Chapter 157: The Ox-Driving Skill
“This is much better now. With people checking the houses, everyone’s more at ease. Let’s hurry and get all the grain back home so the snow doesn’t get it wet — otherwise, it’ll go moldy.” Wu Guifang reminded everyone as she glanced at the sacks of grain.
Everyone took her words to heart and started moving the grain.
The men didn’t need any prompting — hauling sacks of grain was an easy job for them.
Liu Yao had Yu Zhiyu helping her, so the amount she had wasn’t an issue at all.
Even the heaviest sack of sweet potatoes that Chen Yechu had was taken care of by Yu Zhiyu, leaving her with only the lighter loads.
Ning Xiyue had plenty of strength of her own — she just grabbed her sacks and lifted them effortlessly.
“But… how are we supposed to carry all of this back?” Wang Mengmeng stared miserably at the sack of sweet potatoes by her feet, her brow furrowed.
She didn’t have much grain, but she also didn’t have much strength. At least she was self-aware enough to know her own limits.
She could manage one sack, but three together were beyond her capabilities — unless she made multiple trips. But then, who would watch the rest of her grain in the meantime?
“Mengmeng, I can help you carry it.” Xia Zhipeng ran over eagerly, grinning and trying to ingratiate himself.
“Get lost.”
Wang Mengmeng gritted her teeth and lifted the sack herself, firmly refusing to let the filthy Xia Zhipeng touch it — she didn’t want him “contaminating” her grain.
And, surprisingly, she actually managed to lift it.
Watching this, Ning Xiyue couldn’t help but sigh at the boundless potential of human beings.
The problem was that Wang Mengmeng was struggling so much that she could barely move. She inched forward painfully slowly — even an ant would’ve turned around to laugh before continuing on its way.
Zhao Jianshe, watching her face turn red from exertion, knew at this rate she wouldn’t reach the educated youth dormitory until the year of the monkey. He sighed helplessly.
“Wait here. I’ll see if I can borrow a handcart. If I can, we can load everything onto it and haul it all back in one trip. That’ll save us time.”
He knew it would be hard to borrow one at this time of year, but he had to try.
Wu Guifang nodded. “Good idea. Go check — we’ll wait under the eaves.”
“Thank you, Comrade Jianshe.”
Wang Mengmeng quickly thanked him and immediately put the sack down, rubbing her aching arms, no longer forcing herself.
Liu Yao also breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t have much grain individually, but combined it was still a lot for her cousin to carry all at once.
Ning Xiyue, who had already grabbed the mouths of her three grain sacks, silently let go. If they could hitch a ride, there was no reason for her to waste her strength.
Zhao Jianshe returned after making a round — with bad news. There were no handcarts available.
It was peak grain-hauling time, and handcarts were in high demand. Many people had already arranged ahead of time to use them, so borrowing one now was impossible.
Wu Guifang wasn’t surprised. As a veteran educated youth, she had anticipated this. “It’s fine. Let’s do it the way we used to — we’ll cooperate. Two people stay to guard the grain, and the rest will make multiple trips.”
Zhao Jianshe continued, “Alright, let’s split into groups. Here’s how we’ll—”
Before he could finish, Ning Xiyue decided to break off from the group and act on her own. She hoisted up her three sacks and strolled away with ease.
“I’m heading back first — I need to receive Uncle Dajian.”
With that, she left without a care.
“Xiyue is so strong. I wish I had that kind of strength,” Wang Mengmeng muttered enviously, pinching her skinny arms and legs.
Liu Yao answered seriously, “Then run more and exercise more. I see Xiyue working out pretty often.”
“Really? Then I’ll start exercising too.”
Zhao Jianshe cleared his throat to bring the conversation back on track. “Alright, let’s split the work. Wang Mengmeng and Liu Yao, you stay here and guard. We’ll take one load back first, then—”
“Ah!”
Interrupted yet again, Zhao Jianshe looked helplessly at the screaming Liu Yao. “What is it this time?”
Liu Yao was practically jumping with excitement, waving her arms and pointing ahead. “Forget the plan — look! Xiyue’s coming with an ox cart! Ah, she’s so cool!”
The other educated youths all turned their heads.
