When digging sweet potatoes, Secretary Ji, along with the grain station personnel and the scale, reappeared.
The first stop was still the Li family's. Ouyang Lei had provided all of their sweet potato seedlings, so if possible, they could pick some to use as seeds.
Sweet potatoes already had high yields, and with good seedlings, Tian Jing dared not use any supernatural abilities.
Therefore, a yield of over 1,900 catties per mu was normal.
Captain Ou was very excited. Previously, their team's land was rocky, producing only 1,200 catties. Four catties of sweet potato were equivalent to one catty of grain, which equaled only 300 catties of grain.
Now, seeing that the land could yield two crops a year and sweet potatoes could also be a sideline, how could he not be excited?
When Secretary Ji learned that Tian Jing had led the members to make sweet potato starch, he proposed developing handicrafts as a sideline.
Sweet potato starch and sweet potato vermicelli were both possible.
The members would make them, the team would purchase them uniformly, and then the commune would sell them to the county supply and marketing cooperative.
After the sweet potatoes were weighed, one-third of the public grain had to be sliced and dried to be handed over to the commune grain station.
Four catties of sweet potatoes would yield one catty of dried slices. To prevent spoilage due to untimely turning or hasty harvesting during rain, one should try to dry them as much as possible.
With the bumper harvest of sweet potatoes, the members would slice and dry more, as they also needed to make sweet potato flour for their own consumption.
Secretary Ji then took away the sweet potatoes from the Li, Wang, and Niu families, as these were southern varieties and he wanted to use them for experimental seeds.
Only 500 catties were left for seeds and consumption for the three families.
Captain Ou immediately allocated 2,000 catties from other families to the Li family. This was the remaining weight after the Li family paid their public grain and subtracted the 500 catties.
Then, Captain Ou hurried back to the office to make an announcement over the loudspeaker.
The announcement was, of course, about the sideline production. If the produced sweet potato starch and vermicelli were not up to standard, they would not only be rejected but also disqualified from participating in sideline production.
For these two items, the main thing was to wash the sweet potatoes clean, without mud or sand, otherwise the vermicelli and starch would be gritty to eat.
Similarly, rotten sweet potatoes should not be mixed in, as they would impart a rotten smell.
Once anyone was found to be affecting the common interests out of laziness or by trying to cut corners, even their allocated land would be confiscated.
The members, busy digging sweet potatoes, laughed when they heard this. Who would do such a thing when there were good days ahead?
Wasn't there water to wash with? What was the Kū River for?
Thinking of the Kū River, it reminded them of how it always flooded the village entrance in spring and summer.
But this year, due to everyone's enthusiasm and their willingness to carry water for irrigation, the Kū River had not overflowed.
...
The sweet potatoes were dried in the open area outside the courtyard gate for two days. Li Min and Chen Suozhu picked out the good ones to store in the cellar, and those that were dug up and injured, or too small, were used to make sweet potato starch.
The members actively turned the sweet potato slices to dry. Li Zhengguo went to persuade Lin Guangde to open a flour mill.
Seeing that the members' lives were about to improve, a flour mill was essential, and besides Lin Guangde, there was no one else suitable.
Flour mills often encountered unreasonable people who accused them of stealing grain.
The milling machines had many turns, and indeed, some flour got stuck and couldn't come out. Some people would fuss over a few liang or half a catty and cause trouble.
Lin Guangde, with his strength, was suitable for the job, and he also had many rooms.
Because his neighbors had moved away back then, Lin Guangde shamelessly occupied all their houses.
Lin Guangde thought it was a good idea. By opening a flour mill, his two sons would not only have something to do but also benefit the members, which would be good for his family's reputation.
His fifth son would then not have to resort to trickery to find a wife.
If it were before, he wouldn't have dared to think of it. Now, Brother Lei, to accommodate the Great Hero Tian, would surely help him get the machinery and be willing to extend credit to him.
This included the diesel generator and diesel fuel.
Li Zhengguo reminded him, "Buy the houses you encroached upon."
"Okay."
Lin Si looked at Zhang Fangcao, who was lost in thought, gazing at Li Zhengguo's retreating back, with a sneer on his face. Did this woman foolishly think that Li Zhengguo's actions were an indirect gesture of affection towards her?
Heh heh, it was Li Zhengguo who had orchestrated her divorce from Li Aiguo and the recognition of her child.
