismissively, waiting for An Ning to continue.

"A tractor is being delivered tomorrow for our village."

"Brigade Leader?"

An Ning called out, but Sun Dazhuang didn’t react. She reached out and gave him a light push.

"Brigade Leader?"

"I’m here, I’m here! An Ning, what did you just say?"

"A tractor. For our village."

Still in disbelief, Sun Dazhuang repeated, "A tractor... for our village?"

"That’s right. The county machinery factory is sending it."

"And they’re sending it for free?"

Sun Dazhuang felt like he was dreaming. A machinery factory was giving them a tractor for free.

Sun Dazhuang finally composed himself a little. He pulled An Ning down to a squat to get the full story.

"So, you’re saying you did them a huge favor, and in return, they’re giving our village a tractor."

"Correct."

An Ning nodded affirmatively, then stood up. "I’m going back to work."

Still squatting, Sun Dazhuang desperately wanted to reach out and stop her. ’Work? Who can think about work right now!’

He couldn’t fathom what kind of massive favor would prompt someone to give away an entire tractor.

In his eyes, this was the kind of favor you get for saving eighteen generations of someone’s ancestors!

"Incredible, just incredible."

Sun Dazhuang squatted there for a long while before he finally processed the news.

He went to find the village accountant, the head of the women’s committee, and the elementary school principal.

The group gathered together, and after a collective gasp of astonishment, they began to whisper among themselves.

No one knew what they were discussing.

Throughout the day, An Ning continued her work steadily. She also saw Jiang Xia, who had come to work in the fields.

Jiang Xia had brought Da Huang with him. The dog immediately picked up An Ning’s scent and bounded over, fawning all over her.

"You’re so happy your master is back."

Da Huang barked twice as if in disagreement. Jiang Xia, who had followed him over, snorted to himself. ’This mutt doesn’t miss me at all!’

"Go on, I need to get back to work."

An Ning was eager to restore her spiritual power, so she shooed Da Huang away and resumed her work.

Not far from her, Jiang Xia glanced at An Ning’s back before lowering his head again.

The day passed quickly. An Ning worked calmly all day before going home to tutor An Guoping.

When work ended, she ran into Yin Xuemei, who said she would start coming over tomorrow.

"Okay. I’ll be around."

An Ning returned to the An family home, ate, and went to sleep. Everything was as normal.

But Sun Dazhuang, Accountant Liu, and the others had a sleepless night, too agitated to even eat properly.

Early the next morning, the group got up and went to the village entrance on the pretext of taking a stroll, their eyes fixed on the small dirt road.

"Brigade Leader, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking... this road of ours could use some repairs, don’t you think?"

Standing beside Sun Dazhuang, Accountant Liu nodded in agreement. "It sure does. Our village has produced an incredible person. We’re probably going to have a lot more visitors from now on."

"Right, right, that makes sense. Work in the fields isn’t too busy right now, so let’s fix the road."

Sun Dazhuang made the decision on the spot, and Accountant Liu supported it one hundred percent.

Fix it!

The two of them waited for a while, but nothing came. They figured it was too early; they were just too anxious.

They went home, ate, and headed to the fields, taking the opportunity to organize a team for the road repairs.

At the An family home, Yin Xuemei arrived punctually at five in the morning. She politely greeted the An family and even brought a bag of brown sugar.

She had made a special trip to town yesterday to buy it, which was why she hadn’t come over then.

"Oh, there’s no need to be so formal. You help An Ning so much. Take this back and have it yourself."

Lin Cuihua naturally didn’t want to accept it, but Yin Xuemei hid her hands behind her back.

"Auntie, please take it. Otherwise, I’ll feel too embarrassed to come and ask An Ning for help."

In the end, Lin Cuihua had to accept it.

When Yin Xuemei sat down for An Ning’s lesson, she had a little trouble keeping up at first. To accommodate her, An Ning spent extra time explaining many of the concepts to her individually.

After the lesson, An Ning gave Yin Xuemei a notebook of practice problems.

"Take this home and work on them. It’s okay if you don’t know how to do them, and it’s okay if you get them wrong. I’ll explain everything to you."

"Did you write these yourself?"

Yin Xuemei flipped through the pages, looking at An Ning with a face full of admiration. "An Ning, you’re incredible!"

"Are you really not going to take the college entrance exam?"

Yin Xuemei felt it was a tremendous waste for someone like An Ning not to go to college.

"It’s not set in stone. We’ll see when the time comes."

An Ning didn’t give a firm no, and Yin Xuemei didn’t press the issue. Their relationship hadn’t reached that level of intimacy yet.

Yin Xuemei gathered her things to leave, but Lin Cuihua invited her to stay for a meal.

"Auntie, I have a meal waiting for me at the Educated Youth settlement. It’ll go to waste if I don’t eat it."

Yin Xuemei and the others pooled their food, so it really would be a waste if she didn’t eat her share. Lin Cuihua didn’t insist.

After Yin Xuemei left, the An family began their meal.

After eating, An Ning went back to her work in the fields, while An Guoqing joined the road repair team, heading up the mountain to quarry and break stones.

Just before noon, someone came running back from the village entrance. It was the lookout Sun Dazhuang had specially posted.

"Brigade Leader, Brigade Leader, the tractor is here!"

Sun Dazhuang and Accountant Liu reacted the fastest. They dropped their tools and sprinted toward the village entrance.

Before they even reached it, they saw a brand-new tractor parked in front of the brigade office. A large crowd had gathered around it, staring eagerly, though no one dared to touch it.

’What if we touch it and break it!’

A man was sitting on the tractor, and another man in a button-up shirt stood beside it.

Sun Dazhuang stepped forward to speak, and the man in the shirt shook his hand.

"Hello, I am the secretary for Director Jin of the machinery factory. My surname is Cheng. I’m here to deliver a tractor to Shili Gou to thank Comrade An Ning for her assistance to our factory."

"By any chance, do you know where Comrade An Ning is?"

"An Ning?" Sun Dazhuang turned and shouted, "Quick, go get An Ning!"

"I’ll go!"

Someone immediately took off at a run to find An Ning.

When An Ning arrived, Director Jin’s secretary enthusiastically came forward, his posture deferential.

"An Ning, hello. I’ve delivered the tractor. Director Jin also asked if your cousin would like to come with me to the machinery factory to report for duty today."