Chapter 107 The Rich Must Buy, Buy, Buy: The Ruble Elimination Method

Separated by a single border, yet worlds of ice and fire.

That description isn't quite accurate, because the Grodekovo Station, the Russian border station across the Suifenhe River, is also bustling with activity.

Before the bus arrived at the station, a large number of traders and speculators stood outside waiting.

Many Chinese people shouted loudly to their brothers and sisters through the car windows, afraid of missing the chance to pick up their relatives and friends.

Russian border guards, customs officials, and railway staff inspected and released passengers from carriage to carriage.

Whether it was due to the atmosphere or not, Wang Xiao felt that the staff here were noticeably more friendly than when she left Russian customs last time.

At least they didn't deliberately make things difficult for them just because they are Chinese.

Once outside the station, it was even more lively.

Street vendors have taken over the entire street on both sides of the road in front of the station.

The stalls selling food, drinks, clothes, and household goods formed a long line that stretched as far as the eye could see.

The large free market next to the station was even more crowded, with Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans everywhere, and even traders from the CIS countries coming and going.

It's so lively it's like a mini-world market.

But that's how it is.

The bustling activity is in border trade, and has nothing to do with this town.

Across the river in Suifenhe, construction is in full swing, with people eager to turn the blueprints of building an international passenger inspection hall, as well as twenty or thirty restaurants, hotels, and guesthouses, into reality.

The entire border town is full of construction sites.

Well, Grodekovo is fine now; the scenery here is quiet.

Whether it's the platform, the overpass, or the station building, everything bears the marks of history, with no sign of renovation whatsoever.

Ivanov rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth in anger.

Why are his compatriots all so slow to react?

What drove him to despair was that even the bus companies operating the routes to Vladivostok were all Chinese.

They're from Harbin!

And then there are the vendors, the vendors who set up stalls to attract customers—

In Suifenhe, there were about 300 Russians and 5,000 Chinese exchanging goods in the free market every day. He understood, he understood very well.

That's Chinese territory, after all.

Even though they've already crossed the border, why is it that in Grodekovo, the Chinese still control almost all trade and commerce?

The area around the station alone has thousands of Chinese traders, and there are even more people at the nearby free market.

Good heavens, Ivanov almost forgot his identity as a Marxist; all he wanted to do was shake God's shoulders and demand: Why? Why is it like this? Who can give him the answer?

Clearly, a half-baked believer and Marxist has no need to make things difficult for God any further.

Because Wang Xiao can give him the answer.

This is perfectly normal, as normal as it gets.

If you look eastward, you'll definitely roll your eyes. It would be strange if you didn't!

Not to mention that when he was running a counter in a state-owned department store, his sales as a self-employed individual were far ahead of the competition.

For example, when major factories have a backlog of inventory and are facing a cash crunch, the municipal government proactively arranges for each factory to set up stalls in the free market to sell their products.

These factories occupied the best stalls, but they still couldn't outsell the small vendors.

Why?

The core issue is mindset.

No matter how difficult the factory situation was, the workers, who were used to having a secure job, still firmly believed that the country would not abandon them.

If that's the case, then why do they go to such lengths to loudly advertise their wares?

It should be understood that under the long-term guidance of the planned economy mindset, running a small business was considered extremely shameful, and respectable people would absolutely disdain it.

When the earliest self-employed individuals in China were doing business on the street, acquaintances would turn away as soon as they saw them, for fear of being recognized and being seen as low-class.

Upon hearing this, Ivanov began cursing again: "Those guys have wasted so many years of their lives."

"No, you didn't understand what I meant."

Wang Xiao interrupted his complaint, "What I really mean is, it's a matter of stance, a matter of the stance of those who have vested interests."

She pointed in the direction of the free market, "Those who do business there are mostly Chinese farmers, unemployed urban residents, and people without a fixed occupation."

In China, 90% of people do not have a stable income; no one pays them a salary every month.

The farmers, needless to say, you know what the situation is like.

Of the non-agricultural population, at most half of the urban population has stable jobs, holding what is known as an "iron rice bowl" (guaranteed job).

The other half, or more likely the majority, worked in street factories, state-owned factories as temporary workers, or simply did odd jobs wherever they could find work.

Their lives are slightly better than those of farmers, but only slightly better.

Every day, I worry myself sick over three meals a day, my children's education, and medical expenses.

Asking them to praise the planned economy? Are you kidding me?

They were not respectable people in society to begin with, so by going all out and abandoning the various invisible constraints brought about by the planned economy, they naturally had less psychological burden.

But Russia is different, and the entire Soviet Union was different.

Even farmers are receiving wages. Whether people acknowledge it or not, everyone is actually enjoying the benefits of the system, and everyone is living a respectable life.

Even though things are tough now, most people still receive a fixed salary every month.

Wang Xiao pointed at Ivanov, "Back then, everyone opposed dictatorship, not the benefits of the system. Now, do you think it's possible for those who enjoy the benefits to break the system?"

The economy is the foundation, and politics is the concentrated expression of the economy. While the opponents have superficially dismantled the political system, I haven't seen any change in its core elements, at least so far.

The bus started moving, and Ivanov stared out the window, his eyes wide, before finally uttering, "When will things change?"

