Chapter 71

Chapter 71

In her past life, Shen Banyue was a liberal arts student with only average foundations in science and math. After awakening her metal ability in her last life, she had professors at the base tutor her thoroughly in math and physics, and incidentally picked up some basic knowledge about weapons. Strictly speaking, she might've found it easier to fix an armored vehicle than a tractor, simply because the tractor's tech was just too "ancient."

However, thanks to bits and pieces from her past life, she had no trouble studying the tractor materials. In fact, they'd jog her memory of stuff she'd learned before, sparking new ideas.

Her ideas were usually way ahead of her time for folks in this era, but luckily, she encountered someone like Nie Yuanbai, who had a sharp mind. At first, he'd think her ideas were wild and impractical, but after chewing on them, he'd realize that if you used 'em on tanks instead of tractors, they were actually quite promising.

Following this line of thought, he'd trim down the impractical stuff and turn 'em into clever little tweaks to improve tractor performance.

Lin Mian, even without Shen Banyue's cheat-like past-life memories and skills, was genuinely sharp. He was a fast learner and great at making connections, just barely keeping up with Shen Banyue.

Shen Wendong and Zhao Xuehai, both in middle school, had to go to classes at the commune school and could only study the materials in their spare time. They were scrambling like crazy to keep up with the two elementary school kids and felt totally overwhelmed.

Around this time, Shen Guoqiang and Shen Guoqing sent them more books and materials. The crew studied day and night, and by the time they'd kinda figured out each step, more than half a month had gone by.

Then they started drawing diagrams and taking the machine apart.

Lin Mian handled the drawings. He'd had some training in painting and music as a kid, but he didn't seem to have much artistic talent. He wasn't into music, and his painting was just neat and precise. But when it came to drawing parts, his measurements were spot-on.

Shen Banyue was the one mainly taking the machine apart. She was strong and had steady hands, like she was born to handle steel. When she got her hands on the tractor, it weirdly seemed all "tamed" and obedient.

The next day, commune members who'd wander by the cowshed noticed that the "big guy" inside the fence had lost its "head."

Earlier, when the tractor hadn't changed, some folks quietly worried the kids' attempt to fix it was a lost cause, afraid it'd just sit in the cowshed and turn into real scrap metal.

Now that the tractor was taken apart, the same folks started worrying the kids had recklessly taken it apart, might lose parts and never be able to put it back together.

Not happy just worrying themselves, they gossiped to other members and even went to the brigade office to bug the cadres. Shen Zhenxing, annoyed, shot back, "They bought that tractor with their own money. Whether they take it apart or not ain't your business."

Someone shot back, "How can a tractor belong to one person?"

Shen Zhenxing asked, "So, should the brigade buy it then?"

The complainers shut up.

The brigade's money belonged to everyone. Even though the brigade leader hadn't said how much the scrap tractor cost, it was heavy—even at scrap prices, it was a lot of money. If the brigade paid for it, they'd have to chip in a big chunk for a tractor that couldn't even move, and they weren't about to do that.

As expected, Shen Zhenxing waved a hand. "So, it's none of your damn business. If you're bored, finish up your private plots and plow the fields again. Or go pick through the willow grove for scrap."

The members: "..."

Pick junk? That willow grove was weird. When the kids went, they'd always find stuff to sell, but when others went, they might only dig up a few earthworms. Picking junk was worse than plowing... ah, forget plowing, the fields were almost done.

Of course, many still had faith in the kids.

For instance, the group of aunties and sisters-in-law who always gathered by the big camphor tree. Even if Shen Banyue and the others dismantled the tractor into pieces, they'd laugh and say, "Xiao Yue is so smart. It's only been a short while since they brought the tractor back, and she's already learned to take it apart. If she can take it apart, fixing it can't be far off. Soon, we might ride it to the commune."

Shen Banyue herself probably wasn't that confident.

"Bent frame, connecting rods, and drive shaft from long-term overload; severely worn key parts like the engine crankshaft bearings, valves and valve seats, and fuel pump gear splines from prolonged use; changes in stiffness of some parts; aging materials... these are the problems we can identify. But the key issue is the fuel engine—it won't start, and we don't know why," Lin Mian said, frowning.

"Let's check item by item. Start with the simple ones and tackle the hardest last," Shen Banyue said.

