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

"Now I finally understand why coal mines were reluctant to invest in the past. The more they invested, the more they lost, and who could bear that?"

Fang Ping couldn't help but sigh, "You don't know the cost of firewood and rice until you're in charge of the household," and he was now experiencing that firsthand.

Of course, today's coal mines are different from those of the past; at least they don't carry as heavy a historical burden.

In the past, coal mines not only had to pay the wages of retired employees, but also their medical expenses. They also bore some social responsibilities, such as providing schools, kindergartens, and clinics for their employees' children.

Therefore, coal mines are not currently losing money, but they are not making much profit either.

“Our underlying logic is different from others, brother. You focus on building a solid foundation, and the speed of your profits doesn’t matter. We don’t make quick money; as long as we don’t lose money, that’s a victory.”

Fang Wei was afraid that her older brother would be under too much pressure, which is why she said that.

Taking over the coal mine wasn't just for social benefits; he helped Wang Lin, and the county would definitely reciprocate with benefits in the future. Actually, the same thing happened with Luo Zhimin before, because they weren't representing themselves but Xinlin County.

"I know."

Fang Ping nodded, and then drank several more cups with his third brother.

A few days passed quickly.

After the samples and materials were prepared in the Yao village, Fang Wei took the train to the Central Plains base.

Sun Shili was ecstatic, constantly thanking Fang Wei, otherwise the project might have been canceled.

Fang Wei naturally had to say a few words of modesty. He then handed over the relevant samples and materials to the project team, asking them to continue cultivating the mutant strains in the experimental field to lay a solid foundation for the next wheat breeding work.

He didn't say much about the technical aspects; these people were all experts, and with the materials and samples, he didn't need to worry about the rest of the work.

The selection process is like finding a needle in a haystack, and there is a great deal of luck involved in when a satisfactory plant will appear.

"Director Sun, I won't be staying for more than a few days this time. I'll leave the rest to you. I'm confident this project will be a success!"

Fang Wei's personal trip was just a gesture; he didn't need to worry about the subsequent research work, so he prepared to go back after three days.

Sun Shili also knew that there was no need for the other party to stay; Fang Wei's role was more about overall coordination and handling difficult public relations issues. The other party had already paved the way for the rest of the journey, so it was unnecessary to bother them with the details.

"Secretary Fang, let's have a feast tomorrow and have a good time."

Before leaving, Sun Shili took the project team to the city for a nice meal.

It was actually a farewell party for Fang Wei. All the project team members took the initiative to toast him that night. If he hadn't been such a good drinker, he would have definitely been drunk to death.

Even so, he still had a headache when he boarded the train the next day.

evening.

Fang Wei returned home, where his older sister had prepared a table full of dishes, and Pan Lianhua was also waiting at home.

After he went inside, he washed his face, and the three of them sat down to eat.

He discussed the progress of the new generation wheat project with Pan Lianhua, and it is very likely that small-scale breeding will be completed in the second half of this year, and all verification work is expected to be completed and the variety finalized next year.

"Third Brother, this is really tough! This is the first time I've seen you struggle like this. Is it because you're not familiar with wheat?"

Pan Lianhua always believed that no difficulty could defeat a man, but this project ended up being stuck for a long time.

Fortunately, a crucial breakthrough has been made, and she wonders if the current situation is due to the differences between the North and the South.

"That's part of the reason, but in any case, we've seen the light at the end of the tunnel."

Fang Wei smiled and nodded, agreeing with this statement.

The next day.

He arrived in the county early in the morning and shared his views on some issues.

Wang Lin listened attentively, and after the other party finished speaking, the two discussed housing reform.

"Secretary Fang, the higher authorities recently issued a document regarding housing monetization reform. Does this mean that in the future, the only way for everyone to solve their housing problem will be by purchasing commercial housing?"

"There will also be other paths, such as collective housing construction. The next housing reform will first complete the monetization reform of the existing stock. Housing previously allocated by work units will be sold to individuals at a lower price."

"The county transportation company is no longer able to operate normally, and the county plans to handle it like a coal mine. Secretary Fang, are you interested in merging with the transportation company?"

“Transportation companies are different from coal mines; they have almost no valuable assets. Most of their old vehicles are due for scrapping.”

"That's not how you put it. The transportation company occupies a large area, and there's also an even larger staff quarters. Isn't land a resource?"

“I’ll think about it some more. Even with these lands, the value of the county transportation company is still not much.”

The two chatted for about an hour before Wang Lin had to go to a meeting, and Fang Wei left the county town.

Back in his office, he began handling official business, and it was a little late for him to go home for lunch.

He went to the county today at Wang Lin's invitation, specifically to discuss matters concerning the county transportation company. This company, primarily engaged in freight transport, was once a darling of the county. However, it began its decline in the 1980s and is now effectively bankrupt, having not paid salaries for several years.

