Chapter 29 Clearing Wasteland and Planting...
Looking into Cui's mother's bright eyes, Liu Limei knew that the mother who raised Ren Qingsong and Miya was no ordinary person.
She warmly greeted them and introduced the children beside her.
"Hello, ma'am! These are my good-for-nothing children."
"Having children isn't good? I can't even hold a grandson."
As she spoke, Cui Dani made no attempt to hide her gaze, staring openly at her third son, Ren Qingsong, in the courtyard.
Liu Limei immediately understood what the other party meant. Ren Qingsong was indeed getting a bit too old to be married and have children.
However, Ren Qingsong is a young man who has already become a battalion commander, so he certainly has no shortage of girls who like him.
"Auntie, Battalion Commander Ren is young and promising. He just hadn't settled down yet. Now that the troops have settled in their new location, we're sure to hear good news soon."
"I hope it's like you said, if we don't get married soon, it will really become a major problem."
Cui Dani was truly helpless; she clearly had a good boyfriend at home, but he just wouldn't agree to be with her.
If they go outside to find someone now, they'll still have to get to know them all over again. What's the difference between that and what their parents arranged?
Cui Dani was too lazy to continue thinking about things she couldn't understand.
As skilled farmers, Cui Dani and Liu Limei, from two different generations, can talk endlessly about farm work, eager to work together and gossip.
Upon hearing that the military was considering allowing family members to freely cultivate the land, Cui Dani immediately decided to stay at the military base for a few more days.
For no other reason than to grow more grain.
In the afternoon, the family and Ren Qingsong's comrades ate two meals together. The rabbits and pheasants that Ren Qingsong had hunted and dried earlier were almost gone.
Both Cui Dani and Miya are frugal people, but when it comes to Ren Qingsong's recovery, they are willing to spend money.
The next morning, after feeding the chickens, the two of them, led by Miya, took their mother to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat.
Throughout the journey, Cui Dani kept praising the army.
"Although this place is close to the border and there is a risk of war, it is much more leniently managed than our hometown. It is worthwhile to raise so many chickens, whether to use the eggs to pay off debts or to eat meat."
"The army even has its own hospitals and supply and marketing cooperatives, which are better than what we had in our commune."
"When I first arrived, I was also amazed. The military is really great."
The mother and daughter talked as they walked, just as dawn was breaking.
When the two arrived at the supply and marketing cooperative, people from houses closer to the cooperative had already lined up.
Miya glanced at the current number of people and estimated what portion they could buy.
She had been waiting outside the supply and marketing cooperative every day for some time, and she had a certain impression of the meat supplied by the cooperative daily.
Aside from what has to be given to the cafeteria, the rest is sold off.
Limited quantities available, first come, first served, and most of it consists of lean meat that people don't like.
Miya tiptoed and silently counted on her fingers, then whispered in her mother's ear:
"Mom, we're pretty early today, so we should be able to buy some succulents."
"Meat? I mainly want to buy some fatty cuts. That way we can eat meat and also make oil."
"We have a full jar of oil at home, Mom, don't worry."
Who would complain about having too much oil?
Upon hearing this, the people in line around him silently nodded in agreement.
These days, nobody dislikes meat with lots of fat. So when buying meat, people always go for the cuts with more fat.
When it was Miya's turn, the situation was as she had expected. All that was left on the cutting board were spare ribs with some meat on them, bones so slippery that even flies would slip on them, and finally, pig lungs.
In the past, Cui Dani would definitely have bought pig lungs; they were cheap and at least tasted meaty.
But her son was injured and urgently needed to recover.
Cui Dani gritted her teeth and decided to buy more pork ribs for her son. Whether she stewed them in soup or braised them with potatoes, they would make a very good dish.
"Give me two spare ribs."
"Alright! One pound of meat coupons, one dollar and fifty cents."
Cui Dani reluctantly handed over the meat ration coupons and money, feeling a pang of heartache.
After buying the meat, she also intended to browse around the military supply and marketing cooperative to see what else she could buy.
When I saw that cabbage and radishes here cost several cents per pound, even if I didn't buy any, I still felt a pang of heartache and an eyeache.
In the end, the two of them only bought a little meat and hurriedly went home.
On the way, Cui Dani kept talking about the army reclaiming wasteland and farming.
"Miya, you really have a good idea. You planted vegetables early on. I reckon in a few months, we'll have more vegetables than we can eat. I've never heard of having to buy cabbage and radishes. It's such a waste of money."
“Mom, it’s okay if we don’t grow vegetables. There are plenty of wild vegetables on the mountain here, including many that we can’t find in our hometown. Next time we go to the market, we’ll go together.”
"Okay, okay! Let's go together."
Cui Dani is now eager to make a big splash, but she regrets that she doesn't have enough land at home.
In an instant, his mind was in sync with Liu Limei's, both of them talking about the army's land reclamation.
At this time, the troops were also discussing this matter.
It's not just the families who want to cultivate the land; the troops themselves also need it. Otherwise, their food and drink can only be delivered from outside. Relying too much on one method is somewhat disadvantageous.
Moreover, self-sufficiency for the armed forces is also a way to reduce the pressure on the state.
However, whether or not to make an exception for family members is a matter of hesitation for the leaders.
