1968: Started from breeding

Chapter 287 This is just empty promises!
Of course, the old man also knew that this was also related to the strict management of Su Wenchen's rabbit shed.

Besides prohibiting other people from entering the rabbit hutch, each rabbit has its own unique number, and each rabbit must correspond to a Moonflower pelt.

In addition, each top-quality Moonflower rabbit has a corresponding responsible team, all of which are to prevent the breeding rabbits from leaving the area.

However, in the eyes of the elderly, dairy cows are different from Moonflower rabbits.

This item doesn't have any diplomatic value, so it can naturally be exported; the West also has very strict regulations regarding high-quality livestock.

Whether it was importing white pigs or dairy cows, they paid a huge price!
It's just that this price has to be paid when it comes to people's livelihoods.

So if we can really breed a cattle breed that breaks the Holstein monopoly, then...

Then the profits are truly substantial.

Because their department had investigated and found that the cost of importing Holstein cattle from various countries each year was a huge sum of money.

Moreover, this thing is usually only imported in batches, and it's not certain that it can be successfully cultivated.

Thinking of this, the old man stood up and said with a hint of solemnity.

"Come on, let's go to the study and discuss your thoughts in detail."

After saying that, he got up and led Su Wenchen toward the study on the second floor.

Just then, the old man's wife and Jiang Li came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of washed apples.

"Hey, didn't we just sit down? Where are we going?"

The old man replied directly.

"You guys eat, I'll go to the study with Xiao Su to talk."

After saying that, he couldn't wait to pull Su Wenchen upstairs.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the other party immediately replied.

"Why are you in such a hurry? I just washed the apples, take one upstairs!"

The old man waved his hand without even turning his head.

"You guys eat it yourselves!"

"You know perfectly well that my broken teeth can't handle this stuff."

Upon hearing the old man say that, the other woman rolled her eyes.

"I know you can't finish it, I'm telling Xiao Su!"

"Here, Xiao Su has one for you. This Guoguang apple is so sweet."

After saying that, he took an apple from the plate and quickly walked over to Su Wenchen, handing it to him.

After receiving it, Su Wenchen immediately took a big bite and expressed his gratitude.

"Thank you very much, Auntie!"

Upon hearing this, the other party immediately responded.

"No need to thank me, come down and get it after you finish eating!"

"The old man is very picky, so let's just ignore him!"

Su Wenchen smiled and nodded.

"Okay, Auntie, I certainly won't be polite."

After saying that, he quickly followed the old man.

The old man responded irritably to his wife's words.

"Am I being picky? I just have bad teeth. I'm not going to waste my breath on you."

"Come on, let's go to the study to talk, Xiao Su."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the second floor without looking back.

Upon hearing the old man's words, the other party didn't say anything more and turned to Jiang Li.

"Xiao Li, it's good that they're going to the study. They can discuss their own things, and we can talk about ours."

"You should have one too. I'm telling you, eating more fruit during pregnancy is good for you."

"How many months have you been pregnant? I think it's been about three or four months!"

Jiang Li heard this and touched her belly, a gentle smile on her face.

"I'm four months along. I got pregnant last September, so I'll probably give birth around May or June!"

"That's alright, it doesn't seem too serious. How's the reaction?"

"There was no other reaction. The child was very well-behaved and didn't bother me much."

"That's good. Let me tell you, my daughter-in-law suffered terribly when she gave birth to this rascal."

"Pregnancy was quite an ordeal."

"Let me tell you, you can't take too many supplements for your first pregnancy, or you'll suffer a lot during childbirth."

"This little rascal is it. When he was born, the doctor said that if the baby was too small, malnutrition would be bad for the baby, but if he was too big, it would be bad for the mother."

You need to be extra careful!

"Yes, Aunt Qiuhua, the doctor also told me that, but I usually have a good appetite, so my belly isn't too big right now."

Hearing the two women downstairs start chatting about their children as soon as they sat down, Su Wenchen grabbed an apple and followed the old man into the study.

It's not complicated inside.

A solid wood desk.

There are several bookshelves on the side, with many works by high-ranking leaders displayed at the front.

