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

After leaving the hardware factory, Fang Wei went to take a look at the bamboo ware factory.

I had lunch at the bamboo ware factory canteen. The food there was pretty good, better than many state-owned enterprises in the county.

Bamboo ware factories are clearly more meticulous in their management than hardware factories, and their output value is also higher.

Fang Wei was very familiar with the factory's situation. He didn't need to listen to reports from Fang Ping and others; he could understand many details just by looking at the accounts and reports.

Both factories are now recruiting outsiders. Ordinary workers will be given priority to members of the commune, but those with skills and talents will not be included.

Who could have imagined that a small commune or brigade enterprise could grow into such a massive enterprise?

"Secretary, we are currently in talks with a furniture factory in the provincial capital. They are on the verge of collapse. If there is an opportunity, would the commune support us in acquiring them?"

The bamboo ware factory is a typical collectively owned enterprise, and it would be difficult for it to merge with the state-owned furniture factory in the provincial capital.

However, these difficulties are not insurmountable, and Fang Ping takes this matter very seriously.

"The key issue isn't the merger itself. Let me tell you, the most troublesome problem is the resettlement of personnel. If it's not handled properly, even the bamboo ware factory will be dragged down."

Fang Wei was not optimistic about this project. He felt it was too early to acquire a company now, as the relevant laws and regulations were not yet sound, and the failure to properly resettle the original employees would be a huge burden.

If you really want to develop your business in the provincial capital, you might as well open a branch factory. There's no need to get caught up in that vortex.

Fang Ping and the others seemed to be deep in thought, but they did not give up on the idea and planned to talk to the other party about the personnel resettlement issue.

Fang Wei didn't say much; this project would most likely not pass the council's approval. However, it wouldn't hurt to talk to the factory; at least it would increase their experience in corporate mergers and acquisitions.

After inspecting the work at the two factories, Fang Wei went to the commune to chat with Zheng Xianfa and Zheng Hu.

When Fang Wei finished get off work in the afternoon, he picked up Pan Lianhua, and the couple returned home together.

Time flies.

The cooperative's various construction projects have been basically completed, the internal roads connecting the various brigades have been built and opened to traffic, and the renovation and expansion projects of the poultry houses have also been completed.

In addition, facilities such as the central grain warehouse, rice mill, and mill have also been put into operation one after another, and the first batch of projects of the cooperative has been successfully completed.
"I plan to launch the second phase of the project after the autumn harvest. The first step is to repair and renovate the existing irrigation canals, and the second step is to drill deep wells in the brigades where water resources are relatively scarce, in order to ensure the needs of agricultural irrigation."

Furthermore, we need to adjust our breeding varieties in a timely manner according to market demand. After the autumn harvest, I suggest sending a group of personnel to various farming areas to understand the local needs in detail, which will serve as the basis for our adjustments.

After the first phase of the project was successfully completed, Fang Wei convened a council meeting to discuss the next phase of construction projects.

Another important point is to keep abreast of seed developments in various regions so that cooperatives can make corresponding adjustments.

"I suggest we build a number of cultural and recreational facilities, such as setting up a library and establishing a film projection team. People's cultural and recreational activities are too monotonous now, and this could easily lead to other problems in the long run."

"That's a good suggestion. It's not good to focus only on the economy and neglect the development of spiritual civilization. Old Zhao, arrange for someone to be in charge of establishing the library and film projection team as soon as possible."

The countryside during this period was full of vitality, but it was also a time rife with problems.

Fang Wei heeded everyone's advice and began to focus on ideological work from now on. However, simply lecturing was clearly not enough; he needed to enrich everyone's leisure time while providing proper guidance.

The book station and the film projection team are just a small experiment; there will definitely be more projects in the future.

In effect, the cooperatives replaced some of the functions of the commune and enhanced the functions of the production brigade and production team. This was a crucial step in uniting people's hearts and minds, and also the foundation for the vigorous development of the cooperatives.

"Secretary Fang, the relevant departments in the county have issued a document requiring the militia companies of each brigade to hand over their weapons and equipment. What will happen to our patrol work from now on?"

Before the meeting ended, Zheng Bao suddenly said something.

The various brigades and production teams are rapidly weakening, and the militia is also struggling to survive. It's only natural that the People's Armed Forces Departments are taking back weapons and equipment; this is also a trend.

