Rebirth: I am in Jin-Cha-Ji

Xiao Huanhui, director of the Hainan Administrative Office, who had been silent since the start of the meeting, spoke up. Wei Hongjun and Tan Zhenlin both looked at him.

Xiao Huanhui, a native of Hainan, was a member of the Communist Party during the Great Revolution and has been involved in revolutionary activities in Hainan ever since. From the time he joined the Party, he spent a full 27 years in Hainan. While the central government has consistently criticized localism, it must also respect local history. You can't just say you're against localism and then dispose of all local officials. That would disrupt local work.

Just like the Qiongya Column.

The Qiongya Column and Hainan are closely connected; this is Hainan's history. Although Feng Baiju, the commander of the Qiongya Column, was criticized for his localism, many of its soldiers were still valued.

Just like Xiao Huanhui, who is currently the director of the Hainan Administrative Office.

Tan Zhenlin said, "Comrade Xiao Huanhui, go ahead."

"The Hainan region currently lacks water resources. However, since the Rubber War, the population of Hainan has increased dramatically. When Hainan was liberated, the total population was only about 200 cubic meters. But with the liberation of Hainan, the population increased by 50 cubic meters within a few years, and the burden became much heavier. The million mu of arable land reclaimed by the Reclamation Corps was already the limit before. However, since the beginning of the second half of last year, the Reclamation Corps and the villagers have frequently clashed. In addition to the fact that the Reclamation Corps's wasteland has been merged into the surrounding rural areas, it is also because both sides are competing for water for arable land. The Reclamation Corps is large in number and powerful, and it is a Because they come from the army, they have an advantage when it comes to water. That's why the villagers are destroying the Reclamation Corps' farmland, even the rubber plantations. If this problem isn't addressed, and the Reclamation Corps' population continues to expand and farm, the conflict between the Reclamation Corps and the local rural communities will not only remain unresolved, but will only intensify. What happened this time will likely recur. Although many people participated this time, nothing major happened. However, if the conflict continues to accumulate, the next time won't be so simple. If a fight breaks out between the two sides, it's common for several people to be killed or injured."

Xiao Huanhui spoke.

Xiao Huanhui had previously negotiated with the Hainan Military Region and the Hainan Reclamation Corps, but they hadn't taken his opinions seriously. Just now, Li Jiaren, Director of the South China Reclamation Bureau, had suggested further expanding the Hainan Reclamation Corps.

This is something Xiao Huanhui cannot agree to.

Li Jiaren objected, "Comrade Xiao Huanhui, I think you've misunderstood me. I want to increase the number of personnel in the Reclamation Corps primarily to manage the farmland under its jurisdiction. As long as these farmlands are well managed and two or three rice crops are completed, it's normal to have a yield of 500 to 600 kilograms per mu in two years. This yield is more than enough to support the Reclamation Corps. Increasing the number of personnel in the Reclamation Corps does not mean increasing the amount of farmland."

Xiao Huanhui did not respond to Li Jiaren's words.

Instead, he continued, "Vice Premier Wei, Minister Tan, we must make overall arrangements regarding the arable land issue. We need a plan for how water resources should be allocated and how the abandoned arable land should be cultivated. The Reclamation Corps cannot act arbitrarily without regard for the daily water needs of the local people. Of course, during the military-civilian conflict that began last year, the people of Yi Village also made some mistakes. They shouldn't have destroyed the rubber plantation, which was a serious mistake. But ultimately, it's because both sides couldn't reach an agreement on the issues of arable land and water use. The Reclamation Corps was too assertive and repeatedly suppressed local demands, leading to retaliation. If this problem isn't resolved, it will continue."

Xiao Huanhui had a great deal of resentment towards the Hainan Military Region and the Reclamation Corps. The Reclamation Corps was too powerful.

They relied on the fact that they were carrying out a major rubber campaign and that they had a national mission, and they completely ignored the local government. The local government tried to coordinate with them several times, but they did not respond.

So he had to raise this issue at this meeting.

After Wei Hongjun and Tan Zhenlin left, he had no way to deal with the Reclamation Corps. So even though he knew that what he was doing was offending the Hainan Military Region and the Hainan Reclamation Corps, he still had to speak out.

