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

(I uploaded the previous chapter at 4 PM and revised it four times. I still don't know what I did wrong. I deleted all the parts that were pointed out as problematic, but it still didn't work. I'll update this chapter first, and I'll see when to release the previous one.)

The next morning, at 8:15, Zhao Ping'an arrived at the sea and first had a brief exchange with Secretary Li.

Then, at 9:00 AM sharp, he went to report to his superior. After reporting several possibilities and his own plan, the superior finally agreed and authorized Zhao Ping'an to preside over the cooperation with the North Crea delegation.

When Zhao Ping'an received the list of the North Crea delegation, he had a good idea of ​​what to expect.

More than half of the people on the list are from the Republic faction, former subordinates of Fang and Pu.

"Chief Kim" leads the delegation—the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, who is nominally the head of the delegation.

But Zhao Ping'an knew that the ones who could really speak were those few veteran comrades from the Republic faction.

The delegation arrived in the evening, and Zhao Ping'an went to pick them up at the station.

After shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and introducing themselves, they exchanged a few polite words. Since everyone understood Chinese, Zhao Ping'an communicated directly with them.

Zhao Ping'an didn't rush to talk about business, but just smiled and said, "Since you've come from afar, there's no need to rush to discuss cooperation."

"Let me first show you the real situation in the Republic. After you see it, you'll have a better understanding of the Republic, and then we can talk about anything else."

The comrades from North Crea were somewhat surprised, but this was exactly what they wanted, and they quickly nodded in agreement.

The next morning, several jeeps set off from the guesthouse and headed straight for Shijiazhuang.

The first stop was the armored vehicle factory.

Inside the workshop, the assembly line was running. Workers, dressed in neat work clothes, were assembling the machines methodically. Zhao Ping'an pointed to each machine on the production line, explaining their features one by one:

"This is the Type 86 wheeled armored vehicle, which was just finalized and put into mass production this year. It is wheeled, has high road mobility, low maintenance costs, and is more suitable for mountain warfare than tanks."

"This is the older Type 80, which has been phased out, but the technology is mature and it can be used for training."

The comrades from North Crea gathered around to take a closer look, touched the vehicle's armor, and asked some technical questions, which Zhao Ping'an answered one by one.

Zhao Ping'an even arranged a cross-country shooting exercise at the factory's testing grounds. The suppressive fire effect produced by the 30mm rapid-fire turret's continuous fire made a representative from North Clare envious.

Simultaneously, the Type 86 and Type 80 armored vehicles operate in coordinated formation, one providing fire suppression and the other offering continuous firepower, a perfect synergy.

The demonstration of the improved armored vehicle equipped with a man-portable anti-tank missile system, which allowed it to launch long-range counterattacks and destroy tanks, prompted the North Clare representatives to immediately discuss cooperation and import the system.

Zhao Ping'an smiled and promised that there was no problem with the cooperation intention for the armored vehicle production line, and the specifics could be discussed together at the end.

Next, we went to a comprehensive weapons manufacturing plant, which was formed by merging several branch factories together.

The Type 65 107mm rocket launcher is lightweight, flexible, and has powerful firepower, making it suitable for mountain guerrilla warfare and infiltration operations.

After visiting a production line for 82mm mortars, 12.7mm heavy machine guns, etc.

The eyes of those people in military uniforms in the delegation lit up even more.

The tour ended just as lunchtime was approaching.

Zhao Pingan led them toward the factory canteen, saying as they walked:

"The factory has buffets; the workers can take as much as they want. Let's just grab a bite and chat."

Upon entering the canteen, the comrades from North Crea were stunned.

On the long table, seven or eight large meat dishes were laid out in abundance—braised pork belly, braised beef, stewed ribs, braised fish chunks, twice-cooked pork, roasted chicken chunks, meatballs… all steaming hot.

