Chapter 375: Chapter 371: That Little Scheme

Chen Beiguo: ...

’This flattery is a bit much.’

But this application would determine whether the income and lives of everyone in the Qingshan Team could improve next year. As the team leader, he had always wanted to do something for his people. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

But their geographical conditions had never been able to compare to the Li Jiawan Team’s.

Qingshan Team was nestled against the mountains, meaning it had more mountains than flat ground and limited arable land.

Qingshan Team had over two hundred households, most of them large, extended families living together, for a total population of over 1,700.

At this time, it was normal for families to have many children; three to five was very common. Additionally, most were three-generation households, and there were even some with five generations living together. A large family could have up to twenty-plus people, while a small one would still have seven or eight.

They were all big families.

The village only had a little over 1,600 mu of arable land. Before, that was over one mu per person, but now with more children, a careful calculation showed it wasn’t even one mu per person anymore.

This was also the reason the higher-ups hadn’t given them a quota for raising pigs.

It was already a struggle for the adults to have enough to eat. A pig eats a lot in a year. While ensuring the adults were fed, they also had to turn in the public grain quota. Honestly, whether there was enough left over to raise pigs was another matter entirely.

Li Jiawan was a different story.

Li Jiawan’s population was several hundred people smaller than Qingshan Team’s, just over a thousand. Moreover, they had a stretch of grassland nearby where they could grow fodder for sheep. The pigs could also eat it mixed with corn mash, which greatly reduced the pressure on their farmland.

That’s why Li Jiawan was able to snag the quotas for raising pigs and sheep every year.

But things couldn’t go on like this.

’If the adults could be a little more frugal with their food, and if I could find a way to clear some wasteland... If we could really raise pigs, the value of work points would go up, we’d be able to distribute more money, and we could even slaughter a couple of pigs for the New Year to lift everyone’s spirits.’

Village Chief Xu’s hand landed squarely on Chen Beiguo’s shoulder.

"I’m getting old. In the future, Qingshan Team will have to rely on you young folks."

Chen Beiguo’s shoulders slumped, feeling the pressure mount even more.

Li Dashan had originally been heading to Chen Beiguo’s house, but from a distance, he saw the door to the village office was open. Figuring someone was inside, he headed over instead.

From far away, he saw Village Chief Xu and Chen Beiguo and immediately stopped his bike.

"Beiguo, Uncle Xu, good, you’re both here. This saves me a trip. I have something to tell you."

Li Dashan walked into the village office with a smile, only to be met with a sideways glare from Chen Beiguo, who looked anything but welcoming.

Li Dashan, who had been eager to announce his good news, stopped dead in the doorway, his tone turning sour.

"Chen Beiguo, what’s the big idea? Your good buddy shows up and you don’t even welcome him?"

The two of them were about the same age and had gone to school together. They had been desk-mates starting in elementary school, and when they went to middle school together, the teacher saw they knew each other and put them together again.

Except for when they were competing for the pig and sheep quotas, they were actually pretty good brothers.

Chen Beiguo knew this guy was up to no good. Previously, when he went to the commune for meetings, this guy would always tail him, insisting on coming back together.

’As if I don’t know what he’s really after. He’s just after Leng Yuan and Gu Jiaojiao, isn’t he? Ever since he found out that couple developed the thresher, he’s been sticking close, like a cat that smelled fish. Last time, it was thanks to my own cleverness that I managed to get rid of him, and now he shows up on my doorstep on his own.’

This man was here to poach his people; how could he possibly give him a warm welcome?

He ignored Li Dashan completely, sat down, and slapped a file on top of his application form, covering the few lines he had written.

Li Dashan, standing in the doorway: ...

Seeing how unwelcome he was, he turned around. "If you’re going to be like that, I’m leaving."

After saying that, he even took a few steps away from the door.

He deliberately slowed his pace, waiting for Chen Beiguo to call him back. But he was almost out of sight, and still no sound came.

’Good grief.’

’Is he trying to cut ties with me?!’