The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 180 Xiping Production Brigade, Three Fires Ignite

This spring rain in April was like a summer thunderstorm—it came quickly and fiercely, but it also left just as quickly.

It rained in the morning and stopped at midnight.

Qian Jin has finally obtained what he has been looking for:

The scandals involving Ma Defu's illegal and disorderly conduct.

He has a lot of dirt on him; once it's handed over, he can forget about ever going back to work at the supply and marketing cooperative.

In addition, he also got hold of the dirt on the people at the secondary distribution stations. If he were to send this dirt up, they would all be fired and have to prepare to go to prison for reform.

Qian Jin didn't rush to submit the incriminating information.

Spring plowing is in full swing, especially after this spring rain, the river has swelled and the crops have been well-watered, there is a lot of work to be done in the fields, and the farmers will be very busy.

Similarly, supply and marketing cooperatives will also be very busy.

They not only sell goods, but also ensure the smooth progress of agricultural work.

Qian Jin doesn't have three heads and six arms; at this time, all the staff of the supply and marketing cooperative and the secondary distribution stations need to work together.

Therefore, he chose to remain inactive.

We need to get them to work properly first, and then we can talk about other things.

Qian Jin disliked the practice of discarding a bridge after it has been crossed or killing a donkey after it has served its purpose, but since the bridge was already damaged and the donkey was seriously ill, he had no other choice.

If the old doesn't go, the new won't come.

The spring rain has stopped, and the bluestone road is still glistening with dampness.

After the rain stopped last night, Qian Jin called the Taishan Road Neighborhood Committee and asked Shi Zhentao to inform them of some things.

In the morning, the sun was as bright as the sky.

Qian Jin waited at the door for his men to arrive.

The new official took office three fires.

His original plan was to start his career by going to the countryside, but Li Weiguo, Chen Kai and other good people took the initiative to become torches, burning themselves to illuminate Qian Jin's path to officialdom.

So Qian Jin used their burning as the first fire, and the work in the countryside as the second fire.

Now, Qian Jin is waiting for the spark to ignite the second fire.

Zhao Dazhu came up to him from behind: "Director Qian, the office hasn't been cleaned up for a while. How can we help you clean it up? What should we do with the documents left behind by Ma Defu?"

"What I mean is, should these documents be sealed and handed over to the higher authorities, or should you examine them first?"

Qian Jin turned around and smiled, "Teacher Zhao, we haven't worked together for long, but I never hide my true nature. You should know me by now."

“I am different from Ma Defu. You are not my secretaries or assistants, let alone my nannies or anything like that. You don’t need to help me pack my things. I will handle my own work.”

He went to move the rattan chair that Ma Defu had left behind outside to sunbathe. It was a nice rattan chair, very comfortable to sit in.

Unfortunately, it's been too long, and now I'm worried about moisture damage.

Inside the supply and marketing cooperative, the work proceeded in an orderly manner.

At each of the secondary distribution stations, the work was carried out with great passion.

The dirt road leading from Xiping Production Brigade to the commune was muddy and slippery from the rain, and the air was thick with the smell of mud.

Accountant Zhou trudged through the mud, carrying a blue cloth bundle under his arm containing two bottles of the brigade's Fenjiu liquor.

This is a bottle of fine wine that the brigade leader's relatives brought back from Shanxi to their hometown to pay respects at their ancestors' graves during the Qingming Festival.

The captain, who loved to drink, managed to resist the urge to drink, because they had a more important mission: to deliver gifts.

Old Zhou walked with difficulty in front, followed by two young men, one carrying a shoulder pole and the other pushing a wheelbarrow.

The wheelbarrow had a burlap sack on one side and several bamboo baskets tied to the other. Both the burlap sacks and bamboo baskets were filled with things. The outermost bamboo basket was uncovered, revealing that it was full of eggs, all carefully lined with straw.

Old Zhou went ahead to scout the way.

