Official title: Refused to stay at the university, started his career in a rural town.

The next day, Yang Fan sat in his office for the entire morning.

A book titled "Transforming Traditional Agriculture" by Theodore Schultz lay open on the table. The page was turned to Chapter Three, next to which sat an ashtray nearly overflowing with cigarette butts.

The old yellow dog outside the window rolled over, belly up. The sound of pile driving from the Hengtong factory came from afar, thumping loudly.

He thought about Wu Xiang's words at the guesthouse several times that day: "If Qingping develops, we'll all be better off. I'll handle all the messy things from the city and county."

The blockade has been stopped, but how can development continue?

Yang Fan closed the book. The apples were bagged securely, the mountain delicacies were sourced from the market, and the tea garden would be ready for the first harvest next spring. Each of the three things was handled separately.

Zhao Dayong was in charge of overseeing the new industries, including apples, mountain delicacies, and tea gardens—but the lower levels were each managing their own areas, so the effort was scattered.

Can we knead them together?

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the courtyard wall, Wang Dashan was arguing loudly with Lao Huang. Lao Huang squatted at the entrance of the gatehouse, holding a jar, and replied slowly, which made Wang Dashan even more anxious.

A word flashed through Yang Fan's mind.

cooperative.

It wasn't the kind of professional cooperative that existed in later generations; it was the kind led by the government that organized scattered farmers together—with unified procurement of agricultural materials, unified technical standards, and unified brand sales.

Apples, mountain delicacies, and tea—these three items are all grouped together, with one explanation to the outside world and one set of standards to the inside.

He wrote three words in his notebook: Qingping Township Agricultural Cooperative.

Then cross it out.

No, it's not agriculture, it's industry!

Apples are an industry, mountain delicacies are an industry, and tea is also an industry.

Cooperatives cannot just focus on planting; they must also focus on selling—from the field to the market, going all the way to the end.

He added another line: Qingping Township Industrial Cooperative, government-led, unified standards, unified brand, unified sales.

The pen tip drew a line under the four characters "government-led".

In the afternoon, Yang Fan rode the bicycle with its chain twisted with wire and started riding around the village.

The first stop was Yangjiagou. Wang Dashan was pruning trees in the orchard. When he saw him, he put down his pruning shears.

"Mayor Yang."

"Uncle Wang, I have a question for you."

Wang Dashan took out his pipe, but didn't light it.

"What do you think about it if we could collect and sell all the apples from each household together next year?"

Wang Dashan thought for a moment. "Unified collection? Who will collect it?"

"cooperative."

What is a cooperative?

Yang Fan squatted down, picked up a twig, and drew on the ground. "It's about bringing all the fruit farmers in the township together, buying fertilizer together to lower the price, learning techniques together, having experienced farmers teach them all, and selling apples together. When negotiating with buyers, it's not about negotiating with individual households, but about negotiating as a whole township."

Wang Dashan stared at the ground for a long time.

"What if someone doesn't want to?"

"If someone is unwilling, we will not force them."

Wang Dashan lit his pipe and took a drag. "Cheers."

At the second stop, Nangezhuang, Lao Geng was fertilizing the tea garden, his trousers covered in mud.

Yang Fan recounted the cooperative's story again. After listening, Lao Geng squatted down and smoked one cigarette after another.

"Mayor Yang, who's in charge of this cooperative?"

"The township government takes the lead, each village invests, a council is elected, and the township appoints a person to serve as the chairman of the council."

Old Geng stubbed out his cigarette. "What if someone from above tries to take advantage?"

Yang Fan did not respond.

Old Geng stood up and dusted off his pants. "Mayor Yang, it's not that I don't trust you. I've just seen too much—any good thing gets ruined as soon as someone tries to take it."

Yang Fan stood up. "Secretary Geng, therefore, the charter of this cooperative must be firmly established. The majority of the profits come from the village collectives, and the township government's role is mainly to provide guidance."

Old Geng stared at him for a long time.

"Okay, I believe you!"

The third stop, the fourth stop, the fifth stop. Three days passed, and we visited all nine administrative villages. There were more people in favor than opposed, and more observing.

Yang Fan wrote down the opinions of each household in a notebook, which was filled with dense notes.

Back at the township government, it was already dark. Yang Fan sat in his office, staring at the three words on his notebook: "cooperative."

He felt somewhat uncertain.

This idea has a theoretical basis, but can it be implemented in a poor rural area like Qingping? He flipped through Schultz's book, then closed it again. What's in the book is in the book, and what's on the ground is on the ground.

Yang Fan went to the reception room.

The phone rang for a long time before being answered when dialed to Handong University.

"Who is it?"

"Professor Zhou, I am Yang Fan."

The voice on the other end of the phone rose. "Yang Fan! You brat, I haven't even finished the delicacies you sent me last time, and you're asking for more?"

Zhou Shiping is a professor in the Department of Economics at Handong University, specializing in agricultural economics. Yang Fan took his courses when he was in school, and the two had a good relationship.

"Professor Zhou, there's something I'd like to ask you."

"explain."

Yang Fan explained his idea for the cooperative.

The government takes the lead, with unified standards, a unified brand, and unified sales. Each village invests and receives dividends according to their shareholding.

After listening, Zhou Shiping remained silent for a few seconds.

