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

Fang Wei walked around the factory and could feel everyone's enthusiasm for production.

This is the benefit of the distribution reform: more work, more pay, and no one will complain about the money being too hot to handle.

We used to say that the factory lacked talent, but now everyone there is a highly skilled worker. You can truly feel what it means to have a sense of ownership from them.

In addition, the factory's managers, designers, technicians, and sales staff have all grown and improved. As long as they work hard, the company will definitely grow and thrive.

He then went to a hardware factory, which was also doing very well.

The factory's electric fans, small hardware products, and other items are selling briskly. Although its overall scale is not as large as that of the bamboo ware factory, it is developing rapidly.

Fang Wei didn't return home with Pan Lianhua until evening.

After Tingting and Taotao's family left, Tian Guihua and Fang Ping continued to live in the commune. The next morning, a messenger knocked on the dormitory door; Tian Guihua's elderly father had passed away at home that evening.

The old man was not suffering from any illness; he went to sleep the night before and never woke up the next day.

Fang Ping and Tian Guihua rushed to her parents' home, and by the time Fang Wei heard the news, it was already noon.

The two families were related by marriage. Fang Wei went to the commune to call Pan Lianhua, and then prepared some things to go and offer condolences. They didn't need to help with the funeral arrangements. Fang Ping couldn't go to work these days, so Pan Lianhua had to stay at the factory to oversee things.

"Brother, sister-in-law, please accept our condolences! The old man passed away peacefully without any illness or disaster, so it is a happy occasion. Please don't be too sad."

Fang Wei couldn't do much, so she offered a word of advice to her elder brother and sister-in-law before returning home.

He still went to the funeral on the day of the funeral. Even if he didn't care about the monk, he still had to help his elder brother.

Back home, besides lamenting the impermanence of life, Fang Wei also took time to take her grandfather, Grandpa Guan, and Daoist Sun to the county hospital for a checkup. All three were in good health, considered quite healthy for their age.

After a period of busy work, the production teams of Xiatang Brigade had basically completed their preparations. So, before the New Year, Fang Wei convened a general meeting of all commune members.

This was a big event for the team, so all the members who could come came.

"The current policy is to gradually implement the distribution of land to individual households. In fact, some places have been quietly doing this since last year, and everyone is very enthusiastic."

However, given the different circumstances in our brigade, I personally believe that this path is not suitable for us. Instead, we are better suited to continue developing the collective economy.

This matter concerns the vital interests of every member, so I hope everyone will consider it carefully. Now, those who agree to implement a collective economy, please raise your hands. Captain Zhao, you must accurately count the votes.”

As soon as he finished speaking, all the members present raised their right hands without hesitation.

Zhao Jinsheng and the others didn't need to count how many people raised their hands; they only needed to count who didn't. As a result, they checked three times, and not a single person objected.

All members of the Xiatang brigade support continuing down the path of collective economy.

At this moment, even Fang Wei was moved.

He knew most members would support the partnership, but to his surprise, not a single member objected. What was this? It was absolute trust!

It is not only a sign of trust in the brigade's cadre team, but also a sign of trust in the other party himself.

This trust was so heavy, it almost suffocated him!

Fang Wei then stood up, walked to the front, and bowed to everyone. The room erupted in cheers, and everyone began to applaud, the enthusiastic applause lasting for a long time.

Then, he straightened his back and gently pressed down with both hands.

Once the scene had quieted down, he announced loudly:

"This proposal was passed unanimously by a vote of all members! Our Xiatang brigade will continue on the path of collective development. Here I guarantee that no one will be left behind on this new journey!"

Cheers erupted again as Fang Wei walked towards his home. People automatically made way for him, watching him disappear into the distance.

the next day.

Fang Wei, Zhao Jinsheng, and other brigade cadres jointly submitted the resolution formed at the commune members' meeting to Yaoling Commune and the county.

It is said that the newly appointed director, Huang Zhigang, slammed his fist on the table in anger, but there was nothing he could do. The Xiatang brigade's approach was in accordance with organizational procedures, and no one dared to stand up and say that the path of collective development was not acceptable; at most, they could only mutter a few complaints in their hearts.

Following the example of Xiatang Brigade, the other 16 brigades of Yaoling Commune also held general meetings of all members one after another, and the results were the same: the vast majority of people chose the collective economic model.