"Vice Premier Wei, Minister Tan, and Comrade Xiao Huanhui's words make a lot of sense." Hainan District Party Committee Secretary Chen Renlin spoke.

Chen Renlin also served in the Central Red Army. He served in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Ningxia during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. After the war, he lost the Hebei-Rehe-Liaoning Military Region and later, along with Deng Guo, lost South Manchuria. Following the Liaoshen Campaign, he followed Deng Guo southward, serving as the political commissar of the 49th Army. His outstanding organizational and propaganda work earned him a promotion to the 16th Corps, where he served as deputy political commissar. Following the establishment of the Central-South Military Region, he served as deputy director of its political department. Later, Hainan's importance led to his transfer to Guangdong, where he served as vice governor of Guangdong Province and secretary of the Hainan District Party Committee.

When the Reclamation Corps clashed with local residents last year, he was in a difficult position.

On one side was his old unit, the 49th Army, and on the other side were Hainan's local affairs.

Besides, the Hainan Reclamation Corps was a corps that carried important personnel. Therefore, Chen Renlin still favored the Hainan Reclamation Corps and hoped that the local authorities would be more patient. He still wanted to coordinate the relationship between the two sides.

Unfortunately, the conflict between the two sides was so profound. This time, something so serious had occurred. Chen Renlin also conducted self-reflection and realized that his attempt to smooth things over was incorrect and would not resolve the real issue. Chen Renlin knew that if the fundamental conflict was not resolved, similar incidents would inevitably occur again. So, this time, he decided not to smooth things over and instead supported the opinion of Xiao Huanhui, Director of the Hainan Administrative Office.

He said, "Hainan's arable land and water resource issues must be coordinated. The Reclamation Corps and the local people cannot just look after themselves. If coordination isn't done properly, this conflict will never be resolved. Given the current development of the Reclamation Corps, its personnel will undoubtedly continue to increase. Therefore, if this issue isn't resolved now, the conflict will only intensify and the conflicts will increase. This will also be extremely detrimental to the rubber war. For the smooth progress of the rubber war, we can't just leave it alone."

"Comrade Tan Zhenlin, what do you think?" Wei Hongjun asked Tan Zhenlin in a low voice.

Tan Zhenlin said, "Both sides have valid points. My opinion is that the Reclamation Corps should divide the work and not confuse rubber planting with grain cultivation. We need to take care of both, otherwise problems could arise on both sides. Dividing the farms into rubber and grain farms, allowing each to focus on its own, will be more effective in the rubber war. But we don't grow grain, so we must coordinate with the local authorities on the location of arable land and the use of water resources."

Wei Hongjun nodded.

The Reclamation Corps is a major national strategy.

The success or failure of the rubber war hinged on Hainan. The scale of the rubber wars in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Yunnan was far greater than that of Hainan. Before 1960, whether New China could achieve self-sufficiency in rubber production and export it within the socialist camp depended on Hainan's performance.

Therefore, the Hainan Reclamation Corps must be the top priority. His problems must be solved.

But we can't ignore the local people of Hainan. Developing the rubber industry in Hainan wouldn't be possible without the support of the local people. For example, the conflicts that began in the second half of last year directly impacted the development of Hainan's rubber industry.

Arable land and water resources, this is a huge contradiction.

But it must be solved.

So Wei Hongjun nodded and said to the cadres present: "We understand what you all mean. Let's take a break first and continue the meeting in the afternoon."

After hearing Wei Hongjun's words, everyone left the meeting room.

Some people wanted to come over and greet Wei Hongjun, but he shook his head and told them to leave. After everyone left, Wei Hongjun said to Tan Zhenlin, "I suggest that we first determine the collective land ownership of each village. By clarifying the scope of the collective land ownership, we can avoid disputes. The Reclamation Corps can avoid the collective land ownership and formulate new plans for land reclamation. We also don't have to worry about conflicts with rural areas over land ownership after the reclamation. And if conflicts do occur, they will be much easier to handle with clear land divisions. At the same time, the Reclamation Corps must coordinate with local governments on water use. We must coordinate who uses water and when, and we must prevent such conflicts from occurring again."

"Ah."

Tan Zhenlin nodded.

