Era: I was a farmer at the foot of Yaoling Mountain

“You must know that the county is experiencing power shortages. In that case, the Yao village is a priority. I’ll look into it and try to get the village connected to electricity before the Spring Festival.”

The person did not refuse and gave a very definite answer.

"That's more like it! Old Zhang, wait for my call this weekend, I'll treat you to drinks then."

Guo Yongqing was very satisfied. After hanging up, he told Fang Wei about the situation.

Fang Wei couldn't help but sigh, "If I had known that Guo Yongqing had such a good relationship with the head of the power supply department, I should have come to him much earlier."

Of course, it's not too late to find him now. One phone call and the matter will be settled, right?
"Thanks, Uncle Guo. You can treat them to a meal later, and I'll reimburse you for the expenses, as they'll be paid by the Yao village."

Fang Wei thanked Guo Yongqing and then prepared to take his leave.

"Why do you need to reimburse me for a meal?"

Guo Yongqing smiled and waved his hand, then saw Fang Wei out.

He's been extremely busy lately and hasn't had much time to spend with her.

Fang Wei then went directly to the Yao village, where Wang Songlin was leading people to unload the truck. The rice purchased by the village had arrived, exactly 500,000 jin (250 tons).

Once the rice was unloaded, the truck drove away.

Wang Songlin directly arranged for people to start distributing the rations, averaging 300 jin per person, for a total of 18 jin of rice. The remaining 32 jin of rice was put into storage.

By the time everyone finished their work, it was already evening.

Wang Songlin invited Fang Weiyi to go out for drinks. His wife had prepared a few dishes at home, and the two chatted and drank together.

"Songlin, the electricity connection is almost done. They promised to get the village electricity before the Spring Festival, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Fang Wei then told Wang Songlin about the power outage, which immediately enraged him.

He made dozens of trips back and forth, but they kept putting it off, never doing it. Then someone else stepped in, and the matter was resolved immediately, leaving him speechless.

However, the fact that things are about to be done is fantastic news.

"Third Brother, it's still you who has to step forward. Here, let me toast you."

Wang Songlin muttered a few complaints to himself, then picked up his wine bowl, clinked it against Fang Wei's, and drank it all in one gulp.

Fang Wei did it too, and then asked about the other things in the village.

Wang Songlin said that everything is normal in the village, everyone's living standards have improved significantly, and everyone is satisfied with the current situation.

“We still need to keep everyone in high spirits. This is just the beginning. The better days are yet to come. I talked with Grandpa the other day and we plan to renovate and upgrade the houses in the village so that everyone can live more comfortably.”

When things develop to a certain stage, most people will become complacent.

Fang Wei and Wang Songlin briefly discussed his plans. They needed to solve the problems of food, clothing, housing, and transportation. They also needed to work hard to renovate and remodel all the houses in the village.

"That's great! I believe everyone would be willing to cut back on spending to complete this plan."

Wang Songlin immediately became excited and drank the wine sip by sip until he got drunk.

Fang Wei slept in the village for one night and returned to the team early the next morning.

The team has been quite busy these past few days, with Zheng Hu leading the planting of rapeseed. Rapeseed is an important source of cooking oil for everyone, and it has been planted almost every year for the past few years. The team members have gradually become accustomed to the taste of rapeseed oil.

Fang Wei first looked at a few documents in the office, and then went for a walk in the fields.

"Secretary!"

"Party Secretary".

The commune members and educated youth greeted him. There was one less educated youth in the second team, obviously he had gone back to the city after getting a job last time.

In the past two years, efforts to bring educated youth back to the cities have been intensified, with recruitment as the main method. A few years later, a blanket ban will be implemented, and almost all educated youth will have returned to the cities. At that time, employment will become a major problem.

Things are actually not so bad now; at least those who are recruited to return to the city can secure a job.

"Captain Zheng, I think the rapeseed planting in the second team is almost finished. How is the progress in the other production teams?"

Fang Wei saw Zheng Hu and went over to ask him a question.

"The other production teams are progressing even faster. I estimate the whole brigade will be finished in another day or two. However, some people can't rest yet, because they need to harvest the tobacco."

