Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

With his father's approval, Xingbao composed himself and laid out his well-thought-out plan: "Dad, I'd like to trouble you to negotiate with Grandpa and the other families who have signed cooperation agreements. This year, all the rice they harvest will be handed over to us and distributed equally among the villagers based on the amount of land they have. Farmers from other villages will need to truthfully report their harvests this year, and we will purchase all surplus rice seeds for external promotion. At the same time, we will prioritize signing planting contracts with farmers from other villages whose yields are low and who most need improved varieties."

"My third uncle is too far away, so he doesn't need to get involved in this unified management. I'll continue to provide him with last year's successor rice seeds, and when they're fully promoted next year, I'll replace them with the first-generation high-yield rice seeds. This won't affect his harvest. Although it might cause him a slight loss, it will save him a lot of trouble. I'll explain it to him then. Also, I'll send ten catties of high-quality rice seeds to the clan at the end of this year, and at the same time, I'll officially record this matter of improved seed benefits and contract promotion in the clan genealogy and in the clan history."

After listening, Dad didn't immediately respond. He silently continued his work, carefully setting up the grape trellis and adding two extra support pillars to firmly secure it. Only after confirming the trellis was stable and reliable did he put away his tools, put down the wooden ladder, and pull Xingbao to sit under the trellis. With a serious expression, he asked, "Xingbao, you've thought things through, but you always have to consider the risks. Have you considered whether those families who are going to cooperate will agree? Will the other villagers understand? And will the outsiders who are used to taking advantage of others comply? Even if everyone agrees for now, how can we ensure they won't go back on their word or sell the seeds privately?"

Faced with his father's barrage of questions, Xingbao was already confident and calmly answered each one: "Dad, those families are unwilling to agree for two reasons. First, they're afraid we'll drive down the price and take advantage of them. Second, they want to keep some good seeds to help their relatives in other villages. We only control the distribution of the seeds; we will never deduct any profits. We'll buy them all at fair market prices and won't shortchange them in the slightest. If their relatives' actual yields over the past two years are similar to our village's high-yield harvests, it means they've cultivated properly." Saving a small amount of seeds is fine; however, if the yield difference is significant, it proves they don't know how to grow crops. Saving a small amount is understandable, but large-scale private saving and sale is absolutely unacceptable. If anyone insists on disagreeing, we will terminate the cooperation. Currently, there are many people in the village who want to follow our breeding program and cooperate in grain farming; we have no shortage of partners. Moreover, this is now a large-scale promotion of improved varieties to benefit all villagers, no longer a small-scale experimental cultivation. We can take this opportunity to select reliable cooperative farmers and exchange them for higher-quality land for breeding.

"As for the villagers, most of them just want to share some seeds with their relatives in other villages. I will explain the rules to everyone. If the relatives in other villages live nearby and it is convenient for them to come, they can come in person to register, sign contracts, and learn farming methods. If they are far away, they can use the rice seeds from previous years for the year. Although the yield is much lower than the first generation of improved varieties, it is about to stabilize after multiple generations and far exceeds that of ordinary native rice varieties. The harvest is still more considerable than in previous years. Next year, when the first generation of rice seeds is fully distributed and the seed supply is sufficient, we will no longer have to worry about this."

"People from other villages are easier to control. They have repeatedly come to cause trouble because the yield is not up to expectations, and they are eager for high-yield and high-quality seeds. This is the best reason to silence the public. In addition, we have set aside 10% of the harvest share and distributed it to our village and the cooperating village. Both villages act as guarantors, which is mutually beneficial and binds interests together. With these layers of constraints, no one will dare to easily renege on the contract."

After listening to Xingbao's well-organized and comprehensive plan, the father's worries vanished, replaced by satisfaction and approval. He readily agreed, "Your plan is feasible. It balances reason and emotion, knows when to advance and when to retreat, takes care of those who deserve consideration, upholds the rules firmly, and provides all the necessary benefits without any loopholes. Okay, I'll handle this. I'll find some time to visit those households one by one, find out their attitudes, and try to finalize everything within the next few days. If we delay any longer, the spring planting season will arrive, and we'll miss the best time for soaking seeds and raising seedlings."

With his father's full support, Xingbao's worries finally subsided, and a faint smile appeared on his face. With his father stepping in to mediate and stabilize relationships with all parties, his long-planned improved seed promotion project could finally be implemented steadily. The first generation of high-yield rice varieties, cultivated with years of hard work, could also leave the experimental fields and truly benefit the villagers and ensure stable grain production in the area.

The father and son tacitly chose not to mention Shanshan's family at all, not out of indifference, but as a well-considered and prudent decision. Shanshan's family lived in a different county, where the boundaries of jurisdiction were blurred, and privately disseminating rice seeds could easily lead to unforeseen problems and trouble. Furthermore, the earlier incident involving the rice transplanter was still fresh in their minds; the township had already explicitly prohibited the unauthorized dissemination of the seeds, and these rules were strictly forbidden.

With the country now occupied and food shortages rampant, the nation is facing an extreme food crisis. The first high-yield rice seed, invaluable and with far-reaching implications, cannot be rashly spread to other counties. The best course of action right now is to leverage the information gap and steadily promote the improved seed within our own township, benefiting our neighbors. By the time the township learns of this, the overall situation will be settled, and the results will be evident. The government will simply report it, securing this tangible achievement that benefits the people. As long as we strictly adhere to the boundaries, only implement it within our own township, and maintain proper boundaries, the township will be happy to see it succeed. However, if we were to privately spread the improved seed across regions and overstep our authority, we would inevitably violate the rules, anger the newly appointed officials, and unnecessarily invite endless trouble.

The township head, Gan, who had previously dealt with the Song family and was known for his shrewdness and understanding of human nature, was transferred and left office a year ago. The newly appointed township head, Liu, is a rigid bureaucrat who acts strictly and inflexibly, adheres to regulations without any favoritism, and is meticulous in his dealings with people. He is most averse to the private control of high-quality resources by the people or the reporting of favorable achievements to higher authorities without any regard for personal relationships, and will not tolerate any private overstepping of the rules.

Over the next few days, Dad spent his spare time instructing the village youths on physical exercises and routine training, while also visiting each household to discuss matters related to rice seed management and contractual cooperation. Of these cooperative households, his first stop was naturally his maternal grandfather's family, as they were close relatives who knew each other well, making communication the smoothest. In fact, Xingbao could have personally discussed these matters with his grandfather, but he had already secretly decided that in the future, whenever possible, he would remain low-key and behind the scenes.

With his outstanding achievements in rice transplanting and seed breeding, his youthful talents had become too conspicuous, secretly attracting the attention of many. The earlier initiative by the township to investigate the new rice varieties was the most direct signal, proving that someone was already secretly investigating and monitoring the Song family's movements. In the past two years, he deliberately calmed his mind, quietly following his master to learn medicine and cultivate himself, concealing his brilliance and keeping a low profile, gradually easing the suspicions and doubts of others. If he continued to strive for the limelight and be the first to show off, his abnormalities would eventually be completely exposed, sowing the seeds of endless hidden dangers. Understanding the principle that "the tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind," Xingbao increasingly understood the importance of restraining his ambitions and seeking progress steadily.