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

Tian Bingyi felt that he had suddenly lost his motivation to move forward. In the past, as the captain, he had to take care of many things, but now he was no longer needed.

From now on, everyone can cultivate their own fields and plant whatever they want; the team won't interfere.

With the brigade leader and production team leader becoming mere figureheads, and being a restless person himself, he volunteered to contract a fishpond. After all, he had fish-raising skills and could supplement his family's income.

"Brother-in-law, isn't this great? With your abilities, you'll be a millionaire in just a few years and live a wonderful life."

Fang Wei couldn't help but smile. Tian Bingyi's anxiety was typical of someone going through a transitional period; he'd be fine once he got busy.

The other party must have felt disappointed. Although the team leader wasn't an official, he was the one who had the final say in his territory. Now, suddenly, not many people were paying attention to him, which must have been disheartening.

Things will get better once you get through this adjustment period.

“I also want to follow the path of collective economy, but unfortunately, I don’t have your abilities, and most of the commune members are unwilling.”

Tian Bingyi shook his head and downed a glass of wine in one gulp.

Fang Mei reached out and snatched the empty glass away, stopping Tian Bingyi from drinking any more: "What's bothering you? Stop worrying, okay? You only feel happy when you're working yourself to death all day, right?"

"It's not a matter of how much you worry about. Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you."

Tian Bingyi didn't want to say anything more. He wanted to come out for a walk, go back and get a good night's sleep, and then take over the fishpond in a couple of days to raise fish properly.

I can't say for sure how much, but I'm confident I'll become a millionaire someday.

"Brother-in-law, I have an idea for you. You can unite the fish farmers and form a cooperative. There's strength in numbers, and if you do it well, you'll definitely make more money than if you go it alone."

Fang Wei understood why the other person was disappointed, so she smiled and offered a suggestion.

His suggestion was not unfounded; facts have proven that this approach works. Establishing cooperatives can highlight the advantages of scale while greatly enhancing each individual's ability to withstand risks.

"Third brother, your idea is good, we can consider it."

Tian Bingyi's eyes lit up, and he decided to find an opportunity to give it a try.

After the meal, everyone sat down to drink tea and chatted for a long time.

Tian Bingyi and Fang Mei stayed at Fang Wei's house for one night and returned home early the next morning. He then went to negotiate with the members of the cooperative who had contracted the fishpond, but unfortunately, they had no intention of forming a partnership.

If we unite, whose advice should we listen to? Everyone has their own agenda.

This precisely illustrates that although Tian Bingyi has a wide circle of friends, he lacks prestige within the team. The key reason he couldn't curb everyone's enthusiasm for dividing the land before, and now he's unable to unite with his peers to establish a cooperative, lies precisely in this.

However, he didn't go to Fang Wei again; he couldn't handle it himself, and it would be embarrassing to tell anyone.

Fang Wei didn't have time to deal with this either. He was busier than before, with endless things to handle every day. Everything is difficult at the beginning; the cooperative had just started operating, and there were countless things to manage, so they could only move forward step by step.

Time flies, and soon it was time to transplant rice seedlings.

The cooperative is now gradually forming a system where everyone has their own responsibilities, eliminating the need for large-scale, collective labor campaigns. This is a transition from a work-point system to a wage system, and the future distribution methods will inevitably change.

In the fields, a large number of rice transplanters are moving about in the paddy fields, transplanting rice seedlings at an extremely fast speed.

Fang Wei handed over the work of the cooperative to Zhao Jinsheng and went to the breeding center to personally supervise their production activities.

In terms of labor efficiency, the breeding center is a bit behind. Fortunately, it won't cause any delays. Fang Wei's arrival put pressure on everyone, and the subsequent rice transplanting work went much faster.

In the second week after the cooperative completed the rice transplanting work, the breeding center also completed its task.

The breeding center also planted the "Nanguang No. 3" variety this season. After making important contributions to agricultural production over the years, "Nanguang No. 2" has gradually faded from the historical stage.

By next year at the latest, the "Nanguang No. 2" rice seeds will no longer be available on the market, and even the second-grade rice seeds will disappear.

noon.

Guo Wenxian had the cafeteria cook two nice dishes and drank a few cups with Fang Wei.

“Secretary Fang, I will be leaving the breeding center after the summer harvest. To be honest, I’m a little reluctant to leave. However, it’s a good thing for you that I’m leaving, because the county will no longer interfere in things here.”