"We still have hunting rifles, right? Since no one goes into the mountains to hunt, they're enough to scare away wild boars that damage the crops. As for patrols, we can purchase some non-lethal police equipment, which is more than enough."

Furthermore, each brigade should prioritize ideological work among young people and strengthen the role of the Youth League branches. In short, many changes are expected in the future, and we must proactively adapt to the new situation.

Fang Wei didn't think there was anything wrong with what Zheng Bao said. It was an inevitable trend, and all kinds of firearms from civilians would be confiscated in the future.

However, patrol duties could not be relaxed, as the security situation was not so good during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Even without rifles, there were hunting rifles and other equipment, which were still sufficient to protect various facilities.

The villagers now live in relatively close proximity. The new housing project has not only improved their living environment but also enhanced their sense of security.

Centralized living arrangements make crime prevention easier, and with dedicated patrols, serious incidents caused by outsiders are virtually nonexistent. Any conflicts between members are handled by the respective brigade committees, preventing them from escalating to unpredictable consequences.

Of course, it can only be said that the security situation in each brigade is still good so far.

After the meeting, Fang Wei and Zheng Bao visited various militia brigades to urge each militia company to handle the aftermath as required.

after a few days.

Zhao Jinsheng and his team went to the provincial capital and hired a professional well-drilling team. Their technical expertise was far superior, enabling them to successfully drill deep wells. Therefore, the drilling progressed quickly, the only drawback being the higher cost.

Fang Wei doesn't care about spending more money; as long as the money gets the job done, that's fine.

The matter of setting up the film projection team also went very smoothly. The commune agreed to the cooperative's application without hesitation, and the county did not obstruct it either, directly approving the establishment of the cooperative's film projection team.

The county film company happened to have some idle equipment, so it sold it to the cooperative.

Zhao Jinsheng selected several people from various brigades for training. It wasn't a complicated matter, and they could get started quickly.

weekend.

The film projection team first came to the 1st brigade to show the film, and then they would show the film in turn among the brigade in order.

Zheng Bao mobilized the Youth League branches of each brigade to organize several sports competitions, including basketball, table tennis, and tug-of-war. For these activities, the cooperative purchased a batch of sports equipment and built new basketball courts and other facilities.

The book station was also built quickly, and members who like to read can borrow books here.

Everyone has felt the changes around them and is happy to see these changes.

evening.

Fang Wei and Pan Lianhua entered the room one after the other, and the two children surrounded them.

Binbin has made significant progress in his studies over this period of time, and he has also learned a lot about traditional Chinese medicine from Master Sun. The little guy is naturally smart, and once he has initiative, he puts his intelligence to good use.

Pan Lianhua washed her face, then took the two children to the yard to do bamboo carving.

She is very skilled; the things she carves are lifelike, and both children love them.

"Sister, what delicious food did you make today?"

Grandpa and Grandpa Guan were playing chess. Master Sun had gone out to treat patients and hadn't returned yet. Fang Wei went into the kitchen and greeted her older sister.

"We'll have river shrimp, stir-fried pork liver, and some greens for dinner. Third brother, would you like to steam a bowl of cured pork as well?" "Either is fine, you decide."

Fang Wei chatted with his older sister for a few words, then came out to chat idly with his grandfather and Grandpa Guan.

Soon it was time for dinner, and Sun Daocai returned from outside, looking travel-worn.

He washed up first, then sat down and drank a bowl of tea.

"Third brother, several villages in Qianjin Commune are fighting over mountains and water. Good heavens, the scene was unbearable to watch. Is nobody doing anything about it?"

Today, Master Sun was invited to treat an old man who was clearly suffering from a sudden attack of anger. A few acupuncture needles and some medicine would cure him.

But the root of the problem was a dispute between two villages over irrigation water, which led to a fight between them.

Previously, irrigation was managed by the production team and brigade, with the schedule arranged in a predictable order, and no one complained. Now that no one is in charge, conflicts have arisen, and this has happened several times already.

"Someone will take care of it, but the villages involved will pay a heavy price when that time comes."

Fang Wei shook his head. He thought that in the next few years, there would probably be many armed conflicts between villages. Things would get better after the commune was changed to a township.

He couldn't interfere in this matter, since it concerned another commune, and his reach couldn't extend that far.

However, learning from past mistakes, he planned to hold a meeting to discuss the matter in order to avoid conflicts between the cooperative and other production teams over trivial matters.

"dinner time."

Afterwards, everyone sat down to eat, and Fang Wei drank a few glasses of wine by himself.

the next day.