The road was too muddy, so he took off his shoes and walked barefoot in the mud, which saved on shoes and made it easier to walk steadily.

The weather was a bit cold after the spring rain, and the muddy water was even colder, making people's feet numb. After walking for a while, they had to stand on one leg and rub their feet.

But Old Zhou didn't care about this hardship; he was more concerned about the young man pushing the cart behind him: "Xiao Lei, make sure you push it steadily. Nothing else matters, but if the cart tips over, all the eggs will fall out and smash."

Xiao Lei was short but sturdy, looking like a yak: "Don't worry, Second Uncle, I'll be careful."

Old Zhou nodded and then instructed the young man carrying the shoulder pole: "Lin Wen, don't do it like last time. When you see Station Chief Li, offer him a cigarette first. If he doesn't take it, put it on the table and don't take it back."

The young man nodded, a look of indignation on his face: "These cadres at the supply and marketing cooperative have gone too far. Are they still people's cadres...?"

“Don’t talk nonsense,” Old Zhou interrupted him seriously. “It’s okay for you to complain a little now that there are hardly any people on the road, but once you’re in the commune, you absolutely mustn’t say a word.”

"Remember this: you can't fight city hall. We're the arm, and they're the leg."

Zhou Linwen said indignantly, "I don't believe that the sky was blocked by a few corrupt officials."

“I recently heard from my classmates in the commune that Ma Defu is finished. He was arrested in the county for having an affair, and now a new leader from the city is in charge of the commune.”

Old Zhou shook his head: "Let's not worry about that. First of all, let me tell you, all crows are black."

"Secondly, a local official is more powerful than a distant one. We can't find the new director. We're connected to the pharmaceutical station, the buyback station, and the cooperative stores. The new leader can't bring a bunch of people from the city, can he? In the end, if he wants to get things done, he'll still have to rely on the old team."

Zhou Linwen let out a long sigh.

They had walked for a while and were a little tired. Zhou Linwen took out his army green water bottle, took a sip, and handed it to Old Zhou: "Second Uncle, have a sip."

Old Zhou shook his head as he looked at the young man's rough hands.

He wasn't in the mood to drink water.

The closer he got to the commune, the more apprehensive he became.

He couldn't help but recall how, around this time last year, he had spent an entire morning squatting outside Station Chief Li's office in order to get some pesticides for the team's cotton fields.

Finally, someone was asked to pass on a message to the brigade, and the brigade sent over all the eggs they had saved up for half a month in exchange for a box of damp 666 powder.

The poplar trees on both sides of the dirt road sprouted tender buds and swayed gently in the spring breeze.

The roar of a tractor could be heard in the distance, and several commune members were tilling the fallow fields.

Old Zhou looked up at the sky, which was a clear, bright blue, washed clean by last night's rain.

He unconsciously tightened his grip on the bundle in his arms, the fabric rustling as it rubbed against each other.

Xiping Production Brigade is located in the far northwest of Zidian Commune. Because it is far from the commune, there is little interaction between them, and their relationship with the leaders of various units is somewhat distant.

The roads were slippery today, so they couldn't ride bikes. They walked, which took a long time. They set off before dawn and didn't arrive at the commune until almost ten o'clock.

The three of them turned past the mottled brick wall of the supply and marketing cooperative. The slogan "Serve the People" on the green painted door frame of the medical station gleamed in the post-rain sunlight. The door was open, and laughter and cheerful voices came from inside.

Zhou Linwen looked around to make sure no one was there, then spat on the ground.

Old Zhou's heart leaped into his throat. He quickly glared at him and said, "Don't cause trouble!"

Zhou Linwen grinned: "Second Uncle, there's no one here now, so don't be afraid to bang on the door."

Fearing criticism, he quickly changed the subject: "Hey, Uncle, Xiao Lei, look, I remember every time I came here before, the green-painted wooden door of the medical station was always ajar, and it would only be fully opened when the visitor showed their 'good intentions'."

