After dinner, the two brothers, Su Jianguo and Su Jianjun, sat in the courtyard enjoying the cool evening air.
The summer night breeze carries the fragrance of the fields, and the croaking of frogs can be heard in the distance.
"Brother, there's something I need to tell you."
Su Jianjun suddenly lowered his voice, his expression becoming serious.
Su Jianguo raised an eyebrow.
"What's all the mystery about?"
"Zhao Laosi's matter is probably just the tip of the iceberg."
Su Jianjun moved closer.
"The villagers have a lot of complaints about our family now!"
"oh?"
Su Jianguo sat up straight.
"Tell me more about it."
Su Jianjun sighed.
"Ever since our family's vegetable farm expanded, people in the village have been gossiping. They say all sorts of nasty things, like 'the Su family is hoarding everything,' or 'they've forgotten their roots after getting rich.'"
Who's talking about it?
Su Jianguo frowned.
"There are tons!"
Su Jianjun counted on his fingers.
"Widow Wang said her land was next to the reservoir but she couldn't get enough water for irrigation; Zhang's second son complained that he wouldn't be hired; even the old Party Secretary's family, though outwardly polite, had their share of complaints behind his back..."
Su Jianguo silently smoked his cigarette, the cigarette butt glowing intermittently in the darkness.
He hadn't realized the situation was this serious.
No wonder Zhao Laosi did such a thing.
In the eyes of many, the Su family has become a representative of "rich but heartless".
"Brother, we need to think of something."
Su Jianjun said with deep concern.
"This time they released insect eggs; who knows what they might do next?"
Su Jianguo took a deep drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled.
An idea gradually took shape in his mind.
"Jianjun, do you think... if everyone in the village could benefit from the vegetable base, would the situation improve?"
Su Jianjun was taken aback.
"What's the meaning?"
What I mean is…
Excitement gleamed in Su Jianguo's eyes.
"Establish a 'village cooperative' where everyone can contribute land or labor as shares, and receive dividends at the end of the year based on their shareholding."
"this..."
Su Jianjun's eyes widened.
"Isn't this tantamount to dividing up our family's assets among everyone? That's such a loss!"
Su Jianguo shook his head.
"It's not about dividing industries, it's about common development. Think about it, the base needs to expand, which requires more land and labor. Instead of spending money to rent land and hire people, it's better to let the villagers invest in these resources, so everyone shares the risks and benefits."
Su Jianjun nodded thoughtfully, but quickly raised another question.
"But if everyone becomes a shareholder, how troublesome would it be to manage? What if someone tries to cheat or shirk their responsibilities?"
"Therefore, rules need to be set."
Su Jianguo said confidently.
"Investment is voluntary, but participants must abide by the cooperative's articles of association. Payment is based on work done, and dividends are distributed at the end of the year according to shareholding. A board of directors can be established for management, with everyone jointly supervising the process."
The two brothers became more and more excited as they chatted, until Grandpa Su walked over, leaning on his cane.
"What are you muttering about in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"
The old man asked, frowning.
Su Jianguo briefly explained his idea for the cooperative.
Sure enough, the old man exploded as soon as he heard that.
"Nonsense! Why should we share the wealth and success we built with others?"
"Dad, it's not about dividing up the business, it's about developing together..."
Su Jianguo attempted to explain.
Don't give me that!
The old man slammed his cane heavily on the ground.
"Wasn't the lesson from the cooperative protests back then enough? In the end, who suffered? The honest people suffered!"
Su Jianguo knew his father was referring to the painful experiences during the commune era, and patiently explained.
"Dad, this is different from before. Now it's voluntary investment, and it's done according to market rules..."
"I don't care about any rules!"
The old man was so angry that his beard trembled.
"Our Su family's businesses must be run by members of the Su family! Letting outsiders interfere will only lead to chaos sooner or later!"
Seeing that the father and son were about to start arguing, Su Jianjun quickly tried to smooth things over.
"Dad, my brother is just suggesting an idea; we need to discuss the specifics further..."
The old man snorted and turned to go back into the house.
The night grew deeper, but Su Jianguo was wide awake.
He stood in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky, lost in thought.
My father's words made sense, but the conflicts in the village were also very real.
How to find a balance between family interests and rural harmony?
Are cooperatives really a good solution to the problem?
The next morning, Su Jianguo went to see the old Party Secretary.
Two hours later, the village committee's loudspeaker announced something.
"Attention all villagers, there will be a meeting at the village committee at 2 PM this afternoon to discuss the establishment of a vegetable cooperative. Each household must send at least one representative..."
As Su Jianguo stood in front of the village committee and watched the villagers walk in twos and threes, he felt both expectant and apprehensive.
Whether this bold plan can be realized will determine the future development direction of Sujiatun.
After the meeting began, Su Jianguo explained the concept of the cooperative in detail.
Villagers can contribute land, capital, or labor as shares, with each share costing 100 yuan.
The cooperative operates under a unified system, combining distribution according to work with profit sharing based on shares.
A council was established to oversee the operation and to make democratic decisions on major issues.
"Build a nation!"
Widow Wang was the first to stand up and ask a question.
"How many shares can I get for my three acres of land?"
"Assess based on market price."
Su Jianguo answered.
"One acre of land can yield approximately three to five shares."
"What about the able-bodied men in my family?"
The second son of the Zhang family asked impatiently.
"A full-time worker counts as one share, and can earn over a thousand yuan a year just in salary, plus a year-end bonus."
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