"Give up your belief. When you give up your belief that the government will definitely care about everyone's life and death, everyone will naturally have to find a way out."

Wang Xiao comforted Ivanov, saying, "This is actually a good thing. At least it shows that the people trust the federal government. This is conducive to maintaining national stability. Good order is better than bad order, and bad order is better than no order."

ha!

Ivanov's eyes widened like a calf's.

He wasn't comforted at all.

So, after all this time, it turns out the Soviet Union wasn't thorough enough in its classification of people into different classes?

Wang Xiao vehemently denied it: "I didn't do it, I didn't, don't talk nonsense."

She wouldn't say it out loud; at most, she was self-aware enough to know that she wasn't the most beloved child of her parents, and she would rush out to find food whenever she had the chance.

Ivanov had his own interpretation: "That's exactly what you mean!"

"I'm not!"

In the end, Wang Xiao simply put on a hat and wrapped a scarf around his neck, and pretended to fall asleep on the spot.

Ivanov had no choice but to go to sleep.

The bus ride takes three hours, and it's not spring yet, so there's not much to see outside the window. What else can he do if he doesn't sleep?

Ivanov was awakened by the noisy shouting.

When he opened his eyes, he wondered if he was dreaming.

Because he understood his compatriots; they were quiet, and even the vendors in the free market didn't shout like the Chinese people next to them.

What is this that he sees right now?

Ivanov's face darkened instantly; they had just arrived in Vladivostok when they encountered a protest.

This is not unusual. In Moscow, they see parades passing through shopping streets and heading towards Red Square every few days.

The problem is that Ivanov just came from China.

While others are busy with construction, you're staging protests and strikes—it's a complete slap in the face.

Unfortunately, the farmers in China were clueless. Seeing so many people on the street, they looked around curiously and asked, "What festival are you celebrating here? It's so lively."

Wang Xiao was very considerate and didn't help translate, so that Ivanov wouldn't spit out a mouthful of blood on the spot.

But her kindness was useless. His friends in Vladivostok didn't care about his fragile old heart at all. They would proudly show off to him whenever they met someone: "Hey, my buddy, look how we're doing!"

Ivanov gritted his teeth: "What are you all messing around for?"

His friend immediately raised his eyebrows: "What do you mean by 'making a fuss'? We're fighting for fair treatment!"

Wang Xiao's ears perked up immediately, and he listened with great interest to Ivanov's friend's endless chatter.

It turns out that the collapse of the Soviet Union was not the end of internal conflicts, but rather the beginning of something much bigger.

The conflict between Primorsky Krai and the central government of the Russian Federation is currently extremely serious.

The origin of this contradiction lies in Vladivostok's special status. To this day, it remains a major military stronghold on Russia's Pacific coast, possessing numerous military facilities.

The Pacific Fleet is still anchored in Golden Horn Bay.

In addition, communications and reconnaissance bases, weapons and ammunition depots, nuclear weapons depots, and missile storage facilities are everywhere in this important coastal town.

It is common knowledge that maintaining an army is incredibly expensive, and repairing military facilities is an even bigger money pit.

Unfortunately, Vladivostok is broke, and the entire Primorsky Krai region is broke.

It has a strong industrial base and can serve as the most important military stronghold in the Far East. These industries are mainly military industries such as shipbuilding, machinery, and electronics.

For a long time, the military-industrial structure has severely squeezed the production of civilian goods in the region.

Currently, although they receive 50% subsidies from the central government, they are still unable to adjust their industrial structure and meet the daily needs of residents.

Over time, the locals will definitely feel resentful, thinking that they have taken on so much, but what they get in return is so little.

What's most infuriating is that the ethnic republics and autonomous regions of the Russian Federation don't usually do anything for the country, yet they don't receive any of the good things, and they only have to hand over 30% of their fiscal revenue to the federal government.

As for themselves, Primorsky Krai, which has suffered losses for so many years, now has to hand over 50%!

Oh, so you're picking the softest persimmons, huh?

Alright, we won't be pushovers anymore.

We want to resist; we demand the rights of the subjects of the Russian Federation republics.

If you don't agree, we'll just declare ourselves a republic.

Anyway, the eldest brother, not to mention the second brother, everyone has done this kind of thing quite a lot.

When Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine signed the independence treaty to overthrow the Soviet Union, there was no collective referendum of Soviet citizens.

The Russian Federation, of course, cannot agree to this. How can such a thing be started? Wouldn't things fall into chaos if it did?

Therefore, the conflict between the border regions and the federation is extremely serious, and they can start fighting at any moment if they disagree.

Taking to the streets to protest is nothing compared to what's to come.

Ivanov's face turned ashen, and he spat out each word clearly: "Go ahead and fight, just break them apart."

His friend showed no empathy whatsoever, and continued to chuckle: "If we really fight, it probably won't even break out. But we need to let the federal government know our stance. Don't think we're easy to bully."

Ivanov said irritably, "Can't you develop yourselves? You should really go and see China. They're busy with construction. You can do it too."

My friend looked completely innocent: "Hey! My buddy, you don't think adjusting the production structure is easy, do you? It's a mess, everything's a mess, there's nothing left, how are we supposed to adjust it?"