"Who went here today? Why is the front door open like this?"

If in the past the doors of the medical station were half-hidden behind a curtain, then today the humble doors are now open to you.

Xiao Lei muttered to himself, "Anyway, it wasn't opened because we were coming."

The three men used bamboo strips they carried to scrape the mud off their feet, put on their shoes, and walked into the medical station with smiles on their faces.

Inside, the people from the Changgeng Brigade were counting supplies, and Station Chief Li Weiguo was squatting beside them, helping them organize them.

Before Old Zhou could even speak as he entered, Li Weiguo smiled and said, "Old Zhou! We've been waiting for you!"

Old Zhou was taken aback; the basket he was carrying on his arm was actually getting hot.

He thought to himself, "Li Weiguo really has a pair of sharp eyes; he can see things very well."

Before he even put the basket down, people could already tell he had brought eggs.

It wasn't like this last month. When he came to collect this year's supply of veterinary penicillin, Li Weiguo said with a stern face, "It has to be allocated according to the plan. Your brigade doesn't have any quota."

In the end, after much pleading and even asking someone to intercede on his behalf, Li Weiguo finally gave him half the amount.

At that time, Station Chief Li's fingers were tapping loudly on the table. He didn't even bother to look at us, let alone smile or squat down to look up at us.

Old Zhou sighed inwardly, but a smile quickly spread across his face. He patted the basket and said, "Station Chief Li, I borrowed a basket from you last time, here you go..."

“You old Zhou, you’re joking with me again,” Li Weiguo interrupted him. “When did you ever borrow a basket from me?”

"We don't have baskets like these at our station. You must be mistaken. Did you borrow them from the food station or a partner store?"

Old Zhou was stunned.

What do you mean?
Li Weiguo, didn't you love eggs the most? So you've changed your mind and want to eat something else now?
Could it be that a weasel is trying to eat a chicken?

The brigade doesn't have many chickens to give as gifts.

Zhou Linwen took out a cigarette and said, "Station Chief Li, have a cigarette and let's think about it. I remember my second uncle borrowed the basket from you."

Li Weiguo pushed the cigarette he was offered back and said sternly, "What are you doing? Why are you offering me a cigarette when I come in?"

"This is a medical station, not a temple. We're here to provide services, not for you to burn incense!"

As he spoke, he went behind the counter and took a cardboard box from the top shelf of the medicine cabinet:
"You're here to pick up pesticides for spring planting, right? We've already prepared everything. Two boxes of pyrethroids and one box of veterinary penicillin, as per the county's agricultural and forestry bureau and supply and marketing cooperative's orders, are all freshly arrived..."

As he spoke, he brought down two more boxes.

Old Zhou's hand was suspended in mid-air, and he was stunned for a moment.

Is this a dream?

He quickly put the basket on the table and then winked at Zhou Linwen.

Zhou Linwen didn't react in time; he was completely dumbfounded.

Old Zhou hurriedly pointed to the cigarettes in his hand, and he suddenly realized what was going on, putting down the whole pack of cigarettes.

"Hey, what's going on here!" Li Weiguo quickly came up and stuffed a cigarette into Zhou Linwen's hand, then handed the basket to Old Zhou. "I know you Xiping Brigade are busy, and it's not easy for you to come all this way. I won't keep you any longer, you can go about your other business."

Old Zhou took out some money from his shirt pocket: "Then, let me... let me do the math."

Li Weiguo laughed and said, "Just sign for me. Once you've verified everything, sign it and let your team leader and Accountant Zhao from the supply and marketing cooperative do the accounting."

"Anyway, it's all public property, so we should give them whatever amount is due. They know that perfectly well."

As he spoke, he pulled out four large, dark brown bottles from under the counter: "Oh right, this is the DDT I owed you last time, two liters each, eight liters in total, take it with you."

Old Zhou felt a ringing in his ears. He mechanically took the bottles of dichlorvos one after another, but something felt off.