Not long after he got up, Zhao Jinsheng rushed over to find him.

"Secretary, our irrigation canal has been blocked. Director Zheng led a group to argue with them, but the other party was unreasonable and arrogant, so our people beat them up."

"Hmm? Is anyone injured? Have any of our men suffered any losses?"

Fang Wei had planned to discuss this matter in a meeting that morning, but this happened before he even got to his office.

His primary concern was whether his own people had suffered losses, and his secondary concern was how serious the consequences would be.

"It's not clear yet; Director Zheng hasn't returned."

"Then let's go and take a look."

Fang Wei skipped breakfast and rode her bike to the scene of the incident with Zhao Jinsheng.

When they arrived, they found that Zheng Bao had led over a hundred men to tie up all the guys blocking the canal. They all looked bruised and battered, but none of them were missing an arm or a leg.

He was immediately relieved. His only worry was that someone might be killed or maimed; otherwise, there was nothing to be concerned about.

“Secretary, these people are from the Shizi Brigade. They’re all scoundrels with the surname Liu, related by blood, and they do things very recklessly.”

Zheng Bao saw Fang Wei and immediately came over to report the situation.

This year isn't exactly a drought, but the water supply is indeed somewhat insufficient. In the past, irrigation involved careful planning and rotation, but now it's all about force; whoever has the bigger fist is right.

"Men, dig up all the places they've blocked. We can't let it affect production. Old Zhao, Brother Leopard, you take some men and send these bastards to the commune police station. Tell them they deliberately sabotaged the breeding work, and let the commune handle it."

Fang Wei stepped forward and kicked all of them, leaving none untouched.

Then Zheng Bao led his men to escort them to the commune, and Zhao Jinsheng led his men to dig up the blocked area so as not to affect the subsequent irrigation.

These people all learned their lesson. They looked terrible, but they only had superficial injuries and nothing serious.

The commune police station received a report from the cooperative and was quite troubled. They eventually gave the men a talking-to and released them all. The cooperative was even more unable to handle the situation, and the matter ended there.

Of course, this is also because neither side suffered any substantial harm. If one or two people had been killed or maimed, the nature of the whole incident would be completely different.

Similar incidents have occurred frequently in recent months, causing considerable headaches.

Two days passed.

Those people were resentful that they had been taken advantage of, and they prepared to block the canal again early in the morning.

This time, Zheng Bao and his men were well-prepared. After dealing with these guys, Zheng Bao tied them up again.

They didn't send them to the commune; they sent them directly back to the village.

"Think it over. Our cooperative has tens of thousands of people, and we're even more united than you. If you keep provoking us, I'll bring people to tear down your houses."

How many people are there in the whole village? Even with the rise of clan consciousness, can you compete with a cooperative of tens of thousands of people?
I really don't know what these people are thinking. If they want to stage an accident, they should at least find an evenly matched opponent. Why provoke a "giant" like that? I really don't know where they got the courage.

Zheng Bao stood at the village entrance and cursed loudly, then threw the villagers on the ground before leading his team back.

No one in the entire village dared to speak. The clan elder who had previously boasted that the cooperative was too powerful to be bullied was nearly killed by everyone's stares. The essence of this incident was a failed attempt to stage an accident; they gained nothing and instead suffered two lessons.

Simply reasoning with people at the grassroots level won't work; sometimes, you have to show your strength.

"Secretary, I'm back."

Zheng Bao returned to the team and went straight to Fang Wei's office.

He still prefers to call him "Party Secretary" instead of "Chairman of the Board," and it's hard to change that habit after so many years.

"How's it going? Is everything taken care of?"

Fang Wei got up and made the other person a cup of tea before sitting down.

Zheng Bao briefly explained what had happened, estimating that the other party would not provoke him further.

“Damn it! They’re trying to scam us. Brother Leopard, go and tell the purchasing station and these subsidiaries not to sell them any seeds produced by the cooperative from now until next summer harvest.”

Fang Wei knew that trying to block the other party on the seed was nothing short of a pipe dream.

In the past, they could keep a close eye on the production teams, but now it's all about individuals buying seeds. With so many sales outlets, how can they possibly distinguish between them?
Fang Wei was just making a gesture to avoid people trying to take advantage of the cooperative.

"Understood!"

Zheng Bao immediately got up and left, spreading the news far and wide, which quickly reached the entire county. (End of Chapter)