Chapter 235: Finalizing the Headcount

The old village secretary spoke up directly, “Just now, our villager Yimin suggested that we ask people from your village to come help us out. I won’t promise anything else, but we can at least guarantee food.”

Village Chief Liang asked, “Secretary Zhou, how many people are you hoping for?”

After all, the commune had already taken twenty people, and there was still farm work left to do in the village. They definitely needed to keep some people back to finish their production tasks.

But this proposal was very tempting.

Right now, he wanted to send people anywhere that provided food. Only then could the villagers survive. As for other kinds of compensation, he didn’t dare to expect any.

“How many people can your village spare for us?” the old secretary asked after thinking for a moment.

Although it was just a small reservoir being built, it still required a lot of manpower. Besides, there were many other projects in the village that also needed hands.

Honestly, if it were possible, he would prefer for all the reservoir workers to come from other villages. That way, his own villagers could be freed up to do other things.

The main point was that building a reservoir was hard work. If someone else could do it, of course he’d rather let them. His own villagers could focus on the lighter tasks.

Chief Liang was a bit surprised. From the tone, it sounded like they wanted a lot of people. So he said, “If you don’t have a strict requirement that they must be men, we can send forty to fifty strong workers, all capable hands. If you include women, the number can be even higher.”

As for the elderly or weak, he didn’t mention them. Sending over the old, sick, or disabled—wouldn’t that be insulting?

He also knew that if he wanted to establish good relations with Zhoujiazhuang, this collaboration would be the starting point. So of course, he wouldn’t send over slackers.

Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a next time.

“Forty or fifty is still a bit few, but it’ll do,” the old secretary said.

At that moment, Village Chief Liang’s stomach growled.

He was a little embarrassed, but there was nothing he could do. He hadn’t eaten his fill in a long time. Now, faced with large steamed buns, stir-fried dishes, and even bits of meat shimmering with oil—it was too much to resist.

The old secretary quickly said, “Just so happens I’m a bit hungry too. Let’s eat while we talk!”

He then poured each of them a cup of Lotus White Liquor.

Lotus White was a premium tonic liquor and one of the most renowned brews in the capital area with a long-standing history. It had a mild nature and a pleasant aroma.

Legend says it originated in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty.

According to Xu Ke’s Qingbai Leichao, “Yingtai was filled with thousands of lotuses, emerald plates and jade green canopies stretching endlessly. Empress Dowager Cixi often had the young eunuchs pick the lotus stamens and add medicinal herbs to brew fine liquor, named Lotus White. It was stored in porcelain, capped with yellow satin, and given as a reward to trusted ministers. Its flavor was mellow and exquisite, unmatched by any other.”

By the Qing Dynasty, the brew used white lotuses from Kunming Lake at Longevity Hill. The recipe was an imperial secret used by the feudal court.

In 1790, a merchant in the capital obtained the imperial recipe and had it carefully brewed at Renhe Tavern in Haidian, Western Capital, for public consumption.

Village Chief Liang couldn’t help but take a sip and exclaimed, “Good liquor!”

It was completely different from the bulk grain alcohol he was used to—those were harsh and burning, but Lotus White went down smooth and mellow, leaving a gentle warmth in the throat. But then he realized he probably wouldn’t get to drink anything this good again, and felt a bit down.

As they say, it’s easy to go from simple to luxurious, but hard to return from luxury to simplicity.

The old secretary wasn’t stingy. “If it’s good, drink more.”

The three villagers who came with Chief Liang were practically drooling. But seeing their chief hadn’t moved his chopsticks yet, they didn’t dare move either. They could only keep swallowing their saliva to stop it from dripping out. When they finally saw their chief pick up his chopsticks, they couldn’t hold back anymore and dug in heartily.

Each man held a large steamed bun, gobbling one down in just a couple of bites.

Seeing this, the old secretary thought to himself: if Zhoujiazhuang didn’t have Zhou Yimin’s support, they’d probably be no different from Shuangtian Village.

Chief Liang also joined in, eating with more grace, though no less speed.

The old secretary only picked up one bun, eating slowly and sipping his liquor occasionally.

After about ten minutes, Chief Liang and the three villagers were full.

At first, they hadn’t planned to eat so much—it felt inappropriate. But the old secretary kept urging them to eat, and they couldn’t resist.

Their performance was rather astounding: the four of them had eaten nearly twenty buns, and the stir-fried dishes on the table were completely wiped clean—not even sauce was left behind. It looked like the plates had been licked.

Looking at the mess on the table after eating and drinking his fill, Chief Liang said apologetically, “Secretary Zhou, sorry about the mess. We couldn’t hold back.”

“It’s fine. Are you all full? If not, there are still buns,” the old secretary asked kindly.

Since he had invited them to eat, he might as well let them eat their fill.

Liang Zan said, “We’re full, very full.”

After this meal, he figured he could go without food for the next two days.

“Haha! Good, you must eat your fill,” the old secretary said.

Chief Liang added, “Then we’ll do as we discussed—our side will send fifty people. There’s still a bit of farm work left to do, otherwise it’ll cause trouble next year.”

“Alright. Village Chief Liang, just have them come over in two days,” said the old secretary.

“No problem! I’ll arrange it,” Chief Liang replied.

The two then confirmed a few more details and chatted for over an hour.

After that, Chief Liang left with Liang Zan and the other two villagers to return to their village.

On the way back, Chief Liang said, “Liang Zan, I have a task for you. From now on, you’ll lead the team working at Zhoujiazhuang. If you get the chance, be sure to build a good relationship with Zhou Yimin.”

He had a feeling that Zhou Yimin was the key figure behind Zhoujiazhuang’s transformation. He had heard Zhou Yimin was a team lead in the procurement department at the steel factory. The fact that no one in Zhoujiazhuang was starving was definitely connected to him.

“Got it! Uncle, I’ll do as you say,” Liang Zan replied.

Anyway, his uncle would never lead him astray. He just needed to follow instructions and complete the tasks given.

At this point, Liang Liu asked, “Chief, do you think I could also go work in Zhoujiazhuang?”

He knew that even if he went to help the commune build canals, the food wouldn’t be as good as Zhoujiazhuang’s. Thinking back to the buns earlier, he swallowed hard—this had been the best meal he’d had all year.

Chief Liang knew how much Ma Liu could eat. Nearly twenty large buns, and a third of them were his alone.

Plus all the stir-fried dishes. Frankly, he could eat for two, but he was also a strong worker. Thinking that Zhoujiazhuang probably wouldn’t mind sparing a bit more grain, he said, “Alright, you can go too!”

(End of Chapter)