Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

At the same time, the Central Committee decided that Qian Guangyou, currently serving as the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Textile Industry, would serve as the Deputy Governor of Guangdong Province, and concurrently as the Secretary of the Bao'an Special District Committee and Director of the Special District Office.

There are several reasons why the central government chose Qian Guangyou to go to Bao'an District.

First of all, Qian Guangyou has been engaged in economic work and is familiar with Hong Kong.

During the War of Liberation, Qian Guangyou established the "China Trading Company" in Dalian. This, along with the "United Bank" in Hong Kong, later became the "China Resources Company," opened a sea route. This route not only enabled the evacuation of many pro-democracy figures, but also generated substantial profits. Qian Guangyou transformed the supplies sold off by the British and American armies into valuable assets, securing foreign exchange for the central government and bringing a wealth of valuable goods to the liberated areas. The rapid repair of railways after the liberation of New China was made possible by the large quantities of rails imported at low prices from Japan. Later, Qian Guangyou became the head of the "United Bank" and renamed it the "China Resources Company." Its registered capital in Hong Kong reached 1200 million Hong Kong dollars, 700 million Hong Kong dollars more than previously thought. This was a significant sum of money in Hong Kong at the time.

Because China Resources had ample funds, it became more than just a trading company after its establishment, establishing its own bank and shipping company in Hong Kong. Within a few years, leveraging its domestic development, China Resources experienced rapid growth and has now become a leading conglomerate in Hong Kong, with total assets exceeding HK$4000 million. The financial contribution to this was significant.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Qian Guangyou was transferred back from Hong Kong to serve as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Textile Industry. Because Wei Hongjun was busy with his work, the Minister of Textile Industry Zeng Shan worked with Wei Hongjun to handle many tasks. It was only natural that Qian Guangyou would be responsible for handling the daily work of the Ministry of Textile Industry.

And the central government also trusts Qian Guangyou.

During his time in the Central Soviet Area, Qian Guangyou served under Deng Zhihui and Mao Zemin, serving as Director of the General Administration of Foreign Trade. During the Long March, he and Lin Boqu collaborated seamlessly, completing the material mobilization tasks assigned to them by the Central Committee. During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he worked in the Southern Bureau under the leadership of Premier Li Keqiang and Dong Biwu. During the War of Liberation, he again worked in the Ministry of Foreign Trade.

I have a good relationship with these leaders.

Qian Guangyou's sister, Mao Zemin's second wife, currently serves as Deputy Director of the General Office and Deputy Director of the Personnel Department of the Ministry of Light Industry. Qian Guangyou's wife is the niece of Cai Hesen, an early leader of the Communist Party of China, and the niece of Cai Chang, the wife of Li Fuchun.

Therefore, Qian Guangyou has all the conditions to gain the trust of the central government.

A veteran Party member who had weathered the storms of revolution, he had, after all, accompanied the Central Red Army on the Long March. He had worked alongside many central leaders, all of whom held Qian Guangyou in high regard. He also developed and expanded China Resources in Hong Kong, and was familiar with the city, having been in charge of economic affairs for many years.

In addition to arranging Qian Guangyou, Ma Changgeng and others to go south to Guangdong, Marshal Nie began to communicate frequently with Luo Qirong.

Again.

The Bao'an Special District is a very special one, or perhaps even an experiment. Therefore, boldness must be tempered with caution. Therefore, Marshal Nie accepted the Central Committee's commission to equip the Bao'an Special District with a strong system of public security, procuratorial, and judicial officials.

We can do business, but we also have to be on guard against spies coming to sabotage us, or spies coming disguised as businessmen to inquire about the domestic situation.

After several discussions between Marshal Nie and Luo Qirong, Marshal Nie wrote a report to the Central Committee, which agreed with Marshal Nie's proposal that, in addition to establishing comprehensive public security, procuratorial and judicial institutions, a public security corps should be stationed in the Bao'an Special District.

In addition to guarding against spies, we must also protect transportation and prevent desperadoes from robbing the roads.

After Wei Hongjun returned to Beijing, he continued to handle work in the Secretariat and was also busy with matters in Guangdong. By the time he finished dealing with these matters, it was already early September, with only a few days left before the first session of the National People's Congress.

