Chapter 74: Buying Agricultural Machinery

Chapter 74: Buying Agricultural Machinery

Although Yang Shujuan was unhappy about it, Feng Yi genuinely enjoyed spending time with Tang Yuan and Daya.

Feng Yi was naturally optimistic and playful, possessing a talent for adapting to her surroundings. In the county, she spent her days following Ding Aizhen around, content to be seen as a little follower. When they came to the countryside, she happily followed Tang Yuan, undeterred even by Yang Shujuan's disapproval.

She had no desire to be the center of attention and did not envy those who were, finding joy in simply joining in the fun.

Uncle Feng led his wife and daughter home for the New Year, and everyone except Yang Shujuan was delighted.

Yang Shujuan wanted her daughter to get along well with Tang Yuan, but seeing them grow close without any ulterior motives secretly irritated her, feeling that her daughter was at a disadvantage.

However, both Old Feng’s wife and Mother Tang treated her warmly and thoughtfully, leaving her unable to find fault, and thus she could not complain to Uncle Feng in private.

Moreover, the fact that the Tang family lived in the Feng family’s house was beyond reproach, as Dad Tang and Mother Tang indeed helped take care of the elderly lady and kept the house in excellent condition.

Furthermore, even if Old Feng’s wife said these rooms were reserved for them, Yang Shujuan would not claim them, as rural customs dictated that everything should be left to Feng Chen.

Apart from being jealous of Uncle Feng’s closeness to the Tang family and Feng Yi’s fondness for Tang Yuan, Yang Shujuan’s perception of the countryside had somewhat changed, and her attitude towards Feng Chen and Old Feng’s wife had shifted significantly.

She had no objections to Uncle Feng giving the elderly lady New Year money, nor did she oppose giving red envelopes to Feng Chen and Tang Yuan, considering that Feng Yi might have to spend two years in the countryside.

Over the next couple of years, she and Old Feng could arrange a job for Feng Yi.

Seeing Yang Shujuan’s change in attitude towards herself and Feng Chen, Old Feng’s wife felt no gratitude or increased respect for Yang Shujuan; instead, she grew more grateful to Tang Yuan and liked her even more.

It was all thanks to this girl that changes had occurred. Without her, Feng Chen wouldn’t have become so accomplished, and she wouldn’t have enjoyed such a blissful late life.

Especially seeing Feng Yi’s willingness to be close to Tang Yuan, she was naturally the happiest.

Uncle Feng had to return to work on the eighth day after the New Year, so they had another sumptuous meal on the fifth day.

Red-braised pork, spicy chicken, Sichuan-style pheasant meat, boiled fish, and sour cabbage stew with pork ribs and vermicelli—Uncle Feng’s family enjoyed the meal even more than they did in the county.

Before leaving, Old Feng’s wife and Tang Yuan packed many food items for them, including wild persimmon cakes, homemade hawthorn cakes, dried sweet potato dates, smoked meat, and yam slices, filling nylon bags to the brim without any reluctance.

Not only did Uncle Feng and Feng Yi repeatedly say they couldn’t carry any more, but even Yang Shujuan was surprised and pleased, feeling quite honored.

She could see where things were stored in the Feng family’s house, and it was clear that they had packed the best items for them.

The importance shown by their hometown left her quite satisfied.

On the sixth day of the New Year, early in the morning, Feng Chen and Tang Yuan took a bus to the commune to see them off.

Feng Yi was reluctant to leave, saying, “Sister Tang Yuan, I’ll really come down here when I graduate in summer. You must keep your promise and let me work in the office.”

Tang Yuan smiled and replied, “Don’t worry, you’ll definitely work in the office. Oh, by the way, I think it’s better if you come earlier. We need someone to teach literacy, and you’re better at it than anyone else. It’s a perfect fit.”

In recent days, she had asked Feng Yi to teach Daya, and Feng Yi found it very rewarding, while Daya learned earnestly.

Feng Yi felt quite proud.

In fact, the senior high school students had long lost interest in studying, trying instead to secure jobs through connections. Those without connections had no choice but to go to the countryside.

Now, the heads of various communes had posted recruitment notices on their bulletin boards, boasting about how great their communes were.

It was all a deception!

They just wanted students to apply to their communes.

But in reality, the commune cadres didn’t want the educated youth either.

She wondered why, if neither the students nor the commune cadres wanted it, they still had to go to the countryside.

It was all because of the lack of jobs.

Even the children of leaders might not all get jobs, and some had to spend a couple of years in the countryside before getting one.

