Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Little Agent Stirs Up Trouble

On Sunday, the First Middle School was closed, and Lou Yanhua and Lou Yanru headed home to bathe and change clothes. Liu Weidong took the opportunity to return to the Second Production Team to discuss some materials he had brought back from the Agricultural Research Institute with Wang Jianguo.

He carried rice and soybean oil home, and even bought a piece of meat for his father; with so much to carry, he couldn't walk fast. After waiting for quite a while, he finally hitched a ride on a horse-drawn cart. Once he dropped off his things at home, he headed toward the team headquarters. Just as he reached the gate of the collective dormitory, he saw Jin Xu carrying a hoe.

"Back already, Weidong? Didn't Yanru come back with you?"

Jin Xu’s greeting was warm, a far cry from the aloof attitude he had shown before Liu’s rebirth.

"Yanru didn't come. Are you headed to the fields? I heard the educated youth are going to be sent back to the cities?"

"Yeah, the Office for Educated Youth has already finished the initial assessment. Those who married local commune members and established residency won't be considered for relocation. The ones who married in haste are probably regretting it to their bones; quite a few are going to the commune to file for divorce. But your Yanru doesn't have to worry—once she gets into university, she'll become a city resident regardless."

At this point, a trace of awkwardness crossed Jin Xu’s face.

"Don't take it the wrong way, Weidong. I didn't mean to rub it in. You and Yanru have such a deep bond; even if she moves to the city, she wouldn't leave you."

Liu Weidong smiled. "I haven't really thought that far ahead. As long as Yanru is happy, that’s all that matters. The educated youth have finally come through the hardships—you all should be happy, right?"

Jin Xu sighed. "Happy? About what? Once we get back to the city, we’ll face the job market. If things go poorly, we’ll just end up as unemployed youth."

Liu Weidong didn't follow up on Jin Xu’s concerns. He had already lived through that era; after the educated youth returned to the cities, they were indeed difficult to place. Unemployed youth were everywhere, and in those days, city dwellers often equated the young, jobless men wearing military uniforms and caps with hoodlums.

"Did you know Li Baotian was called back to work by the commune leaders? The commune office even called the village committee; they said so many educated youth are waiting to process their paperwork that things are getting rowdy because they can't get their stamps. I just don't understand—what can Li Baotian actually do? He can't even read, he rose to power through violence and looting, yet the commune actually lets him be an official."

Jin Xu shook his head, looking completely baffled.

Liu Weidong snorted. "Who knows? Maybe he has connections. Regardless, you're all heading back to the city soon, so why bother talking about him?"

When they reached the entrance of the village committee, Jin Xu continued toward the fields, and Liu Weidong stepped inside.

"The timber our village sold was nothing but firewood culled from the members' own homes. Does a person's firewood count as collective property? It’s our team’s skill to trade that wood for grain! I was the only one who handled it. The organization can investigate however they want, but I’ll be damned if I believe that helping members get enough to eat is a crime!"

As soon as he entered, Liu Weidong heard Wang Jianguo shouting into the telephone. Upon seeing Liu, Wang hung up the receiver in a huff.

"Who was that, Uncle Jianguo? Why is someone investigating the firewood sales? Aren't our procedures sound?"

"It’s all just jealousy, damn it. Our procedures are sound, but according to the rules, we’re supposed to hand over a portion of the revenue to the commune. I didn't hand it over because I used the money to buy grain. Now the commune leaders are calling one by one to ask questions. When the members were starving, they all pulled their heads in like tortoises and didn't make a peep."

The Second Team hadn't relied on the commune; they had blazed their own trail for post-disaster reconstruction. It was likely that not only were the commune leaders feeling uneasy, but other production teams were also green with envy. It was the classic case of "a man who has a treasure becomes a target," just like when Liu Weidong had discovered the wild ginseng.

