The man who spoke first frowned and looked at Lin Ying: "Don't try to change the subject. If we're talking about hardship, everyone is suffering. Other villages are the same. Why can they survive while Jinzhuang insists on being special? Isn't it because they lack the determination to make a revolution?"
Furthermore, if you encounter difficulties, you should seek help from your superiors or leaders to resolve them. What you are doing is fostering the seeds of capitalism, leading everyone astray! You are guiding everyone towards hedonism; this is an unhealthy trend!
Lin Ying snorted coldly: "Revolutionary resolve? How much does it take to be enough? Back when the scoundrels were torturing the people on this land, their ancestors never bowed their heads, and during the revolution, they risked their lives. If that's not called resolve, then what is?"
"Go to your superiors when you have problems? Are you still breastfeeding? Do you go to your mother when you're hungry?"
As soon as Lin Ying spoke, the people of Jinzhuang behind her couldn't help but burst into laughter.
The man, feeling embarrassed, retorted angrily, "You're so vulgar!"
Lin Ying shrugged: "The words may be rough, but the principle is sound. Putting aside everything else, just look at what you all know. As far as I know, each of you will be given cotton-padded clothes, cotton-padded trousers, cotton-padded overcoats, hats, cotton-padded gloves, and cotton-padded rubber shoes when you come to the countryside. In addition, there will be backpacks, water bottles, and other such things."
Have you calculated how much all this money you have will cost? Let me tell you, excluding tickets, it'll be at least 50 yuan, and the travel expenses from your hometown to here will be at least 20 yuan. Of course, these are average travel expenses; some places are closer, some are farther.
In other words, you who are in the know have already spent seventy yuan of the country without doing anything.
Do you know how many people across the country are aware of this? Four hundred thousand! If you just say "If you have difficulties, go to the leaders," and so many people are in trouble, how can the country develop? They could just sit there and wait for their problems to be solved.
The educated youth were made to look bad, but some still disagreed: "Since it's difficult, we should find ways to increase production and agricultural output. That's what farmers should do. It can also solve the problem of food and clothing."
Lin Ying couldn't help but laugh again. She suddenly realized that she used to be just like these people, spouting those seemingly profound but ultimately meaningless platitudes in front of Zhao Qinghuai. Did Zhao Qinghuai think she was incredibly foolish back then, just as she does now?
"What you said is very good. Could you tell me how to increase production?"
The man felt he had the upper hand and said proudly, "Expanding the planting area, improving seed quality, and using effective and scientific planting methods are all ways to increase agricultural output. At least we're not building brick kilns here."
Lin Ying nodded: "Yes, you know that too. But what are the specific steps? It can't be that everyone just shouts slogans here like you and everything will fall into place, right?"
"I don't know about other things, but expanding the planting area means cultivating more land. Only by increasing the land area can we have room to grow more crops."
"Oh, I see. So you can't sleep on your own kang (heated brick bed), so you go to someone else's kang."
The man's face turned pale instantly, and he realized that Lin Ying was mocking him: "You, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Lin Ying retorted, "Isn't that what you mean? You think you don't have enough land and want to expand planting, but do you think the neighboring village is willing to accept that? What do you call that? You call it overstepping boundaries, you know?"
The man retorted, "I didn't say we could only expand to the sides. We can do it here too. The mountain is so big; we can cut down the trees to expand the farmland."
Lin Ying had lost her patience with the person: "Are you making a wish here? Even if you make a wish, it's not something you can just say and it will come true. Expanding the land area requires a sufficient labor force. Do you think a village can cultivate this earth with just two hands and a few oxen during the short month-long rush planting season?"
"Hasn't the country already developed a new planting technology? Using the new planting technology can speed up the planting process."
Lin Ying said irritably, "The country is busy dealing with your problems, where would it find time for development?"
Just then, the captain of Jinzhuang arrived with a folder.
"Here, the documents are. You see, we are a collective factory, not what you say."
These people were literate, so they naturally saw the documents that had been approved by higher authorities.
However, they just couldn't understand why the higher authorities would issue such a document. Wouldn't this cause dissatisfaction among other people? If farmers stopped farming, what would they eat?
Seeing their silence, Lin Ying decided to ignore them.
Time will tell this group of people what is right and what is wrong.
"Director Wu, are we going back to town?"
Wu Bo chuckled, "Go on, go on. If there's nothing else, let's all go home. Everyone should get some rest. Look how exhausted you all are! You've suffered so much!"
Lin Ying almost laughed; she certainly understood the sarcasm in Wu Bo's words.
Just as Lin Ying was about to leave with Shuanzi in her hand, the educated youth who had spoken first suddenly said, "Wait. Were we wrong? Everyone was doing the same thing."
Lin Ying stopped and turned to look at him: "There's no right or wrong here. This is just the struggle of the most impoverished people to survive. You're right, farming is indeed the primary job of farmers. However, this is unrealistic for them who can't farm for half a year. Delivering grain to the national treasury is contributing to the construction of our country."
Their efforts to avoid burdening the country are themselves a form of construction. They haven't done anything illegal, and what they produce contributes to national development. Rather than reaching into other people's pockets for money, they prefer to earn a living with their own hands.
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