There were also about ten small meat and vegetable dishes on the side: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, green peppers, and green peppers, hot and sour shredded potatoes, Mapo tofu, stir-fried seasonal vegetables... all kinds of green, red, and white dishes were available. It was also the right time for the delegation to come, as July is the season when summer vegetables are plentiful.

In the main food area, there were several large pots with open lids, serving white rice, steamed buns made from a mixture of wheat and corn, and noodles made from a mixture of corn and corn.

Soup and apples were placed on another table, with enamel bowls stacked high.

Commander Jin held the plate, unsure how much to take—he was afraid of taking too much and being embarrassed by taking too little.

A worker carrying a bulging pile of plates walked over and shouted at them in a boisterous manner:

"Comrade, take more! Our factory has plenty! If you don't have enough, the kitchen will cook more!"

Zhao Ping'an smiled, picked up the plate and started serving himself: "Eat as much as you want, and get more if you're not full. Our cafeteria is open 24 hours a day, so there's always a hot meal when you come."

Only then did the comrades from North Crea begin to move.

During lunch, an older representative asked the workers eating next to him, "How much do you earn a month?"

The worker chewed on braised pork, saying, "I'm a level 5 worker, my salary is 76 yuan."

The representative pressed further, asking, "Is your salary enough to live on?"

The worker laughed and said in a carefree manner,

"The problem isn't that my salary is enough; it's that I'm a bachelor now and I don't know how to spend it. At the factory, I get three free meals a day."

When I first started working, I lived in a six-person dormitory at the factory. Now, after working for over two years, the factory allocated single-person dormitories a year ago.

We receive six sets of work clothes a year: four for summer and two for winter, which is enough.

The factory provides everyday necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and laundry detergent.

If it weren't for my fondness for smoking and occasionally buying a pack of cigarettes, I wouldn't know how to spend my salary. I originally planned to save some money to build a new house back in my hometown, but it turned out that the area was being developed, and the government built a new house for me. I went back to see it during the Spring Festival. It's a bright and spacious three-room brick house. More importantly, the construction cost can be paid off over 10 years, only about 60 yuan a year, which is less than a month's salary for me.

"So you'll have to get married someday, right? Getting married and having children will cost money, won't it?" came the somewhat unconvinced question.

"What you said makes sense. You really have to pay for the wedding banquet yourself. But our factory has a policy that the head chef in the canteen can help prepare the banquet on his days off. He only gets five yuan a day for his hard work. The factory also provides the ingredients, which are cheaper and of better quality than the market price. The logistics staff said it's some kind of collective purchasing policy."

As for the children you mentioned, the factory has a daycare center, and for older children, there's a school for factory workers' children. There's also a hospital on-site. Basically, the factory covers all their needs: food, clothing, accommodation, and daily necessities.

The representative was stunned.

Another representative asked in a low voice, "Do you...eat like this every day?"

The worker laughed: "We eat like this every day! Lots of meat and vegetables, and as many vegetables as you want. Sometimes when we work the night shift, the canteen even delivers a late-night snack—you can choose any buns or noodles you like."

The comrades from North Crea held their plates and ate silently, no one saying a word.

After the meal, Zhao Pingan took them to see the workers' dormitory area.

Rows of neat buildings stand with gardens in front, where children play and elderly people chat in the shade.

Downstairs there are shops, a barbershop, a bathhouse, and even a sports field and staff recreation center.

An older comrade from the Republic faction watched for a long time before finally speaking, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"Minister Zhao, is this... is this communism?"

Zhao Ping'an smiled and said, "Comrade, we're still far from that. We've only just achieved basic food and clothing security; we still have a long way to go..."

Another representative whispered, "Back there, workers are rationed a few hundred grams of grain a day and rarely see meat, maybe once a month. Here... we can eat whatever we want, we get housing, and medical care is free..."

Before they came, they had done their research and understood Zhao Ping'an's status. Old Xu even secretly revealed some of Zhao Ping'an's "achievements" to them.

