However, at this time, the entire Red Star Commune, and even members of various production teams in Rongwei County, are actively fighting locusts.
Due to the fierceness of this locust plague, although it did not last long, the damage caused by the locusts to crops in the fields was very serious and rapid.
Moreover, the harm caused by locusts to crops is very intuitive and shocking.
Drought is different.
The damage caused by drought to the crops in the production team is a very slow process.
so,
The commune members who are currently busy exterminating locusts have not yet been able to think about diverting water to fight drought.
Luo Xuan always likes to be one step ahead of others when doing things, and is good at planning ahead and planning ahead.
This time, the Zhengxing Brigade mobilized a large amount of manpower and material resources and went all out to build new canals.
When the construction just started, this move was ridiculed by members of other brigades: "The Yongxing Reservoir has not been repaired yet, so why repair the canals?
Moreover, the food on hand is so tight right now, but the people in the revitalization brigade are wasting precious food on meaningless projects..."
"That's right! When the reservoir is completed in the second half of the year, the commune will naturally organize manpower to repair the diversion canals to each brigade.
At that time, all you need to do is repair the small ditches of our brigade.
There are commune resources that are not used, but you want to waste your own brigade's money and food on doing these shameless things?
Do you really have more money to burn, or do you have more food to eat?"
Generally speaking,
During this period, every winter, communes and counties gather members of production teams on a large scale to go out for voluntary work.
Then these free laborers will be used to carry out some of the most basic agricultural infrastructure construction.
Except for the Zhengxing Brigade, the other production brigades all have a wait, rely, and want mentality.
They think: they have to do volunteer work anyway.
Wouldn't it be enough to simply wait until winter and let the commune come to build the canals?
If we just rely on our own production brigade to organize manpower and material resources to build canals, the cost will be much higher.
And the results of construction must be shared with others.
All the members of the production team felt that it was not a good deal and thought that they had suffered too much loss...
Later, when the drought becomes more and more serious.
The newly built aqueduct of the Zhengxing brigade, and the members of the brigade that passed through it, began to come back to their senses.
Only then did they begin to realize the importance of this agricultural bloodline.
only,
Later, because the locust plague broke out too suddenly and with such ferocity, the members of the brigade temporarily ignored the diversion canal...
Luo Xuan took Tuo Haili, who was covered with a gauze scarf, and walked along the initially formed irrigation canal toward the Yongxing Reservoir.
They had just walked out and not more than a mile away, they arrived at the construction site.
This canal was originally built from the auxiliary weir of Yongxing Reservoir to the main canal there.
Now you can walk more than a mile to the construction site.
That means that this canal is about to be completed.
On the construction site.
The dark, muscular men were busy there with their shirts off.
Among them are those who excavate the land and are responsible for earthworks.
Hammers and chisels are used to dig out the gravel and shale with great difficulty.
There are also those who do heavy physical work. They are carrying stones to strengthen the edge of the aqueduct.
"Why are there so many people?"
Seeing the scene in front of him, Luo Xuan was not only slightly surprised, "Didn't all the members of the brigade go back to the production team and were busy extinguishing the locusts? Where did these people come from?"
Now at the construction site, the person responsible for monitoring the progress of the project is the women's captain of the Zhengxing Brigade.
They organized a group of "Iron Lady Commandos" a while ago and also came to the construction site to support the construction of this project.
But now,
The locust plague in the production team was serious, so the iron ladies all returned to their production teams and were busy exterminating the locusts.
Only the female captain is left here to supervise the work of the hired craftsmen on the construction site.
Hearing Luo Xuan ask,
The captain of the women's brigade pointed to the dark crowd of craftsmen on the construction site and explained, "According to the original plan, the main force we formed to build the canal were the members of our brigade.
This is equivalent to providing work for relief.
It is also good for the members of our brigade to get some rations.
But for some heavier physical work and some more technical work, we hire some craftsmen from outside."
The captain of the women's brigade said, "As you know, Luo Xuan, all our members now have to be busy exterminating locusts.
But according to the order of team leader Peng Zhikun, the construction of this canal must not be stopped!
So now there are many more craftsmen from outside helping us with the work on the construction site."
Luo Xuan asked her: "It is right to speed up the construction of the canal. But in this case, can the originally planned grain share be used?"
"enough!"
The captain of the women's brigade answered very affirmatively, "90% of the craftsmen on the construction site now only have one lunch.
There is no need to give them extra rations, nor do they need to give them salt or douban money.
In this way, we can save a lot of food and cash."
After listening to the explanation of the women's brigade captain, Luo Xuan couldn't help but frown for a moment, feeling filled with contradictions.
These strong men on the construction site are actually willing to do such heavy physical work just because they want a meal at noon?
This shows that the food situation outside may have reached an incredible level...
What a roll!
No wages, no compensation.
With just a full meal, these strong men are willing to rush over to help the revitalization brigade build a new aqueduct?!
Luo Xuan couldn't help but sigh to himself: It's really too curly...
Because according to the past,
The plan that I and team leader Peng Zhikun and others came up with was that every member of the team would come to work on the construction site and receive a lunch every day.
Because the newly built canals will help increase production and income for your production team.
Therefore, when the members of the Zhengxing Brigade come to work on the construction site, they have some compulsory obligations.
They are not allowed to bargain.
But if the craftsmen come from outside, they are not under the control of the Zhengxing Brigade. If they don't seek some benefits, who will come to help with the work?
so,
For these craftsmen invited from outside, the Zhengxing Brigade not only has to provide them with a lunch.