Ivanov was speechless.

Wang Xiao spoke up: "Then why don't you take a different approach and skip civilian industry altogether, and just develop tourism?"

It's true, adjusting the industrial structure sounds simple, and the slogans can be shouted loudly, but very few people can actually do it.

Instead of struggling to achieve results in this area, we might as well develop smokeless industry.

"Vladivostok has so many military facilities, they can be opened to the public."

Wang Xiao counted on his fingers in a serious tone, "First of all, there's the Pacific Fleet. I bet people all over the world are curious about it. If you can open it up, you definitely won't have to worry about not having tourists."

Ivanov's friend didn't think she was crazy; instead, he asked with great interest, "And then?"

"Weapons? Your weapons have such a high obsolescence rate. Do you have a military museum? Put the obsolete weapons in there for everyone to visit."

Wang Xiao emphasized earnestly, "This is your unique selling point, and it shouldn't be wasted. Vladivostok has such a good geographical location that tourists from China, Japan, and North Korea will come."

Upon hearing the word "tourists," Ivanov immediately understood: "That's right, we should vigorously develop the tourism industry."

Compared to locals, tourists are more willing to spend money and are more accepting of high-end consumption.

Their fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats, which are air-freighted in, need a broader consumer market.

He knows Vladivostok better than Wang Xiao.

He went on and on about the potential for significant tourism development: "Vladivostok boasts a famous golden coastline and is not hot in the summer. The summer vacation period is the perfect time to attract tourists."

As for its history, it doesn't have much of a long history, because it was originally a place where criminals were exiled during the Qing Dynasty, and it was forcibly occupied by Tsarist Russia in 1860.

From the perspective of cultural accumulation, it is unremarkable.

However, it boasts the largest land port railway station in the Far East, and features the first steam locomotive to appear in Vladivostok and the first warship to land in Vladivostok, all of which are tourist attractions.

Moreover, although both the Tsarist Russian and Soviet governments had driven out the Chinese in the Vladivostok region, during World War II, the Soviet Union, China, and Korea all had a common enemy.

In addition, since we all experienced the socialist era together, we can still find common ground emotionally.

This is the selling point that attracts tourists.

In addition, Vladivostok preserves cultural buildings commemorating heroes of World War II, and even Lenin statues that were toppled in various CIS countries still stand in Lenin Square in Vladivostok.

This is also a tourist attraction.

Business is business, and faith is faith. What's the contradiction between the two?

Making money is the key.

Ivanov used a Chinese proverb to describe it: "You can't beg for food while holding a golden bowl."

As long as there are tourists, they will definitely spend money. Even if there isn't enough money to build restaurants or hotels, family-run restaurants and guesthouses can support a family.

Besides, quite a few families in Vladivostok own cars. They could work part-time as taxi drivers. That would be another source of income.

The more he talked, the more feasible it seemed, and he added with undiminished enthusiasm, "If we do this, we can develop tourism here for at least half the year."

Wang Xiao, however, disagreed with his view: "Winter is also acceptable; cold is also a characteristic."

She had made a special trip to Harbin to see the ice sculptures before.

In Sweden, there's an ice hotel made entirely of ice. Lots of people flock there for this exotic experience.

In short, if you want to develop the tourism industry well, you can create something unique even if you don't have any, let alone something that already has unique features.

At least for her, a foodie, the seafood in Vladivostok was very appealing.

That king crab was quite good.

Ivanov nodded repeatedly: "That's right, Vladivostok has great potential in the tourism industry."

To show that he wasn't just spouting nonsense and trying to fool people, he asked his friend, "If you see any suitable shops or villas, please keep an eye out for them for me. I'd like to acquire them."

His friend smiled and said, "Hey, you're making your business bigger and bigger."

Ivanov smiled at him: "Well, I'll need your help. I found a Toyota Land Cruiser, I'll bring it back for you, or will you drive it from Moscow?"

My friend's eyes lit up instantly, and he asked excitedly, "Where did you get this? I've been looking for it for ages."

Luxury cars are the glue that holds men's friendships together.

Especially when the luxury car is worth tens of thousands of US dollars.

When they went to see the forest fire prevention and fire-fighting airfield on the edge of the city, the friend patted his chest and assured Ivanov that he would inform his most loyal friend immediately if there was anything good.

Ivanov embraced him, his eyes looking at everyone as if they were lovers, and said tenderly, "I knew you were my most loyal and reliable friend."

Wang Xiao couldn't even bear to look anymore.

My goodness, I just can't stand these mushy men.

Her eyes were only on the airport.

This forest fire prevention airfield is not large, roughly the size of two football fields.

However, it can also support 8 Mi-26 helicopters operating at full capacity at the same time.

The airport has a runway on the south side, a connecting taxiway in the middle, and three parking positions on the north apron.

Wang Xiao finished looking at the terminal building and then nodded to Ivanov.

The latter patted his friend on the shoulder: "Alright, thank you, my dear old buddy, I have to go now."

His friend handed him the approval document and then said with regret, "Are you leaving so soon? Aren't you going to stay here for the night? Let me tell you, we're still having some fun."

