Chapter 405: Reborn in the 90s: The Tyrant Flower Chapter 408 — Then It'll Be Six

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

After finishing breakfast, Chai Mi went to Liu San's house.

"Cousin! Sister-in-law! Are you home? Something important!" Chai Mi called as she entered.

Liu San was smoking; seeing Chai Mi arrive, he immediately came out to greet her: "Chai Mi? This early?"

Zhang Hailan wiped her hands and came out: "Chai Mi? What's wrong? Did something happen with the new house?"

"No! The greenhouse policy changed!" Chai Mi waved her hand.

Shortly after, everyone went into the house; Zhang Hailan brewed a pot of hot water and brought it over.

Chai Mi's maternal aunt Su Jin in the east room hadn't gotten up yet, so Chai Mi went to the west room.

After a few pleasantries, Liu San said with a bitter smile: "Chai Mi, you're still thinking about the greenhouse? You heard yesterday's meeting too — no road, no water, no electricity, taking on debt... it's dicey! My family's situation... creditors block the door every day, how would I dare take on famine risk? Planting some mixed grain so we don't starve is enough."

Zhang Hailan chimed in: "Right, Chai Mi. Growing vegetables in winter... doesn't sound reliable. Before, trading vegetables lost money, let alone growing them yourself? If it fails, it's adding frost to snow? The creditors might even tear down the roof beams."

Chai Mi took a sip of tea, not too rushed; after a moment she said: "Hear me out! Yesterday's meeting was a mess, the Village Chief didn't explain clearly! This morning the new articles of association were broadcast — huge good news!"

Liu San was puzzled: "What good news? Isn't it just free plastic sheeting, and bamboo poles a bit cheaper? That stuff isn't much use anyway."

Chai Mi shook her head: "The key is the land! Build one standard greenhouse, the village allocates three mu of vegetable land! Plus an extra two mu of flexible land! Five mu total! Five mu of land given for free!"

"Five mu?!" Liu San froze; Zhang Hailan was also a bit stunned.

The village loudspeaker was fairly far from Liu San's house, and it was a north wind; Liu San's house was to the north, so on windy days it was even harder to hear clearly.

Moreover, Liu San and his wife hadn't really cared about this to begin with; in the morning they heard the village loudspeaker sound, but didn't listen carefully, so they really didn't know what Liu Zhanggui said in the broadcast.

Zhang Hailan's voice trembled: "Chai Mi, you didn't hear wrong? Where would the village have idle land?"

Chai Mi smiled: "The broadcast said it, absolutely true! The red-header document is about to be posted! Could the Village Chief's broadcast be fake? For the first three years the public grain levy the village will try to reduce! With these five mu, even if the greenhouse doesn't make money right away, just growing grain would be enough to eat!"

Liu San's breathing grew a bit rapid, his eyes brightening then dimming: Five mu of land... really giving too much.

Liu San's family had no land to begin with, and after the incident Sun Guoyou caused last time, they had fallen into dire straits.

Now the only chance to turn things around might be farming.

In this era... actually even in later generations, once common people are burdened with famine, turning things around is extremely difficult.

Moreover, the more famine people have, the more tied their hands and feet are in whatever they do. Only farming is an eternal, unchanging topic.

At minimum it guarantees eating rice.

Only after eating rice can one think of other things.

But the capital for building the greenhouse? Plastic sheeting and bamboo poles at half price, wood, bricks, stove, cotton quilts... which one doesn't cost money?

"Chai Mi... building a greenhouse takes a lot of money... even if they give more land, we can't afford it."

"Money's not a worry."

Zhang Hailan asked urgently: "You can get a subsidized loan? But that still has to be repaid, what if..."

Chai Mi cut off Zhang Hailan: "Loan? Not taking that route! The greenhouse capital, I'll front it. After you two grow vegetables and sell them, you can pay me back then."

Liu San and Zhang Hailan froze.

"Two greenhouses! All upfront investment counts on me! You just provide the labor, follow the technician's teaching, build the greenhouse and grow vegetables! If it loses, it's on me! If it makes money, deduct the capital, the rest is all yours! The five mu of land also falls into your hands! Is this deal a loss? Or would you rather guard your thin fields, have creditors block the door, and watch the free land fly away?"