There are also various books on agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, and agricultural machinery.

The old man went straight to the bookshelf after entering.

After searching around, they took out a huge map and spread it out.

He waved to Su Wenchen.

"Come on, Xiao Su, tell me your thoughts, and I'll mark them down and take a look!"

Su Wenchen went over and helped the old man unfold the map.

“Boss, here’s what I’m thinking: Eryuan County is at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. Let’s find a place at an altitude of about 1,500 meters on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and establish an initial transportation base.”

"This is Panzhihua City, located at the border of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. It is at an altitude of about 1,200 meters and has a relatively complete industrial base and convenient transportation."

"Therefore, I think it's more appropriate to set up the first long-term adaptation site here, so it will be easier to move it up if any issues arise."

"However, going west from Panzhihua requires crossing mountains, and transportation is not convenient. So, based on the map information I have collected so far, my initial idea is to go north along the Yalong River Valley after leaving Panzhihua."

"The last place to reach an altitude of about 800 meters is Shimian County."

"We will set up a second transition station here to observe the specific adaptation of the cattle breeds."

"If everything goes smoothly, the next step is to go down the mountain and eventually reach YA City, which is about 500 meters above sea level."

"However, since the entire Sichuan Basin is mostly at an altitude of about 500 meters, we can find a place where animal husbandry is relatively well-developed to establish the first breeding base."

"The main purpose of this first mating is to see if the Dengchuan cattle can maintain their excellent quality of high milk fat content after they are born."

"Moreover, the altitude here is 500 meters, so our Holstein cattle from the plains can be transported up here without suffering from severe altitude sickness like in the high-altitude areas. Therefore, the cost of establishing a breeding base here is relatively lower."

"If they adapt well here and can be bred into breeds with high milk fat content, then this method is feasible. At that time, we can arrange for this batch of cattle or select breeds to continue the transfer."

"At that time, whether you go east into the Jianghan Plain or north into the North China Plain, it will be a plain with convenient transportation."

"At that time, we can conduct secondary breeding to select excellent cattle breeds with high milk fat and high milk production suitable for the plains, thus breaking the Holstein cattle's near-monopoly in the international market."

"I believe that many Western dairy companies will line up to buy our bovine essence at that time."

“We can even take this opportunity to develop the domestic dairy processing industry.”

"The milk powder made from this type of high-fat milk is currently quite expensive internationally."

As the old man listened to Su Wenchen's story, he gradually fell into deep thought.

He paused for a moment before speaking slowly.

"Your blueprint is very good."

Do you know why no one has suggested this method before?

Su Wenchen thought for a moment.

"Could it be that they think the cost is too high?"

The old man shook his head.

"High cost is only one aspect; the time frame is also too long, and the future is highly uncertain."

"Even if the Dengchuan cattle successfully come down from the plateau, it may not be possible to breed a better dairy cattle breed."

“At that time, even if the ministry didn’t say anything, it would still have an impact on the person who made the suggestion.”

"After all, such a large expenditure, along with the manpower and resources consumed, is not a small amount."

Are you still willing to implement this plan?

Su Wenchen smiled.

"Boss, I'm not here for the credit."

"I'm here to solve the last crucial piece of the puzzle in our livestock industry."

"The meat and egg issue has been initially resolved; the remaining issue is promotion."

"However, the milk shortage is still enormous."

"Currently, only residents of some core cities have access to fresh milk."

"Not to mention milk powder, even in our Lan City, milk powder is basically out of stock all year round."

"Currently, only Beijing, Shanghai, and the heavy industrial bases in Northeast China can obtain a relatively considerable supply of fresh milk."

"Meat and eggs mainly supplement the nutrition of the current people, but milk is related to the nutrition of our next generation."

"We believe we should grasp both aspects firmly."

For Su Wenchen, his words just now were not entirely an act.

Because he genuinely believes that breeding cattle with high milk fat content and high yield is a very important thing for him right now.

It might not be obvious yet.

Later, as the industry gradually develops, the things he does to solve the domestic meat, egg, and milk supply problem will become his protective shield.

