WBSGVS Chapter 119

Later, Qingli heard from Tang Sisi, who came by to deliver herbs, that Tang Tiansong had said his punch was incredibly satisfying. All the pent-up frustration he had been holding onto recently was gone in an instant.

Since then, whenever Tang Tiantian saw him, she would take a detour, not daring to engage with him anymore.

Qingli was quite pleased but still didn’t let Tang Sisi tell the other two about Tang Tiantian’s behavior.

After all, Tang Dasong wasn’t as soft-hearted or measured as Tang Sisi. Considering how Tang Dasong had already treated Tang Tiantian despite receiving benefits, it was clear that if he found out, it might indirectly lead to something far worse.

Qingli stayed out of their business, focusing solely on earning money and studying hard so she could finish high school before classes resumed.

With her memories spanning multiple lifetimes, studying the material from this era was almost effortless for her.

Because of this, she completed middle school in just two years and entered high school at the age of fourteen.

By then, the political climate was becoming tense, and Qingli’s dealings with Tang Sisi had slowed down significantly. Both of them had earned enough—Tang Sisi’s life had improved. It wasn’t luxurious, but at least he wasn’t starving anymore, and that was enough.

This gave Qingli more free time during high school.

She didn’t waste the extra time. She pored over all kinds of reference books from this era that she had salvaged while collecting scrap. Meanwhile, her mother, Li Lanhua, worked hard daily. Seeing how tired she was, Qingli wanted to help ease her burden a little.

One day, while taking a break from her studies to rest her eyes, Qingli saw her mother, who had planned to go to town to buy some things, returning home empty-handed. Surprised, she asked, “Mom, why didn’t you go?”

Li Lanhua chuckled. “I was planning to ride the commune’s tractor, but as soon as I got on, the tractor wouldn’t start. It just stalled there. The commune leader’s face turned black with frustration, and Shui Gen, who was driving, went pale and didn’t dare say a word.”

Sticking to the principle of keeping a low profile, Qingli and Li Lanhua had mutually agreed not to buy a bicycle. As a widow and her daughter, it was better to appear poor. Whenever they needed a bike, they would borrow one.

But there were only one or two families in the village with a bicycle, and demand for it was high. Borrowing one wasn’t always successful. Just yesterday, they hadn’t been able to borrow one and had planned to hitch a ride instead.

Who would’ve thought their luck would be so bad?

Qingli frowned in disappointment. “Really? Can it be fixed?”

Walking to town would take a long time, and Qingli didn’t want Li Lanhua to exert herself too much. However, she hadn’t had meat in days, and the thought made her stomach rumble.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any mountains near Li Family Village. Otherwise, she could have snuck out to hunt some game.

Li Lanhua shook her head. “How could it be? Shui Gen doesn’t know how to fix it. If it’s broken, we’ll have to call a technician from the county, and that’ll cost a pretty penny! The commune leader is frantic. If the tractor had broken down in town, it might’ve been easier to find someone to fix it.”

Qingli hadn’t expected this. The commune’s tractor had only been purchased last year, and while she’d heard it had broken down a few times, it had always happened while transporting goods in town. This was the first time it had broken down so inconveniently.

She blinked and stood up. “Mom, how about I go take a look?”

“You want me to come with you?” Li Lanhua asked.

It wasn’t a busy farming season, so everyone worked three days and rested for one. Today happened to be Li Lanhua’s day off.

“Sure,” Qingli said with a smile, nodding. The two headed out together.

Qingli rarely left the house and was the only high school student in the village—boy or girl. No one else in Li Family Village had made it to high school yet, considering the exam requirements.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were greeted by teasing remarks. “Hey, look, the college student is coming out!”

Having watched her daughter’s academic progress over the years, Li Lanhua was confident Qingli would get into college someday. She grinned from ear to ear and replied, “She hasn’t been accepted yet.”

Qingli laughed awkwardly beside her, feeling a little guilty. If Li Lanhua knew she wouldn’t make it to college in the coming years, would she be heartbroken?

The mother and daughter strolled over to the commune, where a crowd had already gathered to watch the commotion.

A group of villagers from nearby villages stood around the broken tractor. The commune leader was inspecting the engine, but since he didn’t even know how to drive, he stared at it blankly, clearly clueless. Looking at the immobile tractor, his frustration was written all over his face.

If the tractor needed repairs, it would cut the commune’s budget for farming tools in half. But if they left it broken, everyone would have to use carts to haul goods to town.

So what should they do?

Just then, a young girl’s voice piped up. “Commune Leader, the tractor’s engine looks fine. Why don’t you try starting it up again and see what’s wrong?”

The commune leader looked over in surprise, spotting a young girl with a fresh face. “What are you doing here, kid?” he asked, puzzled.

A middle-aged man nearby chuckled. “Leader, she’s Li Family Village’s only high schooler. A little genius who skipped grades to get into high school. Maybe she knows a thing or two. Why don’t you give it a shot?”

The commune leader was skeptical. What could a little girl possibly know?

Still, hearing that she had asked her teacher about tractors piqued his interest. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned to Shui Gen, the driver. “Give it a try.”

Shui Gen, a young man in his twenties who had been sent to learn driving specifically for the commune, immediately got to work. He cranked the handle several times, and the tractor roared to life with a “vroom-vroom.”

