Chapter 404

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

After the side room was finished, Chai Mi saw the earthen kang had already burned fairly dry, so she bought new kang mats and laid them down; then the door curtains and window curtains were all fixed up, and she bought a small cabinet and put everything inside.

Finally she also bought a small kang table, keeping it for Chai Xiu to do homework on.

Then she bought a small bookcase; Chai Mi bought a sackful of books at Xinhua Bookstore, spending over a thousand.

As for what books they were, Chai Mi didn't look closely; anyway it was a chaotic mix, all trades and professions, let Chai Xiu read whatever she likes.

After all, novels are few in this era; most are rather practical books.

Chai Xiu hugged her own rolled-up bedding roll, almost bouncing as she pushed open the middle door and moved in.

She took a deep breath, her little face full of excited flush.

Chai Mi followed behind her, watching her younger sister's delighted look; the fatigue of recent days faded a bit, and her tone carried relief: "Xiu'er, from now on this place belongs to you. Look how bright this window is, the walls are solid too — much better than the old house leaking wind everywhere; winter will definitely be warm."

Chai Xiu carefully placed her bedding on the smooth kang edge, turned back and grinned at her sister, revealing neat little white teeth: "Sister! Now I have my own place too! Such a big window, it looks much brighter; reading by day won't strain my eyes anymore! I'll sleep here at night!"

But Chai Xiu still couldn't help asking Chai Mi with some difficulty: "Sister, if I live alone, what if I'm scared?"

Chai Mi smiled and brought Chai Xiu's two dogs over too: "Anyway you're not sleepy; if you stay up late at night you'll disturb our sleep instead, so you take these two dogs and live together. Put them on the floor of the outer room, then you'll have some company."

The next day at noon, the sun was high.

The village loudspeaker blared: "Meeting time——every household listen! Meeting! The township has a big policy! A great thing! Hurry to the small shop area!"

But obviously Sanjiacun's village office was long gone. The big fellows all went to the entrance of the small shop at the village east.

"Old and young! Quiet down! The township issued a death order, promoting winter-warm vegetable greenhouses! This is a good project! Our village got over two hundred, one small group has a full twenty!"

Now the township has already made up its mind, and each village has begun implementation.

Because ordinary people generally have insufficient understanding of this, plus they've never done it before, holding a mobilization meeting is still very necessary.

In her previous life, Chai Mi once wanted a greenhouse, but at that time she truly didn't have a single cent. She could only watch others make money.

Actually, growing vegetables in winter is quite profitable. Chai Mi knows this.

But she's never grown them, doesn't know how. Plus the cost is indeed quite large.

For example, one greenhouse costs about as much as building a house; that's a very, very large expenditure. Before any harvest, this expenditure is indeed huge.

In her previous life, at the start nobody wanted it either; the village's first meeting was basically useless, later they held meetings one after another, promising a bit more land, and only then was the matter settled.

Chai Mi knew this meeting would be scorching enough to succeed anyway, so she didn't say anything.

Liu Zhanggui spoke with absolute conviction.

However, the imagined enthusiastic response did not appear. After a brief silence, skeptical voices were like cold water splashed into a hot oil pan, instantly exploding.

An old man was the first to shout at the top of his lungs, his wrinkled face written all over with disbelief, his voice loud and mocking: "Village Chief! Don't use big talk to perfunctorily fool us old farmers! Winter greenhouse vegetables? I've scratched a living on this black soil all my life, half buried in yellow earth, what strange things haven't I heard? But I've just never seen it! Never seen green vegetables grow in the fields when heavy snow blocks the doors! Isn't that nonsense? The seasons set by Heaven, can they still be changed?"

People like him, the village's most stubborn empiricists and conservatives, are actually especially numerous.

Winter vegetable growing is truly a fantasy.

People haven't never tried it before.

Up here in the Northeast, the main vegetables used to be growing scallions in a basin indoors in winter. Or directly on the fire kang; that really had people who made money.

Winter scallions sold for several yuan a catty.

But that couldn't grow much either.

You can't build a house just to grow a few scallions......