After sending off Uncle Feng’s family, Tang Yuan and Feng Chen visited Lin Wei’s home, bringing two packs of pastries from the county and homemade goji berries and yam slices.

Upon returning, the brigade was about to get busy again. Ordinary members needed to select seeds for planting in early April.

Tang Bingde discussed the matter of tractors and agricultural machinery with Tang Yuan and Feng Chen, “I wonder if Cadre Ji can help us buy the machines?”

Tang Yuan smiled and said, “Grandpa, don’t worry. Ji Hongyue is very capable. If anyone refuses to sell to him, he’d camp out at their factory director’s house.”

Having spent time with Ji Hongyue, she knew that his grandfather was a former cadre with extensive connections. His parents, working in the south, couldn’t use these connections, fearing they would fade away. Thus, despite his inexperience, they pushed him into a job.

Even if most of the connections had faded, the remaining ones were still substantial enough to help Ji Hongyue for a while.

Of course, once Ji Hongyue rose up, he would reciprocate, rekindling the relationships.

How else could the secretary of the provincial flour mill give him two machines?

Other cadres crying poor wouldn’t receive such generosity.

She hoped Ji Hongyue would use his persistence to secure the agricultural machinery too.

Whether bought outright or on credit, old machines were fine for their brigade!

A destitute brigade had no right to be picky.

Even parts would be welcome; whatever they got, they would accept!

Indeed, Tang Yuan understood Ji Hongyue well.

The director and secretary of the Provincial Agricultural Machinery Factory, Kong and Rui, dreaded seeing Ji Hongyue. Who would have thought that the extravagant boy from childhood would now be so adept at crying poor and pestering people?

“Secretary Rui, Director Kong, please support my work. My experimental brigade is truly destitute, still plowing fields with their shoulders. The members’ shoulders are rubbed raw. Oh, it’s so pitiful.”

As he spoke, he began to wipe away his tears, with red-rimmed eyes.

The once unruly and arrogant boy had grown into a handsome and steady county official, and yet... he was so considerate and so pitiful.

No wonder Secretary Sui and Director Kong felt soft-hearted; it was truly unbearable.

"Support, of course we'll support."

New machines cannot be sold on credit or given away for free; this is the factory's rule. If everyone bought on credit, the factory wouldn't even be able to pay its workers.

However, refurbished machines and display models can be sold at a discount or provided as support.

Thinking about the captain of the Forward Brigade, he was quite considerate; he didn't take the generator for free but said he would buy it on credit and repay it with regular pork deliveries in the future.

That's not bad either, since it all goes towards worker welfare anyway.

This way, the factory also fulfills its share of poverty alleviation tasks and can openly decline other unwanted poverty alleviation tasks.

The main product of the Provincial Agricultural Machinery Factory is the walking tractor, designed to fill the gap left by the expensive wheeled tractors, specifically for rural areas, offering low-cost agricultural machinery.

Each one costs 2,496 yuan.

After all, the large Dongfanghong wheeled tractors from the factory used to cost around 12,000 yuan each, and even after the price drop, they still cost 9,400 yuan, which ordinary brigades can't afford.

Additionally, you need to purchase the accompanying equipment: a double-plow for 96 yuan, a self-propelled harvester for 520 yuan, and a seeder for 325 yuan—all of which cost money.

Of course, Ji Hongyue is now very good at saving money, wishing he could split every yuan in half. For example, the seeder is usually for wheat because the seeds are small, planted in three or five rows. To plant corn, you'd need a different seeder.

Isn't that spending twice?

Why bother?

Can we ask the technicians to modify it so it can sow both wheat and corn?

Ji Hongyue wanted to invite Wei Mingqi, the technician, to dinner again and bring along several experienced and skilled old technicians from the agricultural machinery factory.

But remembering what happened before the New Year, he hesitated.

Last year during the twelfth lunar month, when he went to the provincial flour mill for help, he also visited the Provincial Agricultural Machinery Factory and mentioned buying (or getting support for) agricultural machinery. He specially invited Wei Mingqi and other technicians to dinner.

Later, Wei Mingqi said she wanted to return the favor and invite him back. Since he was Tang Yuan's friend, how could she let him treat her in the provincial city?

He thought about asking her to help modify the machine, and even if she couldn't, it would be convenient to have a good relationship with the technicians.

So he went, planning to treat her again.

That day, there was plenty of time, and when they met, the restaurant wasn't open yet. Feeling awkward just standing there, he proactively invited Wei Mingqi to watch a movie.

Wei Mingqi wasn't shy and went along willingly.