By this time, the people from Changgeng Commune had already left.

He thought that Li Weiguo might have been too busy to accept gifts earlier, but now that there were no people around, he should be accepting them, right?

Li Weiguo then said, "There were too many people earlier, Lao Zhou, I was too embarrassed..."

"I understand, I understand." Old Zhou breathed a sigh of relief and quickly tried to hand the basket to Li Weiguo.

Li Weiguo was taken aback: "What are you doing?"

Old Zhou stammered, "Didn't you say you were too embarrassed to accept the money because there were so many people around?"

Li Weiguo shoved the basket back into his arms: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"What I want to say is that I was too embarrassed to apologize to you earlier because there were so many people around, but now I must sincerely apologize to you and to the Xiping Production Brigade!"

“In the past, under Ma Defu’s wrong leadership, I made some mistakes due to my ideological decline, which caused some trouble for your production work in Xiping. I want to apologize now and hope you can forgive us.”

The outspoken Xiao Lei couldn't hold back any longer: "Station Chief Li? What are you up to? Are you out of your mind..."

"Hey, Xiao Lei, shut up!" Old Zhou was startled and quickly glared at him and scolded him.

Li Weiguo said seriously, "Comrades, I'm not putting on an act right now; I'm facing reality head-on."

"I did make some mistakes in the past, and I understand the resentment you feel now. It's okay, I will correct my mistakes and use warm and thoughtful service to dissolve the resentment in your hearts!"

After leaving the medical station, Old Zhou and his companion were in a daze.

They looked at the cart.

I got the pesticides and veterinary drugs, but the eggs and cigarettes are still here. What's going on?

Old Zhou stood under the old locust tree by the roadside, took out his pipe and slowly filled it with tobacco.

It was cool and refreshing under the shade of the tree, and the new leaves on the tree gave off a faint fragrance.

He saw several handcarts parked in front of the cooperative store at the east end of the road, with purchasing agents from several production teams going in and out.

Yu Zhenfeng, who was balding, laughed heartily after hearing something. As the purchasing agent left, he even came out to wave enthusiastically...

Zhou Linwen stammered, "Second Uncle, something's not right. Isn't it about that thing I mentioned? The supply and marketing cooperative got a new director, and this new director has high expectations of them. Have they become more obedient?"

Old Zhou's expression was complicated. Instead of answering, he said, "Let's go, let's go to the cooperative store too!"

After the purchasing agents from several production teams left, Yu Zhenfeng went to touch up the paint on a diesel drum. When he saw the people from Xiping arrive, he wiped his sweat and led them to the backyard.

"We've been waiting for you! Come on, come on, we've saved twenty bags of urea for you."

"How's the tractor in your brigade? If it's repaired, we'll supply you with diesel fuel. Didn't we delay supplying you with diesel for half a year last year? If the machine is repaired, we'll supply it to you all at once this time."

The two young men looked at each other in bewilderment.

Old Zhou didn't know what to say for a moment.

Their production brigade's tractor broke down at the beginning of last year, but it has been repaired long ago.

But Ma Defu had already told Yu Zhenfeng that the diesel fuel from the Xiping Brigade would be confiscated in full, and Yu Zhenfeng did just that.

Old Zhou brought Fenjiu liquor this time to give as a gift to Yu Zhenfeng.

Their production brigade desperately needed tractors, and the tractors desperately needed diesel fuel!

Yu Zhenfeng's words left him speechless.

He could only stammer, "It's...it's fixed..."

“Then we’ll issue you the diesel quota,” Yu Zhenfeng said readily.

He looked at the cart again: "Including the arrears from last year, the diesel quota for the first quarter of this year is four or five hundred liters. How are you going to push this cart back?"

“Okay, I’ll go check the repurchase station. You guys wait for me. I remember the Changgou brigade next door is coming over to deliver charcoal. I’ll see if they’re still here, and if so, I’ll have them take it back to you by tractor.”

