Reborn in 1981, the first to get rich start with dairy cows.

It took more than two hours from leaving his aunt's house to arriving at the county agricultural machinery station, leaving Shen Dong quite exhausted.

The county agricultural machinery station's yard was much larger than that of the commune, with rows of machines, both those awaiting repair and those in good working order, including tractors and seeders.

The air was thick with the smell of gasoline and rust.

Seeing that no one was in the gatehouse, Shen Dong went inside.

Turn right and you'll see a technician, wearing blue overalls stained with oil, squatting on the ground inspecting a diesel engine.

Seeing his movements, Shen Dong guessed that he couldn't start the engine, so he went over to him.

Hearing footsteps, the man looked up and saw a simply dressed teenager. His brows immediately furrowed.

"Who are you looking for?" the man asked impatiently.

"Comrade, I'm looking for the leader of the technical department. I have some ideas about machine maintenance..." Shen Dong said, taking out two booklets that he had prepared in advance.

"Thoughts?" The man chuckled, head down, continuing to fiddle with the wrench in his hand. "Young man, I'm busy right now, I don't have time for your nonsense, hurry up and go!"

Shen Dong chuckled, then squatted down and pointed at the diesel engine in front of him, suddenly saying, "Your fuel injector atomization might not be good, but it's more likely that air has gotten into the low-pressure fuel line, or the diesel filter is a bit clogged. Why don't you check the fuel line joints and filter element first?"

The man paused for a moment, then turned to look at Shen Dong suspiciously. He couldn't believe that such expert words came from a young man.

Shen Dong smiled and said, "Let's give it a try!"

The man, still somewhat skeptical, followed Shen Dong's instructions and checked the pipeline from the fuel tank to the fuel pump. Sure enough, he found a slight leak at a joint, and upon disassembling the filter, he found it contained a considerable amount of impurities.

Clean and tighten the parts, then start the engine again.

"Boom—da da da da!" The diesel engine emitted a steady and powerful roar, and the black smoke was much less.

The man's face showed shock. He opened his mouth, then hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "How did you know? Where did you learn it?"

"I just figured it out myself," Shen Dong said, handing over the booklet. "Take a look and see if you can use it."

The man quickly took it and began to search through it.

One of them is a lubrication and maintenance card, which lists the grade of engine oil and grease that should be used for different models in different seasons and working hours, the amount to add, and the replacement cycle.

Simple, clear, and easy to understand.

Compared to this, the "Agricultural Machinery Manual" issued by the authorities suddenly seems somewhat superfluous.

The second book discusses common agricultural machinery malfunctions and how to quickly troubleshoot them. For example, if the engine won't start, different troubleshooting methods are used depending on the situation, such as checking the electrical system, fuel system, or cylinder pressure.

The man was overjoyed, thinking that even an apprentice who had only studied for a few days could tinker with this.

"Hello comrade, let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Huaqiang."

Zhang Huaqiang stretched out his hand earnestly, his face showing shame.

"Hello, Brother Zhang, my name is Shen Dong, you can call me Xiao Shen."

"Xiao Shen, you've really impressed me! Come on, I'll take you to see the leader." Zhang Huaqiang held the booklet in his arms like a treasure and led the way.

"Station manager, please take a look at this!"

Sha Zhenlin, the head of the county's agricultural machinery station, was wearing glasses and struggling with various mechanical problems when he casually took over the task.

At first, he treated it as an ordinary document and flipped through it casually, but soon he took off his glasses and looked at it carefully, his expression becoming focused.

"Great! Clear and practical! This really simplifies things!" Sha Zhenlin slammed his hand on the table and stood up, then burst into laughter, nodding repeatedly.

"Xiao Zhang, go and call Lao Li, Lao Wang, and Xiao Yang over here."

"Um, who is this young comrade...?"

"These two booklets were made by Xiao Shen."

"Great, young and promising. Here's what you'll do: call them to the conference room. Xiao Shen, right? He can come too."

Sha Zhenlin had gray hair, but was in excellent spirits and had a loud voice. Shen Dong followed behind him.

