Seeing that the couple in front of him remained unmoved, Deputy Chen proposed another deal: "If our village still wants to exchange pig iron, we can consider it, but the quantity will not be as much as last time. The pig iron we have stored in the future will be used to make farm tools."
Si Cheng and his men were not at all surprised by the decision made by their superiors regarding the use of pig iron. After all, now was the time to develop productivity, and ironware was a crucial step.
Si Cheng said, "Our village has enough pig iron, and there is no need for it for the time being."
The amount of pig iron they exchanged with Village Chief Zheng and the others in Yancun was enough for the village to use for a long time. In addition, Yunqi could also secretly add some more, so they were no longer as obsessed with pig iron as before.
Only then did Deputy Chen remember that Pinghe Village was a ruin discovered on the mountain, and a lot of good things were found inside.
"We can talk things over. Even if we don't need the pig iron, we can exchange it for cotton or something similar. We won't let you work for nothing."
That's a good idea. The couple exchanged a glance. After all, the village's clothes are becoming increasingly scarce, and many are patched and mended. If they don't find replacements soon, everyone will have to resort to using the animal hides they made before, just like in the primitive society.
"What about cloth? Or clothing would also be fine?" Si Cheng thought that his village didn't have the skills to turn cotton into cotton cloth, so he could only ask for cloth or clothing first.
"There is some, but the quantity doesn't seem to be much. You'll have to go over and discuss the specifics." Lieutenant Chen didn't dare give a definite answer. He only knew that there was more than half a warehouse of cotton, but he wasn't sure about the others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought up cotton.
He glanced around before whispering to them, "Actually, the city has already brought in all sorts of engineers. Using the limited resources we've collected, we believe it won't be long before we have electricity again, and some things can resume production. I wonder if any of you have any ideas about joining our team? Life will definitely be much better than here."
Si Cheng and Yun Qi were surprised by the other party's mysterious words, and they were surprised by the rapid pace of progress. Not only was the base being built ahead of schedule, but could it be that other things would also be restored soon?
If it were anyone else who heard such news, they would surely be overjoyed and rush to their group, but Si Cheng Er Yunqi did not think so.
Si Cheng said, "No matter where you are, you have to rely on your own hands to create value in life. Although we are farming here, we can also provide security for everyone. This way, the entire base can start operating again and return to its former state."
Seeing that he was still unmoved, Lieutenant Chen dropped another bombshell, "This base will soon start collecting taxes based on the land, and you'll have to pay some grain based on the area you occupy. It's a way of contributing to the entire base in a roundabout way."
Yun Qi said, "Why should we? Everyone is already struggling enough. We can't even feed ourselves, so where are we going to get food to hand over?"
Lieutenant Chen said, "But things are already moving in a positive direction. This year's harvest will definitely be plentiful. Even if some is handed over to the government, it will be enough for everyone to live on."
Si Cheng and his colleagues hadn't expected such a thing to happen. They used to think that paying taxes was a matter of course, but now that the fruits of their hard work were being handed over for nothing, they couldn't help but feel a little resentful.
"Isn't all that stored material enough for you to build your base? Besides, these farmers haven't even filled their own stomachs yet, and you want to harvest their grain? Isn't that a bit inhumane?" Yun Qi practically pointed his finger at the other party.
Deputy Chen also spoke of their difficulties, "There's nothing we can do about it. Although the disaster is over, many people are unwilling to return to their hometowns and are stubbornly staying here. We already used up a lot of our reserves during the disaster, and now we can hardly supply them anymore."
“It’s not a solution for them all to live together here. There isn’t enough land for them to cultivate. How will they survive if there’s no harvest?” Yunqi thought of how many people had joined the various villages later on.
“We also brought it up, but they said that sending them back now would be a dead end, unless we escort them back.” As he said this, Lieutenant Chen glanced at Si Cheng again.
The couple instantly understood his unspoken meaning and decided to bring their plans back.
Yunqi looked at him irritably and said, "I'm telling you, don't keep trying to fleece one sheep. Even if Brother Cheng had three heads and six arms, he still couldn't handle you guys."
"So we're really short of talent, especially someone like Village Chief Si. Think about it. If you join us, we'll definitely give you the best treatment, and once things are more organized, you'll be considered meritorious," Deputy Chen continued his persuasion.
"They've come all the way to our village to poach our talent. No wonder they didn't even bother to greet us when they came to the village." Ma Tao put his arm around his shoulder and pressed his entire weight onto him.
“Didn’t we just meet yesterday? Why do we need to greet each other every day? Besides, I’m just trying to get a strong boost for our area.” Deputy Chen shrugged and stepped back onto the edge of the field.
Ma Tao clicked his tongue at him, "As your brother, I have to say something to you. The conditions you just mentioned are still far-fetched and undecided. And you dare to show off like that?"
Deputy Chen wasn't embarrassed by his rebuttal. "We have to trust science. With so many talented people gathered together, we'll create the conditions even if they don't exist. And joining now is definitely much better than trying to join later."
After saying that, he looked Ma Tao up and down and said, "I see that you have recovered quite well. Why don't you stop staying here and go back to find an office job? That would be good."
Ma Tao clicked his tongue a few times, "You've come to me now, but it's too late for you to say that. If it were earlier, I might have gone back, but now, no matter how many conditions you offer, I don't want to move."
When Ma Tao first settled in here, he was a little unaccustomed to it, but in just a month or so, he miraculously integrated into Pinghe Village and began to live his rural life in a very proper way.
Xiao Fang's parents, who live with him, now treat him like their own son, and the family is living a very comfortable life.
Moreover, after Chen Lieutenant's visit this time, he also sensed some changes. Although he couldn't say whether they were good or bad, he felt a certain resistance in his heart.
Deputy Chen was just mentioning it casually. Compared to Ma Tao, he was more interested in winning back the young and middle-aged men from Pinghe Village. They would be a great help, and with their participation, the construction of the base would go much more smoothly.
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