Before Lao Zhou could say anything, he had already dashed off like the wind. He quickly returned, his face beaming with a smile: "What a coincidence, what a coincidence!"

“They just finished unloading the charcoal in Changgou and were about to leave when I stopped them. Come on, give me a hand and hurry up and move the oil drums out. We can’t delay their journey.”

Old Zhou handed him the bundle: "Manager Yu, we...we don't have anything good in our team, but here are two bottles of wine..."

"What? You want me to sell it for you? You'd be better off sending it to the supply and marketing cooperative. Who would buy wine from me?" Yu Zhenfeng laughed.

Old Zhou laughed and said, "Why would we sell it? This is our brigade's way of showing our respect to you..."

“Why would you offer me a gift? Don’t talk nonsense. I’m not some bodhisattva or mountain god. How could I accept such a gift?” Yu Zhenfeng quickly waved his hand. “Come on, hurry up and move the oil drums. Once we’ve moved them out, we’ll wait for the tractor from Changgou to come over.”

“Oh, right,” he suddenly said, pulling out a pen from the pocket of his Zhongshan suit.

“I lost my fountain pen around the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, so I borrowed this Hero brand fountain pen from your brigade. Now that I have bought a new fountain pen, I will return this borrowed pen to its rightful owner.”

Old Zhou didn't take the pen.

Zhou Linwen took it.

This fountain pen was bought by his father through someone else, intending for him to use, but Yu Zhenfeng took it away.

Old Zhou gave him a meaningful look, but Yu Zhenfeng remained expressionless.

When they were moving the oil drums, they specifically said, "We gave you an extra fifty liters of diesel. Spring plowing is important, so you need to get your tractors working as soon as you've repaired them this year."

Large oil drums were loaded onto the tractor.

Old Zhou then gave Sun Ming, the tractor driver of Changgou Production Brigade, a wink.

Sun Ming, under the pretext of asking for a light, came closer and asked, "What's wrong?"

Old Zhou said in a low voice, "Something's not right. I feel like nothing's right since I came to the commune this time..."

Sun Ming laughed: "You've discovered that these bears have become more human-like?"

Old Zhou nodded.

Sun Ming glanced around and whispered when no one was looking, "It's the new director of the supply and marketing cooperative!"

"This new director is amazing. He brought down and dismissed Ma Defu within a month of arriving. He's also going to deal with Ma Defu's lackeys, scaring them half to death. Now they're afraid we'll complain to them."

Old Zhou suddenly realized: "So that's how it is."

Sun Ming said, "So you should seize this opportunity and go to the commune more often recently. Tell them what you need or what you lack. You might not get another chance like this!"

After realizing what had happened, Lao Zhou quickly went back to the repurchase station.

The commune's buyback station mainly purchased various agricultural and sideline products.

When they arrived, Wei Quanmin was squatting next to the scale, weighing baskets of ferns.

Seeing that the Xiping Brigade had also come to deliver goods, he forced a smile across his muscular face: "Old Zhou, you're here? What good stuff did you bring?"

Old Zhou said in a low voice, "There's nothing good here. I've finished cleaning up the Bupleurum chinense I collected last year, and I thought I'd come and see if I could exchange it for some money to help the brigade with spring plowing."

Wei Quanmin said, "That's definitely possible. Your brigade's Bupleurum is of the best quality. I'll take a good look at it and try to get you a top-grade one."

Old Zhou swallowed hard.

No one's changes could compare to the shock that Wei Quanmin's transformation brought him.

Wei Quanmin was known throughout the commune for his bad temper. The villagers called him "Dog Face" because he was like a mad dog, wagging his tail one second and baring his teeth the next.

In addition, he is very good at giving people attitude, and he will shout loudly at the drop of a hat. If he has been drinking, he might even beat someone up.

As a result, he's started smiling now.

But that smile is creepy no matter how you look at it.