Ivanov said with a serious expression, "No, I can't miss the planting season. I have to get the farm workers to their posts immediately, otherwise it will delay this year's planting."

His friend burst into earth-shattering laughter.

My God, it's true.

Rumors are circulating on social media that Ivanov has gone mad; instead of enjoying life after making money, he's gone farming.

Does he want to become an ascetic monk?

Ivanov immediately looked displeased: "Hey—I'm serious, I want to cultivate thousands of acres of fertile land for the great Russian people."

My friend was laughing so hard he could hardly breathe, and it took him a long time to finally manage to say, "Dude, what are you thinking?"

Ivanov said solemnly, "Don't you think that hardworking people shouldn't go hungry? What have they done wrong to suffer the disaster that fools have inflicted on them?"

The friend, who had been joking around, suddenly became respectful, and the smile on his face disappeared.

He patted Ivanov hard on the back and said seriously, "Hey! Now I believe you are a real Marxist."

Even if he no longer believes in communism, even if he still thinks the Soviet Union was a shameless fraud from beginning to end.

Those high-sounding fellows have only driven away one Tsar, only to have a whole new group of Tsars arrive.

But at this moment, Ivanov's image in his eyes became much more impressive.

Perhaps it's because people with ideals are always considered more noble than others.

Even though Ivanov’s ideals seemed naive and ridiculous to him, like utopian fantasies.

But someone has to remain naive, so that others can see hope.

Faced with his friend's affirmation, Ivanov remained unconcerned and reiterated, "I have always been a staunch Marxist."

Okay, whatever makes you happy.

They didn't take the train to Moscow; they flew directly there.

The farmers were incredibly excited; it was their first time flying.

Wang Xiao laughed and said, "You'll get used to it from now on; you'll be flying when you go abroad and come back to China."

That's great! It's definitely worth it to farm abroad.

The plane landed at an airport in the suburbs of Moscow, and then a bus took the people to a farm.

Everyone arrived at their destination, feeling dizzy and carrying large and small bags. Their heads were throbbing, and some people even vomited as soon as they got off the bus.

However, no one felt immediately disheartened. Because what came into their view, besides the endless fields, were rows of log cabins.

This was built by farm workers who hadn't left yet, commissioned by Ivanov. The wooden houses were painted with varnish to preserve the original color of the wood, while the interiors were painted white to make them brighter.

Although the log cabins are simple, the houses are not small, with an interior area of ​​about 80 square meters. They are all three-bedroom, one-living room structures, with separate bathrooms and kitchens.

In the corner of the house, there was a fire wall made of adobe bricks.

Thick walls provide insulation, and with the addition of heated walls, heating in winter is guaranteed.

The farmers rushed into the house and were surprised to find that not only were there tables, chairs, benches, and beds, but there was even a color TV and a DVD player, with a pile of videotapes in the drawers.

Wang Xiao explained, "We can't receive Chinese programs here for the time being, so you can watch the videotapes first. Of course, I hope you can learn more things when you have free time, such as learning Russian. It will be more convenient for you to start a small business in the future."

She pointed to the Russian booklet next to the color TV, "Learn from this first. The more you learn, the more you can learn by watching TV. That way you'll learn faster."

Coincidentally, when she turned on the TV, the program that popped up was the Hong Kong drama "The Greed of Man".

Ivanov was astonished: "They moved so fast?"

He only told his friend that he had shown the video to someone, and then he didn't really follow up on the matter.

After all, he had far too many things to worry about.

The farmers were overjoyed because the TV series had been broadcast on Jiangdong TV before.

Back then, most people watched black and white TVs. Now that we've switched to color TVs, it's definitely more comfortable to watch, and it evokes a sense of familiarity.

Hey, hey, hey, what the Russians say on TV sounds more interesting.

Wang Xiao took the opportunity to emphasize: "It would be even better if everyone saw it, as it would make learning Russian even easier."

She quickly ran out to make a phone call. Since Hong Kong TV dramas were already being broadcast, the goods in the shopping street had to include Hong Kong-style clothing.

Oh dear, we really caught them completely off guard.

Fortunately, their clothing supermarket in Jiangdong has always had factories that process Hong Kong-style clothing for them; otherwise, it would have been difficult to find a source of goods in a short time.

Wang Xiao ran out to make a phone call because there were no telephones installed in these log cabins.

Why is she being so stingy with Ivanov? Getting a phone installed in Russia isn't expensive.

Since you've already provided a color TV, refrigerator, and washing machine, why not install a telephone as well?

The boss said: I wouldn't dare to pretend.

How will the phone bill be calculated after installation?

When the farmers turn around and print out exorbitant phone bills, will the boss detain them and prevent them from returning home, or will he dismember them, divide them into pieces, and sell them to pay off his debts?

Making international calls from Russia is indeed cheaper than making them domestically, but only relatively speaking.

If you chat for an hour or two, you're absolutely doomed.

Of course, Wang Xiao made this decision not because he looked down on farmers or thought that farmers were greedy for small gains.

Rather, she knew that everyone would benefit from it.

People still use their work phones to make personal calls all the time.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, it's best not to install a home phone.

Anyway, there are public phone booths here, so you can make international calls.

She also specifically reminded the local farm workers not to borrow their phones without permission.