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"The county might renegotiate with you. From now on, you'll pay the county a fixed amount of profit every year, and the county will give you full control of the operation. There won't be any more obstacles after that. Don't you think that's a good thing?"

"If it's as you say, that would be a really good thing. Director Guo, where are you going? Back to the Agriculture Bureau?"

"Yes, I was transferred back to be the director of the Agriculture Bureau. I'm pretty lucky, aren't I?"

The two chatted and drank, both in good spirits.

Guo Wenxian's promotion and Fang Wei's acquisition of absolute control over the breeding center are indeed cause for celebration.

Back at the team, he was thinking about a question: who would be the most suitable person to send to the breeding center? He himself certainly wouldn't stay there year-round, but none of the other team members could leave.

In the end, it was decided to send the security chief of Xiatang Brigade over.

Since these team leaders will lose their positions later, it's better to secure a good one now.

the next day.

Fang Wei went to the forestry brigade.

As the name suggests, the forestry brigade is responsible for the development of all forest land, cultivation of seedlings, understory planting, and afforestation, etc.

The forest land of Xiatang Brigade is a miracle. Previously, the development of forest land in other brigades was very lagging behind, and now we have to make greater efforts to make up for the shortcomings.

Fang Wei re-planned the utilization of forestry resources, and in the future, the cooperative will have chestnut forests, camellia oil forests, citrus forests, protected forests of precious tree species, firewood forests, and so on.

Understory planting mainly focuses on medicinal herbs.

"Does the forestry brigade have enough manpower?"

"That's enough! Many members wanted to come to the forestry brigade before, but after our screening, all the personnel we need are now in place."

Captain Wan of the Forestry Brigade described the personnel selection process, which was actually similar to recruitment, involving a two-way selection process.

This is very different from before. Planting, forestry, and animal husbandry all adopted the same method, and the remaining labor force was then redistributed. Logistics services also require a lot of people, and the two factories also need staff.

In short, if you want to earn a salary in the future, you have to work hard, otherwise you won't even have the opportunity to work.

However, as part of the collective, every member has the right to dividends. From now on, dividends will no longer be based on work points, somewhat like a shareholding system where only share dividends are distributed.

The distribution of supplies follows the principle of equal distribution, with supplies provided at fair prices, and the final amount deducted from the profit sharing.

The primary school and nursery in the brigade are free, medical treatment at the clinic is free, and medicines are supplied at affordable prices.

Vegetables were supplied per capita and deducted from year-end dividends. Members who lost their ability to work received subsidies in addition to dividends, while those who were able to work but did not were punished.

People gradually realized that the cooperative was not simply a replica of the commune or production brigade; thankfully, there were many differences. Only one thing remained unchanged: adhering to the path of collective economy and pursuing common prosperity.

Fang Wei spent a day at the forestry brigade, where he needed to gather firsthand information. Overall, he felt it went quite well.

the next day.

Another person approached Fang Wei, proposing to purchase a batch of precious trees.

"I'm sorry, the precious trees on the mountain are not for sale."

This person was introduced by Director Chen of the county forestry bureau; Fang Wei wouldn't bother with anyone else.

"Secretary Fang, please be lenient with us. The price is negotiable."

"What's wrong with you? I said I'm not selling, and that's final. You can leave now."

When the other person took out a bag of money, Fang Wei got a little angry and kicked them out.

It's only been a short time since the reform and opening up was proposed, and some people are already daring to resell all kinds of goods, willing to make money from anything. In fact, there was a saying at the beginning of the reform and opening up: "The timid starve, the bold get rich," and that's exactly the situation we'll see in the next few years.

Fang Wei doesn't lack this money, and besides, he wouldn't feel at ease holding onto this kind of money.

Before anyone knew it, the county had completed the work of distributing land to individual households, and Yaoling Commune had now truly become an anomaly!
Fang Wei seized the time to push forward the construction of several projects and painstakingly completed the personnel adjustment of the entire cooperative, putting the right people in the right positions.

There is a guaranteed minimum wage; as long as you are willing to work, even if you are not very capable, you will be given a job.

The cooperative continued to move forward amidst criticism. In the beginning, there were many shortcomings, but Fang Wei and everyone gradually made adjustments, and the situation improved day by day.

With the Dragon Boat Festival approaching, the renovation and expansion project of the poultry house was completed first.

Each brigade had surplus pigs, chickens, and ducks, which were distributed to everyone during the festival. The amount wasn't much: five jin of pork, five jin of eggs, one chicken, and one duck per person.

For the members, the familiar feeling returned, and they became even more convinced that their choice was right.