Liu San raised his head, eyes red, staring at Chai Mi unable to speak.

Zhang Hailan looked at Chai Mi, then at Liu San, for a moment still unable to adjust: "Chai Mi... is this for real? Don't joke with your big brother and sister-in-law... that's... not a small sum, if it loses it really counts on you?"

Chai Mi nodded: "Real. Why would I fool you two? You just roll up your sleeves and do it!"

In her previous life Chai Mi often ate at her maternal aunt's house; her maternal aunt treated Chai Mi with genuine kindness. Although Liu San and his wife had all sorts of flaws, that couldn't stop Chai Mi from giving them a hand up.

Liu San choked up: "Chai Mi! I... I really don't know what to say..."

Zhang Hailan nodded: "Since Chai Mi has put it this far, we'll do it with you."

Chai Mi smiled: "Good! Just one requirement: my family has few workers, when we're too busy you two help out. Come on! Go register at the Village Committee! Twenty slots, first come first served!"

Liu San and his wife no longer hesitated, and went out with Chai Mi.

The Village Committee entrance was noisy. Chai You De squeezed at the front: "Village Chief, is the policy for real? One greenhouse really gives five mu?"

Liu Zhanggui slammed the table: "Red-header document going up soon! Those who want it, line up at the back!"

"Want it! Two greenhouses!" Chai You De glanced sideways and saw Chai Mi, Liu San and the others arrive too, and sneered: "Yo, the great capable Chai Mi also came? You don't miss a thing."

Chai Mi gave a cold laugh: "Mind yourself! Still better than certain people splashing cement behind backs!"

"You didn't blow up my family's feces pit behind my back..."

"Shut up!" Liu Zhanggui roared, "Register! Name, how many greenhouses!"

Lao Liutou's son squeezed forward: "My dad said try for one each."

Liu Zhanggui registered: "Chai Youliang's family two! Chai Youlu's family two! Anyone else?"

"My family! Two!" Liu San shouted.

"Liu San? You want two too?" someone exclaimed in surprise. Zhang Hailan answered: "Right! Two!"

Chai You De sneered: "Liu San, do you know how to grow vegetables and build greenhouses? Don't lose your capital!"

Liu San's face flushed red, but he didn't say anything.

Chai Mi cut in: "Third Uncle, mind yourself. Cousin has us backing him."

Liu Zhanggui asked: "Chai Mi, how many for your family?"

"Two."

"Just two? Not taking a few more?"

Chai Mi shook her head: "Two is enough. Greed leads to indigestion. Leave the spots for those who truly want to work."

The villagers behind raised their hands one after another.

"Give me one!"

"My family wants one!"

The spots filled up quickly, a crowd of those who didn't get one still clamoring.

Liu Zhanggui waved his hand: "That's it for the first batch! Produce results and we'll expand next year! Those who signed up, gather at the East of the River plot this afternoon to allocate land and discuss road repair!"

The crowd dispersed. Chai You De swaggered up to Chai Mi: "Chai Mi, don't think you're so clever. Greenhouse... just wait and see."

Chai Mi couldn't be bothered to deal with him.

Liu San, however, was worried: "Chai You De is seething... this bastard wants nothing more than for us to lose money."

Chai Mi, on the other hand, didn't take it to heart. Chai You De only has that much ability; he dares on small matters, but not on big ones.

Chai You De is just a bully who fears the strong; why be afraid of him.

In the afternoon, the East of the River field was packed with people. Over a dozen household heads brought tools, ready to stake out land. Onlookers stood to the side.

Liu Zhanggui stood on the earthen ridge, megaphone in hand, and shouted:

"Quiet! Allocate land! Mark out the greenhouse land! Rules again: one standard greenhouse, occupies three mu! Once allocated to you, it's deducted as greenhouse land! Only vegetables allowed, no sorghum or corn! Whoever does that, land reclaimed! Fined! The township is watching! I'm putting the ugly words up front!"

Most people wanted the land; though greenhouse investment was large, five mu of good land would break even in a few years, and the land would be theirs. Village land rotated every three years, so no one farmed it well. But greenhouse land, once the shed was built, became their own. This plot was drought-and-flood-proof. Liu Zhanggui knew everyone was after the land, but there was no way around it; without good land, no one would want the sheds.