Unexpectedly, one of her relatives saw them at the movie and, being a gossip, told her boyfriend, who then came with her sister-in-law and mother to confront them while they were having dinner!

Their demeanor was like they had caught them in the act, almost making him want to punch someone.

What an unreasonable man! Even if you're just dating, you can't control your girlfriend going to a movie or having dinner with a friend, right? And if Wei Mingqi were married, he wouldn't have invited her to a movie or eaten alone with her, choosing instead to eat in the canteen or invite her boyfriend along.

At the time, her sister-in-law was very aggressive, and he got angry and wanted to argue with her, but Wei Mingqi didn't want him to see their family issues and asked him to leave first.

Honestly, he left reluctantly, feeling as if he had done something wrong.

He clearly hadn't done anything wrong.

This awkwardness lingered, and whenever he thought about it, he felt frustrated, rehearsing several times in his mind how he should have confronted her sister-in-law and beaten up that shameless man.

Thinking more about it, he felt sympathetic towards Wei Mingqi, believing that such a capable woman shouldn't be tied down by such trivial matters.

He didn't dare tell Tang Yuan, fearing she might laugh at him or impulsively get involved in Wei Mingqi's family affairs.

On this trip to the Provincial Agricultural Machinery Factory, he directly visited Secretary Sui and Director Kong without specifically looking for Wei Mingqi, unsure how she was doing.

Leaving the secretary's office, Ji Hongyue went to find the senior technicians; some were in their offices, others in the workshop.

Qi Gong, who had a good relationship with him, greeted him with a smile, "Group Leader Ji is here?"

Ji Hongyue approached him, shaking hands and smiling, "What Group Leader Ji? I'm still just Little Ji."

Initially, Qi Gong didn't know Ji Hongyue was the head of the Binxian County Agriculture Group and thought he was just an accountant from a brigade buying machinery, so he called him Little Ji. Later, upon learning he was a county official, Qi Gong felt embarrassed, but Ji Hongyue didn't mind.

Feeling guilty about this, Qi Gong always helped him out.

Ji Hongyue only smiled inwardly.

After chatting with him about the machinery for a while, Ji Hongyue explained their needs for planting rice, wheat, and corn, as well as harvesting, hoping they could help adjust the machines for multiple uses.

Qi Gong understood their needs and frugality well.

While technically a seeder can't meet diverse needs, human ingenuity is limitless, and there are indeed ways to use one machine for multiple purposes.

When there were no seeders, the commune members used sunflower stalks to sow seeds.

After chatting for a while, it was nearly lunchtime. Ji Hongyue glanced out the window and casually asked, "Qi Gong, why haven't I seen Technician Wei?"

Qi Gong replied, "Little Wei? She's been on leave these days and probably won't come back until February."

It's only the tenth day of the first lunar month, and most workers haven't returned to work yet.

Ji Hongyue asked, "On leave? Is she sick?"

Based on his understanding of Wei Mingqi, she is very dedicated and wouldn't take leave lightly.

Engineer Qi: "I heard it's because she's getting married?"

"Getting married?" Ji Hongyue was shocked. Marry that man with all the pockmarks on his face?

Who introduced her to such an irresponsible man?

Ji Hongyue felt quite angry. Wei Technician is Tang Yuan's friend. If Tang Yuan knew she was going to marry such an irresponsible man, she would be furious.

He decided to ask about the situation on Tang Yuan's behalf.

So in the afternoon, he bought some gifts and went to the Wei family's home.

Wei Mingqi's father and brother both worked at the bicycle factory and lived in the courtyard provided by the factory, sharing with several other families.

Mother Wei had fallen ill before the New Year, and Wei Mingqi had been taking care of her at home, not returning to work after the holiday.

Mother Wei had never been in good health since her youth. After giving birth to her eldest son, she miscarried several times. They thought they would only have one son, but when she was nearly forty, she unexpectedly became pregnant and gave birth to Wei Mingqi prematurely.

While Wei Mingqi herself had no major health issues, Mother Wei's health deteriorated further after the high-risk pregnancy.

Growing up, Wei Mingqi heard too many phrases like "Your mother suffered greatly to give birth to you" or "Your mother's poor health is all because of you." She felt genuinely guilty, believing her mother had endured much for her sake and determined to be obedient and filial.

She was always sensible, studied diligently, and never caused her parents any trouble.

Now her sister-in-law said her marriage was worrying her mother, telling her to be more sensible and not cause her parents any more concern.

Wei Mingqi really didn't want to argue with Peng Yunna, as it was pointless. Was marrying Wu Jin being sensible and not causing her parents worry?

