Chapter 184 Sea Duck, a model worker in the textile industry.
Having settled on the selection of the "pig-raising commander," Qin Xiangxiang also planned to choose a deputy with a good education, preferably an educated youth, to assist Zhuang Xiaoman in studying scientific pig-raising techniques.
"Now, many books in Xinhua Bookstore have detailed introductions on how to raise pigs, postpartum care for sows, and scientific feed formulation..." Qin Xiangxiang herself was a middle school student in the 1960s. When they went to middle school, they also had to learn about industry and agriculture. She had read a lot of agricultural knowledge and knowledge about pig raising in her textbooks.
Many of her peers also went to the countryside as educated youth.
Because of her experience, she knew that "knowledge gained from books is ultimately superficial; true understanding comes from practice." The educated youth learned a lot of textbook knowledge, which had a good guiding effect on agricultural production, but they were also prone to falling into the trap of simply reciting from the book and engaging in empty talk.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Using our lazy mindset to raise pigs, regardless of anything else, the most important thing is to try our best to reduce the cost of pig feed so that we can raise more pigs."
"The cheapest option is to boil and disinfect the swill from the canteen, then mix it with pig feed and feed it to the pigs."
"We should adapt to local conditions and also take advantage of our island specialties. I know there are kelp farms where we can buy low-priced scraps from kelp factories to feed the pigs with seaweed."
"And what about the fishing brigades you can contact? They dry and grind miscellaneous fish and shrimp into powder... Li Jianzhi, which fishing production teams do you know? Where can you find the cheapest fish and shrimp?"
"Get some miscellaneous fish, shrimp, and dried shrimp to feed the pigs!" Comrade Qin Xiangxiang was very enthusiastic about raising pigs. He hopped on one foot to Li Jianzhi's side and nudged his arm.
When it comes to fisheries production, Li Jianzhi is more knowledgeable than her, since many of the missions carried out by the fleet here are fishing protection patrols.
Commander Li knew perfectly well which fishing production team could snag cheap "pig feed."
Li Jianzhi helped his wife, who was hopping on one leg, and said admiringly, "I really admire your drive during childbirth, and I think sometimes God just seems to be working against you."
Just like this time, yesterday he said he sprained his ankle and needed to rest properly, but today when he heard that he was going to raise pigs, he jumped for joy more than anyone else.
His wife thought about it and realized he was like a resilient salted fish.
Furthermore, Comrade Li Jianzhi discovered that his wife, Xiangxiang, was extremely talented in pig farming. To be honest, he, a post-80s generation, might not necessarily have her "pig farming knowledge".
Qin Xiangxiang: "You finally understand me! But let's not worry about that for now, raising pigs is the most important thing!"
"I'm going to make sausages at the end of the year! I'm going to make sausages!"
"I've been to the Canton Fair before. I like Cantonese sausage, but it's a bit too sweet. However, the steamed rice with preserved meat is delicious."
Li Jianzhi: "You can also make sausages. I suggest you research corn sausages or bamboo shoot sausages."
Qin Xiangxiang: "Bamboo shoot sausage?"
Li Jianzhi: "There are many bamboo shoots here."
"But your factory doesn't have sausage making machines. Let's make Chinese sausage first. Stir-fried Chinese sausage with bamboo shoots is absolutely delicious!"
Qin Xiangxiang chuckled: "You really know how to eat, you fat-loss guy!"
Li Jianzhi: "Now that it's spring, when we have time, let's take Xiaopang and Suisui up the mountain to dig bamboo shoots, dry them into dried bamboo shoots, and we can eat them for a year."
"...I won't participate in Commander Li and the chubby soldiers' operations; I'll just stay home and enjoy the fruits of their labor."
Qin Xiangxiang wasn't stupid; she wouldn't go up the mountain to pull bamboo shoots.
Li Jianzhi: "Tsk, bouncy salted fish."
Qin Xiangxiang said, "At least I, this lazy bum, produced two soldiers for you. Otherwise, you would be a commander without troops. You should lead the team to do the work."