Seeing the effect achieved, Liu Zhanggui's tone eased slightly, but remained stern: "Plant what? Just plant vegetables that grow in winter! Cucumbers, tomatoes, beans, chili peppers, anything goes! Technicians arrive in the next two days; how to build sheds, control temperature, plant vegetables — they'll teach hands-on! Your job is to put in the labor, follow orders! Get the sheds up, tend the vegetables well! No slacking! This determines whether our village can turn things around, whether we can eat this bowl of policy rice! Everyone understand?"

"Understood!" Sparse, ragged voices rose, not very loud.

"Louder! Haven't you eaten?" Liu Zhanggui roared.

"Understood!" This time the voices were much more uniform and resounding.

"Good!" Liu Zhanggui nodded with satisfaction, pointed to the side, "Song Huiji! Start registration, measure land! In order of sign-up, one household at a time! Measure dimensions, drive wooden stakes as markers, Song Huiji record clearly in the ledger! Names, locations, mu numbers, not a single stroke can be wrong!"

Song Qingshan, smoking, held the ledger. He had long been squatting below the ridge, a thick kraft paper account book spread open, a box of red ink paste and a tape measure beside him.

Land allocation began thereafter.

Song Qingshan meticulously pulled the tape measure, the crowd cooperating to pull straight and stand firm.

Liu Zhanggui supervised from the side, occasionally hollering for onlooking kids to move back and not step on the lines.

Dimensions measured, Song Qingshan used the pointed wooden sticks he brought, driving four stakes hard into the four corners of the measured boundary, then brushing a stroke of red paint on each stake as a mark.

The crowd slowly shifted northward with the measuring progress.

The measuring process went smoothly.

Chai You De, hands behind his back, strolled to the middle of his own plot, tiptoed to look north, eyes rolling, and spoke to Song Qingshan and Liu Zhanggui: "Village Chief, Accountant Song, look at my plot... the north side feels a bit narrow? Was the tape not pulled straight just now? And this soil, doesn't seem as fertile as the south side at Chai Lao Liu's place? Can the vegetables grow the same? Should you shift my plot north a bit? Or... allocate me some better land?"

Liu Zhanggui, staring at the next household, frowned at the words, turned around and said impatiently: "Chai You De! Stop picking and choosing! The tape was pulled straight as an arrow, could Accountant Song measure wrong? The soil's all the same! All alluvial soil from the river bend edge, how much difference can three or five meters make? Keep yapping, people behind are waiting! Want it or not? Don't want it, I'll give it to someone else! Plenty of people eyeing this land!"

Chai You De was choked for a moment. Seeing Liu Zhanggui truly angry, and the people behind casting displeased looks, he muttered: "Fine fine fine, this is it then, I was just saying... being Village Chief doesn't allow people to raise opinions anymore?"

Land allocation continued.

Finally, it was Chai Mi's turn.

"Chai Mi, your family has two sheds, which plot? Only the north end by the forest remains." Liu Zhanggui pointed to the northernmost tip, where it was already very close to the poplar forest of the river bend, the terrain seemingly more open.

Chai Mi nodded, tone flat: "Village Chief, I'll take the northernmost plot, the one against the forest."

Song Qiushui was a bit anxious, tugged her sleeve, and whispered: "Chai Mi, that's the very edge, farthest from the road, how inconvenient to get in and out later? And by the forest, winter winds will be stronger, right? More heat loss!"

Chai Mi patted her hand, didn't explain, only said to Liu Zhanggui and Song Qingshan: "That spot then. I see that plot is wider, more open. Access... once the road's fixed it's all the same."

Liu Zhanggui waved his hand indifferently: "Fine, whatever you want. Accountant Song, measure the last northern plot."

Song Qingshan took the tape measure over.

Because this plot was near the forest, it wasn't strictly aligned with the other plots, but the usable width was indeed a few meters wider than the previously marked ones.

Finally, the last household finished measuring and pressed their handprints.

Song Qingshan closed the thick ledger, let out a long breath, rubbing his sore wrists and waist.

