Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

Late April 1955, Beiping (Beijing).

Zhao Ping'an had just gotten the setup for the television station sorted out.

Secretary Zhou knocked on the door and came in.

"Minister, there's something I need to report to you."

Zhao Pingan looked up and saw that his expression was a little strange.

"explain."

Secretary Zhou handed over the report in his hand.

"Our food reserves are almost full."

"Isn't this a good thing?"

Zhao Pingan took the order and looked it over from top to bottom.

He knows all the numbers. He remembers every single one of them clearly: total domestic production, domestic consumption, existing reserves, and total exportable volume.

I breathed a sigh of relief. At least with the current reserves, we can preserve the country's vitality during the three years of natural disasters. Except for remote areas where supplies are really not guaranteed, most areas can basically be guaranteed that no one will starve to death.

Secretary Zhou said from the side:

"According to your plan, we have already stored enough grain to feed the whole country for more than two years. After this autumn harvest, we can store enough for almost another year. But the problem now is—the warehouses are almost full."

Zhao Pingan put down the order.

"Wasn't the warehouse always under construction?"

"It's under construction, but it can't keep up with the production schedule," Secretary Zhou said, pointing to the figures on the report.

"The fields are operating at full capacity, the factories are operating at full capacity, and we still have a large surplus of grain stored for three years. If we continue to store it like this, firstly, too much storage equipment and energy will be occupied, and secondly, the grain will spoil if stored for too long."

Minister, last year's grain output was 6100 billion jin, pork 531 billion jin, and vegetables 2280 billion jin. After deducting nearly one-third of the output for canning or storage and consumption by residents, we still have a large surplus.

Secretary Zhou paused for a moment.

"The problem now is that, considering the shelf life, if we continue to store it, we'll have to deal with the old grain starting next year. It's all grain, and it's a pity to waste it."

Zhao Ping'an remained silent for a few seconds.

I remembered checking the system before. Modern grain warehouses have good storage conditions, and wheat and corn can be stored for 3-5 years. But after that period, the quality will decline and it will be troublesome to deal with.

Although current production is less than half of the Republic's output in 2025, the problem is that the population is also small now, only 6 million, including the large number of newborns in recent years.

The standard of living in some areas today has surpassed that of 2000 years ago.

Even with an excess of grain, we still need to find ways to utilize it.

Zhao Pingan thought for a moment.

"I understand. You can go now."

After Secretary Zhou left, Zhao Ping'an leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

Suddenly I remembered that I had received a notification a few days ago that the Warsaw Pact was about to be signed, and representatives from various countries were gathered there. This was an opportunity.

He picked up the phone and dialed the number for the leader's office.

"Sir, there's something I'd like to report to you."

The matter was resolved quickly.

The leadership agreed to let Zhao Ping'an go to Moscow and Warsaw, with the mission of negotiating business and selling grain and light industrial products.

In early May, Zhao Ping'an took Xu Zhongyi on a train heading north.

The reason for bringing Xu Zhongyi along is twofold: firstly, he is extremely familiar with the logistics department, acting as a "shopkeeper";

Secondly, Zhao Ping'an planned to introduce Xu Zhongyi to the ministers of the Red Empire, to leave an impression.

If Hsu Chung-yi can hit it off with the ministers at first sight and reveal "another side" of them,

That would definitely accelerate his plan to "corrupt" the white class. Wouldn't that be more efficient than Xu Zhongyi dealing with those low-level thugs in the Far East?

May 15th, Moscow. The Warsaw Pact had just been signed the day before, and all of Moscow was celebrating a victory for the Communist Party.

When Zhao Ping'an walked out of the airport, it was drizzling.

Moscow in May was still a bit chilly, but the crowds waiting to pick up passengers at the airport were quite lively.

The Minister of Industry, the Minister of Foreign Trade, the Minister of Agriculture, and a bunch of other officials whose names I don't know crowded the entrance to the terminal.

We shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, got into the car, and headed straight for the Kremlin.

The talks are scheduled for the afternoon.

Several ministers of the Red Empire sat on one side of the long table, while Zhao Ping'an and his entourage sat on the other side.

Xu Zhongyi sat in the corner, holding a notebook in his hand, but his eyes darted around, taking in everyone's expressions.

Both sides were acquaintances, especially since at the banquet after their discussions in Beiping, Zhao Ping'an, relying on the "ingenious use" of the system space to collect items, single-handedly defeated more than ten people from the Red Empire at the dinner table, leaving them completely convinced of his superiority.

From that moment on, Zhao Ping'an became the most beloved comrade-in-arms among these ministers.

