Chapter 178 177: Time is too short
Secretary Xu nodded and said, "Let me tell you something. The country is now encouraging everyone to reclaim wasteland. Farmers in the village who don't have confirmed usage rights for barren hills, wastelands, and wastelands can contract and reclaim wasteland."
"The reclaimed land can be used for planting, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery. Once approved, it will be used permanently by the collective or farmer who reclaimed the land. No fees will be charged for the first six years after the land is reclaimed."
"If you are sure you want the barren hill behind the foundation, first write an application to the village committee for approval, and then the brigade cadres will report it to the higher authorities for approval, and after approval, we will issue a title confirmation certificate."
Zhou Huaian thought for a moment and asked, "Secretary Xu, if there is no fee for the first six years, what fees do we have to pay after six years?"
Secretary Xu smiled and said, "We have to pay the contract fee in six years. The mountain land near the river on Guanyin Mountain belongs to our village and has been contracted out.
The annual contract fee is only one yuan per mu of land, and it will remain unchanged for 50 years. I think we should take advantage of the government's encouragement and sign the contract as soon as possible."
Zhou Huaian thought about it for a moment. There were more than 300 acres of barren hills. Even if he cultivated 100 acres, the six-year preferential period would expire. The annual contract fee would only be 100 yuan, which he could earn back by planting some ordinary herbs.
"Secretary Xu, the barren hills of Guanyin Mountain are much better than the land behind my family's private plot. Also, isn't it too short to keep the contract fee unchanged for 50 years?"
Secretary Xu pointed at Zhou Huaian and said with a smile: "You kid, fifty years is not long enough! By that time, you will be over seventy years old, and the bones of us old guys will be fed with straw."
Zhou Huaian looked at him seriously and said, "Secretary Xu, you are our good secretary. Not to mention the care you have given my family over the years, just think about the good things you have done for the people of Funiu Brigade. If you live to be a hundred, the villagers will not think it is too much!"
Secretary Xu laughed happily after hearing this and said to Zhou's father, "You still think your youngest child is not ambitious. Look how good he is at coaxing people!"
Father Zhou said sincerely, "Youngest, what you said is true. Everyone in the village says that thanks to good party secretaries like you, we can have a full meal from time to time. The Fangtian brigade next door would rather leave the land uncultivated than allow us to reclaim it."
"The land is barren and can't produce crops. Let's give it to everyone to plant. Everyone can survive." Secretary Xu said, looking at Zhou Huaian and his brothers, "I still say the same thing now. As long as people who are willing to work hard come to me and ask for wasteland to reclaim, I will approve it."
"Thank you, Secretary Xu!" Zhou's father and son expressed their gratitude.
Secretary Xu waved his hand and looked at Zhou's father. "The last time you mentioned the contract fee to me, I discussed it with Captain Zhou."
"The hill behind your house is indeed not as good as Guanyin Mountain. We decided to reduce their contract fee by 20 cents per mu, and extend the contract fee to 70 years without changing it."
Zhou Huaian stood up and bowed to him happily, "Thank you Secretary Xu!"
"Don't thank me yet!" Secretary Xu looked at him and emphasized, "There is one thing you must remember! After you take over those wastelands, whether you plant trees or other crops, you must do a good job."
"Let me be frank with you. If the land is still barren after one year of contracting, the brigade will report it and take back the contract certificate."
Zhou Huaian and his brothers said in unison: "Secretary Xu, don't worry, we will start construction once the house is repaired."
"I'll give you paper and pen, and you write your application. I'll help you file it when I get to the city the day after tomorrow."
Secretary Xu stood up and went into the house to get the account book, paper and pen. "The registered area of that mountain is 380 mu, but it should actually be around 400 mu. How much is each family contracted? Once it's approved, I'll go with the accountant to help you measure and divide it."
Father Zhou said, "Secretary Xu, it's just right for the four brothers to split it equally."
"Okay!" Secretary Xu handed Zhou Huaian a pen and paper, taught the brothers how to write an application, and asked them to sign and put their fingerprints on it.
When the father and his sons came out of Secretary Xu's house, they were so happy that they couldn't stop smiling when they thought that the mountain behind the house would belong to them.
When passing by Xu Erchun's house, Xu's mother curled her lips when she saw Zhou Huaian, turned around, went into the house, and closed the gate with a bang.
Zhou Huaishan glared at the tightly closed door of Xu Erchun's house with dissatisfaction, "Crazy woman, why do you look down on our youngest? His Erchun is not as good as him!"
Zhou Huaijun curled his lips, "The youngest is older than Erchun, so she thinks it's the youngest who led Erchun astray."
Zhou Huairong glared at Zhou Huaian, "People are showing you their displeasure, and you still come to tease them. Why don't you have any ambition?"
Zhou Huaian said dissatisfiedly: "When they came to our house, you didn't give them a good face!"
"You two are not doing your job properly. You are hated wherever you go. You think you are right?" Zhou's father said this and got angry. He patted Zhou Huaian on the head. "As the saying goes, good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels a thousand miles. Once your reputation is ruined, it will be hard to redeem it."
Zhou Huaian rubbed his head, "I'm already in my twenties, can't I just talk to you nicely? You can just hit me on the head every time until I become an idiot."
Father Zhou angrily hit him again, "So what if you're in your twenties? Even if you're eighty, I'll still beat you if you don't obey me!"
Zhou Huaian rubbed the back of his head, and suddenly remembered that he had wanted to move into the new house after the family was divided. The old man would not chase him away and beat him. He felt that he was too naive!
Zhou Huairong and the others looked at Zhou Huaian, who was full of resentment, with amusement, and pulled Zhou's father, "Old man, the youngest one is more capable than us now, so don't hit him. It will be embarrassing if others see us!"
"Hmph!" Father Zhou waved his hands and walked away.
When the father and son arrived home, they saw several children at home. Yang Chunyan and Zhou's mother went to the ditch to wash herbs.
Father Zhou said to Zhou Huaian and his brothers, "Now that the mountain land has been contracted, I will go find a livestock dealer and buy a strong ox to plow the land after the second kiln of adobe bricks is ready."
"I have no objection. Just do what you see fit." Zhou Huaian thought about it and said, "See if there is a suitable mule. Buy us one and bring it back to carry things up the mountain."
“Yes!”
Zhou Huairong thought for a moment and said, "Old man, we have so much land, I'm afraid it won't be enough to buy a cow."
Father Zhou nodded: "Buy one first, and when the family is divided, you can go buy one yourself to avoid making trouble!"
Zhou Huaishan: "Old man, I think it's more comfortable to buy a tractor to plow the land. Look at the tractor in Fangtian Brigade. It can plow more than ten acres of land a day. It saves a lot of trouble."
Zhou Huaijun looked at him and smiled, "Third brother, you are the best. You got it right in one go!"
"You can do it all at once if you want." Father Zhou glanced at the three of them and said, "You have kept all the money. After the family is divided, you can buy whatever you want. I don't care."
Zhou Huaishan smiled innocently, "I don't have money now, and even if I had money, there's nowhere to buy it."
"What a bunch of nonsense!" Father Zhou said as he put on his straw hat. "Let's go. Your grandfather has gone to move bricks."
"I'll go call Chunyan back, and we'll go up the mountain too!"
When Zhou Huaian arrived at the ditch, he saw that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had already washed several baskets of herbs. When they saw him coming, they stopped what they were doing and asked him how the land reclamation was going.
"It's done. The first six years..."
After hearing this, Zhou's mother said happily: "That's good, I have nothing to be afraid of as long as I have the book."
(End of this chapter)
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