Everyone’s faces lit up with hope, only for the engine to sputter and die again. The commune leader’s expression darkened once more.

“That’s enough, that’s enough!” Qingli quickly said, nodding.

Shui Gen obediently let go of the handle and asked curiously, “Do you know how to fix it?”

Even the commune leader couldn’t help but look at her with a glimmer of expectation.

Qingli examined the machine and said, “It seems like the piston ring is deformed and worn out, so it’s not holding enough pressure. Captain, can I take it apart and check?”

The captain raised an eyebrow. “You think you can do it?”

Qingli smiled confidently. “If it doesn’t work, I’ll ask my teacher at school. Delaying a couple of days shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Alright,” the captain agreed, his skepticism giving way to curiosity. After all, even if they had to call a repairman, it would take several days for someone to show up. City mechanics were notoriously reluctant to come to rural areas.

With the captain’s approval, Qingli quickly gathered the tools she needed, climbed onto the tractor, and began working.

Watching from the sidelines, Li Lanhua, Qingli’s mother, sighed and rubbed her forehead. Her daughter’s clean clothes were now covered in grime, but she knew she couldn’t stop the girl.

The captain observed Qingli’s efficient and decisive movements and was pleasantly surprised. He chuckled, “Lanhua, your daughter’s got some skill!”

Li Lanhua laughed proudly. “Oh, she’s alright. She just likes reading and experimenting with things. Lately, she’s even been trying to design new farming tools to make work easier.”

“What a clever kid!” the captain remarked, though he didn’t take the comment about farming tools too seriously.

Meanwhile, Qingli had removed a circular part from the engine, brought it over to a rock, and began hammering it into shape. Her serious expression and precise movements drew attention from the crowd.

One of the bystanders, a middle-aged man, approached and marveled, “Little girl, do you know what you’re doing?”

Qingli didn’t hear him over the clanging of her tools, fully focused on reshaping the piston ring to match the exact measurements she had in mind.

The problem wasn’t too complicated, but in this era, tractors were a luxury item for the farming collective. Nobody dared tamper with them due to a lack of familiarity with mechanical equipment. However, Qingli, who had dealt with machinery in a previous life, handled it with ease.

After she reinstalled the part, she turned to Shuigen, the young man responsible for driving the tractor, and said, “Uncle, give it another try.”

“Alright!” Shuigen eagerly complied, cranking the engine handle a few times. The engine sputtered to life with a loud “vroom, vroom,” before steadying into a smooth rhythm.

The captain, mid-conversation with someone else, abruptly stopped and turned his head, his eyes lighting up.

Li Lanhua, nervous about her daughter’s success, watched anxiously. If the repair failed, it would be embarrassing for Qingli, and the girl might be discouraged.

But as the engine settled into a stable “vroom-vroom” hum, a puff of black smoke billowed from the exhaust.

Shuigen exclaimed in excitement, “Captain! It’s fixed!”

The captain, already climbing onto the tractor, shouted, “Let’s test it!”

Shuigen drove the tractor several meters, leaving a trail of exhaust. The villagers watching couldn’t tear their eyes away, marveling at the unexpected success.

The middle-aged man who had teased Qingli earlier clapped his hands. “See? I told you this girl was special—she’s a high school student, after all!”

“Oh, give it a rest. You had nothing to do with it,” someone else teased.

The captain, now thoroughly impressed, laughed heartily. “Well, well! Looks like we have our very own tractor mechanic. Lanhua, what’s your daughter’s name?”

Li Lanhua beamed. “Li Qingli!”

“Good name,” the captain said approvingly. “Alright, Qingli, we believe in rewarding hard work. Since you fixed the tractor, you’ve earned yourself a prize. By the way, weren’t you and your mom heading to town? Hop on the tractor, and we’ll give you a ride.”

Still processing everything, Li Lanhua felt Qingli nudge her. “Mom, you still need to buy those things, right? Let’s go.”

“Oh, right!” Li Lanhua snapped out of her daze and climbed aboard, grinning from ear to ear.

On the ride to town, the passengers couldn’t stop praising Qingli.

“Is this your daughter? She’s amazing!”

“How did she even get into high school? My son treats studying like it’s a punishment!”

“You’re so lucky to have such a smart girl.”

Someone from the same village chimed in, “Smart? That’s an understatement! She skipped several grades to get where she is. Truly exceptional.”

Li Lanhua, basking in the compliments, modestly waved them off. “Oh, she’s not that special. She just loves studying. Sometimes I worry she’s overdoing it and might lose touch with reality.”

The other villagers groaned internally. What kind of parent worries about their child studying too much?

Back at the collective, the captain handed Qingli a vintage enamel tea mug as a reward. “Here, take this. Keep studying hard and make sure our tractors never need an outside mechanic again!”

Qingli, holding the mug, forced a polite smile. “Thank you, Captain. I’ve also been reading up on farming tools. If anything breaks, feel free to ask me for help.”

Surprised, the captain raised an eyebrow. “Oh? There’s an old water wheel that’s been out of commission for a while. The guy who was supposed to fix it broke his leg, so it’s just been sitting there.”

Qingli’s eyes sparkled. “Where is it? Let me take a look!”

“You’re serious?” the captain asked, half-laughing.

“Of course!” Qingli replied earnestly. “It won’t hurt to check. What if I can fix it?”

The captain chuckled and nodded. “Alright, let’s see what you can do.”