Chapter 257: When the east wind blows next year, I hope to see fertile fields stretching thousands of miles and herds of livestock.
Time passed, and the hour hand on the wall clock had quietly moved three steps.
The two finally stood up at the same time and shook hands. Liu Guangde spoke in a more relaxed tone.
"Director Su, it's really not easy to take advantage of your farm!"
Su Wenchen also replied with a smile.
"Director Liu, what are you talking about? Even between units, we still need to help each other in order to achieve long-term success."
"If you only think about taking advantage without putting in any effort, I believe that even if you gain some benefits in the short term, it will not be worth it in the long run."
However, although Su Wenchen said this, he also knew that people in this position must be trying their best to gain benefits for the local area.
Just like the Blue Water Farm he represents, the interests of the farm must also be given priority.
So after hearing this, Liu Guangde replied helplessly.
"Which family is helping each other? They're using our food as capital, using our labor to open up wasteland, and in the end, we have to pay for the rabbits they produce—"
But he waved his hand halfway through his words.
"But it is definitely better than Huangzhe."
There was no way. Liu Guangde himself knew that they could not find any cadres who dared to take over the job themselves. Even if someone really dared to stand up and said that he could do it, he might not agree.
After all, the allocation of such a large amount of grain was indeed an outstanding political achievement.
But if it fails, it will naturally be a big stain.
If he really had to choose, he would probably still choose to let Su Wenchen's farm take the lead, because in this way the unit under the ministry would take the lead.
In this way, even if it fails in the end, the problems will not be blamed on him, after all, they are required by their superiors to provide as much support as possible during the construction period.
They also provided the greatest support possible, including three million kilograms of food rations and ten walk-behind tractors. Even their city-owned farms could not receive such strong support.
So the problems that arise in the end definitely have nothing to do with them. If it develops, that would be even better, as it would just solve the problem of lack of meat supply on their side.
Thinking of this, Liu Guangde instantly felt much better. Isn't it just using our grain as capital and our labor to open up the wasteland, and in the end we have to pay for the rabbits produced!
As long as it can produce results in the end, spend whatever you want!
When Su Wenchen heard the other party say this, he knew why the other party felt uncomfortable, because he felt that he was being taken advantage of. However, this time the other party had given him ten more agricultural machines.
What's wrong with complaining a little? If he gets ten tractors for every time he complains, Su Wenchen feels like he can come here every day.
So Su Wenchen picked up the teacup directly.
"Director Liu, thank you for your support this time. By next autumn at the latest, you will be able to see the first batch of meat rabbits being marketed."
When Liu Guangde heard this, he picked up the teacup directly.
"Forget about thanking us, just provide us with more rabbits when the time comes."
The two teacups clinked lightly together.
Su Wenchen looked at the sunset outside the window with a faint red glow. Looking through the glass, it seemed as if the entire sky was dyed orange.
So I just said goodbye.
"Director Liu, it's almost time. I have to go back to Huanglou Commune soon. If I'm any later, I'm afraid I'll have to drive in the dark."
Since the matter has been settled, Su Wenchen naturally doesn't want to waste time here. He also wants to take advantage of the opportunity to sort out the situation before the New Year and return to Lan City to celebrate the New Year!
Especially this year Jiang Li is pregnant, so it’s okay if we’re not together during normal times, but we still have to be together during the New Year.
Liu Guangde put down his teacup and glanced at the wall clock.
"I didn't expect time to pass so quickly, Director Su, why don't you have dinner in our cafeteria tonight?"
"Look, you came all the way here, and in the end you ended up helping us deal with and manage large tracts of saline-alkali land. I didn't even have the chance to entertain you!"
"I'll ask the cafeteria to think of a way to treat you well tonight."
Obviously, since both parties had already finalized the general content, Liu Guangde also realized that this was not the time to complain.
After all, the general content has been decided, and complaining will only make things more difficult for both sides. Moreover, it will not be a good thing for him if it really messes up, so now Liu Guangde is not stingy with his praise.
