What was so special about Daqing Mountain? This question troubled Director Zhang all night, leaving him tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Also unable to sleep were three experts from the city, who stayed up late talking and discussing until late at night.
The next morning, Director Zhang set out before dawn. Old Lady Feng filled two large baskets with fruit for him. He took one basket home and another to County Chief Zhang's home, explaining that the villagers of Wangjia Village had picked it specifically for him. County Chief Zhang was deeply moved and quickly asked his family to take the two bags of brown sugar they had just bought to the brigade cafeteria to mix with water for the children.
Before leaving, Director Zhang shamelessly robbed County Magistrate Zhang of two milk candy tickets. Together with the two he borrowed from the staff quarters, Director Zhang excitedly rushed to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought four pounds of White Rabbit milk candy.
Everyone in Wangjia Village went to the fields early in the morning to work, and only returned to the canteen for breakfast when the sun was high in the sky.
Everyone's been pretty tired lately, so we made a delicious breakfast. Jiaojiao and her friends had gathered nearly every pheasant and bird egg from Daqing Mountain, along with wild duck eggs from the river. Scrambled eggs with wild onions had a unique flavor.
Steamed sweet potatoes, boiled chestnuts, and wild vegetable porridge.
The breakfast was so rich that Director Zhang and several experts were amazed. However, Technician Li was obviously used to it.
"It's true that you live by the mountain, eat by the mountain; you live by the water, eat by the water. I even want to live here in Daqingshan." Director Zhang said with emotion.
"I'm not saying this, but in the village at the foot of Daqing Mountain, our Wangjia Village is the most blessed by the Mountain Goddess. No child from our Wangjia Village who goes into the mountain comes out empty-handed!" Wang Guifen said to a few people with a mysterious look on her face.
"Wang Guifen, go clean up! We need something nice this afternoon to entertain our expert comrades and Director Zhang."
"Hey! Okay! Captain, I'll go right away!"
Wang Guifen promised Director Zhang and several experts, "Just wait for the delicious food this afternoon! No, I have to go find Jiaojiao and the others to get some ingredients first!"
After breakfast, Jiaojiao's expedition team set out again, this time with a few more members.
Director Zhang and his expert colleagues were very curious about the Daqing Mountains, and invited Jiaojiao to be their guide to lead them into the mountains for exploration.
Jiaojiao knew their intentions and took them to explore various mountain valleys. In the evening, smoke rose from the brigade canteen as the mountain expedition team came down from Daqing Mountain with a full load.
"Daqingshan is truly a treasure mountain rich in resources." There was a strange light flashing in the expert's eyes.
Director Zhang nodded in agreement. "Yes, our Xinjin County relied on the Daqing Mountains to survive the food crisis! Last year, a heavy rain wiped out all the crops in our fields, leaving so many people in despair. Who could have imagined that under such difficult conditions, we could actually survive! It's all thanks to the Daqing Mountains! Otherwise, who knows how many people in our Xinjin County would have starved to death."
Therefore, this Daqing Mountain is the Mother Mountain of our Xinjin County. Everyone in our Xinjin County loves this mountain and everyone will protect this Mother Mountain."
Several experts are aware of this. Xinjin County is part of Wucheng. Almost all of Wucheng's six cities and one district were affected by the disaster. Compared to Xinjin County, the situation in other counties is dire. Most people have gone out to beg, returning from the south after the harsh winter.
However, Wucheng suffered severe damage this year. According to incomplete statistics, at least 10,000 people died or went missing in each of the other counties.
Among these counties, Xinjin County performed exceptionally well. The death toll remained roughly the same as in previous years. Most remarkably, only a small number of Xinjin County residents ventured out to beg, with the majority remaining at home. It's said that the vast, rolling Daqing Mountains to the south of the city were the source of the abundant produce that sustained the entire population of Xinjin County.
The experts looked at each other, then at the rolling Daqing Mountains, each with their own plans in mind.
In the county town, Secretary Wang frowned upon learning that the director of the Agricultural Bureau and several experts were stationed in Wangjia Village. He had recently finally established a connection, and from this connection, he learned that Zhang Weimin would soon be implicated because of his comrades. He felt relieved.
In Wucheng, Lu Fengming is under quarantine and investigation, with all work suspended. Faced with false accusations, he refuses to acknowledge them. His interrogators are furious; Lu Fengming is a stubborn man who will not yield unless some tactics are used.
"Go, start with those who are close to him. If that doesn't work, find his family and use threats and bribes to force him into submission!"
The first person to suffer was Xinjin County Magistrate Zhang Weimin. He had just returned to the county town from the countryside and, before he even reached the county party committee compound, he was bundled into a car and taken away.
Secretary Wang came out to take charge of the overall situation and temporarily acted as the acting mayor of the county, Zhang Weimin.
Section Chief Kong jumped up again: "Secretary, what do you think is going on over at Wangjia Village?"
Recently, because Director Zhang and the experts were here, their personnel had been withdrawn. Now that Zhang Weimin was taken away for investigation, it was a good time for them to take action.
Secretary Wang had been waiting for this day. He ordered Section Chief Kong to directly mobilize the County Public Security Bureau and the police station affiliated with Wangjia Village's commune. After the grain harvest in Wangjia Village was complete, they took drastic measures under the pretext of "protecting high-yield wheat seeds" and swiftly removed all the grain.
Just as Secretary Wang and Section Chief Kong were plotting in the county seat, the captains and brigade secretaries of the four villages near Daqing Mountain also gathered together.
The captain of Wangjia Village received a warning today from Jiaojiao that Secretary Wang would send people to seize grain in five days. Meanwhile, County Magistrate Zhang, who had been protecting Wangjia Village, was being taken in for investigation on trumped-up charges. Secretary Wang was using this time difference.
The captain was at a loss. If they really used force, the people of Wangjia Village would definitely take action, which would lead to bloodshed.
"Let's find a few other villages to form an alliance!" Jiaojiao suggested.
Because of Daqing Mountain, the four surnamed villages have become increasingly close. Captain Wang's words were met with eager agreement from the captains and secretaries of the other three villages. After the wheat harvest, they immediately transported the wheat from Wangjia Village and exchanged it for wheat at a ratio of one to two. The remaining wheat was threshed in their own threshing ground, dried, and bagged, where it was quietly disposed of by the people of Wangjia Village.
The guy who was still daydreaming in the county town looked at Erlian, who was sitting with his legs crossed. He took a sip from the teacup, spit the tea leaves back into the cup, and then took another sip.
Section Chief Kong stood attentively by and poured out a bunch of compliments for free.
Suddenly, it was wheat harvest time, and everyone in Wangjia Village, young and old, was out in force. The adults were in the front, harvesting the wheat, while the children followed in groups, picking up wheat ears. The fields were bustling with activity.
In the rush to harvest wheat, everyone gets up before dawn and works until the moon is at its highest point in the sky.
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