Zheng Hu doesn't need to work in the fields; he's the team's "chief steward," responsible for coordinating and arranging things like this.

Therefore, he knew the production situation of each team best, and in a sense, he was much busier than Fang Wei, the brigade secretary.

"Okay, make sure the manpower is allocated properly, and the construction site can't be affected."

Fang Wei nodded, gave a brief explanation, and then rode his bicycle to another production team.

He is now the "pillar of strength" of Xiatang Brigade. In fact, he doesn't have to do anything. As long as he stands on the ridge of the field, the enthusiasm of the villagers for labor can be mobilized immediately.

A few days passed quickly.

The team not only completed the planting of rapeseed, but also the harvesting of flue-cured tobacco.

This season, the total yield of flue-cured tobacco, excluding some scraps, was 920,000 jin (410 tons), all of which was sold to the purchasing station. The team earned 2.3 million yuan, another large sum of money.

Harvesting crops, points +920000, total points: 10505420.

At this point, the team's main income for the year has been realized, and what remains are small amounts that will not affect the overall situation.

Fang Wei had already decided that regardless of the year-end settlement figures, the dividends would be distributed at an average of 300 yuan per person. Everyone should tighten their belts and use the remaining funds for the "new residential housing" project.

He hadn't discussed this matter with everyone yet, but he was confident he could persuade Zheng Hu and the others.

"Secretary Fang, there's a meeting notice. You need to go to a meeting in the region."

After that, Fang Wei had a relatively free time. He stayed at home after getting up in the morning, and the commune's document delivery person delivered the meeting notice directly to his home.

"Thank you. Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?"

"You're welcome. I have to rush back to the commune for something. I'll definitely come next time."

The person left the notice and went away. Fang Wei picked it up and saw that it was a regional "Breeding Work Summary and Commendation Meeting".

The notice specifically requested that he attend the meeting, otherwise he wouldn't bother making the trip.

Afterwards, Fang Wei took the meeting notice to Zheng Hu and asked him to go to the regional meeting with her.

"Sure, I don't have much going on lately, so I might as well go out for a walk."

Zheng Hu was quite happy. He rarely had the opportunity to attend meetings outside the county. He would usually just go to the commune for a meeting and that would be it. He rarely even went to the county.

It's the off-season for farming now, and he'd love to take the opportunity to visit the region.

The next day.

Fang Wei and Zheng Hu took a bus from the county town to Xiangling City.

The two arrived in the city at noon, checked in with the conference organizers, settled in, and then went for a stroll in the streets.

As a prefecture-level city, the streets are fairly bustling, but they certainly can't compare to the provincial capital.

"Third Brother, did we win the prize?"

Zheng Hu had been hoping for this for years, but in the end, the Xiatang Brigade got nothing.

He felt that since he had come to the regional meeting, the team and individuals should each receive one or two awards.
"There probably will be? I'm not sure, it wasn't mentioned in the meeting notice."

Fang Wei didn't care much about such things. He and the Xiatang Brigade were often at odds, and he didn't want to be in the limelight.

Zheng Hu was very dissatisfied with his answer.

However, he didn't say anything, but wanted to see how well the county and region could handle things.

night.

The two then returned to their guesthouse and had dinner at the guesthouse cafeteria.

The meeting officially opened early the next morning.

Zeng Qing spoke first at the meeting, reviewing the agricultural production situation in the region over the past few years and pointing out the important role of high-yield rice varieties in agricultural production.

The following section extensively introduces the achievements of Xinlin County in rice seed cultivation, specifically mentioning the Xiatang Brigade and the county's breeding base.

"The YX-032 rice variety cultivated at the Xinlin County breeding base has achieved an excellent yield of over 800 jin per mu. The region has suggested to Xinlin County that the farmland area of ​​the breeding base be further expanded to increase rice production. Here, I would also like to give special praise to the Xiatang Brigade of Yaoling Commune in Xinlin County, and Comrade Fang Wei, the brigade's Party Secretary. Their development of the Nanguang No. 2 standardized rice variety and its secondary grade has made outstanding contributions to the local grain harvest."

Zeng Qing introduced that the "Nanguang No. 2" rice variety cultivated by Xiatang Brigade has blossomed all over Xinlin County.

