I wonder what Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, felt when he said, "Wealth and honor not returned to one's hometown are like wearing brocade at night; who will know of it?"
If Xiang Yu were still alive, he would be feeling the same way as Deputy Director Zhang right now.
Deputy Director Zhang is thirty-seven years old this year. Although he looks older than his age, he is truly a young talent.
The fact that he was able to rise from a remote village like Longshui to become the head of a county is certainly due to the influence of the times, but his personal abilities should not be underestimated.
At this moment, the sun was shining brightly, red flags were waving, gongs and drums were beating, and firecrackers were exploding. The entire Longshui Village was surrounded by people behind him, and two reporters were taking pictures non-stop.
Golden waves of wheat rolled across the field as two Dongfeng combine harvesters worked. Deputy Director Zhang pointed to the wheat field with an air of confidence. The reporter snapped a few photos, capturing this important, historic moment.
Amidst the constant compliments from his fellow villagers and the admiring gazes of the newspaper reporters, Deputy Director Zhang felt lightheaded.
What kind of feeling is that?
It was as if he was being hailed as a god by everyone.
Hmph, even if many people said bad things about me before, now they're all praising me, aren't they?
...
Guo Daming and Li Xiangchao are working in Longshui Village today.
Although the pay for this fieldwork was generous, Liu Changhai still had many things to arrange for the production team, and Ning Ruoruo said she was unwilling to leave the village.
And so, the two of them, being the only two people who knew how to operate a harvester, were sent by the brigade.
Others only regret that they are not smart enough and even less skilled, so why can't they learn to operate a harvester?
Look at Guo Daming and Li Xiangchao, they can earn 4 yuan a day by going out to harvest wheat, and the brigade also gives them a subsidy of 10 work points!
However, their envy didn't last long. Brigade leader Li Jin assigned them to continue harvesting wheat stalks, saying that they would receive a subsidy of five work points for every pound they harvested!
Of course, those who stayed home to dry wheat also benefited. In previous years, this relatively easier work was done by the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, who only had six work points a day.
This year, the brigade leader generously allocated ten work points to each person!
The villagers in the neighboring village, still struggling to harvest wheat with sickles, were so resentful they could drown their village head. The slightly more resourceful village head discussed with his fellow villagers, "Why don't we spend some money and hire a combine harvester from the Lijiapo brigade to harvest our wheat?"
But when I inquired, wow!
One yuan per mu (unit of land area)!
I'm outta here, I can't afford to spend that much!
They had no choice but to resign themselves to their fate and keep wielding their sickles and shovels!
This is how we've done it every year, and every wheat harvest is a struggle. Why is it going so badly this year?
Therefore, comparison is the thief of joy.
While Guo Daming was eating lunch, he quietly said to Li Xiangchao, "No wonder everyone's saying that the fertilizer allocated by the city to the county has all been delivered to his own village by Deputy Director Zhang. Look how thick the wheat is! How sturdy the stalks are! The yield per mu must be over 400 jin!"
Li Xiangchao took a bite of cornbread, swallowed it with cold boiled water, and said enviously, "That's for sure! No matter how hard our brigade plows and digs, we don't have that much fertilizer in the soil! And our wheat doesn't grow as well as theirs!"
"If all these 3,000 mu of land could produce this kind of yield, the people of Longshui Village would be living a very good life."
"I heard that half of the land in Longshui Village is saline-alkali land, so I'm afraid there won't be a good harvest."
After whispering to each other, the two went to the nearby grove to relieve themselves. When they came back, they touched the harvester and felt that the heat had subsided. They immediately started operating the harvester to harvest wheat again.
One yuan per mu!
Xiang Dong has the ability to get harvesters for the brigade, and although we are less capable, we should also work harder to earn money for the brigade.
This is the family of Deputy Director Zhang's elder brother, who is also the head of Longshui Village.
In the center of the kang (heated brick bed) stands a heavy red pine wood table, about one meter square, covered with bowls and plates containing chicken, duck, fish, meat, and common local vegetables such as green beans, eggplants, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
Deputy Director Zhang's cheeks were slightly flushed from drinking; he was in a state of excitement all day.
"Reporter Li, Reporter Wang, this is my hometown! In previous years, the villagers suffered so much! They drank salty water and couldn't get enough to eat. Why? Because our land here is all saline-alkali soil, and nothing can grow here!"
"Of course, that's all in the past. Longshui Village is completely transformed now! As you just saw, ever since I went to the county, I've demanded that the people there focus on agricultural development and make sure we get our food from the land. That's why we have what we have today!"
The two reporters were so drunk they were slurring their words, and they nodded frequently as they listened to Deputy Director Zhang's words.
"Longshui Village is a microcosm, a representative example. Under my leadership, Huichuan County has achieved a bumper harvest this year! You two reporters, please include these in your reports!"
"Of course, don't worry..."
Feeling the red envelopes in their pockets, the two reporters nodded like chickens pecking at rice.
Deputy Director Zhang refilled their glasses with baijiu.
Both bottles of Lutaichun wine were almost finished, and Captain Zhang felt a pang of heartache, but he couldn't show it.
Outside, Aunt Zhang threw the rice scoop she was holding into the pot and went to sit on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room.
I can't be bothered to listen to this cousin's high-sounding words!
This brother-in-law was a good-for-nothing who didn't like to work. He was always up to dirty tricks and was ruthless. Zhang's sister-in-law didn't even give him a second glance!
Who knew that by a twist of fate, this younger brother-in-law would become the deputy director of the county revolutionary committee!
Her husband was the team leader, and because of his job, she inevitably had to flatter him sometimes.
To be honest, I've treated him very well. Every time he comes home, I greet him warmly and cook for him with ten dishes and eight bowls!
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