The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 186 Delivering superior seeds to the countryside, returning to the commune to beat up Old Ma
Time flew by and it was already May.

During the May Day holiday, Qian Jin went back to Haibin City to rest for a day.

The next day at work, he didn't go back to the supply and marketing cooperative; instead, he went directly to the Xiping Production Brigade to deliver improved vegetable seeds.

The second spring rain fell at the end of April, followed by continuous overcast skies. Without sunshine, the mountain road remained muddy, and Qian Jin's canvas shoes were covered in yellow mud.

This made him realize that he might be incompatible with the Xiping Production Brigade in terms of weather.

He came to Xiping twice, both times after it had rained.

The motorcycle roared laboriously into the Xiping Brigade headquarters, and Qian Jin's trouser legs were covered in mud.

The brigade headquarters warehouse was converted into a double-dealer store.

Now, the Xiping Production Brigade finally has its own dual-service store.

Qian Jin parked his motorcycle at the entrance, got off, and pushed open the blue-painted wooden door.

Facing you is an L-shaped counter made of cement, the brand-new countertop polished to a shine with a terrazzo, as if it has developed a patina.

Behind the counter, the goods were neatly arranged on the shelves—daily necessities on the left, agricultural supplies and tools on the right, and a red paper sticker in the middle that read "Develop the economy and ensure supply."

The left cabinet is the most eye-catching, with three rows of glass jars on it:

The first row contained loose white and brown sugar, the sugar granules shimmering in the sunlight.

The second row contained loose biscuits, fried noodles, and vegetable oil.

The third row contains stationery products, including notebooks, pencils, erasers, and a few pens.

There are also several large jars below, containing kerosene, soy sauce, vinegar, and liquor.

Next to each can was a metal funnel, all of them brand new.

Several teenagers crowded in front of the counter, staring at the stationery. They were eager to touch the Hero brand fountain pens and the notebooks printed with the city gate of the capital.

But saleswoman Zhou Qin blocked them with a feather duster: "Don't touch these, they're all government-owned goods."

Zhou Qin was very young, a nineteen-year-old lad. He was wearing brand-new blue overalls, and he stood tall and proud.

Behind him, at the dual-brand store, hung a small blackboard with today's specials written in chalk:

Each household is limited to two boxes of matches per day. Soap, cigarettes, and tea are rationed. Flour sauce, soy sauce, and vinegar are available today.

The smell wafted from the agricultural supplies area next door, a faint odor that I couldn't tell if it was from dichlorvos or hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH). It was because the Shuangdai store had only been open for a short time, and the pesticides and fertilizers were delivered very quickly.

Several old men gathered around the newly arrived shovel head, examining it closely, their rough fingers tracing the steel stamp on the shovel surface. The words "Haibin Agricultural Smelting Plant" made them nod repeatedly.

Qian Jin pushed the door open and heard a clanging sound.

He looked up and saw a copper bell hanging above the door, its sound clear and crisp.

Everyone in the room turned to look, and upon seeing that it was Qian coming in, they immediately erupted with an enthusiasm completely different from when they saw any other cadres:
"Is that Director Qian? Director Qian, please come and sit down..."

"How did Director Qian get here? Wasn't the brigade's tractor clearing and rotary tilling that piece of land in Nanshan'ao today?"

"Thanks to Director Qian for approving the diesel fuel, otherwise the tractor wouldn't have been able to start."

The child who had been staring at the cookie jar ran outside to look, then came back cheering, "There's a big truck outside! It's so big and wide, much nicer than the village truck..."

"That's a motorcycle!"

The boys who were studying fountain pens and stationery rushed out, scrambling to get a seat on the motorcycle.

Hearing the sound of the motorcycle, Lao Zhou, who was rushing over, shooed them away like sparrows: "Go, go, go! Don't touch that iron donkey, or it might get on fire and crash into you."

"You're kidding me, this is a motorcycle, not a donkey," the older child retorted.

The sensible child knew to ask through the door, "Director Qian, can I touch your motorcycle?"

Qian Jin said, "Touch it, sit down, but watch the support frame carefully. Don't push it forward or backward. If the support frame falls, it will hit someone. If the support frame doesn't fall, you can play around with it as you like."