"Exactly! Brother Zhanggui, you say it lightly! Loans? Interest subsidies are still debt! What if... I'm saying what if, the vegetables don't grow, or grow but can't sell, rot in the field, what do we repay the loan with? Top it with our few broken houses? Or with our lives? I heard someone saying a couple days ago this thing is just a new trick from above to fool us into taking on debt!"

In the eyes of the vast majority, loans cannot be touched.

Those who touch loans have no good end.

Everyone has this psychology: money spent on loans doesn't feel like their own; when repayment time comes and there's nothing, they're stunned.

Isn't Chai Zhongxiao an example?

He took one loan after another; later debts piled up, principal over ten thousand, interest thirty to forty thousand.

Although Chai Zhongxiao doesn't repay, this loan matter hasn't ended.

This loan must be carried for a lifetime.

Whenever Chai Zhongxiao dies, maybe the debt dies with the person.

If he doesn't die, the loan stays.

Life can't be lived; as long as you have money, the Credit Union sends people to collect. No money, they still come......

And now the Credit Union isn't stupid either; you're seventy or eighty, they'd never give you a loan.

To give you a loan, you must be young.

This basically leads to nobody wanting loans.

Liu Chengjie, squeezed at the front, also spoke up; he recalled last year's miserable state helping someone haul Chinese cabbage and overturning, heart still trembling: "Uncle Zhanggui, it's not that we don't believe you, this matter... is risky! Brother Chengqian, you tell them, last winter when you hauled vegetables to the city, what situation?"

A man beside him looked unlucky, nodding repeatedly, voice muffled: "Don't mention it! Brother Chengjie is right! That road was slippery as if oiled! The tractor skidded, vehicle and cargo flipped into the ditch! A truckload of fresh vegetables, all froze into ice lumps, not a cent sold, and we paid repair money on top! If every household builds greenhouses and all produce comes out, who hauls? How to haul? Hauled out but can't sell, isn't that wasted effort and wasted money?"

Zhang Hailan pulled Liu San standing at the crowd's periphery; seeing this scene, she said in a low voice to Liu San: "See? San'er, I told you! No one believes this! Everyone's eyes are wide open."

Chai Mi stood at a forward position in the crowd, silent.

But the villagers' views are indeed quite reasonable. The village is shouting slogans now, but problems are a pile. Chai Mi and others think of different problems; she thinks of the village road problem, electricity problem, well water problem, which plot of land problem.

Liu Zhanggui looked at the field of skepticism and silence below, anxious and stamping his foot, sweat on his forehead: "Ai! You... why won't you believe? Could the township still trap us? Twenty quotas! What a great opportunity! Other groups are fighting to grab them, just our group, not a single sign-up! The township urges like it's a matter of life and death, where do I put this old face?"

His gaze searched anxiously through the crowd, finally landing on Chai Mi like grasping a lifesaving straw, with an almost pleading tone: "Chai Mi! Chai Mi! You've run around outside, seen the world! You tell everyone? Take the lead? If you lead, the big fellows might dare follow!"

Song Qiushui stayed pressed tightly against Chai Mi, and seeing this she immediately tugged at her sleeve corner, saying in a low, urgent voice: "Don't listen to their nonsense."

Chai Youqing didn't wait for Chai Mi to answer, immediately saying: "Village Chief! Don't keep dragging our Chai Mi into this! Our family just tightened our belts to build this house, and the outside debt hasn't even cooled yet! Where would we get money to mess with this nonexistent greenhouse? You do it yourself! Don't drag us into it!"

Su Wan also squeezed over to Chai Mi's side, her face full of worry, lowering her voice to advise: "Chai Mi, this matter... how about we hold off for now?"

Liu Zhanggui looked at Chai Youqing's angry face, listened to Su Wan's persuasion, then looked at the villagers below who were still silent and even resistant, like a defeated rooster, his shoulders slumped, and he let out a long, helpless sigh, filled with deep exhaustion and disappointment: "Sigh... Let's disperse! All of you disperse! We wasted the Xiangli's good intentions, we wasted such a good policy!... Chai Mi, it's just your family that has money... You think it over carefully, and in a couple of days, give me a reply. This matter... sigh!"