So the Minister of Foreign Trade spoke first. It didn't sound like a negotiation, but rather like a chat between friends, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Comrade Zhao Ping'an, the first batch of goods sold out in less than two months."

Canned pork, canned vegetables, cotton cloth, ready-made clothing, leather shoes, thermos flasks—your goods sold out as soon as they hit the shelves in Moscow.

He paused, then raised his voice slightly.

"Every day now, people are asking at the store entrance, 'When will the next batch arrive?' We've received so many letters from the public that they've piled up on the table, all urging us to deliver."

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"Thank you for your country's people liking our products, dear Comrade. I've come here to solve this problem."

The Minister of Foreign Trade, beaming with delight, continued, "Therefore, we hope that starting next quarter, the order volume can increase by 30% to 50% each quarter."

He then changed the subject, his tone becoming "special".

"But Comrade Zhao Ping'an, there's something we're really lacking—toilet paper."

You provided 1200 tons in the first quarter, and they were gone as soon as they hit the shelves.

Now, people line up outside the store every day to ask, "When will the goods arrive?"

We hope to supply 5000 tons per quarter starting next quarter, and strive to reach 8000 tons per quarter by the end of the year.

To be precise, for a ministerial-level official, his actions were neither in accordance with regulations nor common sense.

Zhao Ping'an's heart skipped a beat, and he noted down the number. The other party was in such a hurry, and even acted somewhat irrationally. Obviously, the toilet paper item might have caught the attention of the higher-ups and become a political achievement project.

"Dear Comrade, 5000 tons should be no problem. As for 8000 tons, I need to go back and coordinate the production capacity. I will try my best to meet your needs..."

Before the Minister of Foreign Trade could continue, the Minister of Industry chimed in: "Dear Comrade, the installation and commissioning of the equipment we imported from you went very smoothly, and the worker training was also effective. Once oil and coal production increases, subsequent cooperation can proceed as planned."

The Minister of Agriculture, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

"Comrade Zhao, the seed agreement reached last year was planted this March."

We are very much looking forward to a high-yield corn crop. If successful, corn can replace some grains as animal feed, enriching our agricultural structure. We should see the results by the end of the year.

He paused, then added, "Agriculture is a matter of strategic security. With high-yield seeds, our pressure will be much less."

"Dear Comrade, you should trust our agricultural technology. We guarantee you won't be disappointed by the end of the year," Zhao Ping'an assured him.

To this end, Zhao Ping'an even conducted special research on the agricultural environment in Central Asia. He not only provided drip irrigation systems but also agricultural film technology in order to prevent losses caused by sudden temperature drops in Central Asia, which are necessary for corn growth and require heat storage.

This means the Minister of Foreign Trade has finally regained the right to speak.

"Comrade Zhao Ping'an, to be honest, all of the above are fine, we welcome canned food, clothes and shoes."

But toilet paper is what's most in short supply. 5000 tons a season isn't enough.

If production capacity can keep up, 1 tons per quarter can be absorbed by the end of the year.

Zhao Ping'an was now certain that the other party definitely had something to show for their "achievements" regarding toilet paper.

Zhao Ping'an nodded.

"Dear Comrade, I understand your urgent needs. I am here today to finalize with you the plan to expand trade in the second half of the year."

Your request will naturally be our priority and we will fulfill it.

Of course, we can delegate the specifics to our subordinates for coordination…”

"Haha, very well then, we've prepared a lavish welcome banquet for you to repay your hospitality in Beiping..." Before Zhao Ping'an could finish speaking, the Minister of Foreign Trade couldn't wait any longer. Clearly, he was still somewhat unconvinced by Zhao Ping'an's single-handedly taking on more than ten people from their Ministry of Foreign Trade last time. This time, he had specially prepared some "outstanding" cadres and the vodka most suitable for him...

"Alright, I'll go with the flow," Zhao Ping'an realized that the other party was up to no good, but he had a system space with him, so he wasn't afraid. After all, once the alcohol entered his mouth, it went directly into his space. He could drink all night and then go out and get checked and he wouldn't be considered drunk driving. Who was he afraid of?

But what needs to be explained must be explained to avoid misunderstandings.

"But dear Comrade, I will be going to Warsaw in a few days to discuss business with other Warsaw Pact countries."

But rest assured, your supply will be prioritized. Your quarterly orders will be given priority in production. Theirs will be on the waiting list.

The Minister of Foreign Trade looked satisfied.

Three days later, Zhao Ping'an boarded a train to Warsaw. What remained was the legend of a wine god who could drink a thousand cups without getting drunk…