One of the most important prerequisites for humans to live in harmony is to avoid financial disputes.

When Wang Xiao returned after making the call, he found the area in front of the log cabin bustling with activity.

It turned out that the original inhabitants of the farm had heard the commotion and came to see their new neighbors.

The aging problem in rural Russia is indeed very serious. Of the dozen or so farm workers who came, most were over fifty years old, and there wasn't a single young person to be seen.

And whether it was a coincidence or not, all the people who came were old ladies; not a single old man was seen.

Despite the language barrier, the farmers from the Chinese side still managed to express their gratitude.

They pointed to the log cabin, then clasped their hands in a gesture of thanks to the villagers for helping them build the house.

The translator ran up from behind, and the two sides were finally able to communicate.

The elderly woman from the collective farm said it was only right and welcomed the new neighbors.

Besides, they were paid for their work. Over the course of the winter, each of them earned four thousand rubles, which was almost equivalent to a year's salary. They were quite content.

Hey, everyone gets sensitive when it comes to wages.

Chinese farmers asked farm workers, "How much do you earn a month?"

When they were learning to operate machinery on a farm in Northeast China, they heard that farm workers were paid wages for farming, unlike the farmers in their village.

The old woman, wearing a faded floral headscarf, a blue cotton blouse, and overshoes, looked worried when she heard this: "Three hundred and fifty rubles. My monthly pension is only three hundred and fifty rubles."

When the farmers in China did the math, they realized that this was less than 30 yuan, and they really couldn't make ends meet.

Compared to that, they earn 100 yuan a month, which is pretty good.

People genuinely sympathized with the Russian farmers. How could they possibly have enough money? How would they feed themselves? How would they send their children to school?

They were told that they relied on the produce from their private plots of land for food, and each family had about two or three acres of such land.

The sympathy of the Chinese farmers immediately faltered.

Good heavens, two or three acres is considered a private plot? In their southern region, each small family can only be allocated three or four acres of contracted land.

With so much land, and fertile black soil at that, how could it not be enough to eat?

This is important: those who cultivate private plots don't have to pay three grains and four coins; they aren't assigned any quotas.

These Russians even raise their own chickens, so at least they have a guaranteed supply of eggs.

Okay, let's tone down our sympathy a bit.

As the conversation continued, everyone lost their ability to even laugh.

Because in Russia, children don't have to pay for school—it's really free, the government covers everything.

What's even more outrageous is that they don't have to pay for hospital stays when they're sick.

This isn't some village barefoot doctor giving a perfunctory check-up; it's a proper hospital where hospitalization is free.

Even if you get a serious illness, you can go to a sanatorium, where meals and other necessities are free.

A group of cheerful southern farmers have become depressed. Didn't they say that the Russians were having a miserable time?

Looking at it now, it's not bad at all.

If they were in China, they wouldn't be living as well as others.

After all, they don't have a penny of retirement pension, they built their own houses, and they have to pay for their children's schooling and medical expenses out of their own pockets.

Feeling sorry for them? Haha, the pot calling the kettle black. It's not even as embarrassing as it is.

Wang Xiao quickly encouraged everyone: "We've covered the teachers' salaries, and the school's teachers have also been arranged, so you don't need to pay anything. Once you're all settled, the children can come and go straight to school. If they get sick, you can go see a doctor here yourself; don't worry about the money, someone will take care of it."

Don't assume that barefoot doctors have been brought up; they didn't have any certificates or anything.

Performing medical procedures on Russian territory is considered illegal medical practice, which will lead to a lot of trouble later.

People are still frustrated because the boss paying money and the government paying money are two different concepts. Can they be the same?

I really don't understand what those Russians are thinking. They're living a pretty good life, much better than us, so why do they all insist on disintegrating?

As soon as they said that, all the elderly women on the farm started wiping their eyes.

They didn't want the Soviet Union to collapse; they missed the old days even more.

Prices are rising for everything, but farmers' wages are increasing very slowly. Especially for those of their age, their retirement pensions are pitifully low.

“Those bastards destroyed the Soviet Union, and now they despise us for being a burden. They’re trying to force us to our deaths so they can stop paying our retirement pensions and ignore our lives.”

The Chinese farmer turned to Wang Xiao and asked, "Is that really true? That's incredibly unethical. The government promised to provide for our parents; how can the country go back on its word?"

Before Wang Xiao could answer, someone nearby couldn't wait to criticize: "The country is gone, the Soviet Union is gone, what kind of talk is that?"

Wang Xiao didn't have much to say either; she had no idea what the Russian federal government was thinking.

To be blunt, it wouldn't be surprising if that were the case.

After all, the social wealth that the elderly can generate is very limited, but the retirement wages and medical resources that the state needs to bear are not a small amount.

In science fiction, the first victims of human elimination plans are the elderly.

Next are women and children.

You can never hold a bowl of water level; electricity will only flow to the place of least resistance.

Whoever resists the weakest, whoever has the least ability to resist, will be the one who suffers the greatest disaster.

Ivanov remained silent for a while, then suddenly shouted, "I won't abandon you. I'll still ask you to do work in the future."

The elderly women then stopped crying and started smiling.