"Dry some bamboo shoots, they're delicious when made into dried bamboo shoot duck... Hiss—I'll write down the name of the fishing brigade you wanted for you later. You know, they eat different fish in different months of the year, and pigs also need to be cared for in terms of their digestive system."
Qin Xiangxiang: "..."
"Why don't you raise some more sea ducks?" In the family compound, each household was limited to raising no more than five chickens. However, the state-owned factory had a large number of workers, and since they were running a collective enterprise, there were not so many restrictions on the number of chickens they could raise.
Qin Xiangxiang: "Why raise ducks?"
"With so many shallow seas and mudflats on the island, it's perfect for raising ducks. The ducks can hunt for small fish, shrimp, seaweed, and shellfish, saving a lot on feed. It's like living off the sea, even easier than raising chickens, since ducks can swim."
“Your factory grows more vegetables than you can eat, so you feed them to chickens, ducks, and pigs… The ducks can produce salted duck eggs.” Li Jianzhi’s expression darkened at the mention of salted duck eggs, because he genuinely disliked them.
Sea duck eggs, or duck eggs in general, are naturally suited to be made into "salted duck eggs." Sea duck eggs that aren't made into salted duck eggs are just too unpalatable! They have a fishy smell and are considered cooling in nature. Li Jianzhi ate six hairy crabs in one go without feeling cold, but after eating just one sea duck egg, he felt extremely cold.
Duck eggs have a stronger fishy smell than chicken eggs. Most people can eat boiled eggs, but how many can accept boiled duck eggs?
Duck meat is a bit more gamey than chicken, which makes it naturally suitable for making various braised dishes, such as braised duck heads, duck frames, duck intestines, and duck necks. In fact, duck liver is also very delicious. Many high-end restaurants have later started using duck liver instead of goose liver.
Li Jianzhi has made sesame oil ginger duck several times. It's ginger duck cooked with sesame oil, and the duck liver inside is very delicious.
Qin Xiangxiang said blankly, "Your idea is good, but we can only set up affiliated farms in the surrounding area. You've put your ducks on the tidal flats. Most of these tidal flats belong to fishing teams, various production teams, and areas managed by your navy. Do you think we'll be allowed to raise ducks in such areas?"
“One hand can’t reach very far, and besides, there’s not much need to raise ducks.”
Li Jianzhi: "This is absolutely necessary, honey! We can collect duck feathers to make down jackets or down comforters, perfect for winter."
As the saying goes, duck meat is the least valuable part of a duck.
The first "down jacket" was produced in China in 1972, indicating that the country now has the technology to make down jackets. Down jackets and down comforters have also been proven to be excellent warm items.
Winters on this island aren't particularly cold, but that's in comparison to Northeast China. After all, there aren't extreme temperatures dropping below -10 degrees Celsius. However, unlike Northeast China, there aren't heated brick beds (kang) here.
Winters are also tough for troops stationed on many islands because the sea breeze is damp. Even in temperatures of five or six degrees Celsius, the biting wind makes it feel like a magical attack, turning people into icy, soaked rats.
"If we can make some down jackets to solve the winter problem, it will save a lot of cotton."
Li Jianzhi: "You should submit a report to your superiors, saying that the textile factory is raising sea ducks to collect duck feathers in an attempt to make down jackets to replace cotton, in order to solve the winter problem for the soldiers and island residents. It should be approved, and other production teams and the navy will also cooperate to take care of production."
In fact, down jackets are not very useful in the south. Down jackets are more suitable for the cold winters in the north. When wearing a down jacket in the humid south, the down inside will feel a bit sticky and not fluffy enough.
In the dry and cold north, fluffy down jackets can effectively protect against the severe cold.
This is also why many people later have the misconception that the south is colder than the north. Wearing the same down jacket, they feel a bit cold in the south where the temperature is five or six degrees Celsius, but when they go to the north and it snows below zero, they feel that the down jacket is very warm.
