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

But Fang Wei didn't know whether she should be happy or sigh.

He knew very well that in a few years, all the educated youth would be able to return to the city.

By then, some of the educated youth who had married and had children abandoned their wives and children, and some were separated from their families, all just so they could return to the city to live.

Many have a good beginning and a good end, but the question is, who knows what kind of ending they will face?
He couldn't say anything about it yet, he could only offer his blessings to Fang Wenshu's sister.

the next day.

Wang Zijian and Fang Xiaotong went to the brigade to get their letters of introduction.

Fang Xiaotong is Fang Wenshu's younger sister, while Wang Zijian is an educated youth in the second team.

"Wang Zijian, you'd better think this through. Now that you've got your marriage certificate, things like getting jobs and returning to the city will no longer be your concern."

Fang Wei was quite familiar with Fang Xiaotong, after all, they were from the same village.

However, he was not familiar with Wang Zijian, and the two had hardly interacted, so he spoke very directly.

"I know, I've made up my mind to live in the second team from now on and I don't plan to go back."

Wang Zijian was not intimidated and his attitude was very firm.

"Oh? I mean, if you two get married and even have children in the future, and if you only have the opportunity to return to the city alone, what would you do?"

Fang Wei told Fang Xiaotong to wait outside for a while, and then suddenly asked Wang Zijian a very tricky question.

The other person was taken aback, clearly finding the question difficult to answer as well.

"I might stay, or I might go back to the city first and then find a way to bring them over. In short, since I've chosen to marry Xiaotong, I can't abandon her."

After a long while, Wang Zijian finally answered.

"Very good, remember what you said. Everyone encounters difficulties in life, but as long as you don't give up, you will find a way to overcome them. Here's a letter of introduction, go to the commune to get your marriage certificate."

Fang Wei didn't say anything more, and casually handed the letter of introduction to the other party, asking him to take Fang Xiaotong to the commune to get their marriage certificate.

Wang Zijian accepted the letter of introduction without saying anything, bowed to Fang Wei, and then turned and left.

Fang Wei thought this kid was a bit boring. At least when faced with that tricky question, he could think about it before answering, instead of spouting nonsense and lies.

If the other party is aware of this, Fang Xiaotong won't suffer any loss by following him.

In the following days, several more couples came to him for introduction letters. They were all educated youth marrying locals, and one educated youth from the sixth team even married a young commune member.

As far as Fang Wei was concerned, he had no reason to stop it, but he had fulfilled his duty to remind him.

The path you take in life is mostly your own choice. Whether it's right or wrong, don't blame others, because that's your destiny.

Just as he was writing a letter of introduction to a young couple, Gao Wenshu suddenly walked in.

“Secretary, our 100 new houses have been completed. The construction team invited you to come and take a look, and they even asked if we wanted to hold a completion ceremony.”

Thanks to the efforts of the builders, the first phase of the new residential building project has been completed. Although the supporting tap water system is not yet in place, the sewage and drainage system has been completed simultaneously and will not affect residents' lives.

Gao Wenshu had been keeping track of the project's progress, so he rushed over to tell Fang Wei the good news as soon as it was completed.

Upon hearing this, Fang Wei immediately stood up and excitedly went to the construction site.

“Secretary Fang, we have to thank the team for their great cooperation in completing this phase of the project ahead of schedule. Without so many workers, even if I had the greatest abilities, I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”

The construction manager was all smiles; he had every reason to be proud, given that the project was completed so far ahead of schedule.

Of course, he was a sensible person and knew what was going on, so he immediately explained the main reason for completing the project ahead of schedule.

"It's our own business, so of course we'll do our best. Thank you, it's all thanks to your arrangements; otherwise, our efforts alone wouldn't have been enough."

"Haha, Secretary Fang is really good at this. Come on, I'll take you to see him."

The construction supervisor couldn't help but burst into laughter. He thought that Secretary Fang was a very good talker, and it was very pleasant to listen to him!

