Jiang Tang looked up at the sky, the sunlight shining on her face, reflecting a hint of helplessness in her eyes. After a conversation with Captain Sun, she had a deeper understanding of him: he was overbearing and domineering, with an overly good self-esteem and an absurd narcissism.
"Captain Sun, I'm so busy every day that I really don't have the energy to get involved in the intrigues among my colleagues. Since you think there's no need to hold a meeting, then let's do as you say and make the arrangements. By the way, I noticed that there are quite a few sparsely planted red date trees on the hills behind our village. Should these red dates be sold for money, or should the villagers pick and eat them themselves?" Jiang Tang looked calm, with just the right amount of concern in his words, but he knew in his heart that he had to grasp Captain Sun's thoughts in order to push forward the subsequent plans.
"There were some of those jujube trees when I was a child. Later, some were moved away from Caozi Village, which brought a lot of external income to Mr. Luo. There were too many jujubes, and the price was not good. There were originally many of them, but later many of them were cut down. Every year when the jujubes are ripe, the villagers treat them as wild fruits and pick them to take home and eat. How much can such a small number of jujubes be sold for?" Captain Sun looked disdainful and waved his hand casually, his words full of contempt for the value of these jujubes.
"Captain Sun, do you know what's going on in Youcaoling? Their tea trees, once neglected by the village, have now become a profitable business. The trees are now under unified village management, and Captain Luo has organized a dedicated tea-picking team dedicated to harvesting tea daily. Their tea is of excellent quality, fetching 1.2 yuan per pound. They harvest three times a year, each yielding over a thousand pounds. Furthermore, they organize the villagers to grow vegetables, which generates another lucrative income in the fall. They also raise rabbits, and the price of rabbit fur is quite high right now. With all this, their fiscal revenue could double by the end of the year, surpassing ours in Shaluo Village." Jiang Tang analyzed methodically, her eyes fixed on Captain Sun, not missing a single flicker of expression. She knew full well that Captain Sun and Luo Fengquan had been secretly competing against each other for years, and any mention of Youcaoling's achievements would surely touch Captain Sun's nerves.
Through this period of close contact, Jiang Tang had already thoroughly understood the personalities of both captains. Sun Maocheng, having lost to Luo Fengquan in a competition for his beloved woman, had channeled this resentment into a competitive spirit. Over the years, the two men had engaged in open and covert rivalry, each eager to outmaneuver the other. Captain Sun had indeed made some achievements for Shaluo Village, lifting it from the bottom of the commune. However, his flaws were equally evident: he was autocratic and dictatorial, making nearly all village decisions, big and small, a decision the villagers could only passively accept.
Jiang Tang knew that it was not easy to change Captain Sun's style of doing things, but she knew clearly that a good way to stimulate Captain Sun was to mention the success of Youcaoling.
"They recently reclaimed a hilltop and used it to grow vegetables this year. They plan to reclaim the hilltop and plant tea trees next year. The output of tea far exceeds that of grain, and the market price is also relatively expensive. Although their land resources are limited, the income they earn from selling tea is enough to buy enough food, and there is even a surplus. Although our village does not have tea trees, we have orange trees. As long as we manage it carefully and develop the fruit industry, it can also bring in considerable profits. In addition, we can also prepare a brown sugar workshop. The market price of brown sugar is good, and one pound can be sold for more than one yuan. If it is operated properly, tens of thousands of pounds of brown sugar can be sold a year. If you calculate carefully, this will be a huge income!" Jiang Tang coaxed, with determination and expectation in his eyes, trying to ignite the competitive fire in Captain Sun's heart.
Sun Maocheng had initially scoffed at Luo Fengquan's so-called "aggression," but after listening to Jiang Tang's analysis, he had to admit that these seemingly drastic measures could indeed bring tangible economic benefits to the village. He had initially thought they were just minor incidents, but he hadn't imagined that if things continued this way, Luo Fengquan might actually leave him far behind. No, he couldn't let that happen!
"Okay, then we will hold a village meeting tomorrow and organize people to go to the mountains to count the number of orange trees. Later, we will set up a special team to take care of these date trees. Let me be frank with you, when the red dates are ripe, you must be responsible for helping us sell the fruit smoothly." Sun Maocheng gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind, with an unquestionable toughness in his tone.
"No problem!" Jiang Tang had a victorious smile on his face, and was secretly proud in his heart. You see, as long as we grasp the key, things will always go smoothly.
…
As night fell, Jiang Tang entered the space and handed a bag of brown sugar to Meng Si Ning.
[Where did it come from?] Meng Si Ning's face was full of curiosity, with a glint of inquiry in his eyes.
[Homemade in a villager's home, pure old brown sugar, traditional craftsmanship, and a mellow flavor.] Jiang Tang explained with a smile, his words revealing his recognition of the quality of this brown sugar.
[Countryside families are truly full of talented people, and there are so many skilled craftsmen. By the way, could you please buy me some chickens? The chickens from the mall are far inferior to the free-range chickens in the countryside. The fried chicken I made last time was really unsatisfactory.] Meng Si Ning frowned, his face full of disgust, still feeling a lingering fear as he recalled his last cooking experience.
"Is it possible that the problem isn't with the chicken, but rather that your cooking skills need improvement?" Jiang Tang couldn't help but tease, his lips curling up slightly, his eyes full of teasing.
[Stop making fun of me. I'm telling you something serious. I've been sending letters to Lu Cheng for half a month, but I haven't received a reply from him yet. What the hell is going on?] Meng Si Ning's face was instantly filled with worry, and his tone was filled with a hint of anxiety and uneasiness.
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