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

New Year's Day.

Fang Wei brought his family to the Yao village to celebrate the New Year with Wang Songlin and others.

As we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, a light snowfall actually excited everyone. After all, snowfall is rare in this area, and this was the first snowfall in recent years.

After New Year's Day, Fang Wei took two employees and drove to Guangzhou.

On the evening of his arrival in Guangzhou, he and his son had a meal together alone.

"Dad, Xuemei's family has agreed to our relationship, so I'm planning to bring Xuemei home for the Chinese New Year. Is that okay?"

Binbin and Liu Xuemei are both graduating this year, and they plan to get married after they have settled into stable jobs.

It was only natural for him to bring Liu Xuemei home for the Chinese New Year at this time.

"Of course! Give your mom a call later and let her know so the family can make some preparations in advance."

Fang Wei naturally didn't stop them. After the two finished eating, Binbin went back to school, while Fang Wei went to her own house.

As for the two people who came with him, the company arranged it, so he didn't need to worry about them.

Two days later.

Fang Wei convened a meeting of all directors at the group company to discuss taking over the Xinlin County coal mine.

After repeated discussions, a consensus was finally reached that the group company would take over the coal mine.

Aside from some drawbacks, acquiring the coal mine would help the company expand its influence in Xinlin County and also support the county's economy.

Yaoling Group originated in Xinlin County, and its core business, "breeding," is also located in Xinlin County, demonstrating significant social benefits in giving back to its hometown. Furthermore, this approach helps mitigate risks, offering numerous advantages.

Overall, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, making it worthwhile to invest in.

Having finalized the matter, Fang Wei returned to the county and clearly expressed his willingness to take over the coal mine to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin was naturally very happy. If the coal mine could resume production, it would not only solve a large number of jobs, but also increase tax revenue and fiscal income.

"Secretary Fang, you have no experience in running a coal mine. Do you need me to introduce you to a few people from the provincial capital?"

Wang Lin had no other intentions than to prevent Fang Wei from losing money.

If this deal loses money, it will be difficult for the county to cooperate with Yaoling Group in the future, so he meant well.

“Great! If Secretary Wang can introduce a few talented people, we would be more than happy to do so. However, the necessary recruitment procedures still need to be followed, so please don’t worry.”

Fang Wei wouldn't refuse someone's kindness, but the company doesn't accept just anyone; at the very least, they have to pass certain assessments.

Furthermore, the company has the final say on how to use the recruited personnel, without any other considerations involved.

"You, Secretary Fang, are quite shrewd. Don't worry, I'm just trying to help, not to stuff a bunch of cronies into the coal mine."

The two had an unusual relationship, so Wang Lin simply spoke frankly.

Fang Wei and the other person exchanged a smile, understanding prevailed.

The next day.

The negotiation team dispatched by Yaoling Group arrived in Xinlin County and began formal negotiations with the county.

This is a corporate merger, but fortunately, the coal mine has resolved all historical issues, so everyone is essentially starting from scratch, which greatly reduces the difficulty.

Fang Wei did not participate in the negotiations, but the negotiation process was always under his control.

After resolving several difficulties, he stopped participating in the matter and instead went to Chenzhou with Pan Lianhua to purchase New Year's goods.

Binbin brought his girlfriend home for Chinese New Year that same year, so his family prepared a lot of New Year's goods. It was a gesture of goodwill, at least to let the girl feel that Binbin's family valued her.

Time flies.

Before they knew it, winter vacation arrived. Binbin took Liu Xuemei back to the village from Guangzhou, and then Xiaojie also returned home from Chengdu.

Xiao Jie and Liu Xuemei got along very well. They could chat together and seemed to have endless things to talk about all day long.

Liu Xuemei was diligent and perceptive, and even her older sister liked her very much.

Soon the New Year was approaching, and the commune began slaughtering pigs for the holiday, with every household receiving a share of pork. This money was naturally paid for by the commune, but ultimately it was everyone's money, since the commune's funds were drawn from the dividends.

Liu Xuemei grew up in the city, and in her mind, the countryside should be very poor and the environment should be dirty and chaotic.

But she found that the entire Yaoling Township was very clean, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, and every household lived in a two-story house, unlike her family, who were all crammed into a 60-square-meter house.

Another unique feature of Yaoling Township is that no household is allowed to raise chickens or ducks, let alone pigs or cattle.

In the village where Binbin's family lives, every household has access to tap water and sewage. Instead of firewood, they use honeycomb briquettes for cooking.

After the commune slaughtered its pig for the New Year, Pan Lianhua and her older sister took Binbin, Xiaojie, and Liu Xuemei to the commune's vegetable market. Before the New Year, the commune supplied a large quantity of ducks, chickens, live fish, and eggs from its own farm. This required cash payment, and the prices were lower than outside, but more importantly, the quality was much better.

In addition to meat, the wet market also offers a variety of vegetables and other food products, so you can basically get all the ingredients for your New Year's Eve dinner without having to go into the city.

