According to Zhao Youchang, only eighteen people came, and the total labor force in the village was about 300. So how many people came?
"Why don't they want to come?" Chen Zhaozhao asked in confusion. They were not happy even if they could earn work points?
"They said that the barren hills were too barren to grow anything, and it was a waste of time to open up wasteland to plant soybeans." Zhao Youchang sighed and shook his head, "They were afraid that they would not be able to pay for their work points."
According to the village's regulations, the work points can be redeemed only if the collective grows something. After all, if nothing is grown, how can the work points be redeemed?
“Didn’t you tell them that you can cash in regardless of whether you sow or not?”
"I told you, but they don't believe it. They don't believe that they can grow something. After all, it doesn't work. Even if the village says it will be redeemed, then the village has no money and nothing, so why can't the village owe it first?
If they feel they owe money, the village will never be able to repay it, and in the end they will just suffer the loss."
"Didn't Comrade Yu make a promise to his superiors that if it didn't work out, he would be responsible for redeeming his work points? They didn't believe it, Comrade Yu?"
"But Comrade Yu is not in the village. What if we can't find anyone by then? They said they don't dare to take risks."
Chen Zhaozhao frowned. Opening up wasteland was not an easy task. The weeds, thorns and miscellaneous trees on the mountain were very tall. These had to be cut down first, then the roots were dug out, and then the soil was turned over. It was particularly troublesome.
This requires more people and greater strength to complete it within the specified time. Otherwise, if there are few people and it takes too long, the planting season will be over.
Of course, she has a spiritual spring that can induce birth. It doesn’t matter what time of year it is planted, but this is a collective mountain planting. With so many people watching, it is difficult to explain things that go against the natural growth, and problems will arise.
Moreover, it won’t be long before the rice transplanting begins. Between rice transplanting and land clearing, of course everyone’s first choice is rice transplanting. If there are too few people and they don’t finish the work before transplanting, the delay will be even longer.
This year, the matter of clearing wasteland to plant soybeans is in doubt.
Chen Zhaozhao thought for a while and said, "Okay, Uncle Zhao, wake everyone up and I'll talk to everyone."
"What do you want to say?"
"I guarantee to everyone that if the soybean cultivation fails, I will give you work points."
"How can that be done? Zhao Zhao, there are about three hundred people, it will take at least five or six days to open up wasteland, fertilize and plant seedlings. If this fails, the guarantee is too big."
"It's okay, I know it well, and I believe that there will be a good harvest of soybeans. Please call someone for me." Chen Zhaozhao said firmly.
She calculated in her mind that ten work points per person per day was equivalent to 40 cents. Counting 300 people, it was only 72 yuan for six days.
This used to be their family's annual income, but now, it's nothing.
Zhao Youchang felt that the risk Chen Zhaozhao was taking was too great and he could not agree, so he asked Chen Dawang what he meant.
Chen Dawang actually didn't agree with Chen Zhaozhao taking on this responsibility, but when he saw his daughter's firm eyes, he said: "I support Zhaozhao."
Since Chen Dawang said so, Zhao Youchang had no choice but to go and beat the gong to call everyone to a meeting.
Everyone gathered in the conference room, and Chen Zhaozhao expressed his thoughts.
"I will vouch for growing soybeans. Everyone must believe in my ability to grow things. Aren't the vegetables in my yard growing well? I guarantee that our soybeans will be grown successfully."
"Soybeans are only eight cents per catty. We work for 40 cents a day. We can buy five catties of soybeans. Six days is thirty catties. Three hundred people need nine hundred catties. You can guarantee that ten acres of land will produce one thousand eight hundred catties."
Soybeans?”
Nowadays, when the village grows grain, half of it is handed over to the grain station as public grain, and half is shared.
“The cooperative’s yield per mu in the county is 300 jins. Doesn’t our ten acres of land yield 3,000 jins?”
"That's a maximum yield of 300 kilograms, and it's a cultivated land specially planted. Ours is a barren and barren mountain."
"Not to mention three hundred catties, I believe two hundred catties will always be no problem."
"You think too simplistically. You have never been to the ground and you don't understand at all. When you plant on the mountain, insects, birds, and bad weather will all make it impossible to plant soybeans. Our village also grows soybeans. After all,
An acre weighs less than a hundred pounds.
Our place is not suitable for growing soybeans at all, it’s not good.”
"Yes, we are still growing on fertile private land, but the yield is so low, and we can't grow anything on that barren mountain."
Everyone was talking about it, but they didn't believe Chen Zhaozhao.
Chen Zhaozhao said: "That's because the seeds we used to grow soybeans were not good and the management was wrong. Now Comrade Yu has given us the best seeds and the best fertilizer in the county. I believe we will be able to grow them."
Not a bad yield.”
"You must have spoken for Comrade Yu, we don't dare to bet."
To the outside world, Yu Jinggui proposed the idea of opening up wasteland to plant soybeans, but the villagers, including Zhao Youchang, did not know that it was actually Chen Zhaozhao's idea.
After all, everyone usually trusts Yu Jinggui, but now they are unwilling to participate in land reclamation. If they knew it was her intention, they would be even less willing to cooperate.
"Don't worry, everyone. If it doesn't work out, I will compensate you. I guarantee you will get your work points, and no one's efforts will be wasted."
"You compensate? How do you compensate? Your family just has enough to eat, no, no, no~"
The villagers still refused.
"Comrade Yu said he would be responsible, and I am also responsible. I can't go to him to compensate him, but he will definitely find a way." At the critical moment, Chen Zhaozhao could only continue to sacrifice Jinggui.
"Everyone is afraid that they won't be able to find Comrade Yu by then, but it doesn't matter. I'll look for him, and I believe that Comrade Yu will never break his promise. Everyone also knows that he is a responsible and responsible person, and his family is very powerful in the provincial capital.
If he breaks his promise and runs away, I will go to his house to find him."
When Chen Zhaozhao talked about this, everyone hesitated and started talking.
In the end, with Chen Zhaozhao's repeated assurances, most of the villagers who had a good relationship with Chen Zhaozhao were willing to open up wasteland, while the remaining ones who were not so good or bad were still unwilling to go.
Of the forty households, twenty-three have children, and after counting, there are more than one hundred and fifty people in total.
With so many people, Chen Zhaozhao was satisfied. It would take a few more days, but he could finally finish it before transplanting the rice seedlings.
After the meeting, those who went to open up wasteland went home, picked up their tools and went up the mountain. Those who didn't go shook their heads disapprovingly, feeling that they would definitely suffer a loss.
Chen Zhaozhao didn't care about the pessimistic voices. She had a spiritual spring and could grow good crops no matter how barren the land was.
Her soybean seeds, irrigated by Lingquan, can produce a yield of three hundred kilograms per mu, not to mention three hundred kilograms.
We must know that in later generations, with good seed and planting technology, the domestic soybean yield can reach a maximum of more than 1,600 kilograms per mu. Of course, this is the highest record. The average yield per mu is also between 400 and 500 kilograms.
The land reclamation matter was finally finalized, and Chen Zhaozhao breathed a sigh of relief.
She participated in the entire process of clearing land, fertilizing, and planting.
This busy work lasted for more than ten days. Looking at the soybean seedlings that were finally planted, Chen Zhaozhao felt very excited.
After the soybeans are planted, it is management. Originally, this matter was the common responsibility of the villagers, but under special circumstances, Chen Zhaozhao took full responsibility. As long as everyone gets back to work when the soybeans are harvested.
Chen Zhaozhao put the insect repellent bags in the field and walked into the mountains. After working for so long, the loquats were almost out of season, so she had to find something else to sell.