Commander Chen glanced at his men and immediately made the final decision.
“We can plant! If we can plant, our families can plant too. But there must be restrictions, there must be ownership, and we can't just clear land at will, as that would affect the work of the troops.”
"Old Qian, your logistics team should come up with a specific plan, and then we can all evaluate and discuss it together."
"Yes, sir, I'll think of a solution as soon as I get back."
Qian Jinbu immediately stood up and saluted Commander Chen.
Something discussed in a meeting can't possibly be kept secret from everyone in the family compound.
Before the specific plan for reclaiming land for farming was even released, the residents of the family compound were already buzzing with discussion, wondering whether their own families should reclaim land for farming, and how much.
Some of the family members who came from the countryside had their eyes light up when they heard about clearing land for farming.
"Oh! Finally, I can farm a little bit again. My hands have grown hair if I don't touch a hoe or sickle for a few days."
"The supply and marketing cooperative sold me even a few radishes for a fee, so at least I can save a little money when farming."
"The mountains around the military base are too steep, and there aren't many plots of land to cultivate. It would be best if my family's land wasn't allocated too far away."
...
However, some self-important individuals also stated:
"I finally got out of the countryside, but now I have to farm. I'm just naturally itchy to stay idle!"
"A peasant is a peasant, even if he wears a military uniform."
“I told you long ago, some people come to the city and put on clean clothes to look like city people, but the smell of mud on their bodies can be smelled from 800 miles away.”
...
Everyone had their own opinion, and a small number of people were influenced and began to wonder if they really wanted to claim land and reclaim wasteland.
But the families of Miya and Liu Limei remained unmoved; nothing could affect their genuine desire for food.
Now, as soon as the logistics department gives the order, they can immediately pick up hoes and start planting.
Amidst everyone's anticipation, the provisional measures for military families reclaiming wasteland have finally been finalized.
The area of land that can be reclaimed is limited. Each family may not have more than five mu (approximately 0.33 acres) of land, and they may only reclaim wasteland on the mountains. The relatively flat areas in the valleys below belong to the military.
After the land was reclaimed, two-tenths of the annual harvest was handed over to the army as payment for the land.
There are no landlords now, but the land is allocated to the military by the state and must be subject to restrictions.
No one was interested in listening to the rest of the miscellaneous content.
Erni briefly recounted what she had seen.
Miya was moved and admired him.
Their interest was definitely in clearing land and farming. Their family consisted of only three people, and five acres of land would be enough for them.
She admired Erni, never expecting that Erni was the most literate person in the Zhou family, a girl who had actually studied for two years.
Feeling the intense gaze from Miya, Erni's cheeks flushed involuntarily, and she felt as if something was about to burst out of her chest.
She struggled to suppress the turmoil in her heart and continued to elaborate.
"The quartermaster said that this will be the current arrangement, and we will add more later if needed."
"So that means we can start clearing the land now?"
"No, the quartermaster said that the logistics department also needs to delineate the areas where the families can reclaim land, divide them into plots, and draw lots. Otherwise, some people's land is far from home, some is close to home, some is on the mountaintop, and some is near the foot of the mountain... Drawing lots is the fairest way."
Upon hearing Erni's answer, Miya and the others nodded in agreement, praising the quartermaster for his thoughtful consideration.
Miya went home and told her mother the news, while Ren Qingsong overheard it.
Faced with his excited mother and sister, he certainly didn't dare to dampen their spirits, but he still couldn't help but try to dissuade them from their excitement.
“Mother, Miya, your son’s salary is enough to support you and Father. You don’t need to work so hard in the fields.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Dani slapped her son on the shoulder.
"Now that you've become an officer, you don't even care about land anymore? If it weren't for the land at home, you wouldn't even know where you are now."
Ren Qingsong was taken aback when he heard his words of advising his mother to rest and enjoy her retirement.
But Cui Dani wasn't satisfied with what she had just said, and continued to add:
How much do you earn in a month?
"The salary is around 100 yuan. If there are targets, there will be subsidies and bonuses, which can amount to 150 or 160 yuan a month."
Upon hearing the salary amount, Cui Dani's heart skipped a beat. She glanced at her son with a mixture of dissatisfaction and pride.
Her son sends twenty yuan home every month, and she was worried that it wouldn't be enough for him to live on. Now it seems that she was overthinking it.
Such a high salary is probably among the top in their county, and she couldn't help but feel proud.
She was somewhat unhappy that her son had kept it from her, but she could understand his little schemes; she couldn't expect him to always be the sole provider for the family.
Cui Dani was interrupted by Ren Qingsong for a moment after she had thought of what she wanted to say, but she quickly found her way back and continued to express her thoughts.
“It looks like a lot. Your father and I don’t need you to support us alone. You should be thinking about starting a family. Your salary may seem like a lot, but you need to get married, have children, and then pay for their education and marriage. You have to be careful with your money.”
"If the villagers knew you had to pay for a radish and a few cabbages, they'd talk you into a mud pit. What if these old bones of mine get rusty if I don't move around often?"
Ren Qingsong realized for the first time how eloquent his mother was, and immediately surrendered and submitted.
He never said another word about his mother and Miya's plan to clear land for farming.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com