Zhou Linwen said, "We not only brought Bupleurum, but also our own pickled toon sprouts."

"They started pickling in March, and now the color is perfect..."

"You guys really send me anything? Do you think my recycling station is a garbage dump?" Wei Quanmin finally revealed his true colors after hearing that pickled toon had been delivered.

He disliked the smell of toon leaves, finding it rather unpleasant.

Zhou Linwen, young and impetuous, immediately said upon hearing this, "Oh, does that mean our supply and marketing cooperative is no longer buying pickled vegetables? Okay, I'll go ask."

"We just ran into Director Qian at the entrance when we came over. I'll go ask him..."

"No need to ask, no need to ask." Wei Quanmin laughed heartily and quickly grabbed him. "You're quite the young man, your expression changes so quickly."

"How could my buyback station not purchase your agricultural products? I was just joking with you guys, look at you, how could you take it seriously?"

"Come on, bring out the Chinese toon leaves—no need, the Chinese toon leaves grown in Xiping Mountain are of the best quality, I'll just give you a special grade, let's weigh them."

Old Zhou hesitated and said, "To assign a rating without even looking at it? That's not appropriate, is it?"

Wei Quanmin hurriedly said, "It's suitable, it's suitable, how could it not be suitable? Haha, I trust the Zhou family from Xiping."

As he spoke, he inspected the quality of Bupleurum and assigned it a special grade.

He also personally helped them pack the Chinese medicine and pickled vegetables into baskets for preservation, and he kept eating while he was working:

"The wild honeysuckle from Xiping Mountain is a good thing. Next time you have it, just send it over directly. You don't need to dry it too much; the wet ones will weigh more."

The buyback station was filled with the mixed smells of various medicinal herbs. Old Zhou noticed a newly posted "Agricultural Product Purchase Price List" on the wall, stamped with a bright red official seal.

The old weighing scale was brought out.

Weigh each item one by one.

In previous years, this scale always shortchanged them, but today not only did it not shortchange them, Wei Quanmin even gave them extra weight...

After walking around the commune, they had bought everything they needed to buy and sold everything they needed to sell.

Logically, they should be leaving soon and heading back home.

But after hesitating for a while and smoking two pipes of tobacco, Old Zhou made up his mind: "Let's go to the guesthouse to see the new director!"

"Should we go and complain?" Zhou Linwen asked expectantly.

Old Zhou glared at him: "You dare! Don't talk nonsense, don't cause trouble for our brigade. You think our brigade is doing well?"

"I'm going to see what kind of person Qian Jin is, and how he can bring these bad guys under his thumb?"

Qian Jin is easy to find.

After all, there were four people in the supply and marketing cooperative, three familiar faces and only one unfamiliar face.

He was a dashing, spirited young man.

Upon seeing him, the young man greeted him with a smile, "Uncle, what would you like to buy? The county just delivered some sweet bean sauce, buy some to take home and eat."

Old Zhou smiled awkwardly and said, "Boss, I'm not here to buy anything, I'm here to thank you."

Qian Jin asked in confusion, "Huh? Did I help you with anything?"

Old Zhou chuckled: "He's helped a lot."

As he spoke, he took out a cigarette and gestured, "Boss, please have a smoke."

Qian Jin waved his hand: "Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but I don't smoke. Look what's written on this cigarette pack?"

"Smoking is harmful to your health, so you should smoke less."

Old Zhou said, "I don't even smoke a pack a year. These big chicken cigarettes aren't cheap. I usually smoke dry tobacco."

Qian Jin said, "Isn't this dried tobacco just as harmful to health?"

Old Zhou said, "But there's no such word written on the tobacco leaves."

Qian Jin chuckled to himself.

Someone behind said, "Zhou Lao Er, what are you saying? If you're not buying anything, get out of the way. I've been waiting for a while."

Another acquaintance said, "That's right, Zhou Lao Er, why aren't you buying anything and hurrying back? Xiping is the farthest from the commune, and it takes two hours to walk back."

