Chapter 400

Li Jiutang, Zhao Quan, and several other village cadres entered the house.

"Grandpa Jiu, Uncle Quan, Lao Liu..." Zhou Andong greeted them one by one and then handed out cigarettes.

"We heard you were back, so we ran over." Li Jiutang lit his cigarette, took a puff, and got straight to the point, "We came here just to ask about the furniture factory."

"Furniture factory?" Zhou Andong said, "What's the matter with the furniture factory?"

Li Jiutang said, "Before, Xiaobei told me that the city was going to establish an industrial park, and the furniture factory would definitely move to the park in the future. Since there was no news about the establishment of the industrial park, we didn't ask when you came back last time.

On the 20th of this month, at the unveiling ceremony of the industrial park, the party secretary and I went to watch the excitement. It was truly packed with people, and many enterprises moved in. Even the winery will be moving there.

We also know that moving the furniture factory there will definitely be good for future development. But the county's intention is that they hope the furniture factory will stay. Because of this matter, the county magistrate has talked to me and the party secretary several times.

He asked me and the party secretary to do a good job of persuading you. He also said that whatever preferential policies the city gives, the county can give the same, and what the city can't give, the county can also give."

Zhou Andong pondered. The only benefit of moving the furniture factory to the industrial park was convenient transportation; otherwise, there was nothing else.

Moreover, he was born in this village, grew up in this village, and walked out of this village.

If the county could really provide preferential policies, as long as they were the same as the city's, it wouldn't be impossible for the furniture factory to remain in the village.

"Grandpa Jiu, Uncle Quan, what are your thoughts?"

Zhao Quan said, "Our Tanghezi is poor. We plant so little land all year round, and we still have to rely on the heavens for our food. If the year is good, after paying the public grain and keeping enough to eat for the year, we might have a surplus to sell for some money.

If the year is bad, after paying the public grain, it's good enough if what's left is enough to eat for the year; we're stretched thin. If anyone has a headache or a fever, they don't even want to buy medicine.

Now, the furniture factory has recruited over a hundred people in the village, with a monthly wage of 110 yuan. If they work overtime, they get overtime pay, so they can get around 200 yuan a month.

And the furniture factory's business is very good; it's said that orders are already lined up for two months. Xiaobei said he's going to buy more machines and expand the scale. In the future, he will recruit more workers.

We don't ask for anything else, just to let the villagers earn a little more money and have an easier life. You were born and raised in Tanghezi; Grandpa Jiu and I truly hope that, within your capabilities, you can lead the people of Tanghezi to get rich together."

Zhou Andong said with a smile, "Uncle Quan, Grandpa Jiu, actually I have thought about this problem before, but our Tanghezi... to be honest, there are those I respect, and those I despise.

Since ancient times, it's been 'hating others for having and laughing at others for not having,' and the most typical example is my eldest aunt. And there are quite a few others like her who curse me behind my back. So, many times, I just persuade myself to forget it.

Why should I exhaust my efforts to give them job opportunities, let them earn money, and live a good life, when they still curse me behind my back? Why make myself unhappy?"

Li Jiutang and Zhao Quan stopped talking, because this was a fact. They had heard more than once some old women gossiping and cursing Zhou Andong behind his back. Especially when Zhou Andong had these two incidents, it made them very happy.

"However!" Zhou Andong took a puff of his cigarette and continued, "I don't know the town leaders, and I know the county leaders even less, but I know Grandpa Jiu and Uncle Quan.

I won't give face to anyone else, but I must give face to Grandpa Jiu and Uncle Quan. Even if the whole village eats my food, drinks my soup, and smashes my pot, I'll accept it. The furniture factory won't move; it will stay in Tanghezi."

Zhou Andong's words moved Li Jiutang and Zhao Quan deeply. This was the child they had watched grow up. Listen to that; he wouldn't give face to county or town leaders, but he would give it to them.

"Hahaha..."

Li Jiutang laughed heartily and patted Zhou Andong on the shoulder, "I just said you would definitely agree."

Zhao Quan said, "Do you have any requirements? Bring them up now so we can report them to the county."

Zhou Andong said, "Land. As the furniture factory develops, the scale will become larger and larger."

"How much do you need?" Li Jiutang asked.

Zhou Andong said, "500 mu."

Li Jiutang was startled, "That much?"

"Is that a lot?" Zhou Andong said with a smile, "For office buildings and factory workshops, if the furniture factory really develops, this bit of land might not even be enough."

Zhao Quan said, "Alright, I'll go to the county tomorrow and discuss it with the county leaders."

Zhou Andong said, "Don't occupy arable land. That fruit orchard on the west side of the river bend doesn't grow fruit anymore. Cut it down and build the factory there."

Li Jiutang said, "Only Dongzi knows that for us farmers, arable land is the most precious thing."

Li Jiutang and Zhao Quan left with their people, feeling satisfied.

In the evening, Zhou Anbei returned. As soon as he entered the house, he asked, "Brother, why isn't the furniture factory moving?"

Zhou Andong said, "Do you know why the county is building a house for our family?"

Zhou Anbei was stunned, then immediately understood, "Giving us benefits so we keep the furniture factory in the village?"

"You've really grown up!" Zhou Andong rubbed Zhou Anbei's head, "Although we don't lack the money to build a house, we must accept the county's good intentions. It has nothing to do with power, but with human relationships and social etiquette."

Zhou Anbei thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "I understand!"

"As long as you understand!" Zhou Andong chatted with Zhou Anbei for a while longer about building the factory workshops.

That evening, Cheng Zhanjun and Deng Zhangli knew that Zhou Andong had already returned.

"Where did this kid run off to?" Deng Zhangli sat in Cheng Zhanjun's office, smoking a cigarette.

Cheng Zhanjun said, "I called Gu Bing, and even he didn't know Zhou Andong was back."

Deng Zhangli chuckled, "He's even playing hide-and-seek with us."

Cheng Zhanjun said, "No need to look for him. That little fox will naturally come out when he wants to."

Zhou Andong stayed at home for a week. This morning, he took a bus back to the city.

The moment he got off the bus, he found that the square in front of the station was full of people, and they were all looking up at the sky.

Zhou Andong looked up and saw a huge airship drifting back and forth in the sky.

Suddenly, paper scraps drifted down from the sky like snowflakes.

The crowd was in a commotion, frantically grabbing the paper scraps drifting down.

A piece of paper drifted and fluttered, landing right in front of Zhou Andong.

Zhou Andong raised his hand to grab it; it was a very exquisite color print. Looking closely, it was actually an advertisement for Qin Chi. The expression on his face became serious.

"The crisis for Jiang Xiaobai has arrived."