The main issue in this conflict is actually a lack of clear ownership. The land the Reclamation Corps is reclaiming is too close to the village, and the villagers believe the land is theirs. Therefore, they are not allowed to cultivate the land. In some cases, the Reclamation Corps is indeed too close to the village, while in other cases, the villagers have their eyes on the land reclaimed by the Reclamation Corps. This lack of clear ownership has led to different opinions.

The land area of ​​each rural area must be determined. The reclamation corps cannot occupy this land at will. Similarly, the rural areas cannot arbitrarily expand the scope of their own land and seize the arable land reclaimed by the reclamation corps.

With clear regulations, conflicts over arable land can be ended. Then there is the issue of water.

This is a major problem for Hainan as a whole. Hainan's fresh water resources are still insufficient, unevenly distributed, and its water conservancy facilities are also poor.

This requires careful coordination and arrangements. Wei Hongjun hasn't investigated Hainan's water resources, so he can't provide specific details. A detailed investigation of Hainan's water resources is necessary before a reliable approach can be developed.

So Wei Hongjun looked at Tan Zhenlin and said, "This time I think you have to stay and take care of things here."

The current situation necessitated a person to resolve the conflict between the Reclamation Corps and the local authorities. Tan Zhenlin, with his seniority and rank as Minister of Agricultural Reclamation, was well-suited to handle this task.

It was impossible for Wei Hongjun to stay here for a long time to deal with the affairs here. "Okay."

Tan Zhenlin nodded.

Wei Hongjun sighed as he thought of those unruly cadres. They were truly ignorant of their own limitations. Tan Zhenlin still had a say in how to deal with them. But they all truly believed they were the kings and queens. So Wei Hongjun said to Ji Shiping beside him, "Comrade Li Shiping, please cooperate with your work."

Li Shiping is familiar with many cadres.

His cooperation with Tan Zhenlin would be beneficial to Tan Zhenlin's future work. Tan Zhenlin also understood Wei Hongjun's intentions. So Tan Zhenlin changed the subject and asked, "How should we deal with this matter?"

"What do you mean?"

"Give some cadres internal party warnings and criticism." Tan Zhenlin chose to let it go.

His judgment was not affected by their disrespect during the meeting. To put it bluntly, this incident was due to the heavy workload of the national government and the lack of coordination between the Reclamation Corps and the local authorities.

This is not an isolated case in Hainan.

Tan Zhenlin encountered similar issues during his visit to the Great Northern Wilderness. These issues arose from a lack of early agreement on the responsibilities of both parties. The Ministry of Land Reclamation was established to address these issues.

Therefore, Tan Zhenlin did not consider taking harsh measures against the cadres of the Reclamation Corps.

Wei Hongjun also supports such treatment.

So he said: "This is how we will arrange our meeting this afternoon."

935 Warning

The afternoon meeting was mainly about discussing how to solve the problem.

First, the workers and villagers injured in this conflict must receive adequate medical treatment. Besides medical expenses, they must also provide for their living expenses. We must appease both the villagers and the workers on the Reclamation Corps side.

The main blame fell on the farm cadres and the reclamation corps cadres. After all, they were cadres.

Hainan District Party Secretary Chen Renlin, Hunan Administrative Office Director Xiao Huanhui, Reclamation Corps Commander Zhang Yinghui, and Political Commissar Ji Zhen were all criticized by Party C. The directly responsible officers were all given Party C warnings and serious Party warnings. The officer who led the workers in the fight was placed on probation within the Party.

Of course, this is all the aftermath of the conflict.

More importantly, addressing the root causes of these problems was crucial. To thoroughly address the potential consequences, Tan Zhenlin, along with Comrade Zhan and Ji Shiping, would remain in Hainan to handle this matter. A joint task force consisting of officials from the Baoju Military Region, the Reclamation Corps, the Hainan District Party Committee, and the Hainan Administrative Office would jointly address the Hainan issue.

The first task is to work with local governments to confirm land ownership in rural areas near Hainan and the Reclamation Corps. Rural land is collectively owned, but which land belongs to the rural community and which does not must be formally determined.

It is not possible that all the land within dozens of miles around the countryside belongs to you.

Therefore, this work needs to be formalized by the local government. The Reclamation Corps must also be involved and a detailed map needs to be prepared. In the future, the Reclamation Corps will not be able to develop on these rural collective lands when reclaiming wasteland.

Then there is the issue of water resources.