Because they actually received their wages from him.

The old woman wearing the faded floral headscarf looked at Ivanov earnestly and said, "You are such a good person, God will bless you."

Ivanov's face turned red instantly, even redder than when he was facing a great beauty.

He awkwardly said, "Let's eat, we should eat."

Because the Chinese farmers had just arrived and were unfamiliar with everything, although the log cabin had a kitchen, everyone still ate together.

Ivanov warmly invited, "Come on, let's all have dinner together."

The farm workers brought their own large loaves of bread to the communal canteen and also prepared salt as gifts for the new farmers.

This time, Wang Xiao saw clearly that there were probably fifty or sixty farmers in the collective farm, mostly elderly women, about two-thirds of them.

They warmly invited their new neighbors to savor the bread and salt.

Strictly speaking, it's a bit of a mess. They should be the hosts, and this is how they're entertaining the new neighbors.

However, people aren't wealthy these days, and they don't have the extra money to put on a grand welcoming ceremony. Most importantly, no one organizes such events anymore.

It'll have to do; it's rye bread and salt, at least it's the gist of it.

Because of personal taste differences, Wang Xiao didn't really like this way of eating. She just tried it as a token gesture, and then followed her heart and poured a spoonful of stewed beef and potatoes over the rice and ate it directly.

Ivanov, however, ate his large loaf of bread with relish, accompanied by salt.

Of course, having tasted countless delicacies, he was definitely not particularly fond of this simple way of eating.

Rather, at this moment, he is fueled by surging emotions.

He solemnly emphasized to Wang Xiao, "Wang, I have finally felt true happiness."

His heart raced when the old woman praised him for being a good person.

Wang Xiao looked at his friends above with a complicated expression, and could only nod in agreement: "Then let's grow vegetables well—oh, by the way, how's the search for materials to build the greenhouse going?"

Ivanov's expression immediately became even more indescribable than hers.

He contacted many manufacturers, but for various reasons, he has not yet chosen a suitable supplier.

Can you believe it? Some factories require him to pay 100% upfront, and it has to be in US dollars, before they can buy raw materials and start production.

But would he dare? What if the guy who got the dollars just turned around and ran away? What good would it do him to go after the factory? He'd be too busy arguing to even get through to them.

Some factories even asked him to help them find raw materials because their original suppliers had run out of stock.

Ivanov simply walked away. Was he bored and had nothing better to do than start helping others organize production?

After this screening process, the most reliable manufacturer turned out to be a military factory.

They originally manufactured window glass for cars, but now they've indicated they're actively transforming themselves to directly produce glass for greenhouses.

Their requirements are relatively simple: you can exchange goods, such as clothes, shoes, socks, and various daily necessities, including thermos bottles.

But Wang Xiao found it even more unreliable and asked him with great skepticism, "Are car windows the same as greenhouse windows?"

Ivanov had no idea, and could only say uncertainly, "Probably the same."

He was equally lazy and ignorant of farming, never having worked in the fields for a single day, and had never even thought about this issue.

Wang Xiao quickly called for a halt: "No, no, no, let's take it slow. There's no rush to build the greenhouse now. We can finish it before autumn. I'm not worried about you wasting money, I'm worried that the greenhouse won't be usable by then, and we'll have wasted another year."

Ivanov was a little unwilling: "Then I'll go ask again."

Before the two had even finished eating, the person guarding the public phone booth came over and called for Wang Xiao.

There is a telephone, including international calls.

Wang Xiao was taken aback, thinking something urgent had happened.

When she called back, she found out that a talented horse had come to her door.

Didn't she previously ask Romanian university students to help her find professionals in greenhouse vegetable cultivation among her relatives and friends?

She actually found a girl.

Her uncle worked in the construction industry and built many greenhouses in the 1980s.

And do you even know who her uncle is?

Ha, what a coincidence! It's Mr. Ovilette. He's the engineer Wang Xiao and his friends met on the train the first time they went to Romania.

He worked with the current president of China in the 1970s and has a very good impression of China.

Comrade Wang Tiejun chatted with people the whole way on the train.

That's why, despite Mr. Ovirette's strong aversion to Moscow, he decided to come and take a look after hearing from his niece that a Chinese friend was investing in vegetable farming in the Russian Federation.

Many of this engineer's friends also build greenhouses, and some of his family members even grow crops in greenhouses.

The most amazing thing is that they actually came to the Soviet Union to study back then.

The soilless cultivation technique of using straw stacks to grow greenhouse cucumbers is an experience they learned from the Soviet Union and Bulgaria.

Wang Xiao was stunned. This felt like something that was exported and then re-imported domestically.

Oh well, I can't worry about that now. Since Romania developed greenhouses so well in the 1980s, let's just invite the Romanians over.

The female college student then tentatively asked, "How many greenhouses do you need to build? Do you have enough materials? Do you need materials from Romania?"

Before Wang Xiao could answer, she added, "You can use rubles, you can settle in rubles."

Wow, that's really strange.

Romania's official currency has never been the ruble, so why would it accept rubles?

It's used to pay off foreign debts.

Although Romanians dislike the Soviet Union, their country has had considerable economic ties with it.

