"Furthermore, stop restricting all production brigades to plant wheat and corn, and stop giving farmers random instructions on what to plant. To put it bluntly, we ordinary people have been toiling in the fields for generations. We know better than you what to plant and what is best to plant."

Liu Donglai nodded, "False science and one-size-fits-all approaches are indeed unacceptable."

"Even if we do this, it's still not enough to solve the immediate problem."

Liu Donglai tapped the table. The county's finances were not good, and the money and grain that could be taken out were very limited. It was not enough to save the people of the county. Did they really expect the people to drag their families out to beg for food?

No, absolutely not!

"Uncle Liu, have you considered the work-for-relief program?"

"During the Northern Song Dynasty, when Fan Zhongyan was in charge of Hangzhou, the city was experiencing a famine. Fan Zhongyan encouraged the people to race dragon boats, hold banquets on the lake, and carry out large-scale construction projects. He was impeached for wasting money and resources on the people. Fan Zhongyan wrote a memorial to explain that all of this was to create job opportunities for the people so that they would not have to leave their homes and starve to death in other places."

As soon as Li Xiangdong mentioned "work relief instead of economic relief," Liu Donglai understood what he meant.

"Yes! During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, there was a famine in the Suzhou area. The authorities ordered a ban on boating for the people. As a result, wealthy young men feasted at home every day, while boatmen who made a living by rowing boats were forced to leave their homes due to unemployment. The authorities' inflexibility led to a completely opposite result."

"Uncle Liu, would you rather be Fan Zhongyan, or the governor of Suzhou during the Wanli era?"

Li Xiangdong stared intently at Liu Donglai.

Liu Donglai chuckled and tapped him on the forehead with his chopsticks, then looked worried again.

“I had people gather all the available funds in the county, but there wasn’t much. Without proper evaluation, it’s not appropriate to launch any projects arbitrarily.”

The present situation is different from that of Fan Zhongyan's time. Back then, there was a clear class distinction, with not only the working class but also many wealthy merchants and gentry. Now, almost everyone is equally poor.

It's difficult to create jobs through consumer spending, and the government is short of funds; it's like a skilled cook trying to make a meal without rice.

Seeing that Liu Donglai had indeed been quite worried these past few days, with several strands of hair appearing to have turned white, Li Xiangdong approached him with a smile and explained his plan.

...

In the afternoon, Li Xiangdong rode his bicycle home, humming a tune.

Good luck, may good luck bring you joy and love.

Good luck is coming to us, may good fortune bring us prosperity and success, reaching all corners of the world.

Fold a paper crane and tie a red ribbon, wishing good luck to kind people every day.

Your hard work brings you a beautiful life and good health, may spring always be with you; your life's busyness is all for a smile on your face!

Li Xiangdong relaxed and sang louder and louder, not noticing Li Weijun and Li Qing, covered in oil and dirt, sitting behind him in an oxcart.

"Xiang Dong, you seem so happy? What song were you singing?"

Li Qing asked loudly. He had never heard this song before, but it sounded really good and made him feel very happy and joyful.

Li Xiangdong turned his head and saw, oh, Uncle Qing, with his older brother sitting next to him with a dark face.

Li Xiangdong grinned broadly, "Uncle Qing, Big Brother! I was just making this up! You guys went to haul oil again? How much is left to be pressed?"

There were four large white plastic barrels on the oxcart, filled with wheatgrass seed oil.

This barrel was bought from the Dongfang City Plastics Factory; one large barrel can hold 200 jin (100 kg) of oil.

"It should be ready in another four or five days! The remaining three thousand catties of oil will go to Jinniu Commune."

Li Qingchao flicked his whip in the air above the old ox's back, creating a beautiful whip flower, and shouted, "Giddy up—giddy up—"

Old Niu took two quick steps, picked up the speed, and walked side by side with Li Xiangdong again.

"When will the oil be distributed to the east?" Li Qing asked.

The warehouses in Lijiapo Brigade are really not enough now. There's nothing but oil and wheat, and there's nowhere to put them. It's a sweet problem!

Li Weijun was exhausted and hot that day, and the oxcart he was being jostled around in made his whole body feel like it was falling apart.

When he saw Li Qing ask Li Xiangdong when the oil would be distributed, he scoffed inwardly, thinking that Xiangdong, a mere boy, could possibly manage such a matter.

To everyone's surprise, Li Xiangdong casually replied, "In the next couple of days! Let's have a meeting tonight to discuss it, and I'll also show everyone our cannery's permits, hehe!"

"Really! The documents have arrived?!" Upon hearing this, Li Qing was so excited that she almost jumped off the car. Was it really that easy to get things done?

"From now on, we will be a legitimate collective enterprise, and no one will dare to talk nonsense anymore and say that we are taking the capitalist road!"

Li Xiangdong was also a little excited. From then on, Lijiapo embarked on a completely different path from his previous life!

...

Evening, at the Lijiapo Brigade headquarters.

Li Jin and Li Xiangdong sat together, surrounded by Li Kang, Li Tang, Liu Changhai, Liu Yuliang, Wang Zhenbo, Li Qing, and others.

The dim light shone on the rough faces of the rural men, and the wrinkles on their faces seemed to turn into flower petals with their smiles. This collective joy made even the moon by the window seem cheerful.

Li Jin coughed lightly as usual. "Today, Xiang Dong will get the collective enterprise qualification certificate and food hygiene business license for the cannery."

Although everyone had already heard Li Qing mention it privately, seeing Li Jin present two documents stamped with a large red official seal elicited another gasp.

Several people, accustomed to rough work, carefully passed the book around.

"Zhenbo, go back and get a glass mirror to put these two pieces of paper in! From now on, we'll be a legitimate collective enterprise! Hehe!" Li Jin instructed.

Wang Zhenbo agreed and put the document away.

"Next, let's discuss what else the brigade can do!"

Upon hearing Li Jin's words, everyone immediately perked up; there was another new business opportunity!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!