Moreover, he was given 1 jin of cereals mixed with corn and rice every day.
So that people can take it back to Hukou to support their families.
However, building new canals requires a lot of manpower, and the food reserves of the Zhengxing Brigade are also extremely limited.
Therefore, during the process of building canals, the Zhengxing Brigade will strictly control the number of craftsmen hired from outside.
According to Luo Xuan's idea: Instead of hiring more people from outside, it would be better to use as many members of the brigade as possible.
This is equivalent to using food to subsidize members of other production teams in disguise.
To help them get through this difficult time smoothly.
In this period, it is very easy to hire people, and the rewards are extremely low.
But the problem is: it’s a bit difficult to use so much food as wages for others...
"Isn't it a little inappropriate to do this?"
Luo Xuan pondered for a long time, and then asked the women's team leader, "After all, they also need to support their families in Hukou. If you don't give them food, what will their families eat?"
The captain of the women's brigade gave a wry smile, "I heard brigade captain Peng Zhikun say that existence is reasonable.
At that time, I thought that now that Comrade Peng Zhikun had become the captain, his cultural level would be different?
How can he speak such high-level words? When I asked him about it, he said it was you who said it...Hahaha!"
women's captain,
He pointed at the men who were working hard and said, "You have to know that they all come to work on the construction site voluntarily, and they do so voluntarily without being paid.
If you don’t believe it, why don’t you try to drive them away?”
Luo Xuan stepped forward,
He pulled over one of the men who was busy digging and said, "Just now, I heard you talking to the comrade next to you..."
The man quickly waved his hand and said, "Little comrade, please don't get me wrong. I'm not chatting with him! I'm asking him if he wants to add another shovelful of soil to the next basket of soil?"
This man is responsible for digging the soil.
The companion who was talking to him just now was responsible for carrying the soil to a distance and dumping it.
When Luo Xuan arrived at the construction site, he had already attracted the attention of nearly 200 people on the construction site.
Then they saw the female team leader who was responsible for supervising everyone's work on the construction site.
This old woman who was always strong-willed, when she saw Luo Xuan coming, she quickly dropped the steel drill in her hand and trotted over to talk to Luo Xuan.
These men on the construction site,
One look at that posture and you can tell: This young man coming here probably has some background!
But just now, Luo Xuan asked the man digging the soil, and he was frightened!
He thought Luo Xuan was dissatisfied with him for stopping what he was doing to chat with his companions.
This man was afraid of Luo Xuan, so he dismissed himself, causing him to lose his job.
so,
The man quickly spoke and explained to Luo Xuan.
Seeing that the man had misunderstood, Luo Xuan took out a box of "Hongmei Brand" cigarettes from his pocket, took out one and handed it to the man.
"Don't be nervous. I heard that your accent didn't sound like a local, so I was curious and wanted to ask."
Luo Xuan said: "I also feel that your accent is a bit like someone from the north?"
The man took the cigarette handed to him by Luo Xuan, put it under his nose and smelled it greedily.
He exclaimed: "It's indeed a good smoke! It smells so good... Oh, I'm from Yue'an. I'm looking for some work here. I want to make my belly fatter."
I took a couple of greedy breaths, the unique aroma of cigarettes.
Then, the man respectfully returned the cigarette to Luo Xuan, "Thank you, leader. I don't smoke, so don't waste such a good cigarette like yours."
Don't smoke?
People who can get used to the smell of flue-cured tobacco don't smoke?
Moreover, he took the cigarette and smelled the smoke, and this series of actions were done in one go, like clouds and flowing water.
At first glance, he looks like an old smoker!
However, maybe he just quit smoking because he was really short of money...
See through, don’t tell.
Especially when you are in an advantageous position, and for those who live in extreme embarrassment.
Even more attention needs to be paid: leaving a little face to others.
Just because others are so poor that they only have a little bit of self-esteem left...
As for those who really do well, not only do they have more things, they even have several faces!
In order to protect their own interests, it is worth it for one of them to be slapped in the face.
When they meet someone who is stronger than them, what does it matter if they get slapped in the face?
When you go to another group of people who are not as powerful as yourself, you can just put on another face.
What a big deal!
Luo Xuan did not expose the other party's current situation of embarrassment in life.
Instead, he praised, "It's good not to smoke. It saves money! As for living, it would be great if I could save that money on cigarettes and buy meat for my family to eat."
The man chuckled.
He muttered in a low voice, "I don't have any family anymore..."
Luo Xuan sighed slightly, not daring to pick up the topic from the man, let alone ask him the reason.
You don't need to ask about the reason, you can guess it pretty well.
If you ask others "why", it will be like adding salt to other people's wounds.
not authentic.
Squatting next to the man, Luo Xuan asked: "How much do you know about people in your situation?"
The man was stunned and said, "Comrade, what are you...?"
"I'm ready to recruit workers."
Luo Xuan said calmly: "I plan to recruit people who don't have many worries and can move to other places to take root at any time to help me work."
There was a hint of joy on the man's face.
He quickly asked, "Well, little comrade, can I ask how much food I can give you if I help you work for a day?"
"1.5 pounds."
Luo Xuan said: "If it is a married couple who have no worries, then the daily food allowance is 3 catties. Every day, each person will be given another 3 cents for household expenses."
3 cents a day,
The salary is 9 yuan a month. In addition to their own food rations, the couple can also earn 18 yuan a month?
The workers in the city would definitely look down upon this kind of salary.
But for countless rural commune members who have no energy but cannot find work.