Because every individual who solves major problems for the people of the whole country is practically granted an extra layer of protection.

Although it may seem ethereal, this kind of prestige will be a solid and invincible asset in the information age to come.

Unless there is a huge conflict of interest, most people will not, and are unwilling to, offend someone with such a powerful aura.

Upon hearing Su Wenchen's words, the old man laughed heartily with satisfaction.

"Good good!"

"We must do both things well, and both things must be done well."

"Xiao Su, you have a much broader perspective than I imagined!"

"So, how can your farm receive assistance from the ministry?"

Obviously, for the old man, if someone so young dares to try something, he can't let the young people look down on him.

Their department had no idea about the breeding of Moon Rabbits at the time, so they couldn't help.

They still couldn't help with the breeding of white pigs.

If we're talking about the breeding of these last high-yield dairy cows, their department is still thinking of reaping the benefits without lifting a finger.

Especially after Blue Water Farm has already reported it, if he still hesitates, then he must look down on himself.

Upon hearing this, Su Wenchen immediately spoke solemnly.

"This matter really needs some help from the ministry."

"After all, this requires communication and coordination with multiple local departments. Without the backing of the ministry, this matter would not be so easy to handle."

“My idea is for the ministry to step in and give us a signboard for a high-fat dairy cow breeding base, and for the ministry to allocate special funds to support this.” Su Wenchen then scratched his head.

"If it weren't for us making excuses, the main reason is that our farm's profits currently come primarily from Moonflower rabbits and Bluewater laying hens."

"But the foreign exchange from Yuehua Rabbit never reaches our account, and the profits from the egg farm are barely enough to keep our farm running."

"They can't even give out much in benefits."

"Furthermore, our branch farm is unlikely to produce much this year. In addition, we also need to build training bases for technicians from various regions who come to our farm for white pig breeding training."

"So our farm simply can't afford this amount of money."

"That means we'll all have to tighten our belts and live frugally next year."

Of course, while their venue does not have that much money right now, it's not as bad as he described.

For Su Wenchen, it's time to work, but when it's time to complain about being poor or tired, he can't hold back, and he can't act like he can do anything.

Not only will this make the leader feel uninvolved, but the leader might also think that you are doing a very easy job and will give you more work in the future!

So, although Su Wenchen didn't complain about being tired this time, he did complain about being broke.

Later, they will further demonstrate their hard work and ultimately complete the task perfectly.

In this way, although most of the credit still belongs to the leader, the leader feels a sense of participation this time.

And knowing how hard you've worked, they're more likely to value you more!

As expected, upon hearing Su Wenchen's words, the old man responded without hesitation.

"Okay, I'll go to the institute this afternoon to have a brief discussion with the leaders."

"Generally, the higher-ups agree to these things. We'll come back to work after the fourth year of the Lunar New Year."

"Come to the ministry, and I'll call the leaders from your State Farms Bureau, Animal Husbandry Bureau, and the National Animal Husbandry Improvement Station."

"Let's have a meeting to see which department is willing to take on this task, and then we'll discuss how much special funding to allocate."

After saying that, he tapped his finger on the table.

"Regarding your farm's financial difficulties, it's definitely impossible for Huatu's foreign exchange this month to be transferred to your farm's account."

“But it’s really not right not to give you any money, especially since the rabbit farm still has to get paid by the chicken farm.”

"I'll go to the institute and discuss it with them, and see if we can allocate some funds to your farm after the annual foreign exchange surplus is used up, so that the farm can continue to operate."

"Otherwise, if there is a problem with your egg farm, it could easily bring the entire farm to a standstill."

Upon hearing the old man's words, Su Wenchen's eyes lit up with surprise and delight.

"Boss, really? How much can you give us?"

He never expected that feigning poverty would be so effective; it worked as soon as he started crying!

Of course, Su Wenchen also knew that this was because their farm had made a great contribution again. Otherwise, if you had no merit and hadn't done any work, all you would have thought about was asking for money from above.

That certainly won't get you a pleasant look.

The old man chuckled as he watched Su Wenchen's eyes light up.

"But don't get your hopes up too high. It's impossible for the higher-ups to settle all the foreign exchange you earn to your farm."