Su Wenchen waved his hand.
"Director Liu, please keep this treat!"
"When our farm produces the first batch of meat rabbits next year, I will personally deliver it to you. Then you can treat me well."
"At that time, you entertained me willingly, and I ate with a clear conscience!"
Hearing Su Wenchen say this, Liu Guangde immediately laughed out loud.
"Then it's a deal. Director Su, you must show your favor when the time comes."
"To be honest, if we let the cafeteria entertain you now, we might not be able to prepare anything good in a short while."
"I'll pay for it myself in advance and prepare delicious food and wine to entertain you."
Afterwards, the two exchanged a few simple greetings, and Su Wenchen stood up and said goodbye.
Li Guangde personally sent him to the door.
It was not until Su Wenchen's car started that the other party waved back.
Obviously, after the two parties reached an agreement, the other party also put in a lot of effort and was no longer as he had been arguing with Su Wenchen for a long time over a small thing in the office.
In the car.
Su Wenchen closed his eyes and leaned back in the passenger seat, and began to plan the construction plan for the subsequent branch site.
Although there is now only one commune under the management of their farm, the number of people is five or six times that of their previous farm.
Moreover, these commune personnel are quite different from the previous personnel in their field.
The employees of their previous Blue Water Farm were basically recruited, and most of them were young and strong men and women.
Even if there are some older people, they have no physical problems and can directly participate in physical labor.
But the situation is different in Huanglou Commune.
Half of them were in a semi-starved state.
Only a few brigades near the commune have slightly better conditions, because they are organized by the commune and have obviously managed more lightly saline-alkali land.
And just like the Yangzhuang Production Brigade where Su Wenchen first went, the brigade basically relied entirely on itself, so the governance effect can be imagined.
Especially here, since the saline-alkali land that has been managed will also return to salt, the grain yield is low, which leads to the members living below being extremely scattered.
They were all organized according to production teams, with dozens of households living together individually and scattered.
It’s completely different from their Pingcun Brigade, where the entire brigade lives together.
Obviously, it’s all because of the land’s carrying capacity. Since the food production here is low, if everyone lives together, there will naturally be less arable land, and most of the time will be wasted on running.
So now Su Wenchen also has to consider the management of the personnel of these production teams who will be transferred to the farm in the future.
There is also the subsequent need to pay wages to farm workers, which is also a huge expense.
Thinking of this, Su Wenchen also understood that the local government was not very willing to do it themselves. The investment was too huge, and the future was very uncertain.
If you don't handle breeding well, you might end up losing everything. If he didn't have a golden finger, he might not dare to scale up the business right away.
In the car, Zhao Weiguo watched Su Wenchen frowning since he got in the car.
After hesitating for a long time, he asked cautiously.
"Director, don't they agree?"
"If you ask me, we should just go back to Lan City, or look somewhere else."
After hearing Zhao Weiguo's voice, Su Wenchen opened his eyes and shook his head.
"No, the negotiations were going well. Initially, they only allocated one commune here, and provided three million catties of food rations every year for two years."
"We also allocated ten walking tractors, which is enough for the commune for now."
Listening to Su Wenchen's conditions, Zhao Weiguo was even more puzzled. Aren't these all favorable conditions? Why was he still unhappy?
Does the director want more?
So Zhao Weiguo said hesitantly.
"Director, this isn't too few! Ten walking tractors. Even the Beiwan Commune in Lan City doesn't have ten tractors in total!"
"Although it's a small farm machine, it can handle tasks like plowing, moving soil, and pumping water without any problems."
"Plus, the food ration problem will be solved within two years. Can't we just roll up our sleeves and work hard?"
Su Wenchen shook his head.
"It's not as easy as you say. How do we organize the commune's population to dig the canal? How do we distribute rations to avoid fostering lazy people? And what are the salaries for the planting and breeding departments on the farm?"
"Even diesel for agricultural machinery is limited, and we have to find a way to solve it."
“There are many problems to be solved one by one later!”