Sure enough, Ning Xiyue was leading an old ox from the brigade, guiding the cart toward them. Aunt Yang Liu was sitting in the back, smiling brightly.
Ning Xiyue parked the ox cart in front of the stunned group, turned the ox around, and after securing it, snapped her fingers and chuckled. “Hey, are you all back to your senses yet? Hurry up and load the cart — Auntie’s still waiting for it.”
“Coming, coming!” Wang Mengmeng responded the fastest, pulling Liu Yao along to lift the grain onto the cart.
As they worked, they gushed over Ning Xiyue’s dramatic entrance.
Liu Yao, still starry-eyed from seeing Ning Xiyue riding through the snow with the ox cart, beamed. “Xiyue, you’re amazing! Driving an ox cart straight here — that was so cool!”
“I’m impressed,” Zhao Jianshe said, clasping his hands in a mock salute after putting his grain on the cart.
“Thank you, Xiyue. We’re really lucky you’re here today,” Chen Yechu said gratefully.
One by one, the others expressed their excitement and thanks.
By the time it was Wang Jiandong’s turn, everyone else had already said everything there was to say. He quickly came up with something on the spot:
“Ah! Comrade Xiyue, my admiration for you flows like the mighty river, never-ending and—”
Ning Xiyue’s toes curled in secondhand embarrassment at the very first “Ah!” and she quickly cut him off before he could continue. “Stop. Speak like a normal person.”
Wang Jiandong instantly straightened up, bowed seriously, and said, “Alright then. Thank you.”
Aunt Yang Liu, watching from the side, couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re quite the character, young man. Very entertaining.”
“Auntie, it’s my honor to make you laugh. And thank you for lending us the cart,” Wang Jiandong said solemnly.
“No need to thank me. I lent it to Little Yue — thank her.”
Aunt Yang Liu waved her hand and turned to Ning Xiyue. “Little Yue, I’ll wait here for you. Take your time.”
She was completely confident in Ning Xiyue’s ox-driving skills now.
“Okay. Thank you, Auntie. I’ll return it right away.”
Ning Xiyue climbed back onto the cart, waved to Aunt Yang Liu, tightened the reins, and drove the ox carefully.
The other educated youths jogged behind the cart.
Liu Yao, now fully transformed into Ning Xiyue’s fangirl, said in awe, “Xiyue, I didn’t know you could drive oxen so well. You’re incredible.”
Wang Mengmeng chimed in, “Seriously, you’re like our very own Comrade Lei Feng — even driving oxen is something you excel at.”
“Alright, alright, don’t exaggerate. Aunt Yang Liu taught me well — if you’re going to praise someone, praise her.”
As for how Ning Xiyue had learned to drive oxen — that started when she left earlier carrying the grain. She had activated her daily random draw, hoping to get the final upgrade material for her space.
Instead, she got an “Ox-Driving Skill” — and instantly mastered it.
It just so happened that Aunt Yang Liu was slowly driving her ox cart over to help transport grain.
Ning Xiyue spoke with her, learned a few ox-driving chants, and that’s how she was able to make such a dramatic entrance, driving the ox cart right up to the group earlier.
The brigade’s ox was gentle and easy to handle, and with her newly acquired skill, Ning Xiyue’s handling grew even more adept. Clop, clop, clop — she steered the ox easily all the way to the dormitory.
“Get the grain inside quickly. I’ll return the ox to Auntie,” she said as she got off the cart, feeding the ox some hay she’d prepared beforehand.
“Alright. Thank you, Xiyue,” Wu Guifang said between heavy breaths as she carried her sacks inside.
After Chen Yechu finished with her own grain, she turned to Ning Xiyue. “Xiyue, want me to carry yours too? I can store it in my kitchen for now.”
“Sure, thanks. I’ll come get it later.”
Once all the grain was unloaded, Ning Xiyue drove the ox back to the brigade, returning both the animal and the cart in perfect condition. She thanked Aunt Yang Liu again and arranged a time to make clothes together before leaving.
When Ning Xiyue finally returned to the educated youth dormitory, Uncle Dajian was already there — and the other youths were surrounding him, asking questions with serious looks on their faces.