Xinlin County has become the only "breeding-specialized county" in the region, providing a large number of secondary-grade rice seeds of "Nanguang No. 2" for the entire region and even the whole province.

The yield of rice grown from the second-grade rice variety is nearly 1000 jin per mu, which makes the growth rate of grain output in the region much higher than the national average.

Finally, he expressed his hope that Xinlin County could continue to explore the potential of the "Nanguang No. 2" and "YX-032" rice varieties and strive to promote them throughout the province.

After Zeng Qing finished speaking, other comrades continued to speak.

Fang Wei was drowsy listening to the music, and only became more alert during the final awards ceremony.

"Third Brother, we won awards! One for outstanding collective, and one for outstanding individual. I won't even mention the outstanding collective award, but the outstanding individual award went to me, you won't mind, right?"

The Xiatang Brigade received the honor of "Advanced Collective in Breeding Work", while Zheng Hu received the honor of "Advanced Individual in Breeding Work".

Zheng Hu felt that this was unfair to the other party, which is why he asked that question.

"It's okay, I don't mind."

Fang Wei smiled and shook his head. He was a rather controversial figure, so he didn't care about these superficial honors.

He guessed that people like Wu Yaoyang and Zeng Qing thought the same way, which is why he gave the individual award to Zheng Hu.

After the meeting ended, Fang Wei and Zheng Hu followed the crowd out.

At the entrance, staff members stopped them:

"Secretary Fang, Captain Zheng, there is a breeding experience exchange activity hosted by the regional agricultural bureau this afternoon. Please make sure you both attend."

"Exchange activities? Where exactly are they taking place?"

"You'll be received at the regional agricultural bureau. Oh, and Director Zeng said that both of you will have to speak then."

"Okay, we'll go over after lunch."

Fang Wei nodded and promised to attend the exchange activity in the afternoon, after which the person turned and left.

The two then went to the canteen, where the lunch was quite good, with fish, meat, and egg drop soup. After eating and drinking their fill, the two didn't return to the guesthouse but went directly to the regional agricultural bureau.

"Third Brother, what are you going to talk about later?"

Zheng Hu has always been engaged in specific production work and is unfamiliar with this kind of exchange activity.

He's fine with talking, but he doesn't know what to say.

"We'll see what they're saying when we get there, and then we'll just repeat what they say. You can share some of your breeding and production experience, focusing on the details."

Fang Wei knew that it was difficult to ask Zheng Hu to talk about theory, but the other party had a lot of practical experience, and this was his strength.

Zheng Hu nodded, feeling a little more at ease.

When they arrived at the entrance of the Agriculture Bureau and asked around, the old man at the gatehouse immediately gave them directions, telling them to go directly to the bureau's conference room.

The two went straight there, but upon entering, they found that things were not as they had imagined.

There were only seven or eight people in the meeting room, including Zeng Qing, as well as two other regional leaders, Tang Ze and another person.

This doesn't look like an exchange meeting at all; it's more like a three-way trial.

"Secretary Fang, Captain Zheng, you two have arrived? Please have a seat."

Zeng Qing greeted the two of them with a smile.

Fang Wei and Zheng Hu exchanged a glance, then walked to the conference table and sat down.

They originally thought they were there to participate in a normal exchange activity, but now it seems things might not be that simple.

"Secretary Fang and Captain Zheng, you are experts in rice seed cultivation. I must first thank you, because it is thanks to the high-yield rice seeds that agricultural production in this region has achieved leapfrog development."

According to materials submitted by Xinlin County, starting next season, the county will fully cultivate the secondary rice variety "Nanguang No. 2", which will result in an extremely large total yield.

"The reason I invited you two here today is to discuss with you, based on a conservative estimate, how much arable land do you anticipate the [Nanguang No. 2] secondary-grade rice variety can supply in the entire county?"

This was indeed an exchange activity, but it was different from what Fang Wei and his colleagues had imagined. Instead of colleagues sitting together to exchange ideas, it was the two of them exchanging ideas with regional leaders and the head of the agricultural bureau.

Zeng Qing's question had a clear bias, and Fang Wei guessed that it was in preparation for next year's spring planting.