Liu Zhanggui stood on the earthen ridge again, shouted loudly:

"Land allocation done! Wooden stakes are the boundary! Red paint is the mark! Every household recognize yours! Starting tomorrow, primary task — road repair! This plot's road, you repair yourselves, otherwise you'd have to join the village-wide battle; better you do it well yourselves. Each household contributes labor per head, bring your own dry rations and tools! Road not connected, vegetables rot in the field for nothing! Once the road's mostly done, technicians should arrive too; then, all of you give me twelve percent spirit to learn! Anyone who dares slack off, show up but not work, or treat learning techniques casually, don't blame me for being rude! Dismissed! Go prepare! Tomorrow seven AM, assemble here again, start work!"

Liu Zhanggui watched the crowd's departing backs, wiped sweat, and said to Song Qingshan: "Lao Song, secure the accounts. This first step is taken, but the difficulties ahead are many!"

Song Qingshan sighed: "Exactly. By then, not deducting the sheds will be hard. Other villages have started construction, our village is still early..."

"Then we must hurry. I'll go to the Electricity Industry Office later, have them connect power; after that, tomorrow you lead the people to repair roads and such."

"Mm."

Early the next morning, East of the River plot.

Liu Zhanggui and Song Qingshan arrived early, faces not looking too good at the scene before them.

Quite a few people came, but most were women from their families, half-grown kids, or elderly.

Real strong laborers, very few.

Not to mention the work attitude — most just stood chatting, or shoveled dirt clods half-heartedly, dragging their feet.

Liu Zhanggui picked up the iron megaphone: "What are you standing around for? Start work! Each household contributes labor per head, the road section in front of your own shed plot is the priority! Today first level the roadbed, fill the big pits and small hollows! Move it!"

The shout fell, few responded.

Only Lao Liutou's two sons and a few other honest households, heads down, began shoveling soil on the road sections corresponding to their own shed plots.

Movements not fast, but at least they moved.

Chai Mi, Song Qiushui, with Chai Youqing and Su Wan, also arrived at their family's northern plot.

Chai Youqing looked at this bare wasteland, then at the others slacking off in the distance, couldn't help muttering: "When will this ever get done? People aren't all here, strength isn't being used, what road are we repairing!"

Chai Mi didn't reply, gaze falling on the empty plot of Chai You De's family in the middle section — Chai You De himself wasn't even a shadow.

"We do ours." Chai Mi bent down, picked up an iron shovel, pointed to the east side of their family's shed plot, "Not counting on them. Start from our side, shovel eastward, level out a hundred-odd meters of roadbed."

"What?" Chai Youqing thought he had misheard, abruptly straightened his waist, and stared wide-eyed, "Toward the east? What's in the east? It's the greenhouse land our family just got allocated! Three mu of good land! Chai Mi, have you gone mad? Using vegetable-growing land to pave a road? This land hasn't even been warmed by our hands yet!"

Su Wan was also startled, grabbing Chai Mi's arm: "Girl, this... this won't do! This land is so precious! What a waste!"

Song Qiushui, however, reacted quickly. She recalled what Chai Mi had said when choosing this plot by the woods, and her eyes lit up: "Chai Mi, you mean to..."

Chai Mi's tone was calm: "Right, just use this greenhouse land to pave the road. This piece of land to the east, we don't want it anymore, just use it as the road. Starting from the eastern boundary of our greenhouse land, extend eastward one hundred meters, width enough for a tractor to pass. The soil quality here is decent, level it a bit, lay some sand and crushed stone, and it's a ready-made roadbed. Still better than counting on those who show up but don't work, and Chai You De who doesn't come at all!"

The most crucial thing is, this side isn't quite the same as the south side, because the highway is on the village north side. From where Chai Mi is, they only need to build outward about one hundred meters to reach a dry river ditch. That ditch has no water, and can barely be driven through. Past the ditch, it's a normal road.

Whereas if the south side went east, it would run into households outside the village. Only the four or five greenhouses where Chai Mi is can go north; the rest all need to go south, then pass that small bridge to get out.

That is the main road. Normally when Chai Mi goes out to set up a stall, she also leaves by that road.

But the north side is actually more reasonable, closer to town. However, the north road belongs to outside villages. Following that ditch north about six or seven hundred meters reaches another village. Although there is a road, it's very narrow. And what Liu Zhanggui wants to build this time is precisely this ditch.