For Su Wenchen, this is indeed a challenge. After all, he has to take care of five or six thousand more people at once, and so many more people will be added every year in the future. The pressure on him is indeed much greater.
However, he also knew that as long as they could get through it, their Blue Water Farm and his personal world would become more vast.
The more people and land their farm has, the higher his status will naturally be.
Because power itself actually depends on how many people and resources you can ultimately control.
And the former is even more important than the latter. After all, resources ultimately require people to mobilize and transport them.
When Su Wenchen's jeep rolled over the frosty dirt road and stopped in front of the Huanglou Commune office compound, it was already completely dark.
After getting off the bus.
Su Wenchen looked up and saw that the houses around the entire commune were only lit by the dim light of kerosene lamps.
Especially when hearing a lone dog barking in my ear.
What made Su Wenchen sigh was that in the entire commune, there was only one dog kept at the door of the commune's grain warehouse.
Su Wenchen believed that if it were not for the importance of the granary, the dog might not have been raised.
Hearing the barking of dogs, the commune secretary Yang Zhenye ran towards Su Wenchen with a flashlight.
"Director Su, you're back!"
"It's cold outside. I heated up some sweet potato porridge on the stove in the cafeteria. Come over and have a sip to warm yourself up!"
When Su Wenchen heard this, he touched his belly.
Because they were afraid of not being able to return in time, they rushed back without eating in the city, so they were shocked by what Yang Zhenye said.
Su Wenchen actually felt a little hungry, so he responded directly.
"Then I'll trouble you, Secretary Yang!"
Yang Zhenye shook his head.
"Director Su, what's the trouble? Oh, there was a letter forwarded from your farm this afternoon. They said the address was from the Yangzhuang Brigade, but the postman couldn't find the person there, and their brigade leader didn't dare to receive it, so it was finally sent to me!"
"Go to the cafeteria and fill your stomachs first. Your two farm officials are also there. I'll go to the office to get the mail."
In the cafeteria.
There was a solitary kerosene lamp on the peeling eight-immortals table. In the dim light, two figures could be vaguely seen sitting by the stove on the side, warming themselves by the fire.
The two old cadres, both in their fifties, were chatting casually.
"Lao Cao, do you think the director can reach an agreement this time?"
"If you ask me, it's better to go directly to Dongfeng Commune, which supplies us with fodder, than to farm there."
"A lot of things over there are ready-made, and the foundation is much stronger than here."
"We're just setting up a pilot project, why did the director choose the difficult one here?"
"To be honest, it's not only easy to divert water along the Yellow River, but even if things get tough, we can still set up a fishing team to catch fish and alleviate the pressure on food supplies."
"I've been walking around here these past few days and I've noticed there are hardly any fish in the big sandy river next to it. I guess they've all been fished out."
Cao Jiwen smiled when he heard this.
"Master Hou, the director's plan is much bigger than you think. The director will definitely not be interested in the 10,000 or 20,000 mu of Dongfeng Commune."
As he said this, he picked up a fire stick next to the stove and drew a circle on the ground.
"Based on the research conducted over the past few days, I'm afraid the director wants all of the hundreds of thousands of acres here."
“Finally, I circled it on the other side as well.”
"There are also over 200,000 mu of lakeshore in Pei County. When I went there to investigate, I saw that the director was also quite interested."
Hou Guozhong was a little surprised when he heard this.
"But the director still looked unhappy this morning!"
"It doesn't look like he's particularly willing to take over!"
Cao Jiwen shook his head.
"If the director really didn't want to, he would probably just get in his car and leave. There's no need to waste time here."
"I think the director actually wants this place."
"After all, they're both pilot projects. Which one do you think is more valuable and more rewarding, improving 300,000 mu or 10,000 or 20,000 mu?"
Hou Guozhong swallowed.
"Three hundred thousand acres, Director, you're really bold!"
“How many rabbits would that take?”
Cao Jiwen shook his head.
"We definitely can't just raise rabbits. During our earlier research, the director hinted during a casual chat that we're going to establish a dairy and beef cattle breeding base here."