"Third Brother, are we still going to have dragon boat races this year?"

Zheng Hu rarely came to Xiatang Brigade alone. He now regrets going to the commune because Zheng Xianfa doesn't like to get involved, and he's bored out of his mind all day.

So I came to visit the team today.

"I'm not doing it! I don't have time to organize it."

Fang Wei shook her head, indicating that she was too busy and hadn't thought about the question at all.

Zheng Hu couldn't help but laugh; he knew his third brother was a restless person.

"I heard that the county received an internal document and had some reservations about your choices. Fortunately, this document was only issued to the county level and is not allowed to be circulated outside."

Later, Zheng Hu told Fang Wei some news.

Fang Wei nodded to indicate that he understood. This was expected. If everyone did what Fang Wei did, how could the household responsibility system be implemented?

He had enjoyed this kind of treatment before; one must be aware of this when being an outcast.

Zheng Hu left the office after sitting there for less than an hour, and suddenly Yu Hao walked in right after he left.

"What's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?"

Fang Wei noticed that Yu Hao's eyes were bloodshot and his hair was messy, as if he had just returned from a famine.

He asked instinctively, guessing that something was wrong with the kid.

“Sigh! My wife and children shouldn’t have gone back to the city. After they went back, Xueqin couldn’t find a job, and even her own parents looked down on her. Helpless, she and her children moved out and rented a small, dilapidated house. Life is very hard.”

Yu Hao didn't hide anything and told them about his family's difficulties.

He came to Fang Wei to ask for a long leave. He couldn't bear to see his wife and children suffering in the city and wanted to go back and settle them down first.

"How do you plan to settle things? How much savings do you have to ensure your wife and children have enough to eat and wear? I'll teach you a trick. Isn't the factory looking for distributors all over the country? Have Xueqin open a small furniture store in the city, and we'll provide her with the goods. If she sells them, she'll make money, right?"

Fang Wei saw through Yu Hao's tricks, so she simply took the initiative to speak frankly, which would also do him a favor.

Yu Hao is a good guy in every way, except he likes to do things in a roundabout way. He can say things directly, but he has to go through several roundabout ways.

"Is this alright? Third Brother, you know my situation; I simply can't come up with much money."

At this time, individual businesses were quietly emerging across China, as doing small business was better than not being able to make ends meet.

Fang Wei had already planned to help Liang Xueqin when he spoke, but after hearing Yu Hao's words, he finally couldn't hold back anymore.

"You're pulling this stunt right in front of me? Just say what you're thinking, or get out of here!"

"Well, I was just worried about making things difficult for you. I was thinking, could the factory let my wife buy some goods on credit first? Don't worry, I'll guarantee it, there won't be any problems later."

Yu Hao is thick-skinned; even when Fang Wei scolds him, he still smiles and laughs.

But he dared not beat around the bush any longer and revealed his thoughts completely.

"Sure! Go talk to the factory manager yourself, and I'll put in a good word for you."

Fang Wei waved his hand, dismissing Yu Hao.

Selling a little bit of goods on credit is fine, the problem is this kid's infuriating way of talking, testing me all the time, and he's even learned to play the victim. If it weren't for Grandpa Guan's sake, Fang Wei wouldn't have agreed so readily.

There's no need to worry; in his memory, the first batch of self-employed individuals in China all made money.

Being a pioneer means having many opportunities; the key is whether you dare to take the plunge.
Liang Xueqin and Yu Hao were backed into a corner, but neither was willing to admit defeat or bow to fate. Having come this far, there was no reason not to fight back; perhaps they would succeed.

Yu Hao turned around and found Fang Ping. Fang Ping heard that his third brother had agreed, and without saying a word, he approved a batch of goods for Yu Hao.

The furniture and bamboo ware, valued at 10 yuan, were immediately transported to Liang Xueqin.

Yu Hao took half a month off, which was considered a family visit, to help his wife find a store and smooth things over. Finally, the furniture store was opened.

And sure enough, thanks to the high quality of the bamboo ware factory's products, Liang Xueqin made a profit in the first month, and was so excited she almost lost her bearings. This was a good start, and Yu Hao returned to the factory after his holiday.

With this precedent, Lin Hanyang was also tempted.

He also found a fellow educated youth, but from another commune. The two got along very well after they got married.

After the wave of educated youth returning to the cities began, he first sent his wife and children back to the city. However, his family was well-off, and his wife soon started working at a collectively-owned enterprise. (End of Chapter)