"Your idea is theoretically sound. There are precedents abroad, like Japan... their agricultural cooperative model is government-led. In China, we also had cooperatives in the 1950s, but they went astray later—that's another matter."

He paused.

"The core of your model is not 'cooperation,' but 'leadership.' Government leadership means that the government has to withstand pressure from both sides."

Yang Fan held the microphone.

"On one side are the farmers. As the cooperative grows, some will want to go it alone and wonder why the township government and village collective should take a cut. On the other side are the higher-ups. As the cooperative grows, some will try to take advantage of it. The buyers will try to drive down prices, the sellers will try to get kickbacks, and even people in your county or city will try to take over the cooperative's distribution channels."

Zhou Shiping's voice turned somber.

"Yang Fan, theory is theory, and practice is practice. Whether your cooperative succeeds or not doesn't depend on how well your plan is written, but on whether you can hold firm to your beliefs and win the support of the county or even the city's top leaders."

Yang Fan held the microphone but didn't speak.

Zhou Shiping added, "If you can stop it, and this model works in Qingping, it will become a model for the whole province and even the whole country."

Yang Fan said, "Professor Zhou, I understand."

"Good to know." Zhou Shiping paused. "By the way, the mountain delicacies you sent last time were really good. Your teacher's wife said they were especially delicious when used in soup."

Yang Fan chuckled. "Then I'll send you some more."

"So, Yang Fan, you only give it to me when you need it, and then you don't give it to me when you don't, is that it?"

Yang Fan was taken aback, then smiled. "Professor Zhou, I didn't mean to—"

"Alright, alright, I was just kidding." Zhou Shiping's tone changed. "But speaking of which, Yang Fan, it doesn't matter whether I eat it or not, and it doesn't matter whether the teachers at the school eat it or not. But—it's almost Chinese New Year, have the leaders in your county enjoyed the delicacies of Qingping yet?"

Yang Fan gripped the microphone tightly.

Zhou Shiping's voice was unhurried. "You've been working in Qingping for over a year. Apple bagging, the mountain delicacies brand, Hengtong's 60 million yuan project—which one didn't have the county's backing? I heard that your Secretary Wu slammed his fist on the table at the Standing Committee meeting and promoted you exceptionally, County Head Ma helped you get funding from the city, and Minister Zhao initiated the recommendation—and you didn't even send any mountain delicacies as New Year's gifts to these people?"

Yang Fan's Adam's apple bobbed.

"Professor Zhou, I..."

"Stop using 'I.' We economists always talk about markets, rules, and systems. But systems are implemented by people, rules are followed by people, and markets are created by people. If you get things done, the credit belongs to everyone, not just you."

Zhou Shiping paused.

"This isn't bribery; it's about social etiquette!"

Yang Fan held the microphone, his palms sweating.

"Professor Zhou, thank you for your guidance!"

"Don't thank me. Even if you hadn't called me today, Principal Su would probably have called instead." Zhou Shiping laughed heartily, his words full of affection for his student.

"By the way, send me a copy of the cooperative proposal once it's finished. I'll take a closer look at it for you, and I'd also appreciate it if the teachers could help you with their research!"

"Thank you, Professor!"

Yang Fan's lips trembled with emotion, but he could only utter one word: "Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Fan stood at the entrance of the gatehouse for a long time.

Old Huang, the gatekeeper, poked his head out. "Mayor Yang, are you done making the call?"

"It's over."

"Long distance?"

"long haul."

Old Huang clicked his tongue twice and wrote down the numbers on the meter in his notebook.

Yang Fan returned to his office and sat down in a chair.

Zhou Shiping's words kept replaying in my mind.

The county is backing you up, and you don't even send a small gift for the New Year?

This isn't flattery; it's about social etiquette.

Yang Fan leaned back in his chair, and outside the window, the old yellow dog rolled over, its belly up.

He wrote a line in his notebook: Qingping Township Industrial Cooperative, government-led, unified standards, unified brand, unified sales.

After thinking about it, I crossed out the word "leading" in "government-led" and changed it to "guiding".

He added that the township government should not hold too many shares; just a small share, symbolically, is sufficient.

Then he wrote another line: "New Year, in the county, two truckloads of mountain delicacies."

The pen tip paused briefly on the paper.

This way of dealing with people and situations is something we must learn!

Old Huang's voice came from outside the window: "Mayor Yang! Old Geng is here!"

Yang Fan stood up and closed his notebook.

Outside the courtyard wall, the mountains of Qingping became a silhouette in the twilight. The lights of Hengtong's factory were on, and the tea gardens at the foot of the mountain were covered with a thin layer of frost.

Tomorrow, first, draft the cooperative's articles of association. Then, have Old Geng prepare two truckloads of mountain delicacies.

Then we'll visit the county, making sure all the county leaders and county departments are present.

After all, Qingping Township has made great strides in development this year. No department has failed or complained. Everyone has worked hard all year, and it's a great honor to bring home a box of local delicacies.

Only through give and take can we cooperate sincerely and take our work to a higher level next year!

A mastery of human relationships is the essence of literature!

Although I am a transmigrator from the future and my perspective is far ahead of people today, I still have a lot to learn about the ways of officialdom. A new recruit in the officialdom dares not be arrogant or complacent!