"I even heard from the director that we will introduce a milk powder processing line in the future so that we can produce milk powder ourselves."
Hearing Cao Jiwen say this, Hou Guozhong subconsciously touched his head.
"Will this work?"
"Raising cattle is much more troublesome than raising chickens and rabbits. It takes one or two years just to grow them to adulthood, and our farm has never done it before!"
As soon as the words fell.
A voice came from the door.
"What? Old Hou, are you backing out?"
As the sound rang out, the wooden door of the cafeteria opened and Su Wenchen walked directly in from outside.
Cao Jiwen and Hou Guozhong, who were warming themselves by the stove, stood up immediately.
When Hou Guozhong heard this, he shook his head.
"I'm not going to back out, but I initially thought we were just here to grow some pasture grass, and now they're saying they want to do something so big, I'm a little surprised!"
However, when they thought about the Yuehua Rabbit, no one had expected that it would become so big in the end, and Hou Guozhong became a little excited again.
After entering the door, Su Wenchen took off his hat and spoke slowly.
"Everything has to be done slowly. Who told you to eat a big fat man in one bite?"
"There are many things in this world that you can't do unless you try!"
Su Wenchen naturally wanted to help Hou Guozhong, a veteran who had followed him since the brigade's chicken-raising days, if he could.
Although he is willing to lend a hand, they also need to work hard on their own. If the situation is really a mess, Su Wenchen will definitely not interfere.
Feeling his stomach protesting slightly, Su Wenchen waved his hand.
"Let me drink a bowl of porridge first and warm myself up before I tell you."
"How's it going? Have you all eaten? Didn't you receive any news from the county or the region during the day?"
The two shook their heads and indicated that they had already eaten.
Seeing this, Su Wenchen served a bowl of sweet potato porridge to himself and Zhao Weiguo who came in later.
I just stood next to the stove and drank a bowl of hot porridge with the sweet taste of sweet potatoes. I instantly felt a lot more comfortable.
Just as he was about to talk about what he had gained from this trip, Yang Zhenye, who came in with a flashlight, spoke directly.
"Director, you walked so fast! I took the letter and chased after you. I couldn't catch up even after jogging all the way."
As he said this, he took out a letter from his arms and handed it to Su Wenchen.
Su Wenchen held the bowl in one hand and took the envelope with the other. He looked at the envelope in the light of the fire reflected from the stove. In an instant, his originally relaxed expression became much more serious.
Since it was forwarded by Lan Shui, Su Wenchen originally thought it was a letter from home sent to him by Ali, but he didn't expect it to be sent from Beijing.
When he saw the mailing address, Su Wenchen immediately put down the bowl in his hand.
He walked straight to the side of the table. The other people nearby were curious about Su Wenchen's expression, but since Su Wenchen didn't say anything, they naturally wouldn't go over to take a look.
Through the faint glow of the kerosene lamp, Su Wenchen unfolded the letter paper.
"Comrade Wen Chen:"
"I have read your letter and feel very relieved."
"The letter describes the current situation of Yangzhuang Brigade in the remote commune of Xuzhou, which is worrying to read."
"The hardship of the members' lives and the difficulties in salinization control are all on our minds."
"However, your style of going deep into the grassroots and conducting personal research, as well as your vision of basing yourself on reality and planning for the long term, also makes our village feel very gratified."
"You proposed a three-step strategy based on thorough research, which not only alleviated the members' food shortage but also addressed the long-term goal of salinization control. This demonstrates your sincere and caring heart."
"Efforts like raising rabbits with alkali-resistant forage grass and improving soil with organic fertilizers are particularly aligned with the country's current policy of 'turning waste into treasure.'"
"After discussion with the Reclamation Bureau and the Agricultural Bureau, we have preliminarily determined that your proposal has pilot value and, in principle, agree with all of your requests to build a farm."
"However, long-term plans such as white pig breeding and dairy and beef cattle breeding are related to the national economy and people's livelihood, and require scientific demonstration and steady progress."