Chai Mi thought about it, and still spoke: "Village Chief, you say this problem is like this. You can't say that just because the Xiangli has a project and a good policy, you just push it. You have to explain clearly: which piece of land? How do we handle the supporting facilities? If something happens later, who do we find? If this isn't made clear, it definitely won't work."

"As for the land, let's use that piece east of the river. That long strip of land is wide and easy to handle. Anything else?"

"What about the road? There isn't even a road, how do we get in? Also, there's no electricity over there, and no well. Is the village going to help dig a well and bring in electricity?"

Chai Mi asked this, and Liu Zhanggui was stunned on the spot. He hadn't thought about this matter...

"As for the electricity, at that time... find the Electricity Industry Office to connect it. The village can just handle it. This well, you'll have to dig it yourself... As for the road, cough cough... the village doesn't have money to repair the road, so you'll have to handle it yourselves?"

Everyone heard this and immediately became even more dissatisfied.

"Isn't this just talking nonsense? Nothing at all, repair the road ourselves? Isn't this pure nonsense..."

"Without a well, how much does it cost to dig one ourselves?"

"You say the water in the well in winter is almost freezing, and you use it to water the vegetables, won't they freeze to death..."

With everyone's questioning, this first meeting about the greenhouse ended in a particularly unsatisfactory way.

Not a single one wanted it.

Since not a single one wanted it, Liu Zhanggui, as Village Chief, suddenly felt great pressure.

The task still had to be completed.

At least, someone had to want it...

But Chai Mi should have been interested originally, and this time she didn't want it either, leaving Liu Zhanggui a bit baffled.

So at dusk he came to Chai Mi's home to see what was really going on.

Liu Zhanggui didn't stand on ceremony, directly getting to the point: "Chai Mi, didn't you ask a few days ago? You said you were planning to get a greenhouse, and now a meeting was really held, but you don't want it?"

Chai Mi smiled, invited Liu Zhanggui into the room, and handed him a cigarette.

Liu Zhanggui lit it himself and took a puff.

Smoking was still more comfortable.

His cigarette addiction had been especially strong lately, several packs a day, but he hadn't smoked himself to death.

It was really strange.

Smoking, there was no flavor at all.

Not smoking was uncomfortable, and the more he smoked, the more he smoked.

Chai Mi smiled and brewed tea for Liu Zhanggui, then poured a bowl of tea: "Aiya, the thing I said is real. If the village doesn't provide water and electricity and there's no road, that piece of land is just wasteland."

Liu Zhanggui sighed: "That definitely has to be done. Electricity is no problem. As for water, you still need to dig a well yourself... You said the road problem, that's easy to handle. Find someone to pad it with sand, pave a road of three or four hundred meters, and it's done."

Chai Mi shook her head: "I'm talking about the road from the greenhouse to the highway. That's nearly three or four li of road. That's not something one person can afford to build. Our roads here are fine normally, but when it snows, they're basically useless. Then when it snows, even if the vegetables come out, they still can't be sold. It's difficult."

Chai Mi said this, and Liu Zhanggui was also at a loss.

They all say to get rich you must first build roads, and that really is the truth.

If the road isn't good, you can't get out.

And what Chai Mi said was also the most difficult among practical problems. Digging wells and such weren't big jobs, bringing electricity was simple. The remaining problem was the road.

"And, Village Chief, it's not that I'm saying this about you. The most critical thing is how much land is allocated. After this greenhouse is built, you'll definitely need to build some caretaker houses around it, and there must be a basic place to live. So how much land is allocated is the key point."

"Two mu of land?"

"Too little. At least three mu of land is enough, you think. This greenhouse is seven or eight meters wide. That's purely what's left over. Don't the front and back also need people to walk? You can't have them right next to each other. Then there will be all kinds of disputes. It also involves the lighting in front and behind. In winter the sun is slanted. If the greenhouse in front is one and a half to two meters, then an area of four or five meters around won't see the sun. If it's higher, the shading is even more serious. So the minimum width is at least fifteen meters. A greenhouse is generally sixty or eighty meters long. Adding some unused space, it's at least 1500 square meters. That's more than two mu of land. You can't build it without three mu of land."

