Chapter 76

Yang Yuanzhao understood Wu Guangren's meaning and said, "The machines can be assembled, probably around 10 or so, but the drivers..."

For a long time, drivers were a scarce resource. Although driving a motor vehicle was easy, it was not easy to train them in the context of the high illiteracy rate in old China. Yang Yue could learn at a glance because he already knew how to drive and had operated similar agricultural machinery, so after a few looks, he learned!

Wu Guangren was stunned for a moment, looking at the large tractor, unable to say a word.

"Uncle Wu, don't worry. Now both Yuanzhao and I can do it. Find a few quick-witted people, preferably those who can read, and we'll teach them. It's not like embroidery; it's just plowing, so it should be easy!"

Yang Yue's confidence didn't bother Yang Yuanzhao, who smiled and said, "Then let Brother Jitang teach first. I'll go and assemble a few more!"

Although the tractor was pieced together by Yang Yuanzhao, it was much more robust than the cars of this era. The transmission and engine were unlikely to have issues. Being an agricultural machine, it was used in open fields with no complex environment, making it the best place for practice. He specifically instructed Yang Yue to be careful and to report any problems immediately.

Next to the farmland, there was a small courtyard surrounded by brick walls, about two or three acres in size. This was Yang Yuanzhao's assembly workshop. Various parts were placed in empty boxes and moved here. These boxes were sent by Habi from Shanghai, conveniently used to conceal the operation.

After hundreds of adjustments, the tractor was basically mature. Yang Yuanzhao's adjustments this morning had proven that it wouldn't have many issues. Next, it would need time to slowly discover any potential problems, but it was sufficient for plowing.

Taking out parts from a box, Yang Yuanzhao began the assembly work. Currently, only he could assemble the tractors. Conservatively, he could assemble one in about 4 hours, with a maximum of 2 per day. It wasn't a matter of time but of fatigue. Even with the modern tools he brought, they could only save him some effort. There was no automated assembly line, let alone the powerful industrial robots of the future. It was mostly manual labor.

A commotion came from outside the door. Liu Shu brought a few young men to the entrance and said, "Yuanzhao, I've brought some helpers for you!"

Helpers? Yang Yuanzhao's gaze fell on the burly men. Each of them looked strong, with some burn marks on their arms. He immediately understood; these were blacksmiths.

Baotou was an ordinary city in old China with no industry, let alone assembly workers, but it had blacksmith shops. Clearly, these were blacksmiths.

After some thought, Yang Yuanzhao decided to keep the blacksmiths. They could help with moving things around, which he had overlooked. No matter how strong he was, he couldn't do the work of several people alone.

With the blacksmiths' help, the assembly speed increased significantly. The time to assemble one tractor was reduced from 4 hours to about 2.5 hours. Yang Yuanzhao felt that as they became more familiar with the work, the efficiency would improve even more. He was now freed from the heavy physical labor, focusing only on the core components like the engine and transmission, while the blacksmiths handled the rest.

The day passed quickly. By the next morning, 5 tractors were lined up in the courtyard.

When the new tractors were driven to the training field, Yang Yuanzhao saw a large crowd.

The enthusiasm of the Baotou people for tractors surprised Yang Yuanzhao. Although many didn't understand what tractors were, there were plenty of people eager to learn. Even those who couldn't read gathered around to watch the teaching.

In just one day, Yang Yue had given a brief introduction and had three or four quick learners follow him. By the afternoon, three people could勉强 drive, albeit a bit awkwardly, but they were gradually practicing. As an agricultural machine, the tractor was designed to be simple: a steering wheel, an accelerator, a clutch, and a brake, with no additional functions. Even the plow attachment was as simple as a button, making it incredibly user-friendly.

Yang Yue was very satisfied with the students' progress. The only downside was the lack of tractors, with only three available for rotation.

Yang Yuanzhao arrived with more tractors, looking very pleased. He greeted Yang Yue, "Yuanzhao, how many did you assemble yesterday? I met Zelun, and he said he brought you a lot of helpers?"

Yang Yuanzhao nodded and said, "Yes, with Brother Zelun's help, the assembly speed greatly increased. I assembled 5 yesterday!"

"5?" Yang Yue's eyes lit up. With 5 more, plus the one here, that made 6 tractors. The three most skilled could drive all day, significantly improving efficiency. In a couple of days, they could start plowing. Training 10 more drivers in a week should be no problem.

A few young men who hadn't touched the tractors cheered at the sight of the new ones. Yang Yue assigned the two most skilled to drive the two new tractors. For safety, they were placed on opposite sides of the field, and he warned them to be careful to avoid collisions. Then he followed Yang Yuanzhao to continue driving the tractors.

Six brand-new tractors stood in front of the farmland. The land, which had been plowed countless times, was now perfectly flat. The large plows, gleaming with sharp edges, were ready. The rumbling of the engines and the black smoke demonstrated the power of the machines, marking the beginning of mechanized farming in China.

Yang Yuanzhao was familiar with the development and production of tractors. By early May, when the wheat was ripe, there were 21 qualified tractor drivers. Training continued, and in Yang Yuanzhao's view, tractors had great potential in China, especially in Baotou, with its flat terrain and mostly barren land, which was suitable for tractor production. The 21,000 acres of farmland were divided into two large sections.

In fact, Yang Yue and his students had already analyzed the land, dividing it into 10 sections based on the tractor's efficiency and each person's habits. The 21 tractor drivers would work in two shifts, day and night. Although night work was generally impossible, the strong lights on the tractors and the battery-powered lights around the fields provided enough illumination to make the entire area as bright as day.

When the golden wheat waves swayed in the wind, the harvest season finally arrived. The 10 tractors were ready, but instead of plows, they now had forward-angled harvesting drums. About 10 farmers followed the tractors, collecting the wheat. Since a combined harvester couldn't be designed quickly, Yang Yuanzhao separated the harvesting and threshing processes. The tractors' drums could easily cut the wheat from the bottom, while manual threshing machines, though not powered, were much more efficient than hand threshing.

The two landowners stood behind Yang Yue and Yang Yuanzhao. They had seen the tractors' plowing efficiency but hadn't expected them to be used for harvesting. Although Yang Yue had briefly explained the tractors' efficiency, they came to the field on the harvest day to witness it firsthand.

"Brother Jitang, are you ready?"

Yang Yue nodded, waved his hand, and several red flags dropped. The 10 tractors, each in a different direction, began harvesting the 21,000 acres of wheat. The mechanical rumbling echoed for the first time on the Baotou plains.