Therefore, Wei Hongjun convened an internal meeting of the Rural Work Committee.

Deng Zhihui stayed in Henan for more than 40 days, adjusted the cooperative issues in Henan, and returned to Beijing at the same time as Wei Hongjun.

"How is it going?"

"Comrade Huang Yaoxiang was right. When the spring wheat was harvested in June, several of us went to help. The best part of the experimental field yielded 420 kilograms per mu. Areas with ample water resources generally yielded around 350 kilograms, and some less arid experimental fields yielded around 280 kilograms. We also sent people to harvest the experimental fields in Baotou, where they yielded 240 kilograms per mu."

"Is it really that high? Are you sure it's true?" "We cut it ourselves."

Deng Zhihui reports to Wei Hongjun.

Wei Hongjun breathed a sigh of relief. Huang Yao had told his research team that their dwarf wheat research had yielded some impressive results. However, this was data from experimental fields, not large-scale planting.

Of course, there are not so many seeds for large-scale planting at present.

So Wei Hongjun thought for a moment and said, "Comrade Zhihui, what do you think?"

"We have many state farms in Shanxi, Hebei, Suiyuan, Henan, and other places. My idea is to try it out on these state farms first. First, we want to see the difference between large-scale cultivation and experimental fields. We can't have high yields in experimental fields and average yields after large-scale promotion. Second, if the yield increase is significant, we will need to promote it on a large scale, which will require more seeds. These state farms can take on the task of cultivating seeds. Third, let our technicians discover more problems and make more improvements during the cultivation on these state farms."

"Row."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

The purpose of unified purchase and sale is to increase fiscal revenue.

But rural areas also need to make a living. They must increase revenue and reduce expenditure.

The current situation is that the unified purchase and sale policy cannot be changed, so there is little room for maneuver in terms of cost-saving. Bo Shuchun has already given up 500 million yuan in profits, which is already a huge pressure. It is impossible to force Bo Shuchun to make concessions.

The only way for rural areas is to take the open source path.

The most direct way to increase rural income is to increase grain production. Seeing Deng Zhihui and the others smiling, Wei Hongjun knew there must be something good going on. So he said, "What else is there? Tell me."

"Secretary Wei, do you know what my country's current corn yield per mu is?"

"I'm in charge of rural affairs, how could I not know? I remember the last report I received showed a corn yield of 137 kilograms per mu."

If he hadn't come to this time and space, Wei Hongjun would have thought that the per-acre yields of high-yield crops like corn and potatoes were shocking. Especially for corn, Wei Hongjun thought the per-acre yield could reach 700 to 800 kilograms.

But not.

When the People's Republic of China was first established, Wei Hongjun counted corn production, finding that the yield of corn seedlings had just exceeded 100 kilograms. Wei Hongjun used to write online novels about people who traveled through ancient times and introduced corn seeds, where seedling yields easily exceeded to kilograms.

But the reality is that the corn yield per mu is not high at all.

The average corn yield per mu during the Ming and Qing dynasties was less than 100 kilograms.

The current yield of about 130 kilograms per mu is the result of many scientific and technological personnel carrying out a lot of seed improvement and introducing many varieties from abroad since the 20s.

Wei Hongjun paused and said, "What? There's good news about improved corn varieties?"

Corn yield potential is great.

Wei Hongjun knew this. A few decades later, corn yields per mu on average farmland would easily exceed 1000 kilograms. Even better farmland, with a little more careful management, could yield around 1500 kilograms of corn seedlings.

Northeast China and North China are both important corn producing areas.

"That's good news. The double-hybrid Nongda No. 4, improved by Comrade Zheng Changgeng and his team, has yielded 230 kilograms per mu in the experimental plot. Another double-hybrid Xinshuang No. 250, improved under the leadership of Comrade Zhang Jiqing, has even yielded over 700 kilograms per mu in the experimental plot. Comrade Zhang Jiqing is also working on improving a single-hybrid in another experimental plot. Judging from the current situation, the situation is even more optimistic. The seedling yield of their single-hybrid seed in the experimental plot reached nearly kilograms this year."

"Is it really 700 kilograms?"

"Yes. And this is just the beginning. Their single-cross breeding is not yet mature."

"Good, that's great." Wei Hongjun was overjoyed.