On the west side of the ditch, that is, the land east of the river, build a road, from south to north or north to south both work.

If a road runs straight through the middle, naturally that's best.

Seeing Chai Mi and Song Qiushui really building the road toward the east, Chai Youqing grew so anxious his face turned red, waving his arms: "That won't do either! That was exchanged for five mu of land! Such good land, how great to grow crops! Not for padding underfoot! Chai Mi, you wastrel! Who does it like this? Others not building the road is their fault, why should our family use good land to fill a pit?"

"Why?" Chai Mi whipped her head around, staring at Chai Youqing, voice indifferent: "Because the road isn't open, our vegetables rot in the fields!"

Just the matter of Sanjiacun doing greenhouses itself is especially late.

According to the solar terms, in another half month or so, the freeze will come. Many other villages' greenhouses are already mostly built, but this side dragged on until now.

Time waits for no one.

Once the time comes, if the greenhouse isn't built well before the freeze, then this year there's no point planning to grow vegetables.

She paused, looking at the speechless Chai Youqing, tone softening slightly: "You're someone who ate from the big pot for most of your life. This joint road-building is actually the same principle. Why dawdle with them? Do our own thing, as long as we can get out ourselves. Chai You De has a road not far ahead of him, he's not afraid. Anyway he thinks he can get out, why would he care about others' lives? Dragging one day, our vegetables go in the ground one day late, hit the market one day late! This loss, several mu of harvest can't make up for it! Move!"

Finished speaking, Chai Mi wasted no more words, hoisted her iron shovel, and went to work.

Actually the workload isn't especially large. Mainly because this side used to be farmland, all ditches and ridges, needing leveling.

Nothing else really.

Mainly there's no machinery now. If there were a loader, it'd be a matter of minutes.

Seeing Chai Youqing still yapping away, even the usually soft-tempered Su Wan couldn't stand it: "What are you dawdling for? There's no road, walk over the top of your head?"

Chai Youqing still wanted to grumble.

Su Wan, displeased, gripping her iron shovel: "Then let's open a path over the top of your head first, save your mouth from idling. No wonder Chai Mi always scolds you. You're the kind who needs someone to take an iron pick and split your head open. Do some work, why so much talk?"

Chai Youqing didn't dare speak further, hung his head, and followed along leveling the ground.

The commotion of Chai Mi's family destroying their own fields to build a road quickly drew everyone's gaze.

"Look north! What's Chai Mi's family doing? Why are they shoveling soil into their own land?"

"Heavens! She seems to be using her own allocated greenhouse land to pave a road? Not keeping the land to plant?"

"Crazy! Truly crazy! Five mu of good land, just wasted like this?"

"Tsk tsk, this girl is truly ruthless, even this ruthless to herself..."

"She's been forced into a corner, right? Look, everyone else isn't budging..."

"That bastard Chai You De still hasn't come! Chai Mi is the one doing real work!"

In the middle section, several villagers who had been slacking off and chatting also stopped, watching the dust flying and the hot-blooded scene up north, their faces somewhat ashamed.

Lao Liutou's eldest son spat: "Damn it, a little girl has more guts than us! Stop dallying, hurry up and work on your own section! Really letting a woman show us up, humiliating!"

These words provoked some people, and a few more households started seriously shoveling soil to fill pits.

But the road section at Chai You De's place remained empty.

The sun gradually rose higher, nearly noon.

Liu Zhanggui and Song Qingshan patrolled back and forth on the site, faces growing darker and darker.

Seeing Chai Mi's family directly occupy greenhouse land to build the road, other sections progressing slowly, especially Chai You De's section not moving an inch, Liu Zhanggui's anger "whoosh" rushed straight to his forehead.

"Where's Chai You De? Where'd he die?! Is his family's road getting built or not? Treat my words as farts?!"

The crowd instantly fell silent, all eyes focused on the Village Chief.

Just then, Chai You De swayed over from the village direction.

His hair was disheveled, eyelids puffy, face flushed red. From far away one could smell a strong stench of alcohol.

He still carried an empty wine bottle in his hand, staggering with every step, clearly not sobered up at all.

"What's the rush?" Chai You De burped, tongue thick, walked to his family's empty road section, and plopped down on the ground.