"Otherwise, if we settle hundreds of millions of yuan with you every year, our entire department probably wouldn't have as much money as your company."

"Based on your current staff situation, I estimate that it will likely be around one million per year!"

The old man knew that the higher authorities would probably agree to allocate a portion, but with the current number of several thousand people at Blue Pool, a few million yuan a year would be enough to cover employee salaries and benefits.

Su Wenchen was not disappointed upon hearing this, and said with satisfaction.

"Boss, a million or so is enough!"

"It has already made our farm's cash flow much more comfortable."

The old man then added.

"The amount I'm giving is just a guess based on your situation. The exact amount will need to be discussed in a meeting at the institute, but I will definitely try my best to help you get it."

"In addition, regardless of whether the institute allocates this money or not, the expenses for your farm's training base for white pig technicians and breeders will be covered by the ministry."

"After we return to work after the New Year, I'll have the engineering bureau come up with a plan, and then a professional engineering team from the ministry will help you build it."

"After all, the promotion of these white pigs cannot be left to your Blue Water Farm alone."

"As for the food supply for the technicians and feeders who come to your farm for training, you charge them the same amount as if they were eating in a regular canteen."

"At that time, the meal allowance and travel allowance will be paid for by their own unit."

"All you need to do is go back and select experienced technicians who regularly take care of these white pigs, and train them."

Su Wenchen was pleasantly surprised to hear this!

Surprisingly, an engineering team from the ministry's engineering bureau went to help them with the construction.

This was one of the few professional construction teams of its time, and they were definitely much better than the other members of the brigade.

Could they take this opportunity to help them expand their factory and living quarters?

After all, the construction teams were unprofessional in the past, so the buildings were generally mediocre.

Now, shouldn't we take this opportunity to ask them for help?

If it weren't for the fact that promoting white pigs is a national-level task, their farm would normally not have been able to get a professional engineering team from a ministry to help with the construction.

Upon hearing Su Wenchen's words, the old man thought for a moment.

"The main task of the ministry this year is to promote the white pig, so there shouldn't be any other construction projects needed. You can talk to the people who came before you!"

"However, if it is to be renovated or expanded, your farm will have to pay for and provide the cement and steel bars yourself."

"The ministry can only provide the materials and labor costs for building the training base."

After all, these kinds of things require application and approval, and the documents need to be filed and submitted to the institute. It's fine to send people to help with the work, but if there are too many discrepancies in the materials for approval, he won't be able to explain it to the institute.

Su Wenchen immediately nodded in satisfaction.

"Don't worry, boss, our farm will definitely find a way to handle it ourselves!"

Although he couldn't get building materials from the ministries, it wasn't difficult for Su Wenchen to obtain them.

We can just try to find a solution from the city government.

The old man was not surprised by this, because he knew the resources of Blue Water Farm.

They can directly exchange for enough building materials with the local city.

However, he still gave instructions.

"While you need to develop the main farm, don't neglect the branch farms as well."

"The local food supply for you is only for two years!"

"Two years from now, you'll have to be self-sufficient. Don't let those commune members become farm workers and end up even hungrier."

"No matter what, you must make sure the staff below are well-fed, otherwise there will be big problems!"

The old man clearly felt that Su Wenchen was indeed exceptionally skilled in raising livestock, but he was afraid that Su Wenchen would lack experience and become overwhelmed if he were put in charge of managing tens of thousands of people at once.

That's why I gave these instructions. The old man knows that as long as he can have enough to eat, other benefits and treatments are not that important and won't cause any major problems.

But if you can't even fill your stomach, that's when the real problem will arise.

This problem is far more serious than the failure of dairy cow breeding, which had a detrimental impact on Su Wenchen.

Su Wenchen understood the old man's meaning and spoke directly.

"Don't worry, leader. My main goal this year is to solve the problem of self-sufficiency."

"We will consider developing branch farms later. My current idea is to clear the land and plant alkali-tolerant pasture grass in the next two years."

"Then we concentrated some manpower to raise the ridges of some plots of land and transform them into fertile fields to solve part of the food problem."