He then accompanied Fang Wei on a tour of the new residence. The interior decoration of the house was completed at the same time, with snow-white walls, smooth floors, and a stove and bathroom. The whole building looked very classy and practical.

After that, it will be much more convenient for commune members to use the toilet and take a bath at home. However, it will still be more troublesome to use water, as they will need to fetch water from the well.

The construction of the waterworks will have to wait until the completion of the second phase of the project. The water source is groundwater, and the artesian well of the second team has a very large output, so it is often not used.

If that well water were brought here, it could become the main water source for the water plant.

"The water pipes have already been laid and have reached every household. Once the water treatment plant is built and connected to the pipe network, water will be available."

Fang Wei saw water pipes and faucets in the bathroom and kitchen, but there was no water in the pipes, so they were just for decoration.

The construction manager quickly explained, and Fang Wei nodded before going into the yard.

Each household has a spacious yard, big enough to park a tractor and stack several haystacks. The ground is paved, making it cleaner and preventing dust from flying everywhere when the wind blows.

Fang Wei walked around the houses one by one, and was quite satisfied with the construction quality.

"Thank you! The team will hold a brief completion ceremony in three days. After the spring planting is over, the second phase of the [New Residences] project will start immediately. We'll need your help again then."

"Not at all. It's an honor that you're letting us continue construction."

Fang Wei wandered around for quite a while, and when he returned to the brigade headquarters, he announced that the completion ceremony would be held in three days.

This matter is entrusted to Gao Wenshu. If you need people, provide them; if you need money, provide it. Make sure it's a festive occasion.

"Third Brother, don't just get excited. How are these 100 apartments in the first phase going to be distributed?"

"Is there any need to ask? Of course, production pacesetters, breeding experts, and sideline workers will be given priority. They will be scored according to their abilities and contributions, ranked from top to bottom, and the top 100 will be moved into the new homes. Also, brigade cadres and cadres of each team will not participate in the first phase of housing allocation."

Such matters cannot be compromised; there must be a clear standard.

According to the principle of "more work, more pay," advanced members must be taken into consideration. The fact that team leaders did not participate in the first round of housing allocation was also for the sake of fairness, as they themselves had to be placed later in the queue.

Zheng Hu was speechless. His wife had been eyeing the new house for a long time, but now that it was built, he had no hope of moving in.

If someone else said that, he would spit in their face.

But since it was his third brother who said those words, and he wasn't involved in the room allocation, he had nothing to say.

"Tiger, don't worry. After the spring planting is finished, the second and third phases of the [New Residence] project will start construction immediately. This time it's 200 houses, and we guarantee you can move into your new home in the fall."

Fang Wei couldn't help but find Zheng Hu's dejected appearance amusing.

He then offered the other person a word of comfort.

"Third Brother, don't try to comfort me. Even if the second and third phases of the project start at the same time, the team leaders won't get a share. Aren't you just making me get all excited for nothing?"

Zheng Hu shook his head helplessly, somewhat disheartened.

"Who told you that team leaders don't get a share? Team leaders are people too, and they've put in a lot of effort for the team's development. Giving way once is enough; there's no reason to give way twice."
Once the second and third phases of the project are completed, the funds will first be allocated to team leaders and those receiving the five guarantees (a form of social welfare), and the remainder will be distributed through a lottery system.

Fang Wei looked at Zheng Hu as if he were a fool, which almost broke the other man's guard.

"Third Brother, you're doing this on purpose, deliberately leaving your sentence unfinished, are you just teasing me?"

Zheng Hu almost lost his temper, but then he laughed.

With Third Brother's words, that's enough. Autumn isn't far off, and he can go back and explain things to his wife.

three days later.

The team held a completion ceremony for the new houses, with firecrackers going off loudly and everyone making a lot of noise by beating gongs and drums.

However, no more people were invited that day. Only Zheng Xianfa and Huang Zhigang attended the event as leaders of the commune. Even Wu Yaoyang did not come.

Fang Wei's actions are often too ahead of their time and are not popular in today's society.

If it weren't for his unparalleled achievements in breeding, which essentially provided high-yield rice seeds for half the province, he might have been punished as a negative example long ago.