The issue of water resources needs to be coordinated. Wei Hongjun meant that on the one hand, the existing water resources should be allocated in a coordinated manner, and on the other hand, water conservancy technicians should be sent to Hainan to study how to build water conservancy facilities.

The construction of water conservancy facilities is the only way to solve the imbalance and shortage of water resources.

Then there is the adjustment of the Reclamation Corps.

The scale of the Reclamation Corps will certainly continue to expand. As the area of ​​land reclaimed increases and the number of rubber trees planted increases, each farm will definitely need to continue to expand, recruit more people, and establish new farms.

By then the food problem will become even more serious.

Therefore, Wei Hongjun and Tan Zhenlin both agreed to set up a special grain-growing department within the Reclamation Corps. They would not participate in rubber planting, but were only responsible for farming and providing food to the Reclamation Corps.

Hainan's arable land, after all, can produce two or three crops annually. So, as long as the land is well cared for, 50 mu (approximately 50 acres) of arable land can easily support over people. After formulating these plans at the afternoon meeting, Wei Hongjun met with several familiar cadres that evening.

Mainly cadres from military regions and reclamation corps.

"Look at what's going on, you guys."

Because he knew Wei Hongjun well, he didn't mince words and said, "You are all veteran party members, veteran Red Army soldiers, and veteran cadres who have participated in the revolution for many years. How could things have come to this? How could you forget revolutionary discipline after the founding of New China and the success of the revolution? The Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Forestry Engineering Divisions, now that they have become forestry engineering units under the Reclamation Corps, must always abide by discipline."

"Vice Premier Wei, this incident is my fault. I was only concerned about the success of the rubber campaign and put all my energy into planting rubber, neglecting other aspects of my work."

Zhang Yinghui immediately reviewed his actions.

Li Zhen next to him also said: "It's my fault as the political commissar. I failed to do a good job of ideological work for the expanded Lin Ya Engineering Corps."

"I'm not blaming you."

Wei Hongjun sighed and said, "Since you are in trouble, why don't you apply for support? The grain planting personnel are unstable, and the Corps is short of food. You can apply to the central government. If I knew, I would send someone to investigate and I could increase your staffing and allocate you some food."

The Rubber Conference is the central grand strategy of the war.

Wei Hongjun could still increase their staffing and allocate some food to them.

"We thought we could solve it." Zhang Yinghui regretted it very much.

Zhang Yinghui had originally thought the Reclamation Corps could handle these problems on its own. Having lived through the war years, Zhang Yinghui was reluctant to report everything. He didn't want to burden his superiors with matters he could handle himself.

"Vice Premier Wei, our military region also made mistakes. We didn't discover the problems of the Reclamation Corps in time, and we didn't pay enough attention to them."

Xiao Siming and Sha Xuewen also made self-criticisms.

Wei Hongjun sighed and said, "Everyone, please sit down. There's one thing you must understand: even though the Reclamation Corps has already been separated from the military, you must still maintain the fine traditions of the military."

"Yes."

"Comrade Xiao and Comrade Xuewen, Hainan has become so important because the nation's rubber campaign is centered on Hainan. The Hainan Military Region's mission is to ensure the smooth progress of the rubber campaign. Therefore, if the Reclamation Corps encounters any difficulties, the military region will do its utmost to help."

"Yes."

Wei Hongjun turned around, looked at Zhang Yinghui and Li Zhen, and instructed, "Comrade Tan Zhenlin will be in charge of Hainan's affairs this time. Your military region and the Reclamation Corps must fully cooperate with his work. Don't disrespect Tan Zhenlin like you did in this morning's meeting. Discipline, discipline! Remember, you are a Party unit. The first of our army's eight points of discipline for three days is to obey orders and follow directions."

Tan Zhenlin is now the Minister of Agriculture and Reclamation.

But given his qualifications, he will probably soon become the Vice Premier of the State Council, and it is certain that he will even enter the Politburo in a few years.

From now on, the agricultural reclamation troops would be under the leadership of Tan Zhenlin. Although Boss Tan was a generous person, that didn't mean he would tolerate repeated disobedience from his subordinates. Moreover, Tan Zhenlin was a very capable cadre.

Wei Hongjun hopes that under the leadership of Tan Zhenlin, the agricultural reclamation troops can make great progress.

It can become the ballast of China's grain.