Chapter 973

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Protagonist:

Li Xiulan

It was obvious that this time He Gaofeng had truly forgiven Wang Erhai and would no longer hold a grudge over the unpleasantness that occurred in the conference room.

However, Wang Erhai did not want to just go through the motions with He Gaofeng; he spoke frankly:

"Secretary He, I don't know if other villages can complete this high-standard farmland construction task, but our Shanggou Village probably cannot."

As soon as Wang Erhai said this, He Gaofeng couldn't help but stare blankly, his face showing surprise.

He had already given Wang Erhai a way to save face, yet Wang Erhai didn't take the hint and walk down the ladder, instead nitpicking over such a trivial matter.

Zhong Hongtao, standing nearby, was also rendered speechless by the sight.

Since an apology had already been made, He Gaofeng should just nod and agree; whether it could actually be done could be discussed later — why lay the facts bare right to his face?

"As far as I know, Shanggou Village's arable land area is not small."

He Gaofeng said this one sentence with a cold face at this moment.

Wang Erhai then said:

"I know, but seventy to eighty percent has already been abandoned. If these farmlands are reclaimed, in two or three years they'll just be abandoned again. I don't want to waste manpower, material resources, and financial resources on this image project. Emptying my own wallet and leading the whole village in a wild goose chase — that's not my style."

Wang Erhai was very frank; he was a pragmatist. When he did business before, he disliked playing those empty games; he would only do things that could generate real benefits.

He Gaofeng frowned:

"Comrade Erhai! Your political awareness is too low! How can this be called a wild goose chase! This is the top leadership's far-sighted strategic deployment! The current international situation is not optimistic; Western countries could choke off our imported grain at any moment, so the top issued documents for nationwide high-standard farmland construction to consolidate basic farmland — this is a nationwide grain defense war!"

Wang Erhai, however, said:

"Even if it is a grain defense war, this farmland created still needs people to farm it!"

Seeing Wang Erhai so stubborn, He Gaofeng didn't want to say anything more in the end.

He just waved his hand:

"Forget it; talking to you gets nowhere. If you don't want to do it, no one's forcing you. Plenty of people want to do it. You go back!"

Wang Erhai politely said goodbye, then turned and left.

Zhong Hongtao hurriedly chased after him, reproaching:

"Erhai, how can you be like this! I see you're finished as a village cadre! Sigh, why don't you have Zhang Zhongtian's kind of awareness!"

Wang Erhai's face turned serious:

"This kind of empty, exaggerated image project — I really can't do it!"

Zhong Hongtao sighed:

"You have a rigid mind, don't know how to be flexible! Let me ask you: what kind of project counts as doing practical things?"

Wang Erhai then said:

"At the very least, every villager must get real benefits!"

Zhong Hongtao then said:

"That's simple. You lead the villagers to build high-standard farmland; the 2000 yuan per acre subsidy allocated from above — you don't take a single cent, distribute it all to them, and they'll get huge real benefits, won't they?"

Wang Erhai's throat seized up for a moment; he couldn't get the words out.

He had to admit, Zhong Hongtao's words made a bit of sense.

Zhong Hongtao added:

"You're noble, you're capable, you made big money running a company in the county town, so looking down on that chicken-feed high-standard farmland subsidy is normal. But please don't stop other villagers from getting this subsidy. Some villagers, especially poor households, might not even earn two thousand yuan in a whole year!"

Wang Erhai was even more at a loss for words.

He had to admit, Zhong Hongtao's words made far too much sense.

Even though it's an image project, if this image project lets benefits flow from top to bottom, letting ordinary people at the bottom enjoy a portion of the benefits, then it actually doesn't count as completely empty and exaggerated.

Zhong Hongtao sighed at this point:

"You, you — looks like you still read too little. Reading too little makes one prone to extremes, seeing things too one-sidedly, unable to see the essence of how things operate!"

Zhong Hongtao's words were quite harsh to the ear.

Wang Erhai didn't get angry because of them, but lowered his head.

Finally he said shamefacedly:

"Mayor Zhong, thank you for pointing this out to me. I'll go back and do a good job."

After leaving the town government, Wang Erhai didn't immediately return to the county town company, but made a trip back to Shanggou Village.

He went door to door to notify them: tonight at the Village Committee Square for a meeting, important matters to announce.

In a blink, evening arrived.

Village Committee Square — quite a few villagers came.

Wang Erhai stood on the steps of the square, looking down; below, heads bobbed in a crowd — all old, weak, sick, and disabled.

Not a single young person under thirty-five.

The village's young people, besides Wang Erhai, probably only Zhang Zhiqiang remained. But Zhang Zhiqiang was disabled; he couldn't come to tonight's meeting — his mother Yao Aina came in his place.

Today's countryside has clearly been abandoned by the tide of the times.

One dare not imagine what this village will become once this batch of elderly people passes away.

You should know, when Wang Erhai was small, this village was so full of life, so bustling.

Back then, never mind young people — even children roamed in groups.

Shanggou Village Primary School — a single grade had thirty or forty children!

And now, because of population decline, Shanggou Village had long ago shut down its Primary School!

"Erhai, you called us over — what's the matter?"

Villager Zhong Jianguo asked this one sentence at this moment.

Wang Erhai saw that people had arrived more or less completely.

He spoke truthfully:

"I went to the Town Government for a meeting today; the higher-ups said they want to build High-standard Farmland, and those meeting the standard can receive a subsidy of 2000 Yuan per Acre."

As soon as Wang Erhai's words came out, everyone looked at each other in dismay, discussing in low voices.

"2000 per Acre, that's Not Few."

"But my family's fields, the Majority have been abandoned for several years; reclaiming them is Not Easy."

"Us old bones, going to reclaim wasteland for those few thousand Yuan — Better To go Outside and Work in a Factory."

"Right, being a Security Guard is better than reclaiming wasteland, at least it's not that Tiring!"

Wang Erhai listened to the discussion below.

He knew everyone's Passion was not high.

After All, abandoned too long; reclaiming is Indeed Not Easy.

Moreover the funding cycle is also long; must cultivate for more than one year before it can Count As High-standard Farmland.

"Everyone quiet down! I know you're all Not Easy! If each household reclaims its own wasteland, that's certainly thankless labor, so I plan to pool all the village's wasteland together, then I'll take the lead and hire an Engineering Team to reclaim it; after reclamation, I'll give you 1500 Yuan per Acre as subsidy, the remaining 500 Yuan will serve as my reclamation cost! This is equivalent to you doing nothing and still getting 1500 Yuan per Acre free; if you're Willing, we Cooperate; if not, I won't force it."

Everyone looked at each other in dismay again; some expressed willingness, some expressed unwillingness, feeling Wang Erhai had taken their five hundred.

Wang Erhai spoke again:

"When the time comes I'll also hire some people from the Village to work in the Engineering Team, at a daily wage of 150 Yuan, to settle wages for you. That way, you don't have to go Outside to work; right at your own Door you can Earn money."