She didn't understand what was so great about Wu Jin. What did he say to make everyone think he was perfect for her?

This Wu Jin somehow managed to win over her entire family!

Everyone spoke highly of him, thinking he was great. If she didn't marry him, they said she would be ungrateful and blind to a good match.

Deep down, Wei Mingqi was rebellious. The more they pushed her towards Wu Jin, the less she wanted anything to do with him.

Peng Yunna also thought she was ungrateful, asking why she wouldn't consider Wu Jin. What was wrong with him?

If she mentioned that he was selfish and took things from work, her sister-in-law would say, "Who doesn't take things from work? Those leaders you respect aren't as respectable as you think. Everyone just doesn't talk about it. Your being high-minded means you can't manage a household properly. Wu Jin knows how to manage a household, which is essential for a couple."

If she criticized him for being slippery and unreliable, her sister-in-law would say he was smart and that honest people get taken advantage of.

Her sister-in-law even brainwashed her parents, saying, "His aunt has always been honest and straightforward, often at a disadvantage. She should have been the class monitor, but another girl took the position because she couldn't speak up or ingratiate herself with the teacher. Now, at work, she still can't handle things well, and leaders prefer those who can. Wu Jin is smart and can compensate for her aunt's shortcomings. It's a perfect match."

After hearing this repeatedly, her parents also thought it was a good match.

Her elder brother never interfered; everything was decided by her sister-in-law.

Wei Mingqi felt isolated at home. Although it was her own house, she had no say in anything—neither in what to eat nor how to arrange the house. And now, she wasn't even allowed to choose her own partner?

She wanted to move out, but her mother was ill and wouldn't let her go. She couldn't bring herself to be heartless.

She knew her parents meant well, wanting her to find someone who could help her since she was straightforward and not good at handling things.

But she didn't like him.

She had a good job, earned a decent income, and could support herself and contribute to her parents' care. Wasn't that enough?

Even if she had to get married, wouldn't it be better to wait until she found someone suitable?

Seeing her daughter sitting by the bed lost in thought, Mother Wei patted her arm. "Where's my medicine? It's time to take it."

Wei Mingqi snapped back to reality. "Ah, I'll get it for you."

She quickly fetched the medicine and prepared warm water.

After taking the pills, Mother Wei glanced outside and saw her daughter-in-law eavesdropping.

She advised, "Mingqi, I think Wu Jin is a decent young man. Are you just unhappy with his looks?"

Compared to the young man they met before the New Year, Wu Jin wasn't as handsome.

Wei Mingqi: "Mom, it's not about his looks. I just don't get along with him. His words and actions make me uncomfortable."

Mother Wei: "Mingqi, as long as he's a good person and treats you well, that's enough."

Wei Mingqi: "How can that be enough? When we went to see a movie, I said the rural children were pitiful. He responded, 'They're not pitiful at all. Rural people are all bad, lazy, greedy, and deceitful.' How can I continue talking to someone who generalizes like that?"

Mother Wei: "He just said it casually. As long as he treats you well, that's what matters."

Wei Mingqi sarcastically replied, "That's because I'm from the city and have a good job. If I didn't have a job, see how he'd treat me."

Peng Yunna couldn't hold back and stormed in. "Auntie, you can't be so picky. How can you live like this? Wu Jin is right. Rural people are not good. They're dirty and greedy, and they cheat. When I buy vegetables at the market, those farmers always shortchange me. Wu Jin lived in the countryside and knows better than you."

Wei Mingqi, who wouldn't have argued with Peng Yunna before, now couldn't hold back. "Sister-in-law, I've also lived in the countryside, and I found them to be nice."

Peng Yunna: "Mom, I told you she's naive and easily deceived. She needs a smart partner to help her, or she'll end up being cheated and counting money for others."

Wei Mingqi: "How am I being cheated? At work..."

"Don't mention your work. You graduated from a technical school and got assigned a job. How many years has it been? You're still just a technician. If it weren't for your skills, you'd still be a regular employee with no opportunities. You're too inept at handling things."

Wei Mingqi had been holding in her anger since the incident at the restaurant with Wu Jin and Peng Yunna, where they brought her mother to confront her and Ji Hongyue. Her dissatisfaction with her sister-in-law grew stronger.

Was she being treated worse than a child?

She laughed bitterly. "Sister-in-law, you're so capable. Why aren't you the factory manager yet?"