After the collapse of the previous government in December 1989, Romania's foreign debt increased day by day, including the ruble.

Despite its current plummeting value, the ruble was a relatively strong currency before the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) was dissolved in June 1991.

Because at that time, the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) used the transfer ruble as its central currency, and according to the rules of COMECON, the transfer ruble was equivalent to the Soviet ruble.

Therefore, even after the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) was dissolved, the money owed by former member states to the Soviet Union could still be settled in rubles.

Even now, despite the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federation government, which inherited the Soviet Union's foreign debt, has not said that the ruble is worthless.

They would definitely be happy to return the rubles, since the German mark and the US dollar are much more valuable.

Wang Xiao's eyes lit up instantly. This was great news; it was a rare opportunity to spend rubles abroad.

Ivanov made a quick decision: "Buy, buy as much as you can."

Besides this land in the suburbs of Moscow, he also contracted a large number of farms. Even if each area only has 1,000 hectares specifically designated for growing greenhouse vegetables, it can still consume a lot of greenhouse raw materials.

Aha, their ruble-burning plan has taken another step forward.

It's true, now they spend half their energy on business and the other half on how to deplete the ruble.

For this, they acted as intermediaries and made both the purchases and the buying.

And so, every day when they opened their eyes, they still had to worry about the constant influx of rubles.

Sigh, it all comes down to the Russian Federation government's fault.

If the government had been more supportive, they wouldn't be in such a predicament.

Sitting on the flight to Bucharest, Ivanov couldn't help but feel nervous again: "Your Majesty, what if they see me and change their minds again, refusing to accept the rubles?"

It's not that he has paranoia; it's just that his last trip to Romania wasn't very pleasant, which directly caused him to be stressed right now.

Wang Xiao encouraged him confidently: "It's alright, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Don't forget, we have a common enemy—the Soviet revisionists."

Ivanov immediately perked up. When it comes to the victims of Soviet revisionism, who can compare to the Soviet people?

Even when he cries his heart out, he has more confidence than others.

So when he got off the plane and met Mr. Ovitrel at the airport, his eyes instantly turned red: "That despicable revisionism has ruined us all. Why should hardworking people go hungry and cold, while those vampires can transform themselves and sit in high positions to continue to bully and oppress us?"

On this point, people in almost all countries that have lowered their red flags can relate.

Why did a perfectly good country run into problems? Because bad people appeared.

Who are the bad guys? They are those despicable corrupt officials.

The people's thoughts were so simple, so simple that someone immediately opened their arms and hugged Ivanov, then chattered a long string of Romanian words.

Wang Xiao was stunned.

She had long heard that Romanians were outgoing and simple, but she never imagined they could be this outgoing.

Mr. Oveteler and his friends who came with him to pick him up at the airport all had red eyes, and several of them took turns hugging Ivanov.

When everyone met, a smile erased all past grievances.

Once on the train, they quickly became friends who could share homemade soda.

They gulped down the large bottles of soda water, looking very happy.

Compared to airplanes, the conditions on trains in Romania are currently much worse.

I don't know if it's because of the frequent strikes by railway workers, but the conditions on the train are not very good.

The private room was dark and cold, so Wang Xiao had to wrap himself in a large scarf.

What she particularly admired was the Romanians' strong will.

In a train carriage, none of them knew each other before. A young man brought a bottle of homemade wine and shared his soda water with them, and they actually chug it down.

no--

Gentlemen, aren't you afraid they've put something in the drinks? How can you be so reckless?

She won't drink it; she absolutely refuses to drink it.

Her reason was that she was taking medication and the doctor had repeatedly warned her not to drink alcohol.

What she actually meant was to say not to drink alcohol while taking cephalosporins, but the young man misunderstood and immediately gave her a thumbs up, praising the wonders of traditional Chinese medicine.

He had seen a traditional Chinese medicine doctor when he was a child. The old man rubbed his stomach a few times and he felt better.

He was particularly curious about what kind of miraculous treatment it was.

Dear Chinese friend, could you please answer my questions?

She can't be with her Chinese friends.

Wang Xiao didn't understand what kind of treatment method it was, so he dared not talk nonsense.

However, this did remind her that she could look in the list to see if there were any suitable traditional Chinese medicine films.

Period dramas are fine too; it's a good way to change things up after watching too many modern dramas.

She just couldn't recall any good films or TV shows that reflected the daily lives of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. The ones she vaguely remembered were either about romance or about people fighting to the death.

She'll have to call Director Zhang later and ask the professionals to rummage through the film list to see if they can pick out anything suitable.

By the way, the Romanian television station should also follow up on this.

She can't pay the money and then the person who paid it can't get any work done for half a day.

After the train arrived at the station, everyone took a car ride of about twenty minutes to reach the factory.

Wang Xiao learned for the first time that the side windows of the breeding greenhouse had to be double-glazed, with a two-centimeter gap between the two layers, and that they had to be vacuum-sealed.

According to greenhouse workers, this can raise the room temperature by 4-6°C and save 40-50% of energy.

That sounds pretty good, let's buy it.

Ivanov was particularly generous; he cleared out the glass factory's entire inventory.

Mr. Ovetrier and his friends were stunned; they never expected him to be so wealthy.

