Chapter 159 Lifting the Big Log

The felled timber must be transported to the loading yard. Even for log stacking operations, it must be transported to a yard that is relatively close to the railway line.

However, logging areas are generally located in the mountains, and the distance between them is quite far.

If a tractor is used to collect timber, it's much easier; it can simply haul the logs to the loading yard.

However, manual timber collection is not feasible. People carrying large logs for a long distance would be exhausted before they even reached their destination.

Therefore, when it comes to gathering manpower and resources, we need to find some clever methods.

Because the timber collection and transportation must be carried out according to the blueprints, one ditch at a time.

So when the ground first freezes, ice ditches are built in advance along the mountain gullies and ponds.

At some bends, discarded materials should be used to make retaining walls.

After the ground freezes, the snow at the bottom of the ditch is compacted, and water is poured into the ditch to make the entire ditch a smooth ice surface.

Around New Year's Day, once the ice ditch is completely frozen solid, the timber can be slid to the vicinity of the log yard and then stored.

This method is called "stringing ice ditch" in some places, "pulling out the forest" in others, or "releasing the pieces on a cart" in still others.

Winter mining and transportation have just begun, and it's not yet time for sledding.

While arranging for several younger educated youths to repair the ice ditch, Sheng Xiping led people to transport the timber to the vicinity of the ditch mouth.

Arrange the wood in a fishbone shape; this will make it easier to slide the wood down.

Eight men carried a large log to the mouth of the gully.

Sheng Xiping shouted a work chant, and the eight men bent down together to unload the wood onto the ground.

Then remove the hook, and use a lever to pry the small end of the wood a few times, placing the wood diagonally near the mouth of the ditch.

The log was finally put down, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Someone took off their willow-woven safety helmet and wiped the sweat from their brow.

Forestry safety helmets can be used in both winter and summer.

The helmet is made of woven willow branches and is worn in the summer to protect your head from falling branches or scratching you when climbing mountains.

The willow hat has zippers on both sides, and in winter, two ears made of long-haired dog skin are attached to keep out the cold.

The educated youth team didn't provide labor protection during the summer, but during the winter harvesting season, while they didn't receive anything else, they were required to be issued safety helmets.

This helmet doesn't look very good on. Some people say it makes you look like the blacksmith in the movie "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy," which is a bit ridiculous.

But don't underestimate that hat. In the dead of winter, when it's freezing cold on the mountain, this furry hat will protect your ears from freezing.

"Xiping, based on the current progress, are we planning to start sledding the logs after New Year's Day? Are we in time?"

Chen Weiguo, panting heavily, asked Sheng Xiping.

"It should be fine. Our logging area is small, and the quota set for us by the higher-ups isn't too high."

If everyone puts in a little more effort, I estimate we can finish it before the New Year.

Sheng Xiping had done a lot of work in the forest farm in his previous life, so he had a lot of experience and was very confident.

"Actually, if you ask me, none of us need to come up the mountain and suffer this hardship."

This thing works itself to the bone all winter, earning only a few hundred dollars, which isn't even as much as going hunting with you in the mountains.

We'll have to make a lot of things this winter, won't we?

"Selling more bear gallbladders and lynx pelts will bring in everything; it's much better than suffering this hardship in the mountains."

Chen Weiguo couldn't help but mutter something.

“Vietnam, that’s not how it works. We’re free to hunt, but there’s no future in it.”

We were sent-down youth, sent up the mountain to be tempered. Our performance in the forest farm directly affected our future prospects.

"In the future, whether it's recruitment or military service, if you don't perform well, you won't get a chance."

Upon hearing this, Sheng Xiping laughed.

Well, if this were back in the 1980s, he would definitely throw his rake down and refuse to serve the monkey.

Who would bother coming up the mountain to do this kind of hard labor? They're exhausted every day, and at the end of the season, they don't make much money.

But that won't work right now. Businesses aren't allowed these days, and the household contract system hasn't even started yet, so nothing can be done.

Sheng Xiping is good at hunting, but hunting can't last a lifetime.

Whether it's hunting, ginseng digging, or gathering pine nuts and hairy cattle, all of these are considered side jobs.

No matter how much you earn, it's all windfall gains and shouldn't be your main job.

Especially these guys, they've gotten used to following him around.

If Sheng Xiping says he won't come to work on the mountain, then the others definitely won't come either.

This won't do! In the eyes of their parents and elders, wouldn't it make them think that Sheng Xiping is encouraging these young guys to do nothing productive?

What will happen to the Forestry Bureau in the future is at least twenty years away.

Right now, we still need to work steadily with our young men, and hire as many workers as possible; that's the proper way out.

You get a job and a salary, and you can still do your side hustle. You'll have two sources of income. Isn't that great?

Upon hearing this, Chen Weiguo agreed that it made sense.

"Yeah, that's true. No matter what, we still need to hire workers to find a way out."

"Let's go back to work. We can worry about the future later. Let's focus on the present."

Sheng Xiping called to the group, and they walked back together.

Currently, there are about thirty male educated youths in the forest farm. Wang Jianshe and Zhang Zhijun are Li Dazhuang's chainsaw assistants, Pan Fusheng leads two younger ones to repair the ice ditch, and Gao Haining leads two people to plant timber.

The rest of the people were roughly divided into three groups, all of whom carried logs.

Right now, we're focusing on the first half of the process, trying to get the logging done as quickly as possible.

After New Year's Day, the logs are slid down to the lower yard and measured by the gauge inspector before the output can be counted.

The educated youth team operated independently and was contracted out; the more they worked, the more they earned, so none of the educated youth dared to slack off.

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