The vote at the general meeting of all commune members was valid. While the "household contract responsibility system" was being successfully implemented throughout the county, Yaoling Commune became an "outlier".

Huang Zhigang was furious, not because Fang Wei and the others had any objections, but because he was a new official and encountered such a thing, and he felt it was difficult to explain to his superiors.

After receiving the report, Zeng Qing locked himself in his office for half a day.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of a good way to ensure that the production of rice seeds in Xiatang Brigade was not affected, and that the land could be distributed to individual households smoothly.

Ultimately, he submitted a self-criticism to the provincial authorities, subtly suggesting that the existence of "outliers" should be allowed.

The province's stance is clear: the production of high-yield rice varieties cannot be halted, and everyone should respect the choices made by the various production brigades of Yaoling Commune. However, this matter should not be publicized, much less encouraged.

When the news reached Xinlin County, Huang Zhigang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Before the Spring Festival.

The coordination group convened a meeting on Spring Festival production plans.

At the meeting, many brigade leaders proposed deepening the functions of the mutual aid coordination groups and gradually transforming them into specialized agricultural cooperatives.

“Secretary Fang, we have observed the situation in other communes after the land was distributed to individual households. Once the land was contracted out, each household could plant whatever they wanted, except for fulfilling their grain quota. They were completely out of control.”

In reality, the collective intelligence of each brigade and production team had collapsed. They had distributed all their agricultural machinery and tools, and even their remaining seeds; years of accumulation were gone.

When asked about the new problems that have recently emerged, everyone shook their heads and sighed.

It's not fair to say that their choices were wrong, but for the brigades of Yaoling Commune, it was heartbreaking to see.

“Yes, Secretary Fang, we may not care about others, but we ourselves have become ‘outcasts’ in other people’s eyes. So we’d better stick together and help each other. Only in this way can we cope with any storms.”

"I think agricultural cooperatives are great. Since our goal is to develop the collective economy, why not work together? There's strength in numbers, and we hope you can be the driving force." It seems that all the brigades have come to a realization: their breeding work depends on Fang Wei to continue, and they have been cooperating for so long, through thick and thin, that they have built up a sense of trust with each other.

At this juncture, we cannot act independently; instead, we must unite as one and develop together.

Agricultural cooperatives are a form of economic organization that perfectly avoids some pitfalls, and everyone thinks it's feasible.

"Everyone, aren't you all in a bit too hasty? We just rejected the idea of ​​distributing land to individual households, and now we're about to set up a super-large agricultural cooperative. Won't this backfire?"

Fang Wei was deeply moved, moved by everyone's trust.

But at the same time, he hesitated, wondering if doing so would be taking too big a step and encountering strong suppression in the future.
Everyone was worried when they heard this, and they whispered among themselves to assess the risks of doing so.

"What are we afraid of? We're already standing our ground by refusing to distribute land, which makes us seem like outcasts. What difference does one more 'crime' make?"

One of the brigade secretaries had a rather violent temper and was the type to fight if he disagreed with something.

But his expression, though rough in language, was not wrong in principle. In fact, from the very beginning, everyone had no way out.

"Yes! We don't really need to be so cautious anymore. Since agricultural cooperatives are legal, why can't we do it? I agree with this proposal, and we'll apply after the meeting!"

Fang Wei was immediately inspired with great ambition. Since he had already chosen this path, he should not look back and should charge forward without hesitation.

He accepted everyone's suggestions and, as the initiator, applied to the county to establish the Yaoling Seed Industry Rural Cooperative.

Each brigade then began to inventory and verify assets, calculating in detail the area of ​​farmland, woodland, and tidal flats, as well as the residual value of agricultural machinery and tools, and finally the cash and debts on the books.

This is a true merger; everyone brings out all their assets and then calculates their respective percentage of asset returns.

Fang Wei refused to give him 15% of the profits personally. Instead, he licensed his technology to the Xiatang Brigade for free use, which meant that the Xiatang Brigade owned 15% of the technology.

The return on assets is essentially the same as equity, only the terminology is different now.

Fang Wei wanted to bring the Yao village into the picture, but someone stopped him.

“Secretary Fang, the Yao village is a special case. They are protected by policies and have no need to get involved with us. For hundreds of years, they have practiced a collective economy, and no one can touch them.”