Liu Zhanggui trembled with rage, rushed up to Chai You De in a few steps, pointed at his nose and cursed: "Chai You De! You bastard! What did you say yesterday? Work assigned by headcount! Where were you? Only coming now, your family's road not built, blocking the front, others' vehicles can't pass! You want everyone's vegetables to rot in the fields? You want the whole village to go down with you?!"

Sprayed with a faceful of saliva, Chai You De not only didn't get angry, but relying on his drunkenness started acting the rogue.

That look of a dead pig not fearing boiling water, using drunkenness as an all-purpose shield, thoroughly ignited Liu Zhanggui's fury, and also aroused the surrounding villagers' indignation.

"Chai You De! You shit-stirring stick! Don't want to work yourself but block everyone's way!"

"Exactly! A scourge! Go home and sleep your dead sleep!"

"Village Chief! Can't let him off! Deduct his land! Give his quota to someone else!"

"Right! Deduct the land! Make him scram!"

Public sentiment was inflamed.

Lao Liutou's eldest son even raised his iron shovel, gesturing to strike, but was held back tightly by people beside him.

Liu Zhanggui looked at Chai You De lying there groaning, reeking of alcohol: "Fine! Chai You De, you've got guts! Drunk, huh? Can't get up? Fine! Your family's road section, the village will find people to build! Labor costs, material costs, deducted from your family's two mu of flexible land! If not enough, deduct from your greenhouse harvest! Accountant Song! Record it clearly! Chai You De's family, for refusing to fulfill road-building obligation, village collective advances funds to build road, costs deducted from his flexible land income and future greenhouse income! Not a single cent less!"

"Vil... Village Chief! You... you can't do this! That land is mine! Mine!"

"Yours?" Liu Zhanggui coldly laughed, "Signed and fingerprinted, took the village's benefits, must fulfill obligations! Don't fulfill obligations? Then pay the price! This road, must be open today! You want to lie there? Fine! Lie there and wait for the deductions! Someone! Go to the small store and call a few strong laborers, daily wages, paid from Chai You De's head!" Liu Zhanggui roared at the crowd.

Immediately a few big men who usually couldn't stand Chai You De and were willing to earn some cash responded: "Right, Village Chief! We'll do it!"

Chai You De was dumbfounded, no longer muddled.

Liu Zhanggui didn't look at him again, turned and strode toward the north end.

Relatively speaking, if you put in some effort, this work isn't much. It's just leveling, then waiting to put down sand and gravel and such. Generally in this era, road building mainly means going to the river bend to haul sand; regardless of size, spreading it half a tamping thick on the ground is about right.

When the time comes, a vehicle presses over it, if pits come out or whatever, you just keep filling the pits. Do it a few more times, and this road counts as built.

Busy for most of the day, Chai Mi's family's section was basically done. After returning home, Chai Mi felt her shoulders ached a bit today, probably because she hadn't done this kind of manual labor in a long time, so she was somewhat unaccustomed to it.

The next morning, there was heavy fog.

Around here, once autumn arrives, basically every day heavy fog lingers.

Today the main task was using vehicles to haul sand and stone over to pad the road; the village only had Da Zhi's one tractor, so it all relied on him to haul the sand.

But with many people, it would still be fast; just needed to run a few more trips, and this road should be finished paving today.

"Look, I told you so," Song Qiushui stopped her shovel, lifted her chin and pointed toward the distance, "That master isn't here again."

Everyone looked over; Chai You De's section was still empty, not even a few footprints. Village Chief Liu Zhanggui carried an iron megaphone, his face dark enough to drip water, and strode over.

"Where is Chai You De?" His voice suppressed fire, he asked the few villagers slacking off beside him.

"Haven't seen him, Village Chief, maybe... maybe something came up at home and delayed him?" An old man answered mumblingly.

"Delayed?" Liu Zhanggui gave a cold laugh, "Yesterday he delayed a whole day! Yesterday building his family's road section, I hired three workers in the village collective's name, wages and meals totaled sixty-five yuan! It was agreed today Chai You De would pay this money! Where is he?"

Just as he spoke, Chai You De shuffled over in slippers, yawning, swaying from the village entrance direction, still carrying half a bottle of burning liquor in his hand.