Since that's the case, we might as well keep a low profile.

"Young scholar, you actually managed to get this done! To be honest, I regret it now. I really shouldn't have become the commune director; I would have been better off as the brigade party secretary."

Looking at the neat, beautiful new houses in front of him, Zheng Xianfa couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

He had served as the captain of the second team, as well as the captain and secretary of the Xiatang brigade, and knew very well what the team was like before.

Without Fang Wei, everyone would still be struggling to make ends meet, never daring to dream of living in such a nice house.

To be honest, he was envious at that moment. "Don't act innocent after getting the benefits. What was your status before? Just a farmer. What is your status now? A government official, someone who gets a government-subsidized food ration."

Fang Wei showed a look of disgust. Zheng Xianfa was a good person in every way, except that he was sometimes too pretentious.

He wouldn't accept the job if they asked him to come back as the brigade leader.

"That's true! I just envy your housing conditions, nothing else."

Zheng Xianfa chuckled dryly twice, admitting that he envied the commune members who were able to move into the new houses.

Fang Wei pursed her lips and said, "Then I'll reserve one for you? You can come back and stay there on the weekend."

"Forget it! You wouldn't dare take it even if you offered it to me. Alright, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I have to go. I have a lot of things to do at the commune."

Zheng Xianfa chatted with Fang Wei for a few minutes before turning and leaving.

"Have a meal before you leave."

Fang Wei shouted at the other person's back.

Zheng Xianfa waved his hand without turning his head, and then walked away with Huang Zhigang.

Fang Wei then announced the distribution rules on site, and Zheng Hu and others returned to the team headquarters to start scoring the members.

Fang Wei did not participate in the subsequent matters. Taking advantage of the temporary suspension of the project, he took about ten strong laborers with carpentry skills and went to Sanqing Temple.

When he arrived at the Taoist temple, he was surprised to find that it was even more dilapidated than when he last visited.

"Secretary Fang, everyone, thank you for your hard work."

Sun Daoren's two disciples quickly brewed tea and invited everyone to sit down and rest.

Fang Wei drank a few sips of tea and then wandered around the Taoist temple. He needed to consider the overall renovation plan before he could calculate how much timber would be needed.

night.

Everyone ate something quick and then went to bed early.

Fang Wei lit an oil lamp and came up with a repair plan, calculating that about 20 sturdy trees would be needed.

The best timber is sturdy and durable trees like Phoebe zhennan or rosewood. Forget about Phoebe zhennan; you won't find a single one in the entire mountain.

the next day.

He went to the back mountain alone to find timber, while the others did some simple repairs, such as removing the damaged doors and windows and taking measurements.

Upon arriving at the back mountain, the first thing you see is a terraced field. This land was cultivated by Sun Daoren and his companions, and it is thanks to these fields that the Taoist temple has barely managed to survive.

As you venture deeper into the mountains and forests, you'll find plenty of trees, including some towering ancient trees.

But these trees weren't his target. After wandering around the area for a while, he finally found a few camphor trees. The trees were nice, but unfortunately, there weren't enough of them.

Fang Wei wandered around the mountains and forests for half a day before returning to the Taoist temple.

"Secretary Fang, have you found suitable timber?"

When the commune members who came with him saw him, they smiled and asked him a question.

"No, I estimate we'll have to go even further. But the terrain on the back mountain is very steep, and even if we find suitable timber, how to bring it back will be a problem."

Actually, those ancient trees are quite nice, but cutting them down is going too far; doing so is definitely destructive logging.

Fang Wei was unwilling to do that, so he planned to go further away tomorrow and see how things went.

If all else fails, we'll have to transport timber from Xiatang Brigade, which will take a lot of time and money. We won't consider this option unless absolutely necessary.

The next day.

Fang Wei didn't linger nearby, but went straight to the more distant mountains.

He used to walk this path on the back mountain with Pan Lianhua. They could also get back to Xiatang Brigade by taking a small path from the back mountain. It's just that the path is difficult to walk and very dangerous.