Peng Yunna's face turned pale, her eyes widened, and her voice rose. "His aunt, what do you mean? Are you trying to provoke me? How old am I, how old are you? Let me tell you, when you were in your mother's womb, I took care of her. When you were born, I took care of your postpartum confinement. When I had my own child, I didn't even use Mother's help. You drank my milk when there was no milk from our mother."

In an instant, her face changed, and she began to recount tearfully all the sacrifices she had made for this family, for her mother-in-law, and for Wei Mingqi.

Wei Mingqi felt like her head was about to split open.

In her memory, she was only two or three years older than her nieces and nephews, always responsible for taking care of them and listening to her sister-in-law's constant nagging.

Her sister-in-law started lecturing her as soon as she could understand things, saying that she owed her everything because she had fed her with her own milk. She and her mother both owed her for her care; otherwise, who knows what would have happened.

Back then, she was young. As she grew older, she asked her mother if it was true. Her mother said it was somewhat true; she did drink a few mouthfuls of her sister-in-law's milk, but not much since she mostly drank formula milk. By the time her sister-in-law had her own child, she was already much older.

As a child, Wei Mingqi drank formula and milk. It was her sister-in-law who wanted her formula and claimed her milk was better, so she fed her little aunt.

Moreover, her sister-in-law always talked about taking care of her mother-in-law during her postpartum confinement, which wasn't entirely accurate.

Initially, her sister-in-law didn't have a job and stayed at home to cook. Whether her mother-in-law was in confinement or not, she still had to cook. But in her sister-in-law's narrative, she was the one caring for her mother-in-law, making great sacrifices. If the family didn't listen to her, they were ungrateful and undeserving.

After hearing this so many times, even Mother Wei believed that her sister-in-law had taken care of her and worked hard. Her husband and eldest son certainly thought so too.

Her eldest brother genuinely believed his wife had worked very hard, taking care of his mother during her confinement, raising Wei Mingqi, washing her diapers, and feeding her.

Over the years, Peng Yunna had made these stories seem real.

Even if you tried to clarify, it wouldn't matter. Peng Yunna had welded these tales into her mind and would bring them up whenever she was displeased.

The truth was that Peng Yunna's family was struggling, with many brothers, and they needed dowries for her brothers' marriages. At just 17, she was rushed into marriage to secure a dowry.

The Wei couple were both working, and their son had graduated from a technical school and had a job. Their conditions were good, so Peng Yunna pursued a relationship with Wei's eldest son.

Though Wei's eldest son was handsome, he was introverted and passive, not one to actively pursue girls.

Peng Yunna was attractive and outgoing, unlike other shy girls. She took the initiative, and her future husband went along with it, turning down other well-off matchmakers.

Mother Wei was initially unsatisfied with Peng Yunna, thinking she wasn't good enough for her son, but she agreed since her son was willing.

When she suddenly became pregnant and suffered severe morning sickness, unable to do household chores, Peng Yunna stepped in to take care of the family.

But Peng Yunna only mentioned caring for her and Mingqi, never mentioning the high dowry or her pursuit of Wei's eldest son.

Mother Wei also believed in keeping family matters private. Besides, her eldest daughter-in-law was getting older, and her children were growing up and would soon marry. She wanted to maintain her eldest daughter-in-law's dignity.

But she also felt for her daughter, so she told her that her sister-in-law hadn't done as much as she claimed, just normal family duties, to ease her burden.

Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law crying and causing a scene again, Mother Wei felt overwhelmed.

Mother Wei: "Yunna, stop crying. Mingqi didn't say anything."

Peng Yunna, seeing her mother-in-law siding with her daughter, cried even harder. "Mom, haven't I worked hard for this family all these years? Don't I deserve some credit?"

Mother Wei could only nod.

Peng Yunna: "Your younger aunt is getting on in years and still isn't married. What about your grandchildren? They need to find partners too."

Wei Mingqi: "I've moved out, so you don't have to worry about me."

"Mingqi!" Mother Wei hurriedly tried to calm her daughter down, but she started coughing from the anxiety.

Wei Mingqi quickly patted her back and brought her some warm water to drink.

Peng Yunna took the opportunity to scold Wei Mingqi, "Your younger aunt, whether you like me or not, I genuinely care for you."

Wei Mingqi decided not to respond and let her sister-in-law talk.

Ever since she was young, she had noticed that her sister-in-law liked to repeat herself, and over the years, she had only gotten better at it.

Just as Peng Yunna was passionately recounting how she had taken care of her mother-in-law when she first joined the family, how she helped raise Wei Mingqi, and how she devoted herself to this family, an elderly lady cheerfully called out, "Mingqi, Mingqi, there's a handsome young man looking for you!"