boyutpedia Chapter 1436 Liang Wenyu heeds advice, Xu Chengjun follows suit
Chapter 1436 Liang Wenyu heeds advice, Xu Chengjun follows suit
At the end of May, when the cotton plants needed to be topped, Liang Wenyu came to the purchasing station to discuss setting up a factory with Li Long.
Yes, he has made his decision: to start a factory, make money, and no longer want to be the village head.
“Actually, I was quite hesitant before. I think if I were to become the village chief, I would definitely be better off than the current one.” Liang Wenyu sat opposite Li Long and said, “I can find ways to lead everyone to prosperity, unlike now where all I do is deal with trivial and ridiculous things every day.”
Li Long believed that Liang Wenyu was speaking from the heart.
In his previous life, he truly became the village chief and made many sacrifices to protect the interests of the village.
But when he was transferred to a rural area, many people still cursed him and reported him.
There's no way around it; people's desires are insatiable, and there's a significant gap between ideals and reality. Besides, it's not like if you get a good policy or a good project, everyone will want to join.
There will always be those who hold you back and those who want to take advantage.
Some people genuinely feel cheated if they don't gain anything, or they wonder why others have it but they don't—without considering why they don't meet the criteria.
So Liang Wenyu had a tough time in his previous life too.
Fortunately, he had a strong temper, and the Liang family had good upbringing, which made Liang Wenyu not only upright but also worldly-wise. In addition, the Du family lived in the same village and could lend a hand when necessary.
In this life, Liang Wenyu probably felt that he should make money first, and only after he had a foundation could he do other things.
In addition, compared with the Li family, although the Liang family's current conditions are better than those of other families in the village, there is still a considerable gap.
Moreover, he planned to borrow his brother-in-law's money to start a factory, so he was relatively normal when facing Li Long.
“I believe you have a way, but the people on your team are different from those on our team.” Li Long’s words were direct. “The people on our team are all focused on making money and don’t think about messy things.”
"It's different on your team. Some people there just don't want others to have a good time, so they do things that harm others without benefiting themselves. That's unlikely to happen on our team."
Liang Wenyu knew both teams fairly well, and he nodded somewhat painfully, acknowledging the truth.
"So you need to make sure you have a good life first before you can have the confidence to do anything else. When we were discussing the factory, I mentioned the situation in your village to give you a heads-up."
Your team is different from ours. In our team, setting up a factory is a way to bring honor to the team, so even if something doesn't quite comply with the policies, the team leaders will help me make up for it. The people in the team will take care of me because I sell drip irrigation tape, so they won't interfere.
But it's different in your team. Some people can't stand seeing others living a good life, so you have to follow the rules every step of the way, from the initial policy application to the selection of the factory site, and don't miss anything.
You need to ensure that every step you take in building the factory can withstand scrutiny; otherwise, even if the factory is built, someone in your team will report you.
Liang Wenyu's expression was uncertain, but he knew Li Long was right; that's how their team was.
The two began discussing the location of the factory.
Li Long suggested that the production site should be located three to five hundred meters north of the village, not too close, because the noise from production would be too loud and people would definitely complain.
Too far away is also not good, as running electrical wires is troublesome and increases costs.
With the site selection complete, all that's left is finding the right raw materials and workers.
“I’m going to Dushanzi to buy raw materials in a few days. You can come with me. You’ll get used to it after the trip. I’m also taking you to the Kuishi Machinery Factory to buy a complete set of equipment. We’ll do all of that together.”
Once the raw materials were secured, all that was left was the workers.
"We have a lot of capable young people on our team; we can easily gather seven or eight people." Liang Wenyu is very confident about the manpower available.
His years as the village's Youth League secretary haven't been for nothing. Most of the young people with ideas have gathered around Liang Wenyu, and it's definitely not a problem to find some to work with him.
“There won’t be any problem with sales,” Li Long said. “We can start production when we have some free time. After you get the factory set up, you can have your staff work at my factory for training. Once they’re proficient, we can start production. We’ll need to be strict with the inspection. We’ll put the supplies in the warehouse first. I need a lot of them, so if we can’t get enough, we’ll get supplies from you. You can also advertise in the county. The demand for drip irrigation tape will only increase in the future, so we won’t have to worry about sales.”