A man who would remove any self-aggrandizing woman for his wife. Such a devoted man, planning everything for his wife, could indeed make a woman who had lost love fall deeply.
...
Amidst the busyness, the production team announced the delivery of public grain: "This year, Comrade Ouyang Lei thanks the members of the production team for growing delicious vegetables. He has brought a large truck to help everyone transport the public grain to the commune grain station. Members, please prepare your grain. The team's donkey carts will help transport it from house to house."
As soon as the notice was issued, the team immediately became lively. People marked their sacks, moved them outside their doors to wait, and selected those who would go to deliver the grain.
When Ouyang Lei arrived, he naturally also brought Lin Guangde's machinery.
He sternly warned Lin Guangde, "Now you are starting to live your life seriously. Great Hero Tian is supporting you, don't let her down. You can use your fists when necessary, but only when you are in the right and do not take lives."
Lin Guangde repeatedly agreed. He was of an age where he should live his life properly, and besides, he had the backing of the Great Hero Tian.
Upon returning from delivering the public grain, the grain that had been set aside as seed grain for a few families was returned.
The Li family received 400 catties of wheat and 580 catties of corn kernels.
Lin Guangde's flour mill opened. The rumbling sound of the diesel engine attracted the members out of curiosity.
Wasn't that a tractor engine?
Lin Guangde wouldn't explain rotational speed and power to the members.
Li Min and Chen Suozhu pushed a handcart to the mill to grind corn flour first.
Her elder brother and sister-in-law had gone to the mountains to carry back wheat. The returned wheat was dry and shriveled. Her sister-in-law almost threw it away.
By the time she and her husband finished grinding the flour, the wheat had already been mixed.
The differences in the wheat in the sacks were so obvious, what could be done?
What to do? They had to pour the wheat into the milling machine's hopper themselves. Li Zhengguo, finding his sister clumsy, took his brother-in-law to the flour mill, and soon they had the flour ground.
Each of the Chen family received one-fifth of the two types of flour. It wasn't that Tian Jing was stingy, but her sister-in-law and brother-in-law came home for meals every day, and if it wasn't enough, they could just grind more.
On the morning of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the village purchased a batch of small miscellaneous fish, of various sizes.
They could be exchanged for work points or bought with money, no tickets required.
Li Zhengguo exchanged his work points for ten large grass carp and two buckets of small miscellaneous fish.
His family had too many work points. Because the team owed them seeds and seedlings, Tian Tian refused to take grain and insisted on work points. What was the use of shriveled wheat and corn?
The grass carp were cut into pieces and marinated. The small miscellaneous fish had their intestines removed, marinated, and then fried in oil, two ways.
One was fried with a mixed batter, and the other was fried directly.
Tian Tian wanted to eat them.
Tian Jing ate with a ceramic basin, along with Da Mai and Xiao Mai, and also invited Ouyang Meihua.
Ouyang Meihua waved her hand. She was afraid of getting "internal heat," and yet eating fried food in the dry autumn air?
Wang Xiaodong, no longer afraid of strangers, knocked on the door himself, "Grandma Tian, I want to eat fried fish."
The fried fish in Grandma Tian's mouth got stuck. Was she nineteen or ninety?
Grandma Tian directly handed him the enamel basin, "Take it back and eat it slowly. Grandma Tian has plenty here."
"Thank you, Grandma Tian."
After the seemingly demure and well-behaved boy left, Ouyang Meihua burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Grandma Tian."
"Heh heh, you're Ouyang Grandma, you can't escape it. He's just not familiar with you."
"Cough cough," Ouyang Meihua choked. She hadn't even given birth yet, and she was already a grandmother?
Guo Hong came over with her son, holding an enamel basin, "Aunt Tian, this..."
Tian Jing waved at her, "Put your son down, let him eat quietly. You hurry to the kitchen to help, Li Min is about to have heatstroke."
When the fish were being gutted, everyone helped, but when it came to frying the fish, Li Min was alone.
Li's mother was busy preparing the normal dinner.
Aunt Tian wasn't being formal with her, so Guo Hong didn't stand on ceremony either. She had her son sit next to Grandma Tian to eat, and she went to help in the kitchen.
After helping, she was also called by Aunt Tian to take back an enamel basin.
Ouyang Meihua clicked her tongue, "Grandma Tian is really extravagant."
"Can't be helped, who told me I'm the elder? It's only right to care for the younger generation."