"Yo, Village Chief, morning." Chai You De greeted with a roguish grin, his mouth full of liquor smell.

"Morning?" Liu Zhanggui stepped forward, the iron megaphone almost poking his face, "Chai You De! Yesterday's labor wages for building your road, sixty-five yuan, hand it over!"

Chai You De froze, then curled his lip, spread his hands: "Money? What money? Village Chief, your words... when did I ask you to hire people? That road is the village building it, not for me personally, why should I pay?"

"Bullshit!" Liu Zhanggui was so angry his beard trembled, "Yesterday in front of everyone it was said clearly! You shirked and slacked, didn't work, delayed the whole village's progress, the village built your family's road section for you, the cost you bear yourself! What, want to default on the debt?"

"Aiyo Village Chief, don't pin a big hat on me," Chai You De shook the liquor bottle, playing the rogue, "Yesterday my body wasn't well, I rested a day. This road, it's the village collective's, my share, wait till the village has money then slowly deduct it. Besides, sixty-five? You hired goldsmiths? Why would it need that much?"

"Chai You De!" Liu Zhanggui sternly cut him off, "Less of your twisting words! The document says clearly, allocating land to build greenhouses is responsibility, contributing labor to build roads is duty! You openly skipped work yesterday, today continue passive sabotage, still refuse to bear personal responsibility. Fine! You're impressive! I Liu Zhanggui can't manage you? Good! Then let's handle it by the rules!"

Liu Zhanggui abruptly turned, shouted at Song Qingshan who was measuring and registering land: "Accountant Song! Bring out the greenhouse contract Chai You De signed!"

Song Qingshan hurriedly fished out a paper pressed with a red handprint from the account book interlayer.

Liu Zhanggui snatched it in one grab, held it high before all villagers, then tore it in two!

"Ah!" Chai You De sobered up mostly, eyes bulging round, "You... you tore my contract?! Liu Zhanggui! On what grounds!"

"On what grounds? On grounds you're repeatedly unrepentant, destroying collective production! Yesterday's labor wages, I'll deduct from your other collective income! If it can't be fully deducted, you just wait!"

Chai You De pointed at Liu Zhanggui "You... you..." for half a day, yet couldn't squeeze out a complete sentence, finally stomped his foot hard, cursing as he turned and left, even forgetting to take the liquor bottle.

The crowd stirred, buzzing discussions rose.

Some clapped in approval, some showed worry on their faces.

At this moment, Wang Laoshuan and Li Erguaizi standing in the back watching the excitement exchanged a glance, squeezed up to Liu Zhanggui.

"Village Chief." Wang Laoshuan rubbed his hands, smiling apologetically, "You know my family situation, the old are old the young are young, really no strength to fuss with greenhouses. This land... let me give up my quota too?"

Li Erguaizi also hurriedly echoed: "Yes Village Chief, my family too, can't even scrape together capital, afraid we can't build it when the time comes, delay the village's major event, still occupy land for nothing, better to withdraw too?"

Liu Zhanggui looked at the two of them, then at Chai You De's contract scraps on the ground, only felt a fire rush straight to his forehead, chest blocked and aching.

He forcibly suppressed his anger, said in a deep voice: "Thought it through? Signed the contract, that's binding! Withdraw now, fine! But later want it again, no way!"

"Thought it through, thought it through!" The two nodded repeatedly.

"Accountant Song! Withdraw their contracts too! Land recovered!"

Watching Song Qingshan cross out three names in the account book, Liu Zhanggui only felt waves of dizziness.

Twenty quotas, in a blink three wasted, Chai You De's not counted, these two withdrew again, a full four greenhouses' quotas emptied!

This greenhouse promotion, hasn't even started building, already collapsed a quarter!

He's been such a useless Village Chief!

He irritably waved his hand letting everyone continue working, himself squatted on the field ridge, took out cigarettes and started puffing hard a few mouthfuls.

After a while, Liu Zhanggui went to find Chai Mi.

"Chai Mi. Stop a moment, I have something to tell you."

Chai Mi stopped her movements, wiped her forehead sweat, looked at him calmly: "Village Chief, you speak."