Liang Wenyu believed this too; otherwise, he wouldn't have put aside his own ideals to prepare for building a factory and making money.
After all, the transformation of 10,000 mu of farmland in the fourth team was a real project, and the drip-irrigated cotton yielded more than twice as much as ordinary cotton.
He himself had planted drip-irrigated cotton, so he naturally understood the ins and outs of it.
Neither of them discussed the money. Li Jianguo had already told Li Long that he would lend Liang Wenyu the money to buy equipment.
Liang Wenyu was too embarrassed to mention it in front of Li Long, since borrowing money was not a respectable thing.
There are also specific procedures to follow, namely, the paperwork. Fortunately, the country is currently encouraging the establishment of factories and enterprises, so the procedures for applying to build a factory in the county are relatively easy to complete.
Li Long taught Liang Wenyu the application process but did not provide any assistance.
Liang Wenyu will have to work hard on her own from now on; she can't rely on others for everything.
This road is easy to travel, but it will definitely encounter some bumps along the way, which Liang Wenyu will have to navigate on his own.
Liang Wenyu was very cautious in his work. He wrote down all the points he and Li Long had discussed in a notebook, intending to implement them one by one when he got back.
When he left, Li Long asked if he wanted to see him off, but Liang Wenyu said no, saying he was confident that once the factory was up and running, he would soon be driving a car himself.
Li Long believed that among the young people he knew, Liang Wenyu was among the best.
Even Xu Haijun might not be able to compare to him.
The two agreed that Liang Wenyu would first go back to prepare for the construction of the factory, and then go to Kuishan and Dushanzi to handle matters when the factory was almost completed in July.
Topping cotton plants is a very labor-intensive task. Recently, the cooperative has been hiring people to do the topping. Li Long went to the fields to take a look and found that the people in charge of each plot were very responsible. Other people in the village who planted drip-irrigated cotton were doing the same, so he didn't stay long and returned.
If you're lazy, don't want to work, and don't want to be an eyesore, then stop loitering around the team.
In early July, the Liang family's application for the factory site was approved, and they were busy building the factory and installing three-phase electricity.
Liang Wenyu also took some time to call Li Long, saying that Li Long was right; when the factory was first being built, someone went to the village committee to report and complain that the factory was violating regulations. As soon as Liang Wenyu presented the necessary paperwork, the person blushed and left.
Later, when the factory was being built, people would occasionally find fault, but Liang Wenyu and his men would always shut them down. Before the factory was even built, he had already found workers, and the prices were all agreed upon—higher than those for workers in the county factories. Although it was a temporary price, paid day by day, it was the best thing for these farmers.
Therefore, he has quite a few helpers, and he is not afraid of others causing trouble.
On the morning of July 3rd, Xu Chengjun came to the purchasing station to find Li Long and discuss something.
Li Long was somewhat surprised that Xu Chengjun came to see him. Normally, Li Long would go to the village head for anything; Xu Chengjun rarely sought Li Long's help.
Of course, it was mainly because Li Long took the initiative to do what he could, without Xu Chengjun having to ask.
Xu Chengjun rarely came to Li Long's purchasing station. If there was anything, he would usually call or go directly to Li Jianguo's house and ask Li Jianguo to pass on the message.
Li Long was somewhat surprised when he came to visit today.
Xu Chengjun first chatted with Li Qingxia, who was sitting behind the counter, asking about his health and praising him for his current demeanor, which was just like that of a city dweller. Then he followed Li Long to the reception room.
The middlemen outside were still asking Li Qingxia who this person was. Li Qingxia said that he was the village director, and they suddenly realized.
Liang Shuangcheng smiled as he poured tea for Xu Chengjun, who chuckled and scolded, "Shuangcheng, there's mung bean soup and watermelon outside, why are you only pouring me water? Do you think that now that you've settled down in the county, I can't control you anymore?"