Many drivers went to work for Yaoling Group's transportation company to earn money; they couldn't just stay at home and starve, could they?

After revitalizing the coal mine, Wang Lin was eager to get rid of the transportation company, a burden he immediately thought of, and Fang Wei was his first choice. However, it was impossible to save the company; he could only attract people by offering the remaining value of the company.

The county transportation company enjoys a superior geographical location and occupies a large area, along with a cluster of family residential compounds, giving it excellent land resources.

But Fang Wei was thinking a little deeper. At present, the domestic real estate market is not mature. If a residential project is carried out in a small county, can the houses be sold?
Therefore, this matter needs to be considered carefully.

the next day.

He called Cai Tong, Hu Linwei, and others to discuss the merger with the county transportation company.

"The county transportation company is of little value; the only valuable thing is the land it occupies. The county transportation company is located on a major transportation route in and out of the county, with a superior geographical location. The company can discuss this extensively."

Fang Wei did not express his opinion, leaving the decision-making power to the senior management of the group company.

As Yaoling Group expands its operations, the importance of the team becomes increasingly apparent, and it's impossible for him to make all the decisions.

He stayed in his office all morning, and around noon, Tian Bingyi came to see him.

"The company has reached a vegetable supply agreement with Hong Kong. I talked with Jinlingwei Township, and they are willing to let us contract 2 mu of dry land."

It was Jiang Shiyue who facilitated the supply of vegetables to Hong Kong.

After such a long period of preparation, everything is ready, and we are just waiting for the vegetables that meet the standards to be put on the market.

Today, Tian Bingyi, representing the company, reached an agreement with Jinlingwei Township on land contracting. The first phase involves contracting 20,000 mu of vegetable fields, and if the results are good, the planting scale will be expanded.

Fang Wei shouldn't have had to worry about these things, but Tian Bingyi wanted to invest in building several modern vegetable greenhouses, but General Manager Lin was hesitant.

“Brother-in-law, you still have to listen to President Lin on this matter. Although having vegetable greenhouses can provide a year-round supply, we also need to consider the return on investment. I guess President Lin is hesitant about the cost.”

Fang Wei did not directly agree to Tian Bingyi's request, believing that investing in and building greenhouses had both advantages and disadvantages.

The pros and cons were left for Lin Bingkun and the others to weigh; he did not want to overstep his bounds and break the rules.

"Okay, then I'll write another report and submit it. The most important thing right now is to ensure the goods are shipped as soon as possible."

Seeing that Fang Wei said that, Tian Bingyi did not press the matter further.

He then returned to Jinlingwei Township without even having a meal. His next task was to plant various vegetables and recruit a large number of local farm workers.

Two days passed.

Lin Bingkun took the initiative to call Hu Linwei, Cai Tong, and Fang Wei to discuss whether to invest in building vegetable greenhouses in Jinlingwei Township.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus: it is not advisable to invest blindly for the time being; we should wait and see.

This is the first time our company has supplied vegetables to Hong Kong, and we don't know much about the situation. It would be better to wait until we have a better understanding of the relevant information before making any decisions.

Tian Bingyi did not insist any further and soon established a vegetable planting base to supply Hong Kong.

He is now mainly responsible for vegetable breeding and vegetable planting base work, and his workload has undoubtedly increased a lot.

Lin Bingkun sent several managers and technicians from the agricultural company to assist him; otherwise, he would have been exhausted.

This morning.

Fang Wei went to the newly built supply station, which was actually a large warehouse-style supermarket that supplied all aspects of life, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

The villagers can meet their daily needs without leaving Yaoling Township.

"Secretary, our supply station has been working very well since it started operating."

The person in charge of the supply station accompanied Fang Wei on a tour of the site. It was very popular, and it was said that many people from other towns came here to make purchases.

Of course, the main consumers are still the members of the community.

"Is there a problem with the supply of chicken, duck, fish, and meat from the farm?"

"There's no problem for now. After all, the farm also exports a lot of products every year. At most, they'll just favor us in the future."

As Fang Wei walked inside this large building, it felt as if he had returned to the supermarket of his previous life, and the supply station was much larger than the supermarket he remembered.

All products are high-quality goods sourced from all over the country, and logistics and transportation are mostly guaranteed by transportation companies.

Deng Yuanen and others have already extended their reach to major cities, which is comparable to the reach of products such as [Yaoling Rice] and [Yaoling Chili Sauce].

The transportation company has already taken the form of a logistics company, and currently has opened dozens of fixed transportation routes nationwide.

Currently, the supply station is sending procurement personnel everywhere, which is very tiring. Once the procurement network is established, it won't be so troublesome anymore; often, a single phone call will solve the problem. (End of Chapter)