053 Individual Differences

With Ye Cong's masterpiece setting a high standard, the spinning wheels made by the others initially seemed rather lackluster.

However, Lin Yan did not see it that way. Every single spinning wheel incorporated its maker's unique ideas to varying degrees, representing a massive improvement over the crude first model.

Shi Zhi's spinning wheel achieved a major breakthrough; he added a winding mechanism linked directly to the machine, allowing the spun thread to be wound automatically into a neat ball.

Hong Ling's machine could spin two threads simultaneously, vastly improving efficiency.

The more she listened, the more satisfied Lin Yan became. "Everyone has put in their own thoughts and done a wonderful job. Seeing these results, do you have any new ideas?"

Blue Moon spoke up, "If we could combine the best features of everyone's spinning wheels into a brand-new design, it would be much more sophisticated and far more efficient."

"Exactly, that is precisely the point. Combining all these advantages to build a brand-new spinning wheel will yield the ultimate perfection. I will leave this task to you all. The cold season is here, but our classes will continue. Use your free time to discuss the structure, design blueprints, and manufacturing process of this new wheel so we can start building it as soon as the cold season ends."

The first assignment turned out far better than expected. Not only did Lin Yan see infinite possibilities, but the students themselves also realized the power of collective wisdom.

Buoyed by this practical collision of ideas, everyone was raring to go, racking their brains to devise an even better spinning wheel.

The cold season was exceptionally bitter. Even with a fire burning inside the classroom, people still shivered, prompting everyone to don their thickest fur garments.

Braving the biting wind and freezing snow day after day, shivering violently as they traveled, not a single person dropped out of class.

They were all eager to learn more. Ever since witnessing the benefits brought by the spinning wheel, they felt an even stronger urge to apply what they learned to create more tools and improve life for everyone.

Following Blue Moon, Shi Zhi successfully awakened his mental energy in mid-October.

The others looked on with burning envy, driving themselves to cultivate even harder in hopes of achieving a breakthrough soon.

After that, successful breakthroughs occurred at regular intervals. Two months later, only Mao Mu and Lin Yun had yet to succeed.

Seeing the growing anxiety in the two of them, Lin Yan comforted them, "Don't be discouraged. As long as you keep persisting, you will definitely succeed. It's likely just because you are a bit older and started cultivating later that things are moving slower."

Through her subtle observations, she had confirmed that mental energy awakening was indeed tied to natural talent. Naturally, the younger the better, and those with innate cleverness held an absolute advantage.

Neither Mao Mu nor Lin Yun was unintelligent; their only disadvantage lay in their slightly advanced age and late start.

Over the past few days, several children in the city had successfully awakened their mental energy, but not a single adult had managed it yet.

Mao Mu looked at Lin Yan doubtfully, asking with uncertainty, "Can I really do it?"

Lin Yun also looked toward her. Being around the same age, the two of them could clearly feel the gap between themselves and children like Wuisheng.

During regular classes, the children reacted swiftly, grasped concepts rapidly, and understood things at the slightest hint. The two adults, however, had to stop and think, requiring time to digest the lessons.

In their spare time, they frequently held study sessions together just to keep up with the pace of the class.

Now, watching children so much younger than them successfully master mental energy while they, the oldest ones, remained behind, an inevitable imbalance took root in their minds.

Lin Yan said firmly, "Human effort is the deciding factor. Keep your eyes on the goal and walk toward it with unwavering resolve. You are already better than most people; you just need to adjust your mindset."

The two looked at each other, catching the eagerness and lingering panic in each other's eyes, and instantly snapped out of it. They had indeed grown far too anxious.

When they first started taking classes, they had simply wanted to learn more. Yet, imperceptibly, they had begun comparing themselves to Wuisheng and the others, growing increasingly greedy and demanding too much too soon.

Lin Yan continued, "Don't rush. With perseverance, results will always show. Everyone has different strengths. Take Ye Cong, for instance—he possesses an extraordinary talent for mathematics. Shi Zhi has incredible hands-on ability and a supreme talent for physics. Meanwhile, Hua Min and Bai Chen excel at chemistry, and Hong Ling's weaving techniques are unmatched. These are individual differences."

"Not everyone is the same. You each have your own strengths and are quite clever, or else I wouldn't have invited you to join these classes. Be confident and don't be discouraged."

Mao Mu felt a bit embarrassed. "I'm clever too?"

"Of course. I have high hopes for you, and I am certain you will achieve great things in the future," Lin Yan nodded firmly. "Lin Yun as well. Work hard, persevere, and together we will build a new life."

The two nodded, bade farewell to Lin Yan, and headed home to redouble their efforts.

Lin Yan meant every word she said. Mao Mu and Lin Yun possessed unwavering perseverance and sharp minds, which was the primary reason she invited them to class, rather than out of mere acquaintance.

With the world outside locked in ice and snow and the freezing wind howling, who wouldn't want to huddle indoors and avoid stepping out? Yet the fact that they could brave the severe cold and persist in attending class made their dedication all the more admirable.

"You're right, Lin Yan. They are truly good kids." Hua Hong's room was messy, with jute stalks scattered everywhere. As she peeled the bark, she remarked, "It's been over two months, and they've managed to come to class every single day despite their faces getting frostbitten and swollen. That takes real grit."

"Hehe, Mom is right. They all have incredible perseverance, fearing nothing in their pursuit of knowledge."

Lin Yan stepped in to help Hua Hong with the chores. "Dry jute stalks are hard to peel; the fresh, damp ones are much easier."

"Tell me about it. But there's no time right after harvesting, so we just have to leave them to be peeled slowly over time." Hua Hong's hands moved with practiced dexterity. "There's so much jute here, and the bark we get will be more than enough for next year. Are we still going to grow jute next year?"

"Mom doesn't want to grow jute anymore?" Lin Yan asked in surprise. Jute was a wonderful resource, and every family required a significant amount of it.

Even if their own household couldn't use it all, other families always needed it, making it a valuable commodity for trade.

Hua Hong shook her head. "That's not it. Jute can be harvested once every three months. Once the hot season arrives, we can harvest three crops a year—isn't that a bit too much?"

"Mom has a point. Jute grows easily and yields heavily. Using all our land for jute is indeed a bit excessive. Perhaps we should grow something else instead."

"Like what?"

"Let me think about it. What does Mom think we should grow?" Lin Yan wasn't entirely sure yet, as she hadn't found any other seeds; jute was practically the only viable option at present.

Hua Hong paused in thought. "How would I know? Some of those wild fruit seeds you planted have already sprouted and will grow quite a bit by next year. Why don't we plant more fruit trees? Those Chinese chestnuts are wonderful—they taste amazing."

Roasting Chinese chestnuts at home during the cold season was one of Hua Hong's favorite pastimes.

She felt that the existing grove of chestnut trees was still too small.

Lin Yan loved Chinese chestnuts as well; they tasted simply divine when roasted. "Alright then, next year we'll clear some wasteland around the perimeter and plant more chestnuts."

"Clear more wasteland?" Hua Hong was startled. "If we clear more land and plant it with chestnuts, leaving just a tiny patch for jute will be plenty."

Lin Yan shook her head. Of their current two mu of land, half a mu was dedicated to chestnut trees, half a mu to red apples, leaving only one mu for jute. Reducing it any further would leave no room for crops at all.

"Mom, if we discover other useful things in the future and have no land to plant them on, it will be too much of a pity. We need to prepare in advance, clear the land first, and we can sow seeds the moment we find them."

Though half-convinced, Hua Hong was ultimately persuaded by Lin Yan's reasoning, and they agreed to clear new wasteland the following year.