But the gains that HRS reform brought did not end in 1984, nor were
they restricted to the agricultural sector. The most significant change
brought by the HRS reform was the re-establishment of the household
system. It provided farm households with autonomy in decisionmaking,
with incentives to work hard and with room for farmers to use their
entrepreneurial abilities. 'Careful calculation', 'strict budgeting' and
'work initiatives' (Li 1957) brought technological progress and the