Only then did they realize that the information was true. Their gaze towards Zhao Ping'an changed from politeness to trust, and even a hint of envy...

Back in Beiping, formal negotiations began the following day.

Commander Jin got straight to the point, stating three requirements:

Food aid, the more the better.

Production lines for Type 59 tanks, armored vehicles, heavy machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, and small arms, etc.

High-yield grain varieties include corn and potatoes.

Zhao Pingan nodded after listening.

"We can provide grain, and we can also provide improved seeds."

Tank production lines are also open for discussion. But there's one thing we need to make clear first—we understand your current difficulties.

But as you all know, these things don't just fall from the sky.

Aid needs to be repaid; otherwise, it might be fine to provide it for free once or twice, but it can't last. Do any of you comrades have a corresponding plan?

"We have mineral resources in our country, which we can export," one representative said.

"But you lack mining equipment, don't you? We need to provide you with mining equipment, transport vehicles, food, skilled workers, and even build railways, highways, and power plants first..."

"Aren't we comrades?" A very young representative had just opened his mouth when he was pulled back by the representative from the Republic.

Zhao Pingan looked into the other person's clear eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"Of course we are comrades, but as comrades, my first priority is to safeguard the interests of our country's people. I did take you to see a few factories; these are considered some of the better-off areas in our country in terms of living conditions."

However, there are some people living deep in the mountains and forests whose roads haven't been built yet.

Our power lines and lighting haven't been installed there yet, and our agricultural poverty alleviation workers haven't reached there.

Their living conditions are still quite poor. In some places, the average person only gets a little over 100 jin (50 kg) of grain per year. They are still going hungry. I have no reason not to prioritize helping my compatriots, do I?

"So, Minister Zhao, do you have any solutions?" the representative from the Republic who had just stopped the young man asked.

"Comrade, I have a suggestion. You comrades can take a look at it when you get back," Zhao Ping'an said.

"Let's do a labor exchange. I believe you know that we are developing the Northwest region, and I think this can be combined with your country's aid."

We will send 50,000 skilled workers to North Crea to help you build factories, railways, and mines.

In return, you should send 100,000 female workers to China to work in our textile factories, food processing plants, and farms in the Northwest region. The area is sparsely populated, and we are currently transferring personnel from across the country. This number of female workers will be just enough to cover a portion of our workforce, and you can also send managers to oversee them, thus reducing our management burden.”

"The female workers who come here are treated the same as us workers—food, lodging and wages are provided."

Work clothes, labor protection supplies, and other daily necessities are all provided in accordance with the same standards as our workers.

As for how the wages will be distributed, we will first transfer the wages to your government, and then your government will distribute them to the workers. These female workers are helping your country earn foreign exchange to repay our aid to your basic industries.

Of course, after these women have worked for three years, they should become skilled technical workers. They can choose to return to their home country, where textile factories will likely be completed by then, and these skilled women can take over.

Of course, you can also choose to stay here and continue working to earn foreign exchange for the country.

However, if I return to my home country, I will need your country to send more personnel to fill the personnel gap.

The members of the delegation exchanged glances, and Zhao Ping'an saw interest in their eyes; clearly, they were interested.

"We need to discuss this," the representative from the Republic faction finally spoke up.

"Of course, there's a confidential meeting room next door. You can discuss things here or back at your residences. We can continue our discussions tomorrow. Today, we're just exchanging opinions and reaching a basic consensus," Zhao Ping'an replied with a smile.

The meeting room was quiet for a moment.

The few people from the Republic began exchanging opinions in hushed tones. In the end, they decided to go back and discuss the matter first, and report back to the country before coming back to talk.

Zhao Ping'an naturally nodded in agreement; some things can't be rushed.

The people from North Crea reported for two days, during which they also asked the receptionist for some workers' wage standards.

Unsurprisingly, they ultimately agreed to Zhao Ping'an's suggestion, but they proposed some revisions.