"Then the pasture will be used to feed meat rabbits in one place and dairy cows in the other."

“When you wrote to me earlier, you expressed your wish to see this place with fertile fields stretching for thousands of miles and herds of cattle and sheep. I have always kept that in mind!”

"Currently, our Academy of Agricultural Sciences is mainly focused on developing high-yield grain seeds, and there has been no breakthrough in alkali-resistant grain seeds at this stage."

"The hundreds of thousands of acres of saline-alkali land cannot be improved in a short period of time. Therefore, I think that in the next few years, the main focus in the Yellow River flood area should be on promoting alkali-tolerant forage grasses."

"Once high-yield dairy cows are bred, and if we can introduce high-fat, high-yield dairy cows, I think we can integrate this area and create a livestock base in East China without occupying the existing arable land."

"It could even lead to the integration of this Yellow River floodplain into a livestock base covering millions of acres in the Central Plains."

"At that time, your original wish to see this place as a fertile land with herds of cattle and sheep can be realized."

Upon hearing Su Wenchen's words, the old man seemed somewhat dazed.

Because the plan was so interconnected, he hadn't even considered what would happen next.

Although Su Wenchen had previously said he would develop the Yellow River floodplain into a livestock center for East China, he thought the other party was just talking.

Who would have thought they were really going to do it!

They were also thinking of integrating this Yellow River floodplain into a livestock base.

However, if it really comes to fruition, it would truly be a world-changing event.

Moreover, the elderly have now seen a glimmer of possibility for success, since transportation in East China is far more convenient than in Yunnan Province.

Because of its location, the Lanshui branch is basically in the center of four provinces, backed by Xuzhou, making it easily accessible from all directions, whether heading south to Shanghai or north to Beijing.

This is also why their ministry didn't build a large-scale breeding base in Yunnan Province, but instead insisted on bringing Dengchuan cattle down to cultivate.

The main problem is that the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region has extremely poor transportation due to its winding mountain roads, making large-scale transportation incomparable to that in the plains.

Thinking of this, the old man waved his hand.

"Xiao Su, let me think about it. You've told me so much all at once today. I need to calm down."

"Your plan has quite a lot of potential consequences. Let me discuss it with the institute first!"

Clearly, the old man felt today that having a capable subordinate was indeed a good thing, but the subordinate was too capable and had too many ideas, which gave him a headache.

I can't even keep up with my own train of thought!
Well, even he himself feels that he is indeed getting old!
Just then, the aroma of food wafted up from downstairs.

"Old man, still busy with work!"

"People come to wish you a Happy New Year, and what do you do? You're making them work overtime during the Spring Festival, aren't you?!"

"Let's eat first, we can talk about other things after we finish eating."

Upon hearing this, the old man rolled up the map and said directly.

"Let's go! Let's go downstairs and eat first!"

After the two of them went downstairs, they faced their husband's grumbling.

The old man immediately felt wronged.

"What do you mean I made him work overtime?"

"It was Xiao Su who made me work overtime, and he's the one who keeps giving me difficult problems!"

"I haven't even solved the first problem yet! And now they've given me a second one!"

However, the other party did not believe it at all.

"Hmph, do you think I believe that? You're the boss, and if you don't want to, do you think others will make you work overtime?"

"It's all because you wanted to."

"What do you mean I'm unwilling? If I encounter a good, feasible solution, can I just pretend I don't hear it and then shrug it off and ignore everything?"

"Why should I be a leader? I might as well go back to farming!"

“I think it’s a good idea. At such an advanced age, it’s good for him to retire. It will make room for someone younger like Xiao Su.”

"What do you know? If I don't protect him, he'll have a hard time coming up here right now!"

"It will take at least a few years to transition!"

After saying that, he looked at Su Wenchen seriously and said...

"Xiao Su, keep up the good work! I might really retire in a few years, so you'd better keep it up!"

Su Wenchen was both amused and exasperated upon hearing these words.

He spent half the day painting a rosy picture for his boss, but in the end, his boss painted him a completely different picture!
This is just empty promises going hand in hand!
(End of this chapter)