After hearing this, Qian Jin asked, "Eh? Xiping Production Brigade? Uncle, are you from Xiping?"

Old Zhou said, "Yes, I am the accountant of Xiping Brigade. My name is Zhou Gu. Gu means old, and people who know me call me Old Zhou."

Qian Jin called out to Liu Xiulan, "Master Liu, please take a moment to attend to this. A comrade from the Xiping Production Brigade is coming over. I have something to ask him, so I need to go to the office."

Liu Xiulan readily agreed, "Okay, Director, you go ahead with your work, I can manage things here."

Qian Jin nodded to the other members: "Excuse me, comrades, I have other work to attend to."

During yesterday's defection operation, Ma Defu and his henchmen all mentioned the Xiping production brigade.

Xiping Production Brigade is located near Xiping Mountain. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, the Xiping Combat Team once operated in the mountains, fighting against Japanese guerrillas and punishing traitors.

Perhaps it was because Xiping was built against the mountains that the members were tough; or perhaps it was because they had the heroic blood of their ancestors that the cadres of this brigade were all stubborn.

They didn't get along with Ma Defu, and Ma Defu retaliated against them.

Although the Xiping Production Brigade fully met the standards for establishing a dual-generation store in terms of population size, distance, and other aspects, Ma Defu refused to help them apply for establishment.

Therefore, their team relied entirely on collecting supplies from the commune, and each time they came to collect supplies, they had to endure all kinds of mistreatment in order to get anything.

After learning about this, Qian Jin made establishing a dual-agency store in Xiping Production Brigade one of his top priorities. He invited Lao Zhou into his office to discuss the matter in detail.

When he arrived at the office door, Old Zhou clutched his faded blue cloth hat somewhat embarrassedly: "My feet are covered in mud."

"The floor inside is muddy too, I'm not going to clean it anyway." Qian Jin didn't lecture him but laughed and pushed the door open, shoving him inside.

Old Zhou had been to this office before.

Sometimes Ma Defu would scold him, and sometimes he would bring gifts to Ma Defu.

But now the office layout is different from what he is used to; it has become much simpler.

Things like wardrobes, washbasins, and kettles were gone, leaving only the large elmwood desk.

On the table was an enamel mug, and on the wall hung a portrait of the leader and a map of the Zidian Commune, along with documents and books.

Qian went in to get the thermos and came back in to pour tea: "Please sit down, please sit down. We need to have a good chat today, so don't be shy."

Old Zhou had half his buttocks resting on the chair, which made a slight creaking sound.

"How are the preparations for spring plowing in Xiping this year?" Qian Jin pushed over a white porcelain teacup, the tea leaves inside unfurling.

Old Zhou took the teacup with both hands, the heat passing through the porcelain wall to his palms: "Reporting to Director Qian, the topdressing of winter wheat is 80% complete, and the spring cornfields have also been turned over."

Qian Jin laughed: "I said it was just a casual chat. This isn't a report from the commune leaders, so don't be shy or feel pressured."

Do you have enough seeds? What about pesticides?

"Thanks to you, I just received the full amount of dichlorvos and urea today." Old Zhou's voice rose involuntarily. "And diesel. Last year, we could hardly get any diesel, and our perfectly good tractors were just sitting idle in the warehouse."

"Today is great, I got more than 500 liters of diesel in one go, which should be enough for a whole year."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Don't be so polite, how can you say you're doing this thanks to me..."

"This isn't just politeness, boss. I was thanking you outside just now for this very thing," Old Zhou said earnestly.

He recounted in detail the different treatment each distribution station received in the past and present, and his eyes reddened when he got emotional.

Over the years, the leaders and cadres of their brigade have suffered too many grievances.

The members of the entire production brigade suffered too much hardship and torment following them.

Qian Jin gestured for him to drink tea: "I only found out about this yesterday. Don't worry, things like that will never happen again."

