Jiang Tang looked at Luo Fengquan with a serious expression and said without hiding anything, "We grow sugarcane to make brown sugar. There's a fellow villager in our village who is an expert at making brown sugar. The brown sugar he makes is sweet and rich, and he's famous in our area. If we can grow sugarcane well and make brown sugar, the lives of our village will definitely get better and better in the future."

Luo Fengquan nodded slightly, stroking his chin thoughtfully, likely pondering the potential economic value and development prospects behind this. He looked up at Jiang Tang with a touch of admiration. "That's a good idea! Making brown sugar is a promising business. It all depends on whether the sugarcane can be successfully grown."

Jiang Tang smiled and replied, "Yes, that's why everyone has been working hard during this period, hoping for a good harvest."

Afterwards, Jiang Tang rode his bike, bumping along the way, to Shaluo Village to check on the progress. Arriving at the village, he saw Secretary Zhou standing by the riverbank, chatting with Captain Sun and others.

Jiang Tang hurried forward and greeted with a smile: "Secretary Zhou, you're here!"

Secretary Zhou turned around with a kind smile on his face. "Xiao Jiang, you're finally here. I came to see how your riverbank management and sugarcane planting are going. I heard they're making good progress."

Jiang Tang nodded and said, "Thanks to everyone's concerted efforts, everything is currently proceeding as planned."

Captain Sun also said, "Yes, Secretary Zhou, but we've run into a problem. Reinforcing the riverbank requires a large amount of soil. The mountain behind our village does have quite a bit of soil, but it's occupied by Youtoucao Village. The surrounding soil has been almost completely dug up in recent years. We really have no choice but to ask for your help in coordinating."

Secretary Zhou looked calm and thought for a moment before saying, "I understand. I've already arranged for you to go dig on the riverbank near the Liulin Brigade. However, you must be careful when digging there and not damage the riverbank's structure. After digging, remember to clean up the mess."

Captain Sun quickly responded, "Don't worry, we will make sure everything is arranged properly. There will be no problems."

Jiang Tang continued, "This is a great help to us. Otherwise, we really don't know how to solve this mud problem."

Secretary Zhou looked at Jiang Tang again and praised him, "Xiao Jiang, this is a really good idea. Planting sugarcane, making brown sugar, and managing the riverbanks—if this series of plans is done well, by autumn, you'll see dramatic changes in the two villages. Not only will it increase villagers' income, it'll also improve the village environment—killing two birds with one stone."

Jiang Tang smiled a little sheepishly and said, "This is the result of everyone's hard work. It's inseparable from the contributions of every villager, and also thanks to the support and coordination of the leaders of the commune and county."

Secretary Zhou waved his hand. "This is what you deserve. As long as you're motivated and have ideas, our commune will fully support you. By the way, regarding the sugarcane planting, are there any technical issues?"

Jiang Tang replied, "At the moment, there aren't any major problems. If any problems arise, we know an experienced farmer who will provide guidance. We can all learn from him and hopefully grow sugarcane successfully. However, if we encounter any technical difficulties later, I'd appreciate your help in finding a solution."

Secretary Zhou nodded and said, "Okay, feel free to raise any questions you have and we'll work together to find a solution. Also, when it comes to brown sugar production, we must ensure quality and build a good reputation. Only then can we have long-term development. Do you have a production facility?"

Captain Sun patted his chest and assured, "Secretary Zhou, don't worry. Sister Hongying from our village has been making brown sugar for decades. Her craftsmanship is impeccable. She will definitely make brown sugar that will satisfy everyone. The location is still being planned, and we will definitely find a bright and clean place."

Secretary Zhou smiled with satisfaction: "That's good. You guys work hard. If you need anything, just let us know. The commune will be your strong backing."

The few of them discussed for a long time about the subsequent work arrangements, possible problems, etc. before they dispersed and continued to work hard for the development of the village.

Before leaving, Secretary Zhou told Jiang Tang that he would take the captains of each brigade to visit the vegetable fields in Youcaoling in a few days.

Last month, the commune encouraged each brigade to grow more vegetables, and notification has also been given about plans to hold a farmers' market near the commune in the fall.

Therefore, recently, Secretary Zhou and Director Wang have discussed and decided to organize the team leaders to learn from each other, see which team grows the best vegetables, and pass on their experiences to each other.

Jiang Tang naturally wants this to happen.

As the saying goes, development is mutual.

At noon, Jiang Tang had lunch at Grandpa Sun Si's house in the village.

There are many people in the family, with three sons, all of whom are married and have not yet separated.

There are more than a dozen people in the family, but Jiang Tang discovered that everyone in Grandpa Sun's family is very gentle.

How should I put it? He speaks softly and chews his food slowly, unlike other villagers who speak loudly.

After dinner, during the break, Jiang Tang found out that Grandpa Sun Si had been educated before and that he had taught his three sons.

Their eldest son, Sun, a farmer, actually has excellent calligraphy skills.

Including the children in my family, some of them can already write quite well at the age of seven or eight.

Jiang Tang couldn't help but praise him.

Student Sun said embarrassedly, "My grandparents are the best calligraphers in our family. Whenever there's a wedding or funeral in the village, they always ask my grandfather to write."

"I see. Can Fourth Grandpa give me some calligraphy? My house is just short of some decorative calligraphy and paintings."

Fourth Grandpa Sun smiled and said, "Haha, this is the first time someone has asked me for calligraphy. I have quite a few good ones, take your pick. Your fourth grandmother painted a picture of the Great Wall a while ago, if you like, you can frame it and hang it up."

"Yes, yes, I like it, I like it."

So, Jiang Tang had a meal at someone's house, and when he came out, he had a lot of things in his arms.

There are not only calligraphy and paintings, but also brushes made by Mr. Sun himself.

When Jiang Tang came out of Fourth Grandpa Sun's house, she saw Li En right away. It was then that she noticed that Fourth Grandpa Sun's house was very close to Li En's, and next to it was the house that had been taken away by the brigade. Li En was circling the empty house, and when he saw Jiang Tang, he quickly stepped forward and said anxiously, "Secretary Jiang, I'm glad to see you! You're a good secretary. I want to complain to Captain Sun. He's occupying my house!"

Jiang Tang couldn't help but raise his hand to his forehead when he heard this, feeling a headache, and said helplessly: "Comrade Li, I'm just an outsider in charge of production work in the village, and I don't have the ability to handle housing disputes."