The children cheered and began to examine the motorcycle.

Old Zhou chuckled, patted the dust off his trousers, and beckoned to Qian Jin: "Director Qian, what brings you here today? Come on, Zhou Qin, pour Director Qian a bowl of wine. Our team is treating Director Qian to a drink."

Zhou Qin agreed and immediately bent down to fetch the wine.

Qian Jin quickly refused: "I don't drink, please don't serve me any alcohol."

The old men surrounding the counter were puzzled: "This wine smells so good, why don't you drink it?"

Qian Jin said, "Then I'll treat these gentlemen to a drink. Hey, your name is Zhou Qin, right? You can get them some wine, a teacup for each of them, it's on me."

Zhou Qin looked at Lao Zhou.

Old Zhou shook his head at him.

Qian Jin laughed and said, "The supply and marketing cooperative has to listen to me. How can you not tell the difference between the big and small kings?"

"Let's get some liquor for the old men and let them try the new Daqu liquor from the supply and marketing cooperative."

There are teacups in the supply and marketing cooperative.

The liquor was poured in, and the aroma of bulk baijiu immediately filled the air.

In the past, the Xiping Production Brigade would use surplus sweet potatoes to brew wine. However, due to inadequate technology, the wine contained a lot of fusel oils, resulting in a strong but bitter taste, which was much worse than bulk liquor.

Qian Jin didn't like drinking Liu Mao Daqu, but the old men praised its taste after drinking it.

They said it was a good wine, high in alcohol but not causing a headache, with a smooth taste and mellow aroma.

Old Zhou also took a sip, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, a drop of wine still clinging to the tip of his beard.

"Director Qian really knows what we like!" An old man smiled and wiped his mouth, revealing his uneven teeth.

The other old men nodded in agreement. They leaned against the cement counter, sipping their drinks, squinting their eyes and smacking their lips, as if savoring some fine nectar.

Once the alcohol was down, they started talking non-stop.

Qian Jin leaned against the counter displaying farm tools, listening to the villagers chat about everyday life:

"The chives in my private plot are growing well this year. Even though I've already harvested them once, they're still fresh when I cut a bunch yesterday..."

"With the Shuangdai store in our brigade, everything is so convenient. Last night I was thinking of making some shredded cabbage salad, but we were out of vinegar at home, so I just ran over and bought some..."

"Director Qian, the things you sent to my family are so nice. Those cookies smell so good, they've kept my kids up at night..."

Zhou Qin brought the ledger to Qian Jin to look at.

These past few days, the best-selling items on private accounts have been daily necessities such as matches, kerosene, and salt.

There were a few large purchases by the public: the production team bought several shovel heads and took away two bags of urea.

After a quick glance at the ledger, he handed it back to Zhou Qin: "Make sure the accounts are clear. It's best to keep two ledgers, one general ledger and one distribution ledger. That way, you'll never make a mistake, and if you do, you can find the problem quickly."

He handed the briefcase on the ground to Lao Zhou: "It's full of vegetable seeds. It's already May, so you should hurry up and replant them."

Old Zhou came for this reason.

Qian Jin just didn't say that he shouldn't ask.

Now that Qian Jin has handed him the seeds, he quickly opens them to check the situation.

The handbag was full of kraft paper bags, with the words "Special Supply for Agricultural Research Institute" printed in red on them.

Old Zhou was shocked after seeing it: "These are still seeds from the Agricultural Research Institute?"

Qian Jin said, "There are a total of sixty kinds of vegetables and ten kinds of fruits. Each one has its name and planting method written on it. You need to study them."

"These seeds are all high-quality seeds, with an overall germination rate of at least 90%, and some of them are new varieties, newly developed experimental varieties."

"So you have to be careful. Keep it a secret during the planting process. Don't let outsiders, especially strangers, see these new varieties of vegetables."

People nowadays have a strong sense of secrecy because catching spies was prevalent in the 1950s and 1960s. Even now, children's favorite game is still catching spies.