"I hope you will guard against arrogance and impatience, and win the trust of the public with solid data and tangible results."
"The Ministry has instructed the Agricultural Reclamation Bureau to coordinate the allocation of requested rations, educated youth, and agricultural machinery. The amount to be allocated will be determined after consultation with the local authorities."
"We must understand that the country is going through a difficult period. You and I should be more careful with our budgets so that every grain of rice can be stored in the warehouse and every inch of iron can be turned into a useful tool."
"A national agricultural reclamation work conference is scheduled for the 24th of this month. I hope you will bring a complete and detailed plan for its management to Beijing."
"Then I can discuss the pros and cons of salinization and alkali treatment with my colleagues."
"Revolution is not a one-day undertaking. The management of saline-alkali land in the Huanghuaihai area requires the determination of Yugong moving mountains."
"I hope you will take root in one place and bring benefits to the people there. Keep the courage to innovate while also being down-to-earth. When the east wind blows next year, I hope to see this place become a thousand miles of fertile fields and herds of livestock."
"January 8, 1971."
After reading it, Su Wenchen pondered for a while.
He saw several useful pieces of information in the letter. The first one was that the above-mentioned people were in favor of starting to raise meat rabbits.
However, as for the subsequent development direction, especially the development of white pigs and dairy cattle, it seems that people think he is bragging.
However, when it comes to cattle breeding, he is indeed just making empty promises.
But this is not the case with white pigs. After all, the third generation of white pigs are almost three months old. In fact, you can tell at a glance whether they have inherited the white pigs' ability to grow fast.
So he really didn't make any big promises when it came to the white pig.
However, Su Wenchen still agreed with the point in the letter that one should gain the trust of others with solid data.
This was also his idea. He had originally planned to wait patiently until the third generation of hybrid white pigs grew up, and then report to the department after obtaining accurate data.
As for the final trip to Beijing to attend the meeting, Su Wenchen had not expected it.
Because he had written a letter to his superiors before, it was simply a courtesy. After all, the superiors don't have the time to ask you to report in person every day.
I just didn't expect that I would actually be allowed to go and attend such a national-level conference.
Although it was just an internal meeting within the agricultural system, it already revealed a lot of information.
After all, the participants of this kind of meeting are definitely the main leaders in the agricultural system.
Even if he was just there to make up the numbers, your mere presence there is a signal in itself.
So for Su Wenchen, attending this meeting is more useful than a lot of material support.
Because the connections you will make by then alone will be a wealth that most people will never be able to achieve in their lifetime.
Su Wenchen took a deep breath and confirmed the date of the meeting.
Directly turn to the question.
"What day is it today?"
"ah?"
When they heard Su Wenchen ask this, they didn't react for a while. Finally, it was Zhao Weiguo who spoke up while showing off a bowl on the other side.
"Director, today is the 16th, and it's been exactly half a month since I was released."
"Chinese New Year is on the 27th, so there are still eleven days left. If we go back to Lan City for the New Year, we should be able to make it in time!"
Su Wenchen frowned slightly when he heard this. He didn't expect that time was so tight. If he had to attend the meeting, he would probably have to stay in Beijing during the New Year.
However, Su Wenchen also understood that there was no such thing as a legal holiday at that time. Although people would celebrate and take holidays on normal days, when there was a conflict with work, all holidays had to give way to work.
Su Wenchen even heard that some places specifically took advantage of the mobilization effect of the Spring Festival and held it before the Spring Festival, calling on everyone not to forget production during the New Year.
But when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This kind of thing is not something he can decide now.
So he had to arrange things here in advance, so Su Wenchen spoke directly to Yang Zhenye, the secretary of Huanglou Commune.
"Secretary Yang, I've already discussed this with Director Liu from the region."
"Your Huanglou Commune will be directly transferred to our farm management."
"In the next few days, you must quickly organize your commune personnel and complete the transfer of land, population, and material inventories."
(End of this chapter)
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