The next morning, Sun Guicai arrived at the Machinery Factory with his two sons and his passbook. Liu Dayou met them and told them not to rush, saying there would be a ceremony and reporters from the city's daily newspaper and television station would be covering the event. He asked them to wait.
Upon hearing they were going to be on TV, Sun Guicai and his two sons regretted not dressing up properly beforehand. The sons had been somewhat unhappy about the farm tractor purchase due to their wives' comments, but now they had forgotten all about it. Being on TV was great; it would bring honor to the family, and they could brag about it for the rest of their lives.
Thinking of this, the two men couldn't help but smile. When they were alone, Sun Guicai said, "I told you this is a great thing, but you just like to listen to your wives. Now you're happy, aren't you? Your father is more knowledgeable than you. We bought a tractor, so there's no more trouble at home. You've also learned how to drive a tractor, so farming will be easier in the future. In your spare time, you can earn a little money by ploughing for others. It's also a way to make a living, just like a hen laying eggs. What a great thing."
The two sons were preoccupied with what they were going to say during the interview. They simply nodded in agreement as their father lectured them. Sun Guicai was pleased to see this. He took a sip of the tea Secretary Zhang had brought him and began to think about what to say. It would be embarrassing if he got too nervous and said nothing.
The three of them were silent for a moment, each mumbling in their minds about what they would say next, and even wondering if they should go wash their faces. Sun Guicai became increasingly nervous, but he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his sons, so he decided to go to the bathroom. But before he could leave, Secretary Zhang walked in.
"Uncle Sun, the TV station and the newspaper office will be here soon. Director Liu asked me to invite you over."
"Ah? Why so fast? I'm not ready yet." Boss Sun said what was on his mind anxiously.
Sun Guicai thought the same thing, but he held it in and didn't say anything. He forced a smile and said, "Don't listen to the boss's nonsense. We'll go there right away. What preparations are needed? We are just farmers. It's okay for us to not be able to speak."
Xiao Zhang knew he was nervous too, so he comforted him, "Uncle Sun, don't be nervous, just act like usual."
"Hey, don't be nervous, don't be nervous." Sun Guicai nodded quickly, then turned back and told his two sons, "If you can't think of anything to say, don't say it. Just smile. Smiling means we're happy. How can we not be happy about buying a tractor?"
"Dad, you're right." The eldest and second eldest Sun said in unison. They had just pondered it for a long time, but now they forgot everything because of their nervousness.
Xiao Zhang nodded when he heard this, "Then let's go over there."
Today, the County Machinery Factory No. 1 was bustling with activity. Not only was a large red banner hung at the entrance, but the factory had also hired a gong and drum troupe, and their amateur yangko troupe was also present. As soon as the leaders and the cars from the sister factories arrived, they immediately started beating gongs and drums, and the women began dancing, too. It was a lively scene.
The farm tractor that had been used in the fields yesterday had been washed clean, a large red flower tied to its hood, and was parked in the open space outside a workshop. Opposite the tractor, a one-meter-high platform was set up, covered with a large red cloth, and several rows of tables and chairs were placed below. After some friendly greetings, everyone finally took their seats.
Because so many people had come, most of the factory's employees stood in the back. Zhu Youliang and Liang Yuan sat in the last row, along with Ji Minhuai and Li Mingde. The morning sun was a bit strong, and Liang Yuan felt like she was about to fall asleep as the leaders spoke one after another. It wasn't until Zhu Youliang nudged her that she sat up straight. The host had called them up to the stage. Although the couple were designers of agricultural tractors, Ji Minhuai and Li Mingde had also made significant contributions to their production, so the factory had decided to honor their laboratory as a team. They were supposed to go up on stage to receive their awards. The process was simple: the city leaders presented them with their awards, each exchanged a few encouraging words, shook hands, and took photos before leaving.
After they left the stage, reporters from the TV station and the county newspaper interviewed them, snapping a few photos before letting them return to their seats. Liang Yuan was fine; she was incredibly graceful and well-spoken. Zhu Youliang and the others were a bit nervous, trying to be as quiet as possible during the interview. Facing the clatter of cameras, they all felt somewhat uneasy, but they all remained calm.
After they came down, Guo Daqiang went up again and made a few concluding remarks. Then it was time for the last part, which was to invite Sun Guicai and his son to come on stage to sign a contract to purchase agricultural tractors, and the finance department would issue the invoice on the spot.
After Sun Guicai and his son were ushered up to the stage, they were dazed and two contracts were stuffed into Sun Guicai's hands. He barely recognized the words, took a few glances, and signed. After signing, the three of them posed for photos with Guo Daqiang and the other leaders, grinning widely and shaking hands with them. The audience applauded.
As they waited, reporters from the TV station and the newspaper finally brought microphones to them. The eldest and second oldest Sun brothers, mindful of their father's words, nodded or grinned, occasionally responding with a remark. They looked delighted. Sun Guicai, however, was a bit surprised. Thinking of this as a great opportunity to bring honor to his family, he suddenly relaxed his nerves. He stumbled at first, but then his speech became smoother, as natural as chatting with people in the village. Even when the reporters stopped asking questions, he still felt a little unsatisfied.
The eldest and second sons, watching from behind, felt a surge of respect. Their father truly was superior to them. After the interview, the three of them posed for a photo with their newly purchased tractor and the leaders. Overall, they were delighted. Everyone at the First Machinery Factory was also delighted, as if it were New Year's Eve, with bright smiles plastered across their faces.
After the leaders left and the crowd dispersed, the driver specially assigned by the factory began to teach Sun Guicai how to drive a tractor. Sun Guicai originally wanted to let his two sons go back first, as it would definitely be easier to teach one than two. However, his two sons were unwilling to go back and insisted on watching from the side. He thought that he was old and could learn, but he might not remember all the key points, so it was good for his sons to be there. Who knew that his two sons were very timid. After a day, he could drive the tractor around, but his two sons hadn't even started yet. This made him feel melancholy and a little proud at the same time, as he still had to rely on an old man like him. On the way back, he had a lot of words to say to his two sons. In response, the eldest and second sons of the Sun family said that they were timid and were afraid of bumping the tractor. What about Lao Gui? The reason he didn't refute was that the driver was still there. As for why he didn't defend himself now, he had already been scolded!
When he returned to the village, people asked Sun Guicai where his tractor was. Why hadn't he driven it back? He didn't get angry, but smiled and said it was temporarily stored at the machinery factory. It was nothing, he hadn't learned how to operate it yet. When the villagers heard that the machinery factory was still teaching them how to operate a tractor, they immediately became envious. When they heard that his family had not only met with city leaders but also had their photos taken and appeared on TV and in newspapers, they all thought they were bragging. Sun Guicai didn't argue. He had told the reporters that he would send them a few copies, and they had graciously agreed. Then these people would have to believe it, and he could brag about it again.
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