Liang Shuangcheng said with a grin, "No way! I had someone cut the melon. I saw that you were sweating on your face, Captain, so you must be hot. That's why I poured you some tea first. The melon will be here soon."
"Not bad. Following Xiaolong has really improved your skills; even your speech has become more pleasant." Xu Chengjun took the tea and took a sip. "Not bad, better than the tea leaves at home. Jasmine, right?"
"Yes, yes, Captain, your tongue is incredibly sharp! You can tell the difference between any tea leaves." Liang Shuangcheng continued jokingly, then, seeing a worker bringing over a melon platter, he took it and placed it in front of Xu Chengjun, saying:
"Captain, come on, have some watermelon! It's a genuine Xiayedi watermelon, specially brought over from the Xiayedi watermelon field by Brother Long. It's super sweet!"
"Hey, Xiaolong's really generous, he even pulls the melons right out of the field!" Xu Chengjun picked up a melon, took a bite, and exclaimed in admiration.
"It's better than what we bought at the team store. Alright, alright, you go ahead with your work, Xiaolong and I have something to discuss."
Liang Shuangcheng went out.
Li Long picked up a slice of watermelon and started eating. As he ate, he asked, "Captain, what's the matter that made you make this special trip?"
Xu Chengjun sighed and said, "What else could it be? It's for Mingwa. That brat couldn't get into high school, so he went out to work, but he wasn't good at it, so he came back."
As his father, I can't let him do farm work for the rest of his life; I have to think about his future.
After finishing a slice of melon, Li Long picked up another piece and said with a smile before taking a bite, "It's easy. When you reach retirement age, just hand over the village secretary position to him."
"Is that something we can just give up?" Xu Chengjun glared at Li Long and shook his head. "Besides, with his personality, he can't control people, and he can't get things done."
"It's still early, at least ten years or so. Who knows what will happen then? Maybe it will be ready by then?"
"No, no. So I was thinking of finding him something to do. I see your drip irrigation tape factory is doing really well, so I was thinking of spending some money to get one for him too. What do you think?"
Li Long paused for a moment, not because he disagreed—he couldn't interfere with this matter anyway—but because he hadn't expected Xu Chengjun to do something like this. "Don't worry, Xiao Long, I'll have him open the factory in the township, so it won't steal business from your drip irrigation tape factory in our team," Xu Chengjun said, assuming Li Long was worried about that.
“He’s definitely not as good at business as you, so I thought I’d discuss this with you to see if it can be done.”
Li Long thought to himself that if he set up the factory in the countryside, there would be a greater chance for them to steal his business.
To be honest, he wasn't worried at all. The market for this stuff was huge, and early entrants would definitely have an advantage. Besides, even if Xu Mingwa's factory was located in the countryside, Li Long could easily sell the drip irrigation tapes produced at the agricultural supply stores in the purchasing station, which would be more convenient.
So he said with a smile:
“Sure, what’s wrong with that? I wasn’t worried about them taking my business. There’s nothing to take. The drip irrigation tape market is huge. Even if we have seven or eight more factories, it’ll be enough, let alone two.”
I was thinking, "Guangmingwa (the child) won't do it, will he? Running a drip irrigation tape factory can't be done by just one or two people."
Mingwa isn't very bright, unlike Li Junfeng and Chen Qianjin, which is why Li Long has such concerns.
“I’m thinking of getting some people from my cousins’ families to help him out,” Xu Chengjun said with a smile when Li Long agreed. “Manpower shouldn’t be a problem. But we need him to consult with you about building the factory.”
"No problem. Qiangqiang's uncle is also building a factory, which should be almost finished now. I also gave him guidance."
In a while, his workers might have to go to my drip irrigation tape factory to learn the ropes. Mingwa's people can also go with them.
Cultivating competitors sounds a bit surreal, but for Li Long, it's really not a big deal.
The drip irrigation tape factory was something he started on a whim, and he didn't intend to make much money. Besides, the several thousand acres of land in the cooperative were enough for the factory's production each year, so a little more or less from the others didn't matter.