Hearing Chai Mi say this, Liu Zhanggui also felt three mu of land was more reasonable.

"The most critical thing is, you have to subsidize it. What if this greenhouse loses money? Ordinary people all have this worry. You must at least subsidize us two mu of land for each greenhouse. It can be anywhere. With this, everyone will have enthusiasm."

"That won't do... That's almost like giving village land as a gift. But we've secured a good subsidized loan. However, this also requires you to build the greenhouse first, then use the greenhouse as collateral for a loan. Once a greenhouse is built, it can be directly mortgaged for a loan of five thousand." Liu Zhanggui sighed: "Currently there are only these policies. Also, when the Xiangli builds a greenhouse, it subsidizes five hundred yuan, plus the plastic for the first three years can be given for free, and bamboo poles are half price. Do you want a few? Take the lead..."

Chai Mi wasn't in a hurry, just felt that corresponding configurations should be given before declining.

Actually, Chai Mi knew that if she grew vegetables, she could definitely earn more. But if this real problem of building the road wasn't solved, it was still lacking something.

Liu Zhanggui waited a while, then left.

On the morning of the third day, the village loudspeaker crackled, and Liu Zhanggui began broadcasting to the whole village again:

"Hello! Hello! Everyone listen up! Now broadcasting an important notice! Regarding our village's matter of growing vegetables in winter-warm greenhouses, the village committee and the Xiangli have held several meetings overnight and have set new articles of association!"

"First major thing! Our village will organize a village-wide battle! To do what? Repair the road! Repair that three or four li of muddy road from that piece of land east of the river to the National Highway! Why? Not for anything else, just so that in the future the vegetables grown in everyone's greenhouses can be transported out smoothly, without bumps, without freezing, to sell for money! Every household, send labor according to headcount. Specific arrangements will be posted on the bulletin board!"

"Second thing! This greenhouse isn't letting you build it for nothing! The village allocates a good piece of land. As long as you really build a standard winter-warm greenhouse, we'll allocate three mu of land specifically for growing vegetables! In addition, we'll subsidize two mu of flexible land! Together five mu! For the first three years, the public grain levy for these five mu of land, the village will find a way to reduce it for you!"

"Third thing! The Xiangli technicians will arrive in a couple of days, teaching hands-on! Subsidized loans, free plastic cloth for the first three years, half-price bamboo poles. This policy remains the same! Limited spots, first come first served, until full! Those who want to get rich, register at the village committee at noon!"

As soon as the loudspeaker sound fell, those eating breakfast put down their chopsticks.

Chai Youqing smacked his lips: "Five mu of land? My, that's a big hand... Is Liu Zhanggui spending heavily this time?"

Su Wan looked worriedly at Chai Mi: "This road-repairing village-wide battle, how many people does our family need to send? And that five mu of land... Sounds beautiful, but can this greenhouse really succeed?"

Chai Mi put down her bowl and said calmly: "Mom, if the road isn't repaired, the vegetables rotting in the field is all for nothing. Sending labor is what should be done. As for the land... our family only needs the spots for two greenhouses, that's enough."

She turned to Chai Youqing, who was eating with his head down beside her: "The matter of repairing the road, you go. The village-wide battle requires every household to send people. I don't have time. My mom doesn't have time either, so you have to go. But picking up and dropping off Xiu'er from school can't be delayed."

Chai Youqing's chopsticks paused, his face showing struggle: "Growing vegetables in winter sounds risky. Besides, that loan... your grandfather has a pile of loans, and now he can't even pay them back..."

Chai Youqing wasn't unsupportive of this greenhouse. It was mainly that he had really been scared by this loan matter.

Chai Zhongxiao's loan still hasn't been repaid to this day. Although this time Chai Zhongxiao going in has nothing to do with the loan, this matter definitely can't just be left like that.

The so-called debt dies with the person.

The person isn't dead, so this debt can't be eliminated.

Chai Mi was stunned for a moment: "Who said I want a loan? It's just the matter of building a few greenhouses... That little bit of money, I still have it."