Fang Wei thought about it and felt that what this person said made a lot of sense, so he temporarily gave up the idea.

The Xiatang brigade owns 20% of the assets and equity in the cooperative, while the remaining 80% is distributed among the 16 brigades. There shouldn't be any problems with this; it's entirely based on data and is fair and reasonable.

The new residential construction projects in each brigade were completed one after another, which meant that no one had a large amount of investment to repay. At this time, it was the right time to establish a cooperative.

The application report reached Huang Zhigang's hands, and this time he no longer hesitated. Since the higher-ups had already tacitly approved the existence of the "Yaoling Commune," this anomaly, there was no need to be overly cautious anymore.

It would be good to use it as a testing ground.

The county government quickly approved the establishment of the Yaoling Seed Industry Rural Cooperative by the Xiatang Brigade.

Next, the leaders of the 17 brigades sat together and elected the first board of directors and board of supervisors of the cooperative. Fang Wei was elected as the chairman of the board, Zhao Jinsheng as the vice chairman of the board, and He Mantang, the branch secretary of Liantang brigade, was elected as the head of the board of supervisors.

The formalities were completed quickly, but the economic merger of the 17 brigades involved countless tasks.

Everyone was busy throughout the Spring Festival. Many things needed to be discussed repeatedly. Although some bumps and bruises were inevitable, things generally went smoothly.

The slaughtering of pigs for the New Year was still carried out separately by each brigade, and the distribution of benefits was the same.

The supply of goods was plentiful this Spring Festival, but everyone was also restless. People were full of expectations for the future, but at the same time, they realized that many things would be very different in the future.

"Third brother, the cooperative you've set up is just a sham, you've only changed the name of the commune, but the core is still the same."

On New Year's Eve, Fang Wei's house was packed with people.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Guan Chongyang succinctly revealed the secret of the cooperative. The old man had traveled extensively in his youth, gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience; even in his old age, his insights were often remarkably profound.

In fact, what they said was correct; the cooperative that Fang Wei and his group set up did indeed have the characteristics of a commune.

Fang Wei smiled and shook his head, remaining silent. He never believed that others were fools; this issue would eventually be seen through by more people. But so what? What he had established was a cooperative, which wouldn't supersede the commune now, nor would it supersede the township in the future.

His goal was singular: to vigorously develop the economy.

The cooperative's management was still based on the production brigade system. Xiatang Brigade was the 1st brigade, and so on up to the 17th brigade. This was similar to the work groups in a factory, a stark contrast to the old production brigades.

From then on, financial and distribution rights belonged to the "Council," and each brigade was headed by a brigade leader, who was equivalent to a workshop director in a factory.

However, the village secretaries of each brigade still exist. They don't concern themselves with specific production tasks, but rather with broader matters and ideological work, ensuring that the changing times don't cause everyone to become a disorganized mess.

"Third brother, sometimes I really don't understand what you want."

Seeing that the other party did not speak, Guan Chongyang shook his head and did not continue the topic.

No one knew Fang Wei's capabilities better than him. It was fair to say that if Fang Wei wanted to make money, billions would be within his grasp. But Fang Wei chose an untimely path, which was both admirable and worrying.

"Don't worry about him, he's just an idealist, let him be."

Grandpa understood Fang Wei's choice and was also glad that he hadn't misjudged her.

Then everyone started chatting about all sorts of things, and everyone was in a good mood. That's the kind of atmosphere you get during holidays and festivals; otherwise, what's the point of getting together?
The fifth day of the new year.

The council held a meeting to further discuss the next steps in the production plan.

"I plan to merge the breeding operations of all the brigades. In addition to the two types of spotted pigs raised by Brigade 1, we will build a new large-scale pig farm, renovate and expand a broiler farm and an egg farm."

Considering the duck-field symbiotic model, the existing poultry sheds of Team 1 will be renovated to meet the cooperative's production and living needs. All forestry resources will be managed uniformly, and a forestry brigade, namely Team 18, will be established.

Now that the scale has increased significantly, the previous management and production models need to be changed.

Fang Wei spoke eloquently, and the others took out paper and pens to take notes. After all, with so much content, it would be quite troublesome to make mistakes. (End of Chapter)