Upon hearing this, Lao Zhou immediately took it to heart and felt a great responsibility on the team: "Director Qian, you really have a way with things, you can even get new varieties of vegetables."

Qian Jin casually took out a packet of seeds and looked at them; they were seeds of the Honey Pumpkin.

He explained, "Don't think I'm exaggerating. You'll know once you grow these vegetables and fruits. They're high-yielding and of high quality. Take this pumpkin, for example."

"This is not the old pumpkin you grow. It looks very similar to your pumpkin, but the inside has been completely improved. It tastes super sweet, very starchy and powdery. It can be eaten as a staple food, a particularly good staple food."

"Moreover, these pumpkins don't spoil easily, so there's no need to build special trellises for them. At the Agricultural Research Institute, they have a special name: 'Crawling All Over the Ground,' because they can grow by crawling all over the ground."

Old Zhou trusted Qian Jin, but he still had some doubts.

Why are there so many intricacies involved in making a pumpkin?

Pumpkins could indeed be a staple food during years of famine, but nowadays, as long as there is cornmeal or sweet potato flour available, nobody eats pumpkins.

Because the pumpkins they grow really don't taste good.

Qian Jin then opened the nylon bag next to him: "Oh, and this too, I have to tell you about this one."

"These are seedlings of a new variety of sweet potato. You need to take good care of them. These are seedlings. Don't eat the sweet potatoes you grow this time. Sprout them next year and I will teach you some techniques for virus removal from the seedlings. Once this type of sweet potato can be grown on a large scale, you can eat them!"

The sweet potato variety he brought was the honey sweet potato.

Even in the years to come, this sweet potato will remain famous.

Its taste is exceptionally sweet; the sweet potato juice is truly like honey, both thick and sweet.

In addition, they can also be used to dry sweet potatoes, and the dried sweet potatoes produced are of excellent quality and fetch a high price.

In this day and age, dried sweet potatoes could be eaten like candy.

Old Zhou quickly took it in his hands as if it were a treasure. When he opened it, he said anxiously, "Oh dear, we have to plant it quickly, the seedlings are already wilting."

Qian Jin bought a planting guide and explained, "This is to improve the survival rate of the seedlings. The agricultural research institute has already conducted ventilation treatment, which is actually to make their survival rate even higher."

"You can perform a 'greening' operation on it. Put the roots of the sweet potato seedlings in a pool of water and let them sit for 24 hours before planting them in the ground."

The others suddenly realized what was going on.

Zhou Qin said at the right moment, "Director Qian really cares about us farmers. I have met other leaders of the supply and marketing cooperatives, but none of them are as dedicated to our farmland as Director Qian."

"Director Qian!" Zhou Tiezhen's voice rang out from outside.

He had just run from the fields, his old military uniform splattered with mud.

He was delighted to see the seeds and even asked Qian Jin what kind of coupon he needed to buy such good seeds.

Qian Jin then said, "This is the Agricultural Research Institute supporting our work. No coupons are needed, so you can plant with peace of mind."

Zhou Tiezhen was overjoyed and hurried to prepare lunch. Qian Jin said, "I'm not eating here; I have other work to do today..."

"No way! Last time you came we ate your food, this time you have to eat ours." Zhou Tiezhen didn't stop, and rushed out again, "You guys keep an eye on him, don't let him get away."

Qian Jin was helpless.

Then he hopped on his motorcycle and sped away.

Old Zhou was dumbfounded.

How do we catch them?
Qian Jin rode his motorcycle back to the city. Going up the mountain was easy, but coming down was difficult, so he had to drive carefully.

There are cultivated farmlands on both sides of the road.

Small patches, like patches on the earth.

The larger ones are over an acre, while the smaller ones are only a fraction of an acre or two.

It's not worthwhile to grow crops on this land, but it's quite good for growing vegetables.

He gazed at the terraced fields in the distance, where the wheat had grown quite tall, a vibrant green.

The newly sown vegetable seeds in April should have already sprouted tender shoots. Some vegetables, such as green beans, string beans, and eggplants, were grown from seeds at home and then the seedlings were transplanted into the ground. These seedlings have also grown tall.