Down jackets aren't very practical in the south, but they're at least more practical than cotton-padded clothes. They can also be made into down comforters, which are light and warm. Moreover, raising ducks by the sea saves on feed and takes advantage of natural resources.
Qin Xiangxiang: "Duck down...duck feathers smell awful! No matter how warm it is, I don't want to wear it."
"If you don't believe me, wait until you start shivering from the cold, and you'll wish you could wear a down jacket every day."
Li Jianzhi: "Don't pigs stink? Pigs stink much more than ducks."
Li Jianzhi encouraged his wife to apply for permission to raise ducks, because the guy trying to lose weight was also afraid of the cold, and it would be great to have a down-filled inner layer in winter. He didn't want to suffer without a reason.
Not only do you have to suck up to your wife, but you also have to work on her mindset.
We didn't have the means before, but now that we do, we're adding down jackets.
Qin Xiangxiang compromised: "Okay, I'll submit an application. Raising ducks, right? Making down jackets to replace cotton? That's a good reason. Our textile factory wants to replace cotton, so of course it can get approved. However... I can't guarantee how good the final down jackets will be."
"Absolutely."
Back at the factory, Qin Xiangxiang told Assistant He and others about the "pig-raising commander" she had found. "His name is Zhuang Xiaoman. He's a family member from our naval family compound. He's definitely an expert at raising pigs."
"And she knows where to get the cheapest feed..."
"Under her leadership, we will definitely be able to reduce the cost of pig farming to the lowest level and raise more pigs with the least cost."
In this respect, Qin Xiangxiang admired not others, but only Zhuang Xiaoman, after all, Zhuang Xiaoman was a "super sucker" who could save up thousands of yuan in the 1970s and was willing to lend out five hundred.
When it comes to meticulous pig farming, no one can compare to her, and she's managed to raise herself quite well.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Besides Zhuang Xiaoman raising pigs here, we should find a few people in the factory or nearby who are quite familiar with the habits of ducks, and our factory can apply to raise sea ducks in a free-range manner."
Yang Zhixia was stunned: "No... sea ducks? Where are you raising ducks?"
"We wrote an application and joined forces with the fishing brigade and the navy to raise ducks in the mudflats under their jurisdiction. The goal was to get duck down for the textile factories so that we could try to make down jackets to replace some of the cotton for the winter."
The idea of finding cotton alternatives is supported because cotton is so scarce that even military uniforms have been modified to be three-in-one, originally intended to save cotton.
"A down jacket? Clothes made of duck feathers? Is that even possible?"
"Give it a try, let's raise ducks first." Besides, even if it fails, we can still eat duck meat.
Qin Xiangxiang said, "Raising ducks on the nearby mudflats in cooperation with the fishing team can save on feed costs, and the duck feathers can be supplied to textile factories to make down jackets for winter."
Assistant He gasped, "Factory Director, your idea is excellent! Duck feathers are sure to keep you warm, and besides... the meat from these ducks is still meat, after all."
They applied to raise sea ducks under the guise of obtaining down feathers, and there were additional byproducts: salted duck eggs and duck meat.
After the meeting, the preliminary charter for the farm's construction was finalized. Qin Xiangxiang felt very happy. If the pigs, chickens, and ducks were raised well, then good days would come. If the "down jacket" was indeed feasible, then there would be more warm clothes for winter.
Qin Xiangxiang, leaning on her crutches, went out to bask in the sun with great joy. It was another bright spring day. Although she had only just decided to raise pigs, she could already see the factory filled with sausages.
"Director Qin." At this moment, a young and beautiful woman came to Qin Xiangxiang. "Director Qin, hello. I am Chen Wen, a film actress. I used to work in an art troupe as a stage actress. After filming a movie last year, I started to learn how to be a film actress."
"I am still learning."
"In the upcoming film 'Blue Sea and Silver Shuttle,' I will play the female lead, a model worker in the textile industry."
"I have already submitted an application to the higher authorities. Before the filming of the movie, I would like to follow by your side and personally experience and learn from your model worker spirit."
Qin Xiangxiang: "?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