Moreover, the price offered by Li Long was really not high. If other factories wanted to sell at that price, their profits would be relatively small.
Therefore, Li Long's products are competitive, so he doesn't have to worry about not having a market.
After discussing the matter with Li Long, Xu Chengjun beamed with joy. He also discussed purchasing equipment with Li Long, who promised to introduce them to potential suppliers. Xu Chengjun was very satisfied.
The day after Xu Chengjun left, Mingwa arrived, this time carrying quite a few things, including wine and snacks.
Mingwa respected Li Long very much and came specifically to ask him about some things related to running a factory. Li Long did not hide anything from him and answered all his questions.
Compared to Liang Wenyu, Mingwa was a bit too confident in this regard. He thought he had memorized everything Li Long said, and Li Long thought that there might be some mistakes later.
However, since they didn't seem to care, I certainly couldn't rush to remind them.
In mid-July, when it was time to hand over the grain, the wheat field in the fourth team was unusually quiet, since the area planted with winter wheat was small and it was mostly harvested with maltodextrin.
At this time, the cotton flowers have already bloomed (not the cotton fibers), and swarms of bees are wandering around the cotton fields.
Several beekeeping families have also come to Team Four, and some people buy honey here.
The Li family doesn't need it—this cotton has been sprayed with pesticides many times, so it's really hard to say how good the honey will be.
In late July, Liang Wenyu's factory was completed, and he then came to see Li Long. Li Long took some time to go with him to Dushanzi and Kuishan to buy drip irrigation production equipment.
Li Long had called Director Du about this before, and Director Du could spare the two sets of equipment for a month or two.
Li Long was surprised that Xu Chengjun paid so readily; it seemed he had saved up quite a bit of money over the years.
Li Long was only slightly surprised, as there are many ways to make money besides the few he does.
Xu Mingwa's factory has also been built—Xu Chengjun has connections, so getting the permits, building the factory, and laying the power lines will be much faster.
This father was really worried sick, using all his connections and relationships.
They thought the same as Li Long and Liang Wenyu: once the factory is built, they can start trial production for a period of time, and once the workers are skilled, they can officially start production in Qiuli.
Winter is the time to start purchasing drip irrigation tape. It's best to have a large stock of drip irrigation tape in the warehouse at that time so that you won't be out of stock when customers come.
As a "technical expert," Li Long quite enjoys guiding the trial production of the factories on both sides. He feels like a senior figure, supporting the "younger generation" to continue developing.
At this time, Li Qiang also returned to the Fourth Team and spent his first and only summer vacation during his military academy career.
He gave his uncle Li Long a pair of combat boots made by Factory 3513, which were called "cruiser" boots. He also said something like "Three, four, five, six, travel all over China" and that there were some strongmen in them. But the name of the boots was more in line with Li Long's car, so he bought the boots.
Li Long liked it, but he couldn't wear it right now because it was too hot. This kind of thing would be more suitable to wear in late autumn, early winter, or early spring.
Li Qiang has been rarely seen these past few days at home. He originally planned to go home and help with some chores, but when he got home, he found that there was no need for him to do anything.
Kangmaiyin takes care of the wheat harvest, and other areas have joined cooperatives, so there's no need for farmers to do any work themselves.
Li Qiang decided to go out and play with his classmates.
The holiday was too short. When I saw Li Qiang again, he had already packed his bags and was preparing to go back to school.
In September, Mingming and Haohao entered sixth grade, which is considered their last year of elementary school. The two children are tall and big, more than a head taller than their classmates, and stand out in the class line.
Before long, it will be time to harvest this year's cotton.
Li Long and a group of students from the Agricultural Broadcasting School were busy working in the twenty-acre cotton field.
Principal Yang stood at the edge of the field, constantly reminding the students to pick the cotton carefully and not to waste it.
The cotton harvester delivered by the Kuishi Agricultural Machinery Factory is arriving today. Li Long contacted Principal Yang in advance to make preparations.
A road had been specially set aside for a site meeting, and it came in handy now.