"Uncle Jianguo, I brought back quite a bit of material from the Agricultural Research Institute—information on seeds, fertilizers, nurseries, and medicinal herb cultivation. Given the commune’s current attitude, should we slow down on some of these projects in the Second Team?"

"Slow down, my foot! Are we going to stop farming just because the locusts are chirping? We just want to make sure our members don't starve and help the common folk live a better life. What have we done wrong? Let me see the materials. I don't care about the commune's attitude; as long as it benefits our village, I’m willing to act first and report later."

Taking the file folder from Liu Weidong, Wang Jianguo put on his reading glasses and studied it carefully, asking Liu about anything he didn't understand.

Liu Weidong had returned with the intention of planting astragalus and schisandra in the collective forest land, but he hadn't expected to run into this mess immediately. He was genuinely worried. The village had planted coarse grains on the main fields, which they could excuse by blaming the flood, but there was no precedent in the entire county for using collective forest land for commercial planting. If they were made an example of...

"Weidong, I think the under-forest medicinal herb planting is a good idea. It’s low-profile and doesn't require much maintenance."

Liu Weidong gave a bitter smile. "Uncle Jianguo, you're oversimplifying it. You know what our village is like—can anything really be kept secret? Besides, transporting the herbs once they're harvested is another problem. Cultivated crops aren't like wild ones; the volume is huge. It’ll be out in the open, and everyone will see it."

"Damn... why does doing honest work have to feel like being a thief? Is it such a heinous crime for old farmers to want to get rich?"

Liu Weidong chuckled. "Uncle Jianguo, your thinking is problematic. You dare to talk about 'getting rich'? You've taken the wrong political stance."

"Don't try to wind me up, kid. With the commune watching and people in the village filing secret reports, we really have to be careful from now on." Wang Jianguo looked deeply frustrated.

Liu Weidong smiled. "Uncle Jianguo, there's actually nothing to worry about. The herbs we plant won't be ready to harvest until next year anyway. Who knows? Maybe the policies will have changed by then. However, starting a plantation requires investment. Even if we get the seedlings on credit, it's still taking on debt. You leaders have to make the call."

Wang Jianguo exchanged a glance with Accountant Xu and slammed his hand on the table.

"Let’s do it. If you don't risk the bait, you won't catch the fish. Since we're cutting down trees in the village anyway, I'll go make a deal with Director Ma and Secretary Li. Once we negotiate a price, we’ll move forward. Once they've received a favor, the commune leaders won't be breathing down our necks as much."

Liu Weidong immediately shut his mouth. A favor? Where would the village get the money? Surely Wang Jianguo wasn't going to ask him to cover it again?

Sure enough, a fawning smile appeared on Wang Jianguo’s face, which gave Liu Weidong goosebumps.

"Weidong, you have to prioritize the collective over the individual. We've temporarily solved the food shortage, but the team really doesn't have any money. About this 'favor'..."

"Uncle, don't look at me and smile like that; I’m not used to it. I can lend you the money, but even between family, we have to keep clear accounts. I want an IOU."

Wang Jianguo slapped the table. "That’s a must. The collective shouldn't take advantage of a member. Let's borrow five hundred from you for the village. It’s best not to be cash; help the village buy some good cigarettes and liquor—the kind you bought last time."

Liu Weidong sighed and nodded. "It seems that if you don't grease the wheels, they won't turn. The commune leaders certainly know how to control the heat."

Liu Weidong had originally planned to consult Old Man Guan about the herb planting, but seeing the current situation, he went straight home. He had brought the materials back feeling as if he were carrying a torch in his heart, only to run into obstacles and end up five hundred yuan out of pocket.

Policies, policies, policies.

Liu Weidong wished he could blink and reach the end of the year, as the Third Plenary Session would be held then, and the planned economy would gradually begin its shift toward a market economy.

Every step was currently a hurdle. Liu Weidong felt that if they could just transition smoothly over the next few months, he would be burning incense to the gods in gratitude.