Soon, the small conference room was filled with people. Everyone who came in looked at Shen Dong with curiosity and scrutiny. It was clear that Zhang Huaqiang had already had a preliminary conversation with them.

Sha Zhenlin didn't waste any words and directly distributed the booklet for everyone to read.

"If we really followed the cards, our warehouse work would be so much easier, and the accounts would no longer be a mess!"

"Brilliant! Look at this flowchart: 'Check the spark plug ignition; if the ignition is normal, the problem lies in the fuel system...' It immediately makes the problem clear!"

"Station manager, this booklet is so useful! Now we'll know exactly what to do when we go down to provide guidance!"

These people who deal with metal all year round are the most practical!

Shen Dong's two booklets are neither fancy nor profound, but they use the simplest language to hit the nail on the head, making them easy for beginners to understand.

"Xiao Shen, right? What's your full name? Which commune are you from?" Sha Zhenlin looked at Shen Dong, who was sitting quietly and calmly to the side, and liked him more and more.

"Reporting to the leader, my name is Shen Dong, and I am a member of the Hongqi Production Team of Baotashan Commune."

"A commune member? Good, good! There are truly capable people among the masses!" Sha Zhenlin nodded repeatedly. "Did you create both of these things by yourself?"

Shen Dong had already prepared his plan: "I noticed that the machines in the team were always breaking down, which would delay the farming season and make everyone anxious. I thought that machines, like people, also need to be 'fed' (refueled) and 'checked up' (maintained) on time. If they get sick (malfunctions), they need to be checked step by step. So I drew some sketches myself and went to the county bookstore and scrap yard to find some old books and magazines for reference, and slowly organized them."

"Truly, the younger generation is formidable!" exclaimed Old Li, whom Sha Zhenlin was referring to. "This isn't just random drawing; you've standardized and systematized experience! Remarkable!"

Station Chief Sha Zhenlin solemnly asked, "Comrade Shen Dong, these two documents of yours will be of great help to our county's agricultural machinery work. On behalf of the county agricultural machinery station, I thank you!"

"If you have any requests or difficulties, please let us know! Do you want a bonus, or is there something else you're thinking of?"

All eyes were on Shen Dong.

Shen Dong took a deep breath, straightened his back, and said clearly, "Thank you, leaders, thank you, fellow workers. I have no requests!"

"I'm a member of the Hongqi Production Team, and I'm part of the county. The tractors and water pumps in our team are our 'iron oxen.' If these 'iron oxen' are strong, then the harvest in the fields is guaranteed. It's only right that we contribute to everyone and to the collective. If... if I had to say something, it would be that I hope all the agricultural machinery in our team, and in our county, can be well-maintained, with fewer breakdowns, and that we can produce more grain!"

After he finished speaking, the conference room was silent for a moment, then burst into enthusiastic applause.

These words, simple, sincere, and insightful, are completely unlike what a seventeen-year-old rural boy would say.

Sha Zhenlin looked at Shen Dong, his eyes practically overflowing with admiration.

Not taking credit for others' work, not being arrogant, and having the collective in mind—such a promising talent is truly rare!

"Good! Well said!" Sha Zhenlin stood up. "We should all learn from Comrade Shen Dong!"

"Alright, Xiao Zhang, immediately follow the ideas in these two documents, and combine them with the main machinery models in our county to prepare a more standardized and detailed draft. Distribute it to the agricultural machinery stations in each commune for trial implementation as soon as possible!"

"Okay, stationmaster!"

"Well then, boss, I'll be going now." Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Shen Dong prepared to leave.

"Have Xiao Huang escort Comrade Shen Dong."

After Shen Dong left, the group in the meeting room was still engaged in a heated discussion. Sha Zhenlin pondered for a moment, then said to the person next to him, "Let's make one banner in the name of the station—no, two! One for Baotashan Commune, and the other for Comrade Shen Dong personally!"

"yes!"

Shen Dong sat in the truck, holding a net bag containing two enamel mugs printed with the words "Advanced Producers" and a towel. He looked ahead, wondering what kind of storm these two booklets would stir up.

Unbeknownst to him, many people in the Red Flag Production Team were waiting for him to return...