Chapter 8: The Excellent Younger Sister-in-Law (8)

The inspection team not far away, along with the farm leadership, were also dumbfounded.

After a while, the leader of the inspection team sighed with delight:

"Women can be just as capable as men! Which school is this female student from? How long has she been learning to drive a tractor?"

The farm leader immediately replied:

"Today's visitors are from County No. 6 Middle School. Each period's teaching tasks are different..."

Driving a tractor was added temporarily to balance the workload; students were never allowed to do this before.

So, he had no idea how long Xu Yin had been learning.

But if he told the truth, all the preparatory work would have been in vain. He needed to make it sound better:

"This is also to ensure balance. If students always do the same work... ahem, always learn the same tasks, they might have complaints. Labor education is primarily about education, with labor as a supplement. The true essence of education is comprehensive learning in labor..."

The leader from the provincial government nodded in agreement:

"Reasonable! Xiao Wang, take note. When we have the meeting, tell everyone. Labor classes are not just about labor; they are mainly about strengthening education, allowing students to experience different types of work. This will help them better adapt when they enter society after graduation."

He paused, then said in disbelief:

"Does this mean this female student just started learning to drive a tractor today?"

"It's not necessarily so," his secretary whispered, "Nowadays, it's not hard for villages to have tractors. She might have had some experience during the busy farming season."

Who would believe that she learned to drive so well on her first try?

But even if she had some experience, driving so fast and plowing so deep is a matter of skill.

Even the experienced tractor drivers at the farm couldn't match this level.

They were so dizzy they felt like vomiting.

Xu Yin only felt a surge of joy when the simulation interface finally showed an "S" rating after finishing the last row of plowing.

"Master, how do you think I did?"

She turned to the old driver with a smile.

Since the system gave her an S rating, the old driver would surely praise her, right?

The old driver: "..."

He was too dizzy to speak.

Xu Yin: "..."

However, the inspection team and the farm leadership came over to praise her.

Finally, someone suggested, and the farm leader waved his hand, awarding her a certificate of honor as the "First Tractor Driver in the School-Farm Cooperation."

The prize included a porcelain basin, a towel, and a piece of pork.

Indeed, because of the inspection team, the farm had prepared a lot of vegetables and meat.

To reward the students who performed outstandingly and completed their labor tasks excellently, they offered both spiritual and material rewards.

Just like how schools select model students and outstanding cadres each semester, the farm also held an end-of-term commendation meeting.

Xu Yin was even asked to pose for a photo with the inspection team.

The secretary even whispered to her, "The leader said that if there are any tractor plowing competitions in the future, they will send you an invitation. With these competitions as a foundation, it will be much easier to be selected as a model worker or a Red Flag Bearer when you enter society."

Xu Yin: "..."

No need for that!

But bringing the prizes home still felt great.

"Father, Mother, I'm back!"

"Perfect timing for dinner. Why are you so late this time?"

Xu's mother saw the large bundles hanging on both sides of the bicycle and the schoolbag on her back, thinking they were fabrics for custom-made clothes, and hurried over to help.

"This week's labor class was at the farm. It ended a bit late, and I had to go back to school to get my schoolbag, so it took longer. Look what I have here?"

She opened one of the large bundles, revealing a brand new porcelain basin.

"Wow!" Xu's mother gasped, "Where did you get the money for this? You didn't take the deposit from your classmates, did you? We already have basins at home. Why spend this money?"

She made a gesture as if to hit her.

"It's not that!" Xu Yin said proudly, "This is a prize for my excellent labor performance. I also got a towel and some pork!"

She then took out a piece of pork from the other bundle.

She didn't want to put the pork in the bundle, but she was worried about people seeing it along the way.

After all, a whole piece of pork is usually only bought during holidays.

Even a half-pound of pork is considered a luxury. A large piece of pork hanging on the bicycle would be too conspicuous, so she had to put it in the bundle.

"Pork, pork?"

Seeing the five-pound piece of pork, Xu's mother was dazed, "Is this really a prize? You didn't take the deposit?"

"I wouldn't lie to you! It's really a prize. Look, I even have a certificate!"

Seeing the certificate, Xu's mother couldn't help but smile:

"Oh, old man! Our daughter won a prize! A big one! The prizes are so generous: a basin, a towel, and pork... Where are you, old man? Are you hiding in the toilet smoking again?!"

Xu's mother hid the basin and towel in the bedroom cabinet:

"I'll save these for your dowry."

Xu Yin: "..."

Thankfully, the pork can't be stored for long.

"Since it's late, I'll cook braised pork for you tomorrow," Xu's mother said happily.

Since the reform and opening up, some regions that developed quickly had canceled meat and cloth ration tickets.

But in Mingyang County, although the agricultural market had been relaxed, allowing farmers to sell chickens, ducks, geese, eggs, vegetables, and other goods, pork was still in short supply, so meat tickets were still in use.

Urban residents received a fixed amount of meat tickets each month, even if it was only half a pound or so, it was still fresh pork. In the countryside, it wasn't as good.

Fortunately, in recent years, raising pigs was no longer limited to village collectives; households could also raise them, but they had to submit one pig at the end of the year.

Families with surplus labor would raise several pigs, but they could only slaughter them after completing their quota at the end of the year.

The Xu family had also considered raising two pigs, one for the quota and one for their own consumption.

Although their labor force wasn't abundant, they had a daughter-in-law who could be used without hesitation.

But raising pigs is different from raising chickens and ducks; pigpens require a lot of space.

The Xu family had two courtyards. After building two side rooms in the front courtyard, it became half the size. There was also a well for drinking water. Building a pigpen would leave no yard.

The back courtyard had a shed and a toilet on one side, and seasonal vegetables on the other. Behind that was their reserved land.

Building a pigpen would destroy the vegetable garden, which was a bit too much to bear.

Moreover, the original Xu Yin strongly opposed raising pigs, thinking it was too smelly.

Even if she didn't have to cut grass, cook pig feed, or clean the pigpen, she felt it was embarrassing and feared her city classmates would mock her.

Thus, the Xu family didn't raise pigs and had to buy pork at the end of the year.

Since they had a son who earned a salary, they were financially better off than other families.

Regardless, life was much better than a few years ago. They could buy half a pig for the New Year, enjoy a few hearty meals, and preserve the rest with smoke and salt, which could last until the next summer harvest.

Especially with a frugal mother like Xu's, the pork could last until autumn.

(End of Chapter)