They slid down the mountain and then sped back to the supply and marketing cooperative.

He entered the lobby and realized that something was wrong.

There were no customers inside.

However, Zhao Dazhu, Jin Hai, and Liu Xiulan were all in the main hall.

Zhao Dazhu was checking the account books, the abacus beads clicking loudly, much faster than usual.

Jin Hai squatted in front of the shelves, sorting goods. His back was as stiff as a wooden board, and his work was rough.

Liu Xiulan paced back and forth, her face full of anxiety.

As soon as Qian Jin appeared, Liu Xiulan noticed him: "Oh, Director Qian is back!"

The sound was a pleasant surprise.

Qian Jin was puzzled.

We met this morning, why are we making such a fuss about it now?
"Director Qian is back?" Another voice rang out from behind the door leading to the backyard.

Ma Defu pushed open the door and came out.

He was different today; he was wearing a blue work uniform covered in flour, and carrying a flour sack on his shoulder, looking every bit the enthusiastic worker.

Now, when he sees Qian Jin, he smiles so hard that wrinkles appear at the corners of his eyes, like an old cat that has just stolen a salted fish.

Qian Jin frowned: "Oh, Director Ma, what brings you here? Looking for a beating?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Defu's smile froze.

Qian Jin is too arrogant and domineering!

Who the hell is the local tyrant?!
But this is not the time for a momentary act of impulsiveness. He rubbed his hands together and said:

"Director Qian is joking. The organization wants me to come back and continue working as a sales clerk, after all, this is my old profession."

"You're supposed to redeem yourself through meritorious service?" Qian Jin frowned.

Ma Defu was furious.

This young man's mouth looks quite nice, how could it be so vicious?

He wiped his forehead to suppress his anger and said, "I haven't committed a crime, so why should I have to atone for it?"

He stretched out his sleeve, and the Capital brand watch on his wrist was gone, replaced by a white sunburn mark.

Qian Jin asked directly, "What's wrong? Isn't having an affair a crime? What's wrong? You got out of the county police station through connections, so you think you're innocent now?"

Upon hearing this, Ma Defu could no longer suppress his anger.

He demanded sternly, "Qian Jin, are you deliberately trying to cause trouble?"

Qian Jin nodded: "Yes."

The other party's straightforward admission of their purpose left Ma Defu momentarily at a loss.

He decided to be patient a little longer.

He was able to return to his workplace this time thanks to his father-in-law's shameless request for help. He still remembers the look of disgust on his father-in-law's face before he left, and he especially remembers what his father-in-law said:

"If you can't work diligently at your workplace, you should go back to your hometown and farm to repair the earth."

"If you make another mistake, I'd rather use my face to wipe the street than let you ruin it. If you have to go to jail, go ahead; if you have to be executed, go ahead. The Pang family won't care!"

His wife's family's unpleasant expressions and vicious words stung the softest part of his heart like scorpions with two tails.

Arrogant as ever, Ma Defu roared inwardly: Don't underestimate the poor young, no, don't underestimate the poor middle-aged, I will take my revenge on you one day.

A brutal revenge!
But the time has not come yet.

He knew very well that this opportunity to return to his unit was a rare one.

This opportunity will not come again.

I'm afraid that cunning Qian Jin also figured this out, which is why he deliberately provoked me.

So Ma Defu frantically suppressed his anger, determined not to give Qian Jin another chance to attack him.

He took a deep breath and said seriously, "Comrade Qian Jin, we had a misunderstanding before. I hope we can open up and have a talk."

Qian Jin was about to laugh out loud, but then he suddenly thought of something and changed his smile to a gentle one: "Okay, let's go to the office and talk."

Ma Defu was quite surprised. He thought Qian Jin would rudely reject him, but he didn't expect that Qian Jin would actually be willing to talk to him.

He believed that as long as they could talk, they could reconcile, at least superficially.

Because he has a lot of cards in the commune, Qian Jin, a newcomer, needs his help to establish himself in the commune.

He will help Qian Jin, he will dig a hole to help Qian Jin.

With a grand and ambitious plan in mind, he went to the director's office.

This familiar room is now completely different.