To Zhao Ping'an's surprise, instead of reducing the number of people, they directly increased the number of 200,000 to 400,000, which is nearly 5% of their population, or about 25% of women of working age.

Zhao Ping'an truly understood the extent of poverty in North Crea and the people's perceptions of the local population.

With the agreement reached, they quickly moved on to detailed negotiations.

The discussion lasted for a whole day.

The arrangements for grain and improved seeds were quickly finalized—180,000 tons of grain would be supplied in 1955, with trade supplies to follow annually. Improved seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and technical personnel would also be provided.

The aid in industrial zones and production equipment was also provided in accordance with Zhao Ping'an's plan, with the three cities of Chongjin, Wonsan, and Hamhung as the basic centers.

In military terms, regarding the tank production line, Zhao Ping'an suggested a phased approach.

First, provide the sample and blueprints of the Type 86 wheeled armored vehicle.

Also provide Type 65 rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and mortars. The technology for the Type 59 can be provided later.

"North Crea is mountainous, so wheeled vehicles are more practical than tanks," Zhao Ping'an said.

"Use this to arm your troops first, and then upgrade them gradually. As for tanks, before your country's steel mills and special steel mills are built, 40-ton tanks will waste a lot of your country's resources, which is not worth it for you."

The men in military uniforms nodded, agreeing that it made sense.

The part that went the smoothest was actually the labor exchange.

Although some people are worried about population loss.

Zhao Ping'an explained again, "Whether they return to China in three years is their own choice. We won't force them to stay. If you're worried, you can send officials to come with them, for supervision or management."

Several people from the Republic's side began to speak on their behalf. They had lived in Northeast China and knew that Chinese people were rule-abiding and wouldn't act recklessly. In the end, Commander Jin made the final decision.

The agreement has been signed.

180,000 tons of grain have been shipped out in batches.

The high-quality seeds will be delivered before next spring's planting season.

Military aid to the industrial zone proceeded as previously agreed.

However, North Crea still requested a batch of equipment to arm their current army. Zhao Ping'an was not stingy with this, as there was still a lot of captured stockpile and dismantled equipment, enough to arm their hundreds of thousands of troops.

Finally, there was the labor exchange, which Commander Kim checked repeatedly.

China sent 50,000 skilled workers to North Crea, all of whom were single men, and they were mainly assigned to the three industrial zones of Chongjin, Wonsan, and Hamhung.

North Crea sent 400,000 female workers to China, who were assigned to textile factories, food factories, processing plants, and some cash crop farms in Xinjiang, Northwest China, and Northeast China.

Treatment of female workers in China: They are provided with food and accommodation and receive the same living conditions as other workers in the same position. Their wages are paid monthly, with 70% going to the North Crean government and 30% going to them personally.

After three years of service, employees are free to choose whether to stay or leave.

After signing, Zhao Ping'an shook hands with Commander Jin.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Commander Jin nodded, his face expressionless, but he gripped the handshake a little harder.

However, Zhao Ping'an always felt that he should be excited and satisfied. He had "sold" those 400,000 female workers for a good price. In fact, if Zhao Ping'an hadn't insisted on giving the female workers 30% of their wages, he could have written that 100% went to North Clare.

On the day the delegation left, Zhao Pingan stood on the platform for a while.

Two people from the Republic stayed behind, saying they needed to "further coordinate details and learn," one of whom was the young man with the clear "eyes." Zhao Ping'an knew what they wanted to do, but didn't expose them.

On the way back, those numbers kept running through his mind.

Fifty thousand people went there, and four hundred thousand came. Five years later, perhaps the workers in North Crea will settle down and become one hundred thousand, and perhaps these female workers will also be "absorbed" here.

The Far East is desperately short of manpower, and Xinjiang's development also needs people. If these people are thrown in, who will remember they came from North Crea a few years later? Especially with the 70/30 profit-sharing arrangement, it's comparable to illegal labor in the US. If we're talking about treating people like dirt, then…