He vaguely remembered seeing a large forest of camphor trees, but because it had been a long time, he couldn't remember it very clearly.

"Found it? This is it."

More than an hour's walk from the back mountain of Sanqing Temple, Fang Wei finally found suitable timber.

There are many camphor trees scattered in this area, all of which have been growing for many years.

He compared the repair plans in his mind and felt that cutting down 18 trees would be enough. So he returned to the Taoist temple and worked with everyone to do some preliminary work.

the next day.

He then brought people to cut down the camphor trees. Everyone brought a full set of tools, but it was not easy to cut down such a thick tree.

"Get out of the way, I'll handle this!"

Seeing this, Fang Wei became anxious and handed the rifle to a member of the commune, telling him to be on guard. He then picked up a large axe and began chopping wood.

He rolled up his sleeves and got to work with great enthusiasm, which startled his colleagues.

Compared to Fang Wei, all of them are useless. They really can't understand how someone can have such great strength.

In fact, Fang Wei had already made a temporary designation for this area yesterday. With his personal attributes superimposed on the regional attributes, he couldn't be considered a normal person at all.

"Get out of the way, watch out!"

As Fang Wei finished speaking, a large tree collapsed with a crash.

"Secretary Fang, you're practically born with superhuman strength!"

The commune members expressed their sincere admiration and then began to work.

First, remove all the branches and twigs, then cut the log into several pieces according to the pre-measured dimensions, mainly for easy transportation.

Fang Wei and the others then transported the timber to Sanqing Temple. It was a difficult journey, and Fang Wei felt that there were too few people, which exhausted everyone.

After lunch, everyone went to cut down another tree, and it wasn't until evening that they brought it back.

The efficiency improved somewhat on the second day, but they could still only bring back a maximum of three trees a day. Fortunately, the amount of timber needed wasn't large, and the entire project was completed within a week.

But construction can't start yet. The newly felled trees contain a lot of moisture and need to be left to dry in the shade for a while.

"Then we'll head back now and come back in a few months. Also, take this money and use it to buy some paint, tiles, and other things needed for the repairs."

Before leaving, Fang Wei gave some instructions to Sun Daoren's apprentice.

He then returned to the team with his companions. In a few days, the spring planting work in Xiatang Brigade would officially begin.

"Third Brother, the local tobacco bureau sent someone over the past few days with a box of flue-cured tobacco seeds. Since I didn't know how long it would take you to get back, they put the seeds in the warehouse."

Fang Wei went home and rested for a night. The next morning, as soon as he arrived at his office, Zheng Hu walked in.

"Tobacco seeds? I understand. I'll check the warehouse later."

These tobacco seeds were clearly sent by Zhu Minghui, which shows how eager he was to cultivate new varieties.

Fang Wei had originally planned to collect more tobacco seeds, with the aim of breeding better varieties. Now, someone else had even done that step for him.

He spent an hour in his office reviewing documents and processing two large expenditure requests before heading to the warehouse.

What Zhu Minghui had delivered was indeed a large box. When he opened it, he found it contained bags of sealed seeds, each with a label attached.

"Yunyan 66, K326, NX121"

Fang Wei picked them up one by one and examined them, discovering that there were actually more than a dozen varieties of tobacco seeds in the wooden box.

K326 is a foreign variety. He vaguely remembers it as a tobacco variety that was introduced from the United States in the 1980s. He never expected to see the original version now.

Yunyan 66 and NX121 are both native varieties and are well-suited for cultivation in the south.

There are hybrid varieties of tobacco, but not many; the boxes are full of normal tobacco seeds anyway. Fang Wei doesn't plan to pursue hybridization breeding and has decided to use traditional breeding methods.

Fang Wei then took some time to visit the Yao village and had the tobacco seeds planted in the experimental field.

At harvest time, varieties with high yield, good quality, and strong resistance are selected for further breeding. Only after layers of selection can the target be finally determined.

Due to the added benefits of these attributes, the target variety, through continuous breeding, will transcend the original prototype and become a truly new variety. (End of Chapter)