Ma Defu secretly vowed in his heart that one day he would take back everything he had lost, and then...

A powerful kick landed on his butt, sending him flying into the office.

Qian Jin followed him in, closed the door, grabbed a towel hanging on the sink, covered Ma Defu's mouth from behind, and then punched him hard in the lower back.

"This punch is for you on behalf of the Xiping Production Brigade, this punch is for you on behalf of the people's hard-earned money you embezzled, this punch is from me!"

"Who the hell do you think you are, daring to mess with me just because you've become a live-in son-in-law? You think I'm some pushover just because I'm young? Let me tell you, you're back just in time. I've been thinking about how to deal with you lately!"

Ma Defu struggled frantically, finally managing to break free from Qian Jin's elbow and escape. Clutching his lower back, he huddled beside the desk, wailing, "Help! Help!"

Qian Jin quickly stepped out of the office, raising his hands and shouting, "Come and see! Come and see! Ma Defu is going to slander someone!"

"Ma Defu orchestrated this slander against people!"

Jin Hai ran out upon hearing the noise.

Ma Defu staggered out, clutching his lower back, and roared in grief and indignation, "Qian Jin, you are lawless and have no regard for the law!"

"You dare to hit someone? You dare to hit a government official? I'm going to report you! I'm going to the police station, I'm going to the county supply and marketing cooperative, and the city supply and marketing cooperative!"

Qian Jin was even more indignant than him, stamping his foot and pointing a trembling finger at him: "Slander, utter slander!"

“You, Ma Defu, are slandering state cadres! I’m going to sue you right now! I’m going to report you to the police station! I’m going to report you to the city’s supply and marketing cooperative!”

"I'm also going to report your affair to the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative. I want to ask the head of the cooperative why employees who engage in extramarital affairs aren't fired and are allowed to come back to work!"

Ma Defu was so angry at his shamelessness that his mouth twisted into a crooked grin: "You surnamed Qian! What did I ever do to offend you! You're going to fight me to the bitter end, aren't you! You just won't let me go!"

Zhao Dazhu and Liu Xiulan rushed over, and Jin Hai led the way; the three of them went to persuade Ma Defu.
“Comrade Ma Defu, please don’t be like this. We all know you feel wronged after being dismissed, but this has nothing to do with Director Qian.”

"Comrade Ma Defu, stop talking nonsense. Everyone in the commune knows Director Qian's character. Your slander won't work..."

"Teacher Ma, let it go. You should just stick to your job. It's not good for you to keep provoking Director Qian..."

Ma Defu was furious.

He pointed at the three of them and said emphatically, "Good, good, you guys are good, you're doing great."

"I know, I know, you've been bribed by Qian Jin."

"Alright, alright, Qian Jin, I get it now. You've got some tricks up your sleeve, you've got some methods. How did you manage to control these three opportunists?"

"But I don't believe you can stop the heavens of Zidian Commune! I don't believe your underhanded methods can control the entire commune! I'm going to sue you. Don't even think about being arrogant. Someone will definitely be able to deal with you..."

"Ma Defu!" Jin Hai suddenly roared.

When Ma Defu was yelled at by someone other than Qian Jin for the first time in the Zidian Commune, he was momentarily stunned.

After realizing what was happening, he roared, "Jin Hai! You've rebelled! You peasant, you've rebelled..."

"Ma Defu!" Jin Hai interrupted him, roaring at him.

Ma Defu asked through gritted teeth, "What are you doing?"

Jin Hai said, "Didn't what you just said seem familiar and ridiculous to you?"

"How could you utter those slanderous words against Director Qian? And why were you able to say them so fluently? Have you ever thought about the reasons?"

"Is it because you've heard too many people accuse you of that?"

Zhao Dazhu said, "When you drove away Xiao Wu, the salesman sent by the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative, did you remember him saying something similar before he left?"

Ma Defu was taken aback.

He recalled his accusations against Qian Jin.

I realized it was indeed very familiar.

Over the years, too many people have said the same things to me.

But he didn't care about any of that; he only cared about dealing with Qian Jin right now, so he angrily ran towards the police station.

(End of this chapter)