"I had heard that Xiping was a land of heroes when I was in the city!"

He got up and walked to the wall, pointing to the location of Xiping on the map:

"Starting 40 years ago, your Xiping Combat Team began to contribute to the cause of the people's liberation. Xiping belongs to the old revolutionary base area of ​​our Haibin City. Such a place should be a key target of our supply and marketing work!"

Old Zhou didn't know what the young director would do in the future, but what he said was truly touching.

He recalled what Ma Defu had said in the same spot before:
"Xiping? It's a poor, remote place where even rabbits can't poop properly. Why is it still stuck in Zidian Commune? It would be great if it were transferred to Shuihe Commune over there."

Qian Jin sat back down in his chair and took out a piece of paper from the drawer: "Accountant Zhou, I didn't call you here today for a heart-to-heart talk. There's an important task that requires our joint efforts."

"Here's the thing... I'm planning to set up a dual-agent store in Xiping, what do you think..."

"A dual-agency store?!" Before he could finish speaking, Old Zhou suddenly stood up, and the chair was overturned to the ground with a "bang".

He quickly went to help him up with a chair, and Qian Jin said with a smile, "Don't get so excited, Accountant Zhou. Don't worry, everything will be alright, things will get better, the future is bright, so don't get agitated."

Old Zhou's voice was trembling: "Director Qian, this is so exciting! You...you're serious? You want to set up a dual-service store for our brigade?"

Qian Jin poured him some water: "Sit down and let's talk. Don't worry about this dual-agency store. We'll start preparing immediately and try to finalize the documents before the end of April so it can be put into operation in May."

“Our dual-agency store sells both daily necessities and purchases agricultural products, so your brigade definitely meets the application requirements.”

“Ma Defu was a scoundrel before. He wouldn’t set up a double-deal store for you, making the commune members have to travel more than ten miles of mountain road to the commune just to buy salt. He was a real bastard!”

Old Zhou's hands were shaking so badly that he had to put the teacup down on the table.

He said, "Yes, our brigade is far from the commune, so it's inconvenient to buy anything."

"The nearest brigade store is four miles away. It's a real ordeal for the commune members to buy something. Don't be fooled by the fact that four miles isn't far. Our area is all mountains, and the journey is arduous. So every time the commune members go to a store, they have to call on their friends and go like they're going to a market."

“Our brigade leader reported it to the relevant comrades in the county, but it was no use. They didn’t care and just sent the documents directly to Ma Defu. It’s better not to care at all…”

At this point, Old Zhou stood up again and bowed deeply to Qian Jin: "Director Qian, on behalf of the more than nine hundred people of Xiping, thank you!"

Qian Jin quickly helped him up, saying, "It's the right thing to do."

"I am the director of the commune's supply and marketing cooperative, and I must do my best to live up to the expectations of the commune's members."

"So, your brigade has a tractor, right? Drive your tractor to the commune tomorrow, and I've prepared some things for your brigade."

“I know that your brigade has the most elderly people receiving the five guarantees and families of martyrs and soldiers. I have wronged you in the past. On behalf of our supply and marketing cooperative, I will compensate you double!”

Old Zhou was so excited he didn't know what to say, he just kept clasping his hands together and saying, "Thank you, thank you."

Qian Jin took out a piece of paper: "Let's plan the construction of the dual-agent store first. You are familiar with your brigade, so where do you think would be a suitable place to build the dual-agent store?"

"Come on, draw a rough map of your brigade's buildings, and we'll discuss it using that map..."

Old Zhou, full of energy, started scribbling away.

The two discussed for a while when the sound of a "putt-putt-putt" engine came from afar. The sound grew louder as it approached, startling the sparrows in the trees into flight.

Soon, the cheerful shouts of several teenagers rang out: "Truck! The big truck is here!"

Qian Jin checked the time; his reinforcements should have arrived.

(End of this chapter)