Liu Zhanggui sighed heavily, "You all saw it, Chai You De that mixed ball, thoroughly removed. Wang Laoshuan and Li Erguaizi, also beat retreat drums. Now, four greenhouse quotas emptied." He paused, looked into Chai Mi's eyes, "Time waits for no one, freezing weather is right before our eyes. These four emptied quotas, can you still take a few more?"

Chai Mi pondered a few seconds, spoke: "Okay, Village Chief. These four quotas, I'll take them."

"Four plus your original two makes six greenhouses! Chai Mi, this is no small matter, capital, manpower..."

"Capital and manpower are my business. But the land, must be adjusted according to my idea."

"You say!" Liu Zhanggui immediately said.

"Originally Chai You De, Wang Laoshuan, Li Erguaizi those three plots, positions scattered," Chai Mi pointed toward the distance, "I don't want those three scattered plots. Village Chief, you have Accountant Song adjust the land of these four emptied greenhouses, all moved to behind my north greenhouse, connected into one piece. Right next to the poplar forest north side that empty land. This way, my six greenhouses connected, easy to manage."

"All moved behind you? Connected?" Liu Zhanggui froze a moment, then understood Chai Mi's intent, this was centralized management, saving time and effort. He looked at Song Qingshan: "Lao Song, can that land behind be demarcated into four connected plots?"

Song Qingshan nodded: "Can! I'll go coordinate with those few, adjust positions per Chai Mi's words, should all agree."

"Good!" Liu Zhanggui finalized, "Then it's settled! Immediately re-measure land, move those four plots to in front of Chai Mi's greenhouse, connect into one piece, all allocated to Chai Mi! Contracts re-signed!"

Morning building finished, afternoon village organized manpower, laid the sand, this road basically also became passable.

Chai Mi was working in the afternoon, a person riding a bicycle wobbled over, stopped by the roadside.

The cyclist was a lean man, wearing faded gray work clothes, carrying a bulging canvas tool bag.

It was Sun Yujun.

Chai Mi recognized him, this was her old aunt Chai Chunfang's younger uncle, the township electricity industry office electrician.

"Hey! Is Village Chief Liu here? Said this side needs to erect power lines, told to come see the site!"

Liu Zhanggui wasn't there, Chai Mi stood up and walked over: "Second Uncle, Village Chief might have gone to another group. This greenhouse land, my family occupies the majority. Power line matters, finding me works too."

Sun Yujun narrowed his eyes sizing up Chai Mi, face expressionless: "Oh, Chai Mi ah. Fine, finding whoever is the same. You want electricity for this piece, must first dig pits, bury electric poles. Near each greenhouse, must have one. Pit positions and depths all have requirements."

Chai Mi nodded: "Understand. Second Uncle you say, where to dig pits, how deep how wide, we'll follow."

Sun Yujun took out a tape measure and several wooden stakes. He walked to the spot near the edge of Chai Mi's family's plot by the road, tapped it with his foot, and said: "Here, this is the first stake pit, roughly here. The pit needs to be one and a half meters deep, one meter long, and fifty centimeters wide, square and neat. The bottom of the pit must be flat."

As he spoke, he scratched an approximate square on the ground with his foot, then took out a wooden stake and wedged it firmly into the center position.

"See? Dig according to this position and size. Along this road, one pit every... uh, about fifty meters or so, the specific locations I'll decide later. You all dig these fixed location pits first." Sun Yujun said while walking south along the roadbed that had just been paved with sand, wedging in a wooden stake every so often, and soon wedged in four or five.

Chai Mi looked at the positions of those wooden stakes; they were basically near the entrances of each family's greenhouse plots or by the roadside.

Everyone also consciously went to dig pits.

Sun Yujun watched them start working, didn't leave, lit a cigarette, and leaned against the bicycle smoking. He glanced at Chai Mi, as if suddenly remembering something, exhaled a smoke ring, and said in a somewhat yin-yang strange tone: "Chai Mi, I heard your family is doing quite well these days? Building a new house and setting up greenhouses."

Chai Mi replied lightly: "Just busy making a living."

Sun Yujun hehe laughed twice, flicked his ash: "Making a living? You don't look like you're just making a living. Tsk, but still, whether a person is lucky or not, it's really hard to say. You remember my niece, Sun Shengyue, from your Old Aunt's family?"