He quickly calculated in his mind that the "Nanguang No. 2" rice seeds produced by the Xiatang Brigade could just supply the county's paddy fields with the second-grade rice seeds.

The secondary grade rice produced each season in the county can roughly guarantee the rice planting of 4000 million mu of paddy fields.

What does this mean? To give an example, the rice planting area in this region is about 800 million mu, and the rice planting area in the whole province is about 7600 million mu.

In other words, the second-grade Nanguang No. 2 rice produced in Xinlin County can supply rice production for about half of the province.

"Director Zeng, theoretically speaking, the second-grade rice variety of 'Nanguang No. 2' produced in our county can guarantee the seed supply for 40 million mu of paddy fields."

Fang Wei checked the information in her mind and, finding no problems, responded.

"Wouldn't that be enough to supply rice production for half the province?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Ze nearly stood up.

Zeng Qing gestured to him, signaling him to calm down. Based on his understanding of Fang Wei, he knew that the other party wouldn't talk nonsense, much less fabricate lies to deceive the leader.

"This is incredible! So, Secretary Fang, how much farmland do you think the [YX-032] rice variety cultivated at the Xinlin County breeding base can supply?"

"It's hard to say, since I'm not very familiar with the breeding base. But based on the breeding materials we helped the base cultivate, I estimate that they can supply the production of about 240 million mu of rice fields."

Fang Wei gave a cautious answer to Zeng Qing's second question.

He knew that Wu Yaoyang valued the county's breeding base highly, but due to the sudden outbreak in Xiatang Brigade, the yield of the cultivated "Nanguang No. 2" rice variety increased significantly, making the breeding base's position awkward.

Regardless, the YX-032 rice variety is an excellent variety, and it can easily supply rice production in four or five counties.

Zeng Qing nodded, signaling Tang Ze to continue asking questions.

Tang Ze looked at Zheng Hu and asked many detailed questions about the process of cultivating rice seeds. These were precisely Zheng Hu's strengths, and his answers were equally thorough.

"Secretary Fang, which rice variety do you think is more competitive, the [Nanguang No. 2] or the [YX-032]?"

After Tang Ze and Zheng Hu finished their conversation, another leader asked Fang Wei a question.

"Both rice varieties have their own advantages and disadvantages, with little difference in yield. They also have distinct taste and flavor characteristics, making them both excellent high-yield varieties. If we had to choose one, the supply of [Nanguang No. 2] would probably be more stable."

Fang Wei certainly hopes to promote the [Nanguang No. 2] rice variety, but the current situation is that the existing rice varieties are not enough to supply the rice production of the entire province, so there is no competition between the two.

How to make production plans from a holistic perspective is a matter for regional leaders or even the province; it's not appropriate for a small brigade secretary like him to say too much.

So he answered the question very carefully, and then remained silent.

Zeng Qing then chatted with Zheng Hu for a while, and time slowly slipped away, and before they knew it, it was dusk.

"Let's stop here for now, so as not to delay their dinner. Comrade Fang Wei, today's conversation needs to be kept confidential. Don't tell anyone about it when you get back."

It was getting late, so Zeng Qingjian took the initiative to end the conversation.

Because the region needs to formulate its production plan for the coming year based on the results of this exchange, some things still need to be kept confidential.

"Okay, we will keep it absolutely confidential. Director Zeng, Director Tang, and all the leaders, we'll be going now. We need to take the shuttle bus back to the team early tomorrow morning."

Fang Wei and Zheng Hu greeted everyone and then hurriedly left the Agriculture Bureau.

Zheng Hu has really toughened up; he's not intimidated at all when he sees his superiors, and instead seems quite excited.

"Third Brother, am I right? The standard rice seeds produced by our brigade supply the entire county. The secondary rice seeds produced by the county can supply half of the province. Doesn't that mean that the seeds needed for rice production in half of the province all come from us?"

"That's right! So what?"

"It's nothing, I just feel very honored, haha."

The two walked back to the guesthouse and then had dinner in the canteen.

the next day.

Fang Wei and Zheng Hu went to the bus station early and took the first bus back to the county. (End of Chapter)