Chapter 355: Visitors from the Commune

On the way to the warehouse, workers who had just finished their shifts were shocked to see so many chickens.

The commotion quickly reached the factory leadership, and Director Ding even came over personally to investigate.

Director Ding, accompanied by a group of section chiefs, arrived at the warehouse and was delighted to see the truckload of chickens. It seemed that Zhou Yimin’s suggestion was indeed effective—after just one day, such significant results had already been achieved.

“Who’s the one standing off to the side?”

Wang Weimin immediately replied, “That’s Zhou Dazhong, Yimin’s nephew!”

Upon hearing that he was Zhou Yimin’s nephew, the others no longer found it surprising.

“Oh, so it’s Yimin’s nephew. Not bad at all,” Director Ding said with a meaningful tone.

After all, he cared only about results. As long as the task got done, it didn’t matter if it was a black cat or a white cat—as long as it caught mice, it was a good cat.

“Your people should learn a thing or two from others as well.”

Everyone present wasn’t foolish—they quickly agreed.

Seeing that the outcome had far exceeded expectations, Director Ding was very satisfied and turned to head to the canteen.

The chickens raised by Zhoujiazhuang were all exceptionally healthy, each weighing around six to seven jin. The final purchase price was set at three yuan per chicken.

Zhou Yimin had helped negotiate this price; otherwise, it would’ve been just a bit over two yuan. The factory leadership didn’t object, especially considering how difficult it was to procure supplies these days. A slightly higher price was acceptable.

Zhou Dazhong had caught a total of five hundred chickens from Zhoujiazhuang. At three yuan each, that totaled fifteen hundred yuan. With this huge sum in hand, Zhou Dazhong’s hands were trembling as he brought the money to Zhou Yimin.

“Uncle Sixteen, when are you planning to head back? Take this money with you, will you?”

He couldn’t bear the thought of this much money being lost while in his hands—selling him wouldn’t be enough to repay it.

Seeing how nervous Zhou Dazhong was, Zhou Yimin could only sigh. “Alright.”

Zhou Dazhong looked as though he had just heard a heavenly voice and quickly handed the money over to Zhou Yimin.

The moment the money was out of his hands, he looked visibly relieved, like he had suddenly come back to life.

News of Zhoujiazhuang selling chickens spread quickly, especially when it was revealed that they had sold at a “sky-high” price—three yuan per chicken. At the time, the market price for a chicken was only around one yuan, and even hens, which were more expensive, only went for about two yuan or slightly more.

Hens were known as “egg banks” in rural China during the 1960s and 70s due to their economic value in households.

During that time, China’s rural economy relied on collective farming and people’s communes. Conditions were poor, and families had few sources of income. Besides working in the production team, raising chickens for eggs became an important means of earning a living.

Due to the lack of technology and low productivity, combined with frequent natural disasters, rural households generally struggled financially.

People began referring to hens as “egg banks” because laying eggs was like earning interest—providing a steady stream of income for the family.

A hen that laid eggs was often considered as economically valuable as a male laborer in the household because the income from eggs could cover daily living expenses.

The nickname reflected both the difficult economic conditions of the time and the wisdom and creativity of rural people in supplementing their income through chicken-raising.

This story came to light when villagers from Shangshui Village witnessed it and spread the word.

When Village Chief Wang found out, he also wanted to visit Zhoujiazhuang and learn from their experience. If he could raise better chickens in his own village, they might be able to sell at a better price too.

That way, he could give a proper explanation to the villagers. After all, they had spent a lot, but the income hadn’t matched up. If the villagers became dissatisfied, starting such a large-scale project again would be extremely difficult.

After all, the village’s money belonged to the people. Any spending had to be approved by the villagers themselves.

As the matter continued to gain attention, more and more people heard about it, until it finally caught the eye of the commune.

Upon learning of the situation, Director Huang of the commune decided to send someone over to learn from Zhoujiazhuang’s methods. If it could be replicated and taught to other villages, the entire commune could benefit—and it would also be a credit to him.

“Xiao Lin, come in for a moment.”

Lin Guohuai, upon hearing the director call, quickly entered the office.

“Uncle, what is it?”

Although he found it odd, he trusted there was a reason for being summoned by a leader.

“How many times have I told you, in the commune, you call me Director,” Director Huang said with a hint of exasperation.

“Yes, Director. What can I do for you?”

Director Huang didn’t dwell on it. “Have you heard about the chickens raised in Zhoujiazhuang? They’re exceptionally good—much bigger than average. I want to send you there to learn from them.”

Of course, he had his own motives. If Lin Guohuai could successfully learn the methods and they were promoted later, it would be considered a merit to him.

And with merit, a promotion would be within reach.

Lin Guohuai had been in the commune for a long time—he wasn’t stupid. He understood his uncle’s intentions.

“Director, don’t worry. I’ll handle this beautifully.”

With that, he was ready to set off for Zhoujiazhuang.

“You don’t even have your documentation yet—where are you going?” Director Huang couldn’t help but feel irritated at his overly eager nephew, who always acted before hearing the full instructions.

Embarrassed, Lin Guohuai stopped and waited for Director Huang to prepare the official letter and stamp it with the commune seal before handing it to him.

Once he had the letter, Lin Guohuai didn’t hesitate to ride off on Director Huang’s bicycle. If he had to go on foot, who knew how long it would take?

Even by bicycle, it would take at least an hour.

Luckily, the road to Zhoujiazhuang was relatively smooth. If it had been full of potholes, the bike ride would’ve been a nightmare—he would’ve been shaken to the point of doubting life itself.

After an hour of riding, Lin Guohuai finally reached Zhoujiazhuang.

Before he could get close, the local security team from the village shouted from afar, “Comrade, who are you?”

Knowing the seriousness of the matter, Lin Guohuai replied, “Comrade, I’m from the commune. Here’s my letter of introduction.”

In the commune, livestock technicians not only served as deputy squad leaders for animal husbandry in the production teams, but also took on responsibilities like disease prevention, technical training, and breed improvement. Though their titles sounded modest, they held significant authority.

Upon hearing that he was from the commune, the Zhoujiazhuang security team immediately let him approach and checked his letter. Once they confirmed it was legitimate, they asked, “Comrade, is there some directive from the commune?”

Otherwise, a visit from a commune official would’ve been highly unusual.

(End of Chapter)