During the rest of his trip, he fully displayed the style of a nouveau riche, buying everything he saw.

Wang Xiao also learned a great deal from this.

Romania's greenhouse technology was mainly imported from countries such as the Netherlands and Israel. Before 1989, the temperature and humidity in Dutch greenhouses had already been regulated using heating and ventilation systems.

Wang Xiao visited the laboratory greenhouse in Romania. The greenhouse roofs were each independently operable, and computers could control the carbon dioxide levels inside.

The greenhouse is also equipped with shielding panels, which are used to increase sunlight absorption in winter. In summer, when the sun is too strong, they can also help block excessive sunlight and even help regulate the day length in the greenhouse.

Well, she really lacks any understanding of this world.

She thought these things wouldn't appear until at least after the millennium.

In fact, even before she transmigrated into the book, this type of greenhouse would probably be considered quite high-end in China.

Anyway, she had never seen these when she went to the greenhouse to pick strawberries.

In this respect, Ivanov was just as naive as she was, and after nodding along for a while, he naturally bought it as well.

The Romanians were quite disheartened. They had imported some of these things themselves, and back then they were ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work, determined to compete with the Netherlands.

As a result, the country changed, everything fell into chaos, and there was no way to work hard. Eight or nine out of ten of the existing greenhouses were abandoned.

After buying them all, Ivanov ended up buying up all the raw materials, including the steel pipes.

This left the Romanians wondering what else they could sell him.

But Ivanov looked genuinely moved, calling me a friend and expressing his belief that as a fellow Marxist, he must have found the best things here.

Then Mr. Ovetellier and his friends racked their brains for a long time and started promoting the agricultural machinery here again.

Speaking of this, the Soviet Union, as a country with highly mechanized agriculture, had its own agricultural machinery production lines.

The problem is that the Soviet Union collapsed, and their raw material production areas, manufacturers, and sales locations were fragmented.

Production was naturally greatly affected.

Romania's previous president, Căsăoscu, was so focused on self-sufficiency that, despite resulting in low production efficiency, the country unexpectedly retained its complete production lines even after the dramatic changes.

The only thing they lack is orders.

The two sides hit it off immediately, and after a flurry of banter, the ship was fully loaded.

The 450 million ruble deal was successfully completed.

Seriously, I've never had such a smooth deal before; the action was incredibly fast.

In the end, even the Romanians felt embarrassed and gave them a bunch of greenhouse seeds cultivated and produced by their own greenhouse companies.

Wang Xiao was also learning for the first time that the varieties of vegetables grown outdoors and those grown in greenhouses are different. The latter need to be resistant to low temperatures and tolerate low light.

Putting open-field varieties directly into greenhouses will only result in lower yields and higher energy consumption.

Accompanying Ivanov back to Moscow were Mr. Oveteler and his team.

They aim to complete as many greenhouses as possible before autumn arrives in Russia.

Before leaving, Ivanov asked Wang Xiao suspiciously, "Did they want to sell us things all along, which is why they were so hostile towards me? This way, I have to lower my stance. Once they treat me even slightly better, I'm overjoyed and do whatever they say."

Wang Xiao shrugged: "So, do you think you overpaid?"

It's definitely worth it, we absolutely won't lose money.

Romania is also having a clearance sale; they even want to salvage abandoned greenhouses and sell them to Ivanov and Wang Xiao.

It's precisely because the ownership issues of these greenhouses are so complicated that they would probably have to be moved across the ocean to Moscow.

Wang Xiao put his hand down: "Then that settles it. A successful transaction is one where both the buyer and seller are happy."

They can build greenhouses and consume a lot of rubles, so why do they care what tricks others are up to?

Everyone was happy.

Let's go, let's hurry back and get someone to set up the farm.

Don't forget we still owe the Air Force planes, so hurry up and do your best!

As for Wang Xiao himself, he has to stay in Bucharest.

The container wholesale market is finally opening. With two bosses, at least one of them needs to be here to oversee things.

————————

Regarding the greenhouse technology in the Netherlands at that time, the relevant references are the article "Observations on Greenhouse Horticulture Production in the Netherlands" in the March 1988 issue of World Agriculture magazine and the article "Glass Greenhouse Horticulture in the Netherlands" in the March 1988 issue of Taiwan Agriculture magazine.

Furthermore, the saying that "one tsar leaves, and another group of tsars arrives" already existed in the 1960s and 70s when people were opposing Soviet great-power chauvinism.

In addition, the use of company telephones for private purposes in the 1990s, such as making calls to radio hotlines and long-distance calls, resulting in huge phone bills, was also an important aspect of the anti-corruption campaign at the time.

So, it's not that Ajin is slandering me O(∩_∩)O

Have a great weekend! ^O^ Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-01-04 11:44:45 and 2024-01-05 19:41:54!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Hanjiangse 34 bottles; Qiqi 30 bottles; Mimihuhu de, Xiaop 20 bottles; Junzidanmo 10 bottles; ruoshui, Xiaoxiaomianziwangzi 5 bottles; Yueshangrenchujian 4 bottles; aurora, Miaomiao, 20655808, Qiushuifeishui, Yufeng, Pangpangxiong, and jiuwoleyi 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!