Chapter 316: Grudge of Blocking the Path

Ha Wangba wasn't timid either, because someone was backing him up.

「This harvester was bought with money earned from the brick factory, right? It originally belonged to the People's Commune, and you're taking advantage of the Commune. 」

「Zhou Wei, don't shout; you're a secretary and have no awareness at all. 」

「Is Qinjiacun more important or the People's Commune more important? 」

「Don't you understand what the People's Commune is for? 」

「You, Qinjiacun, are now breaking away from the collective. 」

「Practicing small-groupism is undermining the People's Commune's cooperative development. 」

That label's been put on.

The President laughed upon hearing that.

Yang Qing walked over at that moment, smiling as he shook hands with the President.

「President, hello; everyone, hello. 」

Only then did he greet everyone from Qinjiacun.

「Village Chief Qin, Secretary Zhou, hello everyone. 」

The President didn't give Yang Qing a cold face, after all, the Agricultural Machinery Factory and the People's Commune are also in a cooperative relationship.

They also have priority to test and purchase various agricultural machinery.

The People's Commune President greeted Yang Qing with a smile.

「Factory Director Yang has come over. 」

「We're discussing some People's Commune matters; otherwise, why don't you come and give us an idea? 」

In his view, the People's Commune has bought more agricultural machinery, so Yang Qing should be on their side.

Yang Qing, interested, moved closer.

「Ah, then I'd like to listen. 」

Qin Delu took the opportunity to exaggerate the matter in his retelling.

Yang Qing furrowed his brows, pondered for a moment, then exclaimed in shock.

「Back when we, the Agricultural Machinery Factory and Qinjiacun, jointly built a model village through worker-peasant mutual aid. 」

「The purpose was to give everyone a better way forward. 」

「With Qinjiacun as a precedent leading the way, everyone wouldn't be left completely in the dark. 」

「Besides farming, they didn't know how to develop; once a natural disaster struck, families would be ruined. 」

「Now Qinjiacun has just started to get off the ground, just showing some improvement, and everyone already has such strong opinions. 」

「I never expected this. 」

The President looked at Yang Qing with a displeased expression, wondering what this guy meant.

「Factory Director Yang, what do you mean by this? 」

「I just feel it's a pity," Yang Qing shook his head.

「I also can't understand it. 」

「You clearly have a bright future ahead; why are you killing the hen to get the eggs? 」

Ha Wangba furrowed his brows and questioned.

「Factory Director Yang, the People's Commune's affairs aren't something you can casually disparage. 」

Zhou Wei shifted his eyes and went along with it.

「Factory Director Yang, we don't quite understand; could you explain it to everyone? 」

Yang Qing ignored the President and others' unfriendly looks and continued speaking.

「It's like everyone living in thatched huts, leaking rain in summer, drafty in winter; suddenly someone thinks this won't do, this ramshackle house—if it goes bad, the elderly and children in the household could catch cold and die. 」

「So he told everyone, he would dare to be the first under heaven, build a stone house that's sturdy, warm in winter and cool in summer; if he succeeded, everyone would follow his method, and if he failed, it would be his loss alone. 」

「But when he was laying the foundation, the people living in the thatched huts came over, thinking his stone foundation was better than theirs, so they wanted to take the stones away. 」

「But those stones are the foundation for his new-style house. 」

「If they take them away, how can he still build his house? 」

Zhou Wei's people understood Yang Qing's meaning; this was a veiled jab at them.

Ha Wangba saw the President give him a look and immediately said.

「It's just some stones; he can go move them again. 」

Yang Qing gave a hehe laugh.

「What if someone else comes to move his stones again? 」

「This person isn't a fool; can they really keep being foolish over and over? 」

「Moving those stones so laboriously not only wastes time but also drains energy; the fields might not be planted well, and hunting could suffer too. 」

「In the end, perhaps because of those few stones, his new house wouldn't be built properly, and the thatched hut would be gone too. 」

「So they'd only be able to subsist on wind and dew; if luck was a bit better, they'd get through it and try again next year, but if luck was bad, they wouldn't survive this winter. 」

「You say, if it were you, would you still keep building the house? 」

「There's a saying that goes very well. 」

「'Those who gather firewood for the many should not be left to freeze to death in the wind and snow.'」

「Besides, as members of the People's Commune, we should lend a hand; we shouldn't be dragging our feet, right? 」

「Since everyone sees that the stone foundation is good, why can't we ourselves go move stones to lay a foundation? Why must we tear down someone else's foundation, ruining their prospects? 」

「Everyone already knows how to lay a foundation; why not do it ourselves? 」

「Or have we grown accustomed to taking from others, or do we simply dislike the effort of moving stones? 」

Yang Qing's relentless questioning made those who came to Qinjiacun with ill intentions turn red-faced; even now, people still care about saving face.

Factory Director Yang, you're just alarmist, aren't you?

Wouldn't transferring the brick factory to the People's Commune better serve everyone?

Wouldn't having money let the People's Commune solve everyone's problems better?

Yang Qing nodded.

Yeah, it could bring temporary convenience; after all, you've taken the stones back, so you can improvise a stone-and-soil foundation, which can be used to weigh down thatched huts and make them safer.

But everyone forgot one thing: originally, this person wanted to build a house that's warm in winter, cool in summer, sturdy and durable.

Is a stone-and-soil foundation the kind of house like that? Or can a sturdy thatched hut achieve the same effect?

Obviously, you could have learned how to build stone houses, but… you gave up better houses for immediate profit.

Obviously, if we give passersby a little leniency, we can gain even more.

In your eyes, the brick factory is a money-making machine.

But in Qinjiacun's eyes, it is the cornerstone of Qinjiacun.

Almost all of Qinjiacun's future plans are related to the brick factory.

What you've taken isn't the brick factory; it's Qinjiacun's future.

Have you heard the saying? 'Enmity over blocking the road cannot be shared under the same sky; the brick factory is easy to seize, but hatred is hard to dispel.'

I know village brawls are common; how many lives do you think you can throw into this grudge pit?

Hiss…

Not only others, but even the People's Commune President felt a chill down his back.

If Yang Qing hadn't said these things earlier, the problem might not have been so serious, but now he has spoken them out.

Now, if you try to seize the brick factory again, you'll surely provoke the hatred of over a thousand people from Qinjiacun.

Even as the President, he can't bear it.

Grudge over blocking the road?

This, this…

Qin Delu, Zhou Wei, and the others now look at everyone with vicious eyes.

Even Hao Wangba felt his heart tremble under the stare.

You, you, you're talking nonsense; it's just a brick factory—how could it be as serious as you say?

Yang Qing said again.

Yeah, it's just a brick factory; obviously you could copy the design and build your own, so why come to seize it?

Is building a brick factory that hard?

You can't even copy the design, you…

Yang Qing stuck out his thumb.

Pretty badass.