However, there is a lot of preparation work to be done before the cotton harvester comes to harvest the cotton. For example, what Li Long is organizing the students to do now is to harvest the cotton at the edge of the field first.
When a cotton harvester harvests cotton, its massive body darts and weaves through the cotton field, inevitably crushing some cotton plants. Once crushed, the cotton is difficult to recover, so the plants at the edge of the field must be harvested first to facilitate the harvester's movement.
Principal Yang, seeing Li Long diligently picking cotton, leaned over and said, "Little Li, I'm getting a taste of what you've got. Drip-irrigated cotton, machine-harvested cotton, hey, not bad, not bad at all. You'll have plenty to talk about later!"
Li Long smiled and said, "Principal Yang, don't get your hopes up too high. The cotton harvester will definitely pick up a lot of dirty stuff. You'll be disappointed when you see it."
"Dirty? Can it be cleaned properly?"
“That should be fine,” Li Long said. “I plan to build a cotton ginning plant in our team first, to clean out the cotton ginning workshop and get rid of the dirty cotton.”
"As long as it's clean, that's fine," Principal Yang said with a smile. "I've been teaching students to grow cotton all these years, what kind of dirty cotton haven't I seen?"
Li Long thought to himself, "You'll see when you see it today. What you've seen before was nothing compared to this."
The preparation work not only involves harvesting the cotton in the field, which covers several dozen square meters, but also clearing out a large area to serve as a storage place for the cotton harvester to "spit out" the cotton.
Current cotton harvesters can't lay eggs while harvesting cotton; the technology isn't there yet. Although Li Long had shared his idea with Lao Du, this wasn't something that could be achieved overnight.
Kuishi Machinery Factory's technical reserves in this area are still too weak. Even with the help of outsiders, it is not easy to skip several levels at once.
The cotton harvester didn't arrive until after midnight. By then, Li Long and his team had already harvested all the cotton from the twenty mu (approximately 1.3 acres) of land. However, the students didn't leave. They stayed to help and also to watch the spectacle—the cotton harvester, the legendary agricultural machinery!
Li Long was going to treat them to lunch in the village. Although it was just a bowl of noodles, it would be a treat for most of the students.
The machine drove into the field, the driver turned off the engine and got out of the vehicle. He shook hands with Li Long and introduced himself. His surname was Shi, and he had come here to help Li Long as instructed by Director Du.
Li Long thanked the students for their hard work, and they brought him watermelons. Master Shi didn't stand on ceremony; after eating a few slices, he and Li Long looked at the land and discussed the harvest.
Master Shi was a bit arrogant at first, after all, this thing was a big machine, worth over a million, and the machine was valuable, so a master like him was naturally rare.
But after a few words, he found that Li Long knew a lot about this and gave him some instructions, such as to slow down the machine when harvesting, to press it down as low as possible, and to stop after harvesting a few acres to prevent the harvested cotton from catching fire in the machine, etc.
Since Li Long seemed so knowledgeable, Master Shi knew that the other party was not an amateur. He immediately put away his contempt and changed his tone from giving instructions to discussing matters.
Li Long chuckled inwardly, thinking, "You little brat, you think I can't intimidate you?"
After the communication was completed, Mr. Shi boarded the cotton harvester and began operating it.
Li Long watched the cotton harvester start up with a rumble and realized that Master Shi was not a novice. At least when the front claws of the cotton harvester extended, they did not misjudge the cotton rows.
The harvest was very steady. After the harvest, the cotton and leaves were gone, leaving only bare stalks with some dried cotton boll husks.
It was cleaned up very thoroughly.
Principal Yang stood next to Li Long, looking at those "lone commanders," his mouth agape for a long while before he finally spoke:
"Is this how you harvest it? You're just forcibly stripping the cotton, flowers and leaves included? How many impurities would that contain?"
Li Long laughed and said, "You'll see in a bit; there are plenty of impurities inside anyway."
Principal Yang finally believed it. How could there not be enough? No wonder Li Longrang had applied the flowering-inducing agent twice in early September.
If we don't use it, there will be even more impurities! (End of Chapter)