Nie Yuanbai and Lv Fang exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Shen Wendong quickly took notes with a pen, while Zhao Xuehai stared blankly with dark circles under his eyes. It wasn't that he wasn't trying, but his foundation was weak and his talent average. Even with intense effort, he couldn't keep up with Shen Banyue and the others; some things he simply couldn't understand.

"Our funds are limited. Handle what parts we can ourselves. If not, have the brigade leader take you to the county machinery factory. Some skilled old masters can handcraft parts. If that fails, we'll have to find a way to buy them," Nie Yuanbai said, closing his notebook full of notes.

The sixth meeting of their group ended. The four kids stood up from the ground, dusted off their pants, all disheveled with dark circles.

"Go home and rest today," Nie Yuanbai said with a smile.

The kids nodded and filed out of the cowshed.

Not far out, Zhao Xuehai suddenly said, "I, I want to..."

Shen Banyue glanced at him, cutting him off before he could finish. "You're not going to say you want to quit because you can't keep up, are you? This might be the only chance in your life to build a tractor yourself. Are you sure you want to give up?"

Zhao Xuehai was taken aback.

"Besides, you don't need to know everything. We're here," Shen Banyue yawned. "I'm dead tired and don't want to deal with a teenager's sensitive feelings. See you." Yawning, she hurried home, eager to collapse into her warm bed.

Her body wasn't the enhanced one from her past life after awakening her ability. After half a month of staying up late, she was dizzy with exhaustion.

Zhao Xuehai, left speechless: "..."

What the hell was that about a teenager's sensitive feelings!

The rare hint of melancholy in Zhao Xuehai's usually carefree heart was shattered by Shen Banyue's words, vanishing in an instant.

"Did I say anything about sensitive feelings? I didn't say anything! I was going to say I wanted to look at that book again—the one on using and maintaining walking tractors. I want to study it more." Zhao Xuehai puffed out his chest, his dark-circled eyes bright and determined, looking like he could pull three more all-nighters, refusing to admit his revolutionary will had ever wavered.

Shen Wendong waved weakly. "That book's at my place. Come with me to get it."

After that, the villagers noticed the four kids making frequent trips to the commune blacksmith shop.

The blacksmiths never imagined that their shop, which usually only made farm tools for members, would one day be working on tractor parts.

Earlier, when the new plow became a hit with all the brigades, they thought that was the shop's peak moment. But now, they were reaching even greater heights.

"Our furnace is a coal-fired one with a blower, reaching only about 1,000 degrees Celsius. We can't handle steel—that needs at least 1,300 degrees, which our furnace can't achieve. Besides, our precision is far below that of a factory. If we could do it easily, what would be the point of machinery factories?" Niu the blacksmith thought the kids were too carried away by their success with the plow, not realizing the vast difference.

Shen Banyue smiled. "We're not asking you to make new parts. We just need to repair some. Didn't you mention last time that welding can fix some parts? As for precision..."

She paused, raised two fingers, pointed at her eyes, and quoted an internet meme from her past life: "My eyes are the ruler."

Niu the blacksmith: "..."

He had indeed mentioned that welding could fix parts. Men liked to brag when idle, never expecting a kid to take his boast seriously.

Welding could fix parts, but it required precise control of temperature and hammering force to avoid cracks—something not everyone could do.

None of the blacksmiths in his shop, including himself, could manage it.

Niu was stuck. If he said yes, he couldn't deliver; if he said no, he'd lose face. But he couldn't stay silent—these were tractor parts. If ruined, they'd be hard to replace and costly.

Just as he steeled himself to admit defeat and slap his own face, he turned to see Shen Banyue already at work.

"Wait, you're going to do it yourself?" Niu stammered. He had assumed the kids would ask him, the master, to handle it, but they hadn't even asked him to start.

Shen Banyue glanced at the furnace and nodded. "You taught me the welding method last time, didn't you?"

He had taught her, but knowing the method wasn't enough to make parts!

How could this kid be so bold and confident?

Niu looked at the furnace again. The parts were already inside. He said nothing more, quickly thinking of what to say to comfort the girl.

As he watched her movements, he began to notice something off. Was she really using the method he taught? She seemed more skilled than him. And the part... hmm, it looked like it was actually being repaired.