The reason why New China promoted corn cultivation on a large scale is mainly because corn cultivation is not as picky about soil as other grain cultivation. Corn can be grown on many mountainous lands.

The significant increase in corn yield per mu will make a great contribution to the national grain output.

Deng Zhihui looked at Wei Hongjun's excitement and said admiringly, "I heard about it. In the beginning, many Soviet experts have been criticizing corn inbred lines, believing that this is unscientific. Therefore, many corn research institutes across the country stopped corn inbred research. It was you who protected Comrade Wu Shaokui's research and appointed him as the director of the Corn Variety Improvement Research Institute. Then you supported more corn variety researchers to continue to promote double hybrid and single hybrid projects."

During Wei Hongjun's absence, Deng Zhihui presided over the Rural Work Committee. Wei Hongjun had been back in Beijing for over a month, but he had been handling matters at the Secretariat. Therefore, Deng Zhihui had been in charge of the Rural Work Committee's work.

Heard a lot.

Especially in the issue of improved varieties, Wei Hongjun strongly supported the hybridization improvement work of technicians. When Wei Hongjun himself could not withdraw sufficient funds from the central government, he would go to various provinces in North China to beg for alms.

I hope they will support the improved seed project.

It was precisely because of Wei Hongjun's support that they were able to obtain sufficient funds, laboratories, and experimental fields to carry out the seed improvement project. Even when Soviet experts criticized corn self-pollination, Wei Hongjun protected Wu Shaokui.

Wu Shaokui is an authority on corn inbreeding.

He originally worked in Henan, where his laboratory had already achieved initial success. As early as 1950, the single-hybrid corn produced by Hao Shaokui's laboratory yielded nearly double the yield of local maize varieties grown in Luoyang, reaching over 300 kilograms. However, Soviet experts criticized the use of inbred corn as unscientific, directly undermining Hao Shaokui's research. They threatened to shut down his laboratory.

At that time, Wei Hongjun reached out and protected Wu Shaokui.

Wei Hongjun wasn't actually very familiar with corn seed improvement. He wasn't familiar with inbred lines, or the subsequent double-hybrid and single-hybrid varieties. But Wei Hongjun asked Wu Shaokui if the double-hybrid and single-hybrid varieties he was researching could increase yields.

Wu Shaokui gave a very positive answer, including the data from his laboratory, so Wei Hongjun decided to support him.

Wu Shaokui was sent north to serve as director of the Corn Variety Improvement Research Institute. Wei Hongjun simply asked him to keep a low profile and not to talk about corn inbred lines and antagonize Soviet experts. Currently, Wu Shaokui is the primary person responsible for developing double-hybrid and single-hybrid corn varieties.

Deng Zhihui was deeply impressed by Wei Hongjun's ability to take on such responsibilities. Deng Zhihui was the leader of the revolution in western Fujian and the founder of the Huaxi grain base. Wei Hongjun was a member of the Huaxi base that Deng Zhihui, Tan Zhenlin, and Zhang Dingcheng jointly established.

Deng Zhihui is 20 years older than Wei Hongjun.

When Deng Zhihui first heard the names of Wei Hongjun and Wang Qiuyun, he simply dismissed them as two powerful generals emerging from western Fujian. However, Wei Hongjun's subsequent rapid rise as a military officer astonished even a veteran like Deng Zhihui. Since the CCP broke free from the Comintern's absolute control, such a young officer had risen so quickly. At the time, Deng Zhihui felt that Marshal Nie's promotion of a young officer in the Jin-Cha-Ji region, coupled with the Central Committee's tacit approval and support, was a source of dismay.

But he doesn't think so at all now.

Deng Zhihui saw Wei Hongjun's courage when he handled the rubber battle together with Wei Hongjun.

This incident made Deng Zhihui even more impressed. Deng Zhihui couldn't guarantee that he would protect Wu Shaokui under the pressure from the Soviet experts. After all, Wu Shaokui was just an insignificant corn researcher.

But Wei Hongjun dared to do it.

The results are now paying off.

Li Shaocheng, standing nearby, added, "Comrade Wu Shaokui said that both double-hybrid and single-hybrid corn varieties can be promoted now. They can be promoted and improved simultaneously. Although single-hybrid varieties have shown higher yields per mu than double-hybrid varieties, it's still unclear which will be better in the future. So, they're being promoted together. And based on the results of single-hybrid varieties, Wu Shaokui predicts that, judging by the results of single-hybrid varieties, it's not impossible for experimental fields to yield 1000 kilograms in the next few years."