Transportation between the various brigades is now very convenient. The commune has decided to build a large supply station, equivalent to a large supermarket, in the center of the township.

It is estimated that once the construction is completed, some shops in the township and small stores in the village will be able to close down.

What Liu Xuemei saw overturned her understanding of rural areas. It wasn't until she went to the market with Pan Lianhua and saw the scenes in other towns that she realized Yaoling Township was a very special place.

"Binbin, if all rural areas were like Yaoling Township, I would be willing to live in the countryside."

"Look, you still have that sense of superiority that city people have. But you can forget about living in the village. Even my household registration isn't here anymore, so don't even think about getting any dividends."

Binbin also took Liu Xuemei to many places, which gave Liu Xuemei a general impression of the countryside.

Lunar New Year's eve.

Fang Wei's family and Fang Ping's family still spent the Spring Festival together. This year, Fang Ping's two children did not come back, so it was more lively to spend the Spring Festival with his third brother's family.

The sound of firecrackers bids farewell to the old year. In the eyes of the locals, the new year only truly begins after the Spring Festival.

Pan Lianhua took the opportunity to talk to her daughter, Xiao Jie, who still insisted on wanting to develop her career in Shenzhen, a special economic zone. This time, Pan Lianhua did not stop her daughter. As Fang Wei had said, with them supporting their children, there was nothing wrong with them going out to try their luck while they were young.

Binbin is a different type. He is single-mindedly focused on becoming a good traditional Chinese medicine doctor, even ignoring the fact that traditional Chinese medicine has been marginalized in recent years.

Of course, he also had reason to be proud. His two teachers were either highly skilled in medicine or were leading figures in traditional Chinese medicine, so they were naturally extraordinary.

Liu Xuemei had a happy Spring Festival at Binbin's house, and she felt she would have plenty to brag about when she returned to school. She ate well and had a great time, and when she weighed herself after the holiday, she had gained several pounds.

After the Spring Festival, Binbin and Xiaojie both returned to school.

Yaoling Group officially merged with Xinlin County Coal Mine, and the name of the coal mine was changed to "Yaoling Group Xinlin Coal Mine".

"Brother, after everyone's recommendation, the company plans to appoint you as the general manager of Xinlin Coal Mine. What are your thoughts?"

Everyone got busy after the holiday. The coal mine assembled a new management and technical team, many of whom were recruited from outside. However, the appointment of the mine's top leader was delayed, and several board members recommended Fang Ping.

Although Fang Wei had never worked in a coal mine, he had extensive management experience. He was the one who built the furniture company under the Yaoling Group.

"Third brother, I have no industry experience and I'm afraid I won't do a good job."

Fang Ping had a sudden thought: the coal mine was close to home, and managing the coal mine was better than being an inspector.

However, he did not agree immediately, mainly because he was worried about causing trouble for his third brother.

"You can learn if you don't have experience. The company needs an absolutely reliable person to be there and keep things under control. You just need to make good use of the talent."

Fang Wei spoke frankly, explaining that the main reason everyone considered appointing Fang Ping as the general manager of the coal mine was because he was reliable and had a down-to-earth work style.

Coal mines need responsible and dedicated management. It doesn't matter if you're an outsider; there are plenty of professionals working under you who aren't just sitting around doing nothing.

"Then I'll give it a try. If I don't do well, I'll resign on my own initiative."

Fang Ping agreed to give it a try. As the general manager, he didn't need to be on the production line, and technical issues would naturally be handled by specialists.

His responsibility is to use the right people and manage them well. He will never conceal anything, no matter how big or small, and he will never neglect safety in production for the sake of so-called profits.

He was well aware that the economic benefits were the second priority for Yaoling Group in acquiring the coal mine.

"Alright! Brother, you can go to the coal mine and take up your post tomorrow."

Fang Wei didn't say much. His older brother had his own management methods, and if they really encountered an insurmountable obstacle, he would definitely lend a helping hand.

Next, Fang Ping went to the coal mine.

Under his leadership, various new equipment were delivered to the mine one after another, and various safety regulations and systems were established.

Acquiring the coal mine cost virtually nothing. The county's goal wasn't to sell the mine for a good price, but rather to get it into production as quickly as possible.

Wang Lin learned that Yaoling Group had made a large investment in the coal mine, which not only greatly improved the working and living conditions of the employees, but also invested heavily in purchasing new equipment and improving the production process.

Those small coal mines aren't unaware of the importance of advanced equipment for production; they're simply prioritizing cost savings, even to the point of disregarding safety.

Subsequently, Wang Lin proactively approached Fang Wei, asking if the coal mine needed a loan. If so, he offered to coordinate with the bank on its behalf.

"Secretary Wang, you're really a lifesaver! After purchasing various equipment and improving facilities, the coal mine is facing a real financial crisis. How about this, I won't ask for too much, just 5000 million yuan in loans will do."

Yaoling Group is not short of money, but Fang Wei is still willing to take out a loan from the bank.

This is also a strategy of deep integration with the county; what business doesn't need loans? (End of Chapter)