"Okay, this is really good news." Wei Hongjun was really happy.

Historically, Soviet influence suppressed the development of improved maize inbred lines in China. It wasn't until the late 5000s and early 6000s that China began to re-investigate double-hybrid and single-hybrid maize. Research progressed rapidly, and within three decades, single-hybrid maize had achieved success and begun to be widely adopted. Zhiyu Chou Shaokui's research nearly failed, but fortunately, he persevered. However, his single-hybrid maize results, first reported in the early 1950s, had only been distributed on approximately 200 mu (approximately 266 acres) of land in Henan Province until the 1960s.

How much time was wasted.

Currently, the corn planting area exceeds 100 million mu. As long as the corn yield per mu increases, the corn planting area will expand rapidly.

Wei Hongjun thought for a moment and said, "Let's write a report to the Chairman. As for the rest, let's wait and see the results of the promotion next year."

914 First National People's Congress Meeting

By the time Wei Hongjun was dealing with these matters, New China had finally ushered in the first National People's Congress.

第一届全国人民代表会议从1952年9月19日至1952年10月3日在北京召卉。代表总人数1226人(其中女代表147人,少数民族代表178人)。

The procedure is similar.

First, the Chairman delivered an opening speech entitled "Striving for the Construction of a Great Socialist Country." He pointed out: "Our conference is of great historical significance. This conference marks a milestone in the new victories and new developments of the Chinese people since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1948. The Constitution formulated at this conference will greatly promote the cause of socialism in our country. Our overall task is to unite the people of the whole country, win the support of all international friends, strive to build a great socialist country, and strive to safeguard international peace and promote the cause of human progress."

The Chairman also stated, "We are prepared to transform our present economically and culturally backward country into a great industrialized nation with a high level of modern culture within a few five-year plans. Our cause is just, and a just cause cannot be defeated by any enemy. The core force leading our cause is the Communist Party of China. The theoretical foundation guiding our thinking is Marxism-Leninism. We have full confidence, will overcome all difficulties and hardships, and will build our country into a great socialist republic."

In recent years, the development of New China has been getting better and better.

Economically, industry and agriculture had developed comprehensively; politically, the remnants of the Kuomintang had been eliminated and the new regime had been consolidated; militarily, the great War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea had just been fought.

Therefore, the President can directly and solemnly declare at the National People's Congress that it is the Communist Party of China that leads the Chinese revolution and the construction of the new China. Compared with the "secretive" statement at the founding of the People's Republic of China, the statement now is resounding.

The meeting then heard the "Report on the Draft Constitution of the People's Republic of China" by Comrade Xiu Yang, Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee of the People's Republic of China; the "Government Work Report" by Comrade Wu Hao, Premier of the State Council of the Sino-British People's Government; Comrade Chen Yun made the "First Five-Year Plan Report"; Marshal Nie made the "Report on the Legal Construction of New China"; and Wei Hongjun made a special "Report on the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea".

Like the Party Congress, the National People's Congress first discusses the issue in small groups.

Then the proposals passed in the group meeting can appear at the National People's Congress meeting.

Because it was the first National People's Congress, there were a lot of proposals. In fact, many of the reports made by the central leadership, except for the simple ones, many of the delegates did not understand.

Many of the worker and farmer representatives have just become illiterate.

Their current level is only able to write simple letters and read simple newspaper articles. How can they possibly understand government reports?

There was so much data in it that even many senior officials would have found it difficult to fully understand it in a short period of time, let alone these representatives who had just become illiterate. Even if someone carefully explained the reports during the subsequent group discussions, many representatives still could not fully understand them.

This is actually quite normal. Why is there centralism behind democracy? The reality is that extreme democracy often leads to the spread of populism. Fortunately, the central government is prepared for this situation.

This has happened before.

The proposals put forward by these farmers and workers were simple. They were all based on the problems they faced. While these proposals might not appear grand, they were based on the realities around them. Therefore, they often contained simple, yet important ideas.

The central leaders attach great importance to these proposals.